Chapter 5 Protect Her So-Called Dignity

• Victoria could not go to the hospital. The moment she did so, her pregnancy would be exposed. It sounded laughable, but she did not want anyone else to know about the baby. She tried to protect the last remaining shreds of her dignity. She knew her pride was already gone when she agreed to fake a marriage with Alaric. Right now, before him and the woman he loved, what sort of dignity did she even have? Even so…
• Then, she glanced down but did not wish to disclose anything that would cause others to ridicule her.
• Alaric scowled when he heard that. The car abruptly turned and screeched to a stop by the side of the road.
• At that moment, Victoria thought he was telling her to exit his car, so she reached out to open the door.
• Clack! The doors were immediately locked.
• He was staring at her with a dark look through the rearview mirror. "Why don't you want to go to the hospital?" he asked.
• She had been acting strange since walking through the rain the evening before.
• "I can visit a doctor myself if I don't feel well," Victoria calmly replied.
• He narrowed his eyes dangerously when he heard that.
• "Al, is it because of me?" Claudia hurriedly asked. "Why not... Why don't I get off here while you take Victoria to the hospital? After all, her illness is quite serious. We cannot delay her treatment." Following that, she leaned toward Alaric as if she wanted to unlock the car doors.
• Victoria watched as he stopped her, holding her hand.
• "Don't say that." Alaric frowned and glanced at Victoria before continuing, "Don't overthink it. It's not because of you."
• Then, Claudia glanced down at their hands as an embarrassed glint flashed in her eyes.
• Meanwhile, Victoria silently watched them. After Claudia turned to look at her, Victoria begrudgingly tore her eyes away from them.
• "I'm sorry for the misunderstanding, Victoria," said Claudia. "I thought you were angry at Al because of me. I'm so sorry."
• Victoria calmly glanced back at her. She would have thought Claudia was a manipulator if she did not owe Claudia for helping her once. Nevertheless, Claudia was her savior as well.
• Then, Victoria forced a smile. "It's fine."
• "Are you unwilling to go to the hospital because you're afraid of the hospital?" Claudia asked with a grin. "My friend opened a clinic of his own after returning from abroad. Why not go to his place?"
• She then turned to Alaric. "What do you think, Al?"
• He did not immediately agree to the idea. Instead, he frowned and asked, "A clinic? Is it reliable?"
• "Of course," Claudia somewhat awkwardly replied. "If he wasn't reliable, would I introduce him to you? Don't you trust me?"
• After a moment of thought, he nodded. "We'll go there."
• Victoria frowned. "I—"
• However, the car was already speeding away, and her objection was useless.
• On the other hand, Claudia was even reassuring her. "Don't worry, Victoria. My friend's a good man. He's very kind and patient. I'll ensure he knows beforehand that your treatment will be negotiated later, alright?"
• Compared to the considerate and gentle Claudia, Victoria seemed to be the exact opposite. Despite her sickness, she still refused to go to the hospital; how very selfish and inconsiderate.
• What else could Victoria say to that?
• Thus, she kept quiet as the car continued on its way.
• After arriving at the clinic, Claudia helped her out of the car, and she softly asked, "Does your head spin? If you feel sick, you can lean on me."
• Her voice was so very soft, and her supporting hands were too. The faint scent of jasmine lingered around her.
• However, Victoria lowered her eyes in thought. Claudia is not only stunning but also a wonderful person. Moreover, she once rescued Alaric's life. If I'm Alaric, I'll probably fall in love with her too.
• After Claudia's friend arrived, she talked to him for a while. The man in the white coat glanced at Victoria, nodded at Claudia, and walked over to her.
• "Hello, you're Claudia's friend, right? I'm Dominic Fagan."
• Victoria nodded in greeting. "Hello."
• "You have a fever?" His voice was gentle as he placed the back of a hand against her forehead.
• With his unexpected proximity, she jerked to the side. Nonetheless, he found humor in her response. "I'm only testing your temperature," he said.
• Dominic then turned around and pulled out a thermometer. "Let's get a reading of your temperature."
• Victoria accepted the thermometer.
• "You know how to use it, right?" Alaric asked as he stood behind her.
• His question rendered her speechless. However, she chose to ignore him. What makes you believe I have no idea how to use a thermometer?
• Nevertheless, her movement was sluggish because she was so sick that her head spun.
• Once the thermometer was in place, Dominic told her to leave it there.
• Seeing that, Claudia seized the chance to introduce her friend to Alaric.
• "Al, this is Dominic. I mentioned you to him before over the phone. He's an amazing doctor, but he loves his freedom so much that he decided to open a clinic instead when he returned. Dominic, this is Alaric. He's—"
• She paused before shyly continuing, "My friend."
• "Friend?" Dominic raised his eyebrows when he heard that. He glanced at Victoria before looking back at Alaric. "Hello, I'm Dominic Fagan. It's a pleasure to meet you."
• A few long moments passed before Alaric shook Dominic's hand. "Alaric Cadogan."
• "I know."
• There was a mysterious smirk on Dominic's face as he suggestively said, "Claudia talks about you often. She has a very high opinion of you."
• "Dominic!" Claudia's cheeks immediately blushed red as if that remark struck a chord.
• "What? Am I wrong? You're always singing his praises in front of everyone."
• "Enough. Don't mention it."
• Alaric glanced at Victoria as the other two spoke.
• She was sitting there with half-lidded eyes. Her hair hung low over her forehead, blocking her eyes from view and hiding any signs of her emotions. She silently sat there, calm and unbothered, as if she were an outsider.
• Then, his face instantly darkened upon seeing that.
• Five minutes later, Dominic took the thermometer from Victoria. He frowned. "You're running a little high. I'll give you a shot."
• Victoria's head immediately snapped up. "No shots."
• Dominic looked at her and smiled. "Are you afraid it will hurt? Don't worry. I'll be gentle."
• Claudia nodded in agreement. "Your health is vital, Victoria."
• Still, Victoria shook her head and insisted, "I don't want any shots or medication."
• Her stubborn attitude made Alaric frown once more.
• "Our only option is to bring your temperature down externally. I'll tell the nurse to gather what you need. For now, put a cool, wet towel on your forehead. We don't want your temperature to go higher."
• When Dominic left the room, Claudia said, "I'll help him."
• After the two left, Alaric and Victoria were the only ones left in the room.
• Meanwhile, Victoria's head was still spinning. She wanted to grab the wet towel to place it on her forehead, but she could not muster a single ounce of strength.
• Then, Alaric, who had been relatively silent the whole time, abruptly spoke up.
• "Melodramatic!"