Cold War between Mr. and Mrs Vaughn: He Regretted when Divorce-Chapter 126: Giving Up Everything

Victoria Sinclair’s heart was filled with grievance and shock, looking at everything before her in disbelief.

Her mother, trembling with anger, seemed as if her rage would consume her, gritted her teeth and demanded: "You still know to come back? Your father is ill and needs care, your brother works hard to support the family, I am taking care of little Ze and managing this household. You don’t work, and have been wandering outside for more than half a year. Now that it’s New Year’s and the house is so busy, you still don’t stay to help, instead you went to sea with a wild man to play..."

Mrs. Sinclair’s words came in rapid-fire, growing more and more agitated, placing her hands on her hips, yelling harshly and scornfully: "It’s one thing if you go out with a man, getting married early would save worry. But you had to get involved with your ex-husband’s brother! Have you no shame? Are all the men in this world dead? You must get entangled between those two brothers?"

Victoria Sinclair slowly lowered her hands, clenching her back teeth tightly, fists clenched to suppress her inner anger. The fury within her heart began to ignite slowly.

Timothy Sinclair heard the quarrel and hurriedly ran out from the kitchen, opened the door and saw Victoria Sinclair.

"Sister, you’re back." Timothy’s tone was gentle, "Apologize to Mom and Dad, so our family can happily have New Year’s Eve dinner together."

Victoria knew her brother loved her and was on her side. But he had always been weak in character, always liking to smooth things over. When she was scolded and beaten by their parents in childhood, regardless of right or wrong, her brother would always have her apologize first to get their forgiveness. Since she became financially independent, her parents no longer dared to lay a hand on her. But now, seeing she had sold her company and wasn’t working, thinking she was not making money or giving money to the family, their mercenary nature thoroughly exposed.

Yet she was no longer the same naïve Victoria Sinclair who couldn’t protect herself, nor was she a child needing to rely on her family to survive.

She remained silent.

At this moment, her father’s voice came over: "On New Year’s, don’t make a fuss and let people laugh at us, quickly go help your brother with the New Year’s dinner."

Timothy took Victoria’s hand, leading her inside.

Once inside, Victoria found that Renee and Sarah Lowell were also in the living room. She found it utterly ridiculous. They had their own parents’ home to return to but came here for New Year’s? One was possibly her future sister-in-law, another was the fostered-away sister. Now they seemed to be important members of this family, while she felt like an outsider.

Before she even entered the door, they sowed discord, and her mother, not distinguishing right from wrong, slapped her as soon as she came in.

Her heart was chilled to the extreme.

Mrs. Sinclair shouted angrily: "Why are you standing there? Aren’t you going to greet people?"

Victoria squinted her icy eyes, pointed at Sarah and Renee, helplessly looking at her mother, "Mom, is this why you hit me?"

Mrs. Sinclair was so angry her eyes were fixed, putting one hand on her hip, pointing almost at Victoria’s nose, cursing: "You’re messing around with your ex-husband’s two brothers, I’m your mom, can’t I hit you?"

"Ha!" Victoria sneered.

Mr. Sinclair sternly scolded: "Victoria, if you’re wrong, admit it, have the right attitude, what are you sneering about?"

Victoria’s fists were clenched tightly, nails digging deeply into her palms, she slowly closed her eyes, took a deep breath, feeling a heavy blockage in her chest, as if about to explode.

Renee leaned towards Mr. Sinclair, gently stroking his chest, softly saying: "Dad, don’t be angry, your health is not good. Sister’s personal life is a bit messy, but she’s just anxious to find a rich guy to support our family!"

"There’s no shortage of rich men in this world." Mr. Sinclair spoke each word deliberately, "How can she mess around with two brothers? She’s lost all our face."

Mrs. Sinclair walked over to Victoria, viciously pinching her arm: "Why are you still dawdling here?"

"Ah!" Victoria cried out in pain, moving a step to the side, clutching her pinched arm.

Instantly, memories of the past surged. From childhood, her mother pinched her arms countless times, if any housework wasn’t done or if she disobeyed her parents, inadvertently her arms would be pinched black and blue.

Timothy quickly came over, shielding Victoria: "Mom, she’s already grown up, how can you still pinch her?"

"Grown up?" Mrs. Sinclair curled her lip, face full of indignation questioning, "What about her is grown up? She married a rich husband, didn’t bring any benefit to us, and divorced without getting any property. Now she’s unclear with her ex-brother-in-law, sold the company, stopped earning, and hasn’t given the family a penny for half a year. Just thinking of enjoying herself, leaving the big family out of her mind, travelling around, she’s truly selfish."

Victoria only felt her heart being cut by a knife, pain deep into the bones.

Are these really her parents? Ignoring her sacrifices, indifferent to her sufferings, only knowing to demand and suppress. When there’s advantage to be gained, she’s a daughter; without benefit, it’s beating and scolding.

The medical expenses of her father, the debts of her brother, which weren’t huge sums?

A chill swept from the soles of her feet to her whole heart.

Her eyes reddened, trembling with anger.

"Won’t disturb your family’s New Year’s dinner." Victoria rasped with a thick choke, said coldly, and turned to leave.

Mr. Sinclair stood up, shouted angrily: "Come back, is your mom wrong? How can you still have the face to throw a fit?"

Timothy chased after her, holding Victoria at the door, urgently persuading: "Sister, don’t argue with Mom and Dad, they’ve always been like this. Brother understands your grievances, as juniors, endure a bit, apologize to Mom and Dad, promise not to get involved with Ethan again, and let this matter rest."

Victoria’s eyes brimmed with tears, throat burning and itching: "Brother, they say I messed around with Ethan, I say I didn’t, who will you believe?"

"Sarah wouldn’t lie to me, and Fifth Sister also said you two were..." Timothy hadn’t finished his words.

Victoria abruptly withdrew her hand, took a step back, unwilling to say a single word more, face sullen, striding away.

Timothy wanted to chase, Sarah quickly rushed over, holding his arm: "Timothy, Victoria has always been stubborn, don’t bother with her, let her reflect on her own."

Mrs. Sinclair shouted hoarsely: "Right, come back, let’s not bother with her, it’s New Year’s, making the whole family unhappy, really inauspicious."

Victoria clearly heard their words, also heard the sound of the door closing.

She raised her hand to wipe away tears, entered the elevator.

After leaving the community, she walked aimlessly on the street.

The cold wind was bone-chilling, her heart felt like it had a piece carved out, constantly bleeding.

Her phone and luggage were still on the island, she was penniless, without a place to go.

Then she realized, a divorced woman truly has no home.

The cold wind brushed by, her cheeks wet with tears, icy cold, piercing to the skin, blurring her vision.

As night descended, the street was particularly quiet.

Everyone spent the Spring Festival with family, eating the New Year’s Eve feast, festivity everywhere, yet the entire street had only her alone, appearing so bleak and desolate.

Just then, a luxury car slowly drove from behind, stopping in front of her.

She hesitated, looking at the driver getting off the car.

The driver approached her directly, politely saying: "Miss Sinclair, may I trouble you for a few minutes, Mr. Vaughn wishes to have a word with you."

Victoria looked at the car window with doubt.

The glass slowly slid down, revealing Harold Vaughn’s stern profile.

After not seeing him for six months, her former father-in-law actually sought her on New Year’s Eve, this family reunion day, the matter seemed quite urgent.

Please get in the car." The driver gestured invitingly.

Victoria somewhat guessed what the matter was.

She exhaled lightly, walked to the other side, and opened the door to get in.

The driver didn’t get back into the car, stood waiting outside.

Harold Vaughn exuded a powerful presence, a cold and indifferent demeanor, exuding an imposing and unapproachable air.

Victoria spoke without humility: "Mr. Vaughn, what would you like to discuss with me?"

Harold Vaughn, without a word, pulled a check from his pocket and handed it to Victoria Sinclair: "Two hundred million, stay away from my two sons."

Victoria looked at the check in his hand, smiled faintly, and sighed softly: "It’s good to have money, two hundred million at a time."

"The Vaughn Family is not the kind of family you can aspire to. Since you are divorced, make a clean break. The woman Eugene is going to marry is Vivian Miller, and I’ve also made arrangements for Ethan’s marriage. You should just give up."

Victoria pursed her lips bitterly, letting out a soft laugh, too tired to even speak.

She never planned to remarry; why did everyone think she was trying to seduce the Vaughn brothers?

She was the one being pestered, she was the victim.

But even if she said so, who would believe her?

"Take it." Harold Vaughn tossed the check onto her lap, his attitude extremely impatient.

Victoria picked up the check, looked at the numbers on it, her heart filled with bitterness, and said calmly: "To be honest, even if you didn’t give me money, I couldn’t possibly be your daughter-in-law again."

Harold snorted disdainfully.

"I happen to be short on cash, so I’ll take this money." Victoria said calmly, "But this money, I need you to go with me to notarize it, and it’s compensation for the loss of my research lab monkeys that you caused."

Harold was shocked as he looked at Victoria, his face instantly turning ashen.

Victoria maintained a cold demeanor, without a trace of timidity, "Those monkeys that died, their research value far exceeds two hundred million, they were my blood, sweat, and tears over the years, and you just killed them. I didn’t put you in jail because of my incompetence, but I will take this money righteously."

"Notarize it?" Harold sneered, "Afraid I’ll go back on my word?"

"It’s not out of the question." Victoria remained neither servile nor overbearing, calmly stating, "After all, someone like you will stop at nothing, with zero moral character."

Harold felt completely humiliated, his face turning green with anger.

He clenched his fists, staring fiercely at Victoria.

Victoria tossed the check back onto his lap, opened the car door and got out, turning to him: "Arrange for a lawyer, then come find me."

Harold, restraining his anger, asked, "Will you stay away from my sons once you take the money?"

"I can only promise myself not to provoke them, not to contact them, not to have any emotional entanglements with them, and certainly not to marry either of them." Victoria paused for a few seconds, then added, "I also hope they don’t bother me."

"Get in the car." Harold commanded.

Victoria said in surprise: "Today is New Year’s Eve, are you in such a hurry?"

"The night is long and dreams abound." Harold looked at the road ahead, eyes narrowed dangerously.

Victoria guessed he was in such a hurry because he had heard some exaggerated words from Vivian, making him eager to sever her ties with the Vaughn brothers.

She got into the car and fastened her seatbelt.

The driver got in too, started the car, and drove away.

Victoria followed him to a law firm, where they brought back a lawyer on holiday to draft the notarization. Under the lawyer’s witness, they wrote two statements, specifying the payment as voluntary compensation.

This didn’t take much time, and Harold left after uttering a few warnings.

He simply told her not to associate with his sons anymore and not to foolishly dream of marrying into the Vaughn Family.

The lawyer sent her downstairs.

Victoria, slightly embarrassed, said: "I’m sorry, could you lend me a hundred yuan?"

The lawyer was shocked, and after a few seconds of pause asked: "You have a check for two hundred million and you’re asking me for a hundred yuan?"

"I lost my phone, and I have no money on me. Don’t worry, I’ll bring the money to the law firm tomorrow."

"Don’t worry about paying it back." The lawyer pulled out his wallet and handed five hundred yuan to Victoria, "This is all I have, just take it. Hopefully, Miss Sinclair will come to me for business in the future."

Victoria accepted without ceremony and said: "Thank you."

"Where are you going? I’ll take you there." The lawyer asked politely.

"No need, just go home and celebrate New Year’s Eve with your family."

The lawyer hurriedly checked his watch, "Alright then, I’ll be heading back. Happy New Year, Miss Sinclair."

"Happy New Year." Victoria forced a smile, watching the lawyer drive away.

She felt a hollow emptiness inside her, not knowing where to go for a moment.

With the five hundred yuan the lawyer lent her, she went to a restaurant alone for dinner, then took the subway home.

As night fell again, the streets became increasingly desolate and deserted.

Victoria stood under a large tree across from her apartment building, hidden by the bushes where there were no streetlights, leaning against the trunk, staring at the entrance.

It wasn’t that she missed that unwelcoming family.

She had only promised Eugene to spend New Year’s Eve with him tonight.

Time ticked by slowly, and she stood by the roadside, bracing herself against the cold wind, shivering with the chill.

A familiar car drove into the apartment complex.

It was Eugene’s car; her heart skipped a beat, and she took a few steps forward but hesitated and stepped back.

She rubbed her hands, breathed on them for warmth, tears welling up in her eyes, her heart aching.

Since her future plans included no marriage and no Eugene, and now that she had taken two hundred million from Harold, there was no reason, emotionally or logically, to get entangled with him again.

She had spent half a year getting over him, so why pick up this hopeless relationship again?

Eugene’s car only stayed in the complex for about ten minutes before driving out again, parking by the roadside.

Victoria nervously stepped back, hiding behind the tree, watching him.

The car window slowly rolled down, revealing his heavy-profile face. One hand was resting on the window edge, the other holding a phone, as he frantically dialed, looking very anxious.

He seemed unable to get through, throwing the phone onto the passenger seat, gripping the steering wheel with both hands, pressing downward helplessly.

It was as if a huge weight pressed on his shoulders. Across the road, Victoria could feel the heavy low pressure he emitted, filled with endless sadness.

Unable to find her, Eugene must be very worried, right?

Being stood up by her, Eugene must hate her too, right?

Her mind was in chaos, tears filled her eyes, she clenched her fists, endured the constant heartache, leaned against the tree, turned around, and closed her eyes, no longer watching him.

I’m sorry, Eugene.

Her heart was bleeding, but she was resolutely clear about what she wanted.