CHAPTER 105: CHAPTER 105: THE TRUTH

Victoria Sinclair’s face grew increasingly unsightly, her fingers clenching until they were pale, her nails digging deep into her palm, "There’s something I can’t figure out, how did Eugene Vaughn find out?"

Ethan Vaughn picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a shrimp dumpling, and put it in his mouth, chewing a few times, "I don’t know through what channel my brother got those photos, they happened to let me see them in his safe."

The air stagnated for a few seconds.

"What photos?" Victoria Sinclair pursued, her voice tinged with a hint of urgency and unease that was hard to conceal.

"Photos of you in bed with a man." Ethan Vaughn leaned forward, lowered his voice, raised an eyebrow in a mocking smile, "My brother is quite the pervert, he’s been hoarding photos of you in bed with other men."

Victoria Sinclair froze in shock, her pupils trembling slightly, her face turning deathly pale like paper, "Never suspected... the photos might be doctored?"

Ethan Vaughn squeezed out a snort through his nose, "I guess he must have hired at least three appraisal agencies for cross-validation, even checked the year of the photo paper fibers."

Victoria Sinclair knew deep down that she had never done anything out of line.

The photos were definitely fake.

But Eugene Vaughn didn’t seem like a foolish man either.

There’s certainly something fishy.

Victoria Sinclair refrained from making any conclusions for now and continued to ask, "Do you know the man in the photos?"

"Yes, but I don’t care about your past." Ethan Vaughn said with considerable generosity and sincerity: "In today’s society, who doesn’t have a bit of a wild private life?"

"Who is he?"

Ethan Vaughn was taken aback, looking at her suspiciously, "You asking me?"

Victoria Sinclair refused to give up, continuing to probe, "Who exactly is he?"

Ethan Vaughn was quite shocked, "You’ve had affairs with so many men that you’re unsure which one?"

For the sake of finding the truth, Victoria Sinclair couldn’t care less about anything else, unabashedly admitting, "Yes."

"Never expected that." Ethan Vaughn was shocked, staring at Victoria Sinclair’s pure and exquisite face, feeling a kind of unexpected disappointment, "The man in the photos is Nathan Austin, your best friend’s big brother."

In an instant, it felt like the world was spinning.

Victoria Sinclair’s body tensed and stiffened, her scalp tingling, her chest feeling like it was being crushed by a stone, almost unable to breathe.

Her hands and feet were ice-cold, a sense of dread in her heart, "What else do you know?"

Ethan Vaughn pondered for a few seconds, a glint of imperceptible darkness flashed in his eyes, speaking unhurriedly, "In my brother’s safe, he kept his first love’s photos too, from middle school to university, at least dozens of photos, and hoarded her used hair ties, pencils, notes, books, and some strange memorabilia."

Victoria Sinclair’s heart tinged with a slight sourness, her eyes inexplicably moist, listening dazedly.

"Twelve years of his white moonlight, my brother must have loved her deeply, a pity she’s already married."

Victoria Sinclair pretended to be calm, but tears couldn’t be restrained, rolling in her eyes.

Ethan Vaughn: "Guess who he married you to punish?"

Victoria Sinclair’s face turned solemn, she grabbed her bag and stood up, "I have things to do, I’m leaving, this meal is on me."

"We haven’t even started eating yet." Ethan Vaughn stood up anxiously, "Where are you going?"

"I’m very sorry, this time I asked you out, purely to get some information from you that I want to know." Victoria Sinclair nodded apologetically, turned with her bag, and left.

Ethan Vaughn was dumbfounded, staring at Victoria Sinclair’s departing silhouette, feeling as if he was just like an idiot.

He strode to catch up with Victoria Sinclair, grabbing her arm, "Your purpose for meeting me, was solely this?"

Victoria Sinclair stopped, gently pushed away his hand, "I’m really sorry for the misunderstanding."

Ethan Vaughn let out a bitter cold laugh.

Victoria Sinclair stepped towards the cashier, paid, and left the restaurant.

She got on the subway, headed straight for the People’s Hospital.

On the way, she called Nathan Austin, arranging a time.

Half past eleven in the morning.

Victoria Sinclair had already been sitting on the bench in front of the hospital’s psychology building for two hours.

Nathan Austin, wearing a white lab coat, hands in pockets, walked out of the medical building, smiling warmly as he approached Victoria Sinclair.

Seeing Nathan Austin finally busy, Victoria Sinclair slowly stood up.

Her face was gloomy, mood low, during these two hours of waiting, she’d been reminiscing, connecting all the events.

When Eugene Vaughn went on a blind date with her, that gentle and passionate attitude, and then suddenly becoming cold after marriage, during this time she saw Nathan Austin only once.

That was on the eve of her registration marriage with Eugene Vaughn, before May 1st.

She went to revise Nathan Austin’s thesis at Angela Austin’s soft persuasion, trying to help him get an opportunity for overseas study.

"Victoria." Nathan Austin greeted warmly, walked to her, adjusted his glasses, "Sorry to keep you waiting, looking for me for something?"

Victoria Sinclair gazed at him, saying nothing.

In her heart, she contemplated the words to say next, how to organize language to get the truth she wanted.

"What’s wrong?" Nathan Austin frowned, nervous, "Is it about your dad’s illness..."

"No." Victoria Sinclair immediately interrupted, "I have something to ask you."

"Tell me."

"Why do we have bed photos? And how did those photos end up in Eugene Vaughn’s hands?"

Nathan Austin’s face changed dramatically, the light in his eyes behind the lens flickered uncertainly.

Victoria Sinclair kept her gaze fixed on his eyes, vaguely capturing his underlying emotions.

Precisely because of this, Victoria Sinclair became even more sure of her guess.

She had no tangible evidence, relying entirely on guessing and wordplay.

"Answer me." Victoria Sinclair felt her heart held tightly by a giant hand, it was nearly impossible to breathe, feeling agonized almost to insanity, she clenched her fists enduringly, her body trembling slightly.

"Did he tell you?" Nathan Austin didn’t quite believe it, his expression stern, apparently feeling very surprised.

From Nathan Austin’s attitude, it could be analyzed that he was certain Eugene Vaughn wouldn’t reveal it.

And it seemed Ethan Vaughn also understood his brother, confidently sure his brother wouldn’t speak.

Victoria Sinclair let out a bitter smile, coldly laughing, "Surprising, isn’t it? Do you think Eugene Vaughn would never expose this?"

Nathan Austin’s face looked unusually grim.

"I don’t believe Eugene Vaughn would be stupid enough to misunderstand me for two years because of some fake photos." Victoria Sinclair’s eyes were suddenly wet, suppressing her anger word by word, "Our bed photos are real, and he definitely has substantial evidence, which is why he thinks on the eve of us registering for marriage, I went to a hotel with you."

Nathan Austin took a deep breath, looked down at the tips of his sneakers, his aura becoming profound.

The more he acted this way, the more Victoria Sinclair felt her guess was entirely correct.

Recalling calmly, Victoria Sinclair analyzed: "Two years ago, on the night of April 30th, you said your thesis was returned for revision, the final submission date was May 1st morning if missed, you’d lose the opportunity for overseas study, you begged me, even sent Angela Austin to persistently cajole."

"Afraid of being discovered that I was helping you write the thesis, you specifically rented a room for me, during which you never left, until three in the morning, I drank the water you handed over, I fell asleep, after waking up past five in the morning, my clothes were intact, I thought it was just exhaustion, got up to continue writing your thesis, until the morning the thesis was completed, we left the hotel together."

Nathan’s tone was full of apology, "I’m sorry, Victoria."

"The photo was taken during the two hours I was unconscious, right?" Victoria Sinclair held back her anger, trying to calmly understand the ins and outs of the situation.

"Yes."

"You drugged and raped me?"

Nathan nodded.

A strong sense of nausea surged up her throat, Victoria Sinclair felt extremely sick and nauseous, her heart weighed like a thousand pounds, aching painfully, almost unable to breathe, tears instantly filled her eyes, her whole body trembling with anger, hands and feet cold, fists clenched tightly, she yelled, "Speak! Did you really drug and rape me?"

Nathan smartly squinted, "Did you bring a recorder?"

"Afraid I’ll record it and send you to jail?"

"It’s been two years, you have no evidence, you can’t do anything to me."

Victoria Sinclair held back her tears, slightly parted her lips to take a deep breath, growing angrier as she thought more, "I wrote your thesis, I helped you win the only overseas spot, I helped you become assistant director, I’m still your sister’s best friend, why would you harm me like this?"

Nathan’s eyes darkened, and he blurted out, "I like you."

"That’s bullshit." Victoria Sinclair didn’t care about maintaining her image, angrily swore, "Before I went on a blind date with Eugene, Angela introduced us. At that time, I thought you were pretty good, wanted to try developing with you. But you rejected me, saying I felt like a sister, just like Angela."

A sinister look flashed in Nathan’s eyes, "I was pretending to be reserved at the time, didn’t expect you to go on a blind date with Eugene so soon. I really liked you, that’s why I did this."

Victoria Sinclair couldn’t discern whether his words were true or false.

But she knew, a woman’s first time, it’s impossible not to feel anything.

"You took pictures of us in bed and sent them to Eugene, didn’t you?"

Nathan said nothing, just nodded.

Victoria Sinclair held back her tears and calmly asked, "You went to great lengths to plant a bomb in my marriage with Eugene, you’re really despicable and shameless."

Nathan reached out, wanting to touch Victoria Sinclair.

Victoria Sinclair stepped back in disgust, glaring at him, "Don’t touch me."

"I love you, Victoria." Nathan expressed deeply, his gaze unusually calm, with no waves, but his tone was feigned to be particularly heavy and sad, "I did this just to ruin your wedding with Eugene, I never expected Eugene to choose to register for marriage with you after knowing you cheated."

"Maybe he knows the photo is fake, and you and I are innocent."

Nathan shook his head, "We’re not innocent, he knows everything because he was there at the scene."

Victoria Sinclair couldn’t help but get goosebumps, panicked and shocked, anger surged in her heart, she couldn’t help but growl lowly, "What exactly did you do to Eugene?"

Nathan saw he couldn’t hide it anymore, so he confessed, "I simply didn’t want you to get married, asking you to revise my thesis was real, so I invited you to the hotel. When you were unconscious, I sent Eugene bed photos of us with the hotel’s location and room number. He came, but he didn’t enter the room to catch us in the act."

Victoria Sinclair felt powerless, her heart seemed to be split in two with a large knife, bloodied, so painful she couldn’t breathe, her whole body trembling, tears could no longer be held back and flowed out, sliding down her pale cheeks.

Nathan continued, "He was sitting in the hotel lobby, when I left the hotel with you laughing and talking in the morning, I saw him sitting in the corner of the lobby watching us."

Victoria Sinclair slowly closed her eyes, tears drenched her entire face, her heart shattered into pieces, just thinking about Eugene’s sorrow at that time brought stabbing pain.

How painful and hateful Eugene must have felt?

Watching helplessly as the woman he was about to register for marriage with went to a hotel with another man before their wedding, sent him bed photos, asking him to catch them.

Such despicable and disgusting conduct.

Victoria Sinclair covered her face with both hands, took a deep breath, wiped away her tears, and glared hard at Nathan, "Did you really drug and rape me?"

Nathan nodded again.

"Why don’t you speak?"

"Because you’re recording."

Victoria Sinclair, with tears, chuckled bitterly, "You really are quite shrewd, you’re trying to create an insurmountable gap between me and Eugene, even if I’m innocent, the fact that I cheated can’t be erased, and my marriage with Eugene can’t last."

"Victoria, love is selfish, I did this because I love you and hope you get divorced."

Victoria Sinclair took out a recorder from her pocket, then turned it off in front of him, "You’re indeed very cautious, but I remember when I woke up, I felt nothing."

"I gave you sedation painkillers."

Victoria Sinclair wiped the tears from her cheek again, calmed down, and said word by word, "Nathan, do you think if you deny it, I can’t prove my innocence?"

"Victoria, I’m sorry, but it’s been two years, you’re about to divorce Eugene, innocence doesn’t matter anymore."

"It matters." Victoria Sinclair’s nails dug deep into the flesh in her palm as she clenched her fist, "Eugene must hate me so much, he married me even while wearing a green hat."

Victoria Sinclair’s heart felt like it was being cut by a knife, waves of dull pain assailed her.

She finally understood why Eugene hadn’t touched her for two years.

All past occurrences suddenly made sense.

Because he hates her, because he thinks she’s dirty.

After she brought up divorce, Eugene’s attitude suddenly changed 180 degrees.

She could only think of two reasons, either he loves her too deeply to let go.

Or he hates her so deeply, he wants to imprison her with marriage, to use the rest of her life to punish her, to take revenge, to let her suffer neglect in the marriage and live in pain.

The former, Eugene married her after knowing her for three months, they were not very familiar with each other, not even considered as liking, just appreciation at most.

Especially since she cheated before marriage.

No man in this world would love a woman who cuckolds him.

The latter is more logical.

Victoria Sinclair put the recorder back in her pocket, her cold voice unusually serious, mixed with hatred, each word distinct: "I won’t let this go, if you really drugged and raped me, I’ll personally send you to jail."

Nathan was indifferent, particularly confident, "It’s been two years, how will you investigate?"

Victoria Sinclair stared at him, sneered coldly, "Do you think I would casually have affairs during my school years, or is it that you think Eugene and I, after dating for three months, must have already slept together? Or do you believe most women’s first night won’t bleed, and this would be overlooked during the two years of marriage when Eugene and I share a room?"

Upon hearing this, Nathan’s face suddenly changed.

"Sorry to disappoint, none of those assumptions are true. I’ll simply go to a gynecologist, one check reveals everything." Victoria Sinclair replied, then turned around, heading to the clinic.

Nathan panicked, his plan seemed to deviate somewhat, he rushed to catch up with Victoria Sinclair, grabbing her arm, "Victoria, whether we’re innocent or not is really not important, what matters is Eugene doesn’t love you, you cuckolded him, he hates you to the core, he only wants revenge, you should have divorced long ago."

Turns out, there are so many people hoping she and Eugene would divorce.

"I won’t make excuses for any man to prove my innocence, I just want to send you to jail." Victoria Sinclair said, forcibly pulled her hand away.

She continued moving forward.

Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared in her sight, Victoria Sinclair froze in her steps, staring ahead.

Eugene Vaughn stepped quickly towards her, the warm sun illuminating his dimly handsome face, enveloped in a chilling oppressive aura, his eyes sharp.

He rushed in front of Victoria Sinclair, grasping her arm strongly, his imposing presence made Victoria Sinclair feel suffocated, her arm experiencing a dull pain, feeling like her bones were about to be crushed by him.

"Come home with me." He ordered sternly, deliberately ignoring Nathan’s presence, his eyes filled with anger, revealing red blood streaks.