CHAPTER 27: CHAPTER 27: HAS SHE BECOME A STAND-IN?

Sarah Lowell indignantly declared, "So, I’m going to take her to catch him in the act, let her see for herself whether I’m making things up or if her husband has already betrayed her."

Angela Austin was so angry she put her hands on her hips and took a deep breath, feeling quite speechless.

Sarah Lowell then ran to grab Victoria Sinclair’s hand, "Speak up, Victoria Sinclair, why aren’t you saying anything? Why don’t you dare accompany me to catch him in the act?"

Victoria Sinclair’s body was shaken, and her steps became even more unsteady.

She chose not to believe it, yet the pain made her whole body feel weak, so painful that she didn’t want to speak.

Subconsciously, she was afraid, afraid that everything Sarah Lowell said was true.

The more indifferent Victoria was, the angrier Sarah became; she felt like a clown going crazy, clearly not her husband, yet she so desperately wanted to prove something, gritting her teeth as she angrily shouted, "Victoria Sinclair, I really hate people like you. On what basis? Just because you’re a little prettier than us, back in university so many guys chased you, what gives you the right to be so aloof that you wouldn’t even look at them, yet still become the pure goddess they can’t defile from afar?"

"What gives you the right?" Sarah roared, her jealousy, anger, and unwillingness making her lose control, "We graduate and are unemployed, what gives you a right to start a company after graduating? You come from the countryside, yet you can marry into a wealthy family? A woman like you, cold, proud, and introverted, deserves to be neglected by her husband, cheated on, and abandoned."

Angela Austin pushed Sarah Lowell to the ground in exasperation, "Sarah Lowell, are you crazy? There are limits to being so reckless with your words. Do you have a serious problem?"

Sarah Lowell got up, relentlessly pointing at Victoria Sinclair, "It’s her who has a serious problem, she’s always deceiving herself. Eugene Vaughn chased after Renee for three years, but Renee focused on her career and didn’t want to marry. Eugene then turned around and married her, a woman who looks much like Renee; she’s just Renee’s substitute."

Victoria Sinclair held back the heart-wrenching pain, raising her tear-filled eyes to look at Sarah Lowell.

Her voice was hoarse, slightly choking, "Sarah Lowell, you say I’m Renee’s substitute, do you have any evidence?"

"Isn’t it obvious? What more evidence do you need?" Sarah sneered, mocking, "I know you won’t believe it. You have a love-addled brain, you love that jerk, you’ve always been waiting for him—no matter what he does outside—so long as one day he comes back to sincerely live with you, you’ll unconditionally forgive him."

Victoria Sinclair bitterly questioned, "Since you know what I’m thinking, then what is your intention in making me catch him in the act now?"

"I..." Sarah was momentarily at a loss for words.

Angela Austin, feeling heartbroken, linked arms with Victoria Sinclair. She respected her deeply, never interfering in her marriage and certainly not influencing her decisions.

Victoria Sinclair articulated Sarah Lowell’s mindset word for word, "Six years of friendship, it’s not that you’re unwilling to let go of me; you just want to see how this so-called friend of yours, who surpasses you in every field, this so-called goddess in others’ eyes, falls to the bottom, becomes destitute. My career misfortunes, my miserable marriage, my unhappy life, all make you feel more accomplished. Your friendship with me from the beginning was mixed with too much jealousy, not purely for my good."

Sarah Lowell sneered but couldn’t respond.

Victoria Sinclair took a deep breath, calmed herself, and continued, "I’m sorry to disappoint you, Sarah Lowell. I won’t go catch him in the act, nor do I believe the pictures you took of them together prove infidelity. I’ll leave him when the disappointment piles up enough, but I will never let you use such methods and means to break up my marriage."

Sarah Lowell picked up the photos on the ground, gritting her teeth, "You’re so rational, no wonder your marriage is unhappy. You just continue wearing that cuckold crown; I can still sell these photos to the paparazzi for some pocket money."

Sarah Lowell left with the photos.

Victoria Sinclair called out to her, "Sarah Lowell."

Sarah Lowell stopped.

Victoria Sinclair, tears in her eyes, looked at her departing figure, "Not being friends doesn’t mean we have to be enemies. I hope you get better and better, love yourself more, and pay less attention to my life."

Sarah Lowell paused for a moment, then continued walking forward.

The breakup of a friendship can sometimes be more hurtful than romance.

Victoria Sinclair stood in a daze, unmoving, the tears hidden in her eyes welling up at her lower lashes, crystal clear and about to fall, her heart surging with waves of pain, her whole body weak and limp.

The cool evening breeze, mixed with spring rain, silently dripped down.

Angela Austin approached her, saying nothing, gently hugged her.

Victoria Sinclair leaned against her slender shoulder, closed her eyes, and the tears fell drop by drop.

Angela gently patted her back, softly comforting her, "Victoria, don’t be sad, whether it’s Sarah Lowell or Eugene Vaughn, they’re not worth your sadness, we don’t live for others, only for ourselves."

Victoria Sinclair silently shed tears, her heart aching as if being torn apart, her body trembling slightly.

The raindrops grew heavier, Angela pushed her shoulders back and looked up at the sky, "It’s going to rain, let me accompany you home."

Victoria Sinclair shook her head, the cold raindrops falling on her body, carrying a piercing chill.

She said, "I want to stay in the rain for a while."

Angela furrowed her brows, took her hand, and started walking towards the residential area, disapprovingly reprimanding, "Don’t give me this nonsense. If you want to cry, just cry; even if you wail in front of me, I won’t laugh at you. But if you make yourself sick over this emotional mess, I won’t let you off."

Victoria Sinclair’s sorrowful heart was instantly comforted. Always adhering to the belief that loving oneself is most important, she felt much relieved.

Back home.

Victoria Sinclair got a pair of new slippers for Angela Austin to change into.

Angela had come up once before, but only to grab something and leave, never really having taken a tour.

With the heavy rain outside, the lights inside were bright, the spacious living room clean and tidy, everything organized without excess clutter, a modern style of decoration.

Victoria Sinclair put down her bag, collapsed onto the sofa, and lay sideways, feeling powerless.

Angela took a turn around, marveling, "Victoria, the house prices in this complex aren’t cheap, how many square meters is your place?"

"Over two hundred square meters."

"For two people, it’s too big." Angela touched the clean TV cabinet, then the spotless wine cabinet, marveling, "I really admire your capability, running your own company, doing experiments every day, already busy enough, yet you come home and do chores, cleaning such a big place must be exhausting, right?"

Victoria Sinclair questioned, puzzled, "Aren’t there appliances?"

"What appliances?"

"Clothes are handled by a washing machine and dryer, the floor by a floor-cleaning robot, and dishes by a dishwasher, but I have so few dishes that I generally don’t use it."

Angela was flabbergasted, "You have so many cabinets and all this to wipe and that to wipe, must take quite a time, right?"

Victoria Sinclair sat up, hugged a pillow to her chest, and looked around, "There’s no dust."

"What?" Angela sat opposite her.

Victoria Sinclair gently said, "Maybe it’s because we live on a higher floor, there’s no dust, I’ve been living here for two years and have never dusted, each day is very clean."

Angela was amused, leaned back on the sofa, and squinted at her, "Victoria! You’ve used your brain for experiments, there can’t be just two chores—mopping and laundry—in an immaculate home, does that make sense?"

Victoria Sinclair had never thought about this until Angela’s reminder, she realized she seemed to have overlooked something in life.

"Could Eugene have hired a help?" Angela curiously asked.

Victoria Sinclair shook her head, and mentioning Eugene, her mood sank again, she softly said, "Before we got married, I had told him, I don’t like outsiders touching my things."

Angela whispered, "If it’s not hired help, then it’s Cinderella!"

Victoria Sinclair gently laughed at that.