Chapter 100: Chapter 100: Test Tube, Adulterer
If these words came from someone else, Victoria Monroe would definitely think they’re joking, but the person who said them is Rhys Hawthorne.
He’s absolutely not the kind of person to joke around.
In this circle, gossip is never in short supply, especially while filming. Even the cleaning ladies can casually spill explosive news.
Whenever people chat about gossip, Rhys either walks away or remains completely silent.
He’s never uttered a single word behind anyone’s back.
Victoria Monroe doesn’t know how he restrains himself, staying unmoved even when hearing about those dramatic scenes of being caught in bed.
It’s worth noting that Victoria Monroe has even found out all the dirty details after a scumbag got caught red-handed by their partner.
One moment, Victoria was still immersed in a gloomy atmosphere; hearing Rhys’s words caught her off guard, and she accidentally sprayed water onto Rhys’s chest.
"Sorry, I didn’t mean to." Victoria hurriedly pulled out a tissue to help wipe it off.
The man was just wearing a white shirt, her small hand carelessly sweeping over it, easily feeling the solid muscles beneath the fabric.
That little hand was like a kitten pawing across Rhys’s heart.
His dark pupils dimmed slightly, and he took a deep breath before stepping back to distance himself from her.
"It’s okay."
Victoria Monroe keenly sensed the presence of major gossip, and she was already wide awake, even more energized at this moment.
She was doing quite well, having unexpectedly gotten the scoop about the mistress.
Rhys was just about to speak when Victoria stopped him: "Wait a moment."
Rhys looked up at Victoria as she quickly walked towards the living room, picking an orange from the fruit tray and grabbing a handful of sunflower seeds.
Rhys: "..."
He recalled how, back on set, aside from the phone calls with Julian Fordham, her greatest pleasure was gathering with a few women by the fireplace, munching on seeds and chatting.
She had a cheerful personality, laughing heartily without a care for her image when something funny came up, and lowering her voice when discussing gossip, her eyes darting around mischievously like a cunning fox.
After reuniting, the Victoria Monroe he saw seemed like a shattered mirror, devoid of any vitality.
Only at this moment did he feel like she was finally coming back to life.
She peeled an orange, "I’m ready, go ahead."
Rhys sat on the separate sofa beside her and began slowly under her intense gaze:
"Rachel Hayes got involved with a producer two years ago, who introduced her to star in some low-budget web dramas as the lead. The earnings were decent, but most of them were taken by the producer, leaving Rachel Hayes with little savings despite gaining some fame. It wasn’t until half a year ago that she accidentally met Julian Fordham, who thought she bore some resemblance to you, so he approached her with a plan to have a child."
Victoria Monroe’s eyes widened; she knew this gossip was explosive but did not expect Rhys to know it so clearly!
"And then?"
"Their first child failed four months ago."
Victoria’s heart tightened, "Besides that, there’s another one?"
"Yes, in vitro fertilization doesn’t guarantee success on the first try, and there are many who succeed only after several attempts. About three months ago, they carried out a second embryo transfer."
Victoria was holding an orange segment but didn’t eat it, unable to describe her feelings at the moment.
Julian Fordham actually did it twice.
Which means he must have provided more than two semen samples. Even if he didn’t physically connect with that woman, Victoria felt nauseated.
"Did it succeed?"
Rhys’s gaze quietly swept over the shadow on her brow; he paused for a breath and continued, "The embryo was successfully implanted in her body, and the day after, Rachel Hayes urgently visited a hospital, but not the one where the transfer took place; she rushed overnight to a black clinic in the suburbs."
Victoria had already guessed the reason, "The child was gone?"
"Yes, it was a miscarriage."
Victoria was a bit puzzled: "But she’s indeed pregnant now, how’s that possible?"
"There’s only one possibility; the month she miscarried she happened to ovulate, and became pregnant with someone else’s child. Since embryo development times vary, even if she gets checked, she’d simply think her child is developing slowly."
Victoria furrowed her brow, "Is the information reliable?"
Rhys took out his phone and flipped to a photo, "This is the black clinic; I’ve had it checked, and the people there are Rachel Hayes’s distant relatives, who confirmed the miscarriage incident."
He then played a recording of the coercive conversation from that person.
Victoria abruptly raised her head, her gaze directly meeting Rhys’s, with clear questioning in her eyes: "Even secrets Julian Fordham doesn’t know, why do you know them so well?"
How could Rhys explain to her?
Back then, when Victoria Monroe chose to retire, he quietly left Kenton.
He had believed they’d have a grand wedding; he’d prepared a gift for their marriage, but Julian Fordham never publicly announced her.
Rhys had placed a spy in Kenton; he wouldn’t let Victoria Monroe suffer even a little!
Even though she’d forgotten the childhood memories, he made a decision long ago in his heart to protect her.
Having no family, he’d be her support.
So when Julian Fordham chose Rachel Hayes for the IVF plan, Rhys received the news and kept an eye on Rachel Hayes.
Julian didn’t intend to have sexual relations with Rachel Hayes, so her not being a virgin was better; he checked her health and found she was suitable to be a vessel for the embryo.
Rhys was different; he considered Victoria Monroe, and actually hesitated about whether to tell her the truth—that way, what kind of person would he be?
Wouldn’t he be the sinister hand ruining someone else’s marriage?
What he could do was keep an eye on Rachel Hayes, just in case.
Unexpectedly, he did uncover something; Rachel Hayes was followed the day she went to the black clinic.
Rhys had known everything months ago; when Victoria Monroe contacted him for the first time, he was surprised, but more than that, he was delighted.
He finally had a reason to intervene.
But these matters couldn’t be known by Victoria Monroe; his love would frighten her.
Rhys remained calmly composed, "Friends in the circle knew a bit; when you recently needed my help, I had people investigate more, which led to all this."
He moved on, "Julian Fordham didn’t know the truth because he never cared about Rachel Hayes as a person, hence he was in the dark."
Victoria Monroe let out a sigh of relief, "Rhys, thank goodness for you."
He indeed felt like a god, piercing through the darkness, bringing light into her world.
If it weren’t for him, she would still be confined by Julian Fordham in marriage, unable to move a single step, forced to watch as Rachel Hayes flaunted herself.
Rhys’s information dispelled all the pent-up emotions suffocating her chest.
Rhys saw her brow ease significantly, and he spoke again: "So, are you going to tell Julian Fordham the truth?"