My Child and I Married a Billionaire

Chapter 173: Chapter 173: This Is Fraud

The moment she heard the woman was Damien Vaughn’s mother, Ms. Clark panicked.

She hurriedly straightened her hair and tugged at her clothes while flusteredly inviting the woman inside to sit.

"Oh, so you’re my in-law! I’m so sorry, I didn’t recognize you since it’s our first time meeting. You should have told us you were coming! We could have met you at the door. My apologies, please, come in, have a seat."

As she fumbled with her welcome, she shouted upstairs.

"Claire! Hurry up and get ready! Damien’s mother is here to see you!"

"I’m so sorry, the girl hasn’t been feeling well lately and took some time off to stay home. I didn’t wake her too early, so please give her a moment to get ready. Would you like some tea? I’ll pour you some tea."

This stark contrast in attitude was not only laughable to Mrs. Vaughn but downright nauseating.

She didn’t sit, nor did she acknowledge her. Instead, she began to wander around the supermarket.

It wasn’t a very impressive supermarket. Compared to a major chain, you could hardly even call it a supermarket. It was a typical shopping center from the rural-urban fringe, the kind only someone from a small county town, with their years of ingrained, narrow vision, could design.

It had everything and covered a large area, but it had absolutely no class to speak of.

Mrs. Vaughn had already observed from the outside that although this wasn’t the city center, it was still a decent location in Veridia.

It spanned three storefronts, totaling at least four or five hundred square meters.

The supermarket was divided into several sections by product type.

There were fresh fruits and vegetables, grains and oils, dried fruits, snacks, and alcohol.

Putting aside the price of the three storefronts, the merchandise alone had to be worth at least two million.

Mrs. Vaughn felt a deep sense of discomfort looking at it all. She was about to be driven to death by that love-starved fool of a son.

Why was he so willing to spend money on women the moment he started dating?

If his willingness to spend money on Cecelia Archer was because she had his child, and because Cecelia was exceptionally beautiful, then what about this Claire Clark?

’Judging by her mother,’ she thought, ’I’d really like to see what’s so special about Claire Clark.’

Claire Clark couldn’t believe her ears. Damien Vaughn’s mother was here to see her? ’But Damien had...’

Still, she washed her face, brushed her teeth, put on some light makeup, and changed her clothes at top speed.

When she rushed downstairs, she saw a well-dressed woman with an extraordinary air standing there. Her features bore a slight resemblance to Damien Vaughn’s; it really seemed to be his mother.

She thought Damien Vaughn had a change of heart and was ready for her to meet his parents. Claire Clark was so moved she nearly burst into tears.

"Ma’am... I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were coming, so I couldn’t greet you outside. And I made you wait for so long, I’m terribly sorry. So sorry, so sorry. Shall we go upstairs and sit? I can make you some tea."

Mrs. Vaughn said nothing, instead sizing her up from head to toe.

’It’s true I dropped by unannounced. It’s understandable that the girl wasn’t put together or prepared, causing a delay.’

But given Damien Vaughn’s tastes, even if unprepared, the woman standing before her should have been ethereally beautiful—someone like Cecelia Archer, who was stunning even without makeup.

But this one...

’She’s utterly average.’

"You’re Claire Clark?"

"Yes. Ma’am, did Damien tell you about me? I often hear him talk about you, too. Damien said you were young and beautiful, and you’re exactly as he described."

’She’s clearly lying just to flatter me.’ In this regard, Cecelia was better; at least she never spouted such nonsense.

Damien would mention her often and praise her as young and beautiful? ’He’s lucky he didn’t just tell people his mother was dead.’

Fortunately, Damien Vaughn was no longer in contact with her.

But even though it was over, seeing how poor her son’s judgment had once been, Mrs. Vaughn couldn’t help but feel her anger rise.

She put her sunglasses back on and said coldly to Claire Clark.

"No need to be so polite. I came here today simply to talk. The car is outside. Come with me."

Her presence was too overpowering, and she was an elder. Claire Clark had no choice but to follow her out.

Ms. Clark followed behind, bowing and scraping, but Mrs. Vaughn didn’t say another word to her.

Mrs. Vaughn drove, with Claire Clark in the passenger seat. Claire stole glance after glance at her, her heart pounding for a long time before she dared to speak.

"Ma’am, where are we going? What did you want to talk to me about?"

Mrs. Vaughn ignored her, driving all the way to a deserted spot before turning off the engine. Only then did she turn her cold gaze on Claire Clark.

"You’re quite average-looking."

Claire Clark: "..."

"You should know in your heart that you’re not good enough for Damien. Yet you stayed by his side for so long. Tell me why."

Claire Clark never imagined she was here to cause trouble.

’Even though Damien Vaughn hasn’t spoken to me in a long time, but...’

"Ma’am, I genuinely love Damien. He was my first love. I gave him my best years and my purest feelings..."

"Don’t give me that nonsense. You’re not the only one with a youth to give. Do you have any idea how many college girls in all of Veridia with looks like yours would love to give their youth and first love to Damien? Tell me the truth. Why on earth did Damien choose you?"

"Ma’am..."

"Claire Clark, I know you’re a smart girl. Since I’ve found you, you can be sure I’ve come prepared. Don’t even think about playing games with me."

Claire Clark was indeed a smart girl.

Damien Vaughn could crush her like an ant, let alone his mother.

Thinking her deeds had been exposed, Mrs. Vaughn’s words terrified Claire Clark. She burst into tears, and between sobs, she shakily recounted how she had taken Cecelia Archer’s place at the club back then.

However, she didn’t mention how she had later framed Cecelia Archer for stealing, which got her fired.

’Because only she and Cecelia knew about it. Even Cecelia couldn’t find any concrete evidence. So many years have passed; what could anyone do to her?’

"I just admired Damien so much back then. When he woke up, he grabbed my hand and asked if it was me. I was just so thrilled, I couldn’t resist the urge to be with him, so in a moment of confusion, I admitted it was..."

At last, Mrs. Vaughn finally understood.

So Candy wasn’t some random child; she was really her son’s daughter with Cecelia Archer.

’Except these two idiots had no idea what they’d done!’

Listening to this absurd series of events, Mrs. Vaughn felt irritated and, at the same time, guilty.

She couldn’t help but ask herself again, ’If I hadn’t irresponsibly abandoned Damien and gone abroad all those years ago, would any of this ridiculousness have happened?’

"That’s not admiring Damien. That’s textbook fraud."

"Claire Clark, because of your string of lies, how much money have you swindled from Damien? I did a rough calculation for you. Fifty million, wouldn’t you say?"

"Now I’m giving you two choices. One: transfer fifty million into my account within 48 hours, get your family out of Veridia, and I’ll let the past go."

"Two: I have your entire family thrown in jail for fraud. With a sum that high, your parents can spend their retirement behind bars."