The Housewife's Return To Her Alluring Prime - Chapter 41: Chapter 41
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"Sorry, I've got to head home. My daughter's there alone, and she gets scared." I wasn't going to have a late-night bite with another guy just to get back at Jared for running off overseas with Tracy.
Nathan looked kind of let down. But after I said no, he looked at me with even more clarity in his eyes, like he respected my decision.
"Alright. Get home safe," he said gently.
I turned around and walked to my car. As I drove past him, he stood by his car, just watching me leave. I lied. But I still think I did the right thing.
Jared had no sense of morals. He disrespected our marriage. I had to prove I wasn't like him. Although I didn't mind Nathan setting up this little "coincidental" meet-up, I knew I wanted my next relationship to start when I was officially single.
I couldn't start a relationship with him while I was still married on paper, especially when there was no future for us. That just wouldn't be fair.
By the time I got home, it was already past ten. The nanny heard me come in and asked if I wanted anything to eat. I told her to go ahead and rest.
Upstairs, my phone rang. It was Jared calling from abroad. "You didn't bring Yvonne home today?" he asked right away.
I stayed calm. "I called her, but she didn't answer. Mom said I should leave it alone for a few days."
"So just because Mon told you to stay out of it, you did?" Jared got mad, like I knew he would. "Don't forget, you're her mother. It's fine to focus on work during the day, but once you're off, your kid should come first."
"I'll pick her up from school tomorrow afternoon." She's my daughter. Of course, I had to take care of her.
"When you see her, don't be so sharp with your words. Just try to be sweet. She's still a little kid." Jared could tell I'd been emotionally closed off. He wanted me to soften up.
"I hear you." I didn't want to listen to his lectures. A cheating jerk had no right to talk down to me.
There was a pause on his end. Then he asked, "So where were you tonight?"
"I had dinner with Melissa," I told him honestly.
It sounded like he wanted to say something else, but then I heard a woman's soft voice in the background. She was calling his name sweetly. Jared said something quickly and then hung up. The line went dead.
I tossed my phone aside and flopped onto the bed. My mood just tanked. The next day at 4 PM, I showed up at Yvonne's private preschool right on time.
Maybe because I hadn't come in a while, a few of the moms I used to chat with came up to say hi. They asked if I'd been traveling, and said I kind of disappeared.
I made up some excuse. But I could see the judgment there, like they already knew what was going on with my marriage. They probably saw those pictures from the other day, Jared and Tracy baking a cake with my daughter.
Yvonne came out with her class. When she saw me, she turned and walked the other way. I quickly went after her. "Yvonne, you can't just run off like that. What if someone took you?" I called out behind her.
She stopped, turned around, and glared at me. "Why didn't Grandma come get me?"
I leaned against the wall and answered calmly, "I'm your mom. It's my job to pick you up from school."
"You hit me before. You were mean. I don't want a mom like that." Her face twisted in hurt.
I noticed her eyes starting to water. I looked down at the ground and thought for a second. "Didn't your teacher talk about respecting your parents? I spoiled you because I love you. I need you to know something. I need love from you, too."
Yvonne blinked hard. Then suddenly, she ran into my arms and hugged me. "Mommy, can you love me like you used to?"
I looked down at her tiny body in my arms. Lately, I had been cold, even harsh, carrying all this bitterness from my previous life. I disciplined her. But no matter what, she was still the daughter I had loved for so many years.
There was no way I could let her go. I just needed to figure out how to raise her the right way. "Yvonne, sweetheart, I want you to always remember. Mommy loves you no matter what.
"But I hope you can show me some love too, and try to understand what I have been through," I said as I gently patted her head.
Yvonne just stared at me with a blank face. Then she slowly nodded. "Okay, I will, Mommy."
So I brought her home. I thought maybe something from how I raised her had finally gotten through. Yvonne seemed a little more grown-up. At the very least, she wasn't having random meltdowns anymore.
That night, I bathed her and let her play on the bed while I went to take a shower. When I came out, I noticed she wasn't in the room. My heart jumped.
I walked fast to her bedroom. It was empty. Finally, I heard her voice coming from the media room. Cartoons were playing, and I could hear her talking on the phone.
"A robot toy? One that dances and talks to me? That's so cool. I want it. Tracy, when are you coming back? You said you'd take me to the zoo last time. Do you still remember?"
"I wish my mom were even half as nice as you. She's been super mean lately."
"Can you tell my dad to talk to her? Tell him to teach her not to be so mean to me."
"Hey, your birthday's coming up, right? I asked Grandma for some allowance money. I wanna buy you a present."
"You want me to draw something for you?"
"Okay! I'll draw a rose, and I'll make you a necklace too. Do you like that?"
My face fell when I heard that. I turned around quietly and walked back to my room. A few minutes later, Yvonne came in.
She saw me sitting at my vanity and ran over to play with my makeup. "Mommy, when are you gonna buy me a lipstick? I wanna wear your pretty perfume too!"
I grabbed some baby lotion and rubbed it on her cheeks and arms. "Time for bed now. Mommy'll be done soon."
"Mommy, I was just watching cartoons," she said all of a sudden, like she was nervous and needed to explain herself.
I nodded. "Okay, but go to sleep early. You've got school tomorrow."
She saw I didn't question her, so she crawled onto my bed and fell asleep quickly. I couldn't sleep at all. Tracy's birthday was coming up, and Yvonne was thinking about getting her a gift. She cared a lot.
My birthday's in November. Last year, Yvonne threw a fit and cried during my birthday dinner because she didn't get to blow out the candles. My brother did. She didn't give me any gifts.
People are different. Yvonne, even as a kid, already knew how to be sweet to Tracy. But when it came to me, her mom, what she wanted was just my total, unconditional love.
The next morning, I dropped Yvonne off at school and then jumped straight into work. For the hotel's lobby and hallway, I used a designer from Falansia. The whole vibe was romantic, and the colors were just right, classy but still modern.
Handling all the little details took a lot of brainpower. But I gave it my all. I wasn't about to give up halfway.
I was pushing myself, seeing what I was capable of. I didn't believe that someone who used to be a top student could turn out to be useless.
Time flew. Jared came back from his business trip. He showed up at the office that afternoon, still looking sharp and confident. He had a hint of tiredness on his face, but he worked straight through until 9 p.m.
Yvonne got picked up around 4 and brought to Jared's office. Tracy stayed with her for a while. By the time I came back from the Harmonia Hotel, Tracy was teaching Yvonne a song. Yvonne was taking it seriously and trying.
"Mrs. Holcomb." Tracy stood up when she saw me. "Are you here to take Yvonne home?"
"Mommy, can Tracy sing with me a little more?" Yvonne was having so much fun, and she didn't want to leave yet.
I nodded. "Sure, go ahead. I'm heading out. You can ride back with Daddy later."
"Yay!" Yvonne ran over and gave me a big hug. "Bye, Mommy."
Tracy looked at me with a kind of complicated expression, but she didn't say anything. She just stayed with Yvonne.
When I got home, I took a shower, had some oatmeal, and checked on the renovation work in my new dance studio. I planned to use it every morning and night for yoga and dancing. I'd added some workout equipment on the side.
Wearing a light yoga outfit, I was doing a pretty tough pose when I suddenly heard Jared's voice behind me. "It's late. You're still working out?"
Nathan looked kind of let down. But after I said no, he looked at me with even more clarity in his eyes, like he respected my decision.
"Alright. Get home safe," he said gently.
I turned around and walked to my car. As I drove past him, he stood by his car, just watching me leave. I lied. But I still think I did the right thing.
Jared had no sense of morals. He disrespected our marriage. I had to prove I wasn't like him. Although I didn't mind Nathan setting up this little "coincidental" meet-up, I knew I wanted my next relationship to start when I was officially single.
I couldn't start a relationship with him while I was still married on paper, especially when there was no future for us. That just wouldn't be fair.
By the time I got home, it was already past ten. The nanny heard me come in and asked if I wanted anything to eat. I told her to go ahead and rest.
Upstairs, my phone rang. It was Jared calling from abroad. "You didn't bring Yvonne home today?" he asked right away.
I stayed calm. "I called her, but she didn't answer. Mom said I should leave it alone for a few days."
"So just because Mon told you to stay out of it, you did?" Jared got mad, like I knew he would. "Don't forget, you're her mother. It's fine to focus on work during the day, but once you're off, your kid should come first."
"I'll pick her up from school tomorrow afternoon." She's my daughter. Of course, I had to take care of her.
"When you see her, don't be so sharp with your words. Just try to be sweet. She's still a little kid." Jared could tell I'd been emotionally closed off. He wanted me to soften up.
"I hear you." I didn't want to listen to his lectures. A cheating jerk had no right to talk down to me.
There was a pause on his end. Then he asked, "So where were you tonight?"
"I had dinner with Melissa," I told him honestly.
It sounded like he wanted to say something else, but then I heard a woman's soft voice in the background. She was calling his name sweetly. Jared said something quickly and then hung up. The line went dead.
I tossed my phone aside and flopped onto the bed. My mood just tanked. The next day at 4 PM, I showed up at Yvonne's private preschool right on time.
Maybe because I hadn't come in a while, a few of the moms I used to chat with came up to say hi. They asked if I'd been traveling, and said I kind of disappeared.
I made up some excuse. But I could see the judgment there, like they already knew what was going on with my marriage. They probably saw those pictures from the other day, Jared and Tracy baking a cake with my daughter.
Yvonne came out with her class. When she saw me, she turned and walked the other way. I quickly went after her. "Yvonne, you can't just run off like that. What if someone took you?" I called out behind her.
She stopped, turned around, and glared at me. "Why didn't Grandma come get me?"
I leaned against the wall and answered calmly, "I'm your mom. It's my job to pick you up from school."
"You hit me before. You were mean. I don't want a mom like that." Her face twisted in hurt.
I noticed her eyes starting to water. I looked down at the ground and thought for a second. "Didn't your teacher talk about respecting your parents? I spoiled you because I love you. I need you to know something. I need love from you, too."
Yvonne blinked hard. Then suddenly, she ran into my arms and hugged me. "Mommy, can you love me like you used to?"
I looked down at her tiny body in my arms. Lately, I had been cold, even harsh, carrying all this bitterness from my previous life. I disciplined her. But no matter what, she was still the daughter I had loved for so many years.
There was no way I could let her go. I just needed to figure out how to raise her the right way. "Yvonne, sweetheart, I want you to always remember. Mommy loves you no matter what.
"But I hope you can show me some love too, and try to understand what I have been through," I said as I gently patted her head.
Yvonne just stared at me with a blank face. Then she slowly nodded. "Okay, I will, Mommy."
So I brought her home. I thought maybe something from how I raised her had finally gotten through. Yvonne seemed a little more grown-up. At the very least, she wasn't having random meltdowns anymore.
That night, I bathed her and let her play on the bed while I went to take a shower. When I came out, I noticed she wasn't in the room. My heart jumped.
I walked fast to her bedroom. It was empty. Finally, I heard her voice coming from the media room. Cartoons were playing, and I could hear her talking on the phone.
"A robot toy? One that dances and talks to me? That's so cool. I want it. Tracy, when are you coming back? You said you'd take me to the zoo last time. Do you still remember?"
"I wish my mom were even half as nice as you. She's been super mean lately."
"Can you tell my dad to talk to her? Tell him to teach her not to be so mean to me."
"Hey, your birthday's coming up, right? I asked Grandma for some allowance money. I wanna buy you a present."
"You want me to draw something for you?"
"Okay! I'll draw a rose, and I'll make you a necklace too. Do you like that?"
My face fell when I heard that. I turned around quietly and walked back to my room. A few minutes later, Yvonne came in.
She saw me sitting at my vanity and ran over to play with my makeup. "Mommy, when are you gonna buy me a lipstick? I wanna wear your pretty perfume too!"
I grabbed some baby lotion and rubbed it on her cheeks and arms. "Time for bed now. Mommy'll be done soon."
"Mommy, I was just watching cartoons," she said all of a sudden, like she was nervous and needed to explain herself.
I nodded. "Okay, but go to sleep early. You've got school tomorrow."
She saw I didn't question her, so she crawled onto my bed and fell asleep quickly. I couldn't sleep at all. Tracy's birthday was coming up, and Yvonne was thinking about getting her a gift. She cared a lot.
My birthday's in November. Last year, Yvonne threw a fit and cried during my birthday dinner because she didn't get to blow out the candles. My brother did. She didn't give me any gifts.
People are different. Yvonne, even as a kid, already knew how to be sweet to Tracy. But when it came to me, her mom, what she wanted was just my total, unconditional love.
The next morning, I dropped Yvonne off at school and then jumped straight into work. For the hotel's lobby and hallway, I used a designer from Falansia. The whole vibe was romantic, and the colors were just right, classy but still modern.
Handling all the little details took a lot of brainpower. But I gave it my all. I wasn't about to give up halfway.
I was pushing myself, seeing what I was capable of. I didn't believe that someone who used to be a top student could turn out to be useless.
Time flew. Jared came back from his business trip. He showed up at the office that afternoon, still looking sharp and confident. He had a hint of tiredness on his face, but he worked straight through until 9 p.m.
Yvonne got picked up around 4 and brought to Jared's office. Tracy stayed with her for a while. By the time I came back from the Harmonia Hotel, Tracy was teaching Yvonne a song. Yvonne was taking it seriously and trying.
"Mrs. Holcomb." Tracy stood up when she saw me. "Are you here to take Yvonne home?"
"Mommy, can Tracy sing with me a little more?" Yvonne was having so much fun, and she didn't want to leave yet.
I nodded. "Sure, go ahead. I'm heading out. You can ride back with Daddy later."
"Yay!" Yvonne ran over and gave me a big hug. "Bye, Mommy."
Tracy looked at me with a kind of complicated expression, but she didn't say anything. She just stayed with Yvonne.
When I got home, I took a shower, had some oatmeal, and checked on the renovation work in my new dance studio. I planned to use it every morning and night for yoga and dancing. I'd added some workout equipment on the side.
Wearing a light yoga outfit, I was doing a pretty tough pose when I suddenly heard Jared's voice behind me. "It's late. You're still working out?"
End of The Housewife's Return To Her Alluring Prime Chapter 41. Continue reading Chapter 42 or return to The Housewife's Return To Her Alluring Prime book page.