The Housewife's Return To Her Alluring Prime - Chapter 45: Chapter 45

Nathan looked a little conflicted. His driver, picking up on the vibe, got into the car first. Nathan quietly said, "You worried for nothing."
Maybe this time it was just a misunderstanding. But Tracy would get pregnant eventually. She would go through morning sickness eventually. "Looks like I misread him. Are you sure your info is legit?" I still had my doubts.
Nathan replied firmly, "Definitely." I believed him. Nathan seemed genuine. I told Nathan to leave. I sat inside the Mercedes-Benz dealership, sipping coffee and watching people come and go.
Then Jared called and asked where I was. My mind went blank for a second, and then I said, "I just smashed my headlight. I'm getting the car fixed now."
Jared paused for a couple of seconds and then asked, "You didn't get hurt, right?"
"I hurt my forehead. Just a scratch." I'm done sugarcoating things for him. Before, when I was sick, I didn't tell him. I didn't want to mess up his work. I put on a tough front, scared to make even a small mistake.
But things don't always turn out the way one wants. People all have their ups and downs. Birth, aging, sickness, and death are part of life.
When I was a kid, only those who cried got candy. When I grew up, strong women didn't get much attention or care.
'I won't be that strong woman anymore. If I'm hurting or tired, I'm going to cry. That's the only way to figure out who cares. Those who only say they care but don't will be pushed as far away as possible,' I thought.
I hung up and closed my eyes to rest. Because I was a big client here, the manager checked on me several times. Then he politely told me that I probably couldn't get my car today and should come back in three days.
I didn't want to make things difficult. I grabbed my bag and got ready to leave. The manager kindly offered to drive me home. I declined. I stood by the door waiting for a cab when a silver Bentley slowly pulled up.
The window rolled down. Jared was sitting in the back seat and said, "Get in."
"What are you doing here?" I was surprised. Jared not only showed up but came himself.
He frowned. "How could you be so careless?"
I got in the car. Jared immediately reached out to check my forehead. I already had a bandage there. When he reached for it, I instinctively pulled away.
His fingers stiffened a bit, then he pulled back and said softly, "Did you hear I took Tracy to the hospital? That's why you're upset again, isn't it?"
"No," I said. "I'll drive carefully next time."
Jared looked at me and then let out a mocking laugh. "You're so jealous that you can't even drive. And you say you're not. You've got quite a mouth."
I looked up at him and said seriously, "I'm not jealous. Tracy works hard for the company. She got sick. As the boss, it makes sense that you care about her. How could I be jealous?"
"Victoria, some things, if you fake them too much, just get annoying," Jared said with a sarcastic tone, clearly not buying it.
I immediately shut up. People say men are narcissistic, but I didn't expect Jared to be like that, too. 'How do I prove I'm not jealous and that I don't love him anymore?' I thought quietly.
The car was silent the rest of the way home. We didn't say a word. But I knew Jared thought I was fake, and I thought he was way too full of himself.
When we got home, Yvonne bounced over and asked, "How come you guys came home together?"
Her question was funny. For her, it was surprising that her parents came home at the same time. I didn't answer and just went straight upstairs.
Jared crouched down and hugged our daughter. "What do you want for dinner? Let Wendy make it for you."
"Can I have fried chicken drumsticks?" Yvonne loved her tasty food.
"Okay, I'll have Wendy fry some for you." Jared headed to the kitchen and told Wendy.
I was in the bathroom, carefully checking my wound. Luckily, it was just a small scrape that wouldn't leave a scar, but it was still swollen.
At dinner, I went downstairs to eat. Jared and Yvonne were laughing at something. When Yvonne saw me come down, she quickly covered her mouth and stopped laughing.
Jared gave me a deep, unreadable look but said nothing. I knew he was using his usual silent treatment to punish me for being stubborn.
In my previous life, I couldn't last three days before I'd knock on his door late at night like a sad little puppy.
He would open the door coldly, look at me dressed lightly, then turn and lie down on his bed. I would quietly close the door, hug him from behind, apologize softly, and then get his affection for the whole night.
Jared still planned to tame me that way. As I expected, he waited for me to soften and come to him first to make peace.
Those two days were the weekend. Besides supervising the site at Harmonia Hotel, I went out for dinner with Melissa. Then Sally called and asked the three of us to eat together.
That afternoon, Yvonne stayed at Sally's. When she was dropped off at night, she carried a big bag of toys, including some cute silver jewelry. As soon as Yvonne got home, she grabbed scissors and sat in her room stringing beads.
I knew she was making a gift for Tracy. She was focused on it. When I brought her some fruit, Yvonne seemed a little guilty and hid it at first.
Unexpectedly, the beads she was stringing spilled all over the floor halfway through. She shouted in frustration, "It's your fault, Mom, you're distracting me from making my bracelet!"
Then she knelt and crawled around picking up beads one by one. I sat nearby, popped a cherry tomato in my mouth, and asked, "Who's this for? You're working so hard."
"None of your business," Yvonne replied, not telling the truth, and quickly told me, "Mom, please go away. Don't bother me."
I had no choice but to leave her room. Inside, it felt like someone stabbed me in the heart. I didn't understand why Yvonne liked Tracy so much, but resented me as her mother.
'I must have messed up somewhere. Or maybe that's just how people are—loving the distant but resenting the close,' I thought.
Tracy flattered her easily, and Yvonne was happy. I cared for her day and night and managed her life, but I became the person she hated.
Late at night, I lay in bed when my period suddenly started. I went to the bathroom to handle it. When I came out, Jared was sitting on the other side of the bed.
I froze. Then I remembered we had been giving each other the cold shoulder for three days. But I hadn't gone to apologize to him yet tonight.
Since tomorrow night was going to be Tracy's birthday, I figured that Jared had probably prepared a gift for her.
I turned on my side and saw Jared toss his phone down hard beside him. The next second, he lay down too. "I'm on my period." I knew what he was waiting for, so I crushed his hopes right away.
Not long after, Jared got up and closed my bedroom door. Since we couldn't have sex, he left. So he came to my room just for that.
The next morning, I noticed Wendy had made some desserts for breakfast. "Mrs. Holcomb, Mr. Holcomb asked me to make these for you. Here's chocolate pie and rice pudding."
"Thank you, Wendy," I said gratefully.
Wendy smiled and said, "Mr. Holcomb really cares about you."
I didn't take that seriously. If just asking a maid to cook meant caring, that was pretty cheap care. "Mr. Holcomb already took Yvonne to class," Wendy added.
I nodded. It was Monday. After breakfast, I had to head to work. At the office, Tracy said she wanted to treat us to lunch. She even asked if I was free because it was her birthday and she wanted to gather the higher-ups.
She didn't have enough status yet to bring me along, so I didn't go. Not only did I skip it, but I went to the company cafeteria and asked the kitchen to prepare a special meal for me, my favorite salmon and beef steak.
I sat alone, enjoying my meal, when the door suddenly opened. Jared appeared in front of me. I froze and thought, 'Why is he here?'
Jared asked the kitchen for a knife and fork and sat down. He openly started eating my lunch. "Tracy said it's her birthday and invited a lot of people. Why didn't you go?" I asked casually.
"I promised her a dinner tonight, so I didn't go for lunch," Jared said plainly.
"Oh." I thought there was no point in asking more. I didn't think I was more important than Tracy.
"You come with me tonight," Jared suddenly said.
A cold feeling spread through me. Jared definitely spoiled Tracy. She was having a birthday, and he brought me, his wife, to show everyone that his wife and his mistress got along perfectly. He was even attending her birthday personally.
"I already have plans with friends tonight, so I won't go," I said coldly.
"That lawyer again?" Jared seemed annoyed with Melissa. "What's the point of you two women eating together all the time?"
"She's Melissa, a longtime friend," I answered seriously.
Jared glanced at me and smirked. "I know her name. I just want to warn you not to get too close. Be careful. Don't let her use you."
Hearing that, I slammed my fork down on the table. "Jared, can you be reasonable? First, I'm a person. Second, I'm your wife.
"People are social creatures. I have my friends. So what? Don't you have your group of guy friends? Have I ever interfered with your private life?"
Jared looked at me oddly. Then he said casually, "Friends of the same sex are fine. But opposite sex friends? No."
"Why not?" I had to stand up for myself.
Jared looked me up and down and said bluntly, "Honestly, any guy trying to get close to you just wants to sleep with you."