The Housewife's Return To Her Alluring Prime - Chapter 62: Chapter 62

I'd never seen Jared so clingy before. Even when we first got married, he wasn't the type to stick with me. Back then, I was always the one clinging to him.
He had work on his mind all the time. The company had just landed in his hands, and the workload was crazy.
He was so busy he was barely ever home, and our honeymoon got cut short. Whenever he did show up, I'd just latch onto him.
I suddenly realized that when we got married, he didn't really love me. He was just after my youth and the emotional value I brought him.
It was like I was his little pet. If I made a fuss, he'd hand me some money; if I was upset, he'd buy me a gift.
Sure, Jared would sometimes lower his voice and sweet-talk me, but that was only because he knew I was easy to coax.
He was the ultimate tease, and after we got married, he totally had me hooked like a clueless fish.
But now, I wasn't going to be the fish anymore. I was ready to do some fishing of my own. Marriage had turned into a playful game of cat and mouse between us.
'So, who's reeling in who now? If one's the first to take the bait, one's the fish,' I thought.
I didn't say anything, but with my soft curves and delicate frame, it only took the slightest tease from Jared to bring out all my feminine charm.
The crystal chandelier above spilled warm light over us, and Jared's gaze was so deep, it felt like he was really seeing me for the very first time.
He reached out, gently tucking a few playful strands of hair behind my ear, then traced his fingers lightly over my smooth cheek, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "Victoria, are you aging backwards or something?"
I blinked in surprise, refusing to meet his eyes. Instead, I turned my head away, staring out at the night sky.
Jared must've felt a little let down when I didn't respond. I figured if I kept acting cold, he'd get the message and just go to sleep on the other bed.
But I really underestimated him. Even with me acting all uninterested, he wasn't about to give up.
He reached out and switched off all the lights, leaving the whole bedroom bathed in shadows.
The overlapping shadows on the wall made the atmosphere even more intense, and I couldn't help but blush. I reached out, trying to push him away.
Suddenly, Jared lost his patience. He grabbed his belt from the side, caught my hands, and tied them above my head.
The leather was stiff and bit into my wrists, making it sting. With a rough, husky whisper in my ear, he said, "Just hold on. It'll be over soon."
After what felt like forever, Jared lay on top of me, his breath coming in rough, heavy bursts, not moving an inch.
"You're so heavy," I managed to gasp, barely able to breathe.
Only then did Jared kiss me softly on the cheek, undo the belt, and set me free. He gently stroked the red marks on my wrists with his fingers, then pressed two tender kisses to them. "Victoria, don't you love me anymore?"
He picked this moment to ask, and my heart skipped a beat. I managed to speak, my voice hoarse. "What if I don't?"
Jared pulled the blanket over us, letting out a low laugh. "If that's how it is, then so be it. Love isn't something you can fake or hide."
My eyes went still as I looked at him in the darkness.
Jared's eyes seemed especially bright in the dim room, locked onto me. Finally, he said, "Honestly, whether you love me or not isn't that important in a marriage. Victoria, I'll allow you not to love me, but I still don't want a divorce."
It was like he'd really thought this through. As soon as he finished, he didn't wait for my answer, just got up and walked straight into the bathroom.
I sat up abruptly, staring at the bathroom light that had just flicked on.
'Is Jared seriously crazy enough to want both a wife and a mistress?' I thought. 'Does he really think he can live the dream of having it all?
'Is he even cut out for that? He'd better be careful, or he'll wear himself out sooner or later.'
I was so mad I wanted to let loose with some curses, but my parents raised me too well, and all that good-girl training left my mind blank. I couldn't even think of a single curse word.
When Jared came out, he acted like nothing had happened. He sat down on the bed next to mine, opened his laptop, and got to work.
Seeing me still pouting and sulking, he didn't even glance my way. Instead, he just gave a faint smile and said, "Weren't you the one who said you were tired? Seems like the more we make love, the more awake you get."
I couldn't be bothered to deal with him. I marched straight into the bathroom for a shower, and when I came out, I just curled up with my back to him and went to sleep.
If Jared refused to agree to a divorce, then my only option would be to dig up evidence of him cheating and take him to court myself.
Of course, I knew the moment I brought up divorce, my whole family would jump in and try to talk me out of it.
Just like in my previous life, when Jared wanted to divorce me, everyone tried to convince him otherwise. They said we had a kid, that I hadn't done anything truly wrong, that he shouldn't ruin the child's life, and that I couldn't survive without him.
In the end, Jared didn't go through with the divorce, but he moved out. I was trapped in a fancy villa with a fat allowance, but feeling like some bug crawling in the dark, insecure, anxious, and completely lost.
Weighing all the pros and cons, if I divorced Jared and didn't walk away with a fat settlement, then I'd be getting nothing out of this marriage at all.
I didn't know how other women saw material things, but as far as I was concerned, money was everything. Without it, one couldn't do a thing in this world.
Jared knew how to make money, and his investments were all over the place.
Back in my previous life, Tracy's family started out a little better off than his, but later on, Jared ended up pouring hundreds of millions—no, billions—into patching up the Darwin family's messes.
He spent so much on them because he was head over heels for Tracy.
So, if I treated Jared like my personal cash machine, using marriage and his sense of duty to drive him to make more money for me, that was just another kind of win.
In this world, hardly any truly capable man was willing to be a woman's lapdog.
I wasn't naive enough to think that once I got divorced, I'd magically turn into some powerful, independent woman.
This was the real world. Without resources, skills, or a clear direction, 99% of people were just scraping by, barely making ends meet.
I turned my head to glance at Jared. He seemed lost in thought, and right then, our eyes met.
He got the wrong idea and thought I was checking him out, and a little smirk appeared at the corner of his lips.
I slowly turned away, thinking, 'Divorce isn't something I can rush. For now, I'll just treat him like my money-making tool and learn the ropes of making money from him.
'He's got all the connections and resources, and honestly, Jared isn't some ruthless, cold-hearted jerk. If we can split up peacefully, he might even help me out with contacts and resources afterward.
'There's no need to turn him into my enemy. Both love and hate just breed drama. I might as well treat Jared like my teacher and figure out how to compete with men for survival in this world.'
Honestly, when it came to Tracy, besides being into Jared, she was probably just after his power and what he could do.
With that thought in mind, I drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, while Jared was still sound asleep, I was already up and reading.
I'd brought this book over from Jared's bookshelf at his place. It was about financial investments.
"Take a look at the notes, too. I made it in there," Jared said to me, his voice husky and still thick with sleep.
I put the book down and looked at him.
Jared slowly sat up. "Since when did you get so into studying? Did you finally decide to use your brain?"
I kept the book up, blocking his gaze, and replied coolly, "I said I wanted a career. Talk is cheap. I have to actually do something about it."
Jared let out a soft laugh. "Do you really admire women like Tracy, the career-driven type?"
I curled my lips in a wry smile. "I have to admit that she's definitely smarter than me."
Jared gave me a long look, as if wondering if I'd lost it, then got out of bed. "So, where do you want to go today? Anything you want as a present?"
I put the book down. "Is this my reward for last night?"
Jared nodded. "From now on, every time we sleep together, you can ask me for something in return. As long as it's not over the top, I'll agree."