The Housewife's Return To Her Alluring Prime - Chapter 64: Chapter 64

Jared was probably shaken up, too. When we got home, he seemed really quiet. Yvonne went straight to her room and cried into her pillow. Jared and I both hit the showers and changed clothes.
Finally, both of us stood by Yvonne's bed. She was yanking the covers over her head, trying to hide her face from us.
I walked right over, sat down, and firmly yanked the covers away from her.
"What are you doing?" Yvonne glared at me, her cheeks puffed out in anger.
"Running away every time something happens? Are you just going to bury your head in the sand like an ostrich?" I asked angrily.
Yvonne looked at me, aggrieved, then turned to Jared. "What else am I supposed to do? You're just going to scold me again."
"So you knew you'd get in trouble, but you still decided to disappear?" I couldn't help but laugh in disbelief.
Yvonne just sat there, lips pursed in a pout, and I couldn't tell if she even realized how serious this was.
Jared spoke up seriously, "Yvonne, promise your dad this won't ever happen again."
After Yvonne grew a bit older, she started to really respect, and even fear, Jared, especially when he put on that stern face. Whenever he talked to her like this, she'd make sure to remember the lesson.
"Okay, Dad, I promise." Yvonne raised her little hand. "But can you ask Mom to leave first?"
Jared furrowed his brows, but without a word, I got up and walked out.
Jared reached for my arm, but I shook him off hard.
Well, once again, it just proved I was nothing more than the outsider here. The real bond was between father and daughter.
Downstairs, Wendy was busy cooking. When she saw me, she smiled and said, "Mrs. Holcomb, just a few more minutes and dinner will be ready."
"No rush, Wendy. Take your time," I replied with a gentle smile.
Another cleaning lady was mopping the corridor outside. The rain had blown in under the eaves, and there were puddles of water everywhere.
The rain had stopped now.
I stepped out into the garden to get some air. After a moment, Jared suddenly showed up behind me.
He said, "Don't take it to heart with Yvonne. She's still a kid. Just guide her patiently."
"I didn't take it to heart," I replied, lowering my gaze to the green plants at my feet. "She just doesn't want me as her mom."
Jared cut in, sounding a bit anxious, "Come on, what kid doesn't like their mom?"
I turned to look at him, half-mocking, half-smiling. "Why don't you just find her a new mom? I mean, Tracy seems to get along with her just fine."
"Victoria, do you even hear yourself right now?" Jared's face instantly clouded over.
I raised an eyebrow and said lightly, "Swear to God you've never thought about it."
Jared was momentarily at a loss for words, clearly annoyed. "You're being ridiculous," he snapped.
With that, he turned and went inside for dinner. I stayed outside, but oddly enough, I actually felt a bit better.
I thought back to how, even when I knew he was getting along so well with Tracy, I kept everything bottled up inside. I barely even dared to mention her name, afraid that if I did, I'd make him angry and he'd divorce me.
But now, I could bring that name that used to haunt me up whenever I wanted. Probably, it was a progress.
Jared called Yvonne down for dinner. Maybe all that crying made her hungry, because she ended up eating a lot. The whole time, she kept sneaking glances at my face.
I stayed indifferent. Since I'd decided to stop meddling, I wasn't about to say anything more to her.
Yvonne put down her plate and fork. "Dad, Mom, I'm full. I'm going upstairs to watch cartoons now."
With that, she turned and headed upstairs. Jared was still giving me the cold shoulder after what I said earlier, but honestly, I was enjoying the peace.
That night was as calm as still water.
But the next morning, Sally showed up, with Quinn tagging along.
Sally came charging upstairs. I was in the middle of doing my makeup when she planted herself right next to me, pointed her finger in my face, and snapped, "Yvonne almost went missing yesterday.
"What kind of mother are you? This better never happen again. Yvonne is the Holcomb family's princess.
"I don't care what's going on with you, but from now on, you are not to lay a hand on her or even raise your voice at her. Got it?"
I knew right away Yvonne must've called Sally and spilled everything. And I'd bet anything she was standing outside the door, eavesdropping.
Yvonne knew I always acted all respectful around Sally, so if she got someone like her to come scold me, I'd have no choice but to behave.
"Sally, spoiling a child is as bad as harming them. If she's already pulling disappearing acts now, what do you think she'll do when she's older?
"Run away from home? Get pregnant out of wedlock? Aren't you even a little worried about that?" I argued, keeping my tone calm but firm.
Sally looked momentarily stunned, as if the thought had just occurred to her. Her voice softened a bit. "Even if you want to discipline her, you still need to be more gentle. After all, she's a girl."
"Sally, every time I try to teach her a lesson, she goes running to you to complain about me. How am I supposed to discipline her like this?" I turned to look at her, bitterness in my voice. "Sometimes, I really just feel powerless."
Sally was stunned, maybe because it was the first time I actually let my exhaustion show.
"Alright, you two should talk this over and come up with a solution. I'll take Yvonne to school for now." Sally let out a sigh. "Jared said he wants to hire a full-time nanny for her.
"Leave it to me. I'll make sure to find someone Yvonne actually likes."
I just replied, "Thanks for taking care of it, Sally."
Sally headed downstairs, and I followed her. Quinn was sitting on the couch, goofing around with Yvonne.
Yvonne was laughing and having a great time, but the moment she saw me coming down the stairs, she immediately pouted and turned her face away.
Seeing this, Quinn put her hands on her hips and said to me, "Victoria, what did you do to scare Yvonne like that? You're so fierce."
"Quinn, don't talk to Victoria like that," Jared said, his tone gentle but firm. "You guys should head out now."
Quinn quickly grabbed Yvonne's backpack, and Sally took her hand, swinging it gently. "Say goodbye to your parents."
Yvonne immediately called out loudly, "Bye, Dad. Bye, Mom."
That kid really knew how to act in front of the elders.
I sat at the dining table, taking my time with breakfast. Jared had already finished eating and was sitting on the couch, talking on the phone.
I could just barely catch a few words. It sounded like he was telling someone to take care of something for him.
Maybe I got hooked on eavesdropping in my previous life, but every time Jared got a call, my ears would automatically perk up, and I'd start suspecting it was Tracy on the other end.
And right now, I was doing it again. 'If he's got nothing to hide, then why does he always have to take his calls somewhere else?' I couldn't help but think.
Jared walked in and asked, "So, are you going to the office or the hotel today?"
I answered, "The hotel. They're dropping off some materials, and I want to see for myself."
Jared hesitated for a second, then said, "You don't have to handle everything on your own. You can put the people I assign to you straight to work."
I nodded. "Yeah, I know they're good, but I just want to pick up more experience."
Jared didn't say another word. He just turned and left the house. Soon, I heard his car drive off down the road.
After finishing breakfast, I headed straight to the hotel. What I didn't expect was that the company handling the delivery this time was run by Tracy's cousin.
I'd met him in my previous life. He looked like a total gentleman on the outside, but all the stuff he did was downright shameless.
In his own words, he was not into young girls. Married women were his real weakness.
Right then, he jumped out of his Porsche. The moment he spotted me, his eyes practically lit up. He hurried over, stuck out his hand, and grinned, "Mrs. Holcomb, it's a real pleasure to serve you.
"Don't worry. Everything I've brought is the real deal. Or, if you want, you can check it out yourself—see if it meets your standards?"
I could hear all the innuendo in his words, but I just replied flatly, "No need. If anything's wrong, I'll just sue."
"My name is Owen Maxwell. Oh, by the way, my cousin is Tracy, the VP at your company. You must've met her, right?" His eyes were practically glued to me, roaming up and down like he couldn't tear himself away.
His look made my skin crawl, and honestly, I was even more pissed at Jared. 'Seriously? Bringing in Tracy's cousin for this job? Is he just trying to get under my skin on purpose?' I wondered.