The Housewife's Return To Her Alluring Prime - Chapter 71: Chapter 71

Once one started to understand the rules of the game, that was when one finally earned one's place at the table.
In my previous life, all I did was take care of my family, thinking my husband would notice my hard work and remember everything I did for him.
I took it for granted that I was the perfect wife, someone who could never be replaced.
But in reality, only the future one built personally would ever become the destiny one could truly control.
Trusting someone else with one's fate was a mistake from the very beginning.
Chasing after the prize might just be an illusion, and even becoming what one desired could turn out to be nothing but a dream.
Maybe only by stepping back and watching from the sidelines could one truly figure out how to play this game of life and actually enjoy it.
I was busy until evening and only got home late, but Jared was already there, sitting in the living room, helping Yvonne with her homework.
Yvonne had to write an Englysian essay describing her family members.
When I walked in, Jared was teaching Yvonne in Englysian with his deep voice, and Yvonne was speaking more and more fluently.
But when she saw me, she deliberately said in Englysian, "My mom has a bad temper. She's strict most of the time, and she loves spending money to dress herself up."
Jared glanced up at me, then reached out and patted Yvonne on the head. I couldn't tell if he was encouraging her or rewarding her—did he really think what she said about me was true?
They both thought my Englysian was terrible and that I couldn't understand a word they were saying.
But lately, I'd been putting in a lot of effort to improve my Englysian, and I wasn't bad at it to begin with. So I could easily see through their little trick.
Before I could head upstairs, Yvonne took the chance to say in Englysian again, "My mom's been really into her work lately and has been ignoring me. I wish she would give me all her love."
She was recording herself as she spoke, since her writing still couldn't keep up.
I turned to look at the two of them, and Jared's deep, brooding gaze swept over to me.
"Yvonne, record a section first. I'll check it for you later." I heard Jared tell Yvonne as I reached the second floor. Then he came upstairs.
When I got back to my room and saw there was still more than half an hour before dinner, I figured I might as well get some exercise in.
Today, I planned to do some strength training to keep my face looking firm and prevent it from sagging.
I changed into a lightweight workout outfit and headed downstairs to the dance studio.
But right at the doorway, Jared reached out and stopped me from going any further.
I stayed silent, just looked up at him.
Jared frowned and said, "At lunch, Tracy and I were just talking about the cooperation with her dad's side. Don't let your mind run wild."
Honestly, the more he tried to explain, the more suspicious he seemed to me. He might as well have just kept his mouth shut and let it go. At least then we could both have some peace.
Maybe I just hadn't built up enough walls around my heart yet, or I was still too soft, because every time he tried to explain, my feelings got all tangled up.
I fought back the urge to snap at him and put on a calm smile. "I know. It's fine. Work comes first."
"From now on, don't go out socializing with a bunch of men by yourself," Jared said, his frown deepening when he saw me smile.
As I tried to walk past him, he grabbed my arm. "Women can get the short end of the stick at those kinds of business dinners."
I arched an eyebrow and grinned. "Oh? So, which woman did you see get the short end of the stick? Or are you speaking from experience?"
"I'm not joking," Jared said, his face turning serious in an instant.
"Who's joking with you? It's just business, isn't it? Don't blow things out of proportion. Tracy hung out with a bunch of guys talking shop every day, and you never say a word to her." My tone went cold as I argued with him.
"It's different. She grew up surrounded by her parents in the business world, so she's picked up things you haven't.
"Don't try to copy her, and there's no need to compare yourself," Jared said, pausing for a couple of seconds before speaking in a tone that sounded like he was just looking out for me.
"There's a first time for everything. She had her parents as examples, but I didn't. So, kids without umbrellas have to run faster, right?
"I just need to work even harder to catch up. Honey, how about you teach me? I really want to get better," I said, putting on a deliberately cutesy act.
Jared gave me a look like I was being unreasonable. "You're prettier than Tracy. Isn't that enough?"
The room went quiet for a moment. My expression stiffened, and Jared seemed to realize he'd let something slip. He ran his hands down his waist in frustration, then tried to explain, "You really don't need to compare yourself to her.
"I admit, you both have your strengths. You don't have to change for me. I just want you to be happy and carefree. As for making money, let me handle that, okay? If you want something, just tell me."
"I'm not happy," I said, biting my lip, my voice low. "And I want to have the ability to start my own business. It's not about competing with anyone or trying to please you.
"I'm doing it for myself, so I have some leverage in life. As for you saying I'm pretty, that's just temporary. Beauty fades, and so does love. You guys know that better than anyone, don't you?"
Jared's handsome eyes widened in disbelief.
I took a deep breath and looked at him calmly. "There's a book that says the best way to predict the future is to create it yourself. I grew up sheltered by my parents, and you gave me a comfortable, carefree life.
People say this eye-candy finally found the right owner, but I know just how fragile a candy can be. Jared, I don't want to be a plastic flower stuck in a vase. I want to be wild grass out in the open.
"I don't need anyone to admire me. I just want to break through the dirt and grow strong."
Once I said that, I didn't bother to look at Jared's reaction. I just turned and walked downstairs.
Jared must've thought I was out of my mind. The eye-candy he brought home was now saying she wanted to turn into wild grass.
He was probably really disappointed. After seven years of marriage, I was finally starting to rebel.
Even as I worked out, I couldn't shake off the uneasiness inside me.
The Jared I knew was a man who liked to be in control and lived by his own set of rules. In his world, he couldn't stand anyone willfully disrupting them.
So I was worried he might already be considering divorcing me, and I still hadn't figured out how to truly grow up and survive on my own.
Jared and Yvonne had already started dinner without me. I took a quick shower and headed downstairs, only to find Wendy giving me a worried look.
She must have heard my voice getting a little sharp with Jared upstairs and was worried we might have gotten into a fight. Wendy's a soft-hearted person, and she was even more afraid I'd be hurt by it.
I gave Wendy a reassuring smile, and when she saw I wasn't crying, she finally relaxed and went back to her chores.
After her bath, Yvonne came running downstairs and said, "Mom, I don't want these long braids anymore. Can you take me to get them cut tomorrow?"
I asked her, "Why do you want to cut your hair?"
"I want to be a boy," Yvonne said, her big, mischievous eyes darting around playfully.
"Sure." I agreed right away, not even asking her for a reason.
But Yvonne didn't look happy. She pouted and said, "Mom, why didn't you ask me why I want to cut my hair?"
"It's up to you. As long as it makes you happy," I said calmly.
"Because I heard some kids in my class say that girls can't do business, so now I want to be a boy," Yvonne said, tilting her little head, clearly scheming something big.
Even at her age, she was already thinking about taking over the family business.
"If that's what you really want, I'll take you to get it cut," I told her. I knew better than to argue. Yvonne was stubborn, and if I said no, she'd definitely throw a tantrum.
The next day was the weekend, so I took Yvonne to the barbershop first thing in the morning. She got her hair chopped short and then stood in front of the mirror, practicing her coolest tough-guy faces.
"Mom, look at me. Do I look like a little boy or what?" Yvonne asked, grinning from ear to ear.
I looked at her, and for a second, it was like seeing a pint-sized Jared standing there.
"You look just like your dad," I said.
"Really? Was Dad just like me when he was little?" Yvonne blinked her big eyes, then crossed her arms over her chest. "Hmph, those stinky boys won't dare look down on me now."
I was a little stunned. 'Did Yvonne really cut her hair just to prove a point to those kids?' I wondered to myself.
When we got home, Jared was still sleeping in. Maybe he didn't sleep well last night. By the time we got back, Sally and Quinn were already there, sitting in the living room, sipping coffee and chatting.
"Oh my god. Victoria, just look at what you've done," Sally shrieked, her voice going up an octave the moment she saw me walk in with Yvonne sporting her brand new short hair.