The Housewife's Return To Her Alluring Prime - Chapter 72: Chapter 72

Yvonne had been waiting for her family to praise her, but Sally's reaction was so intense that it stunned her. For a second, she just froze, then darted behind Jared for cover.
Jared frowned, studying Yvonne's boyish short hair, then shot me a reproachful look. "Victoria, why did you cut Yvonne's hair so short?"
Next to me, Quinn rolled her eyes and silently mouthed, "You're nuts."
I knew that every time Yvonne made a mistake, it always came back to me getting scolded. I'd gotten used to it.
"Yvonne was the one who wanted to get her hair cut," I said.
Yvonne nervously clutched Jared's shirt and whispered, "Yeah, I wanted to. Does it look bad?"
This time, I wasn't going to take all the blame for Yvonne's choices. Since she was the one involved, I made sure she spoke up for herself.
"My darling, why did you chop off your beautiful waist-length hair like this? It looks like a dog chewed on it," Sally finally stopped blaming me and turned her attention to Yvonne.
Jared squatted down and asked Yvonne seriously, "Why did you cut your hair? You're a girl. Long hair is what makes girls look pretty."
"I don't want to be pretty. Mom's pretty, but it doesn't do her any good," Yvonne said, using me as her example.
With her hands on her hips and in her best grown-up voice, she added, "I want to be a fighter like a boy."
Jared and Sally exchanged a glance and couldn't help but laugh. They gave Yvonne's cheeks a playful pinch, and just like that, the whole hair-cutting drama blew over.
Jared looked up at me, probably remembering how they'd just finished scolding me. He said, "Since it was Yvonne's idea, you still should've talked to me before cutting her hair."
Honestly, his so-called comfort after the fact didn't mean squat to me. I just replied coolly, "She's growing up. She can make her own choices now. I'm just respecting what she wants."
Sally clearly wasn't buying it. "Growing up? She's not even eighteen yet. She still needs to be kept in line. Just look at her, all tomboyish. She doesn't look like a girl at all."
"Grandma, I've decided to be a boy for a while," Yvonne said, all rebellious.
Sally couldn't help but laugh at that and let it go.
Jared looked me over and said, "I'm flying to Showtown this afternoon. Want to come with me?"
My eyes flickered. "What for?"
"I've got some business to handle over there. Figured you might be bored staying here, so why not come along for a change of scenery?" Jared said, actually sounding thoughtful for once.
'Since when did he start caring about how I feel?' I wondered.
"Sure, I'll go," I replied, no way I was letting a chance like this slip by.
Sally wasn't having it. "Jared, you're going for business. Is it really appropriate to bring Victoria along? She doesn't know the first thing about it."
"She doesn't know now, but she can always learn," Jared replied, shooting me a look that seemed to mean more than he was saying.
I narrowed my eyes. 'Did our fight last night actually get through to him?' I thought.
"What does a housewife need to learn all that for?" Sally said, a bit displeased.
Quinn, sprawled out nearby, drawled, "Jared, are you feeling sorry for Victoria or something? Leaving Yvonne with us on purpose so you can take her out and have some fun together?"
Jared shot me a glance, then looked away and said in a flat voice, "She hasn't left Hachester in ages. A little change of scenery will do her good."
"Dad, I want to go too." Yvonne immediately started whining, "Take me with you."
Sally's eyes flashed shrewdly, and she suddenly scooped Yvonne up into her arms. "Yvonne, don't go. Let your mom and dad have a couple of days to themselves."
I couldn't help thinking, 'Sally always has some new scheme up her sleeve. I bet she's already thinking about having a chubby grandson again.'
Quinn looked sour. Jared being nice to me meant my standing in the family was on the rise, and as the Holcomb family's heiress, she hated anyone threatening her place at the top. Sometimes, she couldn't even stand Yvonne.
"Jared, what do you think about that brand I mentioned?" Quinn was working on her startup, but Jared wasn't about to give her a quick yes.
"I'm still having it evaluated. I'll let you know the results after a while," Jared said as he headed for the door to put on his leather shoes. "Victoria, go upstairs and pack a few things. I'll wait for you in the car."
I turned and headed upstairs. A little while later, I came back down with my bag.
Sally suddenly walked over and shoved a couple of packets into my hand. "Make sure Jared takes this. It's for, you know, boosting his virility. And this white one is for you, to nourish you. Both of you need to take them."
My head buzzed. 'Where does Sally even find these weird folk remedies?' I thought.
"Oh, sure, I'll make him take it," I replied with a fake smile. But there was no way I was touching that stuff myself. What if I got poisoned or something?
As soon as we got in the car, Jared told Warner to drive us to the airport.
On the way, I asked Jared, "Is it just the two of us?"
"No, there are a few people from the company, too. They left this morning," Jared replied in his usual flat tone.
"Is Tracy going to be there?" I asked, my tone dripping with sarcasm.
Jared shot me a look of impatience. "She's in charge of several major projects at the company. She's leading this one too. Of course she'll be there."
I just nodded. 'No wonder she's his go-to person on the front lines. Every penny the Holcomb family makes has her fingerprints all over it,' I thought.
But honestly, I couldn't care less anymore. Tracy was working so hard to show off her skills, all just to impress Jared.
As the boss, Jared naturally kept an eye on everyone's abilities and weighed the pros and cons. Tracy fighting on the front lines for him was just her way of currying favor, nothing more.
Suddenly, a big, knuckly hand, warm and dry, reached over and wrapped around my fingers, which were resting on my knee.
I tensed up, instinctively wanting to pull away, but Jared seemed to see it coming. The second I tried to move, he just tightened his grip.
I looked up at him, and he was already looking at me. He didn't say a word, but his eyes spoke volumes.
I was baffled. 'What's with Jared acting all tender right now?' I thought.
"Seven-year period coming up, Victoria. So, tell me. Where exactly are you feeling tired of?" Jared asked, eyes half-lidded, his tone anything but soft.
I froze. 'Is he crazy or what? Why the hell is he asking me this out of nowhere?' I thought.
Jared closed his eyes and said, "Let's not talk about love anymore. Grown-up feelings are always changing. Just tell me what I have to do so you'll finally settle down."
"My bottom line is, you're not allowed to sleep with Tracy," I said, blunt and straight to the point.
Jared slowly lifted his gaze to me. "What if I already slept with her?"
I jerked my hand away from him, furious.
The next second, Jared leaned in close to me. "Just kidding. Did you really buy that?"
I turned my face away and let out a cold laugh. "Adults always tell the truth as a joke. Guess whether I believe you or not."