Chapter 10

Yvonne’s eyes went wide. “Mom, you look so pretty today. Why didn’t you wear stuff like this before?”

“From now on, I will,” I said, grabbing my bag and taking her downstairs.

Jared was by the door on a call, his face as calm as ever. While talking, he glanced up at me on the stairs – his gaze paused for a moment, as if caught off guard.

Wendy had laid out a big breakfast, and now she was helping feed Yvonne.

I sat at the table and ate slowly, lost in thought. In my previous life, I’d wake up at 6:30 and spend an hour cooking breakfast. After wolfing down my meal, I’d drop Yvonne off at school wearing comfy, worn-out clothes.

I thought I’d touched everyone’s hearts – turns out, I’d only impressed myself. We were loaded, and hiring two helpers was pocket change. But back then, I just couldn’t stop giving.

Jared finished his call, walked over, and sat next to me. “There’s an executive lunch at noon. Wanna come?”

I shook my head right away. “I’ve got plans.”

Jared turned to me, his eyes sharp. “What plans? Eat with someone again?”

“Nah, I’ve got a lesson with a teacher,” I said flatly.

“What lesson?” Jared sounded taken aback.

Yvonne slurped her gruel, piping up, “Mom, didn’t you always bug Dad to let you visit his office? This is your chance, so why not go?”

Her words hit me hard – why was I being so stubborn? Jared rarely ever invited me to work events, and avoiding Tracy wasn’t like me at all. I switched gears. “Okay. Where’s the lunch? I’ll make it.”

Jared frowned. “You just said you had a lesson. You didn’t even check with me first.”

I let out a small laugh. “I never checked with you about anything, remember?”

Jared looked anything but pleased, as if he thought I was being an irrational, dramatic wife.

I said, “The house is fine with the servants. I want to take dancing and violin again. I hired an English tutor, too. And soon I’m getting a job.”

“Why work?” Jared clearly had a problem with it. “We don’t need you to bring in extra cash.”

“I don’t want to be a lazy housewife anymore.” I held his gaze, firm. “I want my own career. I hope you’ll support that.”

Jared tossed his fork onto the table and stood up. “No way.”

My face stiffened; I didn’t say a word, but the look said it all.

Jared continued, “Your job is taking care of the house and Yvonne. If you need cash, just ask.”

He pulled a card out of his pocket and dropped it on the table. “Spare card. Use it.”

I stared at the card, a small laugh slipping out. No doubt my defiance had gotten under his skin.

He’d told his friends I was low-maintenance and family-focused – the kind of wife who’d stay home without complaining, but could also shine when we went out.

To him, being his full-time wife was my job, and I was supposed to nail that role without ever wanting more. What I said was threatening his little kingdom, and he wasn’t about to let that happen.

Yvonne jumped right in, taking his side. “Mom, Dad’s super busy with work. Why stress him out? Your job is just to take care of me. Dad makes more than enough money.”

After a brief pause, she yelled angrily, “You’re being selfish with this job stuff. You’ve been ignoring me. I was gone two days, and you didn’t even call to check on me. You’re not a good mom.”

I slammed the bowl in my hand onto the floor. The crash echoed – silencing the room for a long, tense second.

Wendy and Joyce were also startled. They quickly rushed over to clean up the mess.

I turned to Jared, my eyes sharp. “I said I don’t want to be stuck at home as a housewife. I want a job. If you’re not okay with that, we’re getting a divorce.”

In my first life, Jared had threatened divorce a hundred times, but I’d clung to him for Yvonne’s sake, begging him to stay. Now, the word rolled off my tongue like it was nothing. Finally, I was in control.

“Say that again?” Jared’s eyes locked onto mine – calm on the surface, but I could see the storm brewing.