Chapter 124

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.