Chapter 156

Quinn was always proud and arrogant, spoiled by Jared since childhood. She constantly tried to belittle me in front of him, thus creating tension between us, and I didn't intend to respond. However, Quinn had no intention of backing down.

I stayed quiet, knowing speaking up would only upset them more. They were family, while I was an outsider. A fierce quarrel would only hurt me.

Tears instantly welled in Quinn’s eyes. Looking at Jared with a hurt expression, she said, “Ever since you got married, you don’t love me anymore.”

Sally was surprised and quickly held Quinn’s arm. “What are you talking about? Jared is married, and of course, he loves his wife. You’ll get married one day, too. What’s there to cry about?”

“I don’t want that," Quinn cried. "She’s not good enough for Jared. I just don’t like her. Jared, she’s got such a bad temper. Why do you defend her so much? You should just divorce her. Someone like her…”

“Quinn, don’t make me hit you,” Jared said, staring seriously at her.

Quinn was stunned, her face instantly going pale, and she forgot what she was about to say.

I stayed out of it, thinking it was smart not to pick a fight. If I argued with Quinn, I would be the one in trouble. As long as I stayed silent, I would be the reasonable one. I had to admit that arguing took skill.

Suddenly, Quinn lunged at me and shoved me with all her strength. “Victoria, this is all your fault. I hate you.”

I lost my balance and fell backward. Thankfully, there was a couch behind me, but I was still stunned.

Jared quickly came over and helped me up, staring coldly at Quinn. “In these three years abroad, you haven’t changed your nasty temper. It’s gotten worse. If you disrespect her again, you know what will happen.”

Quinn stood there, tears welling, overwhelmed by shock, anger, and panic.

Sally was surprised. She gently tapped Quinn’s arm. “Why are you picking on Victoria? You’re not married, so you don’t understand how a family works. Husbands and wives each have their roles to play."

“Victoria just doesn’t work. She handles everything else well. Stop finding faults with her and come home with me.”

“Mom, why does everyone act like I’m the one making trouble? Just look at her. All she ever does is play the victim,” Quinn yelled, jabbing a finger at me.

She was right. I was playing the victim now, but my goal was to provoke her further.

“Quinn,” Jared said, becoming mad.

“Babe,” I grabbed Jared’s arm, lowering my voice. “Don’t blame her. She’s right. I’m lazy and have no self-esteem.”

My eyes stung with unshed tears as I whispered, “Try to change.”

“Victoria, drop the act,” Quinn said angrily. “You want to be a career woman like Tracy, right? Give it up. You’re no match for her.”

Jared suddenly stood up so fast that I lost my grip on his arm. Without hesitation, he slapped Quinn across the face.

Sally’s eyes widened as she saw Quinn get slapped by Jared. She yelled, “Who’s Tracy?”

Yvonne froze, scared, wrapping her arms around herself and curling up.

Jared burned with anger. He shut his eyes tightly, took a deep breath, and said, “Quinn, stop meddling in my family affairs. And don’t mention Tracy in front of Victoria."

Quinn seemed terrified by Jared’s gaze. She stepped back, covering her face.

Sally jabbed a finger at Jared, unable to believe he would do such a thing. Without another word, she turned and chased after Quinn.

Jared stood at the living room door, hands on his hips, irritated as he stared out at the night view. Wendy took the chance to come over and lead Yvonne upstairs.

I stayed lying on the couch. Jared walked over and asked in a low voice, “Does it hurt?”

I shook my head. I wasn’t physically hurt, but my pride was wounded.

“I’m sorry,” Jared said, sounding frustrated. “I didn’t realize Quinn had such a big issue with you. I’ll talk to her.”

“It’s fine,” I said, sitting up and quietly heading upstairs.

Jared caught up to me by the stairs, looking up, and said, “Quinn is still a child; she speaks without thinking. Don’t take her words to heart.”

I sneered. She was already twenty-three, yet Jared was still calling her a child.

“I’m not taking it seriously. I’m just tired,” I said softly, then strode upstairs.

I went into the bedroom and shut the door. I ran a bath, added rose oil, and closed my eyes, enjoying the warm water. Owning the new place made me feel calm. Maybe settling in Shariport was a good idea.

After the bath, I put on a face mask, applied body lotion, and prepared to sleep.

Yvonne had also bathed. Clutching a doll, she stood hesitantly outside my door, afraid to come closer.

I pretended not to see her and went back to sleep. Yvonne stood frozen at the door for a while before Jared called her away. He gently closed my door.

In my previous life, I never dared to argue for the sake of family peace. Even when Quinn made things difficult for me every time, I always endured. If this had happened back then, I would have felt utterly helpless.

However, this time, a strange sense of satisfaction filled me. I seemed to have figured out how to handle Quinn. No matter what she said, I would just keep quiet: she would mess up on her own.

The next morning, I didn’t come downstairs, so Jared had to take Quinn to school alone.

Wendy thought I was upset, so she cooked some hometown dishes to cheer me up. I appreciated her kindness and gave her a mug as a gift. She was thrilled.

I did understand how the world worked. I was just too kind before and forgot to look out for myself.

When I arrived at the company, Tracy had thrown up again. I heard she had been vomiting in the restroom for several minutes and looked exhausted when she came out.

Jared wasn’t at the office. Someone had taken Tracy to the hospital. I immediately texted Clyde: [Tracy might be pregnant. Go check it out.]

Clyde sent an OK emoji, then a few photos showing Jared having coffee alone with a woman.

I squinted, looking closely at the photos, but I didn’t recognize the woman.

Chapter 157