Chapter 169

I never expected Tracy to throw down so publicly, and with such swagger. In my previous life, she always kept her distance from me, never starting drama, just to protect her classy image and the elegance she wore. I thought she’d keep up the act forever. Maybe something happened this time that made her finally drop the act.

It was clear as day that Jared was the key here. Something must’ve gone down between them, and that was why Tracy was so fired up to challenge me. I thought their relationship rocked during this trip to Shaville.

After Tracy finished her outburst, she looked stunned, like she couldn’t believe she’d just let herself go like that. Clearly, this wasn’t her style. She was supposed to be all grace and poise, not some drama queen.

It all flocked at her, and her words made me pause, but honestly, I didn’t see anything for her to be proud of. If marriage laws were nothing but scraps of paper, then everyone here would’ve been buried under them a long time ago.

Even though I was boiling inside, I had to stay cool and keep my head. The best way to win an argument was to ignore it. But with Tracy coming at me like this, there was no way I could just stay silent.

“Tracy, I know you’re head over heels for him, but maybe you should remember who you are. By picking a fight with me, you’re basically admitting you’re the other woman. What do you think people will say about you?”

“And you say you make money for the company and I just spend it—wrong. The money I get comes from Jared. At the end of the day, you’re just a high-paid employee. Are you working for free? You get a salary, right?”

“I know you got a chunk of the company when you joined. So, you’re taking Jared’s money too. What makes you think you’re any different from me! You earn it fair and square, I spend it fair and square. You’re not above me!”

Tracy’s expression turned downright ugly. My words hit her right where it hurt. What she craved most was to be the one and only in Jared’s heart, someone truly special. But the truth was, she was nothing more than a shameless homewrecker. The kind everyone wanted to see crash and burn.

“Victoria, he doesn’t love you anymore,” Tracy said, her fingers clenched tight as she spat out the words.

“Did he actually say that to you?” I arched an eyebrow. “Living with a woman he doesn’t love for seven years, even having a daughter together? Jared sure knows how to play the long game…”

Tracy’s face went pale again. She had no comeback because even if Jared didn’t love me now, there was a time he loved me with everything he had.

Seeing the cold, calculating look in Tracy’s eyes, I braced myself. I thought she was about to spill the biggest secret of all, that she was carrying Jared’s child.

If she said she was pregnant, and the baby was Jared’s, then I’d have no comeback. She’d have me completely cornered.

“I’m not here to fight with you, Mrs. Holcomb. Let’s say you divorce him, you’d walk away with a big payout. And I promise, I’ll treat Yvonne like my daughter.”

“You won’t have to worry about a thing. Plus, I’m willing to help you get the biggest settlement possible,” Tracy said, her voice suddenly calm. She looked a little defeated, clearly not expecting to lose the argument.

But Tracy was all about ambition, and she was a shark at the negotiation table. If she couldn’t win by arguing, she’d switch to bargaining. She knew how to dangle the carrot, and honestly, it was hard not to waver.

“Really?” I looked at her with a sly smile. “What kind of number are we talking about?”

Tracy gritted her teeth. “How much do you want?”

“I don’t really know much about Jared’s assets,” I said, keeping my cool.

“Jared told me you two signed a prenup when you got married. If you get divorced, it'll decide what you get based on his conscience,” Tracy replied.

I let out a cold laugh. So, Jared even told Tracy about the prenup. He was just trying to put Tracy’s mind at ease.

I was so regretful that I could have kicked myself. If only I could go back, I’d slap myself for pretending to be aloof and letting love cloud my judgment. A single agreement ruined half my life.

Tracy looked me straight in the eye and said, “I can get you 300 million in cash, plus 30 million worth of property. Would that do?”