Chapter 171

Janed wouldn’t let go, holding me in a death grip. I wasn’t in the mood to play nice either, so I turned my head, grabbed his hand, and sank my teeth in.

Jared hissed in pain and finally let go, his breath coming in short, ragged bursts. “What now? Why did you sneak off here all by yourself without telling anyone? You’ve been sitting here all afternoon!”

“Just leave me alone.” I turned my face away, tears spilling down instantly, feeling like the whole world was against me.

Jared crouched down, reaching out to gently cup my face and turn it toward him. My eyes brimmed with tears, full of hurt and sadness. Jared’s eyes were, too, filled with worry.

He looked at me with a mix of tenderness, pain, and guilt, like he was seeing a memory come alive in his eyes. He let out a soft sigh. “Don’t cry. Let’s go home first.”

“I’m not going home. That place isn’t my home anymore.” I pushed his arms away and turned to walk toward Willow Bay.

Jared panicked and pulled me into a tight hug from behind. “Don’t do anything reckless, Victoria. Whatever it is, let’s talk it out. Don’t do something stupid.”

I paused, surprised he thought I’d do something drastic. I just wanted to take a detour and leave, not do anything crazy. But if that’s what Jared thinks, maybe I should play along and make things a little more dramatic.

“You don’t love me anymore, Jared. So why bother putting on this act like you still care?” I sobbed, my voice full of sarcasm as I tried to pry his fingers off.

“Who told you that? Victoria, if I didn’t love you, why would I have married you?” Jared said, his words sounding almost forced, as if he was trying to convince both me and himself.

I let out a cold, bitter laugh and didn’t say another word. Jared finally released me, but then gently took my hand in his. “Alright, wherever you want to go, at least change your clothes first. You’ll catch a cold like this.”

Numbly, I followed him into the car. He turned on the heater and insisted I sit in the passenger seat, not letting me sit in the back. He pressed me down, fearing I might do something foolish, then bent to buckle my seatbelt.

As he leaned down, I noticed his shirt was soaked through, making him look disheveled. Jared, who always cared about his appearance, rarely let himself end up in such a state.

Jared took me to a hotel and had his driver deliver a change of clothes for both of us.

“Go take a hot shower. Want me to help you?” Jared asked softly, as if he thought I was helpless.

“No.” I grabbed the clothes and went straight into the bathroom. After my shower, I curled up on the couch, waiting for the next act in this little show.

Jared took a shower and came out in fresh clothes. When he saw me still looking miserable, he sighed and sat down next to me. “You haven’t eaten yet, right? Let me order us some food.”

I snapped back right away, “Don’t act like you care about me.”

Jared paused, his hand frozen over his phone, frowning at me. “What happened? If you’re upset, at least tell me what’s wrong. Do you know how worried I was when you did this?”

I knew Jared was just freaked out by what I did, which was why he was getting on my case. But I just cried. My sobs were the only sound in the room.

“What’s wrong?” Jared asked, his voice hoarse as he furrowed his brows.

“Tracy came to see me,” I said quietly.