Chapter 172

“Why did she come?” Jared’s face hardened, his eyes fixed on me. “What did she say to you?”

Hooked, utterly defeated, I said, “She wants me to divorce you. She said that you and she have been in love for years, that you admire each other, and that the feelings go both ways. Jared, I’m sorry. I was being selfish, holding you back. I didn’t realize you cared about her that much. But don’t worry, I won’t keep you tied down for much longer. If you—”

“So you just believe her?” Jared’s face went stiff, and his tone grew sharper. I wasn’t sure if he was panicking or angry. “Don’t listen to her. None of what she said is true.”

“Then what is true?” I looked up at him, my eyes brimming with tears. “Tell me, what’s real? You admire her and she has feelings for you. Are you saying that’s not true either?”

Jared’s breathing was ragged, his handsome face flushed with frustration. He got up and paced over to the window, looking totally lost, like his mind was a tangled mess he couldn’t sort out.

Finally, he said, “Yeah, I admire her. But I admire a lot of people. Anyone who’s capable, I respect. But you need to get one thing straight. Admiring someone isn’t the same as loving them.”

“I…don’t believe you,” I whispered.

Jared looked like he was about to lose it, letting out a helpless laugh. “Why not? Fine, I’ll admit it. Tracy is impressive, but her strengths are in the workplace. She’s a good partner to have at work, someone I can fight alongside. But as my wife? She might not be as good as you. You both have your own strengths and good points. Why do you have to compare yourselves!”

I stared at him, completely stunned. Jared realized he was getting loud, so he came over and crouched down in front of me. “Victoria, don’t lose confidence in yourself. Don’t doubt who you are. You know I’m not great at talking about this stuff, but I’ve seen everything you’ve done all these years. I know how much you mean to this family.”

“You’re lying,” I said quietly. Those words landed heavy, and his face froze.

“You must have thought about having Tracy as your wife,” I added, my voice full of disappointment as I looked at him.

Jared looked like I’d just exposed his deepest secret. He stood up, lips pressed tight in pain, and after a long silence, finally nodded. “Yeah, I thought about it. Before you changed. I really did. But it was just a thought. Do you really have to blow it out of proportion and talk about divorce? Who in a marriage hasn’t had their mind wander once or twice?”

Watching Jared scramble to defend himself, I felt my heart turn to ice. All men liked to make excuses for their mistakes and still acted like they were totally justified.

I looked him in the eye, my voice unwavering. “I don’t know about anyone else, but since I married you, I’ve never let my heart waver. Not even once.”

Jared’s eyes were stiff and solemn. He stared at me, realizing my words were true. I loved him, showing it in every action, unlike him, who rarely demonstrated his love beyond words.

“Victoria, I…” Jared started, then stopped and let out a heavy sigh. “I’m trying to find my way back. Can you give me another chance? Even kids get a shot at fixing their mistakes. I know I’m an adult, but I just want one chance to make things right. Will you let me?”

I looked at Jared’s repentant expression and thought of Tracy’s pregnancy. He could say those words without flinching. How shameless he was.

“Kids get to mess up and learn. Adults should own up to what they’ve done,” I said coldly.