Chapter 186
But the scars from my previous life ran way too deep. Those waves of anxiety and grief would crash over me out of nowhere, leaving me cold, and that feeling haunted me for the rest of my days.
Honestly, I was just way too obsessed with trying to win him back, and in the end, I was the one who couldn’t let myself go.
Jared set down his glass and stood up, speaking in a low voice, “Sorry, Yvonne didn’t come back with me, so I figured I’d drop by your place.”
I nodded and teased, “Good thing it wasn’t a burglar.”
Jared seemed at a loss for words.
I set my bag down and headed to the kitchen to brew myself a cup of tea. When I turned around, I saw Jared standing by the doorway, watching me with an unreadable look on his face.
Today, I was dressed in a chic, professional Chanel-inspired dress that gave me a touch of sophisticated femininity.
Jared’s gaze was like a mirror; if I changed for the better, I could always see it reflected in his eyes.
“Victoria, can we postpone the divorce for a while? My company’s in the middle of a few big projects, and all the major shareholders are watching me closely. If we get divorced now, I’m worried they’ll think I’m up to something shady,” Jared said in a low voice.
“How long?” I turned to look at him. “If it’s going to take too long, then forget it.”
Jared looked a bit stunned, clearly not expecting me to be so particular about the timing. He gave a wry smile. “Am I really that bad?”
I looked at him and shook my head. “No, you’re a great guy. But we’re not right for each other anymore.”
“Is this all because of Tracy? Just because I had a thing with her for a while, you’re ready to write me off?” Jared put on a wounded, innocent look. “Come on, every adult messes up sometimes. Isn’t that just normal?”
“Normal for who?” I snapped, clearly annoyed. “That’s on you. Don’t give me that ‘adults do this’ crap.”
Jared let out a helpless laugh, leaning against the glass and staring up at the ceiling. “Do you really not love me anymore? Why did your love suddenly vanish?”
I gave a cold laugh. “It wasn’t sudden. It was years and years of disappointment, Jared. You always knew I loved you, so you acted like you could do whatever you wanted. When you went public in Aurelia, Tracy was the one by your side, cheering you on. And me? I was stuck at home, raising the kids. We were never truly partners. I was just the babysitter locked away in your place. When you were happy, you’d reward me with some spending money or a necklace. When you weren’t, you’d just say you were under a lot of pressure and disappear for weeks at a time.”
Jared’s face crumbled because I’d laid bare the truth.
He must have remembered how, when he was riding high, Tracy was always there, clapping for him, looking all sweet and devoted.
Maybe back then, his whole world was just Tracy, and I’d already been forgotten in some dark corner.
“Don’t say anything, and don’t try to explain. Don’t make me lose even more respect for you,” I said.
I raised a hand to cut Jared off when I saw that look on his face, like he was about to start making excuses. “I don’t want to hear it.”
Jared looked awkward and cleared his throat. “So our hearts have been apart for a long time, huh? I was just too slow to realize it until…"
“Jared, honestly, divorce might just be the best thing for you.” I curved my lips into a teasing smile. “I mean, look at you, mega-rich looking 17. Once we’re done, you’ll be like a fish set loose in the ocean—the whole sea’s yours to explore. No one will be holding you back. You could have women lining up for you, living out that bachelor king fantasy, sampling the harem life if you want. Doesn’t that sound tempting?”
I tossed out those words half-jokingly, and Jared looked genuinely shocked.
Girls like me, raised in bookish, cultured families, were supposed to be graceful, well-mannered, and conservative, so me talking like this must’ve felt like a total curveball to Jared.