And if he ended up with someone else, I’d just act like I didn’t know. I might even… well, never mind.

Yvonne was totally spoiled, which was why she turned out so overbearing. If Jared had more kids, there was no way she’d be as… Maybe her whole life would be different.

Night had already fallen by the time I finished work and headed back to my apartment. I wasn’t expecting Sally to show up at my door.

She came by herself, and the moment she walked in, I could tell she wasn’t too happy.

As soon as she sat down on the couch, I brought her a glass of water. Sally looked at me seriously and said, “Yvonne told me you’ve been staying these past few days. Victoria, tell me the truth. Are you and Jared having problems?”

There was no point hiding it anymore, so I nodded. “Yeah, things just aren’t the same between us anymore.”

“Is this all because of Tracy? Didn’t I already tell Jared to let her go? Are you still making a fuss about that? Victoria, let me tell you, Jared is the kind of man any woman would dream of marrying.

“He doesn’t have any bad habits. He’s handsome. His manners are impeccable. What on earth could you possibly find fault with?” Sally’s voice shot up a notch, her frustration written all over her face.

I knew Sally would be upset. After all, in her eyes, Jared could do no wrong, both as a son and as a husband. “Mom, don’t get worked up. Have some water,” I said calmly.

“Victoria, you can’t just keep harping on his tiny mistakes. Go look at other husbands out there. Guys as good as Jared aren’t half as loyal, and the ones as handsome as him don’t have his brains.

“He spoils Yvonne but never lets her get out of hand, and he’s always treated you well. The life you’re living is what every woman wishes she had,” Sally said, getting more and more worked up, like I was being ungrateful.

“Mom, I know all that,” I replied, my voice flat.

“You have no idea. All you ever do is nitpick Jared’s tiny mistakes. You’ve been married for so long. Stop treating love as some kind of life support. Jared’s got a million things on his plate.

“He can’t shower you with affection 24/7. You should be more sensible. If you feel bored, hang out with your friends, you’re not locked up,” Sally said. She was fine with me, but whenever things got rocky between Jared and me, she was Team Jared.

“How about finding myself a boyfriend then?” I said, grinning, not even bothered anymore.

Sally spat out her water. She shot me a glare, full of exasperation. “Huh? This is all because you’re mad about Jared and that Tracy, right? Planning to get even by finding your own guy? Who’s the lucky dude? I’ll go play matchmaker for you.”

Honestly, Sally’d always been a real character. Her quirks never failed to catch me off guard. By now, I was pretty used to her being totally unpredictable. Seriously, the way she handled things just left me speechless.

“What’s his name? Is he as handsome as Jared? Is his career anywhere near Jared’s level? You’re not just chasing after some guy for fun, are you? Don’t let yourself get fooled,” Sally pressed, totally serious.

I dropped the act and shook my head. “No, Mom, I was messing around. But you know, sometimes people get divorced for more than just cheating. Sometimes it’s just that their personalities clash or they see the world differently.”

“What’s wrong with Jared? He’s got a great personality. And as for cheating, I grilled him about it, and he swears nothing happened. But that Tracy, ugh, she’s something else,” Sally gritted her teeth, her voice sharp.

“She was messing around with Jared and got herself pregnant by some other guy. Victoria, I’m totally with you when it comes to taking down shameless side chicks, but you need to give Jared a chance.”

Chapter 191

I looked down at my fingers and said, “Mom, there’s no room for negotiation on this.”