“What’s up, Mrs. Holcomb?” I asked, my voice even icier than before. Knowing she was scheming to get her sister to steal my position just made me even frostier toward her.
I didn’t go looking for trouble, but that didn’t mean I’d let anyone walk all over me.
Sally used to act all friendly with me, but that was never because she was genuinely kind; it was just that I never got in her way.
And as a daughter-in-law, I always kept to myself and never rocked the boat. Now that there was something at stake, she was treating me like I was her sworn enemy.
Sally snapped, “Victoria, Yvonne’s been pestering me nonstop to see you, and she keeps running off to find you. What did you do to her, brainwash her or something? You and Jared are getting divorced, and you claim you don’t want the kid, but here you are, luring Yvonne to your side. It’s honestly ridiculous.”
I shot back, “I never said anything to Yvonne. She came over on her own—and now you’re blaming me for it?” Honestly, I was surprised too that Yvonne kept coming to see me.
Sally said, “You must’ve said something to her. No matter what, she’s still your daughter—just one word from you and she’d go with you in a heartbeat. But she’s a Holcomb, and you’re not taking her with you when you divorce. She’s the Holcomb family’s only child now, and you’re not taking her away from us—over my dead body.”
I frowned, not expecting the child to become an obstacle in my divorce. I said, “There’s nothing left to discuss. Call Jared over and let’s talk this out together. If you’re worried that I’ll take Yvonne, I can sign a written agreement—promise I won’t try to take her away from you.”
Sally’s eyes widened in disbelief. She exclaimed, “Really?”
“Yes. Get Jared here. I’m only talking to him about this,” I said, my voice icy.
Sally pulled out her phone and called Jared.
As soon as Jared heard I was there, he said he’d head over right away.
While waiting for Jared, Sally shot me a mocking look and sneered, “Victoria, I misjudged you. I always thought you were just someone who kept to herself and never tried to compete. But now, you’ve made the hotel a real success. Guess you’ve got some real skills. No wonder Jared doesn’t want to divorce you—you know how to handle men.”
I replied calmly, “What are you so worried about, Mrs. Holcomb? Didn’t you already line up his next woman?”
Sally’s expression shifted. She said, “Because of you, Jared’s not seeing Tracy anymore, and even Yvonne doesn’t like her now. Victoria, now both Jared and Yvonne do whatever you say. You are something.”
I shot back, “Since you know I’ve got skills, maybe you should quit scheming for a while. You tried to get your sister to take my job and even roped in a few execs to put pressure on me. Not bad, Mrs. Holcomb. You know how to play the game.”
Sally’s face darkened as she gripped her coffee cup tightly. She said, “I just don’t want an outsider taking over a cushy job. I did nothing wrong.”
I snapped, “You’re not wrong, but next time you go after someone else’s slice, maybe give them a heads-up first.”
“The company’s run by Jared, and I’m his mother. Don’t I even have that much say?” Sally said, lifting her chin with pride.
I stirred my coffee and said, “You said earlier that Jared can’t bear to divorce me. Is that true?”
Sally’s expression faltered, worry flickering in her eyes as she looked at me.
I continued, “So, even if we get divorced, he still won’t be able to forget me.”
Sally’s expression changed dramatically as she slapped her hand on the table. She demanded, “Victoria, what are you trying to pull?”
I gave her a wicked grin and said, “Nothing. But if you keep meddling in my work, who knows—maybe when I’m bored and lonely, I’ll just call Jared over to keep me company.”
Sally was furious. She snapped, “How can you be so shameless? Do you think you can just treat my son like a dog and order him around?”
Just as I was about to respond, Jared strode into the café. He must have heard what Sally said, because he looked at me, his eyes wide with shock.