I picked up my coffee and took a sip. Then I grinned and said, “So what, Sally? Your son’s a gem in your eyes, but you expect me to treat him like he’s the only one that matters? You never mention a word about him and Tracy, but now you want to throw all the dirt on me?”

Jared’s face flushed red as he explained quietly, “Tracy and I are completely over. There won’t be any contact between us from now on.”

I shot back, “Completely over? So you admit you were together.”

Jared’s face went stiff, regret flickering in his eyes.

Seeing that Jared was getting all flustered after I called him out, Sally instantly jumped in, clearly not happy about it.

She said, “Victoria, don’t be so aggressive. So what if they had a thing? You’re divorcing him anyway. Why do you even care who he’s seeing?”

Jared said, “Mom, can you not stir things up? Yeah, Tracy and I did have some thoughts, but I put a stop to it before it went any further. Nothing happened.”

Sally grumbled, “Jared, what’s the point of explaining? Not that it matters–Victoria already thinks you cheated.”

I locked eyes with Jared and said firmly, “I don’t need to hear about your romance with Tracy. Whatever happened before, or whatever might happen in the future, I wish you both well. Just make sure you get those divorce papers ready, and quick.”

Sally’s eyes went wide. She said, “Victoria, when did you get so tough? Jared’s got such a good temper, but you treat him like this. If you end up with another man…”

“Another man wouldn’t betray me,” I cut in, not missing a beat.

That one line left Sally completely speechless.

Jared fidgeted with his fingers, clearly frustrated. He said, “Alright, Mom, just give us some space. I need to talk to Victoria.”

“Don’t bother talking to her. She’s acting all high and mighty, bossing you around, and I just can’t stand it,” Sally said, reaching out to drag Jared away.

Jared shook off her hand and said, “Mom, this is between me and her. If you’re here for Yvonne, just go get her and take her home.”

Sally shot me a nasty look and warned, “Victoria, don’t think you can walk all over Jared just because he’s nice. If you want a cut of his money, you’d better earn it–Jared never got a cent handed to him.”

I kept my head down, staying quiet.

Sally was clearly pissed, but she had no choice but to leave.

After Sally left, Jared and I sat there in a long, heavy silence.

I glanced out the window at the street, then checked my watch. I said, “I need to get to work.”

Jared reached out and gently pulled me back into my seat. He said, “Victoria, I agree to the divorce, and I’ll split some of the assets with you. But it’ll take a few days to finalize everything. Just give me a little more time.”

I nodded and said, “Alright, I trust you.”

Jared said, “I’ll need you to put more effort into managing the hotel from now on. I have faith in your abilities.”

I nodded again. I was eager to realize my potential at work, and now, step by step, things were finally starting to improve for me.

Jared suddenly asked, “So, what are you planning to do after the divorce?”

I hesitated for a second, then shook my head. I said, “No plans. I’ll just focus on work for now.”

Jared looked relieved, a smile tugging at his lips. He said, “That’s good. You’ve been wrapped up in family drama for so long–work will give you some stability. I think that’s great.”

I sneered, “Why are you suddenly so concerned about me?”

Jared was caught off guard. Forcing a laugh, he said, “I don’t know. You’re just never easy to handle.”

I chuckled and shot back, “What, worried I might not be able to find a man better than you?”

Jared’s face went stiff for a moment. He then shook his head and said, “No, I’m worried you actually will.”