Chapter 280

If the words remarriage, coming back, or getting back together ever showed up in my life options, I’d slap myself first.

Jared thought he had me all figured out. He was sure he knew my personality. He was just waiting for me, trying to hook me again. He was dreaming.

I took a deep breath and killed his little fantasy with a calm tone. “Jared, we can be anything else, but we will never be husband and wife again.”

His eyes flickered when he looked at me. I put the clean dishes back in the cabinet, nice and neat, and then went on. “I don’t get why you’re still wasting your time on me. You’ve got plenty of other options.”

Jared stayed quiet, watching me with that dark, unreadable look, like he was lost in thought. I sighed. “Many people say men are responsible for supporting the family, while women just need to enjoy life. It’s like living in a little bubble, narrow and dangerous.”

I kept going. “A marriage should be about growing together, being each other’s sparring partner and mirror, building each other up, and facing the outside world together. I didn’t do those things well. You don’t need to hang around out of stubborn pride. You should find someone who’s just as amazing as you are.”

“I get what you’re saying.” Jared gave me a long, unreadable look. “But I can’t do it. Right now, it’s like you’ve put some kind of spell on me. If I go a day without seeing you, I get restless, all out of sorts.”

I froze. He looked frustrated, and there was a hint of pain in his eyes. “I think I’m sick, but I can’t figure out what’s wrong.”

“You’re not about to tell me I’m your cure, are you?” I let out a sharp little laugh. “Sorry, I’m not in the business of fixing whatever’s wrong with your heart. Go find another remedy.”

“Believe it or not,” Jared said, following me as I started to walk out, “do you think I’m some kind of overly needy guy when it comes to love?”

I was straightening up the couch when I turned to him. “I don’t even know who you are anymore.”

Leaning against the cabinet door, Jared smirked at himself. “I’m not as sex–driven as you probably think. You should know that cheap thrills don’t do anything for me anymore. Even if I met someone prettier than you, I wouldn’t care.”

As he said this, his eyes shifted toward the balcony where Yvonne was locked in battle with her Lego set. “Especially after having Yvonne, I’ve got no interest in chasing excitement. What I’ve been looking for is someone I can connect with on a deeper level. Victoria, right now, I like talking to you. Even when you yell at me or complain about me, I still feel good.”

I shot him a glare. “You are messed up.”

Jared almost agreed with that. He gave a self–deprecating laugh. “Yeah, I’m sick. And the sicker I get, the more hooked I am.”

“Get your daughter and go. I’m heading out too.” To me, Jared felt like a different person now. He wasn’t that refined, gentle man from my previous life. There was something raw and emotional about him now.

Back in my previous life, he was practically perfect. He handled his career and personal life like a pro. Even when he hit fifty, he still gave off this calm, classy vibe, with a kind of noble presence.

But now, there wasn’t a trace of that control or composure left. He was bold and even a little shameless in the way he acted.

Jared’s handsome face showed disappointment. He asked quietly, “Have you been going dancing lately?”

“Yeah, why?” I asked, confused.