I was taken aback. Yvonne actually wanted me to hear them fight. Yvonne’s slippers slapped the floor, and I could hear her nervous, heavy breathing.

I heard Jared say, “Yvonne, go back to your room.”

Yvonne replied, “Dad, no. I’m just going to sit here on the stairs and watch you argue.”

At that moment, Sally’s heartbroken sobs echoed through the house. “Jared, Victoria just can’t stand to see our family happy. She got divorced, and now she wants to stir up trouble for all of us.”

Jared sounded frustrated. “When has Victoria ever made a scene since she joined the Holcomb family? She’s always been careful around you, never dumped the kid on you. So why are you trying to ruin her reputation?”

Sally choked out between sobs, “Because she’s stopping you from remarrying! She’s so manipulative. If she’s divorced, why doesn’t she just go work somewhere else? Why does she have to hang around you? Isn’t it just because she can’t move on? She just wants to cause trouble.”

“I’m the one who begged her to stay, not the other way around.” Jared’s voice grew louder. “Mom, I was the one who asked her not to leave, okay? Do you get that?”

“You’re not thinking straight. There are plenty of women out there; it’s not like she’s the only one. Why do you have to treat her so well?” Sally demanded angrily.

Jared was silent for a long time before he finally spoke, his voice tired and defeated. “Because I can’t find another woman who only has eyes for me anymore. Do you think Tracy wants to spend her life with me? No, she only wants the perks of my company and the resources I control. She’s just a pawn the Darwin family put beside me. Does Tracy love me? Can she look at me like Victoria did, as if I’m the only one who matters? She can’t. I doubt any other woman could either.”

Sally didn’t say a word for a long time, probably stunned by Jared’s confession.

Jared’s voice was hoarse. “I still can’t get over the way she looked at me, with nothing but love in her eyes. Who else would be crazy enough to insist on signing a prenup on our wedding night? She was proud to the core. She just wanted to show how much she loved me. She was afraid I’d think she was after my money. She was so clueless. She couldn’t even scheme properly.”

“My mom’s not clueless,” Yvonne yelled. “She’s super smart!”

Jared said, “Yvonne, didn’t I tell you to go upstairs? This isn’t for you to hear. You’re just a kid. You wouldn’t get it.”

Yvonne shot back, “No, I want to listen. And you guys better not talk trash about my mom while I’m here.”

Sally’s voice was steady now, like she’d calmed down. “Okay, if you don’t want Tracy, I’ll set you up with someone else tomorrow. You want someone innocent, who only has eyes for you? I’ll find you a naive young thing. She won’t be worse than Victoria, just younger and prettier.”

Jared scoffed. “Whatever you think, I’m not planning to remarry right now. Let me be clear. When I realized Victoria was thinking about divorce, I panicked. I played to her tastes and gave her two hotels, not just for me, but for Yvonne. She needs her mom.”

“Dad’s the best. He still loves Mom,” Yvonne said happily.

Jared ignored Yvonne and kept talking. “Mom, can you believe it? If she quits her job, they’ll leave for Brayton, Showtown, or maybe even go abroad. She’ll be like a kite with a broken string, and I’ll never be able to find her again.”