Chapter 39

I glanced at him with a faint smile. "I’m just trying to help her build some character. You know how she yells at me and has no respect for me anymore. If I let her get away with everything, we’ll end up hating each other.”

“It’s not that serious. She’s just a kid. No kid really holds a grudge against their mom,” Jared said, clearly thinking I was being too harsh.

“Yes, they do,” I said firmly. “If her values get twisted, she’ll hate me. And honestly, I might end up hating her, too.”

Jared thought I was being unreasonable, so he went back to his study without saying another word.

My thoughts were a mess. I leaned back in my chair and shut my eyes tightly.

In my previous life, the older Yvonne got, the less respect she had for me. When she hit thirteen, her rebellious streak nearly broke me.

She threatened to go on a hunger strike, and she even said she wanted to end her own life, so I had to watch her constantly.

During that time, I was so worn out that I looked like I had aged ten years overnight with dark circles under my eyes.

It was not going to happen to me again. I still had to teach her, but I’d do it with a firm hand to make sure that she had the right values and learned to control her emotions.

I wasn’t about to go through another round of her rebellious phases ever again.

The next day, I was back at work, focusing on design. Time flew by, and before I knew it, it was dark outside when my phone rang. A deep voice came through. “Victoria, it’s Nathan.”

He just called me Victoria so casually with no respect at all. I was his benefactor. He should at least call me Mrs. Holcomb.

“How old are you this year, Mr. Hallman?” I asked with a smile.

“Twenty-seven,” he replied.

“Oh, I thought you were younger than me,” I said. It felt good to talk with him a little after a long day.

“Do I look that young?” Nathan asked, sounding pleased.

“Sure, young man,” I said honestly.

He let out a low chuckle on the other end. “So, any plans for tonight?”

“Just going home to take care of my husband,” I answered. I wasn’t trying to flirt with Nathan, so I had no problem bringing up my husband to set some boundaries.

The last time Nathan said he was interested in me, things got a little too risky. I couldn’t let him cross that line again.

“Oh,” Nathan said, his excitement gone, like I’d dumped ice water on him.

“If that’s all, I’m going to hang up now. I’m a bit busy,” I said with a smile.

“Alright, bye,” Nathan replied, waiting for me to end the call.

Then I hung up without hesitation.

By the time night fell, Jared showed up at the door of the design studio.

At that moment, I was in the middle of a design discussion, with the projector showing a series of images on the screen.

Someone recognized him and stepped forward to greet him. “Hi, Mr. Holcomb."

“I’m here to pick up my wife for dinner,” Jared said calmly.

I turned to look at him, realizing it was time to wrap up. I walked over and asked, “How did you find me here?”

“Let’s go. We’re meeting someone for dinner,” Jared said, his expression cold as he turned and walked out.

I quickly packed up and followed him, asking, “So, who are we having dinner with tonight?”

Jared didn’t answer. He just sat quietly in the back seat, his face unreadable.

I had no idea what he was mad about this time. He was acting all gloomy and passive-aggressive.

When we got to the hotel, Jared led me to the third floor, where the business dining rooms were. He opened the door to a private room.

Inside, there were a dozen or so people. But when I saw Nathan sitting at the head of the table, my eyes widened in surprise.