Chapter 42

My words hit Jared like a punch to the gut, jolting him out of his daze. He stared at me in shock, not saying a word for at least five seconds. I held his gaze, calm and steady, neither backing down nor trying to soften what I’d said.

He probably thought I was losing it. Maybe he would get mad and ask for a divorce, seeing me act so irresponsibly.

Suddenly, the car swerved hard to avoid a cyclist. I was thrown forward and ended up across Jared’s chest, my hands gripping his shirt tightly.

I heard a soft chuckle escape Jared. After staying frozen in his arms for a few seconds, I quickly sat up, feeling unable to breathe.

“Victoria, we have been married for so long. Love isn’t what it used to be,” Jared said, dodging the real issue.

“So, just because we’ve been together, we don’t need love? Should we just act like siblings instead? You can be the brother, and I’ll be the sister. Let’s treat our home like a hotel and our marriage like a business–” I shot back.

“Victoria, you’ve gone too far!” Jared cut me off coldly.

I went quiet right away, and Jared didn’t bother to talk to me anymore.

The car rolled to a stop in the villa’s driveway. The atmosphere was thick with tension in the car. Wendy and Joyce hadn’t come back yet, so the whole villa was eerily quiet.

Soon, Warner drove off, and I kept my head down as I headed upstairs. Maybe after this fight, I would actually get a decent night’s sleep.

From what I knew about Jared, whenever I pissed him off, he would freeze me out for ten days, maybe even half a month. I thought it was perfect, exactly what I had hoped for.

I headed into the bathroom to shower. Still a little tipsy from the drinks earlier, I eased into the tub, added a few drops of rose essential oil, and closed my eyes, just enjoying the peaceful moment. There was no bratty daughter or cold, distant husband. There was just the warm water, gently soothing my nerves. The silence felt peaceful, and I couldn’t help but feel content.

When I came out of the bathroom, I spotted Jared sitting on the other side of the bed. He had showered too and was flipping through a magazine. My heart skipped a beat.

I made him mad, so he should have been avoiding my room for at least ten days, maybe even half a month. But instead, he acted completely differently. It was as if he had forgotten how he usually behaved.

Jared looked up as I walked out, and I caught his gaze. I was wearing a white silk nightgown that barely covered anything, my skin glowing in the dim light. If there was a definition of a dream wife, this was it.

He stared at me for a moment before asking in a low voice, “So, can we sleep together now?”

I just wanted to get away and escape the suffocating atmosphere. I wasn’t in the mood for him tonight.

“I’m really tired today,” I said, rubbing my temples and pretending to be exhausted.

Jared narrowed his eyes, slammed the magazine on the nightstand, immediately threw off the covers, and stormed out.

I let out a cold little laugh. He was now experiencing what it felt like to be rejected.

I slept well that night. The next morning, I heard noise downstairs. Wendy and Joyce were back on duty.

I got dressed and went downstairs in an elegant long dress. Jared finally didn’t have to settle for plain bread anymore. Wendy had already made a whole table of delicious food early in the morning.

“Good morning, Mrs. Holcomb,” the two maids greeted me as I walked downstairs.