Chapter 47

Jared gave me a look full of accusations, as if silently saying, “You’ve made your intentions so obvious that it’s already getting to Yvonne.” His gaze felt like a sharp reprimand.

Since I had already decided to divorce him, I didn’t feel the need to hold back anymore. I looked straight at Yvonne and said firmly, “Yvonne, don’t worry. I won’t have another child. You’ll be my only child for the rest of my life.”

“Really?” Yvonne looked at me, her pale little face showing a small smile. “Mommy, swear it.”

I immediately raised my fingers and whispered, “I swear, if I ever have another child with Jared, may something terrible happen to me.”

“Victoria, that’s enough!” Jared was clearly shocked by what I said. His face turned stormy as he snapped, “Don’t talk nonsense in front of the kid.”

“I’m not making things up. I already swore,” I said, smiling at him.

The blame in Jared’s eyes disappeared, replaced by heavy gloom. He probably thought I was even more unhinged than our daughter.

“Mommy, I believe you. You said you’d only love me. Mommy, hug me.” Yvonne’s attitude shifted suddenly, and she threw herself into my arms, clinging tightly.

I held her, but unlike before, I didn’t shower her with kisses or squeeze her tightly with motherly love.

Now, I just saw Yvonne as a child who needed an adult’s care. I wasn’t going to shower her with affection like I used to.

“Mommy, hold me tighter. I’m cold.” Yvonne noticed I wasn’t hugging her the way I used to, so she whispered, and I pulled her closer.

The doctor said Yvonne had a viral infection, plus diarrhea and vomiting from rotavirus. Her fever wouldn’t go down, and with all her symptoms, she had to be hospitalized.

We got a private room. Jared went home to get her things, while I stayed with Yvonne for her IV. She slept the whole time.

When Jared returned, Tracy was with him.

Tracy was carrying toys and food. When they came in, the noise woke Yvonne up.

Yvonne opened her eyes and saw Tracy. She immediately smiled and called out, “Tracy, you’re here!”

Tracy walked over and went to hug Yvonne, but Yvonne quickly pushed her away. “Don’t hug me, Tracy. I have a cold, and the doctor said I might pass it on. You better not hug me.”

When Yvonne said that, I froze. She was worried about Tracy catching her cold, but she never thought about me. Just earlier, she insisted I hold her while she got her IV.

But Tracy just hugged her tighter, bent down, and kissed her on the head. “Don’t worry. I just want to give you a hug. Poor thing, what happened to your hand? Why is it so swollen?”

“That nurse must have been blind. She made my hand all puffy. It hurts so much,” Yvonne huffed.

Tracy immediately turned around, picked up a towel from the basin Jared brought, and went to get some hot water.

Jared came over and asked, “Yvonne looks a bit better now?”

I was still numb inside. My daughter, as usual, seemed to care more about Tracy. “Yeah. I’m a little hungry. I’m going downstairs to get something to eat. You and Tracy stay with her.”

“We brought some food.” Jared grabbed my arm. “Why don’t you just eat here?”

I was in a terrible mood and pulled my arm free. “No, I want to go downstairs.”

With that, I pushed the door open and walked out, bumping into Tracy outside.

“I’m just going to put a warm compress on Yvonne’s hand. You don’t mind, do you?” Tracy asked, checking with me first.