After being reborn, I make up my mind to stop chasing after my husband and daughter

Chapter 19

My morning dance class left me drenched and pleasantly loose–limbed.

Come noon, I called Sally about whether Yvonne was coming home.

“Yvonne’s at the amusement park with Tracy,” Sally informed me. “You should give Tracy a call.”

Tracy had become like a second mother to Yvonne–genuinely devoted and always making time for her.

Not that I hadn’t been that mother once. There was a time when my world revolved around parent–teacher conferences and bedtime stories too.

I didn’t call Tracy. If my daughter smiled more with her, who was I to interfere?

I was about to eat alone when my phone buzzed with an unknown number.

“Hello. Is that Victoria Murphy?” The male voice on the line was warm and unfamiliar.

“Speaking,” I answered automatically before catching myself. “May I ask who’s calling?”

“I’m the student you sponsored years ago.” The earnestness in his voice prickled my skin. “I was hoping we might have lunch today.”

The pause stretched too long. I’d never wanted gratitude, and now wasn’t the time to revisit the past–not when I had my own reasons to keep my distance.

In my previous life, I’d seen enough online stories about scholarship recipients turning on their benefactors to last a lifetime.

“It’s just lunch,” he said, lowering his voice when he caught my hesitation. “No strings attached.”

“I’m married,” I said quickly. “Meeting men alone… it wouldn’t look right.”

“Bring a friend then,” he offered.

Though I could hear the genuine gratitude in his voice, I calmly refused. “Meeting isn’t necessary. The best repayment is you succeeding,” I said, and hung up before he could argue.

peaceful lunch by myself. At three in the afternoon, Jared called. “Yvonne fell. Her leg’s hurt. Meet us at

“How?” My stomach dropped.

as he finished, the hospital location appeared on

Yvonne’s mother, I knew she

at the hospital, Yvonne was curled against Jared, quietly crying with her leg bandaged. Tracy sat nearby, her

Yvonne immediately reached for me, her small voice

on the edge of the hospital

1/3

“I should have been watching her

“We all know how Yvonne is, always climbing

red as silent tears

She fell asleep in my arms

he said quickly, “Tracy was just trying to help with Yvonne. Don’t

laughed at his protectiveness. Did he really think I’d

sorry, Mrs. Holcomb.” Tracy’s voice trembled with

my previous life, when Yvonne was my entire world, I would have torn Tracy apart for letting Yvonne get hurt. Now

hair and then turned to Tracy. “Thank you for watching her.

stunned silence was

when I didn’t give her the dramatic scene

perfected her act in my previous life–playing the fragile victim while needling me into outbursts that only made

Holcomb, this was entirely my fault,” Tracy said with theatrical remorse, tears streaming as

shoulders mid–bow, forcing her upright. When she snapped her head up, I saw the frustrated

looking up calmly, “why don’t you take Tracy

toward Tracy clearly

Whether out of guilt or self–reproach, he sent her

had no choice but to leave, though not without one last resentful look in my

raised hospital bed, I closed my eyes, our daughter secure

let me take her,” Jared offered

to find Jared leaning in to carefully