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.

afternoon, Jared called. “Yvonne fell. Her leg’s

“How?” My stomach dropped.

he finished, the

I knew

quietly crying with her leg bandaged. Tracy sat nearby, her face

reached for me, her small voice breaking. “Mom, hold

of the hospital bed and

1/3

said, her voice thick with remorse. “I

comfort her. “We all know how Yvonne is, always climbing where she shouldn’t. This

grew red as silent

cried herself to exhaustion. She fell asleep in my arms within

quickly, “Tracy was just trying to

he really think I’d play

Mrs. Holcomb.” Tracy’s

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

turned to Tracy. “Thank you for watching her. She’s a handful

silence was almost

disappointed 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

this was entirely my fault,” Tracy said with theatrical remorse,

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

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

unexpected kindness toward Tracy clearly caught

should go now,” Jared said. Whether out of guilt or self–reproach, he sent her away but

to leave, though not without one

against the raised hospital bed, I closed

her,” Jared offered suddenly. “You

eyes to find Jared leaning in to carefully transfer our sleeping child from