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

Chapter 19

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.

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

“How?” My stomach dropped.

tripped.” As soon as he finished,

knew

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

reached for me,

edge of the hospital bed and cradled her

1/3

“I should have

up to comfort her. “We all know how Yvonne

red as

to exhaustion. She fell asleep in my

quickly, “Tracy was just trying to help with Yvonne. Don’t be hard on

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

Mrs. Holcomb.” Tracy’s voice trembled

In my previous life, when Yvonne was my entire world, I would

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

stunned silence was almost

didn’t give

her act in my previous life–playing the fragile victim while needling me

entirely my fault,” Tracy said with theatrical remorse, tears streaming as she

her head up, I saw the frustrated

calmly, “why don’t you take Tracy home now?

reasonable tone and unexpected kindness toward Tracy clearly caught

Whether out of guilt or self–reproach, he

leave, though not without one last resentful look

back against the raised hospital bed, I closed my

Jared offered suddenly.

find Jared leaning in to

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