Housewife Gone Wild

Chapter 5

I knew Yvonne was faking her stomachache to manipulate Jared and me. She was young, but already such a schemer, and had totally played me for a fool in my previous life.

I texted Jared back: [Take her to the hospital yourself.] Then I tossed my phone aside and turned back to the movie’s ending.

Jared didn’t bug me after that. When the credits rolled, a couple of guys pushed their way towards me. One bumped into me, and his face went bright red.

Melissa was about to give them an earful, but I squeezed her hand gently and said, “It’s fine.”

The guy stammered an apology, smacked his friend, and they hightailed it out of there.

Melissa grinned and nudged me. “Guess pretty girls make guys go brain–dead. Victoria, Jared’s seriously lucky. Bet the second he laid eyes on your face and body, he was dying to get you into bed, huh?”

My cheeks heated up–I was the one dying for it. Too embarrassed to say that, I just smiled and said, “You’ll get it when you have a boyfriend.”

“Get what?” Melissa blinked.

“Time passes, and even the hottest girl stops turning her man’s head eventually. Don’t pour your whole heart into love,” I said softly.

“I get it. Lately, I’ve been handling several divorce cases. Those wives are all stunners, and yet the guys still strayed. Can you believe that?” Melissa bit the words out.

I let out a bitter laugh. “Don’t pin too much hope on men.”

Melissa must’ve picked up on something, her face etched with concern as she asked, “Jared… has affairs?”

started dating Tracy, and hardly anyone knew about it. As his wife, I didn’t want word getting out. Though I no longer cared about him, I had to save my face. “I don’t think so,”

back home late, and yet the living room light

Yvonne on her back. Yvonne was half–asleep but perked up when she heard the car. She slid off Mom’s back and darted to

you get

Mommy,” Yvonne whined, shoving my mom away. “Grandma, go upstairs and

walked into the living room. Yvonne bolted over and latched onto my leg. “Mommy, you’re home so late. Were you

“Who taught

lips trembling as she stepped back. Then

“Victoria, why did you snap at her the

her? A kid that age saying stuff like that? She needs a little discipline,

too little to know what ‘cheating‘ even means,” Mom said, sounding stern. “Kids have feelings too, you know. Slapping her will just hurt her. Don’t

I knew Yvonne’s upbringing needed a total reset. Better she resented me

top, holding a sobbing Yvonne. It looked like he’d been waiting

A faint smile played on my lips, but it didn’t reach my

whimpered, clinging tight to Jared’s neck. With a pitiful pout, she accused me, “Mom’s trying to kill me, isn’t

could kill you, then you’re just

her. “Go to your room. I’ll be there in a minute

her, Yvonne shot me a snooty glare, then stomped

to our bedroom, sat at the vanity, and

tight dress. My thick, long hair cascaded down my back–no styling, no fancy updo, just natural loose curls

be sweet, but he’d just brush me

confident. Glancing back over my shoulder, I caught him staring

Even if she did something wrong, a few words would’ve been enough. You don’t hit a child in the