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?”

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

late, and yet the

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

her. “Honey, let me help you get to

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

the living room. Yvonne bolted over and latched onto my

taught you to say

lips trembling as she stepped back. Then she turned and ran upstairs, sobbing like her heart was

did you snap at her the moment you walked in? She was

“Did you hear her? A kid that age saying stuff like that? She needs a little discipline, and then she’ll

it up from the TV. She’s too little to know what ‘cheating‘ even means,” Mom said, sounding stern. “Kids have

meant it. But deep down, I knew Yvonne’s upbringing needed a total reset. Better she

at the top, holding a sobbing Yvonne. It looked like he’d

look up at the father–daughter duo. A faint smile played on my lips, but it didn’t reach my eyes. “What, she’s

my cheek hurts so bad,” Yvonne whimpered, clinging tight to Jared’s neck. With a pitiful pout, she accused me, “Mom’s

could kill you, then

set Yvonne down, crouching to comfort her. “Go to your room. I’ll be

her, Yvonne shot me a snooty glare, then stomped

to his study. Instead, I went straight to our bedroom, sat at the vanity, and started removing my

thick, long hair cascaded down my back–no styling, no fancy updo,

sweet, but he’d

the white chair, looking sultry and confident. Glancing back over my shoulder, I caught him staring off into space. “What did you

today? She’s just a little kid. Even if she did something wrong, a few words would’ve been enough. You don’t hit a child in the face–she has feelings too,