Housewife Gone Wild

Chapter 11

Yvonne froze. It was the first time she’d ever seen Jared and me fight. Before, whenever we argued, I always gave in first to keep the peace. But today was different. I didn’t apologize or back down.

“Daddy, Mommy, please stop.” Yvonne burst into tears. She clung to Jared’s arm, wiping her eyes. “I don’t want you to fight. Please don’t do this.”

Jared looked at me, his voice cold. “Work isn’t negotiable. You can keep your little hobbies, but you’re not walking away from our family.”

He bent down, lifted Yvonne into his arms, grabbed her tiny backpack, and walked out.

I didn’t shed a single tear. To be honest, I wasn’t even mad. I had seen this coming.

“Mrs. Holcomb, are you okay?” Wendy and Joyce asked, voices worried..

I smiled, “I’m fine. Sorry about the mess–can you clean it up?” Then I grabbed my purse and car keys and left.

I drove around aimlessly, the wind whipping through the open window, lifting my scarf. Behind my sunglasses, my eyes started to burn.

I married a rich guy and lived this shiny. To everyone else, I should’ve been carefree and happy. And maybe I was, once. But I’d got stuck in my head, slowly falling apart.

I thought after that fight, Jared wouldn’t ask me to lunch. But around eleven, while I was sitting in a café, sipping bitter coffee, he texted to ask where I was.

it to him. He told me to meet

wanted to

all polite, keeping their voices low. Some mumbled “hi,” and I smiled back. Others tossed out compliments, and I

in a crisp suit, over six feet tall,

I saw Tracy, sitting right beside Jared. She had on a gray blazer, shoulder–length hair, looking smart and

quarter–million–dollar piece, her necklace worth tens of

at me

into their food. Halfway through the meal,

sharp mistress

really was. I smiled, worked the room,

a faint flush coloring his

1/2

tried to toast, Tracy stepped in. “Mr. Holcomb can’t drink more,” she

some glib remarks and dropped the idea

company,

could tell it was a silent provocation aimed at me. But I acted like I didn’t catch it. Why bother? I was already done with this marriage. If she wanted that

off today, her face blank

up, and I got ready

leaned into me, his hands reaching out to