Housewife Gone Wild

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.

the genuine gratitude in his voice, I calmly refused. “Meeting isn’t necessary. The best repayment is you succeeding,” I said, and hung

called. “Yvonne

“How?” My stomach dropped.

tripped.” As soon as he finished, the

mother, I knew she

hospital, Yvonne was curled against Jared, quietly crying

for me, her

sat on the edge of the hospital bed and

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sorry,” Tracy said, her voice thick with remorse. “I should have been watching her more closely when

Yvonne is, always climbing where she

eyes grew red as silent

She fell asleep in

carefully, clearly worried I’d blame Tracy. “Victoria,” he said quickly, “Tracy was just trying to help with Yvonne. Don’t

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

so sorry, Mrs. Holcomb.” Tracy’s voice

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

smoothed Yvonne’s tousled hair and then turned to Tracy. “Thank you for watching her. She’s a handful

stunned silence was almost

looked almost disappointed when I didn’t give her the

in my previous life–playing the fragile victim while needling me into outbursts that

entirely my fault,” Tracy said with theatrical remorse, tears streaming as she made a deep, exaggerated

head up, I saw the

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

unexpected kindness toward Tracy clearly caught Jared off guard. He shifted

guilt or self–reproach, he sent her away but stayed

but to leave, though not

bed, I closed my eyes, our

let me take her,” Jared offered suddenly. “You