Housewife Gone Wild

When Jared hugged me, all I could think about was how another woman had been in his arms and how her perfume still lingered on him.

My body stiffened before I could stop it. I stepped back quickly, then turned and fled to my bedroom.

Since our daughter was born, Jared and I had maintained separate bedrooms. He only visited mine when he wanted sex. Most nights, he slept alone in the guest room, leaving me the master suite to myself.

I didn’t care whether my rejection wounded him. I remained in my room until dinner called me downstairs.

Downstairs, I found Jared helping Yvonne feed her pony. When Wendy announced dinner, they washed up and took their places at the table.

“Dad,” Yvonne whined the instant she saw me, clutching Jared’s arm, “Mom hasn’t made fried meatballs in forever. Can you make her cook some now?”

Jared met my eyes. “Yvonne’s begging for your meatballs. Feel like making some?”

Wendy stood beside the dining table, her eyes darting between the spread of dishes she’d just prepared and my indifferent expression.

tonight,” I said flatly, not moving from my chair. “There’s more than

eat any of this,” Yvonne announced, crossing her arms stubbornly. “I only want

habits all too well—the aversion to spices and the limited palate. I’d spent

here she was, still complaining. I figured this was her revenge for

taking her side as usual. “Why don’t you whip some

“do you have

added helpfully. “And that’s before all the

Jared looked surprised. “I figured it would

only want meatballs. If Mom won’t make them, I’m not

eat.” My

manipulate me. These outrageous demands had worked every time before, so she assumed persistence would

rubbed his temples. “Just eat something,” he said wearily. “We’ll grab

before dragging her spoon through her food.

in silence and retreated upstairs. Let them figure out their own drama–I was done for the