The Perfect Wife's Perfect Revenge

Chapter 557

Her phone was right beside her. For the first time, she dialed Victoria Turner's number herself.

Victoria stared at the screen, momentarily frozen when she saw "Gwyneth" flash across the caller ID.

Celia was playing violin in the living room, the lilting notes filling the space. Not wanting to disturb the music or the call, Victoria quietly slipped out into the garden.

She glanced at the phone again, almost unable to believe Gwyn would call her at this hour.

With trembling fingers, she unlocked the screen. "Mom, it's me-Gwyn-"

She barely got the words out before her voice wavered, thick with emotion.

Victoria, always sensitive to her daughter's moods, instantly sensed something was wrong. "What is it, Gwyn? Has something happened?"

Just hearing her name spoken so gently shattered Gwyneth's composure. She fought hard to swallow her sobs, biting her lip so her mother wouldn't hear her crying.

On the other end, Victoria heard only silence and wondered if the call had dropped.

if nothing was wrong. "I'm okay. I'm doing well in Greenvale. I've made friends, and I found a great job. You don't

held the phone away from her face, terrified her mother would hear

you've had enough time away, come home, sweetheart. Your dad misses you, and so do I. Auntie and Chris, and

most was always Gwyneth. Her daughter's thoughts and feelings were a mystery-she had McNeil's quiet

child, Gwyneth had been lively and stubborn, fiercely opinionated, loving and hating with equal passion. Even when she was wrong, she stood firm. Now she was still stubborn, but instead of confronting things, she

was at a loss. All she could do was hold Gwyneth gently, letting her

years, Gwyneth had been the least of Victoria's worries-she excelled at school and managed her life independently, always looking

was an exceptionally mature and considerate child. And yet, Victoria couldn't help but worry, because since she was six, everything Gwyneth did seemed like she was trying to make up for something-as if she was forever atoning for a mistake no one blamed

burden. Victoria, least of all, would never hold

accountable for an innocent

mistake.

mother, she felt powerless to free Gwyneth from her

her, "No one has ever blamed you. None of this is

to sum up her and McNeil's lives in a

have a few more months left. Is

wiped her tears away gently. "She is—she's practicing. I can go get her