Chapter 39 I glanced at him with a faint smile. "I'm just trying to help her build some character. You know how she yells at me and has no respect for me anymore. If I let her get away with everything, we'll end up hating each other." " It's not that serious. She's just a kid. No kid really holds a grudge against their mom," Jared said, clearly thinking I was being too harsh. " Yes , they do," I said firmly. "If her values get twisted, she'll hate me. And honestly, I might end up hating her, too." Jared thought I was being unreasonable, so he went back to his study without saying another word. My thoughts were a mess. I leaned back in my chair and shut my eyes tightly. In my previous life , the older Yvonne got, the less respect she had for me. When she hit thirteen, her rebellious streak nearly broke me. She threatened to go on a hunger strike, and she even said she wanted to end her own life, so I had to watch her constantly. During that time, I was so worn out that I looked like I had aged ten years overnight with dark circles under my eyes. It was not going to happen to me again. I still had to teach her, but I'd do it with a firm hand to make sure that she had the right values and learned to control her emotions. I wasn't about to go through another round of her rebellious phases ever again. The next day, I was back at work, focusing on design. Time flew by, and before I knew it, it was dark outside when my phone rang. A deep voice came through. "Victoria, it's Nathan." He just called me Victoria so casually with no respect at all. I was his benefactor. He should at least call me Mrs. Holcomb. "How old are you this year, Mr. Hallman?" I asked with a smile. "Twenty-seven," he replied. "Oh, I thought you were younger than me," I said. It felt good to talk with him a little after a long day. "Do I look that young?" Nathan asked, sounding pleased. " Sure, young man," I said honestly. He let out a low chuckle on the other end. "So, any plans for tonight?" " Just going home to take care of my husband," I answered. I wasn't trying to flirt with Nathan, so I had no problem bringing up my husband to set some boundaries. The last time Nathan said he was interested in me, things got a little too risky. I couldn't let him cross that line again. "Oh," Nathan said, his excitement gone, like I'd dumped ice water on him. "If that's all, I'm going to hang up now. I'm a bit busy," I said with a smile. " Alright, bye," Nathan replied, waiting for me to end the call . 1/2 Chapter 39 Then I hung up without hesitation. By the time night fell, Jared showed up at the door of the design studio. At that moment, I was in the middle of a design discussion, with the projector showing a series of images on the screen. Someone recognized him and stepped forward to greet him. " Hi, Mr. Holcomb. "I'm here to pick up my wife for dinner," Jared said calmly. I turned to look at him, realizing it was time to wrap up . I walked over and asked, "How did you find me here? * "Let's go. We're meeting someone for dinner," Jared said, his expression cold as he turned and walked out. I quickly packed up and followed him, asking, "So, who are we having dinner with tonight?" Jared didn't answer. He just sat quietly in the back seat , his face unreadable. I had no idea what he was mad about this time. He was acting all gloomy and passive-aggressive. When we got to the hotel, Jared led me to the third floor, where the business dining rooms were. He opened the door to a private room. Inside, there were a dozen or so people. But when I saw Nathan sitting at the head of the table, my eyes widened in surprise. AD