Chapter 5 Using Our Daughter Against Him
1269 Words
I quietly saved the evidence, then went to sleep.
The next afternoon, Julian called me and questioned why I had canceled the arrangement to accompany our daughter to her horseback riding lesson.
"I have a lesson this afternoon too. I don't have time."
"Serena, you have been getting more and more out of line lately. What exactly are you unhappy about?"
I did not care how angry he was.
Right now, I only cared about making myself happy.
After a few seconds of silence, Julian suddenly gave in.
"Fine. Your college major was hotel management. The two hotels under the company will be handed over to you. You can take half of the hotel profits. But if the hotels go under, you will come home and focus on raising our child, and you will not entertain any unnecessary ideas again."
He was not only letting me work.
He was handing two hotels over to me.
"Really?"
I immediately became interested in talking to him.
"Then I'll go accompany Lila to her riding lesson this afternoon."
"Serena, a woman being too clever isn't necessarily a good thing. Using our daughter to threaten me is unwise," Julian reminded me coldly before hanging up.
I let out a soft "oh."
"Honey, thank you for teaching me so much. With such an outstanding husband like you, your wife can't be too useless either. I'll study hard."
"Serena..."
He was so furious that he nearly lost control and snapped my name.
When I drove to the riding lesson, I saw Lila sitting off to the side, her eyes red and her mouth turned down.
With instructors accompanying them, the other children were already happily riding horses.
"Lila, Mommy's here."
Lila glared at me like I was her enemy.
"I don't want you here. I want Dad."
Her two little fists clenched tightly.
If she were not so small, she might have actually tried to hit me.
I immediately looked at her sternly.
Her fists loosened in an instant, and with a loud cry, she threw herself against my leg and started sobbing.
Without any maternal tenderness, relying purely on technique, I patted her shoulder.
"Stop crying. Go ride your horse."
The row I sat in was full of wealthy wives, all proud to the bone.
Aside from a few who needed to socialize, most of them did not talk much.
"Mrs. Hale, a few of us are organizing a baking class tonight. Will you bring your child?" one parent asked me.
I smiled.
"I'm not free."
"My husband is very familiar with Mr. Hale. Invite Mr. Hale to come too."
I shook my head.
"I'm really not free."
*****
That night, the same society wife posted on i********:.
At the baking class, a group of men sat on the sofa drinking coffee.
Julian was there too.
On the other side, Lila was seriously making a cake base.
Sitting beside her was Clara.
The scene in the photo looked warm and harmonious.
That woman's behavior was truly hard to describe.
Just because I refused her event, she posted photos like that on i********:?
Did she want outsiders to see my broken family and turn me into a joke?
Human nature was truly dark.
Naturally, I was not going to indulge her.
The moment I saw the photos, I called her.
"Delete the photos from your i********:. As far as I know, your husband has business cooperation with the Hale family. Julian has a good temper, but if he finds out you casually posted his photos online..."
"I'll delete them. I'll delete them right now."
She instantly understood the situation.
Before hanging up, she deliberately said,
"I saw the assistant Mr. Hale brought earlier. She seems to get along quite well with your little girl."
I let out a cold laugh.
"If you think your family is too happy, you should check your husband's phone more often. I'm sure you'll find plenty of surprises too."
With a snap, that woman hung up.
*****
The next morning, while I was eating breakfast, my mother-in-law, Margaret Hale, was summoned over by my daughter.
The Hale family really was one family.
Every single one of them thought it was wrong for me to go out and work.
I did not want to argue.
Before I got the assets I deserved from the divorce, I would not fall out with anyone too badly.
After seeing off Margaret, who had come specifically to lecture me about focusing on the family, I received a call from Josie asking whether I wanted to attend tonight's college reunion.
"I'm bored anyway. I'll go take a look."
I had turned it down for the past few years.
This year, I wanted to go.
"Okay. I'll contact you later."
Josie was busy with work. In the background of the call, I could hear a woman crying and a man arguing.
As usual, I went to my lessons.
At noon, Lila called me.
She thought staying with Julian was too boring, so she finally remembered me.
I originally wanted to refuse.
But because of one thing Julian said, I had no choice but to fulfill my maternal duties.
"I have a long meeting this afternoon. Come pick Lila up."
So I had to drive to his company.
Julian wore a black suit. Young, tall, and slender, he really was quite attractive.
Lila wore a princess dress and carried a small backpack, bouncing around beside him.
The father and daughter had a good relationship.
I got out of my Mercedes.
The moment Julian saw what I was wearing, his gaze darkened.
On top, I wore a sleeveless black fitted crop top that revealed a small section of my waist.
On the bottom, I wore wide beige trousers, which made my five-foot-six figure look even taller.
My long hair fell naturally with a soft brown tint, making my cool fair skin look even cleaner and brighter.
Disbelief exploded in Julian's eyes.
I shook out my slightly curled long hair and walked up to them.
"Lila, get in the car. Mommy is going to be late for lunch."
Julian stroked Lila's hair and reminded her in a low voice,
"Listen to your mother. Don't be naughty again."
Lila pouted.
"I know. You say that every day. Isn't it annoying?"
Julian looked at her indulgently, then turned to me and looked me up and down.
"Who are you having lunch with?"
"My violin teacher and classmates."
Julian's brows furrowed deeper.
"Don't make friends carelessly outside. Be careful of people targeting you."
I smiled.
"Meeting more people makes me pretty happy."
After saying that, I shut the car door, stepped on the gas, and drove away.
Julian was still standing there.
His suit jacket hung over his arm.
Just now, he had unconsciously wanted to take it off and drape it over me, but he had forcefully stopped himself.
My phone vibrated.
It was a message from Julian.
Julian: Take what I just said seriously. Don't wear clothes like that outside again.
In the past, it did not matter what I wore.
He would not even glance at me.
Now that I had revealed a little bit of my waist, he could not sit still.
I turned the steering wheel and drove to the nearest mall.
Then I chose the dress he hated most.
Backless.
High slit.
Burgundy.
In my previous life, he had said it was "too revealing," and I never touched it again.
Lila, sitting beside me, reported my schedule to her beloved father.
My phone lit up again.
It was a transfer from Julian.
$200,000.
Julian: Buy something appropriate.
- Writer
