The Perfect Wife's Perfect Revenge

In the end, McNeil moved into Victoria's house.

After Yasmine left, Victoria couldn't find another assistant she liked as much. She had considered asking Yasmine to come back, but Yasmine and Ailie were running V&S Group so smoothly together. Every time Victoria video-called them, the two seemed genuinely happy. Victoria couldn't bring herself to take Yasmine away from a job she enjoyed just to be her personal assistant again, so she dropped the idea.

Victoria spent a month recovering at home after giving birth, and by the end of it, thanks to McNeil's care, she looked radiant and healthy. Yet, despite his hopes, their relationship hadn't moved forward at all; if anything, it felt even more stagnant.

"I have something to do at lunchtime. I probably won't be back. Could you make the formula for the babies?" Victoria told him one morning.

She glanced at McNeil, noticing the exhaustion etched into his handsome face. Caring for newborns was clearly taking its toll.

Since the twins had come home, McNeil hadn't had a single good night's sleep. Little Chris and Celia took turns crying through the night. McNeil had set up camp with them in the guest room, while Victoria slept alone in the master bedroom. After a month of sleepless nights, McNeil had grown noticeably thinner, while Victoria seemed more energetic than ever.

"Where are you going?" McNeil asked, looking at Victoria as she finished getting ready. She looked stunning-healthier and curvier than before her pregnancy. She'd done body-sculpting workouts every day, and now her figure was even better than it had been before. The only difference was that, since she was nursing, her bust and hips were fuller.

With her narrow waist and hourglass curves, Victoria had become even more alluring, and every time McNeil saw her, it left him breathless. Luckily, he was usually too busy wrestling with the twins to let his mind wander down that road for long.noveldrama

But now, seeing Victoria dressed up to go out, he felt a sudden wave of anxiety.

"I'm meeting someone for lunch," she said, frowning slightly as she caught a familiar look on McNeil's face—the same possessiveness he'd shown during their marriage. It annoyed her.

McNeil was still holding little Chris, who looked just like him, right down to the stubborn temperament. The boy could scream the house down for hours on end, but would go quiet the moment Victoria picked him up. Sometimes McNeil wondered if his son had been born just to torment him.

"Victoria-" he began.

"Yeah?" She sounded impatient, and he quickly softened his tone.

"Do you want me to have someone drive you?" he offered.

That, at least, sounded reasonable, but Victoria didn't need it. There were plenty of important things to do now that she'd had the babies, and she expected to be out of the house a lot in the future. She didn't have time to argue with McNeil.

“No need. Just take care of the kids," she said, picking up her bag and striding out the door.

Gwyneth happened to come out of her room just then. She noticed McNeil's unhappy expression and glanced at the door, but Victoria was already gone.

"Daddy, do you think Mom has another man out there-like when you used to go see Violet?" Gwyneth asked, her voice full of childish curiosity.

McNeil's mood hit rock bottom. He looked at Gwyneth, his tone sharp. "Did you finish your homework? Go do it."

Gwyneth had noticed that, ever

since they'd come to Evermore City, her dad was different-clingier with Mom, no longer as carefree as before. And she absolutely couldn't mention Violet. If she did, Dad would get all nervous and glance at Mom, afraid she'd be upset. He'd never been like this before.

"I'm almost done," Gwyneth muttered, dragging herself back to her room. Geez,

why did he always snap at her?

Meanwhile, Victoria drove herself to

a restaurant, where her lunch appointment was already waiting, looking a little nervous. In the dim lighting, her guest wore sunglasses and had wrapped a silk scartaround her face, as if hoping not to be recognized.