Chapter 22 In our six years of marriage , we'd only dined out for family holidays . Most nights we ate at home , though often interrupted by his endless phone calls . I'd cooked elaborate meals that went untouched . Now that we had private servants preparing perfectly balanced dinners every night , he suddenly wanted to take me out . I'd endured years of loneliness , disappointment , and the quiet heartbreak of constant rejection . Now it was his turn to taste that bitterness . " Can't . My plate's full . Ask someone else . " I kept my eyes on my work , feigning concentration . Jared went completely still . The polite smile froze on his face . He'd anticipated delight , not this offhand rejection . " The work will still be there after dinner , " he said , with uncharacteristic patience . " I'm not hungry . " I glanced up with a bland smile . " Had dessert earlier . " Some of the tension left his posture when he realized this was about schedules , not rejection . " I'll head back for Yvonne then . Don't work too late . " With that , he left without another word , and I returned to my files , Jared said he needed to call a board meeting to decide on the appointment , but I knew it was just a formality . He ruled the company with absolute authority . His competence left no room for challenges . Our personal relationship blurred professional lines , but I believed that Jared could silence critics effortlessly . It was 11 p.m. when I got home , arms full of documents . Jared had already tucked Yvonne in and was lounging on the sofa in his pajamas , sipping coffee . He glanced up as I walked in , setting his coffee cup aside and crossing his long legs . His piercing eyes fixed on me as he said , " You're back late . " " Still trying to make sense of some things ," I said flatly . I kicked off my shoes and headed upstairs , not in the mood to talk . Jared stayed frozen for a beat before slowly following me upstairs . The second I reached the bedroom , I grabbed my pajamas and ducked into the shower . I took my sweet time - thirty minutes - and when I finally stepped out , he was propped against the headboard with a book . The familiarity of it stung . There'd been nights I'd waited for him , aching for this very moment . But when he finally lay beside me and I reached out , he'd catch my wrist , push it away , and murmur , " Not tonight . I'm tired ." At the vanity , I smoothed lotion over my skin , the scent curling around me . The woman in the mirror looked different now -her eyes held no trace of their old shadows , only a quiet radiance that made her seem truly alive . " You done yet ? " Jared called from the bed , impatience creeping into his voice . I'd taken longer than usual , and he wasn't hiding his frustration . I knew he was thinking about sex . Was he going to make the first move ? My recent outfits had been more deliberately feminine - silky blouses , curves accentuated . Men always noticed those things . He might not love me , but that didn't mean he didn't want me . 1/3 Jared exhaled sharply , clearly annoyed at the wait . The moment I settled in , he threw his book down , switched off the lamp , and turned toward me under the covers . His hands slid over my body , fingers burning against the curve of my waist before inching upward with purpose . I caught his wrist . " Too tired tonight , " I mumbled into my pillow . His arm tensed . " It's been three months , " he said , his voice rough . " Yeah , something like that , " I muttered , not wanting to get into specifics . " You don't want this ? " He knew me inside out - my body and my desires . Normally , I'd be crawling out of my skin after three months without it , while he could go either way . " Not really , " I said . Truth was , I didn't want him at all anymore . Jared used to be the one losing interest , but now it was me . His breathing grew noticeably heavier . In the past , one word of refusal would have made him pull away immediately . But tonight was different . His fingers only tightened around me . Angry as he clearly was , none of his usual gentlemanly restraint remained . " Did someone else satisfy you ? " Jared's voice was suddenly at my ear , his teeth grazing my earlobe . " Who was it ? " I almost laughed . Jared , always so proud and self - assured , was actually reduced to this kind of petty jealousy . " Do you really trust me so little ? " I pushed his arm away and sat up abruptly . " You accuse me of cheating just because I say no ? Then who were you with all those months you ignored me ? Don't turn your own guilt into my crime . " My anger clearly caught him off guard . In the warm lamplight , I watched his face flush and pale before he sat up , his eyes locking onto mine . " Then tell me why you won't let me touch you ." " I'm just not in the mood , " I countered firmly . " What mood do you need for this ? " Jared shot back . I scoffed . " Of course . Men are always ready . But women ? We only give ourselves to those who love us . " Jared looked startled by my blunt words . In my previous life , I'd kept quiet for thirty years , but now I refused to stay silent any longer . Speaking my mind was better than letting resentment fester . " Victoria , what's wrong ? " Jared's tone softened as he noticed my unusual behavior . " What's gotten into you lately ? Talk to me . " " There's nothing to talk about . " I turned away in bed . " I'm just tired of this … this endless monotony with no future . " My mother gave me life to live - not to waste away here . I want to see the world , to watch flowers bloom and rivers flow . " Jared stared at me in shock , as if seeing me for the first time . The docile wife he'd known had been a facade . This version of me - passionate , unafraid - was likely the real one all along . " Victoria , was being the perfect wife for six years such a chore ? " Jared's initial shock turned to anger - whether at my deception or because I no longer fit his ideal of what a wife should be .