Chapter 5 The Scumbag Ex-Husband Says He'll Stay Over Tonight

I knew Yuna was faking her stomachache—it was just a way to manipulate her parents. Even at such a young age, she was full of schemes. With her high intelligence, she had me completely fooled in my past life. I replied, "Take her to see a doctor." After that, I put my phone down and focused on watching the end of the movie. Shawn left me alone after that. When the movie finished, some men behind me seemed to be pushing through, and one of them bumped into me by accident. He turned red with embarrassment. Melanie was about to confront him, but I gently held her hand and said, "It's fine." The man stammered out an apology before dragging his friend away. Melanie smirked and teased, "Looks like beauty really does lower IQ. Tiffany, Shawn is so lucky. He must be driven wild having to see your face and figure every day." Her words made my face heat up in an instant. I wasn't about to admit that maybe I was the one driven wild in this situation. "You'll get it once you have a boyfriend," I said with a smile. "Get what?" Melanie blinked in confusion. "No matter how beautiful a woman is, people eventually get used to seeing the same face. Don't put too much faith in romantic ideals," I said lightly. Melanie let out a frustrated sigh. "Now that you mention it, I see your point. I've handled a few divorce cases recently, and the wives were all gorgeous. But their husbands still cheated like it was nothing. It's completely shattered my view of relationships." She gritted her teeth in anger. I let out a bitter chuckle. "Don't expect too much from men." Sensing something was off, Melanie worriedly asked me, "Wait, is Shawn—does he have someone outside?" Shawn and Queena had only just started their affairs, and no one else knew yet. As his wife, I had no intention of making it public—after all, it didn't matter to me anymore. "Probably not." I kept up appearances. By the time I returned to the villa, it was already late, but the living room lights were still on. My mom was pacing around the living room with Yuna on her back. Yuna was nearly asleep, but the sound of the car engine woke her up. She quickly slid off my mom's back and ran to the door to wait for me. "Yuna, let me put you to bed. Mommy still needs to take a shower," my mom said, ever the worrier, as she walked over to persuade her. "No, I want Mommy," Yuna grumbled, clearly annoyed. She pushed my mother away. "Grandma, go upstairs and sleep. Don't worry about me." I parked the car and walked into the living room. The moment Yuna saw me, she ran over and clung to my leg. "Mommy, you're home so late! Were you out cheating?" Unsurprisingly, her comment earned her a gentle slap. "Who taught you to speak so like that?" Yuna held her cheek, her teary eyes welling up as tears streamed down her face. "You hit me again?" She pouted, crying as she slowly backed away. Then, without another word, she turned and ran upstairs in sadness. My mom looked at me in shock, then glanced toward the stairs. "Tiffany, why did you slap Yuna the moment you got home? She's been waiting for you all night. Don't be angry with her." I smiled at her. "It's fine. A little discipline won't hurt. You heard what she just said—talking nonsense at her age. She needs to be taught a lesson." My mom frowned, her expression stern. "She probably picked it up from TV. She's too young to even understand what she's saying. Kids are sensitive—you slapped her, and now her pride is hurt. Don't do it again." "Okay, Mom. It's late; go get some rest," I replied, but inside, I was convinced that Yuna's upbringing needed a serious reevaluation. Even if she kept disrespecting and ignoring me, it would still be better than loving her deeply and being repaid with betrayal and hatred. I walked upstairs, step by step. At the top of the staircase, Shawn stood holding a tearful Yuna, as if he had been waiting for me. Pausing at the stairs, I looked up at them with a faint, unreadable smile. "What now? Did she run to you to complain?" "Daddy, my face hurts so much ... Does Mommy want to beat me to death?" Yuna clung to Shawn's neck, looking pitiful as she tearfully accused me. I continued walking upstairs, my tone indifferent. "If one slap could kill you, then honestly, you were just wasting air." "Tiffany, we need to talk ... " Shawn said, setting Yuna down and crouching to comfort her. "Go lie down in your room. I'll come read you a bedtime story in a bit." "Hmph!" Feeling comforted by Shawn's attention, Yuna glared at me, her nose scrunching in defiance, before stomping into her room and slamming the door behind her. I didn't follow Shawn to his study. Instead, I went straight to the master bedroom. Sitting in front of the vanity, I slowly removed my earrings. Dressed in a sleek, form-fitting dress, my long, jet-black hair cascaded down my back like seaweed, flowing without any styling. Its natural waves carried an effortless allure, exuding elegance and charm. I didn't know if Shawn was tired of me. In my past life, no matter how hard I tried to please him, he would push me away with a blank expression and simply say, "I'm tired from work. Get some rest." I sat charmingly on the white chair, turning to look at him, and saw that he was zoning out. "What do you want to talk about?" I asked. Shawn snapped out of it, his expression turning serious. "Why did you keep hitting Yuna today? She's just a child. Even if she made a mistake, as her mother, a few words of guidance should be enough. You don't hit a child in the face—she has her own pride too." I nodded and stood up, resting my hands on the vanity behind me. Tilting my head back slightly, I arched my body just enough to exude confidence and allure as I looked at him. "Then you must not have heard what she said to me." "No matter what she said—" "She said I was out this late because I was cheating." I cut him off, smiling. "Cheating isn't a small matter. If that got out, it wouldn't just ruin my reputation—it would damage yours too." Shawn frowned, his expression turning grim. I wasn't sure if it was the word cheating that struck a nerve, but he clearly didn't look pleased. After all, he was the one doing the cheating. "Yuna is still a child. She doesn't understand what she's saying," he defended her. I held out my fingers. They used to be slender, delicate, and fair, but years of housework had made them rougher. I looked at them and said indifferently, "She's so young and already so rebellious. I can't imagine what she'll be like when she grows up. You know that strict discipline raises respectful children. If you don't like how I'm raising her, why don't you take over from now on?" Seeing that I was neither reflecting on myself nor taking responsibility, Shawn became angrier. "Tiffany, do you know what you're saying? She's your daughter. It's your responsibility to raise her properly." I nodded. "Of course, I know that. But when I'm disciplining her, I'd appreciate it if you didn't interfere. If you want to be a kind and loving father, then let me be a strict mother. You play the good cop, I'll play the bad cop. I don't mind if she ends up hating me ... but don't blame me either." Shawn's face stiffened, a rare crack appearing in his usually composed, handsome features. "Go take a shower. I'll put Yuna to sleep and come over," he said, as if choosing to drop the argument. Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away. I was momentarily taken aback. Did he just say he was coming over? Is this his way of showing affection?