Rebirth, Seduce My Ex-husband

"And who the hell let this woman in?!"

Rachel stormed in, her face twisted in displeasure as she marched toward Vanessa.

Upon seeing her, Vanessa sighed. Dealing with someone this annoying so early in the day was the last thing she needed.

Just then, a group of young servants hurried past, sweat beading on their foreheads as they bowed slightly in apology.

"You fools!" Rachel scolded. "How could you allow this woman into the Quinn mansion without stopping her? Don't you fear for your jobs?"

Already irritated, Vanessa folded her arms and shot back, "Would you shut up for a second? For a ballerina, you sure talk too much."

She had been waiting for the perfect moment to put Rachel in her place.

She had known Rachel ever since she married Rowen.

Rachel was nothing more than a wannabe Barbie, constantly trying to compete with her over the most trivial things. Vanessa also knew how much her mother-in-law loved to compare the two of them.

But honestly? She never let it bother her. Rachel was nowhere near her league. Sure, she came from a wealthy family, but in terms of status, beauty, fame, and wealth she didn't stand a chance.

Rachel scoffed. "You still dare to talk back to me, Vanessa? It seems you've forgotten your place. Let me remind you that you are no longer Rowen's wife. That means you have no connection to the Quinn family anymore."

"You have absolutely no right to step foot in this house"

"And you?" Vanessa cut her off.

Rachel blinked. "W-What? What about me?"

Vanessa smirked. "Last time I checked, this is the Quinn mansion. So tell me, why is the daughter of the Williams family here? How shameless of you, coming into the house of a married man."

Watching this unfold, Tara giggled quietly. She enjoyed seeing her mother put her so-called new stepmother in her place.

Rachel sneered. "Divorced man, correction. And if you haven't already heard, let me break the news to you Rowen and I are getting engaged. Soon, our engagement will be the talk of Graceland, and you'll cry tears of blood."

Vanessa scoffed. "Really? And what makes you think Rowen would ever propose to a crybaby like you?"

Rachel's face twisted with rage, and without thinking, she lunged at Vanessa, ready to pull her hair out. Vanessa, unbothered, was more than ready to do the same.

But just before things escalated further.

"Enough!"

A sharp voice rang through the hall.

Vivian entered, her mere presence silencing the room.

The atmosphere grew tense. Everyone knew that getting on Vivian's bad side was a terrible idea.

Who was Vivian? Only the Quinn mansion's head maid and more than that, she was practically family. At 37, she had been by Rowen's side since the very beginning of his success.

Rachel stiffened as Vivian's cold, commanding voice followed.

"Miss Williams, let me inform you that Mr. Quinn personally gave Miss Owen permission to visit Tara. She is not here uninvited."

Rachel turned to Vanessa, who wore a smug smile, and her anger boiled even further.

"Hmph! This isn't over, Vanessa!" she spat before storming upstairs.

Once Rachel was gone, Vanessa and Tara exchanged amused glances before bursting into laughter. The maids were dismissed, and as they left, Vivian approached Vanessa, her expression as rigid as ever.

If there was anyone scarier than Rowen, it was definitely Vivian.

Vanessa once suspected the woman had some kind of facial paralysis because she never showed emotion. But then one day, she caught Vivian laughing with Tara, and that was when she realized Vivian wasn't cold to everyone. Just to her.

And she could guess the reason why.

Vivian spoke in her usual firm tone. "Miss Owen, Mr. Quinn mentioned you'd be taking Tara out today. I'll have the maids help her get ready. You may wait in the living room in the meantime."

Vanessa shook her head. "No need. Tara is my daughter. I'll help her myself."

With that, she took Tara's hand, and together, they walked to her bedroom.

Inside, Vanessa glanced around, taking in the soft pink décor.

"Is pink your favorite color?" she asked curiously.

"Yes, Mooma! Pink and white!" Tara giggled happily.

A knock at the door interrupted them.

Vivian entered, followed by two maids carrying several large boxes.

Vanessa raised a brow. "What's all this?"

Vivian answered calmly. "Mr. Quinn personally bought these for the young mistress new sets of clothes and shoes."

The maids carefully placed the items on the bed and began dressing Tara, while Vanessa let out a small sigh before helping as well.

—

Soon, Tara was ready.

She looked absolutely stunning in her new yellow dress, which complemented her golden eyes perfectly.

Rowen adored that about Tara the way she had Vanessa's striking golden eyes. It was the undeniable trait that marked them as mother and daughter.

With Rowen's dark hair and Vanessa's fair complexion, Tara was nothing short of an angel. There was no doubt that when she grew up, she would turn heads everywhere she went.

Stepping out of the room briefly, Vanessa spotted Vivian speaking with some of the maids. Once she was done, Vanessa approached her.

Vivian's ever-cold expression remained unchanged. "Do you need anything, Miss Owen?"

Vanessa hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Not really... I just wanted to apologize for what happened earlier. I didn't intend for things to escalate like that."

Vivian's response was swift. "No need to apologize, Miss Owen. As we all know, drama always seems to follow wherever you go."

Vanessa let out a small, amused smile. "You know, Vivian, I have to ask... do you hate me?"

Vivian remained unfazed. "I neither hate you nor like you, Miss Owen. I simply see you as a nuisance. A nuisance that, for some reason, Mr. Quinn refuses to let go of."

Then, her tone grew sharper.

"You should know this playdates and outings won't erase the past. The wounds you inflicted on those two aren't the kind that heal with time. You've shattered them in ways that can't be undone. If you truly want to make things right, you have a very long way to go. Because the wounds of the heart don't need bandages they need something far deeper."

With that, Vivian turned and walked away, leaving Vanessa speechless.

As much as she hated to admit it...

The old woman had a point.

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