After My Husband's Mistress Wrecked Our Daughter's Car

Synopsis

I watched Isabella's hands tremble as she held the letter, her eyes scanning the page for the third time. The Juilliard School letterhead gleamed in the afternoon light filtering through the study windows. "Mom," she whispered, her voice catching. "I got in." Time seemed to freeze as those three words hung in the air between us. For a moment, I wasn't Victoria Chen, CEO of a billion-dollar conglomerate. I was simply a mother watching her daughter's dreams materialize before her eyes. "Let me see," I said, reaching for the letter. My eyes confirmed what her tears already told me. Isabella Sterling—my Isabella—had been accepted to the most prestigious dance program in the country. Every blister, every late-night practice, every sacrifice had led to this moment. The phone rang, startling us both. Isabella fumbled for it, her fingers still shaking. "Hello?" she answered, then looked at me, eyes wide. "Yes, this is she... Yes, I just received the letter." I watched her face transform as the reality sank in. The admissions director was personally welcoming her to Juilliard. When she hung up, something broke open between us. Isabella launched herself into my arms with a sob that turned into laughter. "We did it, Mom! We actually did it!" I held her tight, breathing in the scent of her hair. "No, sweetheart. *You* did it." The cork from the champagne bottle I'd been saving hit the ceiling with a satisfying pop. Bubbles fizzed over the crystal flutes as I poured. "Where's Dad?" Isabella asked, glancing toward the door. "I want to tell him." I felt the familiar tightness in my chest at the mention of Marcus. "He's at the club with Amanda's son. Something about helping him