The Wife You Buried Is Back from Hell novel Chapter 55

Danielle pulled up in front of the preschool just as the final bell rang.

Niki came bounding out the doors, her pigtails swinging with every hop. The moment she spotted her mom, her whole face lit up. She dashed across the sidewalk and threw herself into Danielle's arms. "Mommy! You look so pretty today—like a movie star!"

"Do I?" Danielle's lips curled into a soft smile.

Today, she'd taken the time to put on makeup, slipped into a sleek black trench coat and heels, and let her long, wavy hair fall loose over her shoulders. Standing by the preschool entrance, she couldn't help but draw the eyes of more than a few parents as they came and went.

Back at home, Danielle usually didn't bother with her appearance. She spent her days focused on Alexander and the kids, carefully choosing outfits for Alexander and tending to every detail of the children's daily lives. She hardly spared a second thought for herself. But things were different now. Now, she was living for herself.

"When are you coming home?" Raffy stepped forward, peering up at Danielle with a frown. "I miss your cooking. I've lost weight lately."

He hadn't much of an appetite for the meals the housekeeper made; nothing tasted quite right.

Before Danielle could answer, Niki piped up, "Mom's not your maid, you know!"

Danielle ignored Raffy, not even bothering to glance in his direction.

To Raffy, she was little more than someone who cooked his meals and waited on him.

Danielle lowered her gaze and took Niki's hand. "Come on, sweetheart. Let's go buy you some new clothes."

"What?!"

Raffy stared after them as they walked away, completely bewildered. Lately, his mother's mood had grown stranger and more unpredictable; she'd never been like this before. Even if he had a new stepmom now, his old mom couldn't possibly stop caring about him—right? Besides, Dad always said not to worry about Mom's bad temper; she'd come crawling back eventually.

—

The seasons were changing, and summer was just around the corner. Danielle felt like browsing the shops, picking out some new clothes for the warmer weather.

As they walked, Niki looked up with a sly little grin. "Hey Mom, how about I cook dinner for you tonight?"

How could she ever let her daughter go without?

She squeezed Niki's chubby cheeks, trying to smile. "Didn't I tell you not to listen to your brother's nonsense?"

"Mommy's got plenty of money. We're going to the mall, and you can pick out anything you like."

Niki's eyes sparkled. "Yay!"

In her previous life, Danielle had rarely found time to take her daughter shopping like this. Most days, she was buried in Alexander's paperwork or busy with chores at home. She felt sorry for how hard he worked and always tried to take on more.

But her role never changed, no matter how much she did.

Maybe that's why, in her last life, Alexander had been so eager to take Raffy and Millie out for fun. He'd signed the documents she handed him in a rush, never bothering to read what they actually said...

Then again, even if he had, would he have cared? Probably not.