No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 619

“Even though Eleanor had a daughter, she’s still Ian’s flesh and blood. I hear he absolutely dotes on her,” Faye said, frustration creeping into her voice. It was like being more anxious than the person actually involved—she felt like a bystander fussing while the main players remained calm.

She’d assumed that once Eleanor divorced, Vanessa would marry into the Goodwin family without delay and take her place as Mrs. Goodwin. But now, there wasn’t even the slightest sign of that happening.

“I know what I’m doing,” Vanessa replied, setting her cup down.

Faye couldn’t hold back anymore. “Aren’t you worried Ian still has feelings for Eleanor?”

“Do you even know Eleanor?” Vanessa asked, looking up at her.

Faye was caught off guard. She’d never bothered to understand Eleanor before—never had any intention of it, in fact. But Vanessa’s question made her pause and actually consider it for once.

What kind of person was Eleanor, really?

Faye’s assessment was blunt and dismissive. “She’s arrogant, self-important, and only got ahead through connections.”

But Vanessa’s eyes grew thoughtful, and she smiled slightly. “At her core, Eleanor is proud. She despises betrayal and disloyalty. But she’s also both kind and principled.”

“Kind? I don’t see it at all,” Faye scoffed.

Vanessa went on, “She poured six years of love into Ian and ended up with nothing but a divorce. I’m certain she’ll never love again. No matter how wonderful the next man is, she’s destined to grow old alone.”

“That just means she’s stupid,” Faye sneered.

Vanessa’s lips curled into a smile. “That works in my favor. She can forgive someone for careless mistakes, but never for cheating or betrayal in marriage. When she found out about me and Ian, she stayed silent for two years—she was giving him one last chance to come back to his family. After that, she initiated the divorce without hesitation. Even if Ian got down on his knees and begged, she wouldn’t spare him a second glance.”

Faye raised an eyebrow and let out a short laugh. “Mr. Goodwin, begging her? Seriously?”

“I’m just saying, hypothetically. Eleanor seems easygoing, but she’s stubborn to the bone. Once she’s made up her mind, she never looks back. In that sense, she and Ian are exactly alike.”

Faye finally caught on to what Vanessa was getting at. “So, you mean—”

“To deal with her, you have to use her own nature against her,” Vanessa said with a low chuckle. “Make her utterly give up on Ian.”

Now it all made sense to Faye—this was why Vanessa could stay so cool and unhurried. No wonder she never seemed anxious.

Vanessa ran her fingers through her hair. “Ian feels guilty towards Eleanor and their daughter. But once that guilt fades away, he’ll come back to me. I’ll be his safe haven, always.”

Faye arched a brow. “So, you’re letting them spend time together on purpose?”

“That’s called letting the enemy advance so I can win in the end. The closer Ian gets to Eleanor, the more he’ll see the cracks between them. With Eleanor’s personality, she’ll shut him out again and again.”

“It’s nothing, sweetheart. Let me check your temperature.” Eleanor fetched the thermometer and cradled Evelyn in her lap for five minutes. Sure enough, the reading came back at one hundred degrees.

“Does anything hurt? Do you feel bad anywhere?”

Evelyn shook her head. “I feel fine.”

Just then, Princess—their golden retriever—jumped up and ran to the front door as the bell rang.

“It must be Daddy!” Evelyn said excitedly.

Joslyn, their housekeeper, went to open the door. Ian stepped inside, striding straight to the living room. He knelt by Eleanor and gently felt Evelyn’s forehead, glancing up at Eleanor. “What’s her temperature?”

“One hundred,” Eleanor said quietly.

“Should we take her to the hospital?”

“No, I don’t want to go to the hospital. I don’t want any shots, and I don’t want any medicine,” Evelyn protested, burrowing into Eleanor’s arms and pouting.

“All right, we’ll keep an eye on you at home. No hospital, okay?” Eleanor kissed her daughter’s cheek, knowing all too well how much Evelyn hated hospitals.