In some stories, the 'harsh mistress wife' might be harsh in terms of social propriety. If her husband is being too friendly with another woman at a social gathering, she might give him a cold stare and later have a serious conversation with him at home. She expects her husband to uphold certain standards of behavior in public and in their relationship.
There are also historical fiction stories where, due to arranged marriages, a wife may be in a situation where she is treated more like a mistress than a true partner. She might be neglected and forced to find her own ways to survive and be happy, which could lead to a series of events that form a 'wife as mistress' - type of story.
These stories also show the importance of communication. In the case of the wife being harsh about the children's upbringing, it shows that she needs to communicate her reasons for the strict rules to the family. Without communication, the family members might resent her strictness.
I'm not entirely sure as I haven't read it specifically. But generally, a 'harsh mistress' in a novel might refer to a female character who is strict or unforgiving. The 'city' aspect could imply that the story is set in an urban environment and the events and characters are influenced by city life.
While it's possible that in the chaos of some extreme relationship situations this could hypothetically occur, it's not something that is openly talked about or widely known in a positive light. Usually, when affairs are discovered, it leads to more civilized solutions such as divorce or relationship counseling rather than physical retaliation. Because physical retaliation is not only unethical but may also violate the law.
In a historical context, perhaps in a story set in a feudal society. The mistress of a large estate might force a young servant girl to go barefoot. The mistress believes that it is a way to show the girl's lower status. The girl, on the other hand, feels humiliated but is powerless to resist at first. However, as the story progresses, she finds ways to gain respect and eventually changes her situation.
Common themes in mistress wife stories include secrecy. The relationship between the husband and the mistress is usually a secret at first. There is also the theme of power struggle. The wife may try to regain power in the relationship by confronting the mistress or her husband. And love is a theme too, as the husband may think he has fallen in love with the mistress, while the wife still loves her husband and wants to save their marriage.
Common themes in mistress wife stories include secrecy. The husband usually tries to keep the existence of the mistress a secret from the wife. There is also the theme of emotional turmoil. The wife goes through a lot of pain, anger, and confusion when she discovers the mistress. And often, there is a power struggle. The mistress may try to take the wife's place, and the wife has to fight to keep her family and her position in the relationship.
One mistress wife story could be about a woman who discovers her husband has a mistress. Instead of getting angry immediately, she tries to understand the root of the problem. She finds out that her husband was feeling neglected in their relationship. Through communication, they work on their issues and the mistress is no longer a part of their lives.
You could try looking for it in local bookstores. They might have it in stock or be able to order it for you.
Another type of story could be that the mistress is a business partner of the husband, and the wife initially misinterprets their relationship. As the story unfolds, they all come to understand each other better and the wife realizes that her initial suspicions were unfounded. This kind of story shows how misunderstandings can occur and how communication can clear things up.