Chapter 99:
And then Derian Wharton walked to the door. A man in a suit had already gone to meet him with a briefcase in his hand. After a few words, they left the mansion.
After Derian Wharton left, the room fell silent. About two minutes later, Herbert’s mother said, “I heard you used to work for the Wharton Group?
I was told that Herbert had already explained my situation to his mother, so I nodded, “I used to work in the finance department of the Wharton Group.
“So you work in finance. No wonder you’re so good at scheming.”
The corner of Winter’s lips curved into a contemptuous smile.
Scheming? Winter seemed to think that I had married Herbert for his money, and that I was using all sorts of methods to trap him. Her mocking sneer made me feel disgusted. But then, I thought of Herbert and the baby growing inside me. I didn’t feel like arguing with her, so I chose to endure it for the time being.
Her attitude, however, made me feel strangely at ease. All my previous nervousness had stemmed from my concern about her opinion of me. But now, with her arrogant demeanor, I realized I didn’t have to care about her opinion at all.
“Is there anyone else in your family?” Winter asked, continuing her interrogation.
“I live with my mother and sister,” I replied.
Winter frowned.
“Where’s your father? Has he passed away, or did he divorce your mother?”
At that moment, I saw the disdain in her eyes. I looked her straight in the eye, refusing to back down.
“That man ran away with his lover 15 years ago. Since then, I’ve had no father in my life, so please don’t bring him up in front of me again.”
McKenna nodded, her expression unchanged.
“So that’s how it is.”
“Then what does your mother do?” she pressed.
I took a deep breath and answered, “Before I worked, my mother worked as a temporary laborer. Since I started working, she’s been doing housework at home. My sister is still in school, and we have no other relatives except for my uncle’s family. A few years ago, my family was in a very bad situation, and our relatives stopped contacting us, afraid we’d ask for money.”
I finished quickly, not wanting to linger on the subject. Winter’s brow was furrowed, and she seemed to be processing my words, maybe even hesitating.
But honestly, I didn’t care anymore. I’d said what I needed to say. To me, facing a woman who was openly hostile and still remaining calm was the most I could do.
We lapsed into silence once more.
Bella’s POV:
Without waiting for her to continue, I stepped forward and said, “Mom, is there anything else you want to know? You can ask everything at once, and I’ll answer you one by one.”
These words immediately angered her. She slammed the cup in her hand onto the table and shouted, “Do you know who you’re talking to? I’m your elder. You’re being 100% rude!”
In response to her anger, I calmly asked, “Mom, you said you’re my elder. Does that mean you accept me as your daughter-in-law?”
“You…” McKenna stared at me, speechless.
