âBut you were careless, and Rosalind played you like a fiddle. If I hadnât acted quickly and come to your
rescue, your grandfather and father would have turned you away after what you did at your
grandfatherâs birthday celebration.â
âIâm Dadâs favorite. How could he abandon me?â Not having it, Bethany talked back.
Smack!
Livid, Shannon slapped Bethany. âI didnât raise you to be disrespectful. How dare you talk back to me!â
Dumbfounded by the blow, Bethany put her hand over her cheek and curled up into a ball. She hid the
resentment in her eyes.
âYou hang around Zoe, but the girl has you fooled. What are you good for? Thank goodness youâre not
in charge. Otherwise, you would have bankrupted the family business a long time ago.â
Feeling battered by Justin and Gregory, Shannon turned her anger on Bethany. âYou should lay low like
your sister since youâre not as intelligent as Zoe and Rosalind. Stop trying to get one up on Bella. If
your sister werenât mentally challenged, she would be far more competent than you. If I had a choice, I
wouldnât put all my eggs in one basket. Youâre such a loser!â
In other words, Shannon was saying that Bethany was worse than Carrie.
Bethany gnashed her teeth resentfully without saying a word. Tears of humiliation pooled in her
bloodshot eyes.
Shannon dragged a crying Bethany to the Hoffmansâ residence.
The household staff was speechless and gave Bethany, who had gone viral online, strange looks.
âOh, my. What happened to Ms. Bethany? Donât tell me Young Master Ryan got her pregnant.â
âMs. Bethany is not pregnant, is she?â
âImpossible. Young Master Ryan might be a playboy, but he wouldnât bring his personal affairs here.â
âBesides, Young Master Ryan has high standards. I doubt Ms.
Bethany makes the cut. Sheâs got a bad reputation.â
The chatter drove Bethany to see red.
These people worked for the Hoffmans, so she was not in a position to yell at them. Anger
overwhelmed her every being.
âWhereâs Mrs. Hoffman? I want to see her now.â
Shannon shouted at the butler. It was clear that she was looking for trouble.
âMrs. Hoffman isnât well to see visitors. Please leave, Mrs. Salvador.â
The butler made up an excuse with a dry laugh.
âCut the bullshit. Her daughter took advantage of mine, and now my daughter is ruined. Do they think
they can solve the issue by holing up at home?â
With rage consuming her, Shannon left her inhibitions out the window. She was not at the Salvadorsâ
residence, so she did not have to keep up with appearances anyway. âIâm not leaving until Mrs.
Hoffman responds to the issue now.â
âMrs. Salvador, youâre at the Hoffmansâ residence, not the market. Thereâs no need to yell at me.â
Mrs. Hoffman held Zoeâs arm as they strutted down the swiveling staircase.
She presented herself with grace, outshining Shannon by miles.
Bethany had been weighing her fighting chance while on the way, but she lost the will when the
mother-in-law of her dreams faced off with her embarrassing aggressor of a mother.
âNo need to yell? Haha. Mrs. Hoffman, you drove me to it.â
Shannon looked daggers at Zoe, who clung to her mother in fright.
Your daughter gave my daughter fake Alexa jewelry and signed my daughterâs name on the receipt so
that my daughter could take the fall. She wasnât even apologetic, and she acted like she wasnât
involved. Thatâs underhanded for your family.â