Chapter 1046: Chapter 1046: Who are you calling ugly?
Second Aunt’s words put Bertha Swift on high alert.
Why is it clearly the old lady’s birthday celebration? How did she become the main character?
Bertha Swift was shocked internally but didn’t dare show it in front of Second Aunt. She pretended to casually remove Second Aunt’s hand from hers, with a fake smile on her face, “Second Aunt, I suddenly feel unwell in my stomach, I’ll go to the restroom first.”
After speaking, Bertha Swift didn’t care about Second Aunt’s reaction and walked straight towards the restroom.
Behind her, Second Aunt of the Swift family withdrew her smile, disdainfully looking at Bertha Swift’s back, then turned and walked inside with a smile.
Halfway there, Bertha Swift noticed the driver was still following her, as if afraid she was going to run away. This made Bertha clearer the situation today was complicated. She tried to calm down and walked into the ladies’ room, dialing her mother’s number.
The phone rang for a long time before her mother finally answered.
Bertha Swift quietly asked, “Mom, what’s going on with this banquet today? Isn’t grandma just having a regular birthday, why is the celebration so big? Why am I dressed up, is there another happy occasion?”
On the other end of the line, Mrs. Swift listened to Bertha Swift’s series of questions, stuttering and unable to give a clear answer.
Bertha Swift’s grip on her phone tightened as she probed further, but her mother continued to be vague, confirming her suspicion that today was definitely not just about the Swift family’s old lady’s birthday.
Just as Bertha Swift furrowed her brows, the restroom door was pushed open, and two female voices were heard, and Bertha immediately held her breath, listening to the girls outside start to discuss.
“Wasn’t that bitch Bertha Swift kicked out by the Swift family? How has she come back? And she’s engaged to Mr. Fletcher from the Fletcher family? How old is Mr. Fletcher? Would she even consider him!”
“Don’t you know? Didn’t you see the news a few days ago?” another girl asked.
“I saw the news, but wasn’t she filming Director Locke’s movie? How did she suddenly get engaged to the Fletcher family? Tsk tsk, is she that desperate? I saw that woman dancing seductively online looked a lot like her, might really be her!” Despite mocking Bertha Swift, the jealousy in the girl’s voice was undeniable.
“Who’s to say no! But even if she’s filming Director Locke’s movie, so what? Didn’t you see how the Swift family has fallen into ruin? Hmph, climbing up to Mr. Fletcher is still a blessing for her family.”
“True, who would have thought Bertha Swift, such a proud woman, would end up marrying a man like Mr. Fletcher. Think about it, it’s satisfying, she used to be so arrogant, Swallow City’s number one beauty? I spit on her!” the girl said with a small laugh.
Standing in the restroom stall, Bertha Swift’s face turned pale. She had imagined several possibilities, but never expected her father to be so ruthless, directly deceiving her into this engagement.
Bertha knew about that Mr. Fletcher, the man is over forty, had previously been married, divorce reasons unknown, but there are rumors in the circle that Mr. Fletcher, despite not being young, indulges in dirty games. No reputable family would easily marry their daughter to him.
But the Fletcher family is an old established family, even though their prominence in recent years isn’t as strong as other families, they are much wealthier compared to the Swift family.
Before her father chose the Piers family, he had intended to marry her to this Mr. Fletcher, but she firmly refused! Later, when she got engaged to Adam Piers, her father abandoned this idea.
But Bertha never expected her father would suddenly promise her again to Mr. Fletcher, even less thought her father would use this chance to clear her scandal and directly deceive her to the engagement scene, forcing her.
Bertha Swift’s heart turned cold.
Any scraps of familial affection for her father were shattered by the news before her eyes. She struggled to control her emotions; this wasn’t the time for emotions. She needed to leave the hotel quickly.
But her father had evidently anticipated she wouldn’t agree, thus letting the driver keep an eye on her.
While thinking about how to escape the hotel and shake off the driver, her phone rang.
The sudden ringtone startled Bertha Swift and silenced the girls gossiping next door.
Bertha Swift looked at her phone to find her father’s number. After a moment’s hesitation, she answered.
“Bertha, where are you? What time is it, why aren’t you here yet? Hurry up, your grandmother is waiting for you.” Milne Swift impatiently urged.
Bertha Swift took a deep breath and pretended to reply obediently.
After hanging up Milne Swift’s call, Bertha Swift noticed several missed calls from Adam Piers.
Bertha Swift hesitated for a moment before sending Adam Piers her location, then pushed open the restroom stall door and stepped out.
The girls who had been gossiping behind her looked toward Bertha Swift as the door opened, their faces awkward. They lowly greeted Bertha Swift.
Bertha Swift seemed not to notice their unpleasant expressions, gracefully walking to the sink, washing her hands, methodically drying them, then casting a disdainful glance at them, before turning and slowly walking out.
Perhaps Bertha Swift’s obvious contempt was too much for one of the girls, who spoke out, “What’s with that look? Aren’t we right? You’ve been sold by the Swift family, yet put on a high and mighty act for whom?”
Bertha Swift paused, “Even that is better than a bunch of bitches who only talk bad behind others’ backs.”
“You…”
Bertha Swift turned and provocatively looked at them, “What about me? Am I wrong? Gossiping behind others’ backs, aren’t you bitches? Oh, almost forgot, you mock me with your mouth, yet who was it that clung to me like a follower back then? As for whom I’m marrying, it’s none of your business. You might as well marry, see if Mr. Fletcher wants you.”
“You… Bertha Swift don’t go too far, what’s there to flaunt about marrying Mr. Fletcher, just an old pervert!” the previous girl grew increasingly angry.
Bertha Swift remained calm, “The Fletcher family is ranked high among the capital city’s four major families, countless people try to marry Mr. Fletcher, yet he specifically likes me, so what? Old pervert, I see you’re just jealous of me, a bunch of ugly bitches!”
When uttering the final insult “ugly bitches,” Bertha Swift deliberately looked them both up and down, her gaze full of provocation and disdain, instantly enraging the two girls.
One of them directly grabbed Bertha Swift’s dress, “You bitch, whom are you calling ugly?”
“I’m calling you, so what? Are you not ugly? With that face, you need ten pounds of low-quality filler, or why is it swollen like a pig’s head—no, calling you a pig head insults pigs! And you, why use botox, your jaw is so square it can’t be helped, better to cut it off…”
“Ah, bitch, I’ll tear your mouth apart, you’re the one full of fillers needing bone shaving…”
Bertha Swift hit their sore spot, and the girls went crazy, charging at Bertha Swift, grabbing her dress. Bertha pretended to resist, but soon she got a whole body ransacked, her hair messily pulled.
The driver outside heard the commotion inside, hurriedly pushed open the door to find the three of them fighting, completely shocked.
When Bertha Swift came out, her originally beautiful long dress had become wrinkled, with some places even torn!
Compared to the dress on her body, her hair wasn’t any better. After more than two hours in the stylist’s chair, it now looked like a bird’s nest atop her head, making Bertha Swift appear extremely disheveled.
The driver, seeing Bertha Swift in this state, was dumbfounded, “Miss, what should we do?”
It’s important to know that today is Miss Swift and Mr. Fletcher’s engagement day. He had just managed to coax the young lady into getting styled as General Manager Miller wished. He then brought her to the Shimmering Hotel, but little did he expect that a mere trip to the restroom would result in this mess!
The driver was a bit flustered and urgently asked Bertha Swift what had happened.
Bertha Swift’s eyes immediately turned red as she pointed to two girls, whose attire was slightly better than hers, “Uncle Service, I don’t want to live anymore; they went too far!”
After saying this, Bertha Swift covered her face and ran outside crying. Uncle Service glanced in the direction Bertha Swift pointed. The two girls were glaring fiercely at Bertha Swift, recalling the earlier scene and realizing it was the two girls who had hit Bertha Swift.
But Uncle Service quickly composed himself. No matter what happened to Bertha Swift, the most important thing now was to keep her at the Shimmering Hotel for the upcoming engagement ceremony.
Ignoring the two girls who had hit Bertha Swift, Uncle Service turned and chased after Bertha Swift.
Bertha Swift did it on purpose; she deliberately provoked the two girls into acting against her, now pretended to cry, and ran towards the hotel exit. She just didn’t expect Uncle Service to react so quickly and catch up to her.
Listening to the footsteps behind her, Bertha Swift ran even faster, not knowing that at this moment, she would see her mother.
A glimmer of hope arose in Bertha Swift’s heart as she softly called out, “Mom…”
Mrs. Swift, seeing her daughter’s disheveled appearance, was initially stunned, then grasped Bertha Swift’s hand, “Bertha, what happened to you?”
Bertha Swift suddenly had tears in her eyes, wanting to tell her mother all her grievances, but then she heard her mother’s reproachful complaints, “It’s almost time, why have you let yourself get into this state? Let’s go upstairs and change your clothes, or if everyone sees you like this, the Swift family will be a laughingstock.”
After saying this, Mrs. Swift, without caring about Bertha Swift’s reaction, pulled her towards the elevator.
A lot of people were already looking their way, and Bertha Swift’s face turned pale. After being pushed into the elevator by her mother, she finally couldn’t hold back any longer, “Mom, you knew, didn’t you? You knew what Father wanted me to do, didn’t you?”
Mrs. Swift’s hand gripping Bertha’s suddenly paused, softly whispering, “Bertha, Mom…”
“You knew, didn’t you? You knew Dad tricked me into coming back to get engaged to Mr. Fletcher from the Fletcher family, knew that Mr. Fletcher is over forty, has been divorced, and has a bad reputation! Since you knew, why do you still want me to get engaged to him?”
Bertha’s barrage of questions made Mrs. Swift’s face turn white and her body tremble slightly. In the end, she lowered her eyes, seemingly struggling to endure her own pain.
Bertha had seen her mother like this before, but it still made her heart feel infinitely cold.
For so many years, her mother was always like this; when crucial moments came, she would shrink back.
Clearly, it was Bertha who was hurt, yet her mother seemed to be the one most aggrieved.
You’d think she was harming you, but it seemed like she had no choice. You’d think she loved you, yet every time she indulged her father’s actions that hurt you.
Weary, Bertha looked up, “Mom, I’ve never asked you for anything, but I will never marry Mr. Fletcher; please help me!”
“But your father has already promised Mr. Fletcher. You don’t know that something has happened at the family company. Your father had no choice; he accepted thirty million from Mr. Fletcher to save the company. If you leave, what will your father do? What will happen to the Swift family?” The woman, who had just lowered her eyes, now looked up, her eyes red, and asked Bertha.
Only then did Bertha realize she had been sold for thirty million. She looked at her mother with ridicule, “What will Father do? What will the Swift family do? Have you considered what I will do?”
This was her mother. Bertha had long understood, yet at this moment, her heart felt cold once more.
“Bertha…” Mrs. Swift cried out Bertha’s name in pain, trying to reach out and hold her hand.
Bertha pushed her mother away with disgust, “Don’t touch me!”
Bertha’s action enraged Mrs. Swift, whose face turned even uglier, “Bertha, listen to Mom, I know this isn’t fair to you, but… but…”
No matter how much Mrs. Swift hesitated, she couldn’t finish her sentence, but Bertha had already run out of patience.
She glanced at the elevator floors, directly turning off the floor her mother had just pressed, and pressed the button for the basement level where the car park was.
Seeing this, Mrs. Swift became somewhat anxious, “Bertha, what are you doing? The engagement banquet is about to begin…”
“What does the engagement banquet have to do with me? If you want to stay in the Swift family, then stay as you wish. I won’t stay in the Swift family, and I won’t marry Mr. Fletcher. Tell Dad to forget this idea!”
Just as she finished speaking, the elevator arrived at the first basement level. Ignoring her mother’s expression, Bertha swiftly ran towards the parking lot.
Watching her daughter’s quick departure, Mrs. Swift felt a wave of panic in her heart!
She knew her husband had gone through all the trouble to trick their daughter into coming to the Shimmering Hotel today to ensure this engagement couldn’t be undone, but if their daughter ran away now, the Swift family would completely offend the Fletcher family and Mr. Fletcher…
She wanted to stop her daughter but recalling the look in her daughter’s eyes in the elevator and what she had said, a pang of heartache struck her.
Yes, she always thought about what her husband would do, what the Swift family would do, but never considered what her daughter would do, whether her daughter’s lifetime of happiness would be destroyed.
Standing at the elevator entrance, Mrs. Swift watched her daughter’s fleeing figure, feeling both guilty and regretful for being so selfish all this time…
After hesitating for a long time, Mrs. Swift didn’t make any move, letting her daughter run outside. She knew in her heart that if her daughter ran away like this, her husband wouldn’t forgive her, but she felt she should finally do something for her daughter after all these years, right?
Thinking of this, the expression on Mrs. Swift’s face turned into one of resolute determination as she turned back into the elevator.
Seeing that her mother didn’t chase after her, Bertha felt a sense of relief, knowing her mother still cared about her. This slightly warmed her heart, initially plunged into the depths.
Various emotions surged in her heart, but she didn’t stop running. No matter what, she couldn’t marry that Mr. Fletcher.
But just when she thought she had escaped, she saw Uncle Service at the entrance of the parking lot, and standing behind him was none other than her father, Milne Swift.
Bertha Swift felt a heaviness in her heart, realizing she probably wouldn’t be able to escape today.