Ryan rested his chin on Carrieâs head, whispering each word slowly
into her ear.
âDonât worry. Those bitter days will never come again. I will cherish you for the rest of my life, Mrs.
Hoffman.â
As expected, Justinâs slap had ruptured Shannonâs eardrum. It had even dislodged one of her molars.
How much pent-up resentment and hatred did he have to strike her
with such force?
Bethany hurriedly escorted Shannon to the hospital for treatment. On the way, Shannon cursed loudly
while covering her ears. The more she cursed at Bella and Justin, the angrier she grew, causing her
ears and face to throb with pain.
The driver stared in disbelief, stealing frequent glances at the
rearview mirror.
Who would believe that the usually dignified and elegant chairmanâs wife would be so vulgar, cursing
like a fishermanâs wife, causing her
facade to crumble?
âWhat are you looking at?â
Bethany noticed the driverâs prying eyes and warned sternly. âIâm warning you! Keep your eyes on the
road and drive the damn car. Youâd best keep your mouth shut! If a word of this leaks out, your
whole family wonât be able to survive in SW
âYes, yes, Ms. Bethany!â The driver trembled and dared not look again.
âYou useless girl! I regret raising you!â With nowhere else to vent her anger, Shannon could only
unleash her fury at Bethany. She jabbed forcefully at Bethanyâs head with her finger, causing her body
to tilt. How could you just stand there and watch your own mother get beaten? You stood there and
watched Bella, that bitch, bully your
mother! You didnât do anything!â
Bethany clenched her fists tightly, filled with resentment. âIâve never been able to compete with Bella. If
rashly intervened, I was afraid Iâd make things worse! Why do you keep scolding me, and not Carrie?
Look at how much youâve suffered, and she hasnât even appeared once. Sheâs just been fooling around
with Ryan! I really donât know what he sees in her. He must be blind!â
Shannon didnât hide her disdain for Bethany. âShame on you! How do you still have the nerve to
compare yourself to your sister? So what if she doesnât intervene? She still silently stole Ryanâs heart!
Being able to become Ryanâs mother-in-law is great. Itâs a hundred times better than your useless
flattery in front of me!â
Shannon used to be skeptical. But now she had to admit that Bethanyâs inferior genes doomed her to
mediocrity, no matter how Bethany was raised. The innate lowliness couldnât be eradicated. Bethany
was even inferior to Carrie, the defective daughter she shared with Gregory!
If Shannon had known this earlier, she would have focused on grooming Carrie instead. She felt that
she had wasted her efforts.
At the hospital, Shannon received treatment and was admitted to a VIP ward. She lay on the bed, her
cheeks swollen, unable to sleep due to the pain in her ears. She tossed and turned, alternating
between anger and fear.
Shannon was worried that Bella would discover her relationship with Harry and feared that Harry would
betray her. But more than anything, she feared that the truth about Bethanyâs biological father being
Harry would be exposed. That would spell the end for them both!
She stayed in the hospital for three days, with Bethany mindlessly
keeping her company.
On the third day, the swelling on her cheeks finally subsided, but Gregory had yet to show up.
During this time, Bethany called him more than once, asking when he would come to visit her mother.
However, he was always indifferent and dismissive, hanging up after a few perfunctory words.
Initially, Bethany thought Shannon would be in tears upon hearing the news. After all, which woman
wouldnât want her husbandâs love and care? After all, being left alone in the hospital by her husband
would
drive any woman crazy.
Unexpectedly, Shannon remained calm and composed, without a hint of crying or tantrums. She ate,
nursed her injuries, and appeared to be disturbingly normal.
This left Bethany utterly confused. To the best of her knowledge,
Shannon couldnât survive without Gregory.