Chapter 213

Annie's POV

"You're deliberately misinterpreting what I said," Betty said, but the confidence in her voice had already wavered.

I looked directly into hereyes,feeling myself stand taller than ever before.In that moment, I suddenly realized that I was no longer the Annie who would meekly bow her head in Betty's presence.

"If that's the case, Betty, then let's call your son over for a confrontation,"I suggested, my voice surprisingly calm.

"I would be delighted to go through with him, item by item, exactly how much of his money I supposedly used, and how that money was spent!"

Betty froze for a moment, clearly not expecting me to face her accusations so directly. She quickly adjusted her posture, the corners of her mouth curling into that contemptuous smile I knew all too well.

"You said it yourself!" she responded with almost gleeful malice,her expression seeming to say: you're digging your own grave.

Howard stood nearby, his gaze moving between us, but he chose to let me handle the situation. I appreciated his trust-something Philip had never given me.

′′Myson is especially generous," Betty continued, deliberately raising her voice,"The jewelry he gave Sarah, even the cheapest pieces were worth millions.You were his wife-"

"I'm divorced from hima," I frowned, interrupting her, "so at most, I'm his ex-wife."

This correction visibly displeased Betty, but she quickly adjusted her strategy: "You were once Philip's wife. Even if he didn't lavish money on you,he certainly wouldn't have left you wanting."

"If we've decided to call him over," I cut off her meaningless rhetoric,"then what's the point of all this? Let's just call him directly."

A fleeting expression I couldn't quite read crossed Betty's face. She suddenly became hesitant, her fingers nervously fidgeting with her expensive silk scarf. Finally, she turned to Howard: "May I borrow your phone?"

The request surprised me. Did she not have Philip's contact information?Or had something happened between them that I wasn't aware of?

Howard didn't immediately respond, instead looking to me first. This small gesture sent a warm current through my heart. I nodded slightly,and only then did he hand his phone to Betty.

Betty took the phone and quickly dialed Philip's number. Philip's familiar voice came through the speaker: "Hello? Mr. Thompson, did you need something?"

"It's your mother," Betty immediately replied, her tone suddenly stern, "T'm at Howard's doorstep. You should come over. By the way, Annie has something she wants to discuss with you."

The brief silence on the other end made my heart race. Although I had prepared myself to face Philip, the thought of the impending confrontation stil filled me with tension.

"Alright, I'll be there," Philip finally answered, his voice carrying a complex emotion I couldn't quite understand.

Betty hung up and returned the phone to Howard, her face once again displaying that self-assured expression: "My son will be here any minute!If you don't want him to expose you personally, you'd better confess now.Perhaps Howard will still give you a chance if he sees you being honest."

Howard raised an eyebrow, a hintof weary amusement flashing in his eyes,but he remained silent. I understood him well enough to know he wouldn't easily interject in this situation. He trusted me to handle it properly.

"Philip isn't here yet. No matter what I say, you'll think I'm lying." I said calmly, "so let's just wait for Philip to arrive."

"Fine," Betty answered curtly, then turned to Howard, her eyes suddenly sparkling with an almost theatrical concern, "Howard, you have no idea how outrageous Annie has been since marrying my son, constantly bleeding him dry!"

Howard's expression remained calm, but I noticed a flicker of disgust pass through his eyes. Betty clearly misinterpreted his silence and continued on:"She never worked, just stayed at home living off my son. That might have been acceptable-my son is capable, he can support a woman!"

Listening to Betty's accusations, I felt an absurd urge to laugh. After all the neglect and indignities I had endured during those five years of marriage, in Betty's eyes, I had somehow become a "parasite"?

"What's worse is that she even had my son supporting her own mother!"Betty's voice rose a notch.

This time, Howard finally couldn't hold back:′′II remember correctly,your son didn't have much money when they first got married, didhe?"

The question clearly caught Betty off guard. Her brow furrowed slightly,

her lips pressed into a thin line as she considered how to respond.

"Him not having money only proves how bad Annie was!" she finally argued, "To ensure a good life for herself and her mother, she constantly pushed my son to work! You have no idea how much my son suffered during that time."

I almost laughed out loud at this absurd logic. In Betty's world,encouraging one's husband to work had somehow become a sin?

Howard's gaze sharpened: "May I ask something?"

"Go ahead," Betty had been interrupted, but didn't seem to mind.

"How much did your son give Annie monthly back then?" Howard asked deliberately.

The question hit the mark. Betty visibly faltered, her eyes darting around as she clearly tried to fabricate a reasonable figure.

"Initíally, he gave five thousand each to Annie and her mother, so ten thousand in total, I suppose?" she said offhandedly, the uncertainty in her tone betraying her.

I shook my head gently: "Your son was still in the startup phase of his business then. Far from making money, he was actually putting his own funds into the company. Under these circumstances, how exactly was he able to provide ten thousand to support me and my mother?"

Betty's expression began to crack: "Maybe he didn't give that much at first,but later, after his business succeeded and he started making money... he did give you money then, right?"

"Yes, he did," I admitted, painful memories of those days surfacing, "but it

wasn't five thousand, and he never gave my mother anything. He gave me only three thousand per month."

"Impossible!" Betty sharply refuted, "Not to mention jewelry, the clothes he bought for Sarah cost hundreds of thousands each. Are you saying that your living expenses for several years were worth less than one of Sarah's outfits?"

Her words were like a dull knife scraping across scars on my heart.Yes,Philip was exactly that kind of person. He spent lavishly on Sarah while being incredibly stingy with me. But these past hurts could no longer wound me now.

I didn't answer Betty's challenge, instead lifting my chin to indicate the direction of the entrance: "Your son has arrived. If you don't believe me,you can ask him directly."

Betty turned to see Philip and immediately switched to an eager expression: "Son, you're finally here!"

I took a deep breath and exchanged a glance with Howard. He nodded slightly, his eyes filled with unconcealed support and trust. This was the greatest difference between my relationships with Philip and Howard-Philip had never truly respected me, while Howard had treated me as an equal partner from day one.

Meeting Philip's gaze, I felt an unprecedented calmness. Whatever happened next, I was no longer the Annie who would compromise herself just to please others.