Chapter 217

Annie's POV

I stood in the spacious entrance hall of Howard's mansion, my fingers slightly tightening, feeling an unfamiliar trembling of victory in my palm.Looking at the numbers clearly displayed on the phone screen, Betty's pale face and Philip's tense jawline gave me a strange sense of satisfaction. This was the first time I wasn't afraid to face their accusations; instead, I had silenced them with facts.

"From the money I spent on your son, subtract what he spent on me.The remaining amount-" I paused, seeing the mixture of expectation and apprehension on their faces. A calm power flowed through my body."Doesn't need to be transferred to my account."

I turned slightly toward Howard beside me, his steadfast gaze giving me unprecedented security. I straightened my back and continued, "Just donate it in my name to a charity supporting single-parent families."

Betty blinked her meticulously made-up eyes in shock, her gaze shifting between Philip and me. I watched the expressions change on her face,silently thinking to myself: she had originally intended to humiliate me with money, but now found herself trapped in her own snare.

"This isn't about getting the money; it's about completely severing ties with the past," I thought to myself as an unprecedented feeling of lightness washed over me.

Philip's eyes flashed with a complex emotion I couldn't quite interpret, but he simply nodded, "Fine," His voice was hoarse, as if this simple

owledgment had drained all his strength.

"Betty,you repeatedly claimed that my mother and I were draining your family's money," my voice was surprisingly calm, each word clear and forceful. "But now the truth is out, isn't it? The facts prove that I spent far more on your family than you spent on me."

I pointed at the financial records still displayed on the phone,each row of numbers like sharp knives cutting through the lies Betty had carefully woven over the years.

"Isn't it ironic? By your logic, your family was the one parasitizing off me."I laughed softly, feeling my facial expression somewhere between mockery and disbelief. "But you didn't just take my money; you also slandered me.The real villains are always the first to cry foul."

"When you married into our family, you became one of us!" Her voice carried a deliberate elegance. "The money you earned naturally belonged to the Baker family."

I felt a wave of absurd laughter rise from my chest. This kind of illogical,forceful reasoning was ridiculous to the extreme. What a fascinating mindset-in her world,rules were always one-directional, only applying to others.

"What interesting logic, Betty. When you accused me of spending your family's money, I suddenly wasn't family? But now that we've proven you spent my money, we're suddenly family again?" Each of my words carried sarcasm that had been difficult to express in the past.′′Isyour definition of 'family' always this conveniently flexible? No matter what happens, you're always right, aren't you?"

Betty narrowed her eyes, as if stungby my directness. "How could we be

wrong?" Her voice carried offended anger. "You're just trying to make us look stingy, trying to gain sympathy from Howard, aren't you?"

This ability to turn the tables was truly remarkable. I laughed coldly to myself-she was the one who came looking for trouble, but now she was playing the victim. This was her usual trick-always positioning herself on the moral high ground, no matter what.

Then she suddenly changed her line of attack,turning her gaze to Howard,who had remained silent throughout. "But how does Howard Thompson treat you? How much money has he spent on you? I guess you've just moved from one big house to an even bigger one, taking money from one man's hand to another's."

"In our household, domestic staff earn at least twenty thousand dollars monthly, and the chef's salary is the same. By that standard, Philip owes Annie not just the money she's already proven," Howard spoke calmly.

His words sent a wave of warmth through me. In his eyes, my contributions had value, a stark contrast to the attitude of Philip's family.A flash of panic crossed Betty's face, but she quickly adjusted her expression.

"I thought you left my son to live a luxurious life with Howard," Betty sneered, "but it seems you're still just a highly-paid servant in another household?"

I almost laughed out loud at this ridiculous argument. In Betty's eyes,women were either decorative accessories dependent on men or servants.She simply couldn't comprehend the concepts of equality and respect because, in her world, these qualities had never existed.

"The difference is choice, Betty," I responded calmly. "In Howard's home,T

m not required to do any housework or caretaking. Those duties are handled by professionals. When I was with Philip, I had to do all that work without receiving a cent of gratitude or compensation."

I turned to Howard, feeling a new confidence growing within me."In Howard's home. I only need to care for Lucy, earning eighty thousand dollars monthly for that."

I watched Betty's expression change from disdain to shock and couldn't help adding. "Two months' salary exceeds all the money Philip gave me in six years. That's the difference respect makes."

Betty's lips trembled slightly; for the first time, her eyes showed uncertainty.

Howard didn't stop there. "If we calculated the market value of all the services Annie provided during those six years-housekeeping, childcare,social arrangements,emotional support-it would be worth at least two hundred thousand dollars monthly. That's 2.4 million annually, over 10million for six years."

His tone was matter-of-fact, as if stating an ordinary business fact. "Would Philip be wiling to pay that much? Or rather, could he afford to pay that much?"

Betty tried to counter, but had lost her previous momentum. "Those are just numbers you're claiming. Would you really give Annie that much money? Or are you just talking?"