Renata shook her head lightly.
"I’m really not angry. I don’t even see him as soone worth getting angry over anymore."
When Channing ca looking for her today, Renata happened to be walking downstairs for so exercise. Otherwise, if he had co straight to the apartnt, she wouldn’t even have opened the door for him. But since they ran into each other downstairs, she had no choice but to face him.
Channing said all kinds of regretful, too-late words. Renata listened with nothing but a cold sneer. When he finally finished talking, she looked at him blankly and said,
"Are you done? If you’re done, I’m going ho."
Channing tried to stop her, but Renata took a step back and snapped without the slightest politeness,
"Get lost. As far as you can."
Then she walked away.
Renata wasn’t soone who usually lashed out like that. But when it ca to Channing, she knew very clearly—if she didn’t toughen up, she would only end up disgusted with herself. After what happened last ti—when Channing shalessly went to the hospital and talked about marrying Catherine off to so bank president, angering Renata to the point of falling ill—she had warned herself never to waste anger on people who weren’t worth it.
So for Renata now, no matter what Channing said or did, as long as he didn’t hurt Catherine, she could completely ignore him.
As for his so-called regret... Renata felt nothing.
They’d been divorced for years. There were no feelings left, and Channing had lived with Tracy and built a family with her all these years. Even if he had begged to co back imdiately after cheating back then, Renata would never have taken him back.
In Renata’s eyes, betrayal was a death sentence. Even if she died, she would never forgive Channing, much less reconcile with him. So his words were nothing more than wind passing her ear.
As for his divorce, Renata had only one feeling: he deserved it—karma.
Catherine hadn’t expected her mother to take it so lightly. From Renata’s expression, Catherine couldn’t feel even the slightest trace of anger. Suddenly she wondered if she had been too emotional herself...
But regardless, as long as Renata was happy, nothing else mattered.
On Friday morning, Amy took Catherine and Silvia to a designers’ conference. Unfortunately, fate made them run into Lucca. Compared to Catherine, who was still unknown, Lucca had gained so minor fa in the design world. So when she saw Catherine, she looked at her with naked disdain.
And after everything that had happened recently, Lucca hated Catherine to the bone. Even her gaze was filled with venom. Catherine pretended not to notice and focused on the eting.
Catherine had no idea Lucca had called her to provoke her that night. Bert had deleted the caller ID after answering the phone—he wasn’t about to let Lucca ruin Catherine’s mood.
So Catherine remained completely unaware. As for Channing and Tracy’s divorce, Catherine felt nothing. It had nothing to do with her, and she saw no reason to care.
She thought she had already drawn a very clear boundary with them, but Lucca simply wouldn’t let things go. When Catherine went to the restroom, Lucca followed her in and cornered her inside.
Catherine ignored her. After washing her hands, she tried to walk past, but Lucca planted herself in front of her in high heels, blocking the way with a cold, mocking smile.
"Catherine, don’t think that just because you’ve latched onto Bert you’re suddenly above everyone else. Bert isn’t so saint."
Catherine found her ridiculous.
"Isn’t it you who’s always acted like you’re above everyone else?"
Lucca strutted around every day as if she were soone extraordinary. Now she was accusing Catherine of being high-and-mighty? And dragging Bert into it? Whatever happened between them had nothing to do with him.
"Do you even know what kind of person Bert is? Or do you just climb into any man’s bed as long as he’s breathing?"
Lucca’s words grew sharper, even beginning to attack Bert directly.
"He shalessly stole his own brother’s girlfriend. He even used Dave’s mother and daughter as leverage to force Dave to hand over Washington Co. Filthy isn’t even the word for him. Hah—soone like him really does match perfectly with a notorious woman like you!"
Because Bert had mocked Lucca several tis, she had held a grudge. And once she found out he was involved with Catherine, she had spent a fortune digging into his background.
She hadn’t expected to uncover so many dark secrets. Lucca was ecstatic. She’d been waiting for a chance to mock Catherine. To think she had chosen a man as twisted and brooding as Bert—what kind of future could she possibly have? A man that vicious and ruthless might just tornt her until she barely had half a life left.
The thought made a triumphant smile curl across Lucca’s lips. Catherine probably thought she’d found a treasure—only to discover he was a terrifying man.
Catherine would be lying if she said she wasn’t shocked. She knew nothing about Bert’s past. All she had felt was that he carried a heavy history, but she hadn’t imagined this. For soone as kind-hearted as Catherine, stealing his brother’s girlfriend and even threatening soone’s beloved family were things she simply couldn’t accept.
But even in her growing panic, she instinctively defended Bert.
"You know," she said softly, "slander... is just another form of admiration."
The smile on Lucca’s face froze. Catherine continued calmly and steadily,
"When you can’t reach soone else’s height, you try to drag them down so you can feel taller. As if calling soone worthless sohow makes you noble. But the truth is—you’re still just that sa low person."
Her words made Lucca grit her teeth, eyes burning with rage as she glared at Catherine.
Catherine looked at her and let out a gentle laugh.
"He can be the worst person in everyone else’s eyes. As long as he’s a good man in mine, that’s enough."
"In my eyes, he’s mature, steady, considerate, patient... gentle."
As she spoke, her lips and her eyes were filled with traces of happiness. The warmth and care Bert had given her weren’t lies, and neither were her feelings toward him.
That was the man she saw—perfectly mature, enough to erase any ugliness in his past, enough to make every word she said co from the bottom of her heart.
"That alone," she said firmly, "is enough."
With that, she reached out and lightly brushed past the stiffly frozen Lucca, then walked away.
Just as she stepped out of the restroom, she saw Amy standing at the doorway. Catherine didn’t know how long she’d been there, but she had no ti to think about it. She simply gave Amy a small smile before leaving.
Amy watched her slim figure move down the long hallway—head held high, neck graceful, steps steady and proud.
In that mont, Amy suddenly understood why Catherine had captured Bert’s heart. It was the quiet strength she carried so naturally, the calm confidence that neither bowed nor bragged, and that serene, unassuming gentleness.
For a man like Bert, burdened by a heavy past, only a woman with such composure and grace could truly win him.
When Amy finally pulled her gaze back, she sent the audio recording she had just made to Bert. She had originally co to the restroom to fix her makeup, but the mont she got close, she heard Lucca slandering Bert.
As soone who secretly adored Bert, Amy’s first reaction had been fury—she had wanted to storm in and tear Lucca apart. But she’d held herself back, wanting to hear how Catherine would respond. So she hit record.
She hadn’t expected Lucca’s provocation to backfire—forcing Catherine to reveal her true feelings, to say aloud the affection she had for Bert.
Amy felt she deserved a raise just for this. She had practically contributed to the progress of their relationship. Bert should at least show so appreciation. Since she had no chance of winning Bert’s heart, earning more money was the next best thing.
"Bitch."
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