Chapter 207 How Can You Be So Shameless?
Betty saw Elizabeth talking to her companions with a joyful smile. She realized that in the past year since Elizabeth had returned home, she hadn't seen Elizabeth smile so brightly.
Betty couldn't help but wonder if Elizabeth hadn't been happy at all during that year at home. Elizabeth was her biological daughter, and Betty wanted to love her.
However, previously, influenced by Brenda's instigations and hints, Betty had mistakenly thought Elizabeth was being wild and unruly.
That was why Betty wanted to teach Elizabeth a lesson, hoping she would recognize her mistakes and change.
When Elizabeth first left home, Betty thought she was just throwing a tantrum and would definitely come back. But now, with each passing day, her certainty waned.
Elizabeth's actions after leaving didn't show any intention of returning home; instead, she deliberately strained relationships with her brothers.
Betty had watched quite a bit of this recent livestream, noting her daughter's poise and grace. Despite growing up outside the family fold, Elizabeth wasn't wild or ill-mannered. On the contrary, she was accomplished in many fields, not just divination but also languages and other talents.
She was even more outstanding than Brenda, whom the Clark family had meticulously nurtured. This made Betty feel both proud and a bit uncomfortable.
Especially after learning that Brenda had conspired with others to harm Elizabeth and had personally cursed her, Betty felt even more uneasy. She really wanted to see Elizabeth and offer her some comfort. This trip to Veridiania was her chance.
Elizabeth was a bit surprised to see Betty walking toward her. Betty had actually come to Veridiania for Brenda; they really were a close mother and daughter!
Now that Betty was approaching her, Elizabeth couldn't help but wonder what Betty's intentions were. She thought, 'Could she be here to blame me, just like Enrique?'
At the hotel, the live stream was turned off. This allowed the guests to relax and gave the audience a break as well. So the cameraman wasn't following them.
Betty walked up to Elizabeth, looking at her gently, "Elizabeth, I want to talk to you," she said.
Intrigued but cautious, Elizabeth told Raymond and the others, "You guys go back to your rooms and rest; I'll come up later."
"Okay!" Raymond and the others nodded and left first.
In the elevator, Nancy curiously guessed, "Is that Lady Elizabeth's former mom?"
Raymond, who had recognized Betty from the banquet, nodded. "Yes, that's Mrs. Clark."
This surprised the others.
Nancy looked worried and asked, "Do you think she's here to confront Elizabeth or to accuse her of bullying Brenda?"
Raymond chuckled. "Do you really think Elizabeth would just let the woman walk all over her?"
Nancy's face brightened as she realized the truth. "You're right. With Elizabeth's personality, there's no way she'd just let herself be pushed around. I was overthinking it."
Nancy had come to understand Elizabeth's character well. If someone treated her with kindness, she responded with even more. But if someone tried to cause trouble, she wouldn't hesitate to give them a hard time. Revenge was always served cold with her.
Gilbert also sighed with relief at this insight.
In the hotel lobby, Elizabeth was taken aback by the sight of Betty, who usually reserved her warm and friendly smile only for moments when Elizabeth had just come home. It was these gestures that had once made Elizabeth feel like she could trust them and consider them family.
But after Brenda's manipulation and a few underhanded tactics, they had all taken Brenda's side, dismissing Elizabeth's concerns as mere dramatics.
Elizabeth coolly asked, "Mrs. Clark, what brings you here?"
Betty felt a twinge of discomfort from Elizabeth's cold tone. Still, she didn't let it show. After all, she was here to mend fences, not to fight. She said, "I just wanted to talk. How about we have dinner together?"
Elizabeth shook her head. "There's nothing we need to discuss."
"If you have something to say, you can say it here," she added firmly.
Betty, taken aback, tried to persuade her. "It's just dinner. Is that too much to ask?"
Elizabeth replied, "Mrs. Clark, we're not close enough for dinner to be necessary."
Betty's eyes widened in disbelief. "I'm your mother! How can we not be close?"
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "Haven't we already cut ties? Have you become so forgetful with age?"
Betty's expression froze. Clearly, she was stunned by Elizabeth's refusal.
Betty felt a sharp pang from Elizabeth's harsh words.
Taking a deep breath, she said, "There shouldn't be any bad blood between a mother and daughter. We were misled by Brenda's provocations before, and that's why we misunderstood you on some issues. Now that we know it was all a misunderstanding, we'd like to clear things up."
Elizabeth smirked nonchalantly. "There's nothing to clear up. Since we've already severed ties, it's better to keep it that way. If you're here to reconcile, you really don't need to bother. I won't retract what I've said or done. To me, you're just strangers now. As long as you don't provoke me, I won't pay you any mind. But if you do cause trouble, don't expect me to hold back. Just like I dealt with your sons. Does this make my stance clear, Mrs. Clark?"
Betty looked uncomfortable. "You really aren't going to acknowledge us anymore?"
Elizabeth chuckled. "It's not about whether I'm prepared to; it's that we already don't have a relationship."
Betty felt wronged. "We were misled by Brenda, but I've been good to you too!"
When Elizabeth first came back, Betty had wanted to make amends.
After all, she had five sons but only one daughter, whom she and Paul had cherished deeply.
Losing Elizabeth had been devastating, and they couldn't find her no matter what they did.
They adopted Brenda mainly because she was of similar age, and a fortune teller claimed she could help find Elizabeth.
When they never found Elizabeth, Betty transferred all her feelings to Brenda, who had been raised with love and was well-behaved and dependent.
After Elizabeth returned, Brenda felt insecure and hinted that she was being mistreated.
This led them to favor Brenda even more.
While Betty had a deep affection for Brenda, she also had a love for Elizabeth.
Elizabeth sneered, saying, "You were good to me, but didn't I return the favor? And didn't I give even more? Do you think a little charity should bind me to a lifetime of gratitude? How can you be so shameless?"
When she had first returned to the Clark family, she had a fever shortly after. Betty stayed with her in the hospital for a night and showed genuine concern.
Elizabeth was touched and started treating Betty with increasing warmth, doing physical therapy for her, and reminding her to take her medication.
But that warmth seemed fleeting.
In comparison to Brenda, it was like a facade that was easily pierced.
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