Chapter 2

An hour later, I changed my clothes and arrived at the Marriott Hotel.

The entire banquet hall was meticulously decorated, filled with flowers, balloons, and gifts everywhere.

It was clear that Daniel truly valued his mother; he had put a lot of thought into her birthday.

Daniel’s family, friends, and all the partners of Harper Group were there.

Daniel was busy greeting them, occasionally checking his watch and glancing towards the entrance, seemingly waiting for his mother’s arrival.

Tiffany, dressed in a delicate dress, was laughing and chatting with Daniel’s sister, Brittany.

Seeing me walk into the banquet hall, the two exchanged a look and walked towards me together.

Tiffany sneered.

“Well, well, isn’t this the good daughter who lets her mother go out scrounging for food?”

“Are you planning to pack up some good stuff for your greedy mother to try today?”

Brittany looked at me with an expression of disgust.

“Scarlett, you’re married to Daniel now. Can you please drop your family’s cheap habits and stop embarrassing the Harper family?”

“Anyone who doesn’t know us might think the Harper family is raising a bunch of beggars!”

Hearing their chatter, the guests in the room began to speak up with disdain.

“When I arrived, I heard someone was freeloading at Cloud Haven Restaurant today. I wondered how anyone could be so shameless these days. Turns out it was Scarlett’s mother!”

“I heard her mother was brutally taught a lesson by Assistant Tiffany, and her teeth were all pulled out!”

“That kind of person totally deserved it! If she can’t behave herself, fine, but to embarrass the Harper family? Having her teeth pulled is getting off easy.”

“Exactly, if she isn’t taught a harsh lesson, what if she goes out and humiliates them again later?”

Hearing the mockery from the crowd, Daniel’s face darkened considerably.

He walked up to me, looking down with cold disdain.

“Scarlett, today is my mother’s fiftieth birthday. If her mood is ruined because of your mother’s ridiculous mess, I swear I won’t let you get away with it – or your clueless mother!”

His words were incredibly harsh, and I found them utterly ridiculous.

“Daniel, if you truly care about your mother, you should go check on her at the restaurant.”

Daniel frowned.

“What would I go to the restaurant to see?”

“Your mother throwing a tantrum?”

“Or seeing her make a fool of herself?”

“Scarlett, stop disgusting me with your mother’s affairs!”

Brittany lifted her chin, echoing him contemptuously.

“Exactly, it’s our mother’s birthday today. Is your mother’s trivial mess really worth Daniel’s time?”

“If you ask me, she should be locked in the restaurant and starved for a few days, so she learns what proper behavior is.”

“Save her from truly believing that just because you married into the Harper family, your whole family gets to live the good life.”

Tiffany looked at me smugly.

“Scarlett, I know you care about your mother. Don’t worry, I just taught her a little lesson to make her remember the rules. I didn’t actually do anything to her.”

The moment her voice faded, Mr. Harrison, the manager of Cloud Haven Restaurant, rushed into the banquet hall, breathless.

“Tiffany, bad news.”

“The old lady locked in the dog cage… she’s dead!”