Dear Ex-wife Marry Me novel (Maja) novel Chapter 1580

Belinda eyed the old man with a shrug, unfazed by his indifference. Turning to Fitch, she rubbed her hands together.

"Wow, what a bash this is, huh? I've never seen a shindig this swanky in my life! You really are something, my future son-in-law. Honey, come on over and say hello."

The man behind her was still draped in a coat, but he didn't seem embarrassed in the least. Strutting up to Fitch with all the airs of a patriarch, he said,

"I'm Zoey's dad. We've raised Zoey all these years, and if you want to be with her, you've got to get past us first."

It was as clear as day that they were after Fitch's money.

Fitch's expression was icy, so cold it seemed like he could freeze everyone in their tracks.

Wendy stood nearby, her smile twitched at the corners of her mouth before settling into a fixed gaze on Zoey in the crowd.

"Zoey, maybe you should clear things up with your parents. You and Fitch have nothing to do with each other. They must have gotten the wrong end of the stick."

At those words, Belinda's face fell.

"What do you mean they got it wrong? Zoey told us herself!"

Wendy's eyes were wide with surprise as she looked at Zoey, her face a mask of disbelief—Really?

Zoey stepped forward, emerging from the crowd with her spine ramrod straight.

Behind her, the murmur of onlookers filled the air.

Then, Zoey's attention shifted to her stepfather who had always been off-key.

She picked up a glass of wine from a passing server's tray, and took a casual sip.

"The man standing next to her isn't my real father. My mother divorced my dad because he didn't make enough money and took me, the unwanted kid, with her. This guy is my stepfather, a real piece of work. But my mom loves him to the point of losing herself, so much so that she even resented me, her own daughter. Now that I've made something of myself, she enjoys making me look foolish at every opportunity, like tonight. I've been in this situation four or five times before, including one time that made the headlines, with Mr. Haskins and Ms. Bennitt in attendance."

Her smile was eerily calm, as if she was recounting someone else's family drama.

But this was her life she was talking about.

"The time before last, she caused a scene at my company, demanding Ms. Pennyfeather fire me. She threw a tantrum, aiming to ruin my career, insisting I marry my ex who had already cheated on me. Luckily, Ms. Pennyfeather trusted me, my colleagues trusted me, and I wasn't destroyed. Of course, she was not content and started looking for other opportunities to embarrass me. There will probably be countless more incidents like this. But it's just as well. I'm taking this opportunity to tell everyone here, I am now an orphan with no parents to speak of."