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-inw. Honey,e 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.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    For a moment, Zoey''s mind went nk, but then she remembered Maja''s advice.


    Taking a deep breath, she smiled apologetically.


    "Sorry to say, I disowned her as my mother a while ago. This isn''t the first time I''ve been put in an


    awkward spot, but please, in the future, don''t drag me into scenes like this. I don''t really know them.


    The disowning was mutual, starting from the moment she pressured me to apologize to a cheating ex.


    From that point on, we were no longer mother and daughter."


    The debacle with Belinda at Star Movie Group had been ugly, and it was Maja who had to step in and


    smooth things over.


    That incident had opened Zoey''s eyes to her mother''s true nature.


    She hadn''t expected her mother to be even thicker-skinned than she''d imagined.


    Zoey seemed beyond caring now, and that made her invincible.


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


    "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." Co?tent оf Draмa?ovеls.cом


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


    But this was her life she was talking about.