This family was ridiculous. Now, I could understand why my family hated them so much that they disowned me when I chose to be with Ethan.
Years ago, I had told my father about my desire to marry Ethan Harrington, but I was met with a heavy slap. My mother, Vanessa Everhart, looked at me with disappointment.
"Don't you dare marry that son of a bitch! Do you even know what their family did to us?" My father yelled, his face red with anger.
I couldn't understand back then. I thought it was just futile business rivalry. "Why? Because we're business rivals? They aren't even our main competitor! Why don't you direct your anger at the Featherson family instead? We compete with them all the time! Your anger at the Harrington family is one-sided, Dad!" I fought back.
My father's face was contorted with hatred. "I don't care! Don't even think about marrying that bastard, or you'll have to choose between him and our family."
I thought their reasons were shallow until my mother revealed the truth. "Years ago, their company, Nexus Dynamics, stole technology from us. It was a robot designed to assist in hospitals, especially during contagious disease outbreaks. Instead of nurses, this robot could administer medicine to patients, reducing physical interaction. They stole it and tried to enter the robotics and medical market with it. This betrayal caused your grandfather to have a heart attack. Without him, the company suffered a recession, and many almost lost their livelihoods. Now, do you understand why we hate them?"
I should have listened to my family. I should have stayed in the Everhart mansion and never seen Ethan again. But I was blinded by love.
And now, here I was, facing them even though I had just lost my son.
Ethan frowned and said impatiently, "So I didn't take you and Gavin to university, and now you're making a fuss over such a trivial thing?"
On the other hand, Bella took the opportunity to instigate further. "Lila, I know you're petty and jealous. It's fine to act like that in front of Ethan, but today is Mrs. Sophia Harrington's birthday. You know, she just wants to see Gavin, and Gavin loves coming here. How can you deliberately hide Gavin just to vent your anger? You're really unfit to be a mother."
Everyone looked at me with disgust, especially Sophia, whose face turned red with anger.