Chapter 601

Cathy stared, utterly dazed, at the entire family gathered there. ‘Why is everyone here?’ she thought.

Hayden was the first to speak. “You two! What brings you here?”

Werner hurriedly said, “Dad, wasn’t it you who called us here?”

Jonathan narrowed his eyes, fixing his gaze on Werner, who was lying with a straight face.

Hayden, refusing to play along with Werner’s charade, stated flatly, “I came here with Jonathan. I certainly didn’t call you two here.”

Cornered, Werner could only cast a slightly awkward glance in Jonathan’s direction.

Desperate to save face, Werner spun around to confront Cathy, snapping, “Why have you been following me?”

Cathy snapped, “Fine, I admit it. I’ve been following you. If you’ve got nothing to hide, then why do you keep coming back to Shaville again and again?”

Werner scoffed, “Can’t I just visit my old classmate? I’m looking after Yorick’s son, the one who can’t be officially recognized.”

Cathy said, “Enough with Yorick! Stop using him as an excuse every damn day. Now that Dad’s right here, I’m just going to lay it all out.”

Cathy’s words came pouring out uncontrollably. “He’s having an affair! He gave all our money to that woman.”

“What the hell?” Hayden bellowed. He was livid.

Werner hurriedly explained to Hayden, “Dad, it’s not true. Don’t listen to Cathy. She’s talking nonsense.”

Werner tried to clamp a hand over Cathy’s mouth, desperate to shut her up, but she shoved him away in utter annoyance.

Cathy fumed, “Stop pretending. You withdrew all our retirement savings, plus the money for Cheryl’s car, a total of $150,000. Who exactly did you give it to? You’d better come clean in front of the whole family right now.”

Jonathan approached the emotionally distraught Cathy. “Cathy, please try to calm down.”

Cathy stared at Jonathan, bursting into tears. “I’m sorry, Jonathan. I just can’t hold it in anymore. Werner is such a jerk.”

Werner was angry. “Who the hell are you calling a jerk?” At that moment, he hoped he could send Cathy flying straight back to Nareigh.

Werner said, “Let’s take this home and talk it out there. Don’t make a scene here in front of everyone.”

However, Cathy was past caring about anything else at this point.

Cathy yelled, “It’s a simple matter for you to explain. Why won’t you just say it? Just tell me straight up where the money went. You keep telling me to trust you, but what have you actually done?

“If you had nothing to hide, would I have to follow you around every day? Do you really think I want to live like this, swallowing my humiliation? Ever since you went whoring, I’ve wanted a divorce.”

Hayden’s face darkened visibly. Furiously, he demanded of Werner, “What on earth does Cathy mean by what she said?”

Werner said, “Dad, I swear I didn’t do it! Cathy’s gone hysterical. Let me take her away right now.”

Cathy screamed, “Werner, you’ve driven me mad! After decades together, this is how you treat me? If you want me to leave with nothing, just say so. Why did you have to take my retirement savings too? You’re a total bastard.”

Before anyone could react, a sharp crack rang out. Werner slapped Cathy across the face with brutal force. The spacious hospital ward instantly fell silent.

Cathy clutched her face, staring at Werner in utter disbelief. Tears gushed down her cheeks as she choked out, “You… you actually laid a hand on me?”

Werner shouted, “Have you lost your damn mind? I made one mistake and you hound me every single day like some obsessed detective! I have already apologized. But no, you just have to get all paranoid and—”

Cathy snapped, her voice trembling with anger, “Then why the hell won’t you just admit who you gave all that money to?”

“I’ll get your money back soon enough. Happy now?” Mud g—