Jessie approached Beauty's house and rang the doorbell. She hadn't seen her best friend, Beauty, since their Puerto Rico vacation, and she couldn't wait to hear all about her romance with Bruno.She dialed her number, but it wasn't going through, so she rang the bell again."Beauty, open up!" A few minutes later the door opened, and standing before her was... Beauty? But not quite. A slimmed-down, different version of her friend stared back at her.Jessie's jaw dropped so dramatically it might as well have hit the ground."WHAT IN THE NAME OF GREEN SMOOTHIES HAPPENED TO YOU?"Jessie shrieked, clutching her chest as though she'd just seen a ghost."Um, excuse me?"Shelley blinked, confused.Jessie's eyes widened further, as if they might pop out of her head "Oh.
It took a lot of pleads and effort for Bruno to get Beauty back there.As soon as they arrived at the dining table, Bruno noticed his uncle's face suddenly darken, followed by his aunt's, but neither of their reactions bothered him.As long as Beauty was there with him, nothing else mattered."You should cut your cake already, Bruno. Let's take pictures, Couz," Korra, his second cousin, immediately said upon seeing them.They returned to their seats, and his mom served food to Beauty herself, something that surprised Bruno.She hardly ever served food to anyone, so this must have been influenced by Grandma."Thanks," Beauty whispered to his mom.Bruno could tell Grandma had probably done a lot of talking to make this happen."She needs more plates, though," Nathan muttered-not loud enough to be unnoticed, but Bruno overheard him anyway, his attention focused on Nathan."It's my birthday; I don't know why a cow was invited,
To Beauty, Abigail was undeniably a very beautiful lady. Just like her brother she naturally looks stunning.Her full, long dark hair was the most beautiful part of her, and her body proportions were insane."Can I talk with you?" Abigail asked slowly.Beauty got nervous but knew she had to pull herself together and listen."Sure," Beauty replied quickly, curious about what she had to say.Yes, she was nervous, but at the same time excited. She wasn't sure what Abigail wanted to talk about, but her friendly approach gave Beauty some hope.Abigail walked toward her, holding a cold glass of chilled wine in a royal, elegant way, and stretched it toward Beauty."Here, you need this," she said, smiling softly.Beauty panicked a little."Alcohol?" she asked slowly, quickly thinking of a lie, not wanting to be judged again.Abigail nodded."I... don't drink," Beauty lied, scratching her hair nervou
His mother rushed to Mr. Hathaway's side, trying to hold him back."Honey, please. Everyone's watching. He is an adult. Today is his birthday..for crying out loud."Bruno's grandmother, looking sharply at Mr. Hathaway, said, "Henry! In my presence? You slapped a man for being a man and standing up for whom he loved."Mr. Hathaway turned toward Beauty, his gaze cold and furious, ignoring his mother." What are you waiting for? Get the hell out of this house! I'll finish this up at the company."Beauty stood up quickly, but Bruno did the same and pulled her by the hand, leading her out of the room and toward his bedroom.Beauty was quiet and followed him unsure what he had in mine, fighting back tears.When they got to the room, Bruno shut the door behind them with a loud click."He said I should go. What are you doing?"Beauty asked, her voice cracking as she tried to control her tears.Bruno was
"Honey, please. Let's just have a normal family meal for once," Mrs. Hathaway pleaded, but it was clear that the situation had already escalated too far."Shut up, Tricia! You pampered him into this stupidity. Look what he brought home-this fat pig! Is this what you expected from him? Now he can talk back at me!" Mr. Hathaway yelled, his voice shaking the room.Beauty could feel Bruno's anger boiling.His hands were shaking, and his face was tight with fury. She held onto his hand beneath the table, terrified of what might happen next."She's not a pig. Why are you always this bitter and toxic?" Bruno snapped at his father."Bruno!" his mother and sister chorused in shock."You always do this. Ever wonder why I never accepted to take over your company? I refused to be your toy. You want to control my life. All you care about is your reputation-to have a perfect son. This is my life, and she's my woman."He paused abruptly, making
The insult hit Beauty like a physical blow, and she almost choked on her saliva."You're a lot dumber than you look," Bruno snapped, his eyes flashing with anger."Bruno, what's wrong with you? That's your cousin's husband," his mother said, shocked by his words."Let the young man be, Tricia. He's old enough to give me great-grandchildren, and his bride isn't looking bad. I love how innocent and real she looks. These days, I don't understand what our young girls are turning into-plastic dolls? Starving themselves and dieting? That's sad," Bruno's grandmother chimed in, her voice light and soft.Bruno seemed to relax a little, grateful for his grandmother's support. He sat down between Beauty and his mother."Bruno, your father wants the best for you, believe me. I've been there," Nathan added with a false sense of concern."And who the hell are you?" Bruno shot back, irritated by Nathan's interjection."He's my son-in-law and family,
Beauty was seated between Bruno's mother and sister, Abigail, with a young boy, around eleven years old, seated across from her. He had a funny look on his face as he tried to get her attention.Next to him sat a stunning elderly woman who looked much younger than her age, her long white hair plaited into two thick strands that cascaded down her shoulders. Despite the visible age in her hair, her face suggested she was in her late fifties.But she's the oldest in the room; she must be older than that. Maybe Bruno's grandma, Beauty thought.She gulped hard, nervously.But the real discomfort came from the presence of her ex, Nathan. He was seated opposite her-the man who had engaged her and dumped her the same day. From the way he looked at her, it was clear he was enjoying the torment he was causing her.Why me?Why today?Why here?Beauty tried to catch her breath, but every time Nathan's wife's elder sister, who was the mother of t
"Ma'am!"Beauty responded timidly, relief flickering briefly across her face.Bruno looked at his sister, secretly praying that at least she would support and not talk rudely to Beauty anymore.He paid attention more than Beauty that Abigail called."Don't call me ma'am, please. I'm Abigail. Join us at the dining table," Abigail replied to Beauty with an awkward chuckle.Beauty glanced at Bruno, seeking reassurance.He smiled and nodded, encouraging her to go. She clenched her fists and walked off, her demeanor so meek it was as though she was a servant in their house.Bruno's mother didn't follow the group. She stayed behind, her stern eyes fixed on her son. However, his father remained silent and was the last to leave the room.When they were alone, his mother shut the
Bruno stood in the center of the room, staring at each of them with a confused gaze."How long have you all been here? I mean, in this house," he asked, directing the question to no one in particular."Emm, well, hours before you came back," Abigail replied, a mocking grin spreading across her face.His jaw dropped as the realization hit him.He shot an icy glare at the butler standing nearby, his blood boiling. That man had tricked him into believing the house was empty.He had been deceived."You lied to me," Bruno said, his voice low but filled with anger. "You said everyone was gone."The butler stepped back, hands raised in defense."They made me do it, for your surprise, young master," he stammered, trembling under Bruno's furious stare.