“Stop it!”

I lunged forward and kicked Gerard away.

He instinctively opened his mouth to curse at me, but the words died in his throat the moment he saw me.

However, the girl from earlier slapped me across the face.

“You pushed me and hit my brother? Do you really think those from the Roth family are pushovers?”

Gerard’s eyes instantly turned vicious after what she said.

“Tarni, did she just push you?”

“You wench! You’re just as vicious as your mother!” he cussed at me.

I stepped forward to argue, but my mom pulled me back from the floor.

“Beatrice, let’s leave.”

There was meekness, caution, and even fear written all over her face!

“Tarni Roth, you pushed me and thought you could just walk away? You truly act like the daughter of a mistress! You have no manners whatsoever!”

Immediately after, Tarni grabbed a nearby bottle of red wine and hurled it at us.

My mom tried to shield me, but I noticed the bruises and wounds all over her body. They were festering and covered in pus.

“Mom!”

Shards of glass cut her arm, and blood streamed down. Yet, she kept urging me to run.

I glared at Gerard and his three accomplices.

They instantly surrounded Tarni and looked at me defiantly.

“What’s your problem? You barged in here uninvited. We’re already being generous by not blaming you!

“Get out of here with your useless mother! She should consider herself lucky to have the honor of licking our shoes!”

My whole body went numb with rage when I heard their words!

“She’s your mother too!”

The entire crowd erupted in derisive laughter.

“Has this woman lost her mind? Mrs. Roth is standing right here!”

“Hilarious! First, her mom pretended to be Mrs. Roth. Now, she’s acting like she’s Miss Roth. Don’t these two have any shame?”

Tarni looked at me with haughty disdain.

“You poor thing. Did you never see your father growing up?

“No wonder. Your mother’s a woman of loose morals. She doesn’t even know who your father is. That’s why she’s barking at my father like a mad dog!”

The cold expressions on my brothers’ faces made it clear that they thought the same.

They then spoke in unison. “Get lost, you two! Don’t ruin our mother’s birthday banquet! Not just anyone can be Mrs. Roth!”

I laughed bitterly.

“Don’t you even recognize your own mother? Do you even remember who’s really in charge of the Roth family?”

“Of course it’s our dad, you lunatic!” Tarni sneered proudly.

That social climber?

I could not help but smirk in scorn.

He was an outsider who had been barred from the ancestral hall. He had never even seen the family sigil!

“Felix Roth?” I could not help but snort coldly.

“Everyone in the industry knows he’s just a son-in-law who married into the Roth family. How could he possibly have a say in the Roth family?”

My words sent Tarni into a rage.

Clearly, others at the banquet understood this too.

“Exactly. Since Mrs. Roth dislikes managing the business, Mr. Roth changed his last name from Woods to Roth by marrying into the family. Even if he has some say now, he can’t possibly control the entire Roth family!”

Just then, the woman who had gone to change her shoes reappeared in the banquet hall.

“I’ve entrusted all of the Roth family’s affairs to my husband. This is a family matter. An outsider like you naturally wouldn’t understand.”

“How can you prove you’re Mrs. Roth?”

When she heard me say this, the woman laughed out loud.

“Do I really need to prove it?”

“My sons are right here. Over the years, I’ve been by my husband’s side while we negotiate business deals.”

The surrounding guests immediately backed up her claim.

“Whenever Mr. Roth discussed business, Mrs. Roth would always be present. Your mother, on the other hand, looks timid and hesitant. She doesn’t even look like a wealthy matriarch!”

“How could the heirs of the Roth family not know their own mother? How ridiculous!”

Everyone seemed to be so sure that it made my blood run cold.

I immediately pulled out my phone and prepared to call my dad.

However, Gerard swatted it out of my hand.

The screen shattered instantly.

“What are you doing? Trying to call the police?

“You and your mother are the ones being unreasonable!”

Sweat beaded on their foreheads from guilt.

Had they secretly found our dad a new wife behind my back?

My mom’s entire body trembled as she instinctively knelt to apologize to that impostor.

“I’m sorry. I’ve found my daughter now, so we’ll leave.”

Leave?

I would never leave!

They had humiliated my mom in front of everyone. Who knew how much worse it had been behind closed doors?!

I picked up my shattered phone and asked the woman across from me again, “Are you sure you’re Felix Roth’s wife?”

She sneered. “Of course!”

Unfortunately, my phone could only handle voice calls at this point. Otherwise, I would have given my dad a video call.

The call connected, and a familiar voice rang out.

“Beatrice, are you studying hard? Why are you calling me?”

Tarni’s eyes widened instantly when she heard the voice.

Anyone there who knew my dad could recognize his voice.

I let out a cold laugh.

“Dad, how many daughters and wives do you actually have?”

In response, he sternly told me to stop messing around.

“Of course you’re my only daughter! Who’s been spouting nonsense to you?”

Just as I was about to tell him about the banquet hall incident, Tarni’s mother got someone to snatch my phone away.

Then, she crushed my phone with her high heels as she smirked in contempt.

“You actually hired someone to impersonate my husband? Only their voices sound alike. Did you really think anyone would be fooled?”

The guests, who had wavered moments ago, scrutinized me again after her explanation.

Seeing me and my mother looking so disheveled, they smiled mockingly.

However, my four brothers paled visibly and yelled at me, “Beatrice, your mother is nothing but a maid in the Roth family! If you’re having delusions, keep them to yourself! Don’t come to Mom’s birthday banquet looking for trouble! Get out!”

They seemed so anxious, which made me grow even more suspicious.

Were they trying to dote on Tarni as their sister and lie to our dad?

Just then, Mr. Jones came in pushing the cake. He was the villa’s elderly butler, and my eyes lit up at the sight of him.

Yet, my mom tugged at my sleeve as tears welled up in her eyes.

“Beatrice, let’s go. We have to leave now!”

Mr. Jones saw me and avoided my gaze.

Tarni then ran over and playfully tugged at his arm.

“Mr. Jones, you’ve been serving the Roth family for a long time. You tell us. Who’s the imposter?!”

I looked at him too and waited for his answer.

To my surprise, Mr. Jones pointed at my mother with unwavering certainty.

“She’s the Roth family’s maid. Three years ago, she lost her mind, and since then, she’s convinced that she’s Mrs. Roth. Mr. Roth took pity on her and kept her in the house!”

Right then, everyone’s eyes lit up with the realization.

“No wonder Mrs. Roth never showed her face before. She only started attending banquets three years ago. She was afraid of that madwoman impersonating her!”

Hearing everyone talk down about us, Tarni raised her chin haughtily.

“Are you still going to put on this act? Not everyone can join the Roth family!”

Her mother nodded before signaling servants to seize me and my mother once more.

Tarni stepped forward with a smile and delivered a slap to each of our faces.

Her rings scratched our skin, and she sneered contemptuously. “Still have the nerve to claim that your mother’s the real Mrs. Roth and that you’re the true Miss Roth?

“My mother was gracious enough to let your mother stay in our house. We only got her to lick our shoes. She never complained either. So, what gives you the right to hit my brother?”

She burst into laughter mid-sentence.

“If my father finds out that you’ve insulted my mother like this, he’ll probably toss you both to the sharks!

“But I’m a kind woman at the end of the day. Kneel and apologize. I’ll forgive you if you do it a hundred times!”

After that, her mother flung the cake onto the floor.

“Tarni, did she just push you? The Roth family always kills its enemies with kindness. Let them eat some birthday cake before they apologize!”

They were so arrogant and overbearing. Even Mr. Jones was siding with them.

There was no need to guess; that jerk, Felix, must have cheated!

Right then, I used all my strength to break free from my restraints. Tarni was the closest to me, and I slapped her hard across the face.

The blow sent her flying back onto the floor.

My grandpa had trained me in martial arts since I was a child.

These people were no match for me and not even worth my effort.

I strained to pull my mother up from the floor.

Yet, with tearful eyes, she still begged the woman who had stolen her place for mercy.

“M-Mrs. Roth, I’ll apologize. I’ll eat the cake. Please spare my daughter.”

The banquet hall erupted in laughter, and my heart was filled with unbearable pain.

How did my gentle and gracious mother become this way?

Just then, Tarni sprang up from the floor. “Don’t even think about it! That wench dared to hit me! I’ll make sure you both pay today!”

“You’ll be the only one making us pay?”

I raised my hand, and she cowered behind my four brothers.

Gerard and my three other brothers stood before me. “How dare you bully our sister? You wench! We won’t let you get away with this!”

They instantly fell silent after I gave them each a punch.

When Tarni saw me approach her mother, she immediately grabbed her phone.

My four brothers tried to stop her, but I struck their pressure points and left them immobile.

“Dad! Some wench is ruining Mom’s birthday party! Hurry over!” she shrieked in anger.

At that moment, I sent her mother flying.

No one dared to speak again.

I pulled my mother up and found a chair for us.

Just then, the sound of an engine roared outside, and Tarni shouted excitedly, “It’s over, Beatrice! My dad’s here. You and your mom are done for!”

A man in a black suit entered, and we were both taken aback when our eyes met.

Soon, I stepped forward with a smirk and slapped him across the face. The crowd witnessed the whole thing in shock.