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 sure he had everyone's attention. He saw the encouraging smile on his grandma's face and continued.
"I love her. She's the most beautiful woman I know, and she's perfect for me. If you don't like it, I'm not sorry, and I can't help you. Deal with it, Mr. Hathaway."
The bravery in his voice shocked everyone in the room, including Beauty, who was trembling at his side. Shaking her head, whispering, "No..."
Mr. Hathaway stood up in rage.
"Bruno, please apologize. This is all my fault," Beauty whispered, her hand resting on his thigh in an attempt to calm him.
But Bruno pulled her hand away, his anger too much for him to even look at her.
His father walked toward them.
"What did you just say?"
Beauty prayed Bruno wouldn't answer, but he stood his ground.
"I'm old enough to make my own choices, Father..."
Before he could finish, a hot slap landed across Bruno's cheek.
He didn't flinch, but the mark left on his face made Beauty jump in fear as if she had been slapped herself.
"He's my son-in-law and family," Bruno's uncle answered.
"So what, Uncle? He's still a clown. No sane man would treat Beauty the way he did. You should have asked before letting him marry your daughter," Bruno retorted.
"I treat princesses as princesses and dump trash as trash," Nathan fired back with venom.
"A homeless man... your opinion doesn't count," Bruno muttered under his breath and scoffed.
"I won't ignore you insulting my husband or calling him a homeless man!" Anita snapped in anger.
"He lives with his in-laws. He's shameless and homeless," Bruno shot back, yet calm.
"That's it!" Anita shouted, standing up and pointing a finger at Bruno.
"This girlfriend of yours has done nothing but turned you into a brat. You used to be very respectful, calm, and kind."
Bruno ignored her, as though she were invisible.
Beauty glanced at Nathan, and the venom in his gaze made her feel like she was the one being threatened.
"Please, let's just eat. The drama is too much already," Bruno's sister, Abigail, interjected, trying to calm everyone.
Beauty tried hard to hold back her tears, the memories of her broken relationship with Nathan still haunting her. She wondered if Bruno, too, would end up hurting her in the same way. It was hard to ignore the scars Steven had left, but she couldn't deny the possibility of starting a new life with Bruno, even if it seemed like a daunting task.
His family obviously doesn't want her.
Then, Mr. Hathaway's voice cut through her thoughts like a knife.
"So you're a pornstar outside the office. Don't you have any shame, Fatty?"
The words were like a bombshell, and Beauty felt her body freeze, the shame and embarrassment overwhelming her. She thought she might die from the intensity of it.
"Honey..." Mrs. Hathaway tried to calm him.
But Mr. Hathaway's words were unapologetic.
Bruno clenched his fists, visibly vibrating with anger. Beauty reached under the table to take his hand, hoping to calm him, but he seemed on the edge of losing control.
"I... am... sorry... sir," Beauty said shamefully, with her head bowed.
"Don't apologize to the old man. He's not your boss here, and your name is not Fatty but Beauty," Bruno said tightly with a frown.
His words only seemed to fuel Mr. Hathaway's rage.
"What do you think you're doing, fool? Who did you call an old man?" His fury was explosive.
"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 sure he had everyone's attention. He saw the encouraging smile on his grandma's face and continued.
"I love her. She's the most beautiful woman I know, and she's perfect for me. If you don't like it, I'm not sorry, and I can't help you. Deal with it, Mr. Hathaway."
The bravery in his voice shocked everyone in the room, including Beauty, who was trembling at his side. Shaking her head, whispering, "No..."
Mr. Hathaway stood up in rage.
"Bruno, please apologize. This is all my fault," Beauty whispered, her hand resting on his thigh in an attempt to calm him.
But Bruno pulled her hand away, his anger too much for him to even look at her.
His father walked toward them.
"What did you just say?"
Beauty prayed Bruno wouldn't answer, but he stood his ground.
"I'm old enough to make my own choices, Father..."
Before he could finish, a hot slap landed across Bruno's cheek.
He didn't flinch, but the mark left on his face made Beauty jump in fear as if she had been slapped herself.