The Billionaire Ex-Wife and the Beggar He Became novel Chapter 377

Before Janetta could respond, the owner rushed forward, apologizing profusely to Winona. "I'm so sorry, Miss Perkins. This is just a restaurant; we can't afford to get involved in this kind of trouble. Some people… they twisted my arm…"

"It's not your fault. You can go back to work," Winona said, raising a hand to stop him. Having lived at the bottom, she knew all too well how powerless one could be when constrained by others. The owner might be worth millions, but he was no match for the likes of the Nicholson and Shepherd families. She didn't blame him.

The owner scurried away, and Winona turned her attention back to Janetta, the entire Shepherd clan, and the group of strangers. "Alright, you've summoned my family here. What do you want?" she asked, her voice steady.

Before Janetta could speak, Helga piped up, pointing a finger at Old Mr. Shepherd. "You spineless worm! Weren't you supposed to be divorcing that old mistress of yours? What happened to that? Is your word as worthless as your excrement?"

Despite the insult, Old Mr. Shepherd's tone was placating. "Helga, I do intend to divorce her. But the Shepherd family has been in turmoil this past week, we haven't even had a place to store our belongings. I haven't found our marriage certificate yet, and we haven't settled down. I promise I'll get it done as soon as possible."

"Whether you get a divorce is none of my damn business! I just think your whole family is full of it!" the old woman retorted. She then turned to Winona and Mia. "Nona, Mia, they came here to eat, and so did we. We have nothing to be afraid of. It's broad daylight; it's not like they can eat us alive. Let's just sit down, enjoy our meal, and watch that video Mia recorded."

"Grandma's right," Mia chimed in. "The video I took of those two old fools that night is quite stimulating. In a public place like this, what are they going to do? Hit us? Spit on us? Unlike some people, who sneak into our home in the middle of the night, get on their knees, and beg my grandma to spit on them and step on them. Now *that* was entertaining."

Winona smiled and declined. "No, thank you."

"That's fine too. Your family can sit over there, and we'll be here. We're not far apart. Oh, and by the way, this is my treat. Please, don't be shy," Janetta said, her tone exuding the confidence of a matriarch.

"Very well." Winona saw it for what it was: a blatant show of protection for the Shepherds and a power play directed at her. She glanced at Felicity, who was stroking her belly and offered a small, triumphant smile. "Miss Perkins, I'm so sorry to disappoint you. I know this isn't the scene of my family living on the streets that you were hoping for."