You're Just My Ex-Husband,My Lord-Chapter 258- Bert, are you out of your mind?!
The father and son met at a coffee shop. In stark contrast to Daniel’s stern expression, Bert had a wide smile on his face. As he stood up to greet Daniel, he casually said,
"Father, don’t you love coffee? I specifically ordered some high-quality beans for you to try."
After sitting down, Daniel immediately asked,
"What do you want?"
Daniel couldn’t bring himself to like his eldest son, especially after this son had nearly ruined him and brought Washington to the brink of collapse.
Bert looked completely innocent, saying,
"Why do you ask like that? I’m here in Burg Eltz for work, and I thought I’d visit you while I’m at it."
Daniel’s face remained cold as he retorted,
"When did you become so filial?"
Daniel didn’t believe Bert’s words at all. His eldest son was incredibly scheming, and even Daniel himself couldn’t figure out what he was really after.
Bert’s face darkened with a hint of sadness as he said,
"I’ve always been filial. It’s just that you’ve never acknowledged my intentions."
"For instance, I know you love Longjing tea, I know you prefer pasta, and I even know you like it completely dark when you sleep. Even when taking a nap at noon, you prefer thick curtains to block out the light. I know so many things about you."
Bert’s voice grew more agitated as he continued,
"Does he know? Does Dave know? He doesn’t understand you at all, yet he enjoys everything you’ve given him!"
"As the eldest son, I believe my filial piety is no less than his. So why? Why is it that, as your son, he has everything while I have nothing? Just because his mother is the legitimate one?"
Daniel couldn’t hold back his anger and slammed his hand on the table.
"Don’t make yourself sound so pathetic! At first, I was genuinely sincere with you and your mother. Don’t you know that? But how did you treat me?"
Daniel’s voice trembled as he continued,
"You and your mother teamed up to plot against me, trying to take over the entire Washington family. Do you have no conscience? If Washington were mine alone, that might be one thing, but it’s not. Dave’s mother’s family also contributed to Washington’s success!"
Even now, when Daniel thought back to the events of that time, he still felt a surge of anger.
"If it weren’t for your greed, you wouldn’t have forced me back into this house. You wouldn’t have pushed me to neglect you and your mother. So why come here now and complain to me?"
At first, Daniel had been consumed by anger, but now he had regained his composure.
Looking back at his younger days, he regretted his actions, but he was also grateful. Meeting them had opened his eyes to who truly deserved his love and protection.
Love and filial piety weren’t just words; they had to be shown through actions. For parents, the greatest form of filial piety was to keep them from worrying and avoid bringing touble into their lives.
But Bert, with all his schemes, didn’t just ruin his reputation—he had once even made him faint from anger. Was that what Bert considered filial piety?
And his mother—was her love for him based on slowly taking everything he had?
Moreover, shortly after being neglected by him, Bert’s mother ran into the arms of another man. He didn’t mind that. After all, if he had let go, she had every right to pursue love again.
But now that they had both made their choices, why did they continue to complain that he had abandoned them?
Everything had consequences. What they had sown in the past had grown into the fruit of him neglecting them. And his own indecision had led to the consequences of being abandoned and facing divorce.
It was all settled now. What was the point of dragging it on any longer?
Did they really have to continue this until one of them was destroyed?
Daniel’s rebuttal stirred up Bert’s feelings of resentment and bitterness to an extreme. His fingers, which had been resting on the edge of his teacup, tightened into a fist as he said,
"We were so greedy back then, weren’t we? But it was only because we were afraid of losing you. We thought that once we had Washington, you would stay with us wholeheartedly!"
Daniel scoffed coldly.
"And your mother? Did she jump into another man’s arms because she was afraid of losing me?"
Bert’s face was filled with rage as he shot back,
"That was her choice, it has nothing to do with me! Anyway, my intention back then was to make you only*my father!"
It was because of his mother’s actions that he had completely lost his father, and it was also the reason why his relationship with his mother had been cold and even strained over the years.
He was jealous. He was unwilling to accept it. He was furious that he could never earn Daniel’s genuine affection. He was angry that Dave received everything, while he had nothing. He couldn’t accept why they had a warm family, while he didn’t—especially when he had been the first to experience parental love!
Father and son stood facing each other in the tea-scented private room, locked in an intense confrontation.
After a long silence, it was Bert who finally spoke, his anger retreating, replaced by a smile that was almost playful.
"Father, why are you so angry? Did you take out your frustration about Tiffany’s mention of divorce on me?"
He leaned back slightly, his smile widening.
"Tell me, if Tiffany knew I was back and that I was discussing business with your most beloved daughter-in-law, do you think she would immediately call for a divorce?"
When Daniel finally processed what Bert had said, he felt his blood rush to his head, overwhelmed by a mixture of anger and deep frustration.
What did he just say?
That he was discussing business with Laurent?
Fury surged through Daniel. He raised a trembling hand, pointing at Bert as he hissed through clenched teeth,
"What exactly do you want?"
Bert calmly lifted the tea cup from the table, took a sip, and then responded with a serene expression,
"Nothing much. I just want to take back what rightfully belongs to me."
Daniel’s anger flared even more.
"You want Washington?"
Bert smiled and shook his head.
"Not just that. I want Washington, but I also want you, as my father, to start paying attention to me again. I want you to acknowledge me."
Daniel felt like he was about to lose his mind. In one swift motion, he slammed his hand on the table and stood up.
"Bert, are you out of your mind?!"
Bert stood up as well, his smile vanishing completely, replaced by a determined look.
"I’m not crazy. I know exactly what I want. At the end of the day, what I want is very simple."
Bert let out a cold laugh as he said, 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦
"As long as all of you are unhappy and things don’t go your way, I’ll be satisfied."
He glanced at the fine tea on the table and added,
"Father, take your time enjoying it. I have something to do, so I’ll be leaving now."
He turned to leave, but Daniel quickly stepped forward to stop him.
"What’s the point of you wanting Washington? You don’t even understand the domestic situation, and you know nothing about the management of Washington. Even if you get it, you won’t be able to run it!"
Daniel’s words were not without merit. Running a company was no easy feat, and Bert had never been involved with the operations or management of Washington. Even if he took over, he would only destroy it.
Bert violently shook off Daniel’s hand.
"What, Father? You don’t believe in my abilities?"
At that moment, there was a flash of almost maniacal obsession in Bert’s eyes as he continued,
"It doesn’t matter if I can’t run it well. I just want to get it. I only need to have it, and what happens to it afterward doesn’t concern me. After all, it’s not my hard work. Hahahaha—"
After he finished speaking, Bert let out a few uncontrolled laughs before striding out of the room.
