CHAPTER 84: CHAPTER 84- HE WASN’T A GOOD PERSON

How could he be like this? Just because he couldn’t win her over, he thought she had no right to date anyone else?

Bert answered Catherine with a bright, carefree smile.

"It’s not that you can’t date other men," he said. "But the prerequisite is that the man has to be better than me—stronger, more outstanding. Only then will I accept it."

"If he’s not as good as me, then you might as well choose me."

After hearing that, Catherine was furious.

"People aren’t objects you can compare like that! And love isn’t about who has better conditions than who—the most important thing is whether you feel something!"

This man was truly domineering, selfish, and arrogant.

The moment Catherine finished, Bert immediately pinned her with a sharp, aggressive stare.

"Then can you look me in the eye and say you have no feelings for me? Not even the slightest bit?"

Catherine froze. Her eyes darted away, and she quickly shoved him aside.

"I need to go home. Goodbye."

With that, she hurriedly opened the door and ran out without looking back, rushing straight into her apartment building.

Leaning against the entrance door inside, Catherine pressed a hand over her chest, trying to calm her chaotic heartbeat. She felt weak, helpless. If he kept cornering her like this, she really would have nowhere left to run.

Sometimes, people avoided and ran not because they didn’t like someone, but because they did—and that made them hesitate, worry, and fear losing.

After finally steadying her emotions, Catherine went upstairs. But when she reached her apartment on the second floor and reached for her keys, she realized her bag—and her phone—were still in Bert’s car.

She had been so overwhelmed by panic earlier that she shoved him and ran before she even remembered to take her bag.

Annoyed, she sighed. She thought escaping his car would free her, but now she had no choice but to go back—her bag had her phone, wallet, keys, everything she needed. So she headed downstairs again.

After Catherine ran off, Bert noticed her bag on the seat. He turned off the engine and sat there, waiting patiently for her to return.

At the same time, Catherine’s phone rang from inside the bag. The sound irritated Bert, and he frowned. He pulled the phone out to hang up, but when he saw "Lucca" on the screen, he didn’t hesitate—he answered.

A hysterical scream exploded through the speaker.

"Catherine, you bitch! Are you satisfied now that my mom divorced my dad because of you?"

"I’m telling you—this isn’t over!"

Lucca was practically out of his mind, shrieking on the other end. Bert instantly knew what was going on.

It had been him who secretly tipped Channing off about Tracy’s whereabouts. So when Channing followed the address and arrived, he found Tracy in bed with the young man she’d been keeping. Channing was so furious on the spot he nearly had a heart attack. His original plan for a "fake divorce" evaporated instantly—he dragged Tracy to file for a real one that very moment.

Tracy never imagined things would spiral this far. She didn’t expect Channing to find her, let alone catch her cheating in the act. She refused divorce, crying and screaming, even calling Lucca to beg on her behalf.

But how could Channing possibly tolerate being handed such a massive green hat? He was dead set on divorcing her. No matter how Tracy threatened to kill herself, no matter how pitifully Lucca begged, he still dragged Tracy to finalize the separation.

Caught literally in the act, Tracy had no grounds to argue. She had no choice but to sign the papers. After that, Channing threw her out of the house. He gave her only a pitiful amount of child support—an amount that clearly marked the end of their marriage.

As for Lucca and her younger brother, they were his children after all, and Channing wasn’t heartless to that degree. Especially Lucca—she still worked in Channing’s company as a jewelry designer. Their living conditions remained largely the same.

Lucca imitated Catherine in everything. Even her major in college was chosen because Catherine studied it. But while Catherine pursued jewelry design out of passion, Lucca did it purely out of competition. Naturally, Catherine’s skills far surpassed hers.

Catherine worked with heart; Lucca worked out of spite. But with Channing’s powerful backing, Lucca became a lead designer at his company right after graduating. Starting from such a privileged position, she quickly gained some recognition in the jewelry industry.

Compared to Catherine—who disappeared abroad for two years and had to start over—she was practically unknown.

And now, faced with Lucca’s hysterical shrieking and senseless accusations, Bert’s voice turned icy and ruthless.

"Second Miss Channing, did you eat shit for dinner tonight? Otherwise how is your mouth so filthy?"

That was just how Bert was—toward people he disliked, he never held back his sharp tongue, nor cared whether he sounded gentlemanly. If Lucca called Catherine a bitch, he would answer by calling Lucca someone who ate shit without hesitation.

Lucca had been venting at Catherine, but suddenly a cold male voice cut in—snarling something that vulgar. She froze, shocked and furious.

"Bert?"

She glanced at the time—already past nine p.m.—and Bert had actually answered Catherine’s phone...

Lucca had refused to believe Catherine was truly involved with Bert. She thought there was no way a man like Bert would fall for someone as dull as Catherine. But now she had no choice but to accept it.

Especially when she remembered Gerald was trying to break off their engagement—and Catherine, on the other hand, had found someone like Bert, who excelled in wealth, presence, and ability. Lucca was consumed by jealousy.

All her life, Lucca had been desperately trying to surpass Catherine—trying to be better, more outstanding. But no matter how hard she worked, Catherine was always out of reach.

Catherine was one of those people who seemed to attract everything effortlessly—even when she wasn’t trying.

She had naturally good relationships with teachers and classmates, excellent grades, and later, her relationship with Gerald had developed smoothly. Meanwhile, Lucca felt she worked herself to the bone for nothing.

Even when Channing divorced Renata, Lucca had been eager to see Catherine cry or fall apart. But Catherine never did. When leaving the villa, she stood tall, hand in hand with Renata, carrying their things with dignity—without a hint of weakness.

In the end, even after she and her mother managed to "rise to the top," they were left with nothing but a mess of bitterness and dissatisfaction.

Now, driven nearly to collapse by jealousy and rage, Lucca could no longer hold back.

"Bert, what are you acting all high and mighty for? You’re no saint yourself! Don’t think I don’t know about your past!"

She screamed at him without restraint. But compared to her hysteria, Bert actually laughed.

"I’m indeed no saint. No one knows better than me exactly what kind of person I am."

Lucca had never met someone who, when insulted, would calmly agree—and not in the sarcastic, argumentative way people sometimes did. His tone carried genuine acknowledgment, as if he truly meant it: he wasn’t a good person.

A man like that was terrifying. After cooling down a little, Lucca felt a chill run through her. Then she heard Bert’s voice again on the other end—low and quiet, almost eerie.

"Since I’m already a bad person... with you, I don’t mind being completely ruthless. So don’t ever let me find out you’re harassing her again. Otherwise, your ending..."

He never finished the sentence. Even he didn’t know what words could accurately predict what he might do to her. He only feared that, once he lost control, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself.

"Psycho!"

Though panic surged inside her, Lucca still snapped back with an insult before hanging up.

Originally, Lucca had called because she was furious over Channing and tracy’s divorce, planning to vent her rage on Catherine. She never expected Bert would be the one to answer—and instead, she ended up being the one humiliated. Her anger flared even hotter.

After ending the call, Bert slipped Catherine’s phone back into her bag. When he lifted his gaze, he saw Catherine walking out of the apartment building—heading straight toward his car.

It seemed she had realized she’d forgotten her bag and had come back to retrieve it.