Regret Came Too Late

"The meeting dragged on until 10:00 pm.

Everyone was completely drained, and even Grace herself answered candidly

when asked about the company's future. What they needed now were profitable

projects. Without them, the company would continue their slow death march until

they inevitably collapsed.

After all, under the executives were still thousands of employees relying on a

paycheck. The monthly expenses were astronomical. Once the cash ran dry,

bankruptcy would be inevitable.

By the time Grace got home, her eyes were burning from exhaustion. All she

wanted now was to crash and get some sleep.

Unbeknownst to her, someone was already on their way to Carmen that very

night.

After Quentin's funeral, Carmen chose to leave the world behind and become a

nun at a convent nestled four hours outside the city.

Someone made the long drive through the night to reach her, ready to twist the

truth.

"Your beloved son was led astray by her," the visitor said in a steady, patient

voice.

"All the old executives who built the company alongside Quentin-she fired them

all. Don't you want to come out and set things right? Don't you want to see your

son, who's been suffering?"

Carmen kept her eyes closed, slowly rolling her rosary beads between her fingers

while continuing to mutter verses under her breath.

The visitor wasn't fazed by the cold reception and kept going.

"Mrs. Lambert, you're Quentin's wife. The public trusts you. If you come forward

and tell everyone that Grace orchestrated all of this out of greed for the Lambert

family's fortune, then Liam might still have a chance.

"People won't blame him; they'll just pity him for being betrayed by his own sister."

Still, Carmen's eyes remained shut, and her lips moved in constant prayer.

The visitor sneered, "Why don't you try calling Liam yourself? Everything I'm

right.

you can't. Grace has already got him locked

spot as CEO, there's no way she's letting

matter what that person said, Carmen

visitor's patience cracked. "Mrs. Lambert,

eyes closed. Don't you think

disrespectful?"

off all her hair and now wore only

was really nice to

on the finest delicacies, and live a life most

from nothing together, and

loved Quentin more deeply than she

gone, life itself had lost all

after seeing Alice's true colors, Carmen

and what was false.

the silence of the convent, with only

she found a

slowly lit a candle beside her and made a cross with

then did she speak.

came. In the past,

by my

I forgot that Grace

daughter too.

failure as

make her life

would somehow make up for

Alice

end, it was all a

was

it,

father... Even

have nothing left.

own daughter

completely, tell me, why

single word you

calm, almost detached as if she had truly seen through

of the world.

more desperate. "You don't even care about your own

right now. Only you

down again, and resumed her

a small, almost

For what? He

should cross. Wrong

should be punished.

son. If

would've

hands and

But if

he knows he's

anger

sound echoing

play the saint, Mrs. Lambert? Fine. When you lose your

then you'll finally realize how wrong you are. Keep turning a blind

Grace's ambition and you'll end up an old