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."

Carmen's eyes remained shut, and her lips

sneered, "Why don't you

I'm not lying. Oh, right. I almost forgot. Even

Grace has already got him locked down. Until she

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

that person said, Carmen

visitor's patience cracked. "Mrs. Lambert, I've

you've been keeping your eyes closed. Don't you think

disrespectful?"

her hair and now

was really nice to her.

delicacies, and live a life most could only

and he had never once let

deeply than

Now that he was gone, life itself had lost all meaning for

Carmen could no longer tell

and what was false.

convent, with only her prayers

found a

lit a candle beside her and made a cross with quiet

then did she speak.

know why you came. In the

by

forgot that Grace

too. The rift

was my failure as a

to make her

somehow make

owed Alice

in the end, it was

said was a

of it, I

father...

have nothing

daughter can

tell me,

single

calm, almost detached as if she had truly seen through

of the world.

more desperate. "You don't

locked away right now. Only you

lit another candle, kneeled down again, and resumed

a small,

For what? He crossed

no one should cross.

he should

son. If he

he would've crawled

hands and knees

if he's hiding.

he knows he's

anger flaring uncontrollably. She knocked

of prayer candles, the sound echoing sharply through the

Mrs. Lambert? Fine.