“Hector, do you really think that Maisie appreciates you? If she really appreciated you, why didn’t she let
you manage the company and instead just let you work there?”
Linda noticed Hector’s expression change and laughed even louder, “You’re just as dumb as Grandma.
That’s why you’re only good enough to be her lapdog-”
Linda fell to the floor. When she snapped out of it, she put her hand to her cheek and looked at Hector
with a shocked expression, “You slapped me!?”
Hector looked at his palm that still stung a little, then closed it and held it at his side. He took a deep
breath. “Linda, Maisie never did anything wrong. We were the ones who were at fault?
Linda laughed again. “Have you been brainwashed by Maisie?” Her expression dropped. “If it weren’t
because of that b*tch, Grandma wouldn’t have forced me to marry an *sshole like Jimmy Zimmerman!
You saw how he treated me!”
Memories from a year ago flashed across his eyes.
Jimmy had kicked his sister out of their family home, and her arms, legs, and neck were covered in old
and new bruises. It had been a scary sight.
She had been burned with a cigarette, cut, and beaten with a belt, a cane, a bat, and his fists. She had
lost her baby because she was beaten so much that she could never have a baby anymore.
The Zimmermans had gotten Jimmy to divorce her because she couldn’t give them an heir and kicked
her out of the family.
Hector closed his eyes and held his breath. “What does Maisie have to do with any of these?”
“Everything!” Linda screamed and grabbed him by his collar. “If she hadn’t framed me, I wouldn’t be the
one who had to go through all that! Why did I have to go through all of that? She destroyed my life, but
you said that it’s all our fault?”
Seeing how Linda was yelling and lashing out at him, he looked down. “Do you understand what cause
and effect mean?”
His eyes twitched. “I met Mr. Smith that the thugs looked up to. He got a life sentence for murder and has
been in there for 15 years. Before he was sent to prison, he was an owner of a chain bar in Coralia, a
businessman who had friends on both sides. He had money, status, and could get anything he wanted in
Coralia.
“He was in the business for 40 years, and even when he was investigated, someone would take the fall
for him, and he would be able to get out clean. After I got out, I didn’t know what I should do, so I went to
visit him. Mr. Smith told me about karma. If we choose to plant evil seeds, we’ll get evil fruits. Once we
choose this path, there’s no turning back. You can’t blame anyone because you made all the choices.
Even if you were lucky to get away with it once or twice, you’ll never escape forever.”
Hector took a deep breath. “He said you can apologize when you make mistakes, but you go to prison
once you make a bad decision in life. The three years that I was there were something I deserved. He
wanted me to remember that there’s only the dark side and the legal side in life.
There’s still a chance to turn back if you don’t want to sink too deep in.”
Linda stood up straight, obviously not listening to anything that he said. “Are you saying that I’m getting
what I deserve?”
She pushed Hector aside and smirked, “It was all Grandma and Mom’s idea, but I was the one who was
sacrificed. Weren’t I innocent?”
Hector opened his mouth but didn’t speak.
Linda’s eyes were red when she grabbed his arm, “All Grandma and Mom could see was you. I was
neglected my entire life. All could do was stick around you, and in the end, I was the one who was forced
to marry that *sshole!”
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