Chapter 92

Chapter 92 +25 BONUS Thalassa’s body went absolutely stiff–her expression, her movements, even her voice–as she stared back at the woman she considered a second mother. Though she’d expected the request, the sting of betrayal was too hard to escape.

“Aren’t you going to say anything?” Rita asked after several seconds had passed.

Thalassa finally found her voice, but she was unable to eject the bitterness from it as she spoke.

“Do you realize what you’re asking of me, Mum? You’re asking me to forgive the person who did everything to ruin my life.”

Shame reddened Rita’s cheeks as more tears streamed down her face. “I know, I know what I’m asking of you. I know I’m not being fair to you.”

But Thalassa wasn’t done. “She drugged me and assaulted me with a man so that she could take naked pictures of me and convince Kris that I was cheating on him. She was Linda Miller’s accomplice in framing me for the embezzlement, and she’s been that woman’s accomplice in every plan against me. How can you expect me to forgive such a person, Mum?”

“She regrets it, dear. She regrets everything she did to you so much.”

A mirthless chuckle escaped Thalassa’s lips. “She regrets it or she told you that she does? Don’t you think it’s a little too convenient that she regrets it only now that she’s in jail?”

“Please, do it in the name of everything you shared together. In the name of the beautiful friendship the two of you once shared,”

Rita pleaded.

Thalassa smiled wryly. “Karen didn’t exactly remember all that when she was betraying me, did she? How do I know that it wasn’t all fake?”

A sad smile stretched across Rita’s lips through the tears. “Karen might’ve made a lot of mistakes, but deep down, you know she truly loved you. She considered you a sister.”

Thalassa’s expression hardened. “Well, that love only lasted until Kris and I got together. Is it really love if her envy and jealousy were much stronger than it?”

Rita pursed her lips, as if she didn’t know what else to say. She spoke again after a few seconds.

“Yes, Karen told me she did get jealous when you and Kris got together because she’d been in love with him for so long. Initially, she still held out hope that Kris would change his mind and come for her instead, but the day you and Kris got engaged, she accepted that she’d lost. She was willing to step aside so that you and Kris could be happy–until Linda spoke with her.”

Thalassa tensed up even further, her jaw clenching. Rita’s mouth also set into a grim line before she explained.

“That evil woman poisoned Karen’s mind against you. She made her believe that Kris had told her he was in love with Karen and had even asked you for help wooing her. She made Karen believe that instead of Kelping Kris, you seduced him and kept him for yourself.”

Intense rage sparked through Thalassa. Just when she thought she couldn’t have any more reasons to hate Linda Miller, she had just been proven wrong.

But that still didn’t change her perception of Karen.

“So you see, Karen was deceived too. She was manipulated by-”

Thalassa immediately cut her off. “I’m sorry, Mum, but the fact that Linda manipulated Karen doesn’t excuse 1/2 +25 BONUS Chapter 92 everything else she did and supported that woman in doing to me. You don’t just go from loving someone and considering them your sister to suddenly supporting such evil against them.”

Feeling tears burning in her own eyes, she fought them back. “If she’d truly cared about me, she would’ve asked me about it.

She would’ve given me the benefit of the doubt Why did she never tell me about it? I went to see her today, and she never told me any of this.”

“She told me she really believed everything Linda told her was true–until today. She finally realized how evil that woman is.”

“Until today?” Thalassa raised a brow. “Why today?”

“She wouldn’t say why, but she seemed... shaken,” Rita said before stepping forward and taking both of Thalassa’s hands in hers, looking into her eyes with her tear–stained ones. “Dear, I know that despite everything, it’s still not easy for you to forget the betrayal, the hurt, or the pain, and I’m not asking you to forget. All I ask is that you have a little mercy on Karen.” 1 She sniffed. “Think about Tessa. Despite Karen’s shortcomings, she’s still a good mother, and that sweet little girl is surely going to miss and need her. And also, please think of me. I can’t stand this anguish I’m feeling. Please, dear.”

Despite feeling cornered, Thalassa freed her hands from Rita’s hold as she shook her head. “No. I’m sorry, Mum, but you’re asking too much of me.”

She expected to see anger and disbelief on the woman’s face, but all she saw was understanding as Rita nodded calmly.

“I understand. What Karen did is too hard to forgive. I don’t hold it against you for being unable to forgive her.” She smiled sadly as she wiped the tears from her face. “But perhaps you can take some time to think about it. I promise that I’ll respect any decision you arrive at, no matter how painful.”

Unexpectedly, she pulled Thalassa into another tight, warm hug. “I love you, dear. I’ll see you.”

After pulling back, she smiled. Thalassa could only nod slightly before the woman turned and walked out of the office.

A few seconds later, Luisa and Millie came into the office, their gazes inquiring.

“Millie said that was Karen’s mother,” Luisa said. “What did she want here?”

Sighing, Thalassa walked around her desk and sank into her swivel chair before explaining, “She asked me to forgive Karen and drop the charges against her.”

Millie’s eyes widened with disbelief. “What? Just like that?”

Thalassa shook her head and explained everything the woman had said about Linda poisoning Karen’s mind against her.

“And so what? That doesn’t excuse the fact that Karen is a horrible person. How can she even expect you to drop the charges against her?” Luisa said, but her eyes soon narrowed as she took in the look on Thalassa’s face.

“Lassa, why do you have that look on your face? Don’t tell me you’re considering letting Karen out of jail?”

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