Regret Came Too Late (Grace and Ethan)

Grace had just finished speaking when one of the bodyguards, red with rage,

lifted his hand and slapped her hard across the face. She hadn't expected him to actually hit her, so she hadn't dodged in time. The sting exploded across her cheek.

His eyes were bloodshot. "Ms. Alice is a thousand times better than you ever were. Back at the Lambert residence, you treated all of us like crap. If it weren't for Ms. Alice, we would've quit a long time ago."

Grace held her cheek, the pain throbbing deep. She couldn't help but wonder- was she really that awful before? Had she truly been so ruthless?

The second bodyguard didn't stop the slap. He had wanted to do the same thing for a while. In his eyes, Grace was trash-vicious and toxic. She deserved to be treated like dirt.

Grace let out a soft laugh but said nothing. She made a mental note to remember that slap.

The car rolled to a stop in front of the psychiatric hospital. They dragged her out, only for her to unexpectedly come face-to-face with Quentin and the hospital director, Noah Houghton.

Quentin rarely got involved in the household drama. At work, he always carried himself with power and control.

Seeing Grace now, he let out a sigh. "You should take this time to reflect. Everything's been arranged. When you're back to normal, we'll bring you home."

Grace felt a deep ache in her chest, but all she could do was laugh.

"Mr. Lambert, when I get out of here, I want you to publicly announce that I've cut all ties with the Lambert family," she said.

Quentin's face clouded over in an instant. He had that classic chiseled, square- jawed look. He questioned, "Are you still acting like a child? Do you seriously not think you're in the wrong?"

Frowning, he sighed again and added, "Grace, I don't know what happened to you. You weren't like this before... Anyway, after Alice's wedding, I'll come get you. I'll move you to a villa outside the city. The environment's better out there. But you made her lose her baby, so there has to be consequences."

Grace didn't say another word. She just turned her back and walked away.

Quentin returned to the car, rubbing his forehead with a tired hand. He was torn. After all, both daughters were his blood.

Someone beside him leaned in and offered a suggestion. "Mr. Lambert, don't let this wear you down. Let Mrs. Lambert handle it. It's better if she takes charge over family matters like this."

Quentin didn't speak much at home. Most of the time, he just echoed whatever Carmen said. And even now, he didn't hate Grace enough to lock her up in a psychiatric hospital.

Seeing that distant look in Grace's eyes hit a sore spot, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.

"You're right. Let Carmen handle it," he said.

"Mrs. Lambert has already made all the arrangements. And you've seen the facility yourself. The room's clean and the employees are professional. Ms. Grace won't be mistreated."

Quentin was actually busy that day, but he still personally came to check out the psychiatric hospital. It Carmen's pick, but he couldn't

blindly trust it. He hated admit. net

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but Carmen clearly favored Alice and had neglected Grace to a certain extent.

But when the eldest daughter was always disobedient and the younger one was sweet and considerate, it was hard not to play favorites.

He stared blankly out the window, a sinking feeling in his chest. That little girl who

used to look at him with those bright, sparkling eyes was gone.

He asked the person next to him, "I've been siding with Alice for years. Do you think I was wrong?"

The person beside him answered,

"It's not your fault, sir. Ms. Grace has made a lot of mistakes. Meanwhile Ms. Alice has suffered so much. As her sister, Ms. Grace should've protected her, but she just kept hurting her."

"Yeah. I don't know when she'll ever learn," Quentin agreed.

And he thought to leave it as it was for now. He didn't want to think about it anymore. Maybe someday, they'd figure it out.