Chapter 14 - The Belated RepentanceInside a crowded public hospital filled with the sharp smell of antiseptics, Margaret lay on a rusted iron bed set up along the corridor. Her chronic heart condition had returned with severe intensity, but there was no money left for private suites or elite medical professionals.
Mariana walked down the hallway, her long cashmere coat completely detached from the impoverished surroundings. She was here to finalize a philanthropic medical grant for the facility.
Catching sight of Mariana, Margaret used every ounce of her remaining strength to crawl out of the bed, collapsing onto her knees at Mariana's feet, weeping uncontrollably.
"Mariana... I was wrong. I was completely blind to your true nature. I beg you to save Andrew; he is on the verge of breakdown trying to pay those debts. I will do whatever you ask, just show us mercy..."
Mariana stood perfectly still, neither stepping back nor helping the woman up. Her eyes reflected the flickering fluorescent lights above.
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"Margaret, when my hand was bleeding from the broken glass, you stood there and laughed. When your son struck me, you claimed I was trash who didn't belong. Now you beg for compassion from the very person you looked down upon? The law of consequence never misses a target. Learn to endure the reality you created for yourself."
She turned and walked away, leaving the desperate cries of the former high-society matriarch echoing down the empty hall.
