Her Revenge Was His Regret (Shirley and Gilbert) novel Chapter 319

Irene's voice shot up—whether from fury or fear, hard to tell. "You think that's right? You have no conscience, talking to an elder like that!"

"Talk about conscience after checking your own. You got any? Weren't you just preaching that money's all that matters? And now it doesn't? Let your money make the call for you."

Irene was livid. "I'll hire people. I have money."

"Sure you can. But nursing home abuse isn't exactly rare. At that point, they won't care what your last name is."

"Have you asked your family about this? Your parents?" Irene was trying to sound tough. But bring up family, and Sherry's face went cold.

"My family's just like you. I'm counting the days till they're dead. What, you thought I'd be praying for something else?"

Once, she'd bent over backward trying to please them and craved their love and attention. They just wanted her gone.

Same deal now.

Sherry only wanted them gone.

Irene didn't believe it. She could mistreat the younger generation, but they'd never truly turn on their elders. Especially the ones starved for affection. "You say that now. But when it happens, you'll be begging them to love you again."

That was the thing about neglected kids. You give them one scrap of kindness, and they melt.

They'd say they don't care, but they'd care desperately.

All that anger? They'd find excuses and convince themselves that the love was always there.

So why bother being nice all the time? Just be decent when it counts. Sherry was furious now, sure. But what if they begged her?

No matter how hard her heart, she couldn't ignore that or wouldn't have the face to.

"Think what you want. We'll see when you're old."

You don't practice decency? Don't expect it from others.

Sherry believed in reciprocity. She'd been trapped by that "family first" guilt trip her whole life. But blood didn't make family.

Irene shook herself. This low-class woman almost derailed her train of thought. An influential, wealthy woman like her—scared of someone like this?

But Sherry, a peasant, made her lose focus? Unforgivable.

"What I said earlier—" Irene tried to reclaim control.

Sherry wasn't having it.

But this? This was next level. No mercy. Even their boss had to—

"Lucas. This is the assistant you hired." Irene doubled down on "assistant."

Sherry had wondered. Was Irene this triggered because she suspected something between them? Julia definitely whispered in her ear. If Irene thought Sherry and Lucas were involved, she'd go ballistic.

Anything that helped Julia, Julia would do.

But Irene didn't say it directly, which meant she was playing deeper games.

And nothing had been exposed yet. Even if she was tossed out, it didn't affect the Harrisons at all.

So Irene insisted on "assistant." And to be fair, Sherry was an assistant.

Even with Lucas' online explosion, no one would admit anything. Pushing too hard backfired.

People got emotional, sided with her temporarily. But long-term?

Some "objective" commentator would appear, pointing out how inappropriate it was. If they mixed it up inside a marriage, then neither's a saint.