"Andrew, don't—!" The butler tried to stop him, but it was too late.
Janelle seized Andrew by the neck and slammed his head against the wall. Andrew was instantly dazed. He tried to fight back, but years of drug abuse had left his body weak. He was no match for the girl. Blood streamed down his head. Janelle's beautiful eyes were filled with storm clouds.
"You... you..." Andrew couldn't speak coherently. He'd only wanted her money, but this girl wanted his life!
"Dad! Help!" Andrew could only cry out to his elderly father.
Seeing Janelle's ferocity, the butler was terrified too. This Janelle was no longer Graham City's fragile little princess. Now, she could kill them with her bare hands.
"Miss, I was wrong! I truly know I was wrong! Please spare my son!" the butler begged.
"Miss, I beg you, spare us! Everything was Amber's doing! That man was Amber's idea! She made me find him!" To save himself, the butler threw Amber under the bus, spilling the entire story of what happened five years ago.
Amber and Westin, colluding together. To seize control of Blue Whale Co., Ltd., they sent another man to Madalyn's bed. That man, seeing Madalyn's stunning beauty, gave in to lust and tried to force himself on her. Madalyn woke up and resisted desperately. He nearly beat her to death. The subsequent "discovery" in bed, everything... it all followed Westin and Amber's script. They drove Madalyn insane and stole everything that belonged to her.
Memories flooded back. Janelle remembered it all. Yet, hearing it recounted now by one of the perpetrators, her heart felt like it was being ripped apart. Her mother, the softest soul in the world, had been pushed into hell by these very scum.
"What was that man's name?" Janelle's voice was low, like it came from the depths of hell.
The butler told her everything she asked.
"Miss, I've told you everything I know! I beg you, let us go!"
"Evidence. I want evidence." Five years had passed; much evidence was lost. But the butler was a participant. To protect himself, surely he kept proof?
The butler shook his head. "Miss, I have no evidence." He clenched his fists. He was truly backed into a corner now; otherwise, he'd never have spoken a word.
"Is that so?" Janelle slammed Andrew's head against the wall again.
"AAAAAHHH! HELP! DAD! HELP! She's a lunatic! Give her whatever she wants or you'll lose your only son!"
"Miss..." She wasn't mentally ill, was she? Yet the violence emanating from her was terrifying. Janelle kept hitting.
Finally, the butler broke. "Evidence... I have it. I'll give it to you." Seeing Andrew beaten beyond recognition, he surrendered. He handed over the only piece of evidence he'd kept – a video recording.
Janelle watched the video. The atmosphere in the cramped room grew even heavier, colder. The butler was petrified.
"Miss, back then... I truly had no choice! Please, spare me!" He was old; surely she wouldn't hold it against him?
Janelle grabbed his throat. "Spare you? When you helped that adulterous couple drive my mother insane, did you think about sparing her?" Her grip tightened.
The butler closed his eyes. His retribution had only just begun. Even at this age, he didn't want to die. Who didn't want to live?
At that moment, Andrew, recovering slightly, crawled up from the floor. He grabbed a vase from the living room and swung it towards Janelle's head. That little bitch, daring to touch him! He'd kill her today, maybe worse...
But Janelle, as if she had eyes in the back of her head, shoved the butler aside. A swift, powerful roundhouse kick shattered the vase against Andrew's body.
"..." Andrew: Utterly terrified now.
"Miss! I gave you what you wanted! Please spare my son!" The butler hadn't expected things to go this far.
Andrew tried to lunge again. Janelle gave him no more chances. She kicked him hard, sending him sprawling. A junkie was no match for her. She took out her phone and called the rehab center.
"What are you doing? I won't go to rehab! I refuse!" Andrew tried to bolt. Janelle kicked him squarely in the chest. Drug addicts rarely quit willingly; forced rehab was the only way.
"Dad! I'm your son! I'm supposed to take care of you in your old age! You can't send me to rehab! I won't go!" Andrew struggled wildly.
"Bring me a rope," Janelle commanded coldly. "Or do you want your son completely destroyed?"
The butler, defeated, brought a rope. Janelle bound Andrew securely.
"AAAAAHHHH!" Andrew began to thrash wildly. His drug addiction was taking over; he was losing control. He started bashing his head against the wall.
Seeing him like this, the butler's heart broke. Everything he'd done was for his child, yet it had led to this. Had he been wrong? If he hadn't made that mistake five years ago, would none of this have happened?
Soon, rehab center staff arrived and took Andrew away.
The butler sat on the sofa, utterly speechless. Janelle had no desire to speak to him either. As she turned to leave, his voice stopped her.
"Miss... I'm sorry. I was wrong. I truly know I was wrong." He shouldn't have betrayed Madam.
Janelle paused. She looked back at the aged man. Once, he had genuinely been kind to her. Yet, in the end, he had personally pushed her and her mother into hell. She didn't answer him.
He had said sorry. But she could not forgive. The damage was done. Her mother still hadn't emerged from that darkness. How could they think a simple "sorry" could erase everything?
Watching her cold, proud figure walk away, the butler finally let his tears fall. He was wrong. He truly was wrong.
People... you simply cannot do wrong. Otherwise, retribution will find you, sooner or later.
Leaving the house, Janelle walked alone down the bustling city street. Suddenly, she missed Madalyn intensely. But Madalyn would be asleep by now.
She would peel back the masks of those people, layer by layer. She would expose them. And they would be despised by the world.