CHAPTER 448

"What do I want? I want to settle an old score, of course." Madeline brandished her whip and lashed out at Katrina.

A scream escaped Katrina's lips, but Madeline showed no mercy, nor did she stop whipping her. Katrina could never atone enough for the abuse she inflicted on Martin, and Madeline was just starting to make her pay for that.

As the lashings went on, Katrina's screams became shouts, and then whimpers, and finally, a whisper. "I'm sorry. I won't do it again. I won't call the cops either. Please, have mercy on me."

"It's alright, Madeline." Martin quickly held Madeline back.

Is he helping me? She gave Martin a look of hope. Maybe he still loves me. I did raise him, after all. Kids love their mothers, and maybe he still thinks of me as his mother. He's probably waiting for me to say I love him. If he still cares about me, then life is going to get so much easier for me.

She tried her best to raise her head and gave Martin a tearful look. "I'm sorry, Martin. I'm really sorry. I've always seen you as my own. You're like my son. Ever since you ran away from home, I've been searching for you. I'm sorry I never treated you well. Please, give me a chance, Martin. I'll make it up to you. I'll love you."

"Oh, shut it." Martin kicked her squarely in the face. "You actually think I stopped Madeline for you? Is your brain damaged or something? I stopped her because she was starting to exhaust herself."

He took the whip from Madeline and lashed Katrina a few times. "I would have died if I hadn't met Madeline, and you thought I'd help you out? Don't make me laugh. Not a day in my life passed where I

didn't wish you were dead."

He hunkered down and smacked Katrina's face with the whip. The look of disgust and fury in his eyes were a stark contrast to his perfectly flawless and beautiful face. "Lemme guess. You're an optimistic woman, and you think it's all water under the bridge because you got whipped. Wrong. You should have shed that naivete twenty years ago. This lashing is just an appetizer. You'd better hide where the sun doesn't shine, or I'll whip you every chance I get. Run, or I will make you pay for everything you ever did to me. Tenfold."

"No… NO!" Katrina shook her head violently, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I raised you. I'm your mother! You can't do this to me!"

"Don't ever say that to him." Madeline kicked her. "His own mother would have loved and cherished him if not for you. He would have lived in a loving family instead of getting raised by scum like you. Only despicable people like you think abuse is a blessing. Disgusting."

"Forget it, Madeline." Martin stood up and tugged on Madeline's sleeve. "It's getting late. Time to go home."

Just leave this to me. If Madeline were to support him, then he could handle things on this end without her help at all.

He only held back for fear that Madeline would think he was an overly cruel person, but now that he had gotten her blessing, Martin had nothing to fear.

Madeline thought she had enough as well. Katrina should die for her crimes, but Madeline didn't want

to kill her. She loathed sullying her hands for a piece of scum.

Besides, death wasn't the worst fate anyone could suffer as it was an eternal slumber. The best way to get revenge was by making sure they lived the worst life possible.

She would spare Katrina's life and watch as she writhed and struggled through her days while repenting for her sins.

Indeed, Katrina regretted her decision.

If she hadn't stupidly switched Martin out for someone else, she would still be a lady of the Cavendishes. Karina might still be living a better life, but at least she would have nothing to worry about. Katrina could have been living in luxury, but now she lost everything.

Karina might have been separated from her youngest son for eighteen years, but she had two other brilliant sons. To her, Martin wasn't that important. She would weep for the lost time with Martin for two days at most, and then she would forget about it.

Martin might have grown up in a household of abuse, but now he was living in luxury as well. He wore brand-name goods from head to toe and looked the part of a young master of a wealthy family. He also had an elegant aura. It was obvious he was living well.

The early parts of his life were wrong, but that had been rectified. He was only eighteen, and a bright, long future awaited him.

Katrina thought she was making Karina stuffer, but she was the only one in hell in the end. Martin and Karina were both living in luxury. She was the only one who lived carefully for most of her life, and now

she would have to live in hell.

If she knew this would happen, Katrina never would have switched Martin out for her daughter. She could have lived a peaceful life, but she ruined it. Content is property © .

Now, she was curled on the ground, her body and soul assailed by agony. If there was a spell that could unwind time, she would have bought it with everything she had.

If she had a chance to redo this, she would just live her life in peace and never make that switcheroo.

But now her plan failed, and she paid a hefty price for it.

She had no doubt Martin would make her suffer. She would live the rest of life in abject misery and hopelessness. If I knew this would happen… But it was too late for regrets. She couldn't change the past no matter how much she regretted it.

Madeline and Martin got in the car and left.

Katrina was alone in the mud, crying her heart out in despair.

…

At Hart Corporation, Lucas walked into Sebastian's office holding a cup of coffee. He trotted over to Sebastian's desk and sat on it. "I ran into Madeline when I went back to Sun Garden to retrieve some stuff earlier. She was taking Martin somewhere, and boy did she look murderous."