Karma

They say Karma can be kind or cruel. Victor learns this the hard way when his decisions led him to this moment.

Karma

 

                        Victor Gambell had his head in his hands as he sat hunched over his desk, papers scattered everywhere and his computer screen showing a list of numbers, most of which were in the negatives. He had shut the ringer on his office phone off, unable to handle the waves of phones that just kept pouring in. His cell phone was on vibrate and it had practically numbed his leg from constant calls that he was ignoring just as much as his office phone.

                        His company was failing, and the options he had left were leaving a bile-like taste on his tongue.

                        He remembered when he came to his family's company when he was a child, the employees greeting him with a smile and a laugh as they had fun working on the latest computer codes and testing the newest computer systems. His father was CEO at the time, taking over for his father when he retired, just as he took over when his father retired. The company had been around for decades, staying as one of the best computer companies in the world. He remembered the twinkle in his father's eye and all the stories and lessons he was told. How his father was so proud of him when he got his first job at the company, a simple office clerk, before he worked his way up to being Vice President in a few short years. He ignored the jeers and whispers of everyone saying that he only got the positions due to his father's influence, that he didn't deserve anything he worked so hard for. He proved himself over and over again that h earned everything through his own two hands. Oh, how he was sneering at them when he was given another reward, when he explained how he got as far as he could without any handouts. It felt so good.

                        Victor let a small smile form upon his face when he remembered meeting his first wife. He dared not say her name, as it would bring back painful memories. They were in college at the time, both studying business. She had such a beautiful laugh, had a way to make even the simplest of clothing look so beautiful on her. He did not hesitate to ask her out, their parents approving of the couple right away. They married shortly after graduation, giving birth to his son a year later before he took over as CEO, and those days were some of the best days of his life.

                        Then his wife died from illness, and his life came spiraling down. His son, James, was very supportive of him, despite the pain of losing his mother. Victor began training James to become his successor to try and not fall into a deep depression. Oh, how they were close. Father and son. He can only figure one reason it all went wrong.

                        During a business party, Victor met his second wife Jeanette. She couldn't compare to his first wife, but she was pretty enough that he felt something for her. James encouraged his father to find his own happiness, and happiness he found in Jeanette. They married after six months, Jeanette becoming pregnant shortly after. He didn't know when it happened, but he noticed that James started to hate Jeanette. He would complain to his father about how Jeanette was disrespecting his mother or would slap him for no reason. There was no signs of abuse, and Jeanette complained that James would call her names and yell at her. At one point, he had heard them arguing and came in just in time to see James slap Jeanette. Jeanette was crying while James looked shocked. Before Victor could demand what was going on, Jeanette was in his arms in fear, calling James a monster and that he wanted their child dead. Victor didn't take time to listen to James' side of the story. He had enough. James wanted him to find happiness, so why was his son trying to ruin it for him? He had to make a choice, and he knew he would be losing someone he loved. That someone he did.

                        James was kicked out of the mansion home, living in an apartment Victor paid for, and working at a part-time job for another company. Victor refused to hire his son, afraid of what would happen if he came close to Jeanette again. He tried to keep tabs, but when his daughter Valerie was born, he paid all of his attention between business and his new family. Jeanette kept whispering to him how James was a bad influence on him and what he would do to Valerie if they ever met. He believed every word, especially when he heard that James was seen doing drugs by one of his assistants. However, he couldn't disown him, let alone stop helping him. What would his first wife say?

                        Valerie soon began questioning about James. She had heard the staff talking about him, and wanted to meet him. Victor thought it would be a bad idea, as Jeanette claimed it would be, but couldn't deny Valerie. He contacted James through an invitation for dinner by mail, including that James could bring another with him. James responded that he would be there.

                        The air was tense when James arrived with a beautiful young woman that he introduced as his girlfriend Sarah. Sarah was kind and courteous, offering a gift of flowers to them. Victor liked her right away, and couldn't help but ask many questions about her while Valerie asked James many questions about him. Jeanette stayed quiet, which was unusual. She was always chatting about the latest fashion or what her friends had gossiped about. Sarah was working on her degree in psychology and worked with many local charities when she had free time. She met James during a study session in college, and the two of them hit it off since. Victor avoided asking James any questions, afraid of starting a fight with him. James, likewise, said nothing to him, even avoiding eye contact. Victor excused himself to take Valerie to the restroom, a big mistake on his part. When they came back, James looked like he was ready to cry and Sarah was looking at Jeanette angrily. Jeanette, on the other hand, screeched at him to make them leave. She claimed that Sarah had insulted their family by calling her a w***e and a gold digger. Sarah claimed that anyone that insults the deceased didn't deserve to be fortunate. Victor didn't bother to ask what started the argument, nor whose deceased Jeanette supposedly insulted. He had his servants escort the two out with Valerie crying for James to come back. It broke his heart.

                        After that, Jeanette became adamant that Victor should get rid of James once and for all. She claimed that he was using their money for drugs and was working in gangs, and that                                   Sarah was just a cover up for his illegal doings. Victor believed her, every word. He didn't why he did, for he just did. He just wanted to be happy, and reintroducing James upset the balance in his home. By giving in to Jeanette, he returned the balance. He just delayed telling James until two months later and that his lawyers had sent the disownment papers. The post officer had to search for where James lived, as he was evicted a month before due to lack of payment. The papers were signed harshly to the point they were almost ripped by the pen, which a message that stated thank you for not telling him about not paying the rent so that he came home to find his stuff outside and raided by thieves and the homeless. Victor was certain that James was exaggerating until he saw in the newspaper of James being interviewed about how his property manager never told him the rent was due and threw his stuff outside for everyone to raid and he begged for people to help him get his stuff back.  He had felt very guilty and sent him some money to pay for the lost items.  The check was promptly sent back.

                        That was the last he heard about James. Order was restored to his family, his only family left, so there was no other reason to bother with a stranger now.  James soon became a faint memory of a shameful person he once knew.

                        Years passed, and a new company began rising in power that put other companies on edge.  Victor thought nothing of them, seeing as their sales were rising so slow that he would crush them at the next expo with his newest computer systems. Then two of his investors left him. He couldn't understand it, and Jeanette soothed him by saying that the investors would be sorry for leaving him soon. Soon, though, employees started leaving his company, and he soon learned that they were going to the new company. He had a mole go in to see how such a small company was able to get their employees, only for the mole to turn in his resignation instead of a report.

                        Sales began to drop, and Victor had called several board meetings to find out what was going on. His board had no answers, believing that the reasons behind the rival company's success was due to their charismatic CEO Timothy Reids.  He was a genius in computer electronics and was a renowned author of children and adult books.  He was loved by so many people and had a large base of fans.  Victor didn't want to know about the CEO, just the reasons why the new computer systems were not selling.  They then dropped the bomb:  the systems were flawed.  The computer systems needed a component that made the system work perfectly, but only one company made the component due to how hard it was to get the resources to make it.  And that company had broke ties with his company in favor of Timothy's company.  The board had said nothing in hope that they could persuade the company back in time, but had no such luck and was forced to launch in order to make the deadline.  Victor was so angry that even Jeanette stayed away from him.  So many people were fired, the computer systems pulled off market, and Victor spent weeks holed up in his office to try and find a substitute to make the computer systems work.  Nothing he tried had worked, and they had to offer refunds for those that had bought the computer systems.  His company suffered from the losses.

                        His marriage also suffered during that time.  Jeanette argued with him every time she wanted to buy something that she didn't really needed, just wanted it because it was either pretty or because one of her friends had it and she was jealous for it.  They couldn't afford to spend their money recklessly like before because the company wasn't making the money that once filled their bank accounts, and she just couldn't understand why they had to save what money they had left.  She had always told him that the company would bounce back, so being cautious won't be necessary and that he was being silly.  Valerie was diagnosed with diabetes and her medication was nothing to sneeze at, despite Jeanette trying to.  They both tried to make Valerie comfortable and happy, but she would cry every time she saw a child with sweets and begged her parents for her to have some.  Victor stayed firm despite his breaking heart, but Jeanette had been caught sneaking sweets to Valerie despite the doctor's warnings.  They had to rush Valerie to the Emergency Room several times, the last time Social Services getting involved and threatening  to take Valerie away to foster care if it happened again.  The one warning was enough for Jeanette to stop.

                        As things went from bad to worse, Victor was forced to drain his own accounts to keep his company afloat.  In desperation, he had allowed his technicians to release several untested products just to try and gain some revenue back into the company.  Some products took off, but others were defective and the returns overshadowed the sales.  Even his stockholders lost faith, selling the company's stocks and dropping their value to mere single digits.  His board had suggested filing bankruptcy before it was too late.  Jeanette had threatened divorce if he didn't spend more time with her than with the company.  Victor had fled to his office with his wet bar being his only best friend for the last few days.

                        Which led to where he was right now.  He had enough money to pay what few employees remain and the bills for the month, but will be completely broke the next month.  He had sold his stocks with other companies, sold several cars without Jeanette knowing about it, and even sold several pieces of jewelry to keep them afloat.  Selling his grandfather's pocket watch nearly broke him, for that pocket watch had been in the family for generations.  The revenue for what products remained on the market just wasn't enough.  They were too far in the red to be eligible for a loan, and he doubted that he would be able to pay it back in time at all.  He was on his last legs when he opened his email for a surprise.

                        It was from Timothy Reids.  He had personally sent an email detailing that he wanted to meet Victor for a meeting about possibly selling his company over to him.  Victor had wanted to laugh.  Sell the company?  His family's company?  Ridiculous!  He wanted to email him back his refusal with a few choice words.  He wanted to scream his frustrations, yell to the world that the company would make a miraculous recovery.  That he had something so great that it would even change the world of computer technology.

                        However, reality was not so kind.  He was out of options, out of time.  It would be a massive blow to his ego, but he might be able to get enough money to buy a decent enough house.  He would have to sell the mansion, lay off what remained of his servants, and find work elsewhere.  Who knows.  Once he was able to create new computer systems and get an investor to sell them, he could make a new company and get back on top again.  Yeah.  He just... needed a break from all of this.  Spend more time with family.  Jeanette would understand.  She had to.  If she loved him like she always said she did, she would help him out. 

                        He came back home very late after setting a time for tomorrow with Timothy.  He didn't want to tell Jeanette just yet, wanting to figure out what Timothy had planned for a selling price.  He went to his private bathroom and showered, feeling refreshed after days of not bathing.  He wondered were Jeanette was as he came out to change into his pajamas, the bed appearing to had been untouched for days.  He searched around, taking a moment to look into Valerie's bedroom.  His precious princess was sleeping peacefully in her bed, surrounded by her favorite plush animals.  His heart leaped in his throat, his eyes off of wonder and amazement.  With a soft sigh, he closed the door quietly and continued his search.  Nothing.  She wasn't in the mansion.  Where could she had gone?

                        Exhaustion claimed Victor and he went to his bed to sleep.  He had no dreams and awoke to the noise of laughter and hushed whispers.  It was Jeanette, and it sounded that she was with her friends.  He got up and went to the bathroom to change and get clean up.  He heard Jeanette enter the bedroom, still whispering something.  He came out in a suit to a shock.

                        Jeanette looking very drunk while wearing a rumpled dress that he had bought her on their anniversary, and one of their security guards.  Jeanette looked shocked before erupting into laughter and falling down on the bed, talking about how Victor had good timing and they should all have a threesome.  The security guard apologized and told Victor that Jeanette had been out with her friends at Chica's, the new restaurant and night club for high society.  Victor told him to make sure that Jeanette didn't leave the mansion until he got back.  He went to tell Jeanette the same, but she had passed out.  Looking at her, he wondered briefly what did he ever see in her.

                        Timothy's company office was not as tall as Victor's, but the interior was looked comfortable and didn't feel much like an office building.  In fact, everyone looked happy to be working there.  He studied the building and its employees as he rode the glass elevator, putting on his best poker face to prevent anyone from seeing his thoughts.  The employees were dressed in casual business, which he looked upon disapprovingly.  Appearance was everything in a company.  The cubicles on one of the floors were larger than the ones at his company, spacious enough for one to have a small refrigerator underneath.  The break room, well floor, had one side enclosed with a few vending machines while the outside area had umbrella tables and padded seats.  What was going on with the company?  Why was it spending so much money for such frivolous things? 

                        Victor  reached the top floor, which had two meeting rooms that were full of laughter and one large  auditorium-style room that appeared to be a training room full of people listening to an employee at a podium.  His training had been a few days with a training computer and filing documents away.  It made him slightly envious before he scold himself.  He was pretty certain that possibly half of those people would quit after a few weeks, making the training session a waste of money and time.  He reached the end of the hallway, the secretary greeting him with a smile and opened the door for him.  Steeling his nerves, Victor entered the office and took a seat in one of the two plush chairs before a dark oak desk, the chair behind it turned away from him.  He didn't get a chance to look around before the chair turned around.

                        It was James.  James Grendell.  His disowned son.  He was in so much shock that he couldn't speak as James explained how Sarah saved him for a self-destructive path that he had taken after being kicked out years ago, believing everything Jeanette had poisoned him with as a child because of her jealousy of him, the reminder that she was the second wife and not the first.  He had learned that he had a knack for writing as much as he was a genius with computer programming and design.  Sarah's parents were willing to help him start his dual careers and he had came to that dinner so long ago to tell him.  Jeanette spoiled it by insulting his mother again and Sarah had defended him.  As usual, Victor did not get his side of the story and threw them away, cutting all ties with him.  With help from people sympathetic to his eviction and Sarah's family, James began his career as Timothy Reids, his penname in the writing world, as well as his alias in his company.  He studied other companies and took advice from his employees on how to improve his company.  He heard them all, from the considerate to the outright ridiculous.  He didn't rely on hiring experienced employees for his board, but hired close friends and relations that he knew wouldn't try to backstab him or turn the company down the wrong path.  He also listened to his customers, tinkering and improving old designs while adding ideas to his new designs.  He had found that what Victor had taught him had worked for a time, but that time had passed.  The new era with companies was to make sure everyone was happy, both customers and employees. 

                        James also told him that he had considered for a time to let Victor's company fall, having heard stories from former employees how they were miserable due to how they were treated by their superiors.  Victor thought long and hard if he heard such complaints, but his mind drew a blank.  Why was he not told?  His door was always open if someone had something to tell him....

                        James filled in the blanks.  He told Victor that the superiors that were hired had gotten Jeanette's approval to be hired without going through the mandatory training sessions or start at the bottom as office clerks like everyone else.  Victor went to protest, but James waved him off and stated that he knew that his father wouldn't listen to him even now.  All that was left to do was to talk about the selling of the company.  Victor could feel his pride rising to refuse James and challenge him, try to save some of his dignity.  James sat back down and handed him a contract, the amount more than substantial.  James told him to think about it, then come back when he had made a decision.

                        Victor left in a daze, not even saying goodbye.  His mouth felt dry, the words long gone.  What could he say?  Bridges had been burned, stones had been thrown.  He had exhausted all options and even threw some away.  He...felt defeated.  Tired.  He just wanted to curl up back in his bed and forget everything, like this nightmare never existed.  But... he can't.  He was a business man, in charge of the livelihoods of many people, including his family.  He had to do what he had to do.

                        He tried to remembered a time he had seen James smile so fondly at his father, when the two of them were happy and could tell each other anything.  His head hurt from trying to remember, as if digging up such memories u[ would show him something important that he had dismissed passively.  He could only recall the wedding of himself and Jeanette, when James was at his happiest for his father.  He congratulated the newlyweds and gave them  gifts of clay sculptures that he made himself.  Victor remembered Jeanette telling James they were beautiful, but a thought crossed his mind. 

                        Where were the sculptures?  Why did everything changed after that?

                        He remembered James coming to him in tears and what appeared to be a slight bruise on his cheek.  James told him that Jeanette hit him and called him a spoiled brat when he asked if he could have a cookie.  Victor asked Jeanette about it, and she told him that she caught James sneaking cookies from the pantry before dinner and that he hurt himself earlier when he got caught.  She showed him the empty container of cookies as proof and Victor had James punished for lying by having him go without dinner. 

                        Now that he thought about it, that container had been on the highest shelf in the pantry and was just bought.  How could James climb onto the shelf with no chair tall enough for him to reach?  How could James eat all of the cookies without getting sick, as it was a large container?  Jeanette didn't even explained how he hurt himself either.

                        As he thought more and more on it, there was just so many small clues that he had dismissed during that time.  So many holes in Jeanette's stories that didn't add up.  He had ignored all of these and just took her side because he wanted her happy, because it was just easier to take her side.  Could it be...

                        Did Jeanette wanted James gone all along?  Was James right that she had been jealous of him because he was his first wife's son?  Because she was scared that he would inherit everything and both she and Valerie would have nothing?

                        Victor arrived at the mansion, seeing his head butler at the door with a worried look on his face.  He asked what was wrong, and the head butler led him to a room with the door ajar.  Victor moved closer and heard Jeanette's voice on the other side.  His blood ran cold as he listened to her laugh and told whoever was on the other side that she would get them hired at his company with promises of a large salary and a comfy office of their own.  The person on the other end said something that he wouldn't hear, and Jeanette hummed in acknowledgment as she went on about purchasing tickets and going on vacation since her husband was not 'performing his husband duties'.  Victor had no words to describe how he felt and charged into the room, scaring Jeanette as he picked up the phone she had dropped to demand who it was on the line.  He ignored Jeanette's screeching and her demands to give her the phone back, the person on the other time so scared that he hung up.  Victor looked at the Caller I.D. and saw it was a number for an airline company.

                        He turned to Jeanette and demanded an explanation.  Jeanette huffed and told him it was none of his business, which led to a full-scale argument that revealed so much of his wife that Victor couldn't stomach it all.  She had been going behind his back since the company began to decline and spent money on jewelry, cars, and hotels for her friends.  She offered jobs at his company at more than the average pay to the sellers in exchange for better deals.  She kept the board of directors quiet with threats of getting them fired if they did not cooperated with her.  Victor swore that would've never happened, but Jeanette pointed out that he believed her over James whenever he had went to his father about complaints about her, and he could not deny that.

                        After listening to her try and manipulate him into allowing her to call the airline company back, Victor had had enough and told her to get out.  He was filing for divorce, like he should've done a long time ago.  Jeanette screeched her protests and threatened to take Valerie with her.  Their argument heated up some more before the head butler interrupted them.  When demanded to know why, he told them it was Valerie.  She had a seizure due to not having her insulin shot at the prescribed hour, as they were out of insulin.  Jeanette paled, remembering she was supposed to pick up the insulin at the pharmacy that morning, but spent all that time on the phone deal-making and thought they had at least one left.  Victor dialed 911 as Jeanette broke down in tears.

                        The ambulance arrived shortly and the doctors took Valerie into the Emergency Operating Room.  Victor and Jeanette waited in the Waiting Room with baited breath and tears falling down their cheeks.  Their ears were tuned to anyone saying their name, waiting agonizingly for hours for any news on their daughter.  They had no more words to say to each other.  They both only had thoughts of Valerie, and prayers that she would be okay.

                        The doctor came by and asked them a series of questions, such as when was Valerie's last injection and was she sticking to her diet.  Victor turned to Jeanette for the answers, as he had not been home in weeks.  Jeanette struggled to find an answer, saying that she had  ordered a maid to give Valerie the insulin shots at the correct time and monitor the food she was eating.  She then told them she knew they were out of insulin since the maid told her they were low on supply and she had planned on going to the pharmacy to pick up more.  Victor called the mansion and spoke to the head butler to find the maid that was supposed to watch over Valerie.  The head butler told them that the maid Jeanette had spoken about had quit two weeks ago after getting a new job and had given Jeanette her notice.  Victor turned to Jeanette, who looked at him with confusion.  The head butler told him that the chef made certain that Valerie stuck to her diet,  but they had noticed after checking Valerie's room after she was sent to the hospital that she had stashed a large box of candy in her closet with half of it empty wrappers.  No one knew how it got there or how she was able to hide it for so long.  Victor's blood ran cold, his face scaring Jeanette. 

                        The doctor sighed and told them that Valerie's blood sugar levels were beyond the normal levels for even a non-diabetic.  He had been surprised that she not had a seizure sooner than today.  They had managed to save her life, but Valerie was in a coma at the moment with no means of telling when she would wake up, let alone how much damaged had been done to her brain due to the seizure.  The doctor then told them that he had no choice, with all the information he had been given, but to call Social Services.  Jeanette tried to bargain with the doctor with promises of money and gifts for his silence, but the doctor told her that bribing him would do her no good, and would lead her to jail.  She then screamed at the top of her lungs that she was a good mother and wife and that the doctor had no right to call Social Services on her because she was doing her job while dealing with a deadbeat husband that rarely came home.  Victor just sat there, stunned, and didn't even come to the doctor's aid when Jeanette went to attack him, nor Jeanette's when the police arrived and arrested her.  All he could think about was that Valerie was in a coma and it was all his fault.  No amount of money or power was going to save Valerie.  It was then that he remembered James' offer.  With hospital costs and Social Services on the way, alongside the media no less after hearing about Jeanette's outburst, he had finally reached the end of his rope.  He had nothing else left.

                        He slowly stood up and walked outside, dialing a number.

                        Months later had found Victor by Valerie's bedside at the hospital, watching the news.  He no longer wore his suits outside of work, opting for a polo shirt and jeans.  He felt more comfortable in them.  In fact, he felt more relaxed than ever.  He had long forgotten when he had felt such relaxation.  Perhaps when he was a child.

                        Victor had signed away his company to James, who also added an additional bonus of paying for Valerie's medical care until Victor could get back on his feet and care for her on his own.  Despite not knowing her so well, James did love his little stepsister, and visited time-to-time to see her.  Both of his companies were doing well, the house cleaning James did had revealed so many employees that were not even fit for even small retail stores, including the one that cost him that partner that could've saved them all.  As Victor had guessed, they were all hired by Jeanette in exchanged for deals on items they had sold to her.  He hired new staff, and they pulled the company out of the hole that almost buried the company alive.  He himself was living in a small apartment and was working on getting a house for when Valerie woke up, so they could live together.  It had seemed so easy, had felt so, but there were several large bumps in the road that almost made him want to run away from it all and pretend it never happened.

                        The hardest bump of them all was the end of his marriage and the court battles thereafter.  Jeanette was beyond angry upon finding out that he sold the company to James after she made bail, claiming that he had no right to it after being disowned and Valerie was supposed to be his successor.  Victor pointed out that Valerie was not in any position to do anything except get better and James bought the company legally, not inherited it.  They had no more money to keep in business anymore thanks to her careless spending and reckless hiring without his approval.  Jeanette claimed that she didn't need it because she was his wife and that she didn't do anything against his wishes. Her arguments fell on deaf ears as Victor talked to his lawyers and the Social Service representative for Valerie, deciding not to bring her along for the meeting. 

                        Things were bad due to Victor neglecting his family while trying to save his company, and Jeanette for leaving Valerie in the care of their employees that would amount to little more than strangers and for not keeping track of her insulin shots or her diet.  What they did to James as a child didn't help matters either.  Everyone was looking for all the dirt they would to bury them in with, and he knew the media would spin even the smallest of the dirt for the maximum damage.

                        The lawyer suggested to Victor to pin the blame on Jeanette, since she was the one at home most of the time and should have been watching Valerie.  She had also hired those employees that he had no knowledge of, as well as attempted to drain his accounts to spend on frivolous items.  Fraud, theft, and child neglect.  Victor did not like the idea, seeing as he still loved her, but also did not like the idea of losing Valerie either.  The Social Service representative stayed quiet, writing everything down as he listened to them.  Victor decided to take his chances in court, too tired to do anything else but just fight now for Valerie.  Of only he had fought for James so long ago and listened to his side instead of listening to Jeanette all the time.  Perhaps his family would be whole again.  Perhaps he wouldn't had fallen so hard and felt the horrible feelings he was feeling.

                        The court trails were even harder, as the press was outside trying to get answers and Jeanette was not helping things as she made herself look like a victim.  She went so far as to tell them that she was abused by Victor verbally and was forced to marry him or else he would've ruined her family.  Victor was not shocked that she would go that route.  Anything just to not face the consequences of her actions.

                        The court didn't see it her way, as the Social Service representative concluded in his findings that Victor was not to be blamed completely due to him struggling to keep his family and company afloat, while Jeanette shouldered much of the blame due to her being right there at home most of the time and should've been paying more attention to Valerie's well being.  Victor was grateful for the Social Service representative taking his side.   Jeanette, on the other hand, was screaming at how much of a liar the Social Service representative was when he revealed through confessions by the head butler and staff that Jeanette was neglectful of Valerie unless Victor was with her or it was a special occasion.  She gave Valerie sweets and told her to leave her be whenever Valerie came to her mother for attention, which explained the box of candy in her room.  Jeanette was supposed to pick up the insulin medicine weeks before her seizure, but Jeanette claimed she was supposed to pick it up on the day Valerie had her seizure.  The report from the head butler revealed that Jeanette had told him she was leaving the country for a week with her friends, and had told him that some maid would pick up the insulin.  Jeanette had to be removed from the court room when James was called to the stand, his side of the story finally revealed and Jeanette making such a scene that even her lawyer looked ashamed.  Victor himself never felt so much shame in his life than right there after James was done, but James shed no tears.  His son... Yes, his son.  He was a man now.  He had gotten over Jeanette's abuse.  Gotten over him.

                        The court ruling was that Jeanette lost her parental rights to Valerie and had granted Victor his divorce with no alimony to Jeanette.  However, he would not be able to see Valerie without supervision by a Social Service representative for two months, in which he had to prove that he was willing to step up and take care of Valerie.  Victor vowed to do so.  The court also asked if he wanted to sue Jeanette for the crimes she had committed against him and his company.  Victor said no.  The sooner he was away from Jeanette, the better.  It was his last act of kindness to her.

                        The mansion was sold along with the furniture and other items he could part with that Jeanette didn't take for herself.  She wanted everything, and Victor put his foot down on the matter.  She tried to overturn the court decision on the alimony, but she lost due to her theft from Victor on the items she purchased with money from his accounts without his permission, the large savings account she had that she tried to hide, and that she moved back in with her parents.  He felt sorry for her parents. 

                        He had spent some time to contemplate his next move, using his unemployment to care for himself and Valerie.  With good fortune, a good friend offered him an office job at his company, to which he took.  It wasn't as stressful as being a CEO, but he couldn't help but feel a bit arrogant at times working a lesser job.  In the end, whatever paid the bills and helped Valerie eased the sting to his pride.

                        Victor turned the television off and began reading Valerie a story.  She had yet to awaken, and Victor feared the day she did.  Jeanette didn't even called him or come to see how Valerie was doing.  From what he heard, she had been dating again and acting like she didn't had a daughter or an ex husband.  Even if she hated him, she could at least come to see Valerie.  He guessed that she never did love anyone but herself.

                        In good news, on the other hand, the doctors had told him that they don't see any signs of brain damage from the seizure with what scans they did, but they can't be certain until she wakes up. Victor wanted his daughter back, but not at the expense of her health.  He told her to take her time, but do return to him when she was ready.  he would do her right when she does.  No more putting her off for work.  No more believing someone else over her.  He would give her everything she needed and make sure she never felt unloved ever again.  He would no longer be blind.

                        Karma had made certain of that.

 

THE END

Author's Note

It's been awhile, but I'm back. I hope you enjoyed.