Chapter 74

Nicole's face stung from the slap, but she was more shocked by her mother's words. "You're defending him?" she spat, her voice venomous. "After everything he did to us, you're defending him?"
Karen's face softened, and she looked at Nicole with tears in her eyes. "I'm not defending him, Nicole," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm forgiving him. I forgave him a long time ago."
Nicole's eyes widened in shock, and she felt like she had been punched in the gut. "You forgave him?" she repeated, her voice shaking with rage. "How could you? After everything he did to us?"