Lucious Lyons and the fierce, no-nonsense mama bear, Cookie Lyons have become television’s favorite duo in a short amount of time (we’re only into the fourth episode). Whether Lucious wants to give her full credit or not, Cookie built Empire with him, even while she was away. She could’ve snitched at any point.

And fans have made it clear that their #TeamCookie. But there’s one thing Cookie hasn’t dealt with. It’s something I believe she’s afraid to deal with. She can check Lucious all day, beat Jamal until his face turns black and blue and give Anika the greatest read since Phaedra read Kenya last season. But the scars will still be there.

She made a conscious decision as a woman to ride for a man, doing an illegal activity that she knew could cost her everything. Their mistake was selling drugs. Her mistake was not protecting her children, even when Lucious didn’t want to (throwing a child in the trash can is not cool). Those cuts underneath Cookie’s surface are redeemable, but not the way she’s going about it.

How many Cookie’s do we know in real life – the woman who gave it all up to protect a man who threw her under the bus and once released finds herself trying to cause pain to the man who left her hanging? We know her. Some of us are her.

No judgement, but the greatest thing you can do to move forward from a scarred life is to forgive, start over and embrace the new. Not easy. Never will be. But God’s grace and love are there to lead you to a better life and He promised double for your trouble.

And that’s one Man who never lies. Ever.