[. . . if only he had that as an excuse. . . but his past self didn't have any real excuses. nothing beyond a sudden, crushing loneliness in the immediate emptiness of his mother's passing. . . and a jaded bitterness towards the world that had wronged him]

No. I didn't start scamming people in earnest until after she died.

[ugh. maybe "chuuni" really was the right word for the kind of person he was back then]

But my reasons for becoming a scam artist are completely different from the reasons I. . . [. . . do it now? isn't he supposed to be in retirement?]

. . . still want to do it now.