The floodgates opened and memories came pouring in.
Jonathan opened up and talked about the past that he had buried for many years. When it came to the essential part of the story, he held back instantaneously. His throat choked a little.
“Grandpa, what happened to the company then?” Kyle asked eagerly.
Jonathan took another sip of tea. Both his hands gripped onto the cup and continued, “Seet Group received a big business deal from the Marston Group back then. Both companies rushed to produce a batch of valuable products together. However, Seet Group miscalculated two important data and there was a huge problem with the final product. Everything had gone to waste. Therefore, Seet Group was responsible for quite a huge loss. If we were to pay off everything based on our financial ability back then, bankruptcy might have been the next thing for us.”
“And then?” Kyle asked.
At that moment, his eyes deepened as if he had figured out something from within.
Jonathan sighed. “Kyle, do you know why your Great-grandpa did not hand over the Seet Group to me, but to your Dad instead?”
“Something to do with this matter?” Kyle postulated.
Jonathan’s face darkened and followed with a deep sigh. “That is correct. I had disappointed him too much because of this matter!”
“After delivering the goods with Sam that time, I directed all the faults to him in order to minimize Seet Group’s losses. I organized a drinking session and had Sam drunk on purpose. I swapped the two agreements and had him responsible for the batch of problematic goods! He was drunk and was kept in the dark. He thought he had received a profitable contract. After sobering up the next day, he came to realization that I had betrayed him when he found out that Marston Group was liable for a loss!”
“So, Marston Group compensated for the loss and they closed down because of that?”
“Our company was the one that produced the defective goods. Unwilling to be a scapegoat, Sam tried his best to defend himself. I was constantly living in fear and guilt, therefore, I bribed two witnesses to prove he was at fault. Then, he was forced to compensate for the losses and Marston Group went bankrupt. That incident was a great blow to him as he felt that the world’s unpredictable and was filled with evil people. As a result, he suffered from depression and committed suicide by jumping off a building not long after!”
Kyle sank in silence. Who would’ve thought Grandpa had done such a thing in the past?
All these years, Grandpa was indifferent and hadn’t asked much about the company, probably he was trying to avoid the past.
“Your Great-grandpa thought that I wouldn’t be an ideal successor due to my ruthlessness. Therefore, he focused on training your Dad himself. I was also aware that the mistakes that I made back then were irreparable, and I’ve been reflecting on them over the years. When it comes to company matters, I do my best not to intervene unless there’s no choice. Every time I get myself involved, I would remember that I had such an ugly past… In actual fact, I’ve always known that my history with Sam would one day be revealed. There’s a saying ‘karma is a bitch’, who could fight against karma?”
Kyle had mixed feelings.
At that moment, he finally understood why Monica would treat the Seet family and Seet Group in such a way.
A loved one’s passing and a company that went bankrupt… Maybe a grudge like this can’t be resolved or forgotten easily with time.
“Kai, Grandpa is not afraid of dying. As long as Monica is able to let go of her grudge towards the Seet family, I’m willing to sacrifice my life in exchange!”
“Grandpa, sacrificing one’s life for another might not be able to diffuse Monica’s hatred. If tables were turned and Seet Group went through something like that, Seet family members would certainly not let things off the hook easily either.”
What Kyle said was very objective. Even though it was unpleasant to hear, Jonathan agreed fully in his heart.
“You’re right. Even if Grandpa dies, it’s impossible to atone for my sins.”
Kyle looked perplexed. Although Grandpa’s intention back then was to protect the Seet Group, his action was certainly unforgivable.
It would be very difficult to resolve this grudge.
