Chapter 381 Need Not Empathize With Him
Arthur had passed away two days ago; however, the news of his death was kept secret in order to arrest Jason. His body was currently kept hidden in Tran-Q’s mortuary without informing his friends and family.
The moment Justin lifted the white cloth, his knees turned weak. Clang! He grabbed the armrest of the mortuary bed beside him, and only then did he avoid falling.
Frankie wanted to help him up when he saw Justin’s condition. However, he declined any help with a hand gesture, and his hand that hung in the air was trembling slightly. It was as if the energy in his body was depleted instantly at the sight of his grandfather. And it took a lot of effort for him to lay his eyes on the old man who had passed away.
Grandpa…
No one knew better than Justin how much effort Arthur had spent over the years to protect him and how much effort he had expanded to nurture him into the adult he was now.
Most of the members of the Burton Family only prioritized benefits. That was an undeniable fact! It was also a fact that Arthur was very strict with him. Yet, none of these could change the truth that Arthur genuinely loved him.
Grandpa’s the only relative I have in this world…
“How long have you known?” Justin’s voice echoed in the empty mortuary.
Rachel stood by the door a little stunned, but she said nothing. Her silence explained everything.
He didn’t turn around as he asked her with his back toward her, “You pretended to cooperate with Jason and got in touch with the Jockey Club. You made a deal with Dillon and went to Jublen. You did everything just for today’s sake, am I right?”
Still, she did not answer, and her silence was her answer.
Suddenly, he let out a laugh and raised his head.
At this moment, he felt like a fool. A manipulated fool who was being played around by her.
For so long, I was worried about Rachel’s safety. I tried so many ways to persuade her not to contact Dillon and the others. I went to the Investigation Bureau to bail her out. I even mobilized material resources, financial resources, and manpower to help her re-establish Hudson Pharmaceuticals, thinking that desperation drove her. But, in reality? In reality, her relationship with Janice was still very close, and she set up such an immaculate trap to arrest Jason just to avenge her relatives’ kidnapping years ago.
“Justin.” She wanted to say something, anything at all. But after silently opening and closing her mouth for a while, she only managed to say, “The dead cannot be resurrected. I’m sorry for your loss.”
“I bet you’re feeling fantastic right now.”
“I’m sorry, I…” Rachel was hesitant to speak.
The person I wanted to arrest was Jason. I have never thought about killing Old Mr. Burton. It was really just a trap. No one would have thought that Old Mr. Burton would die of a cerebral infarction two days ago, least of all me.
“What are you sorry for?”
Then, she watched as he turned around slowly. His stern face was expressionless, but his eyes were bloodshot. As he stared at her, it seemed as if the blood vessels in his eyes might burst at any moment.
He looked at her with sorrow. “Jason got what he deserved. No matter how we look at it, he deserved to go to prison. Back then, he kidnapped your grandmother, so it’s natural for you to arrange such a ploy just to arrest him. Likewise, I also got what I deserved. I had tortured you for so long and caused you so much unrest in your life. So, it’s natural for you to despise me for the passing of your family and friends. I’m not surprised that you didn’t consider my feelings when you executed this plan. I’m not qualified. I’m not worthy…”
As he spoke, his voice held a tremor. However, he continued speaking as if he was possessed. It was as if the words he said were not for her. Instead, it was a mantra he was using to convince himself.
To persuade me to understand her actions. But, how can I understand this? What wrongs has my grandpa committed? At the end of his life, he couldn’t even see me, his unfilial grandson!
She slowly clenched her fists hanging by her side as she watched his dejected state. Finally, as she felt suffocated with every passing second, she said, “I’m sorry. I’ll take my leave first.”
As soon as she came out, she bumped into Justin’s assistant, Frankie.
“President Hudson.”
Frankie asked worriedly as he glanced at the mortuary, “Is President Burton alright?”
She frowned as she heard his inquiry, and she did not know what to say. After all, she had personally suffered the pain of the death of her relatives. To this day, it still remains as one of the most significant losses she has ever encountered.
However, Frankie misunderstood her silence and thought that Justin lashed out at her. Therefore, he quickly explained by saying, “President Hudson, President Burton’s temper has never been the best. Not to mention that Old Mr. Burton is his only relative in this world after all. The strictness and harshness of Old Mr. Burton on President Burton also directly correlates to his love for him. He can’t even see his Grandpa for the last time, so he must be feeling distraught. Please be more understanding of him, President Hudson.”
“Rachel doesn’t have to understand him!” Julian’s voice came from behind the two of them. He had just dealt with the inquiries from the leaders of the other hospitals and rushed over immediately.
“Rachel also didn’t get to see her grandma for the last time when she passed away. Justin should have thought about this when he did the same to her back then. What goes around comes around!”
“Dr. Peters, how can you speak such words? President Burton is your cousin. He—”
“I have always been a supporter of the truth. No one should attempt to impose their morality on Rae!”
Meanwhile, she was as silent as the grave.
It’s precisely because I had personally experienced the death of my loved ones that I empathize with Justin’s feelings at the moment. But Julian has a point too. I need not empathize with him. He reaped what he sowed.
There were too many grievances and entanglements between them, and she couldn’t be bothered to think about who was right or wrong.
Let’s just end things here. Everything is over between us.
“Rae, let’s go!”
“Sure.”
When Rachel left, she looked back at the mortuary. She could see the tall figure inside standing motionlessly like a sculpture through the translucent curtain.
The temperature in the morgue was very low, and it showed in the condition of Arthur’s corpse, which had been resting here for two days. There was a thin layer of frost on his gray hair and eyebrows. His face was blue and gray, showing no sign of life.
In the meantime, Justin stared at Arthur’s corpse blankly. He was still in disbelief.
Even so, he could not blame anyone. He only had himself to blame for actually listening to Robin’s words and went to Belleville on a business trip by himself, leaving behind Arthur who had just come out of surgery.
I can only blame myself for trusting Julian and leaving Grandpa under his care without letting anyone visit him. I only blame myself for committing a lot of sins. I had wronged Rachel first and then my relatives.
“President Burton.” Frankie’s voice sounded behind Justin. “Do you want to notify the board of directors regarding the news of Old Mr. Burton’s death? People have been calling to ask about the situation in the hospital.”
“Notify them.”
“Also, Old Mr. Burton’s lawyer. You should pay the lawyer a visit too and inquire about the inheritance distribution—”
“I don’t want to talk about this right now.”
Frankie’s words were interrupted abruptly. After hesitating for a long time, he finally said, “My condolences, President Burton.”
The next day, the news of Arthur’s death was published in the newspaper, and an obituary was issued. The funeral date was set and would be held after a week.
Behind a simple obituary, there was a hidden undercurrent of unrest with Burton Group’s board of directors due to the power vacuum. People in the same circle could glimpse a hint of what was happening due to the incidents centered around the Burton Group.
“Initially, Robin was the indisputable winner. But now, because Jason was arrested, due to this, it froze all the equity and assets under his name. As a result, his main backer has fallen. I’m sure this idiot is now unable to make a move.”
In the Hudson Pharmaceuticals’ office, Jolly held a cup of coffee and analyzed the current situation of Burton Group.
“According to the current equity distribution of the Burton Group, Justin will be the largest shareholder after inheriting one part of the equity if Old Mr. Burton doesn’t have a will. So Burton Group will eventually be transferred to him. However, I’m afraid it’s still a little difficult for us to acquire Burton Group with someone like Justin around. Don’t you think so, Chris?”
