Death cannot pay debts

'I don't know how it started, sir. It's just that he suddenly shed his blood on the grave and the ground, while screaming and crying.'

It was Arthur's memory of the grave keeper's statement.

By this time, his father had been taken to the hospital and was receiving medical attention. His life is no longer in danger. It's just that because his skin was injured for too long, the blood flowing out so much, and he almost went into hypovolemic shock. Plus the father is old, vulnerable, has low blood pressure and seems stressed too. So the middle-aged man was still unconscious.

"Are you going to be here or coming back? I have to get back because I have things to take care of." Evander said as he handed over a warm cup of coffee.

Arthur didn't take the coffee, only replied, "You go. You can take the car."

Evander put his coffee on the waiting chair and took the car keys instead. He watched Arthur's unreadable expression and sighed.

"I'll have someone pick you up later." Evander tapped him on the shoulder and left.

Completely alone in the waiting chair, Arthur rested his face in his palms, pressing his aching head slightly. He was unaware of this sudden change in situation and did not understand what he was feeling now.

His father had left him and his mother with so much pain. Arthur should have hated him to death. But seeing his father do unexpected things like this, made his heart waver.

What happened to his father to make him like this? It seemed that it wasn't just because he had gone bankrupt. There must be something bigger going on.

By evening, he was still sitting there alone, doing nothing. He thought that Livy would be worried, then intended to send a message.

He wrote; I have urgent work and working overtime.

But then he deleted it before sending the message. He had promised himself not to lie to her again, and he couldn't possibly break it.

Before he could type a message, his phone rang, Livy called him. He answered without hesitation.

"Arthur, why aren't you home yet? Did something happen? You okay, right?"

Hearing this worried tone, Arthur could imagine his little wife's expression and smiled weakly.

"I can't come back tonight. My father ... he is hospitalized."

"Father-in-law sick?" Livy sounded surprised. "Then ... should I go there with you? Are you alone? Since when were you in the hospital? You must not have eaten, right? No matter what, you can't be late to fill your stomach, ok? Um ... or should I just bring food for you?"

Arthur felt that he saw a miracle before his eyes, so that his fatigue and tiredness disappeared in an instant. He really loved his little wife and he loved hearing her voice.

"His condition isn't too bad. You don't need to come. I'll just wait for him to wake up and talk to him a few things." His other hand finally moved to hold his cold coffee.

"It's okay if you don't come home. You have to accompany your father. Even if mother-in-law is there, she is still a woman. It's not good to let her take care of him alone."

Livy still didn't know that Matthew and his mother have been kicked out of the house. It's natural for her to say this.

Even she didn't know that the one causing them trouble was Matthew.

"You are also a woman, you are also alone at home. I can't leave you alone." Arthur spoke a little teasingly.

"I'm fine."

"I'll be home after talking to my father." Arthur insisted.

He heard his little wife's soft laugh. "Fine then. I'll be waiting for you at home. Come back quickly."

Both of them hung up the phone at the same time. Arthur felt his heart feel a little relieved after talking to her. But he still felt guilty because there were some things he still hides from his little wife. He felt compelled to talk about it when he got home.

"Sir, I wanted to let you know that Mr. Finnegan is awake." A nurse came half an hour later to tell him.

Without further ado Arthur entered. Both hands in trouser pockets. He walked calmly as if his heart had never wavered at all. His gaze was firm and cold. As soon as he heard the sound of constant overtones in the room, his chest trembled slightly and he almost wanted to step back.

Then his heart became steady again.

Luther was very pale, his eyes were empty, his skin dull, the nasal cannula in his nose to circulate air—Arthur watched this all blankly.

Images of where his mother was in the same position dozens of years ago, rushed through his memory. Making the heart that was originally calm become filled with anger again and he really wanted to let this lying man die. But his instincts vehemently resisted. No matter how much he hates his father, this man is still his father, in his blood flows the blood of this man.

Arthur then closed his eyes, calmed the rumble in his heart and took a deep breath.

"I thought you didn't want to see this old man anymore." His father suddenly said, his voice very weak and barely audible.

Luther's gaze fell on the lamp burning in the ceiling. Empty and dead. It was as if his soul had left.

"I know that you have fully recovered. Even if you don't care about me and throw me away, it is a fair price." Luther continued.

Arthur remained silent. He stood at his father's feet, but he didn't look forward at all.

"Forgive me ..."

Arthur's jaw tightened at this apology, but he insisted on silence.

"I know all about it. I have realized my mistake over the years of keeping snakes in my own home. Just by kicking them out, that doesn't suit you, right?"

"..."

Luther then laughed at himself, he laughed until he finally choked and coughed.

After his cough subsided, he continued, "You can repay me now. You can make me blind and crippled or even kill me. You are my biological child, my flesh and blood. Dying at your hands is what makes me happy."

Arthur closed his eyes.

"This old loser doesn't even have the guts to kill himself, does he?" Luther smiled dryly.

"..."

"This old loser can only trouble his biological child whom he abandoned trying to help kill him. He is still so selfish." He cried.

Luther knew that saying sorry was never enough, even saying this, which sounded like a play of pathetic regret, wouldn't be enough either.

He does not know how to pay for all his mistakes.

"I tried to pay for the blood your mother gave, by offering mine for hers, but it still hasn't paid off in full. Tell me what should I do? I wanna die. I wanna follow my wife."

Really, Arthur couldn't stand hearing this anymore, but thanks to this, all his questions were answered. Right. It turned out that his father knew all about his stepmother's secrets and corruption, and divorced her as soon as this was revealed. Even knowing the DNA test results were bogus.

His father, who used to care deeply about the big name that others looked up to, seemed to have fallen not because of his bankruptcy, but because of a mistake he finally realized.

Arthur felt that he had had enough of this information.

"Even your death is not enough to pay for it. I can forget all my pain, but I cannot forget all my mother's suffering." Arthur's voice was cold.

"I'm sorry ... I'm so sorry ...." Luther's lips quivered, he cried even harder.

Arthur shook his head, denying any sense of weakness towards this other part of his father.

"Let's just say that you didn't find out the truth. Let's just say ... I'm not your biological child."

***

Arthur had promised to come home right after talking to his father, but he was feeling so mixed up right now. Instead of returning, he went to a private restaurant, ordered some intoxicating wine and drank it until he was completely drunk.

But does the pain go away? No. Of course not.

When painful memories are forced to be looked back on, it's not just the pain that is real, the suffering and hurt are real.

His mother ...

How his mother could die was imprinted in his head. His mother had always been weak because of her illness, but she was getting weaker because of the poison that the cunning woman gave her secretly.

Not only his mother, even Arthur was tried to be killed by her.

What's his mistake? Is living in this world to be his fault?

Arthur continued to regret this. If only he could take his mother away immediately upon her presence, he might be able to save her. It wasn't just his father who couldn't afford to pay for his mother's suffering, even Arthur couldn't.

He's useless. He indirectly became part of killing his own mother.

He swallowed one gulp in every regret. Because regret is as high as a mountain, these bottles of drink are still not enough. He ordered again. He waited for the waiter to come in to take his order. Instead, another person entered, pulling him to his feet firmly.

Arthur rebelled.

"You're drunk. Stop drinking." Evander's voice was very calm as he coaxed him.

"I'm useless. I'm so useless." Arthur babbled under his breath.

"Boss ..." Dave who came with Evander also held his body.

Evander said sharply, "You are useless and you realize it, that's good. But after that you have to come back to yourself. There is still Livy waiting for you. Are you willing to let her see you like this?"

Suddenly Arthur became more melancholy. "Livy ... Don't show it to Livy."

Dave and Evander looked at each other and nodded. As Arthur became more obedient, they managed to drag him into the car. Dave handed him a water bottle and helpep him drink it. After drinking the water, Arthur calmed down, his eyes closed, from the corners of his eyes tears flowed.

Dave looked at him worriedly, wiping away his tears.

Maybe Arthur fell asleep after that, or passed out. Dave said, "What hell is going on?"

"I told you Luther tried to kill himself." Evander answered behind the wheel.

"Nonsense! Boss hates that damn old man so much, why did he become like this after knowing that old man was almost dead?"

According to Dave, surely the problem is not that simple.

"I secretly taped a recorder on him. I have overheard all of their conversations. It seems Luther has learned all the truth," Evander explained calmly.

Dave knew which truth is meant.

"Fvck! So what if he finds out? He's sorry now? It's no use, dammit!" Cursing, Dave looked for the recorder in question, and found a small bug on the shoulder of Arthur's coat. Then threw it out the window. "It would be better if he died then. Why is he still alive?"

"So that's the reason why Luther divorced his young wife and kicked out his wife and his son." Evander concluded himself.

"Boss's life was so peaceful without them, now they're starting to bother him again, I've completely lost my temper with them. They either want a divorce, die miserably or head over heels in the abyss, I don't fvcking care! I'll teach them a lesson if they're found!"

"Don't try to kill Luther even if you really want to." Evander advised him.

Among the three of them, only Evander had never had any problems with his family. He comes from a very rich and respected family. Even he didn't need to work hard and the money would flow to him every day. He didn't understand the predicament Arthur or Dave were in.

But due to his boring life, he followed the two of them, looking for challenges in life. Only then did he know slowly, that his life was indeed too flat without any challenges, but that was better.

Evander has no regrets whatsoever about being anywhere.

"Why can't I kill him?" Dave finally answered with a sly smile. "You know I can't promise that."

***

"How come he's drunk?" Livy asked worriedly while trying to grab the unconscious Arthur. The smell of alcohol was so strong that she winced.

"You can ask him when he wakes up." Evander began to detach Arthur's body.

Once the burden was on Livy completely, she staggered. Holding a body that was bigger than him, didn't seem like a good choice, let alone she was pregnant.

"Sister-in-law, let me help you," Dave offered.

"I-It's fine. I can do it myself. You guys go home. It's getting late." Livy refused.

"Nah, I got you. I got you."

In the end Dave insisted and helped Arthur to sit properly on the couch.

"Sister-in-law, I'll leave the Boss to you. He had a bad day today." Dave said.

Evander pushed up his glasses. "Then we'll go now, Miss."

Even though Evander often called her by that title, to be honest, she was still not used to it. Especially after she found out the truth that Evander isn't actually Arthur's assistant and Dave isn't Arthur's man. But somehow it seems they both like calls that to make them comfortable like that.

Since Arthur didn't mind, she also tried not to mind.

After the car left, she struggled to carry Arthur up the room. His body does look slender and thin, but he is still a tall, mature man, she almost fell several times.

Now her back hurts and her forehead is sweating.

"Arthur, can you stand up straight?" She asked breathlessly.

Surprisingly, Arthur seemed to be aware and heard her request, the man's body immediately straightened up. His closed eyes slowly opened.

Losing the weight on her body just like that, made Livy able to breathe better.

But before she could help Arthur into the room, her body was pressed against the wall by a huge force. She saw Arthur already in front of her. Warm breath brushed against her face. His breath was soft and the previous smell of alcohol was not strong anymore. Beautiful and dark glazed eyes stared at her intensely.

She immediately blushed.

"A-Arthur, this ..."

Her sentence was not finished because she was immediately smothered by a ferocious kiss. It's just that this kiss seemed so forced, and she could feel her cheeks wet with tears.

But ... those weren't her tears.

... to be continued ...