Civilised = Barbarian in Disguise

Antonio picked up the white cloth on the table and wiped his lips. He laughed as if something was tickling him. "You think I would get my hands dirty for that gold digger? I gave her money that could have supported her for a lifetime, but because of her poor mentality, she used that money for partying every night, drugs, and gambling. Some say she died of an overdose, but others say she became a pimp in a brothel in Bosch. Whichever one is true doesn't matter because she broke up with you for money in the first place."

Abraham was silent listening to Antonio's explanation. He didn't know if he could believe what his grandfather had said or not, but he had been looking for his mother in Bosch for a year and hadn't found her. The purpose of finding his mother disappeared after he met Tamara and got married. If he hadn't met his grandfather, he probably wouldn't have remembered his ultimate goal.

"Being rich is a privilege, Abraham. You were given that by being born into the Sephardic family. Instead of wandering around as a poor man, you should come with me," Antonio said. He looked down at Abraham's clothes. "Look at your clothes, how pathetic. Don't you miss the tailor-made suits? Your car collection is still complete at the mansion, don't you miss it?"

How could Abraham not miss the luxuries he got from his grandfather. He had already experienced how the past three years had brought him insults and scorn everywhere. Just because he was poor, he was often accused of wanting to steal when he went to the store. And of course, the biggest insult she received was from Tamara and her family. If she had gone back to her grandfather, then she could have repaid Tamara far worse than she did.

Why even think about a mother who never thought about her?

"So, do you want to go back to Neogard? I'll make you executive director of the headquarters right away," Antonio offered. "And once you're ready, you'll succeed me as president director."

Abraham had one hand up on the table, his fingertips tapping the table as he looked at his grandfather who seemed very serious about his offer. He took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly.

"What are you worried about?" asked Antonio, catching the anxiety in Abraham's eyes.

Going back to his grandfather's mansion meant going back to his old life of being belittled and underestimated because of his birth origins. And he didn't want that life back again. If he wanted to return to Neogard and become the heir to Antonio Sephard's business empire, that meant Abraham had to be able to prove himself that he had the capacity for it.

"I appreciate your offer, Grandfather. But, I have another request."

"And what is your request?"

"I want to expand the Sephard Group's business in Bosch. If successful, then I will return to the company headquarters to replace you."

Antonio smiled broadly at Abraham's decision. He could see the ambition in his grandson's eyes, and that was exactly what he wanted from Abraham, the desire to become bigger and more powerful so that their family business could stay on top.

"Of course you can, it's a brilliant idea."

"Then can you give me full control of all your subsidiaries in Bosch, including the construction of the Hill Palace Hotel?"

Antonio pressed the bell on the desk, and not long after that his assistant, Raphael Jones, entered the room.

"How can I help you, Mr. Sephard?" asked Raphael Jones after bowing to Antonio and Abraham in turn.

"Take care of all Abraham's needs at Bosch, from today he will take care of all my business at Bosch," Antonio ordered, then he turned his index finger to Raphael.

Raphael, who understood what Antonio meant, walked straight to the corner of the room where Antonio's coat hung. He grabbed a brown leather wallet and placed it on the table in front of Abraham.

"That wallet contains all your restored cards. You can use them again," Antonio said.

Abraham took the wallet and opened it. There was no cash inside, but all his black cards were intact, including some access cards at properties Antonio had given Abraham.

"Thank you, Grandpa," Abraham said, smiling with satisfaction as he recalled one by one the names of the people who had insulted and dumped him.

Although not the capital of the country, Bosch is a developed city that is the entertainment center of Alluire. That's why Bosch is a favorite destination for tourists for holidays, especially since the city is also famous for the gathering of high brand shops on one of the main roads. Not only restaurants with Michelin stars, star hotels and shopping centers for the upper class are also mushrooming in the city.

There are not many skyscrapers there, as it is not a big business center area like Neogard. However, the buildings are well laid out with the structures retaining their old form, giving them a classic and stylish feel. So Bosch has always been associated with the romantic city of fashion. And it can be said that Bosch is one of the so-called paradise places on earth because it provides a lot of fun and luxury.

However, the brighter the light, the bigger the shadow. Abaraham knew very well what that meant. Caste is something that was abolished centuries ago, but is it really gone? Of course not. Abraham lived in the city for three years as a low-caste person. He saw the various crimes that could happen to a low caste like him in the city. And there were no laws in place because the state apparatus only worked for the middle class and above.

The windshield of the car beside Abraham was left open, allowing the wind to blow away Abraham's long hair. The man stared at the side of the road he was on where shops were lined up. When the car carrying Abraham to one of the famous boutiques stopped at a red light, his gaze was drawn to a group of homeless people running around being chased by police officers carrying batons to beat them.

"What an eyesore! If you don't have money and a home, you should die!"

Abraham once heard that phrase when he met the police who evicted him when he was unemployed and had to sleep in an underground station.

Two of the shabbily dressed men were caught by the police and beaten on the sidewalk. They were seen begging for mercy, but the police officers didn't seem to hear. Abraham looked away and leaned his head back against the car seat, trying not to care about the people who were mistreated by the police. His hands clenched into fists and his jaw hardened as their screams became more audible.

'Ah shit, I shouldn't have interfered,' he swore, then opened his eyes. "Hey, why are you beating them up?" he shouted.

The policeman turned his head and looked at Abraham. Their fierce faces softened as they saw that the car Abraham was riding in was a limited edition Rolls-Royce.

"This place is not for homeless people, sir. But they still hang around here," one of the policemen replied.

Abraham took out several hundred dollar bills from his wallet. "Take this money, give a piece each to the person you beat up. Take the rest as payment for stopping beating them."

The uniformed man's eyes lit up as he took the money. "Thank you, sir. We'll let them go."

Abraham closed the windshield, then told his driver to continue their journey.

Raphael Jones who was sitting next to Abraham asked, "Young Master, do you know them?"

"Do I have to know them to help them? People today are quite strange. They react very strongly when they see a puppy or cat being mistreated, but when a human being is beaten up like that, they are casual, even passing judgment. Aren't we civilized people who have given up barbarian customs?"

Raphael nodded. "You're right, I'm ashamed of myself after hearing you."