Chapter 461 Heather's Funeral
Ryder didn't really dwell on Barbara's motives and just headed straight back to Maple Real Estate.
Even though Maple Real Estate had been through some serious drama lately, things went back to normal once Ryder was cleared of any accusations.
Ryder hadn't been back at the office for long when he got hit with two big pieces of news.
First, Scott was coming back to Houston tomorrow!
Second, Heather had passed away last night, and there were whispers that Lawrence had something to do with it.
Ryder was a bit taken aback by the second piece of news.
Heather, the always tart and mean woman, had suddenly died!
From Ryder's point of view, Heather's death was totally good news.
But the idea that Lawrence might have killed her didn't sit well with him.
Still, as an "outsider" to the Johnson family, Ryder didn't feel any need to get involved in their mess.
Just then, his phone rang. It was Sarah.
Ryder picked up and joked, "Hey babe, it's only been an hour since we said goodbye, and you already miss me?"
On the other end, Sarah sounded annoyed. "Cut the jokes. I have something serious to tell you."
Ryder asked, "What's up?"
Sarah said, "Sandra just texted me. Heather died in the hospital last night, and the funeral is today."
Ryder asked, "So what does she want?"
"Sandra says I have to pay for the funeral, cremation, and burial plot. She's asking for two hundred thousand dollars!"
Ryder's eyes narrowed, and he let out a cold laugh. "Two hundred thousand dollars? How dare she ask for that?"
In Houston, even the fanciest funeral for an elder wouldn't cost more than $20,000!
And they were asking Sarah for the money!
How shameless.
Sarah continued, "Sandra says that because of Heather's status, the funeral should be grand. She also said that I'm the most successful among the Johnson family's younger generation, so I should cover the costs! Otherwise, they'll go to my dad, but he just had surgery and is still recovering. I don't want him to be stressed out. What should I do?"
Ryder thought for a few seconds and then said, "You can go to the funeral, but we'll only agree to split the costs, not cover the whole amount. I'll go with you later, wait for me!"
"Okay!" Sarah obediently hung up the phone.
Ryder leaned back in his office chair, deep in thought.
Heather was dead, and they wanted Sarah to pay for the funeral. If she didn't, the Johnson family would probably spread rumors about Sarah being heartless and would also bother Ernest.
These were things Ryder didn't want to see.
It would make sense if they split the funeral costs and then completely cut ties with the Johnson family.
But asking Sarah to cover the entire cost was simply too outrageous! Even though $200,000 was nothing to Ryder, it didn't mean he would foolishly pay for everything.
Thinking of this, Ryder narrowed his eyes and murmured, "Looks like I need to go see them again."
At the Johnson family estate, everything for the funeral was already set up in the yard.
A pitch-black coffin, the same one Ryder gave to Heather at her birthday party yesterday, was placed in the center.
The Johnson family members stood solemnly in front of the coffin, listening to the officiant reciting the eulogy.
A band played mournful music in the background, adding to the somber atmosphere.
Further back, tables were set with food, but no one was sitting at them.
Every now and then, neighbors and passersby would peek into the yard.
"It's really sad. Heather had her 70th birthday party yesterday, died that night, and now it's her funeral today!"
"The Johnson family is always doing weird stuff! Yesterday's birthday party ended with the guests not even having their meals but leaving with their gifts! Who would've thought they'd call those same guests early this morning, asking them to come to Heather's funeral today!"
"I heard about that too! The Johnson family spent a lot on food for the birthday party and didn't want it to go to waste, so they planned to reheat yesterday's uneaten dishes and serve them today! Really odd behavior!"
"But what's the point? It's almost noon, and not a single guest has shown up for the funeral! They really are inviting disdain!"
In the yard, Sandra complained to Matthew, "Look at the mess you made. You suggested we invite the guests from yesterday's birthday party to come over, and now not a single person has shown up! It's so embarrassing!"
Matthew shrugged and muttered, "I didn't expect things to turn out this way. Those people are really inconsiderate!"
Hearing this, Sandra sighed, her face showing even more worry.
The Johnson family was in trouble!
They had suffered heavy losses in all aspects!
Currently, the Johnson family had less than $100,000 in public cash!
At their peak, the family had millions in cash!
But now, the Johnson family's construction materials business had come to a complete halt!
Although the Johnson family's construction materials could fetch a good price if auctioned, that was the family's business foundation, left by Noah, and couldn't be sold!
Because of this, the Johnson family was in such financial straits!
That was why Matthew came up with the bad idea of inviting guests to the funeral and even had his wife contact Sarah to ask for funeral expenses!
It was a bit of a desperate move!
At this moment, the other Johnson family members standing behind started whispering!
They were all worried about the family's future!
They discussed dividing the assets and going their separate ways!
Hearing their gossip, Andy, kneeling in front, couldn't stay calm!
He stood up, turned around, and shouted angrily, "What are you all moping about? Where's the pride of the Johnson family?"
A younger member said, "So what should we do? The Johnson family is so big, with so many people, and we have less than one hundred thousand dollars in public cash."
Hearing this, a fierce look appeared in Andy's eyes, and he replied, "It's simple! Lawrence killed Heather, a heinous crime! From what I know, he has secretly gained a lot over the years! So, I propose we confiscate all of Lawrence's family's assets for the Johnson family. What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, the members looked at each other and nodded in agreement.
This was a good thing!
They all knew a bit about Lawrence's dealings!
He had definitely gained millions over the years!
Divided among everyone, it would be a substantial amount!
As for Abigail, since Lawrence was arrested, she had been using her connections to plead for him!
She wasn't present, and even if she were, she would have no say!
So, dividing Lawrence's assets was a must!
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