give you all that's left of me ➳ zustin a.u.

➳ chapter two

I have so much planned for this story but I feel like a lot of it is just too heart wrenching and you guys aren't even ready so I'll dial down because I'm not that evil.

So in this chapter, you guys will start learning a little about Justin's relationship with his father AND ZUSTIN MEETS AGAIN.

This chapter starts up two weeks after Zayn and Justin's first interaction.

———

Justin removed his glasses before rubbing a hand over his face as he released a puff of air.

He was exhausted.

This week has been stressful. His body was tense, he's had the most brutal migraine for the past three days and he's been running on fifteen hours of sleep the entire week.

If his father had told him that being a lawyer would become this stressful, he wouldn't have ever agreed to become the head of the firm.

He knew there would be many consequences of this job, many tough cases and issues he'd have to face, but Justin's always been one for a challenge and he can usually handle himself very well. He's used to laughing at every obstacle life throws at him.

He's intelligent, he was also taught by the best so he's known all the loopholes and tactics from a very young age.

There's never been a case Justin couldn't take care of, but for the first time, he found himself yearning for death rather than going through with all of this.

He didn't even know why he took this case to begin with. It was a lost cause.

His client, Gregory William, has raped and slaughtered thirteen women in the past year alone, he's gotten away with all of those crimes except for the last. Somewhere along the way, he got sloppy and screwed himself over.

Justin was rather appalled when the files were placed in front of him and he rejected the case immediately, but his father, as usual, had other plans for him.

"You are taking this case, Justin. I didn't raise a coward," his father had told him about two weeks ago.

And that was the end of that conversation.

He had to do it.

He had to defend a rapist slash murderer who he would happily throw into jail himself if he had the chance. Matter of fact, he would throw the monster into a cage with untrained Rottweilers.

People like that don't deserve to live and the fact that he had to take the man's side made Justin sick to his stomach.

He's just as bad as his client now.

His father said it didn't matter. The world will hate you for some of your decisions— your decision, father, Justin had failed to say that evening— but you'll just have to learn how to suck it up and win then flaunt. The only thing that mattered was that he was getting paid, his father's words, not his own.

Justin could care less for money. He was drowning in it and he had absolutely no idea what to do with any of it. When he dies, his money will still be here being wasted away. It won't burn in hell with him, it won't be there for him. It's useless, valueless now that he doesn't even look at price tags before he throws his credit card down on a counter.