I debated on ignoring him. Jack had a role to play in all of this. He supported a monster. But my need for answers outweighed my sense of self-preservation. “Did you know?” I asked while marching up the steps. “Did you know that Joseph is a psychopath? Did you know that my mother showed up on Hamilton’s doorstep yesterday bruised and bloodied? You’re a hypocrite, Jack,” I added before sitting down in the chair beside him. I didn’t want to look at him—I couldn’t. So instead, I stared out over the swaying blades of grass while finding my bearings. Ten more minutes couldn’t hurt. Ten minutes of sitting and searching for answers before I’d figure out what the fuck my mother and I were going to do.
“I’m the worst kind of hypocrite,” he admitted. I didn’t have to pull the admission out of him. He readily agreed, like it was a plague on his mind he needed to sweat out with a fever. “I did you and your mother a disservice. I sat there, pretending that it was my son who needed protecting from your mother, when in fact it was the other way around.”
“He beat the shit out of her, Jack. How can you just sit there, knowing what he’s capable of, and still support him?”
“I suppose the same reason you still love a woman who lied about her pregnancy so she could marry into my family for money.”
I sputtered. “It’s not the same.”
“No. I suppose it’s not. Yet here we are. Stuck.” Jack lifted his drink and took a sip. “I learned to prioritize from my father. The day I started working for him, he told me that every thriving business has a million problems under its belt. The key to success is finding the biggest one and focusing on it. And if it isn’t fixable, you move onto the next.”
“Is that how you approach your family, Jack? You treat your children like problems you can’t fix?”
Jack smiled. “You’re a smart woman, Vera. I can see why Hamilton is so fixated on you.” I bit my tongue. “I’m a bit wiser now, though. Nikki and I realized something was wrong with Joseph when he was three. He used to break every single toy we ever gave him. He was attracted to dangerous things. Fire. Needles. Electrical sockets. Nikki blamed herself. I suppose Joseph’s problems started her spiral. We went to therapists, but he outsmarted them. He learned how to appear normal. He mimicked empathy, wore kindness like a mask. I ignored the deeper problem because it was easier.
“Nikki then became my bigger problem. I’d catch her staring at Joseph with her fists clenched. She feared him. I couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t just let it go. My wife and I grew apart. And by the time I told Nikki about my affair and Hamilton, I’d lost her completely. No amount of therapy, antidepressants, or help could save her. So I treated her like I treated my business. I focused on the other problem.”
I swallowed and turned to look at Jack. Hearing his version of events added a sense of clarity to the story that I’d been craving. “If you can’t fix it, move on,” I echoed his earlier sentiment.
“Hamilton was like a Band-Aid. He won’t believe me, but she loved him. In fact, she probably loved him more than she loved Joseph. She resented me, but oh, she loved Hamilton. He was a second chance. He breathed new life into her. She took him in as her own. Our only rule was that he could never know of his birth mother. It was an easy enough agreement. I was happy to forget about the one-night stand. We settled. Closed case. Non-disclosure agreement. I paid a lot of money to make sure Nikki had full parental rights. She still had moments of weakness, but I had faith that we’d be a family again. Hamilton is under this ridiculous belief that everything was perfect between the three of us before he came along. He doesn’t realize that he saved our family.”
“Joseph must have been jealous,” I whispered.
“Incredibly so. Joseph has so much anger. He’s the one who leaked the truth to the press about Hamilton’s birth mother,” Jack replied. “Nikki was never the same after that. She spiraled. Sometimes…” Jack stopped to adjust his collar. “Sometimes I wonder if he put the drugs somewhere Nikki would find them. I knew they belonged to him. She’d dabbled in temporary relief before, but the drugs in her system were Joseph’s beast of choice.”
It terrified me to think that my mother was married to someone capable of so much evil. “Why does Hamilton blame you?”
“Because I clean up Joseph’s messes. Every. Single. Time. At first I did it for the sake of my legacy. How can I build an empire when I can’t even manage my own family? Then it just became a habit. Second nature. Instinct. I’d tell you all the things I kept hidden, but I’m afraid you’d hate me more than you already do. I don’t know how to be a father. I know how to fix problems. I know how to bribe, lie, and steal. I sent Hamilton away, and now I’m an old man who’s made a habit of saving the son who doesn’t deserve saving and hurting the son I should have protected. All the while, I’m balancing a fortune and legacy that only makes Joseph more powerful. I have half a mind to cut him off just to save the rest of the world from him.”
“Why are you telling me this?” I asked.
Jack took another drink before tossing the glass into his yard. It shattered on impact, but the crashing sound was absorbed by dirt and grass. “I want a relationship with my son, Vera. You get through to Hamilton in a way I’ve never been able to. I saw the way he calmed down when you spoke to him last night at the restaurant. I don’t care about the papers. I don’t care about the reelection. I’m withdrawing from the race. I want to fix my family before it’s too late. Last night was a wake-up call. I can’t keep sweeping Joseph’s mistakes under the rug.” Jack paused to clear his throat. “Hamilton blames me for Nikki’s death. He thinks I should have done more. I should have handled Joseph better. I shouldn’t have cheated. I loved my wife, Vera. And if she could see the mess I’ve made of this family, she’d be ashamed.”
“I’m assuming there is a reason you’re telling me all of this.”
“I can bring your mother here. I can give your mother space and time away from Joseph and keep her safe. He won’t hurt her if she’s here. Joseph doesn’t have genuine feelings. He goes through the motions. He thought she was pregnant, so he thought he was supposed to be a family man. But he can’t keep up with the charade for long. If she’s here, he’s free to do whatever he wants. He’ll agree to it, especially if I suggest it. I’ll give her a job here. Something where she can earn honest money. Give her the opportunity to get a clear head.”
“Are you doing this for her or for Joseph?” I asked.
“For both. Once he has someone, he picks at them like they’re scabs. Hamilton probably knows that sad truth better than anyone else. It’s always the people closest to him.”
Once more, my heart bled at the thought of Joseph abusing Hamilton. “I’m assuming you want something in return?” I asked. Jack was a politician through and through.
My grandfather let out a sigh. “I want you to help me mend my relationship with Hamilton. I’ll give you everything you could possibly want. School. Your mother’s safety. Your apartment paid for. When you graduate, I’ll make sure you have whatever job you want. I’ll keep Joseph away. I’ll do everything in my power to give you a good life. All I ask is that you help me fix things with my son, Vera. I know you’re capable of it.”