The Man Wrapped in Darkness Page 2

  That rarely happened.

  I was always so angry then, and girls didn’t like to be around the guy who was always pissed off. When a girl would notice me, I always sabotaged the relationship by pushing her away, because I was afraid if she got to know me, she would leave me. Eventually, I would regret the decision to push them away, but by the time I went to apologize, it was too late.

  “Don’t sweat it bro,” Paul said. “There’s plenty of fish in the sea, and if that’s the girl God has for you, he will bring her back.”

  We went almost everywhere together during our time in school. Upon graduation, Maxwell sent me to Texas to oversee the oil side of the business. He told me now is the time for you to prove yourself, son. You better not disappoint me like you have so many times past, but if you do well, and take care of business, I will consider bringing you into my private meetings to learn how to properly run this empire that will be yours one day.

  I expected him to say something demeaning to me, but I was caught off guard when he said that I would control the Williams' empire one day. I was determined to dramatically grow any place in the company that I was sent too. I would outwork my father and do more for that organization than any Williams had done before.

  Over time, my determination had increased profits and productivity on my side of the business dramatically. I invested in newer and more efficient offshore drilling techniques and was one of the first to implement fracking in the company, which breathed new life into our land holdings where the company had already drilled for oil. That also meant more jobs for people, and higher profits for the company. I kept up with it all very carefully and made sure to update my father with the health, productivity, and profitability of the company in the quarterly meetings. He never seemed impressed with my work. He regularly dismissed my achievements as marginal and told me to have a seat.

  Now all of that was over, and my mind came back to the present as I sat there like a deer in head lights at the request to come home for the funeral and the reading of my father's will. There would be an announcement to the entire company that I would be taking over the business effective immediately.

  I reviewed David Willenski's email again. “I guess Dad trusted me more than I thought.”

  I sat there and collected my thoughts and carefully analyzed everything I knew that was ahead of me. The only idea I could think of was to call Paul and let him know what happened. I had kept in touch with him after graduation, and right then I needed his sound advice more than ever. Now, as my responsibilities had drastically increased, I needed some sound guidance.

  Paul was one of the smartest guys I knew. I picked up the phone, and after a few rings, he picked up. “What’s going on, man? I was wondering when you were going to give me a bump?”

  I laughed to myself. A bump was Paul’s funny way of saying phone call. He said he got it from one of his uncles who had passed away when he was younger. Then again, Paul always had a funny one-liner for just about anything, and some of them were really dated. When I asked him why or where he picked it up, he’d say oh, you know, here and there... None of that made any sense to me. The origins of his expressions were the least of my troubles.

  “Hey, brother.” My voice shook a bit. “You are not going to believe what I just found out.”

  Chapter Three

  Alec Williams

  Williams Building – 4th Floor Executive Office

  Houston, Texas

  PAUL WAS QUIET ON THE other end of the phone while I shared with him about the death of my father.

  He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, brother. When are you leaving for New York to plan the service? Your father’s death could be a public relations nightmare for such a massive company. What can I do to help?”

  “I’m leaving as soon as my car gets here. I’ve sent my assistant for my things. As for helping me, I've got some ideas.”

  “Do they know the cause of death?”

  “They think it was a heart attack like his dad had. The circumstances around both of their deaths are very similar from the initial observations. Both had not been sleeping well around the time they passed, and both appeared to be more stressed than usual from work. Then this morning my dad’s right-hand man, David, and his daughter, Rachel, went to his house because he was late to the office. Very uncharacteristic of him. Now that I think of it, he’s never been late to anything in his life. The house staff let David in, and when he checked to see if my dad was in his office, he was dead at his desk.”

  “Wow. Again, I’m sorry to hear about your dad. How are you doing? Wait, why was David’s daughter with him?”

  “My dad hired Rachel a while back. David’s getting up there in age. I don’t know what my father had in mind, but she sure acts like she’s there to stay. As far as my dad goes, is it bad that I don’t feel anything at all?”

  “Well, your dad never seemed to want to spend any time with you, but then again, he was still your dad. I’m sure you’re in shock. I mean, you were just told he’s dead, in an email of all things, and now you have to pick up the pieces and run the entire company. I’m sure anyone would freak out a little at this point. As if all of that wasn’t enough, the girl that has tormented you since you were a child is going to be working with you or for you.”

  “You know, my dad stopped saying I love you to me after mom died. I think she made him say it, and Rachel hasn’t tormented me since... since Tiffany.”

  “Dude, are you serious right now? Okay, one thing at a time. You can’t dwell on the fact your dad didn’t say he loved you now. Your dad is gone, and he left you with a lot of hurt feelings and terrible memories, but it’s like I said before, you have to give all that junk to the Lord. He loves you, and he wants to take away all of what your dad and Rachel did to you. He doesn’t want you to carry all that around for another second. Jesus loves you Alec, and he is the perfect and loving father you never had. Also, Rachel was horrible to you growing up from what you told me, and not to mention what I saw her do to you in college. That heartless she-devil ruined the relationship with the love of your life. Those were your words not mine, and did you ever try calling Tiffany back?”

  “Well, since you want to be like that, I don’t want to hear that Jesus crap. I didn’t want to hear it when I was a kid, and I don’t want to hear it now. You have no idea how terrible a man my dad was, and all the things he did and said to me. Yes, I called Tiffany repeatedly, and she never returned any of my calls. I tried to visit her once, and her new, muscle-headed boyfriend threatened to kill me if I ever called her again. Thanks for bringing Tiffany up. Way to kick a man while he’s down. She was the one. You know, if we were still together, we would have been married now for two years, and been together seven.”

  “I’m not trying to upset you, and I’m definitely not trying to make things worse.”

  I knew Paul was trying his best, but it was a complicated situation. I was filled with a lifetime of hatred and rejection from cruel treatment and neglect, but there was nothing I could do about it right then. I would never get an apology or any kind of reconciliation from my father. I would have to try my best to live with it, and somehow keep moving forward.

  Then there was Rachel, the first girl I’d ever had a crush on. Stunning blonde hair fell across her perfect shoulders at the top of her flawless body. She was the queen of flirting, and she knew she had me from the beginning. Even though my dad sent me away as a child, she would still find a way to show up and ruin the little sliver of happiness I had. Every time I started a new relationship, she showed up, batted her eyes at me, and I was toast.

  I went running right toward her.

  With reckless abandonment, I would fall right into her trap.

  Then she would immediately blow me off once she found out I broke it off with the other girl. She never really wanted me. The idea of torturing me was enough for her.

  All of that continued until I met Tiffany at an event our colleges co-sponsored. She went to the Catholic gi
rls’ university across town and was the absolute love of my life. Silky black hair and stunning blue eyes complimented her petite frame in the best way.

  Tiffany was the total package. She was kind and patient with me, and it didn’t bother her how angry I was over my childhood. She listened. We talked. She cried and told me how sorry she was for what happened to me. I knew from the moment I saw her I wanted to marry her. My dad didn’t approve, but I didn’t care. I asked her to marry me during our last semester of college, and she said yes. I’d never been happier in all my life because I’d found my soulmate.

  Then Rachel showed up again.

  “Hey bro, are you still there? Did we get disconnected or something?”

  Paul’s words pulled me back to reality. “Sorry man, I drifted off thinking about Tiffany, and all the messed-up stuff that happened at the end there.”

  “Again Alec, I didn’t mean to open old wounds especially at this time.”

  “It’s fine. You know, as much as I hate to admit it still kills me to think about how it all ended. The whole thing was so stupid.”

  “I just remember you were super upset at our graduation, and I thought you were going to kill the announcer when he pronounced your last name wrong. It was kind of funny that he said Wilhelm instead of Williams.”

  “Yeah, super funny. My dad was pissed and laid into me pretty good about it, like I paid the guy to do that.”

  “That sucks, man. What really happened between you and Tiffany? You never really told me anything other than Rachel screwed everything up again.”

  “You remember the engagement party Tiffany and I had?”

  “Of course, I remember. I brought Samantha with me as my date, and she got super mad because I ran interference for you when Rachel showed up. Why did you invite her anyway?”

  “I didn’t. I’m sure she heard about it from her dad, but somehow she got to Tiffany and told her how I was always into her, and we never dated because we couldn’t get the timing right.”

  “Dang. That’s messed up.”

  “It gets worse. Tiffany and I began fighting all the time because Rachel called me non-stop after the party. Every day. Several times a day. She texted suggestive pictures... She asked crude questions about what clothes I’d like to see her in...she told me she needed me”

  “I don’t even know what to say. It’s like something out of a stalker movie.”

  “I blocked the calls, and even hired private security to keep an eye on Tiffany and monitor my online activity. I didn’t know what that crazy witch was up to, but she always managed to pull something when I was with Tiffany. It’s as if she knew when we were together. It was creepy. One night, Rachel showed up at my apartment a week before our college graduation. Tiffany started to believe something was going on between us. Who could blame her? I told her at least a thousand times I wanted her and not Rachel. Tiffany claimed she saw how hard I worked to prove there was nothing between us, but I guess it wasn’t enough.”

  “And you’d given her no reason to be at your apartment? You didn’t invite her, did you?”

  “No! I’d long moved on from my infatuation with Rachel. I wanted to marry Tiffany, so when she showed up, I told her to get out. But uh...”

  “What, Alec? What did you do?”

  “I didn’t do anything, but Rachel did. She grabbed me and kissed me.

  “Wow. You never told me she kissed you.”

  “Because I was ashamed of it.”

  “Why? You should have just kicked her out the door?”

  “I’m not a good person, Paul, because I didn’t just kick her out the door. To be honest, she kissed me the way I had always wanted her too. And unfortunately, that split second of uncertainty and confusion was the same split second I saw Tiffany in the doorway.”

  “Oh no.”

  “Anyway, that kiss lasted only a moment, but when I pushed her away, and Tiffany was there... I knew I’d broken her.”

  “Did you try to explain?”

  “Several times. She would only say she needed space and some time to think, and we both know how that came out. I’m still single. Our graduation was supposed to be this happy and great milestone, but for me it was just another terrible painful memory added to the list.”

  “I’m sorry, man. I had no idea how bad it was.”

  “It’s fine, Paul. You know maybe my dad was right. Maybe I’m just not worth it, maybe I’m just an accident. Does your God make accidents?”

  “Don’t say that about yourself. You’ve had a rough run of things, but you’re a good man Alec, and no my God doesn’t make mistakes.”

  “No? Well, like I said, I’m not a good person. When Tiffany ended it, do you know who I called?”

  “No...”

  “I called Rachel. And Rachel did what Rachel always does. She said she was drunk, didn’t mean any harm, hadn’t meant to cause a problem for me and Tiffany.”

  “That’s a total lie, she knew exactly what she was doing. Don’t say you’re not a good person, Alec. You just had your heart ripped out, and you weren’t thinking straight, it happens to all of us.”

  “Yeah well, the guilt and the pain were soul-crushing, so when my dad said I was going to Texas I just left. I hoped a change of scenery would help, and I felt too embarrassed to tell you what happened.”

  “Look, we’re brothers. I mean it when I say it, and I’m not going to turn my back on you even if you mess up. You wouldn’t do that to me. Besides, you went through something hard and you’re going through some uncharted territory right now. Whatever you need, I’m here for you.”

  “You’re right, Paul. This is difficult, but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, I’m going to need your help every day now.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Well, I am now the head of one of the largest companies in the United States, and I’m going to need someone I can trust to help me as I take the reins. So, what do you say? Come work for me.”

  There was a long pause. “Are you serious? You want me to work for you? What will I be doing?”

  “At first you’ll be helping me with the day-to-day stuff while I become acclimated to my new role, and then after that, you can go anywhere in the company you like.”

  “I don’t know, Alec. I know it’s a lot to take on, but don’t you think David and Rachel should be the ones to help you in your new role or maybe someone else besides me who doesn't resemble a pit of vipers like those two? There has to be someone you can trust to help you get up to speed quickly. There are a lot of people who work for your company, and they need you to be able to take over fast and keep the company moving. Besides, I'm busy at my job right now, and I can't just up and leave. I don't want to burn my bridge here. What if working for you doesn't pan out, and we end up hating each other?”

  “That will never happen. You’re the guy I need here. New bosses bring their people in all the time. You know that’s how business works. You have all the qualifications, and all the advice and counsel you have given me in the past has always been sound. You were the one who told me about fracking. Now, because of you, we have made record profits on several land parcels we thought had been used up and were ready to be liquidated. So, tell me, how are you not the guy to help me move into this new role?”

  I hadn’t been in charge of the entire company an hour yet, and I already sounded like a forceful leader. I also hoped Paul wouldn’t hear the desperation in my voice, but the fact was, I felt like I was drowning already.

  “You know I have never trusted David. The guy’s a rat and would get me in trouble all the time with my dad, and he would often steal my ideas for the company and pass them off as his own to my father. Not to mention the she-devil always at his side.”

  “Yeah, about the she-devil. Are you over her now? All this horror with Tiffany notwithstanding, you were fixated on her for years. Every time she called; you would answer. Is that really under control?”

  “I only responded because she worked for the c
ompany.”

  “You say that now, but you also held on to that kiss—the one that broke your engagement. Rachel is your Achilles heel. Can you handle it?”

  “I finally feel like I’m over that, and moving on, and now I have to work with her. I don’t trust either one of them, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there weren’t planning on trying to run me out so they can take over. I’m sure they’re doing something as we speak. That is why I need you here, to watch my back and to help me keep an eye on everything. You’re the only one I trust.”

  As Paul asked questions, I thought about all the stories I heard about David Willenski. He was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and as for Rachel, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. David was the type of guy who would lead you to the cliff, and then push you off, smiling while he did it. David rose to power the old-fashioned way—blackmail and bullying.

  His story was a Cinderella one of sorts, if Cinderella cut everyone’s throat on her way to the ball. The sad part is that everyone knew what he had done, but no one did anything about it. They were either too scared, or they didn’t care.

  “You remember what David did to Victor, don’t you?”

  “Yep. He literally stole the accounting program right out from under Victor when his kid got sick that time.”

  “Exactly. He passed off Victor’s work for his own, and that’s how he climbed the ladder so fast and got to be my dad’s right-hand man.”

  Paul let out a heavy sigh. “You know David won’t go without a fight. He made it clear not to cross him back then when all that happened. Look, he wants to run the company. He didn’t try to hide the ball the whole time he worked for my dad. Now he and his daughter have a leg up on me because they are more involved in the day-to-day business of the company, and I know those pieces of human garbage will use that to their advantage. I can see them feeding me bad advice, so I’ll make decisions that’ll cost the company, and then I’ll be ousted by the board.”