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Post by William Aldridge Jr on Nov 22, 2018 22:16:26 GMT -5
The shock managed to wear off for William Jr about the time that Chace was fully pulled away and practically to the foyer and he was sorely tempted to run after that child and make him pay for daring to say such things in front of everyone else. Yet, it was a big enough scene as it was and he wasn't going to give the satisfaction to anyone to make them watch him run after and demand an apology. No, he was certain that one would be coming to him. That did not make him any less furious though and he turned back to the guests with that anger barely hidden, prompting them to all look away and start talking amongst themselves. Only Robin dared approach him at this point and she was casting worried glances out toward the foyer where his son's family had disappeared.
"William, what happened?" she asked, her face pulling together in that worried way that it did far too often.
"I don't know. I knew that Valerie didn't discipline those children but it has clearly gotten out of hand," he replied, his voice tight as his hand stayed clenched at his side. He still wasn't sure how the youngest child had managed enough guts to say something to him like that but he was going to make sure that he knew that it wasn't something that he could do again. Hopefully his son was doing the first part of that right now, since he had looked upset enough when he left.
"I mean, she does handle most of the discipline, dear," Robin contradicted, causing him to send an icy glare her way to which she cleared her throat. "I was just wondering what made Chace go off like that. He's a good kid-"
"Oh, yeah, Robin. He's a good kid alright, he proved that tonight for everyone to see. I don't see why you've always got to be so sentimental over those boys. They're not yours," he snapped in a harsh whisper, not wanting to draw more attention to them at this point.
Her lips pulled together and she swallowed before pressing on, though a bit more quietly as she twisted her wedding ring around her finger. "I just didn't think he would say something so awful without cause..."
It was the wrong thing to say. "Oh, so now I deserved it? You know, Robin, if you think I'm so awful why don't you just pack up and leave? Huh?" His wife bit her lip, her eyes suddenly looking a bit more bright. "God, my own wife doesn't even trust me. I was just publicly embarrassed by that kid and you'd rather defend him than see to my feelings."
"William, I-"
"I don't want to hear it, Robin," he answered, straightening his tie and turning away from her. "You should go check on the help, make sure they're doing their job instead of standing around like they usually do." Then he took a few steps away and beckoned for some of the older men that he was friends with to come over.
Immediately they were all sympathetic toward him and the awful grandson that he had. They all agreed that his mother had to be the cause because she was still as crass as ever and she should have never been allowed to marry his William in the first place. He agreed with them and told them how he didn't understand how the boy could be so cruel and awful when he was looking out for him to make sure that he didn't get his heart broken by some girl who was only after his money. Sympathetic ears lended themselves to him and he tucked his anger away for the time being. After all, he could have use for it later on.
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Post by William Aldridge on Nov 22, 2018 22:23:49 GMT -5
Will headed back into the gathering after saying goodbye to Val, on a mission to find and talk to his father. He knew Val was pissed, knew that she wanted to rip his father limb from limb at this point and honestly he couldn't blame her as he felt much the same. He'dnever had a very good relationship with his dad, but he'd never been anything than hard on him. Never abusive in the way that his children had just confirmed that he was with him, in the way that he'd apparently been with Val all these years and he'd never had any clue. There must have been something in the way that he walked, the way that he moved because no one tried to approach him as he headed back into the group of people. It didn't take him long either to find his father, still about where he'd been before although now he was surrounded by people who were talking to him. As he approached those people looked at Will suspiciously. "I need to talk to you, in your office," Will told his father, his tone firm and unyielding.
"If you're going to apologize there is no need to go all the way upstairs," his father replied, shaking his head.
"In your office. Now," he repeated, his tone the one he used at meetings with his staff. Firm, harsh and without any sort of room for argument.
The older man looked like he might argue, but there were people watching and he waved his hand forward. "Well I guess if it's this important, I must go," his father answered with a smile and started with him toward the stairs.
Together they walked up in silence and Will didn't say anything until they'd reached the office and the door was firmly shut behind him. "What the fuck have you been doing?" he asked angrily. "You thought you could just verbally abuse my wife and my children and I'd never find out? Or did you think I wouldn't care when I found out because I have something to tell you, you were dead wrong on that. Valerie, Mackenzie, William, Leslie and Chace are my family. And they mean a hell of a lot more to me than you do. I honestly never want to see you again at this point. How could you be so despicable to children? They're just kids! They're practically babies still, and you're out there destroying them emotionally? What fucked up logic can you possibly have for that?"
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Post by William Aldridge Jr on Nov 22, 2018 23:22:22 GMT -5
William was surprised when Will demanded that they go upstairs, mostly because he seemed to be upset which was not the way that he expected his son to be when he came back in. Instead, he'd expected him to be with his tail between his legs, clearly knowing that he'd screwed up in not teaching his children better. Once they got upstairs though, it became clear that there was more to the picture and he stood in silence as his only child went off on him. There was shock on his part though it didn't really show and he let Will talk himself out before he sighed and shook his head, trying to diffuse the situation by making him see that he'd been duped by his family. "Come on now William, you know that they're all overly sensitive," he replied. "You know how I can be. A bit of tough love never hurt anyone."
"Tough love? Tough love? No, what you did to me was tough love," his son snarled and he looked at him with such disgust that for a minute he did start to feel worried. "What you did to them, that's straight abuse. And you can't tell me it was for their own good because what good was it bringing."
"Again, I don't know what exaggerated tales," he started with a sigh.
"Oh, exaggerated, are they?" Will quested, a bit of a snort coming from him as he held up his hands. "You're saying they're just exaggerating what they told me?"
This was good, he was listening here and he could turn this around. His son, he was bright but he was also a bit easy to manipulate if you knew how to do it and in this case he needed to. If anything happened between the two of them people might believe that he was the one at fault - Will was very liked amongst the social circles for reasons that he couldn't understand. "Of course they did. Teenagers, prone to exaggeration. Overreaction. Like Chace tonight when he got so far out of line. Which, I'll be expecting an apology from him, by the way," he let his son know. "That was unacceptable."
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Post by William Aldridge on Nov 22, 2018 23:24:31 GMT -5
Had Will ever been this angry in his life? Maybe. When he'd found out what had happened to Leslie he was in a similar state as he felt now, but this seemed different. This was years of the people that he loved and cared about having been abused by his own family and him not recognizing it. Not realizing what was happening and bringing them into it again and again. This was him having failed as a husband and as a father and he was furious at the person who had been doing them harm all along. He'd known, that his father wasn't a good person really but he still hadn't thought him capable of anything like this. His defense too, was weak. Saying that they were overreacting. But then, maybe if he hadn't heard everything said he might believe it. There was no way however, that it could really be the case with everything that had been said. "So I guess you're going to tell me that you didn't tell my son that he's a waste to the Aldridge name?" he questioned, noticing that his father seemed to twitch at the implication. "Or call my daughter a disaster? Tell my son he was a disappointment? Make my daughter believe she'd destroy the very thing she's worked her ass off for her entire life? No? Those weren't things you said."
"William, you're not thinking rationally-" his father started, using that voice that was supposed to make people see his side of things but he wasn't going to have it. He didn't care. His father had lost his right to say anything on this front.
"Fuck rationally," he snapped back, cutting the older man off. "This is my family and I'm not going to let you hurt them anymore. I will see you at work and that's it. I don't want a relationship with you any longer."
"William, think about what you're doing here. You're walking a fine line," his father cautioned, though there was a twinge of anger hidden behind his words. A threat to them. "Don't forget that I am still one of the most important people in this city and in the company."
"You want to threaten me now?" he laughed darkly, taking a step closer to his father and looking at him in contempt. "Go ahead and try. You might have some power over some people, but I'm the most well approved of CEO our company has ever had. Shareholders vote to try and give me bonuses every year. Some board members would follow you but let me tell you, more than you realize are far more loyal to me than you. So if you want to try and make my work life miserable, go ahead, I'm sure you'll be an inconvenience for me but I've grown way past needing you anymore." He moved back and straightened out his suit jacket, giving his father another cold stare. "I'll see you in the office, Mr. Aldridge."
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Post by William Aldridge Jr on Nov 22, 2018 23:26:43 GMT -5
This was not how any of this was supposed to go. Will was the one thing in William's life that had always caused him some problems, from the moment that he was conceived he'd been a bit of a problem child, causing this hang up or that for him but he'd thought that he'd managed to reign him in well enough. Even though he hardly agreed with all of his choices, overall the kid was the kind of son that he was mostly proud to have. Now here he was, talking like he was going to cut him out all because his children and his wife whined to him? What sort of failure of a man had he been? He had a sinking feeling in his stomach as Will recounted the things that his children had said though he didn't bother to provide any sort of answer as to the validity of what they were saying. After all, it didn't matter as it was clear that Will believed what they'd said anyway. The one trump card that he had left he went ahead and played but to his utter shock and dismay his son seemed to welcome the challenge and wasn't afraid of it in the slightest.
By this point his own temper had caught up to him and when he turned to go he couldn't help but snap. "I guess you don't plan on seeing your mother, then!"
At that Will turned around to look at him, looking like he didn't understand the implication. "Oh I'll be happy to see mom. She's always welcome at our place and she knows it."
"Yes, but it'll be too bad that she won't be allowed to go," he answered easily.
"You think Mom is going to pick you instead of us?" Will questioned, almost laughing at the thought.
"You think she's not?" he shot back, raising an eyebrow. "Your mother is going to stand by me for the rest of her life. You can tell her about this if you want, but all that will happen is you'll break her heart. She'll blame herself for hurting her precious Williams until she dies. And what would she do without her society? If she picks you, she loses it all. But go ahead, force her to make that decision. Let her be miserable for the rest of her life if that's how you care about her."
He watched as the words washed over his son, taking their desired effect because in this he knew that he was right. The younger man's mouth snapped shut and he muttered something under his breath that he couldn't hear before turning back and looking his dead in the eye. "You make me sick," he said and then turned and walked out the door, not slamming it despite the fact that he was practically shaking in anger.
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