Truth about Will

With all of Will’s creepy and disturbing behavior recently, I doubt anything I have to say today will come as a surprise. I’ve recently discovered the truth about the past Will always shrouded in mystery.

            Last week I went to visit Sam. I told her about getting fired and my plans, and she seemed excited for me, but a little anxious as well. When I brought up going back home, she asked, “And what will your Will do if you’re all the way down there?”

            I was surprised, as I’d only mentioned Will a few times to Sam, and never in a romantic way. When I said we weren’t together, Sam pressed the topic. Surely we were almost an item, though, weren’t we? With how much time we had spent together? I denied over and over again that there was even a hint of romance between us and assured her I’d never let myself be in a relationship with that man.

            Sam breathed a sigh of relief, and then cried out that Will was the most heartless man she’d ever met, and was thankful I’d be spared from his abuse.

            I was really confused, because I wondered how Sam had ever met Will, since she’d never mentioned meeting him before. But as it turns out, Sam knew Will from before her accident.

            When Sam and her husband were newlyweds and moved to the city for his job, they met Will. Will’s father had just died, and he sold all of his shares to the company and decided to make his money flipping houses instead. Whenever Sam and her husband spent time with Will, he was always complaining about the corporate world, with its soulless, power-hungry people. He mocked the businessmen, and as Sam’s husband’s work was a starting job to keep them fed more than anything he was passionate about, he joined in. But when my family was brought into the conversation—of my vain, conceited father and shallow, vicious sister—Sam defended me, telling them about how I was going to become a lawyer for abused children and other little stories from when we were roommates. 

            So, one mystery solved. I now know who told Will about me.

            Anyway, throughout this, Will had been dating a real estate agent, and they got married. With the money Will got from selling his shares in his dad’s company, they bought three houses to flip and hired construction workers, an architect, and an interior designer to work on the projects. They were certain they’d make a fortune from these houses. But then the housing bubble burst. Real estate collapsed and no one was buying homes, especially not at the prices Will and his wife had expected to get.

            The financial strain proved too much for the couple. She divorced him, taking half of what little he had left, and gutting Will of a lot of his resources. Out of pity, Sam and her husband lent him money. But what Sam thought was one month’s rent, was actually a lot more, as she found out upon her husband’s death. Her husband had given Will practically all of their savings, and when Sam came to Will about it, he refused to pay her back.

            Since that time, Sam’s kept tabs on Will’s doings. He became one of the “soulless, power-hungry” businessmen he’d previously despised. He’s been going back to everyone he’s sold shares to, and piece by piece has been building up his stock again. From Sam’s last count, Will just needs one more to hold the majority of shares in the company, and has decided to get that from my dad.

            At this point, I interrupted and asked if that’s why Will had been attempting to get together with me. Did he think that if he was a son-in-law, my dad would give the share to him? Had I only been a pawn?

            Sam said she didn’t think so. Her friend from the apartment complex who works as a maid and helps Sam with her own place, works for one of Will’s friends. They think she doesn’t understand English, and so they’ll have conversations with her in the room. Apparently Will really has fallen for me, because when talking about me it’s never in connection with my family and the share we have. It honestly would have been easier to accept that he was marrying me for the share than to think he actually has feelings for me. I get the shivers whenever I realize someone so horrible has romantic feelings toward me.

In addition to this, Will also talks to this friend about my dad’s secretary. He’s been worried that she’ll have a kid with my dad, and if it’s a son, Will has no hope of getting that share. My dad’s been pretty clear that my sisters and I will get money and property, but anything business-related would do better in a man’s hands (yes, really). Will figures that with this being my dad’s mindset, he can get the share with some persuasion, but if a son comes into the picture, he’ll lose it. Now, I know. What is this, medieval Europe? It’s ridiculous and shows just how paranoid Will is. Not only is he worried about it, though, he’s now taken action. According to Sam’s friend, Will’s recently dug some information on the secretary and is planning on blackmailing her to not only end any relationship with my dad, but get another job entirely. Since talking with Sam, I’ve found out from Ruth that last Wednesday, the secretary did just up and quit, and has moved out of the house as well. 

I never liked the secretary and always questioned her motivations, but I’d never expect her to have to quit her job, especially in this job market. I feel bad for her, and I wish there was something I could do, but she’s just disappeared. Ruth says even Eliza doesn’t know where she’s gone.

I’m glad that I know the truth about Will, and about what he did to Sam. Because the next day when Will came by, trying to apologize and saying he had let his jealousy get the best of him, I didn’t buy it. I told him I couldn’t even be his friend anymore, and not just for his behavior to me, but for what he did to Sam. He seemed terrified that I’d figured out that part of his life, but offered no explanation. How could he have had a good one, anyway? I also let him know that I would be doing everything I had to in order to get Sam’s money back to her. Will doubted I would be able to get the proof I needed, and I agreed, but as I had experience in law, it wouldn’t cost me like it would for him to hire a lawyer, which would be more expensive than just paying Sam back. And besides, once word got out he had taken advantage of an impoverished, paralyzed woman who had considered herself his friend, well, no one would want anything to do with him. No one would do business with him, and he’d be ruined. 

After some consideration, he wrote Sam a check for a substantial amount of money. More than I think they loaned him, but with some padding as bribery to keep everything under wraps.

Bringing that check to Sam was one of the best moments of my life. She started crying, happier than I’d ever seen her before.

I’m glad I got to help my friend, not to mention it was something to keep me occupied while I waited for Fred to contact me (he hasn’t). And I’ve been wondering what would happen if I just showed up and talked to him. I don’t know for sure how he feels, though. What if he’s done with my drama? What if he wants nothing to do with me anymore and leave me behind forever? I wouldn’t blame him. But on the other hand, what if that’s not the case? What if he’s waiting for me to make the first move, because he doesn’t want to be hurt again?

I’m leaving tomorrow to be back in town for my interview on Wednesday. Today is my last day in the city with him. I need to talk to him. Today.