Scarlet gave me a smile. “You sound proud.”
“I’m proud of all my sons—especially Brett.” I didn’t talk about him much, and I needed to do it more. He carried a different last name, but he was a member of my family. Brett and I had started a new relationship, but we still had a lot of work to do. “He started from nothing. I didn’t help him with his business, and he figured out a way to achieve his goals on his own. Now he’s one of the biggest car designers in the industry, and he’s made millions.”
“Diesel told his version of your broken relationship a few months ago. You’ve obviously made up and have moved forward, which is great to hear. But is there anything else you’d like to share? Has that experience taught you something that you can impart to others? Family is the most important thing in the world—but it can also be the most toxic.”
She put it beautifully. Some families were perfect and didn’t have a single bump in the road, but most weren’t like that. There were difficult times, horrifying times. “My estrangement from my son had nothing to do with love. I’ve always loved him with everything I have. I’d sacrifice my life for his in a heartbeat. I still remember the first time I held him in my arms. It’s hard to believe he was ever that small considering his size now…he’s just as big as I am. Our separation was entirely my fault, and I admit that with no shame.”
“Would you mind telling us what happened?”
“Diesel’s story isn’t far from the truth. I didn’t treat Brett with the love he deserved. It drove him away, and it also pushed Diesel away as well. He didn’t tolerate my treatment of Brett, so he left. I’m proud of him for the decision he made. He stood up for someone when he could have taken the easy way out—but he didn’t.” My life would have been so different if I hadn’t let my jealousy and pain get to me. But I had, and this was my reality.
“I loved my wife in a way I can never explain. Our relationship was intense, beautiful…and so many other things. My love for her made me a very jealous man. Knowing she’d loved someone else had always tortured me. Knowing she’d been with someone else when we could have had more time together always haunted me. So I resented Brett because of it…she made him with another man she loved. I should have taken him in as my own, but that’s not what happened. It was impossible for me to look at him at not think of his father…” My eyes remained trained on hers even though the tension filled the air between us. I was brutally honest with my confession, no longer caring what people thought of me. I’d committed my actions, and now I had to face the consequences. “I realized how wrong I was and I’ve worked to repair my relationship with him. He’s a man now, old enough that he doesn’t need a father. But I want him in my life. It’s not just because my wife is disappointed in me. It’s because I want to get back the time we lost.”
“Thank you for sharing. You sound like a father who’s willing to do anything for his family.”
“I am—even if that means admitting I was wrong. Before I had kids, I imagined having a family would be easy. It would be simple and fulfilling. But as I aged, I realized being a parent is the most difficult job you’ll ever have. It’s unpredictable, heartbreaking, and stressful. I’ve made a lot of mistakes, despite my experience in so many other areas. Nothing in life would have prepared me for the venture. Being a single parent only made the task even more difficult. But all I can do is apologize for my mistakes and never give up. I love my sons more than life itself, and I’m committed to being everything they need—at every stage of their lives. I won’t repeat my mistakes, and I’m going to enjoy every minute I have left with them. For other parents out there, times can be difficult. But it’s also the most rewarding thing you’ll ever do.”
She hung on to my words even when I’d finished speaking. She gave a slight nod, her expression hard as she concentrated on my face. “Well said, Mr. Hunt. I have a daughter, and it’s been good as well as bad.”
“How old is she?”
“She’s a junior in college. I had her very young…”
I was curious to know how old she was, but it felt like an inappropriate question. “Then I’m sure you understand.”
“Yes…I do.” She sipped her wine again, taking a bigger drink this time. “Were you surprised when Diesel told you he was engaged to Tatum Titan?”
“No.” I was the one who pushed him to marry her. “And he made the best decision of his life.”
“Sounds like you’ve already welcomed her into the family.”
“Yes. She already feels like a daughter.”
“The shooting rocked the entire nation…how has it affected you?”
It affected me in a million ways. Tatum was a wonderful person who didn’t deserve that, and my son didn’t deserve to be in pain. It was so chilling it froze me right down to the bone. “The incident has shed light on the way some men still view women. Bruce Carol’s vendetta only shows that some men refuse to give a professional woman the respect she deserves. If he can’t beat her, then he needs to destroy her. Instead of acknowledging that the better businessperson won, he hated her for her fierce intelligence. He wanted her to be prey—and stay prey. It’s sickening, and I’m glad Tatum killed
