Chapter 15

After they had all eaten their fill, Mandy and Traci cleaned up while Heather played with Jenni. The little girl recognized her 'grandma' instantly and was giggling and talking which delighted Heather. When Mandy came in to put her daughter to bed, she was sitting on Heather's lap nodding off as she listened to her Grandma's voice reading a story to her. She may have not have understood the words but the tone of voice was soothing to her.

As soon as Mandy returned, Heather asked for a snifter of brandy. She then suggested that Greg might want one for himself. Surprised, this set Greg's nerves on edge, but he went ahead and poured a glass for Heather and himself.

Heather took a sip of the brandy, letting the amber liquid numb her throat as she swallowed. With what she knew she needed to tell her son, she hoped the effects would start soon. She cleared her throat and started the conversation.

"Greg, I know you are upset with the way your father just took off and I still remember you asking if it was something you did. You are old enough to now to hear the whole story. You may end up thinking badly of me, but it will help you understand a lot of things in the long run." She paused for a moment trying to decide where to start. "First off, did Mandy tell you anything about what we talked about when she was upset about the rape?"

Greg shook his head and Mandy told her that she hadn't told anyone about what they had talked about. "That was between us and I wouldn't betray that trust. I had that done to me too much in the past."

Heather thanked her for her loyalty, and then continued her narrative. "You know that Ted and I met and dated during our senior year in college. What you don't know, and I hate to admit this, was we HAD to get married if you know what I mean. Back then, society wasn't advanced enough to where a young woman could be pregnant without being married. Especially if you had any social status at all.

"What is worse, and this is what Mandy knows about, was that I was gang-raped the night you were conceived." Heather saw her son's face go pale then turn red with anger. "What had happened was that we went to a party at Ted's frat house. We had been dating for a few months and that wasn't the first time we had been there. As was usual with Ted, he got me a drink and then went off with his buddies to talk.

"I was sitting on the sofa and enjoying the music when one of the brothers brought me a new drink to replace my empty glass. He had been around a lot and I was acquainted with him and trusted him. I started to feel sleepy after a little while and started to get up to go and find Ted so he could take me home. I found out that I was very dizzy, so I asked one of the guys that was walking by to go get Ted for me. Last thing I remember is falling asleep waiting for Ted to come to get me.

Heather drained her glass. Traci was closest to the liquor cabinet so she refilled the woman's glass. As the fiery liquid warmed her, she started on the part of her narrative that was the most difficult for her to admit to.

"I woke up the next morning in my own bed with a horrible headache and my muscles hurting. I was especially sore in my legs. 'Down there' hurt terribly. I pushed the covers off my body and found that my breasts were bruised and my crotch was soaked with semen. I struggled out of bed and looked in the mirror. There was dried spunk in my hair, and flaking off my face. I was horrified. I seemed to remember vague images of having several different men use me, but I couldn't do anything about it." Heather stopped for several minutes as the horror of that time came rushing back to her. Greg had been sitting next to her and he now put his arm around his mother while she tried to get her emotions under control. Another few minutes and another belt of her liquor and she was ready to continue.

"First thing I did was to confront Ted. He told me that he came looking for me and one of the guy told him that I had already left since I wasn't feeling good. He didn't know anything had happened to me. Next, I went to the campus police, but a couple of the guys were on the football team so they tried to sweep it under the rug. I then went to the local police and they made it out like I had asked for it. I couldn't get help anywhere. That's why I took such an interest at first when Mandy came to you. Even if I didn't get help, I wanted to do what I could for someone else.

"When I found out I was pregnant, Ted stepped up to do the right thing. He figured that since we had made love before going to the party, he was probably the father. We got married just before graduation and Ted went to work for Schoenherr and Associates a couple weeks after that. He soon got a reputation for solving the tough jobs and being good at what he does."

Greg interrupted his mother. It had just hit him just what his mother had said. "Wait a minute. You mean the man who I have thought was my dad all this time might not be my father?!"

It was Heather's turn to calm her son. "Honey, he has been your father for all intents and purposes. That was part of my life that I have always been ashamed of. Even though I know that I was drugged, I have carried the feeling of being a slut for somehow allowing it to happen. Ted took responsibility for the pregnancy even though I wouldn't have sex without a condom when we were together. I found out early on that I couldn't take the pill and there was a scare of Toxic Shock Syndrome with IUDs. So I was always so careful." She looked directly into Greg's eyes. "For all of his other faults, I think that he was as much of a father as he knew how. Who was biologically your father doesn't matter."

Greg really didn't agree with her, but she held his gaze until he relaxed his tense shoulders. When she felt he was enough in control of his emotions to listen, she continued.

"You can't blame the Corporation for Ted's assignments. He volunteered for them. At first, he did it to get a good reputation and for the extra money. Later on, it was to get away and have a good time. I'm sure they didn't call him this morning. He called them and begged for a new job. He often does that when he is trying to avoid something he doesn't want to deal with."

"Then all that stuff he told us was nothing but lies to get us to feel sorry for him." Greg was angry once again at that thought.

Heather put her hand on her son's knee. "That's not completely true. I know that most of his crew was killed by rebels. One of them had been his current lover. He was upset, but whether it was for them dying, or how close he came himself, I don't know."

Traci was speaking to herself, but her voice was just loud enough for the others to hear her. "Damnit, how could he be hitting on me so soon after losing someone he loved?"

Greg was immediately up and ready to go looking for his father. Traci finally got him to calm down and assured him that it wasn't much to it. He sat back down next to his mom when she asked him to do so. She wanted to finish what she had to say before she backed out.

"Traci, to answer your question, he could do that because he probably didn't really love her. Not love like you three have anyway. Ted likes to consider himself a lady's man. He would have his flings, but they always came in a distant second to the job. By the time I had found out, he was lucky that I really didn't care any more. He was always careful around me since I had his future in the palm of my hand." She had a smile that Greg thought was almost vindictive.

Greg looked to his mother for an explanation. He had no idea what she meant by that remark. "What did you mean by that?"

"Because with just a word from me, my father would not only terminate his career but his life as well. When his indiscretions were found out, I was the one that stopped him from doing something by appealing to his business sense. Ted is the best at what he does." She saw that the two women were as confused as her son seemed to be.

"You don't know the family history and I'm not sure if Greg has even heard it for the most part. One of the founders of Schoenherr and Associates was Nicholas Scheffield, my father. Enrich Schoenherr and my dad started the consultation business with a couple of other like-minded men. They were lucky enough to catch a couple of military contracts during the Vietnam conflict, which led to them gaining a reputation for getting the job done.

"The company kept growing over the years. They now own several divisions all over the world. Your grandfather gradually bought out the other partners and now the family owns seventy percent of the stock. Dad holds fifty percent and with my proxy controlling interest. Your uncle Bill and I each hold ten. Let's just say that your grandfather is a very powerful man."

Greg had been distracted by all of these revelations from his mother, just like she had figured he would be. She was dreading the next question from her son if he followed the path of thought she figured on. He did not disappoint her.

"I remember going to see him when I was very young. Is there a reason that we haven't since then?"

Heather gave a big sigh and finished off her brandy. This was going to be hard for her since it involved facing her own emotions. She felt that Greg had the right to know, especially since she had just figured it out for herself recently.

"This is even harder to explain than your father and me getting married. My father is more of a workaholic than Ted and I put together. One thing that I always craved growing up was his attention and approval. And that was something I never got. I always felt like he was disappointed with me, even more so after our mother died when I was fifteen.

"I harbored that resentment until I was a grown woman. Before I went to college, I swore that I would prove that I could be as successful in business as my father. When Ted and I graduated, we both would have had jobs in the corporation. But I needed to prove I could make it without his influence."

Heather was starting to get tears in her eyes. Greg rubbed her back as she caught her breath. He stopped when she looked back over at him, but he left his hand on her back. "Well, I did what I set out to do. We have started talking again and he had to admit that I am at the top of what is a very competitive field." She gave her son a small smile. "What I didn't realize until you and Mandy got together and everything happened was that I had become what I had rebelled against. It has taken me a long time to admit that I am my father. Now that I know it, I have to have your understanding and forgiveness."

Greg looked at his mother for a moment. She was rather intoxicated from the brandy, but he could also see just how hard it had been for her to admit all of this to him. He own emotions were in turmoil with everything he had learned, but the overwhelming emotion now was sympathy and love for this woman who had gone through so much.

"Mom, I understand a lot more now than I ever have before. Things make more sense, or at least will after I have time to sort them out. But there is nothing to forgive. I know now that your ignoring me all those years wasn't on purpose because of me. And that makes a lot of difference." He sat on the sofa holding his mother for a long time. Neither one said much more but both of them had thoughts racing through their heads.

Heather finally succumbed to the effects of the alcohol and the stress of the evening. Greg felt his mother's body relax against him. He moved away gently and placed her legs on the sofa and covered her with a blanket. Mandy and Traci had left for bed some time ago giving mother and son some privacy for what had been some very painful confessions. Greg shut down the lights and checked the doors on his way to bed. He just hoped that he would be able to calm down enough to sleep.

Greg was the last person to get moving the next day. As he had predicted, he had not been able to sleep until after sunrise when his exhausted body just shut down. He came into the kitchen looking like he had not slept in a week. Mandy made him a cup of coffee, adding the amount of sugar she knew he liked and sat next to him while he sipped the hot liquid.

In answer to his questions, she told him that Traci was already at work and his mother had awakened and headed home shortly after she called her office and told them she would be in later that day. Jenni was in her playpen happily beating her foam blocks with her stuffed tiger. Mandy refilled his mug and then asked him how he was doing.

"I really don't know. I kinda had my world messed up yesterday. The guy that I thought was my dad all these years probably isn't. I find out that my mother had been gang raped. My maybe father is for the most part a type A personality and part asshole that is incapable of really loving anything but his job and who hits on our friend that is young enough to be his daughter.

"My grandfather, who I have only seen a couple of times, scarred my mother enough that her priorities were only on work. She is as confused right now as I am, I think."

Mandy gave him a hug to let him know that she was there for him. "Why don't you take Jenni for a walk to the park? She loves the sunshine and you seem to think better when you get out in the air and moving around."

Greg agreed that it would be a good idea and after a couple pieces of toast and a change of clothes, he was ready to go. Jenni talked and made all kinds of sounds as they went down the sidewalk toward the park. The infant loved to get out in her stroller and look at everything in the park. There were lots of bright colors and people moving around to keep her attention. And it did give Greg a change of scenery and a bit of quiet time to sort out his feelings.

Greg sat on a gentle slope letting the sun fall on his face. The temperature was very comfortable for that time of year and it was very peaceful for him. Jenni crawled around on the grass and explored every pebble and leaf that came within her reach. Greg watched her and wished he could go back to a time when things were so simple that the smallest thing could take on total importance for you. Things seemed so complicated for him now. The things that he had held on to while growing up, even though they were not much, had slipped away.

How did he reconcile the idea that his father might not be his father? He didn't consciously blame his mother for what had happened to her, but it didn't seem fair that he would never know the truth. It seemed like he had based his whole life on lies and misunderstandings. The only things that were real right now were Mandy, Traci, and Jenni.

Greg walked over and scooped the little girl up before she got too far away causing Jenni to squeal with delight. He held her out and above his head while she giggled at him. When he brought her down, she held out her chubby arms and was clasping her fists and calling out 'Dada' to him. He pulled her in for a hug, which she accepted in her usual happy way. Greg knew that he wouldn't be able to solve his problems that day, but he was more at ease within himself and decided that he would take on each thing as it presented itself. In the meantime, he was going to hang on to what was really important to him. Once again, the smallest thing was taking on total importance in his life. Jenni had helped him see just what was really important was the present. He couldn't change the past but he could make sure the present and the future were good for this little girl.

It was a few days later that Heather called to see how Greg was getting along. Mandy was at the doctor's. She had been using the patch for birth control ever since Jennifer had been born, but it was now causing a skin irritation that was driving her crazy. Dr. Simmons had her come in for a routine check and to talk about the alternatives. Traci had taken the day and went to the campus library to research something one of the children at the center had been diagnosed with. This left Greg alone for the afternoon and he was reading when the phone rang.

They ended up talking for almost an hour. Greg had come to terms with most of the past that he knew he couldn't change. They talked about his father and the relationship that was there. Finally, they discussed his grandfather. Heather said that she had started to talk to him more often lately and had called after their conversation a few days ago.

Greg was somewhat surprised when she told him that his grandfather was very interested in him and had kept up on his accomplishments. His uncle was gay so he was the only grandchild. Nicholas had come to the realization that he had been the problem with his children and was trying to mend the relationship between them all. Heather then asked Greg to call his grandfather. Nicholas had wanted to contact is grandson for some time, but was not sure if the contact would be welcome. Greg grabbed a pen and wrote the number down. The amount of digits showed that it was an international call and he asked just where his grandfather lived. He was surprised to learn that his grandfather owned a villa in Southern Italy. He had moved there just before Greg had been born. They talked a few more minutes before disconnecting.

The last thing Heather told her son was, "Please call him, Greg. When you opened my eyes, I finally contacted him after more years than I want to admit. What I found was a very lonely man who was in desperate need of personal contact with family. I guess we both had learned something in the years between. I've slighted you again by not letting you get to know him just because of my career. Now you have a chance to mend that gap, so please at least make the effort."

Greg promised her he would call, but when Mandy came home from the doctor, he was still sitting in the chair looking at the number. He explained what his mother had told him and what she had asked him to do. "I don't mind making the call since it is important to her, but I just don't know what to say. What do you say to a person that you don't know and haven't seen in over ten years?"

"You might start with 'Hello'," was Mandy's reply.

That was so oblivious, it caught Greg as really funny. Mandy joined him in his laughter and he felt more comfortable about making the call afterwards. After remembering to check the time difference, he found that the best time to call would be later on that night.

Greg had plenty of time to fret about the upcoming call, which he put to use. Several times that night, one or the other of the women would catch him staring off into space and they knew he was thinking about it. Finally, it was late enough for him to place the call.

He could hear clicks as the signal was routed through countless relay stations and lines. The other end was answered by a young female voice speaking in Italian. Greg had taken the language for a required credit in school and remembered enough to give an answer that the young woman could understand. As soon as she heard his name, she switched to accented English.

"Yes, you are expected. I will get the boss." There was silence for a moment then an extension was picked up and a bass voice came on the line.

"Gregory? Your mother talked to you?"

"Yes sir. She explained some things to me and suggested that I call you."

"I'm very glad you did, son. Heather called a few days ago and told me what had happened. I am sorry that you had to find out all the family secrets this way. Some things cause more harm than good when they are brought out into the open."

"Well sir, since I have heard it all, I have had a chance to figure out what it means to me. I now understand just why things happened. It is in the past though and I didn't have anything to do with it. I just want to go forward from here."

Nicholas Scheffield gave a deep chuckle. "Young man, you have a better grasp on what is really important than most people twice your age. Hell, probably most people MY age. Your mother said that you were mature well past your years, and I can see she is right as she so often is."

From there, the two started to talk more freely, soon sounding like there had not been years since they had spoken to each other. Greg was surprised how easy his grandfather could guide the conversation and how much information he could get out of the other party. He understood then how the man had been so successful in business.

Before he realized it, an hour had passed. The two had been in constant discussion, but had barely scratched the surface on what Nicholas was interested in. He knew all about Greg's academic and martial arts achievements as well as his personal interests. In fact, he had kept closer tabs on his grandson than his own mother had. Now, he was interested in Greg's outlook on life; how he felt about certain things and generally what made him tick. They ended the conversation with the promise to continue, along with an invitation for all of them, including Heather, to spend some time with him at his villa.

Greg hung up the phone and turned to face the two women in his life. They both had heard his side of the conversation and were intensely interested to get all the details. By the time he had relayed all the conversation he could remember, it was very late in the evening. He decided that he would tell his mother about it in the morning.

However, they didn't get to sleep right away. Nor were they making love. As soon as the girls heard about the invitation to an Italian villa, they were chattering away like mad about going. They did decide that they couldn't get everything arranged for the summer, but if it would work with Nicholas' schedule, they would spend the winter break there. That gave them plenty of time to get their clothing sorted out, and plan all the things that women needed to plan. Greg figured he could easily throw some clothes in a suitcase and be ready in an hour. "Just one of the wonderful mysteries of women," he mumbled to himself.

Over the next couple of weeks, Greg got more of the past sorted out and came to grips with it. He would find himself suddenly getting angry or sad when some thought strayed in on him, but he was getting much more control over it all.

He was on the back deck enjoying the sun when he heard the phone ring. Mandy was taking a break from her artwork and fixing them both a snack so she answered it. He could hear her speaking then she came out on the deck.

"Sweety, do you know a Mrs. Miller?"

Greg sat up and extended his hand to take the handset. "Not that I remember." He brought the receiver up to his ear. "This is Greg Tolkin, how can I help you?"

The woman on the other end sounded like she had been crying. Her voice was shaky. "I'm Olivia Miller's mother. Do you remember her from school?"

"Of course I do. Liv was a great lunch partner and she is still a friend. Has something happened to her?" Greg was starting to get worried.

"Well, I don't know for sure. She hasn't come out and said anything for sure, but I think her boyfriend is hurting her."

"What makes you think that? I mean what is she doing that leads you to think that?"

"She has always been so happy and carefree. Especially when she first started to date Jerry. Now, she is very withdrawn and won't hardly talk to anyone. She doesn't wear her short sleeveless shirts no matter how hot it is. I think that maybe he is hitting her. I know that she doesn't talk to any of her friends any more. I asked those friends if they knew what was wrong and they had no idea. I know that she used to talk about you all the time and how you would help her with anything. I wouldn't have bothered you at all but I was hoping you might be able to talk to her. You know, find out if there is anything we can do to help."

Greg was thinking back as Mrs. Miller was explaining the situation to him. Olivia had come over several times right after the prom, but had suddenly stopped. He had no idea why and at the time, he had not thought too much about it. Now, he thought about some of the discussions from the group that Mandy had helped form. He realized that Mrs. Miller had stopped speaking and was waiting for him to answer.

"Of course, I will do anything I can. When would be a good time?"

"I'm going to be gone for a while this afternoon. Olivia's sleeping patterns have changed as well and she doesn't get out of bed until late. If you want to come over around noon, I will be here to let you in. And thanks Greg. I'm at my wit's end with worry."

"No problem Mrs. Miller. I'll be there at noon."

He ended the call and explained what was going on to Mandy. She was all for him talking to her when she heard what was happening. "She may be just going through a bad time, but I doubt it. And if she is in an abusive relationship, she is going to need help getting out of it. Just be careful if you get involved. The guy might be violent."

Greg got a determined look on his face. "If he is abusing her, I hope he does."

Mandy got a shiver down her back when she heard her lover. She very seldom heard than tone of determination in his voice and it always meant that it would be wise to stay out of his way and his reach too.

Greg showed up at the address Mrs. Miller had given him right at the appointed time. The door opened to reveal an older version of Olivia. Mrs. Miller looked to be in her late thirties, and still very trim. Her face would have been beautiful if it had not been so puffy and red from her crying. She greeted Greg and thanked him again for coming over. She told him that this morning had been the worst.

Jerry had called last night and from what she had overheard, Olivia had not wanted to go out. She crumpled and agreed to go and it was very late when she came in. Her mother had gone in to check on her this morning and found her completely covered on her stomach. She had been sobbing into her pillow, but wouldn't tell what was wrong. That was when Mrs. Miller had contacted Greg.

Greg assured the woman that he would try his best to see if he could find out what was going on. Mrs. Miller gave him a slight smile of hope and directed him to Olivia's room... She then left to go to her job. She wasn't worried about Greg messing with her daughter since she had heard about the work he had done with his girlfriend, and how he had treated her daughter before. She just hoped some good would come of it all.

Greg went up the steps and along the hall to where Olivia's room was supposed to be. The door had a poster of a rock star and hair ribbons hanging from the handle. He knocked on the door and a muffled voice called out, "Go AWAY!"

"Liv, it's me, Greg. Can I come in and talk to you?"

He heard the bed covers rustle and heard her try to stifle a cry. He tried the handle and found it unlocked so he pushed the door open. What he saw stopped him in his tracks. She was scrambling to get the covers back up but he caught sight of the bruises on her bare back and side. She looked up at him with the covers now up to her chin. He could see her lip was swollen as well.

"How come you're here?" she asked in a voice that was far from the girl he knew from school.

"Your mom called and told me that you hadn't been yourself lately. I came over because I was worried about my lunch partner."

She looked almost ready to cry. "Thanks Greg. I really appreciate it. But there isn't anything you need to worry about. Jerry and I are just not getting along right now."

"From what I saw I would say that it is a lot more than 'just not getting along'".

Her eyes got larger. "Wh... What did you think you saw?"

"I saw some bruises. Some were older than the others; so don't tell me it was an accident or that it only happened once. You forget that I know about this kind of thing."

She tried to deny anything was wrong, but Greg held up his hand to stop her. When he did, she flinched and drew away. "That reaction tells me more than you realize, Liv. We have always been honest with each other. Let's not start lying now."

She seemed to shrink into herself. She was trembling and her voice was quivering as she started to speak. "I can't fool you, can I? Yeah, he has smacked me a couple of times when I have made him mad. I just have to quit doing things that upset him. Besides I got myself into this and I just have to accept it."

Greg sat down beside her on the edge of the bed. Covering her exposed hands with his own, he gave them a friendly squeeze. "Liv... Sweetie, you don't have to put up with any of this. You are much too nice a person to deserve that kind of treatment. Nobody should be hit in a relationship. And you don't have to accept it."

"You don't understand. Jerry told me that if I didn't do things I know he don't like, he wouldn't have to hurt me. Just as long as I do what he wants, he is very sweet."

"Oh, but I do understand what's going on. Matter of fact you don't have to say anything, I'll tell you just what has been going on. When you first got together, he was a great boyfriend. He was attentive, wanting you with him all the time. Things were going really good when he started to turn you against your friends, asking you not to go out with them, begging you to stay with him instead. Then came the accusations of you looking at other guys. You argued and he slapped you. You tried to break it off then but he came crawling back swearing that it would never happen again, that he really loved you that he couldn't live without you.