Chapter 81: Irresponsible Jerk

In a swift motion, Chad got out of bed. He was overwhelmed with emotions he couldn’t name. All he knew was the time when he revealed everything to Stacy would come really, really soon. The lack of rest did nothing to his physical stamina as he marched down the hall. All he had was a foggy mind and the incessant throbbing of his temples. However, his body moved just fine, heading to a destination in mind.

Just as he reached the door, he didn’t even knock before pushing it open. As usual, the man sat on the bed with his head resting against the headboard. He was resting with his arms folded and his eyes closed, but his mind was alert.

“I didn’t hear knocking,” he said calmly without opening his eyes.

“There’s a crisis, old man,” Chad hissed through his teeth. “Still, I’m sure there’s time for pleasantries,” he maintained his composure and the passive state of a man who hadn’t left his room for a few days straight.

“It’s about Stacy,” Chad said. That’s all it needed. Hank opened his eyes slowly. “How’s she coping?” The man didn’t show much concern on his face but surely, that’s the only matter that he cared about, the only thing that could move him.

“Not well,” Chad started, trying his best to sound calm. He did sound calm, only, there’s a storm brewing in his heart only he knew. “She broke down last night. Demanded to know all about her past.”

There was a pause. Chad was waiting for Hank to say something but the man was carefully quiet. The only thing betraying him was the slight flick of his eyes.

“I promised her I will tell her today,” he continued, hoping that Hank would say something. Maybe give him some valuable insights or perform a magical trick that would miraculously make the problem go away.

Much to his disappointment, he threw the question back at him. “What do you plan to tell her?” Another silence stretched. A few seconds passed.

“The truth,” Chad finally said, “all of it.” He watched Hank but the man’s expression didn’t give anything away, as usual.

“I don’t think it’s right to keep things from her. She deserves to know the truth,” he said. He wasn’t just telling Hank, he was trying to convince himself.

“Hmm,” Hank gave a simple grunt of understanding.

“Don’t just say nothing,” Chad’s brows knitted in distress, “how can you act like you play no part in this whole thing?”

“I have come to terms with everything that’s already happened and everything that’s about to happen, ranging from the best to the worst scenario. I trust you to make the best decision you could,” Hank explained calmly. He couldn’t look more detached.

That fact didn’t sit well with Chad. He could feel anger building up in him, threatening to gush out. He knew that it was going to be the same uncontrollable feeling he had the night before so he tried his best to keep the beast in check.

“You’re really a failure,” he said instead. His voice sounded calm, the anger brimming underneath. Hank chuckled. “Yes, I am. Thanks for reminding me about it.”

In a swift motion, Chad was in front of him, grabbing his shirt menacingly. “Don’t you dare laugh! You are the one that caused all those harm to her!” Chad growled as he stared right into the man’s eyes. Hank maintained eye contact. He didn’t move nor respond, simply let Chad do whatever he wanted.

“Now you are all about accepting the situation, trusting us and all that bullshit! Why are we dealing with this situation in the first place? It’s all the mess you created!” If look could kill, he would have killed the man countless times already.

“Don’t you dare act like you have nothing to do with this whole mess,” his voice came out low as he released the man and stepped back, trying to stop himself from switching to talking with his fist.

“What else do you expect me to do?” Hank kept his tone carefully expressionless.

“Do something. Take responsibility. I don’t know.. Fix this!” Chad spinned around so fast, one might think that he was ready to beat Hank up. Hank studied the furious man in front of him. Then, his shoulders slumped slightly.

“You know that’s not possible, young man,” Hank leaned back against the headboard. “Just tell me what exactly you want me to do. Specifically.”

Chad’s frown deepened. He tried to think of what to respond. That calmed him down a little. He realized that he was starting to lose his temper more and more in recent days. He wasn’t really in his right mind and Hank knew it.

Taking a deep breath, he composed himself. “I was hoping to let her meet her father,” he couldn’t believe the words that came out of his own mouth.

Hank himself looked surprised by the suggestion.

“It’s true that you are a jerk. You were the evil leader who took away everything that matters. You are an irresponsible old man who shy away from the mess you created. You do not deserve to be a father,” Chad said it all to his face with a straight face. “But Stacy deserves to know that she still has a family member who’s alive. It’s up to her if she wants to forgive you.”

Hank shifted his position on the bed. He looked like he was considering the words Chad said. “At least own up to your own mistakes,” Chad said before walking to the door. Without turning back, he said, “It isn’t a question or a suggestion. I’m informing you that I will bring her over. Don’t mess things up. If you do, I won’t hesitate to end your life.” With that, he left the room.

Hank remained unmoved. He stared into a distance, a deprecating smile on his face. What Chad said were all true. He was useless to begin with. The way he handled Mariana and his family issues, the decision he made back in the days to send Stacy away because of his incompetence, the attitude he had all the while in the Reaper’s territory, it all emphasized on his incompetence and irresponsibility.

And finally it came the time when he should face it.