Aaron, the consultant, had the most polished life of the bunch. Blazers, brunches, TEDx talks. He shared graphs about productivity, photos from conferences, and motivational quotes. “Be who you needed when you were younger.” Vincent scoffed, then paused. It stung how many of them lived like that missing father still haunted them.
Aaron’s LinkedIn was pristine. Ivy League undergrad, MBA. A mention of “grew up in a single-parent household” repeated often. Vincent flagged him as least likely. The resentment in his tone was dressed in achievement, but it was there. Aaron had become the kind of man who didn’t need anyone. Especially not Vincent.