He was a liar. In his youth one of his lies killed someone. Or maybe it was the lie of one of his officers or friends. Either way he remembers the talks with the police, and the stressful weeks before the final blame was put on someone else.
Despite his lies he was a good son. When his mother died he organized the funeral at which he delivered a moving eulogy. And later when his father disappeared he reported it to the police and posted “Lost Dad” signs around the town. Nobody could say that he was not a good son.
As a good man he felt he should have a good home. And so he rented a large four bedroom home at a substantial price. He sublet all four of the rooms for the total of the rent and set up a cot for himself in the garage. The man felt very clever because he was living in a beautiful home in an expensive city for free.
Or so he thought, for at the end of the month he was charged not just the rent but also a utility bill for which he did not have the money. But there was no need to panic because a person who can lie and be a good son has ways of making money. He posted an advertisement in the newspaper.
Adult son available for adoption. No papers needed. Reasonable monthly fee
An elderly woman reached out and though the adoption was unofficial, he became a son to her.
As a son, he would call her regularly, and they would go on walks together. On the holidays he would bring her gifts and handwritten notes which said what a great mother she was and the notes assured her that he was a good son. In exchange she covered his utilities each month.
Soon it became clear that his new mother wanted to be a grandmother. So he went out with the woman he had talked to at the newspaper when he placed the ad and he explained to her that he was involved in real estate and had a lucrative side hustle as an adult son. She moved into the garage and after a short time they were married and had a son of their own
The problem came when the man’s son began to love his adopted mother as if she was a legitimate relative. The grandmother used this love to her advantage and said that she would no longer pay the utilities.
Familiar in the ways of blackmail, the man immediately cut off the grandmother for he knew that negotiating was hopeless.
But soon his son cried out for the grandmother and the man eventually relented and allowed the relationship to resume without the payment. Though he was a liar and a grifter, he loved his son. His wife’s job at the newspaper was enough to cover the utility bill and life continued peacefully that way until the day his father showed up at the house.
After the initial shock at his reappearance had passed, the pair began to reconcile and the man introduced his father to his son for the first time. Soon after, the grandmother arrived for their weekly walk. At first the man’s father mistook her for the child’s mother and congratulated her on having such a beautiful child. But when it became clear that the man had replaced his deceased mother with a stranger he became enraged.
The father screamed at the man and the man screamed back. They screamed about the man’s lies. They screamed about his mother. They argued over whether the man ever loved her. In the end, the father left and said that he was not coming back. The man was left sobbing, unsure what was true, and his adopted mother was there to comfort him.
The next day there was a new advertisement in the newspaper.
Adult son available for adoption. No papers needed. Free grandson included