Chapter Thirty-Four

Pete tossed the rubber ball into the air as he laid atop his bed. He was thankful for the solitude. Normally he would be sharing a room with at least one of his siblings, being the youngest of five. But they were still at college, moved out, or been moved to the bigger room. He was supposed to be happy; another year done. Another year closer to getting out of this town. He received a good report card.

Big deal, he huffed as he tossed the ball high enough to hit the ceiling. Everyone before him had good grades. So what if he did? But if he didn't, his parents would be sure to grill him for that.

It was too early to fall asleep, so he went to the kitchen to grab some chips. As he began to creep down the stairs, he heard a knock at the front door. His dad answered it, and Pete was shocked to see Lex and Julian Luthor in his doorway.

"Good evening, Mr. Ross. May we come in?" Lex asked.

"Of course." His dad sounded just as confused as Pete was.

Pete chuckled to himself and settled down, hidden behind the wall so just his head could peek through the railing into the living room where the trio was now sitting. Whatever those Luthors came for, his father was sure to give them a good reprimand.

"Well, what can I help you with?"

"It's more of…no." Lex sighed. "Mr. Ross, I am here to make amends."

"We're here to make amends." Julian added.

"When Lionel, my…our father, bought the factory from you, he went back on a promise. He changed the deal. Drove you out."

"Well, there was the settlement."

"In which, you got screwed. I read the settlement, Mr. Ross. Lionel made sure he didn't have to give you a penny more than the court would order."

"So, why this visit?"

"I am not my father. And I never want to be like him. I have inherited the company he built on lies and deceit. I want to use what I have been given to do good, but I feel I can't move forward until correcting the wrongs of the past." Lex pulled out a check. "This is what you are owed from what a fair deal would have been, adjusting for inflation. I know this can never make up for what happened. But I want Luthor Corp to be known as a fair company. A company that respects its partners and employees. I don't know what else to do except to give this and my apologies."

Pete frowned. What were they up to? His father seemed to think the same thing. "Is this some sort of publicity stunt?"

"What publicity? Mr. Ross, we're at your home for the privacy. We don't care about PR. We're doing this because it's the right thing to do. The only way the press will know about this is if you tell them." Julian said.

Mr. Ross ignored the check. "I don't need the money."

"I know that, Mr. Ross. You and your family are self-made people. This is not a handout by any means. Simply what you are owed in fairness."

"And we're sorry for what happened." Julian said.

Mr. Ross stood up. "It's a sad thing for a son to apologize on behalf of his father. A father is the one who should set a good example." He extended his hand, and it took Lex a minute to recognize he meant it as a handshake and not asking for the check. Lex took it. "I remember watching you as a boy throw stones at crows that day. You seem to have grown into an honorable man."

"Does this mean we're forgiven?" Julian asked.

"You never wronged me. Either of you. It's fair to say, though, that I'll be keeping an eye for your names in the headlines."

"You won't have to wait that long."

The Luthors and Pete's father said their goodbyes. As soon as the undesired guests had left, Pete stormed down the stairs. "Dad, what was that?"

"Peter Ross, were you eavesdropping?"

"We hate the Luthors. They robbed us. You forget that because they gave you a check?" Pete fumed. His entire life he had heard his dad and uncle smack talk about the Luthors at every family gathering and how they had been backstabbed and swindled.

Mr. Ross sighed. "I'm sorry, son. For years I was angry. I never made that a secret, but maybe I should have." He put a hand on his son's shoulder. "I meant what I said about fathers being good examples. And when people apologize and show remorse and are trying to be better people, we need to forgive them. If we don't, where's the incentive for them to change? Hate only hurts the haters."

Pete backed away, shaking his head in disbelief. The Luthors got everything. Pete grabbed his keys and stormed out of the house. After everything they did, one apology and that was supposed to fix everything? Where was the justice in that?

One way or another, those Luthors are going to pay, Pete vowed as he drove into the dark.

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Chloe was sitting alone in the front row at a press conference in front of the closed Luthor Corp plant. Lois was supposed to be with her, but there was some excitement in sitting alone among the members of the press. As if she was a real journalist. She was given this seat thanks to her boyfriend, Julian Luthor, who was standing next to Lex at the podium.

She had her own notepad and pen ready. Chloe eyed the others and they were going over their notes or having conversations about where they could get a decent sandwich for lunch. She didn't have the heart to tell them their choices were limited to the diner or the supermarkets deli. Her mind drifted to what Lois was doing that was so important she bailed out on being here. Chloe would say Algebra, but she knew her cousin better. If anything, she was still working on the Kent Conundrum, but after a quick glimpse on her computer Lois was researching quantum physics and magic spells. It was possible her cousin had lost it. Or was trying to solve math in a more complicated way.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. Members of the Press. Welcome. I thank you all for coming out on such short notice." Lex addressed the crowd.

"A year ago, the Luthor family suffered loss. There was the sudden death of my father, Lionel Luthor. Upon his death I inherited Luthor Corp. Headlines around that time criticized that I was too young to run a corporation of that size. My statements were that 'I was ready for the challenge', a statement I still stand behind.

"Soon after, another tragedy followed. My brother, Julian, fell into a coma and I didn't know if he would recover. This was what I was too young and inexperienced to handle. The burden of losing everything in this world I loved. The world did not stand still during my grief, and I had to find a way to keep moving and handle the responsibilities I was given. I confess, I took an easy road and closed this facility to lighten my burden.

"In doing so, I, Lex Luthor, failed this town. And today I formally apologize to the citizens of Smallville of how you were impacted by my actions. I cannot go back in time and change the past, but today I am happy to announce that the plant will be reopening.

"If any previous employees want their old positions, they will given them on the spot along with a return bonus. Minimal changes will need to be made for the plant to return to full operation, so I anticipate this to be operational within the next month. I will now open the floor to questions. Yes, the young lady in the front."

Chloe made sure she spoke loudly. "How do you justify the handout of bonuses when the plant will start without profits?"

"The plant was profitable when it closed; I expect to this plant to be profitable again."

"But it took years for the plant to make a profit when it first opened. Where is the money coming from?"

"If necessary, my own pocket. The entirety of Luthor Corp is turning over a new leaf to ensure the people are valued as family. Nothing is more important than family." Chloe watched Lex look at Julian when he said that, and the two brothers shared a smile.