Family Secrets: The Man Jaclyn Webber Wanted to Keep a Secret
Bill Hutchison, 58, is the president and CEO of the biggest power company in Illinois, EXCO Power, but more shockingly he's Jaclyn Webber's, 18, grandfather.
According to sources closest to Webber the two haven't seen each other in eight years. Why? You might ask, well we sat down with Hutchison to find out.
"It's true I haven't seen my granddaughter or my daughter since 1993. Things in our family are a bit complicated."
Hutchinson and his wife and daughter lead almost aristocratic lives as his company grew and spread into neighboring states turning into the million dollar company it is today.
When his daughter, Michelle Webber, now 37, was sixteen she fell for the scrappy young tree climber who she met by chance when he was trimming her trees. This young teen, would become her husband, Brad Webber, and they would go on to have Jaclyn Webber.
"I was appalled if I'm being completely honest by Michelle's lack of dignity. Her mother and I had always loved her, and given her everything, and to repay us she threw her future away."
Hutchinson, even though it broke his heart, gave his daughter an ultimatum when she shared news of her engagement.
Call it off, or be cut off.
As we can see she decided to runaway to small town Villa Grove, where Webber's family had established a small business of trimming trees and fixing landscapes, but it was a far cry from her previous life.
"It was surprisingly easy for me, I think it was because I knew she was happy. However, when Jaclyn was born my wife, Glenda started to waiver, for the first several years of Jaclyn's life Glenda was going behind my back to see the child. Now that I look back on it, it's what eventually lead to me filing for divorce that and the fact that she was mad."
It wasn't until Webber's seventh birthday that Hutchinson finally caught on to what was going on. After meeting up once again with his daughter they allowed for the two to meet for the first time.
"I was rather unimpressed with her, honestly. It was why I never wanted Michelle to settle for that man anyway, I knew any child would be brought up to be a mediocre middle class citizen. I've also never seen her dance so I can't speak for her ability, but in my eyes she's never showcased any real talent. She's rather unremarkable, but I'll always love her."
However, Hutchison did go on to say that after his divorce to his wife in 1993, he had no desire to see any of them. "It's hard when your granddaughter, a little girl you want to love so dearly, has the same eyes of the man who tore your family apart. Sadly, I think I will always look at her and be haunted by everything that's gone on."
When asked if he was shocked by her latest outings with Prince William Hutchinson responded, "While everyone I work with was shocked of the prince's continuous outings with my granddaughter I wasn't. She's an enigma that doesn't know how to act, talk, or dress; and I think for right now he's intrigued by her because she's not like the classy young ladies I'm sure he's used to. On the other hand, I think Jaclyn is being quite foolish conducting herself the way she is. She can't complain about people's ridicule either because she looks horrendous in every photo, she is a charming girl, but I wish she would grow up already and stop making a mockery of herself, I almost don't want to claim her."
"However, I can't expect much else from the daughter of a tree trimmer."
-----
February 17, 2001
Thomas stood in her doorway hands clasped behind his back. His face was so ghastly white he might have powdered it.
"You can give me the tabloids, Tommy. They can't be that bad." So she had grown a little obsessive of what was being said about her. It wasn't her fault she cared about every little detail they said, and wanted everyone to like her.
"I don't think I can Jackie, and I think we should stay inside all weekend and never leave." Just as she was about to question him her phone buzzed. It was Zara.
"Hello?" She asked a little confused.
"Jackie, have you read the papers at all?" There was an odd urgency in her voice, she had never sounded so panicked. This was her sweet fragile friend though, and possibly the one thing that could break her.
"No, what's going on-"
Before she could finish Natania stormed in unplugging their tiny tv they had set up in the corner.
Furious she growled, "Okay does somebody want to tell me what's going on?"
Minutes passed with only the sound of Zara's breathing in her ear. All three wanted to prolong the pain a bit longer, but eventually she would have to face it. So, Thomas handed forward the Daily Mail article.
On the cover was an old picture of her grandfather and her. It was for a professional portrait in his office, and they were both standing tall no smiles, no love.
As her breath caught in her throat the paper slipped from her fingers, and suddenly she was juggling it through the air. "I'm so sorry Jackie," Zara whispered soothingly, but she couldn't respond.
Her eyes were near bursting with tears, but all his sharp words were challenging them. Reverting her back to a little girl, too scared to stand up to him.
She wouldn't cry,
She couldn't cry,
But she had to read the article.
-----
As the hours passed the more Jaclyn grew irritated with herself. she wanted to wail, but wouldn't allow herself, she wanted to scream, but couldn't find the power, and most of all she wanted to be mad at William but her heart said no. He had currently left several voicemails on her phone accompanied by several unanswered texts.
She had talked to her family, consoled her grandma as she cried, and shared with them everything she was feeling. Her burning hatred of her grandfather, the embarrassment she feared would constantly follow her if his name's for her stuck, and her small frustrations with William.
It wasn't right, but for a while she wanted to be mad with him. Her mom swore it was normal, if she didn't know William her grandfather would be just another deadbeat, and tabloids across the world wouldn't be inspecting her mental stability after all.
But, her dad had reminded her that he dealt with this daily, she had a sense of what she was getting into last July.
Angrily she had thrown on her AC/DC shirt, she needed something to protect her and feel familiar. The shirt had been her dad's, wearing it made it feel like he was hugging her which was all she wanted at the moment.
When the first tabloid of her had come out she had been the one to say don't do anything. She didn't want to be an inconvenience or anger anyone so she figured, ignore it, and it'll go away. So, she couldn't blame him for not doing anything.
Now though it was getting out of hand. Peaking out her window she could see the photographers waiting to get that one distraught photo of her that would sell thousands of papers. It was as if she were a caged animal, and they were children tapping on her glass just to taunt.
Her point was only proven as the crowds outside started to shout, followed by waves of clicking. Clinging to her shirt, to her father, and with her blanket pulled over her head Jaclyn tried to convince herself everything was normal.
It didn't work.
There was a knock at the door. Just expecting Natania and Thomas to be back with her ice cream she got up off the bed wrapped in her comforter and answered the door.
When it turned out to be William on the other side she didn't even have the energy to be horrified that he was seeing her like this. William didn't seem bothered either the only thing she could see was concern.
"I've called you twenty times, and left several texts. You couldn't bother to respond to one?" He sighed. William hadn't worried this much about Jaclyn since July when her first spread showed up, but he knew nothing of her family and there were reasons for that. Every time he brought it up she steered them in a different direction, and now everything she seemed to want to ignore was front page news.
"I'm fine."
Taking in her wavy hair which was crinkled into a messy bun and the cape blanket dragging behind her he asked, "is that why you're wearing a blanket?"
"It makes me feel like a superhero."
"You know you can talk to me?" He said. Jaclyn stepped away from the door, and William took that as his cue to come in. He had to halt his protection officer from following, they needed time alone, and he had already inspected her dorm before.
There were different emotions fighting inside her, and finally she slammed her door. She turned to him nostrils flared, and hands clenched ready to rage, but suddenly she deflated.
"I'm pissed off," she said simply, dropping her eyes so he couldn't see the tears she was forcing down. "At me?" He asked.
A laugh was her only response, sure she was unreasonably upset with him, but she was more angered by herself. She had wanted to do nothing, but he had experience with this. If it was inevitably going to get this bad shouldn't he have told her to do something from the get go?
Finally she mumbled, "I'm sorry."
"No need to be. I've been careless, and now they're hunting you down like..." His voice trailed off like a switch was turning on, but Jaclyn didn't need him to finish that sentence. It was ridiculous. She wasn't Diana, paparazzi were obsessed with the late princess for her beauty and elegance. They hunted Jaclyn down because she was a scandal, something taboo that could ruin Williams name.
William wanted to ram his fist into the wall, or better yet one of those cameras. His father's press secretary, Colleen Harris had said to let it be, to let it die down naturally. In truth, she didn't believe the two of them would still be together, in a sense, for that long. As far as "the firm" was concerned there was no use wasting time and energy on a girl who wouldn't be remembered in a year.
Well, he had listened, but now he was done with that.
"I'm going to call my father, get the PPC involved, if so much as a side story was published they're not invited to any upcoming press events." William was pacing now, so angry in his own head he barely noticed Jaclyn succumbing to hers.
The second she collapsed to her knees, heaving to keep herself from sounding like she was crying, William was at her side.
"I don't- know what I'm... supposed to do," Jaclyn hiccuped. She curled into Williams chest finally feeling safe. She hated being pathetic and weak, but for once she needed the break down.
William squeezed her tighter his hands twirling her hair and running along her back. She shouldn't have to do anything, she didn't deserve this. "I'm going to do something I promise, it's getting out of hand." Jaclyn shivered as his deep voice circled above her, never had he sounded so mad, but he be damned if this went on any longer.
"William you've been away and busy for most of it-"
"That doesn't excuse anything, I was hoping we could just ignore it, but someone has crossed a line this time. You have a right for your private life to stay private."
They lay their silently, her hands tangled in his button up shirt, and his holding her. His touch on her soft yet supportive. Her head on his chest, his resting on top of hers, in the middle of her dorm room. It would've been a perfect moment any other time.
"How do you do it?" She whispered, "deal with the media constantly publishing stuff about your family?"
William thought for a good second, he didn't want to lie to her, but he didn't want to make her feel worse. "I'm not going to say it gets easier, but you do get stronger. There's nothing I hate more than the press, I do blame them for my mum's death, but I find talking about it helps." Her cries had softened, but her chest was still rising in short bursts as her breath wouldn't calm.
So he went first.
"You know the interview my mum did with Bashir?" When she nodded he breathed in deeply. Five years later, and it was still difficult to discuss. "After it came out I felt betrayed, all of my family's dirty laundry was out in the open for everyone to see. I called her, and said I would never forgive her, and even though we made up before the crash I still regret saying that to her. The time I was upset at her was wasted."
"Now, they publish a new story on her every week, some new information or a leaked secret. They drag everyone else in my family constantly, and really the only way I survive is by talking it out with the people I trust."
As William told his story Jaclyn's breaths had slowed only her sniffles and red eyes were reminders that she had even cried. "That's not your fault, Will's." She spoke softly only wanting his gorgeous smile to return. "I know, but that's still hard to believe. Now talk to me about what your grandfather said."
She was horrified to say it, like it might come true, but she managed to get out, "He called me foolish, a horrendous enigma. I don't know how to act or dress, he's completely embarrassed by me, and I'm worried he's right." These thoughts had always been on her mind, but having him confirm it was a stake to the heart.
Jaw tightening William thought of all the things he would like to do to this guy. The girl in his arms was the last person that deserved this, and William was truly puzzled on how he could think any of those things.
All he wanted was to rough this guy up, but what he had to do was comfort the girl he cared so much for in his arms.
"Why don't you tell me your side of the story?"
"Honestly, he told it very well. I was always an embarrassment to him, some screwed up half blood like in Harry Potter."
"Well it's not true," William said courageously kissing the top of her head, "I think you're the most graceful person I've ever met, and he has no right to say why he thinks I like spending time with you because it's not because I find you odd. He doesn't know that I make fun of your classic rock obsession but I actually love it, or that we both like sci-fi and fantasy. I think you're unique, and beautiful, and most importantly I don't think your grandfather deserves you." She rolled slightly, the red in her eyes making them more blue, so she could see him as he spoke.
When he was finished she reached up to run her hand along his cheek, a sad smile on her lips. "Thank you William," and then she leaned up to kiss his cheek. It was that moment that she finally accepted that she was falling for the prince, and that she wanted them to be something.