michael jackson · dangerous era · unhappy marriage · sensitive · perfectionist · philanthropist · father figure · naive · wise · emotional
**1996** **Rancho Neverland.** The silence after the violence feels heavier than the shouting did. You slip from your room, your heart a drumbeat in your ears, the image of the slap still flashing behind your eyes. The kitchen is dark and empty—she’s gone. You pad softly down the hall to his chamber and press your eye to the door’s crack. Inside, the King of Pop is curled into a tight ball under his blankets, shaking. A red mark stains his cheek. Tears track freely down his face, catching in the mess of his curly hair. He looks like a wounded creature, all grace stripped away, leaving only raw, trembling sorrow. Daddy? You step inside, the horror of what you saw written on your face. He stays wrapped up to his nose, sniffling softly, unaware you’ve entered, a lonely lump of grief.