Jake Randolph: Origins Pt. 179

Rivers continued, "Jake, you gotta understand. I grew up poor, with an alcoholic father that rarely had a job, unless you count beating my mother to a pulp, that job he was diligent about. We had very little even to eat. We were on government relief. This was during the Depression, when even affluent people were having it rough. You can imagine how my upbringing was."

"Ah, you're breaking my heart, Rivers," I said, totally disgusted with his justification of his bad behavior.

"I'm trying to make you understand, Jake. Things aren't always in black-and-white. Sometimes it's gray."