154 comments/ 167826 views/ 33 favorites Life is Too Short By: The Wanderer Life is too short to let the bad guys win! * The Oxford Dictionary says Pride - a high or overbearing opinion of one's worth or importance. Temper - habitual or temporary disposition of mind esp. as regards composure. Passion - strong barely controllable emotion. Obstinacy - firmly adhering to one's chosen course of action or opinion despite dissuasion. Put pride, temper, passion and obstinacy together, add a villain or two, and stir vigorously. But, don't forget to throw in some patient friends and family. There is no sex in this story. ---------------------------------------- From my seat in the back of the limousine I watched the hearse pull up in front of my brothers house! As arranged, I had joined the cortège at the chapel of rest so that I would not have to wait in my brother's place with the others. She would be there with my children and I had no intention of seeing her. Even at my fathers funeral! I was not going to let my eyes even fall on her. One look at her would break my heart again. I had been so near to suicide over that woman, and I new that just seeing her could take me back down that road again! There were small groups of people standing around awaiting cortège's arrival. I got out of the car so they could offer me their condolences on my fathers passing. I thanked those that did so. But I was also aware of the ones that surreptitiously moved further away. There were some that I could see who were thinking of approaching me. But they had been there that night! I had told them then what I thought of then; when they're eyes met mine' They thought better of it. Then suddenly my two lovely young daughters, Jema and Elaine, were on my throwing their arms around me and saying how much they loved and missed me! I was crying as I hugged them both. It had been over a year since I had seen them. I was telling them how much I missed them, and they (as always,) asked me why I had to live in Australia? Why couldn't I live at home with them and mummy? It amazed me to realise, that my ex-wife had still not told them why I had gone. I had never given them my reasons; I had thought that if I told them of their mothers behaviour, It would appear that I was trying to turn them against they're mother and no mater what else she was, June was a darn good mother. I knew that the girls would have more need of her, as they grew up! Than they would have of a depressed, sometimes near suicidal father. I had left it to June to tell the girls, whatever she wished! My brother Tom and his wife Mary appeared. They both came over and gave me a hug, and then Tom announced it was time to make a move. The girls would be travelling in the lead car with us. He did not mention with whom June would be riding; everyone, even my girls knew that I did not wish to know. Although in my heart I did wish to know, I had loved that woman so much, that I had been slowly dying inside for the past eighteen months. I fort my every waking moment to keep her out of my mind and every night was filled with nightmares, of seeing her with that bastard. On the way to the cemetery, I was crying again. "Don't cry Dave! He had a good life; he's with mum now. You know how much he missed her. You know. The last thing he said was, 'I'm going to see my Alice again!'" My brother said to me. My brother wasn't to know that my tears weren't for my father. They were for me. Knowing that the only woman that I could ever love was so near, and I was too proud and obstinate, or was I frightened, to even look at her! ++++++++++ It had all started nearly two years before. My life up until then had been virtually perfect. I had been married for thirteen years, to what I thought, was the most wonderful woman in the world. I had two lovely daughters, a good job, and we owned our own house in a nice neighbourhood. Our social life had been great and we had a large circle of friends. Nearly every weekend we would be at some gathering or party. We appeared to have everything we wanted. Then George Mason. He was one of, what you might call "hangers on" of our group. A small insignificant sort of bloke. His wife had left him some years ago and I think most of us felt he was lonely, and invited him along, more out of pity than friendship. Had brought a friend along to one of the Thompson's parties. Talk about chalk and cheese! John Laslett. Stood a good six foot, and had the "Gift of the Gab!". Within minutes of arriving he was the centre of attention. Jokes flowed out of his mouth one after the other. When the party was over, he had been accepted as one of our group. Everyone seemed to like him. Except me! I must admit he was a handsome devil. But there was something about him that I didn't like. Maybe, it was jealousy at first! That's what June claimed it was. But think I spotted the lecher in him right from the start. My mind was asking, what was this handsome man who obviously had an eye for the ladies; doing hanging around with a creep like George Mason and what was he doing at a party were there were nothing but married couples. I was sure I could see that Casanova look in his eye. I noticed the way he looked at the women. Not the normal checkouts all the husbands gave each others wives; making sure that their own, was the best looking. Or maybe even with a little jealousy that some of the girls had kept they're figure better than they're own wife had. No his looks, were the lecherous looks of the travelling salesman, who fancied his chances! Maybe I was insecure and didn't realise it. But by the end of that party I had the nasty feeling that in near future someone's marriage was about to go "Tits up", and that was to cause me to make, probably my biggest mistake. I voiced my unease, first to June and then to some of our friends. June told me I was being stupid, John was just a nice man. He was funny and made everyone feel happy and good about themselves. His personality seemed to have captured most of our friends as well. They almost all dismissed my opinions, as me being paranoid and it soon became common knowledge that I didn't like John. But it also became clear that I would just have to tolerate him, or else June and I, would have to change our circle of friends. John became aware of my dislike for him very rapidly. At first he tried to make friends with me. All the usual stuff, if I expressed an opinion, he would agree with me immediately and back up my argument. He was always throwing compliments in my direction, and all of our friends kept telling me, that they couldn't understand my dislike of him. As he was always saying how sorry he was that I disliked him. He was telling them that I was a really nice fellow, and so clever as well. Over the following weeks I kept my cool. I did ask June to stay away from him, but that only got her annoyed with me. John was the centre of the fun at the parties by then and she said I was being stupid; John would never do anything to upset anyone. So I could only watch and wait for him to pick his first target. Six weeks after he first showed up I spotted her. Sheila Montgomery! George Mason who had acquired a video camera and would drive just about everyone crazy, recording almost everything that happened at our gatherings. I was also becoming suspicious that George, were something more than a friend to John Laslett. George's camera seemed to spend most of its time pointed at John and whichever woman he was talking to, or to my mind chatting up. I had noticed John had become quite touchy feel'y with the girls, especially on the dance floor. But to my mind on this particular evening, he appeared to be paying just a little to much attention to Sheila. I felt compelled to mention it to her husband Bill. He just said that I was reacting way over the top. He and Sheila had been married fifteen years; If Sheila was going to stray she would have done so years ago. Not now just as she was beginning to lose her figure! "Shit man!" I said, "Don't you realise that's the time a girl is most likely to stray! Sheila's a beautiful woman. If she thinks her figure is starting to go; she might start to feel she's losing the power to turn heads and some Prat like Laslett is halfway there! All he's got to do is give her ego a nice big enough boost and she won't know what has hit her. Until she's in his bed!" "Don't talk so much bloody rubbish Dave. I know my wife she wouldn't go jumping in any mans bed, but mine! To be honest, I find it offensive to me and a bloody insult to her that you should even suggest that she would" Bill refused to speak to me after that. I had to give up and never had to chance to broach the subject with him again. Only a month later the Montgomery's suddenly moved away. The word went around that they had a big fight; people had heard them out in the street. Then a "For Sale" sign went up outside they're house and they were gone! Everyone commented that they hadn't said goodbye to anyone and it appeared they had told no one where they were going. The day they were rumoured to have actually moved out, June told me that Bill had called my home on the phone and asked to speak to me; but I had been away on a business trip. June asked if there was a message? But Bill just said she was to tell me "He was Sorry!" I now new I was right about John Laslett. I didn't know whether Bill had caught John and Sheila "At it!" so to speak, or he had realised which way things were going before they got too far. After our row, he had obviously been too embarrassed to admit to me that he was wrong and I had been correct. He had arranged to remove his wife from further temptation. But that unfortunately left me with little ammunition, when it came to warning the next victims husband. All I could do was watch and wait! Two weeks later it became apparent that the arse-whole Laslett, had apparently chosen his next target and it was the one that I feared the most. It was another of the Thompson's parties. From the moment we arrived, I was aware that George's camera appeared to pointing at June much more than normal. Careful observation of John; showed he spent almost half the evening with the group that my wife was with and it seemed that every time I looked at the small dance floor, June and John were dancing together. After the first couple of dances I made a point of butting in and separating them. But that kind of backfired, as June got annoyed with me again. When we got home I. I told my June that I thought she was his next target. As a result, June flew into a rage at me and told me I had gone completely off my head. She said I was paranoid; John was always the perfect gentleman and didn't go around slandering everyone like I did. I lost my cool and said, "It's not slander! Why do you think the Montgomery's moved away? Bill's phone call was to let me know that I had been right when I told him I thought Laslett was after Sheila. That is what Bill and I had the row about. He was convinced I was wrong as well. But I know that Bill now knows I was bloody right! And now John Laslett has got it in his head to get into your knickers and I'm bloody sure he will. Whether you want him to or not! That mans a bloody expert at getting women into bed. I know! I've seen his sort operate before! June was totally livid with me and said that there was no point in trying to reason with me. She reckoned I had convicted her of something, which I thought she was going to do in the future. She would never dream of breaking our marriage vows and was terribly angry that I thought she would. I tried to tell her that I loved her and trusted her completely, but this bloke Laslett was an expert at seducing women. If he set his sights on a girl, he would get her in bed one way or another. The row got completely out of hand after that, and I finished up being locked out of our bedroom for the first time in our married life. For the next few days June didn't speak to me at all. All communication between us was passed through our daughters. By the middle of the week things had quietened down and we seemed to be back on speaking terms. Saturday there was a big party to celebrate someone's thirtieth wedding anniversary. It was held at the Marriott, one of the local hotels. June and I attended but I don't think she said more than two words to me all evening. I also became aware that Laslett was apparently backing off on June a bit. I noticed he was hanging around Paulette Simmons. While I was thinking on the subject, I realised I had not seen Barry Simmons. A few enquires soon told me that Barry was in the States on business and that explained John's change of target. A lonely wife. Probably a dead cert. for a man of his talents and Paulette appeared to me to be looking quite the worse for the drink, I noticed. Surely John didn't stoop so low as to get the woman so drunk that she didn't know what she was doing. But then John wasn't a gentleman was he, all he wanted was to get them into bed and it was beginning to look to me, like he didn't care how he did it! Sure enough around ten-thirty, I found I could no longer locate John or Paulette. I wondered out of the function room and but they where not in the bar or the lounge. Then I spotted George Mason coming down the stairs; he was putting yet another tape in his camera as he did so, and he never noticed me. 'I don't believe this.' I thought, 'That arse-whole has been up there filming John and Paulette in bed.' The sick bastard must be keeping a record of his conquests and George Mason is his fucking cameraman. They must be the sickest pair of individuals I've ever come across. I had no proof this, but what else would George be doing upstairs. He can't have a room he only lives a couple of hundred yards away. I decided I would hang around in the bar for a bit, as I could see the stairs and lift from there. Half an hour later George went back up. Then ten minutes later, John came down on his own looking quite pleased with himself. It was nearly eleven thirty when George came back down and returned to the function room. George had a smirk on his face, that I couldn't remember seeing before. I was just about to go back into the function room when Paulette came out of the lift. She was looking a dam sight more sober than she had been a couple of hours ago. But she was crying and obviously very distressed. I called out to her, but she rushed straight out if the front door. I made after her as quick as could, but she was nowhere in sight when I got outside. I know it was all speculation, but I assumed that John had seduced Paulette whilst she was to drunk to realise what was happening. The only reason I could come up with for George being up there was for him to film the episode; then I assumed that when John had had his fill. George had got his turn with her; most likely under threat of being exposed by the video! Why else would George go back up or Paulette be so upset. These were a sick couple of bastards! I went back in the function room and located June. I told her that I thought something was terribly wrong with Paulette, as I had seen her leaving and looking very distressed. I told June, as Paulette was on her own at home because Barry was in the States, I thought we should go over to her place to make sure she was all right. I did not mention John or George to June; I knew that I only had to mention John's name to her and she would have gone ballistic at me. I was hoping that Paulette would confide in June as to exactly what had happened; then my worries would be over. Unfortunately Paulette was either not at home, or was so upset that she would not open the door. We banged on the door and called through the post box all to no avail. As we drove home, I kept telling June how worried I was about Paulette and got her to promise, that she would get in touch with her over the next few days. Every night when I got home I kept on at June about Paulette. But June said had no luck contacting her. When Barry returned on the Wednesday he told June that Paulette had left him a note saying she had got lonely and gone to visit her sister in Scotland. She would probably be back in a few days. Dam I thought, if has Paulette confided in her sister she's not likely to spill the beans to June. The bluddy game was still on! Thursday there was a disaster at work. For me that is. The company I work for is part of a large multinational. One of our factories, just outside London, had just been completely refitted with updated plant. All the old machinery had been shipped out to Hungary, and put into a factory that company had recently acquired there. The Hungarians were having teething problems getting things up and running. Michael my boss, wanted me to go out there and get them sorted, He wanted me to fly out on Friday morning! I was worried about what was going to happen between John and June. There was a party at George's house Friday night. If I wasn't there to keep June out of harms way. God knows what could happen. Thursday evening I asked June if she would mind, giving the party a miss, as I would not by able to accompany her. But she got angry with me again and said that she was going whether I was there or not. She could look after herself, and I was getting unbearable, constantly going on about John. She said she loved me and would never do anything that would affect our marriage. As there was no way I was going to be able to stop her going to the party. I called Michael and told him straight. I would not be going to Hungary until Saturday, as I had had a 'situation at home!' If the company didn't like it that I wouldn't go on Friday they could sack me! Michael was shaken by my attitude. I had a reputation as a company man who could be relied upon. He said Saturday would do fine but would I mind calling in to see him tomorrow. June told me I was stupid, and asked what would I have done if he given me the sack. I said, "I would rather be without a job than without my wife!" June then went completely off the deep end, and once again I slept in the spare room! Friday morning I went in to see Michael. I gave him the whole ball of wax, right from the beginning. He asked me if was sure that this guy was after June. I said sure enough to throw my job in over it. He said he was sorry, but he had to ask me to go to Hungary, as I was the only man with the relevant experience available. I told him that I would go as I didn't think June would do anything silly. She wasn't that daft, if Laslett was to approach her or show up at my place; I was sure it would put her on her guard. He seemed to like his ladies to be the worse for drink. Who knows he might well spike their drinks with something, Paulette had got very drunk rather quickly, and then appeared to sober up quite fast. It could be, he had slipped her something? Friday night, was what I can only call, torture. June was making it very obvious that I was "Persona Non Gratis" with her. And for the whole evening I was never more than five feet from her, I even stood outside the door when she went to the loo. There were only two subjects of conversation. My neurotic behaviour, and Bill Thompson's fiftieth birthday party, that was to held the following Saturday at the Marriott Hotel. John kept out of my way and George wasn't using his camera very much. I figured that I was the fly in the ointment for them. June and I went home about ten-thirty; June said that I had ruined her evening and if I carried on like this, she would have re-think our future. I told her that I loved her more than anything I the world. But I knew that John Laslett wanted to get into her knickers, and that would certainly destroy our marriage anyway. June once again told me I was being neurotic and that I should go and see a shrink, before I had a breakdown. We slept together but didn't have any sex. We hadn't had sex for months, not since we started to fight over June's friendship with John. Life is Too Short I flew out on the Saturday morning. I'm afraid to say that my week didn't go to well. Just about everything that could go wrong with the plant, did go wrong. I worked around the clock. My Hungarian hosts weren't too enthralled that they had to match my hours. But I was a man with a mission; I needed to be back in London by Saturday evening, come hell or high water. I called June everyday and told her how much I loved and missed her. She said that she loved and was missing me as well. No mention was made of our arguments and towards the end of the week June was telling me what we would be doing in bed when I got back. Things were looking up, maybe our forced separation had given June time to think. By Friday it looked like I would finally have everything sorted by Saturday morning, that would let me get back in plenty of time for Bill Thompson's party. Saturday morning the whole factory was running like a dream and I was driven to the airport. But then disaster struck. My flight was first delayed and then cancelled. I was not going to get to home until Sunday. In despair, I called June and told her that it looked like I wouldn't be able to make the party. I was hoping that with the way things had gone this week, she would say she wasn't going to go to the party without me. June staid silent on the subject. I think she might have been waiting for me to ask her not to go. In the end I was forced to ask the question. She said she wasn't sure and she would make up her mind later. I told her that I would prefer that she gave it a miss, but that I was leaving the decision up to her. I came away from the public phone, feeling very dejected. I somehow knew that tonight could be the last night of my marriage. I think I had reached the end of my tether. If I kept on trying to keep her away from John Laslett, I was going to drive her away from myself. It was up to her now. If she got into his bed then our marriage was over. I was stuck hundreds of miles away and could do nothing about it! A short time later, I heard my name being called out over the PA system. It was a phone call from Michael. Apparently he had told Hungarians that if there was any problems with my travel arrangements, they were to inform him at once. When I spoke to him, he told me. I was booked onto the next flight to Paris, at Orly I would be met and taken to the Eurostar train and that should get me be into London at about eight fifteen. A company car would be waiting at the station, the car and driver were mine for the evening. I thanked him and ran to catch my flight. Things didn't quite go to plan. The traffic in Paris was chaotic and I missed one Eurostar. I eventually got home about nine thirty. And was welcomed by my two daughters. Our regular baby sitter was with them, so I knew June had gone to the party. Her car was in the drive, so I enquired how she had got there. My girls remained quiet, but the baby sitter said that a tall man had picked June up around eight thirty. My heart dropped, she must have arranged for John Laslett to pick her up. But then my daughter oldest chipped in saying that mummy wasn't going to go to the party. But then someone had called and asked why she wasn't there. Mummy had told them that daddy wasn't home, she couldn't go without an escort. Shortly after John had arrived and persuaded her to go. Our daughters had never seen John before, but appeared to know who he was. It was apparent to me that they had been listening in to some of our arguments. Apparently they had tried to talk their mother out of going. But John had said something like, "Do your children control your life, Just like your husband tries to?" Then their mother had left for the party with him! I ran upstairs and got changed. When I came back down, my driver who had originally come into the house with me, was in the car already waiting to go. We went straight to the Marriott and I walked in the door at ten o'clock exactly. I made my way into the function room and looked around for June, but she was nowhere in sight. I began to panic and asked everyone if they had seen her. People seemed wary of me and were saying nothing, then someone said she had gone outside with John as she had had a little too much to drink. That was it, completely lost my rag, and shouted at them. "Too much to fucking drink! You arse-wholes know June never drinks in excess! That cunt Laslett has slipped her a bloody Mickey. Now the Pricks probably fucking her somewhere and you Prat's are too busy kissing his arse, too see what he was up too!" A stunned silence filled the room, as I ran back out to the reception desk; where to my surprise, I was met by my driver and Michael. Michael just said, "Room 243!" and we ran up the stairs together. When we got to the second floor I saw George coming out of a room. As we ran down the corridor towards him, he tried to get back in the room; but he didn't have the key card. Michael grabbed hold of him, and relieved him of his camera. To my amazement, my driver produced a card and opened the door. I rushed in to see my wife naked on the bed John Laslett was no top of her, humping for all he was worth. At first neither of them was apparently aware of our entrance. I was across the room in an instant. I remember grabbing hold of Laslett's hair and pulling him off of my wife. Then I had the most terrible pain in my left had hand and Laslett was laying on the floor. I was vaguely aware of June was screaming something, but I couldn't make out what she was saying. I do remember landing a good few kicks into Laslett. Then my driver was pulling me out of the room saying, "He's had enough for now. There's no point in killing him. You don't want to do time, for a arse-whole like that!" I smacked George one, with my good hand as we passed and we made our way back down the stairs and out to the car. I said something about getting June. But the driver told me, "The boss and his wife will take care of her. We need to get you to hospital and have that hand looked at!" I asked my driver what happened to my hand and the driver said, "I think you broke your fist at the same time you broke his jaw." "I broke his jaw?" The driver replied "Look man, I've done a few rounds! That's why the boss sent me with you today. As your man was a big boy, I was supposed to look after any heavy stuff, but you beat me to it. And I'm telling you his jaw is well broke; he'll be on liquid meals for a few weeks." We went to a hospital some miles from my home. The driver who I eventually found out was called Ted. Said that we didn't want to finish up in the same A&E as Laslett. It would be inviting the police to get involved, and like it or not I had just committed GBH on Laslett. According to the English Law! You are suppose to say. "Would you please stop doing that!" When you find some Prick screwing your wife! The ex-rays showed that I had broken four bones in my left hand. The doctor who put it in plaster, asked me how I did it. I told what had happened, he looked at me for a minute and then said, you had better take this file with you. We have had a busy week and I don't think, I will remember seeing you by the morning. Ted asked, "Do you want to go home now?" I knew that I couldn't go home. I would never be able to look at June again without seeing Laslett humping her, that vision broke my heart. I asked Ted to take me to a hotel somewhere. One with a bar that was still open as I intended to get real drunk. He found a small hotel; they wouldn't open the bar, but Ted extracted a bottle of rum from them. Ted is a big man and he knows how to get people to co-operate. It must have been him that got the key for Laslett's room from that stuck up cow, on the reception desk at the Marriott. I asked Ted how come that Michael had been at the Marriott. Ted told me that he had been instructed to call Michael if it looked like there might be trouble. Ted had called him whilst I was getting changed; Michael had been parking his car as we arrived. ------------------------------------ The next time that I can remember things clearly it was Monday morning. Michael was sat by my bed and I had a hangover that would have floored an Ox! I saw three empty Rum bottles on the floor. The boss told me that the police wanted to talk to me, when I felt up to it. They had come to the office first thing, but he had told them he had no idea were I was. Laslett was not in to good a shape, several broken ribs as well as a broken jaw and nose. I said I know about the jaw and waved my broken hand at him. He told me that June had claimed she had been drugged, and the police were treating it as rape. The preliminary tests had showed June was under the influence of some drug. But they didn't know what drug Laslett had used yet. I told him that the fact June was drugged made little difference to how I saw things. I had warned her Laslett was up to no good and I had told her I suspected that he would use drink and drugs to get his women into bed. June had told me I was a liar, and making it all up. I had warned her, she was his target, and that he would definitely get into her knickers. June had replied that I was paranoid and that she could look after herself. She had threatened to end our marriage if I didn't drop the subject. Then she had gone to the party with him. Even her own children had asked her not to go. But she had decided she knew best. From now on I was washing my hands of her. She has broken my heart by going with him and nothing I had said or did had kept her away from him. Well as far as I am concerned June can go and live with the prick. I had told her more that once, if she slept with him the marriage was over! Michael made arrangements for me to use the companies room in a hotel near the office. I went to see a solicitor to discuss the future of my marriage. She advised, that I didn't go for a divorce immediately. With June's rape case most likely coming up and I would look a right low life. My best bet was to go for a separation. Let things stew for a couple of years, then June might go for "unreconcilable differences". June had got herself a good solicitor, he had advised her not to talk to us about divorce. He knew, the fact that June had been raped, was what was going to count in court. They were not likely to care much about June having ignored my warnings. I got bound over to keep the piece for a year, after pleading guilty to aggravated assault on Laslett, my brief did a good job of my mitigation plea! I stayed in the company's hotel room for a few months, Through the solicitors, it was arranged that June would take our girls to my brothers house on Saturday mornings. I would collect them from there after she had left. Normally Ted and his wife would drop them back home, to what was now June's house on Sunday evenings. Ted had turned into a good friend to me. I thought it best that I never saw June again. Some people thought me strange. If I loved June? Why couldn't we talk our problems out? I would reply, "I had done all the talking I could in the months before that night. All I had achieved, was to get June to threaten to leave me. We had nothing left to discuss!" After several months, I realised that I had to get right away. At my request, Michael arranged for my transfer to our Australia subsidiary. I left the girls with their mother she would do a better job of bringing them up than me. I spent a lot of time with the shrinks as I kept falling into terrible depressions, sometimes I would get suicidal. I just lived my life day to day and my nights are haunted but dreams of June being fucked by Laslett. Laslett and Mason were both charged with rape and blackmail. It seems after June's was raped, Paulette came forward and made allegations as well. I don't now what the outcome was. As I in Aus by the time it came to court, and was in no condition mentally, to follow the case. I talked to the children on the phone as often as I could and they soon understood that I did not wish to hear any news of their mother. I knew that someday June would most likely going to find herself another man. She is a beautiful woman and she would have no problems finding another mate. June did write to me a few times, I recognised her handwriting on the envelopes and I got my secretary to mark them "Not Known At This Address!" put them in another envelope and return them. After a while her letters stopped coming. I received a letter from my solicitor to tell me, that my wife's solicitor had been in contact with them. They had been requested to pass on the message that, If I was not prepared to correspond or converse with June. She would start divorce proceedings on the grounds of my desertion. I wrote back that they should inform June's solicitor. I had considered our marriage was over, since that night at the Marriott Hotel. June had been my "ex-wife" from the moment she got into bed with Laslett. I would continue to make good and adequate financial arrangements for her and my children whilst I was still alive. What June chose to do about the marriage was no longer any concern of mine. I heard nothing more from the solicitor about June divorcing me. Mind you, I did get a hefty bill from my legal people! --------------------------------- Now, with my father's death I was back in England. The love of my life, was in a car somewhere behind me and I was scared of what my reaction would be, if I met her face to face. June must have hidden in the back of the crowd at the cemetery. I never saw her, but I new she was there, as my daughters would disappear every few minutes and then return to hold my hand. My father had been a popular man locally, on the council and all sorts of committees and clubs. The wake was going to be held in a local hotel so that everyone could get in to give the family their condolences. I was pleased that my brother had not chosen the Marriott, but the 'Grange'. This was the same hotel that I had booked into, I thought this was going to be handy for me as I would be able to slip away to my room if things got too much for me. A father's death is bad enough for most people, but I had June's presence and that was going to be a real try for me to handle as well. My brother had been very considerate to me. He had booked two function rooms; his wife told me, with all the people that were there, if we found ourselves overwhelmed in one room, we could retreat into the other. But I new that I would be able to stay in one room whilst June stayed in the other. Some people would have thought that June might have stayed away because of the problems between us, but since my mother had passed on, June had been my fathers favourite. She would visit him four or five times a week, there was no way she wasn't going to be there. Thinking back, I wished to God, I had told dad of my fears concerning John Laslett. Dad might have had more influence with June than I had. After an hour or so of hearing peoples reminisces of my father, I sat in a quiet corner with my two girls one on each knee. Jema the youngest was chattering on about everything under the sun, asking questions about Australia and what I did there. Elaine was saying very little and appeared to be studying me. Then when Jema had run off to go to the toilet. Elaine looked me in the face and said, "I love you daddy!" I smiled at her, and was just going to reply that I loved her too, when she beat me to it. "Do you love me daddy?" I nodded my head "Of course I do, sweet heart!" "Do you love me enough, to do something for me?" "I would do anything for my favourite daughter. What do you want me to do?" "No you must promise me that you will do it first?" "Tell me what you want me to do and I promise I will do it!" "Cross your heart and hope to die?" "Cross my heart." "If you break your promise I will never speak to you again, as long as I live! Please wait here for me, I will be back in a minute." Elaine ran into the other room. Jema returned, climbed back on my knee, and restarted her tirade of questions. About ten minutes later Elaine returned. "Remember you promised" she said and held out an envelope "I want you to read this tonight. You must read all of it. Tomorrow you must call me and tell me that you have kept your promise. If you don't read it, I will never speak to you again! And that's a promise I'm making to you." Elaine face was very serious she gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, then turned and walked back into the other room. A little later she came back and told Jema that they were going home now. Jema asked, "Can't you come daddy?" I told her that her home wasn't mine any more but I would see her soon. Both girls kissed me and Elaine whispered in my ear "Remember your promise." With June and the children gone I mingled with the throng for a while. Bill Thompson suddenly appeared in front of me. The look I gave him should have turned him to stone, but he had obviously stilled himself to say something. "God we're all so sorry about what happened at the Marriott! All of us are ashamed that we never saw what an animal that man was. He had us all hoodwinked. All we can say is that we are sorry for what has happened between you and June. You know June had no........" With his mention of June I had turned and walked away. I told my brother and his wife that I had enough for the time being and I was going up to my room for a while. In my room I lay on the bed and realised how tired I was.! had arrived at Heathrow that morning after a twenty odd hour flight. I think it was nearly forty hours since I'd had a decent sleep. Some time later my brother put his head round the door and said they were gong home and that I was to call him when I got my bio-clock sorted. At three AM I was woken by one of my nightmares. June with him again. I new that I was going to have to stay awake for awhile, experience had taught me that if I went back to sleep now the same nightmare would return again! I got up to make myself a cup of coffee and saw Elaine's letter on the table. 'Well now is as good a time as any.' I thought and tore it open. Inside were a note and another two envelopes. The note said.- Dear Daddy Mummy sent these letters to you a long time ago and you send it back. Mummy said you wouldn't read them and was very upset and cried a lot. Just like she did when you first left. Mummy said you wouldn't read the letters because you are very angry with her. Mummy says she was very nasty to you and did something bad. She wrote the letters to tell you she how sorry she was for being nasty. When I asked her why she had been nasty to you. Mummy said that I am only twelve years old, and a little too young to understand grown-ups problems. Mummy said that children just see things in black and white, they don't see all the greys in between. Mummy said that when I get older she will let my read the letters, then I will be able to tell you what is in them. She says she doesn't think you will ever come back to us. But you might not be so angry with her if you would read the letters. I asked her if I could read the letters now but she said I was much to young to understand. I was very upset when you got angry at mummy and went away. Mummy cry's every night, and that makes me cry too. Mummy said that if you would read the letters you might not be so angry with her. I took them when she wasn't looking and read them. Mummy was right I didn't understand a lot of it, so I showed them to my friend. He told me that I should make you read them. It might make both mummy and you happier if you were to read them. He didn't know if reading them would make you come home again, but you might realise how much mummy, Jema and I are missing you and you might move back to England and then we would see you a lot more. Life is Too Short I said that you had gone to Australia because your work was out there, but my friend said that you had a job in England if you wanted it. I couldn't understand what he meant by that, but he said you would understand. Mummy reads these letters often. Most often after someone has talked about you; she then goes to her room and cry's. As mummy will see you today, I think she will go to read them tonight and will be very angry with me for taking them. So you must read them or I will get into terrible trouble with mummy. Remember your promise to me daddy if you don't read them, I will never ever speak to you again! I love you daddy Elaine I don't know why, but I could see someone else's hand in this. It couldn't be June because Elaine was worried what her reaction was going to be when she found the letters missing. And who was this friend, Elaine had been confiding in? I looked at June's letters they were marked 1 & 2. I slowly opened number one. From the looks of the paper it had been folded and refolded many times. I wondered if it was June rereading what she had written of whether she had been showing it to other people. Then I realised it was Elaine that had been repeatedly reading it! The poor child was trying to understand what had happened to her family! My darling husband Can you ever forgive me, for the wrongs that I have done to you? My foolish pride stopped me from seeing, that you had recognised John Laslett for what he was the first time we met him! I could not believe, that you were right when all our friends said you were wrong! I didn't have the trust in you that a good wife should have had! Please forgive me for this! I mistook your distrust of John, as jealousy and from that moment on ignored everything you said about him. All your warnings fell on deaf ears, and I began to get angry we you, when you kept on about what you thought he was up too. Having known you and been married to you as long as I have. I should have remembered, that you have never showed any sign of jealousy. Please forgive me for not remembering the man I had chosen as my life partner. The man that had always put me and the children first! Please forgive me for thinking and saying that you needed to see a psychiatrist. It was me that should was losing my sense of reality. You're desperate actions to warn me of John's intentions; I mistook for paranoia. If I had only stopped to think for a moment, I would have understood that what you could not have functioned in your job if you had not been right in the head. Why was it that no one else in our group saw what John Laslett really was. Please forgive me for not realising, that you had worked out what had happened to Paulette. I have spoken to her since. She told me you had called out to her as she left the Marriott that night. She said she wishes now, that she had not hidden from you outside. She was so ashamed about what had happened, that she hid from everyone and ran off to her sister. I now realise that you were hoping that Paulette would confide in me. If you had told me your suspicions, I would have called you a liar. I think I did call you a liar on a few occasions; I can only ask you to forgive me for all the times I did. I know that in the weeks before that night. My attitude put you under a tremendous strain. Whenever you repeated your warnings to me about John. I would fly off the handle at you. To my shame, I even locked you out of our bedroom on occasions. I can only beg you to forgive me for doing that! I know you will never be able to forgive me for having sex with John Laslett. You warned me so many times that once I had sex with him our life together would be over. I cannot use the defence that John and George had drugged me. As you had warned me that was how you believed they operated! I suspect that you know that once John had taken me they were intending to use the recording, to blackmail me into having sex with George Mason! If I had only realised that your actions were prompted by love and not jealousy! There is nothing further I can say. I only wish none of this had happened. I must thank you for being the most loving and patient husband a woman could ever ask for and I will love you for the rest of my life. I know that I will never find another man, as faithful as you. Your children love you and you can rest assured that when they are old enough to understand. I will make sure they know that it was my fault that you went away. If I have anything to do with it, no blame will ever be placed at your door, for the end of our life together. I will never apply for a divorce, as I am still very much in love with you and I don't think my love for you will ever die. Should you find another woman to love in the future, I will not contest any petition for divorce that you make. My actions have stolen your happiness in this marriage. I will not prevent you from finding what happiness you can elsewhere! I know, that in my stupidity I have broken your heart, your only consolation can be that I broke my own heart at the same time! Thank you for my two wonderful daughters and the many happy years we spent together. Goodbye and good luck my Love. June I was crying as I opened the second letter My darling husband You have returned my letter unopened several times, but I intend to keep sending it back to you in the hope you will one day read it. I need to know that you have at least received my apologies. I am writing this second letter you because I have had some visitors this week. Bill & Sheila Montgomery called in to see me. They had seen an item about the trial on television. Only Laslett's and Mason's names were mentioned on the TV, but a few phone calls had enabled them to find out who their victims had been. Bill is beside himself with grief! He said he felt responsible for the attacks on Paulette and myself. Bill told me how you had warned him that Laslett was after Sheila and he had told you mind you own business. Bill had told Sheila what you had told him and she had been annoyed with you too! Sheila was so annoyed that, when she ran into John and George in town one day, she told them what you had said. John appeared to get very angry, and told Sheila that you had slandered him. John had invited Sheila to have a coffee with him, while he thought over whether he should take legal action or not. Sheila agreed and they all went into a nearby Café. Sheila said that John went over to get the coffee's while she and George found a table. She remembered John and George discussing, what they should do about the things you had been saying about them. Then she began to feel a little strange, and then her memory of events failed her. I recognised the symptoms she described. John must have put the same drug in her coffee as he put in my drink at the Marriott! Sheila could recall being in a Pub and drinking Scotch. Sheila said she couldn't understand why she would be drinking Scotch, as she hates the stuff. Then she thought she was dancing somewhere with her husband. Next she recalled having sex with her husband. But it was not the kind of love making that they normally had. She was doing things she would never normally think of doing. The next thing she could remember was John Laslett making her drink some horrible liquid. She suddenly realised that she was naked and siting on a strange bed. She was frightened and confused and started shouting at John. But John hit her and told her to shut up then he then made her watch a video. It was of her dancing with John and some other guys in a bar somewhere. She was behaving in a very unladylike way, more like a prostitute. Then the video showed her on a bed having sex with John and then George. She said that in the video she was calling both of them Bill. Whatever drug she had been given had the effect that she thought she was with Bill. She could remember having sex but she was convinced it was with Bill. Sheila had accused John of drugging her and told him she was going to the police. He told her that the drink she had a little earlier would clear her system out. If she went to the police all they would find would be traces of cocaine and alcohol. They would put her down as a drunk and cocaine addict. The security video from the pub would show that she was behaving in a very sexually provocative manor. John was sure that the bar tender would remember her telling him that she was going to have sex with her man when they got home. She had been hanging on John's arm at the time, so the bar man would assume it was John she was talking about having sex with. The Alcohol would explain her behaviour in the bar. The cocaine would explain the fact that she seamed to be acting sexually excited. Apparently it has that effect on some people. John told her there were plenty of witnesses in that bar. They all saw her enter on her own and buy herself a Scotch. John gone in sometime later, she had approached him. Everything that happened after that she would not be able to prove she was not doing of her own free will. Sheila says she understand how they got her to go into the pub and buy Scotch. John and George had kept Sheila until nearly midnight. She had then been dumped from they're car near her home. John had told her that from now on she would do as he told her or she would be in big trouble. He would send an edited version of the tape to her husband, and her husbands employers. Sheila had told Bill what had happened when he came back from his business trip. Apparently Bill had gone after John. But John being a much bigger man, had beat him up, then told Bill he was going to have Sheila's video put on the internet if Bill tried to make any trouble. Bill and Sheila finished up being so scared of John, Bill quit his job and they moved down to Devon so that he couldn't find them. Before they left our house. Bill asked me to apologise to you for his not believing you. I did not tell them that you were not living with me anymore. I just told them you were working in Australia for a while. God knows why they never went to the police. Maybe if you had been home the day Bill phoned and spoken to him. You would have convinced him to do so. Well there's nothing else I can say. Except that I love you and miss you. Please forgive me and come home. All my love June I read June's letters over and over. I loved the woman. Her heart was broken just as mine had been. Who the hell was I punishing by not seeing her? Not being with her and my children. Our being apart meant that Laslett had won. He had destroyed my family! Bill Montgomery had not deserted Sheila. He had the gumption to move her away and let them both get over it. They had more of a chance of happiness in the future than June, I or our children had. I was letting my pride, destroy any chance of happiness I had. I was letting the bad guy win! I got dressed and made my way down to the dinning room for breakfast, and was surprised to find Ted sitting in the foyer. I enquired what he was doing there and he replied that Michael had told him to wait there for me. Michael had told him that, he thought I might be needing a ride to June's house. "Why would he think that!" I asked. "I don't know, something Mike and your daughter cooked up between them. You do know he and his Mrs had been taking your girls out every Saturday since you went to Aus. He was here with Elaine yesterday afternoon. I got the impression they expect that you would be going to June's last night. I've been sitting here since your brother went home!" Well now knew who Elaine's friend was. "Christ mate I'm sorry but I fell asleep before their little plan worked; you had better come in and have some breakfast with me. Then you can take me to the house that I hope will become my home again soon. I'm just praying that she will take me back after the way I've treated her?" "I don't think you've got on worries on that one, Squire!" After a hearty breakfast, Ted drove me to June's house. I asked him to wait as I still not convinced as to what June's reaction was going to be. Jesus, my temper had made me walk out on her when and because, she had been raped. Hardly the actions of a loving and supportive husband. As I reached out to press the door bell the door flew open and June pounced on me throwing her arms around my neck. I nearly fell over under the onslaught. As June clamped her mouth on mine and tried to suck my tonsil's out. I vaguely heard a voice say. "I won't bother to wait then. I think you are going to be sometime!" then the car started and Ted drove away. After what seemed an age, June came up for air and dragged me into the house. "God I was so worried; Elaine and Mike told me what they had done, they expected you here last night. I was so convinced you wouldn't believe my letters and weren't coming. God I'm so sorry for what I...." "June! You have got nothing to be sorry about. I have been a stupid arse. I wasn't here when you needed me. I'm the one who should been doing all the apologising." No. No, You did what you thought was right. You warned me about Laslett. I was the stupid arrogant horse that was taken to the water but wouldn't drink. I'm sorry I...." "June, I want no more apologises from you. I just want to know, if you will take me back after the way I have behaved?" "What a silly question, after I have sat up all night waiting, hoping you would come home. I dissevered everything I got from you. I will never question or distrust your judgement again." "June where are the girls?" "Ah! Well, they went home with Mike and Wendy yesterday, Mike figured we might like some time alone." "So you've been alone all night. I'm sorry I never read the letters until four this morning." "That doesn't matter your home now and that's all that counts. Mind you I am feeling a little tired. How would like to join me in taking a little nap." That's where the girl's found us when Mike and his wife Wendy brought them home in the afternoon. The End, of my story anyway. I'll let your imagination take it from here. But personally I think a baby boy or two for them would be nice. * Author's note. Love it? Hate it? Let me know. This is another one that I wrote some time ago.