154 comments/ 96956 views/ 57 favorites Marriage as a House By: Tx Tall Tales ============================= The foundation is shaken. Can it be rebuilt? This story is about a man who would rather fight for his marriage, than let it collapse. Who'll fight hard, pulling no punches. There is some domestic violence, and implied very serious violence at the end. It's a story of making amends, reconciliation, and rebuilding. I never understand stories where the husband sees his wife on the verge of cheating and just watches to see what will happen. It doesn't compute for me. I would like to believe that true love is worth fighting for, as is any marriage, particularly with children involved. I guess that's just the romantic in me. I have to confess that Life as a House is one of my favorite movies. I'm a big fan of Kevin Kline's work. The story does not have anything in common with the movie, except my play on the title. ============================= I walked in the door, and immediately could tell something was up. The place was clean, sparkling, pine-sol, polished chrome clean, the first time in ages. Donna was standing nervously in the entryway, dressed up. Not to go out, but not in her typical (as of late) slovenly way. Her hair was up and shone. The children were out from underfoot, and there wasn't a sound of them in the house. Her face betrayed her guilt and nervousness. I was reminded of our early years, not all that long ago, actually. She never had much money growing up, and went to school on loans, working co-op, and using summer earnings. She was very frugal. When we were married, I had been working for two years and earned a good living. Almost $50K a year. I encouraged her to buy things she needed, and even things she didn't need, but wanted. Every time she bought something for herself, she'd feel guilty, and she'd clean like mad. The entire house, top-to-bottom. It was as if she was punishing herself. It took me years to break that habit. The house had that look again. Guilt. I had imagined things might come to a head soon, the way things had been going. My concerns had increased dramatically in the last couple of days, when the worst of my fears were confirmed. A concerned 'friend' had brought the issue to the forefront, after seeing my wife in an intimate embrace with another man. I'd started my preparations less than 48 hours previously. I had hoped for more time. Admittedly this was one of a few scenarios I had anticipated. Confession and confrontation. I silently said a prayer that she hadn't succumbed completely. "Allen," she said anxiously, "We need to talk." No preliminaries, no gentle lead up. Right to the point. Too fast, almost, I had to act quickly before she ruined everything to the point of no return. I shook my head, putting my briefcase on the floor, and walked toward her. "After," I said softly. She was wringing her hands, face red. Her arms were trembling. "I'm having an... Ooof!" she gasped as my fist sped forward, plowing into her stomach with as much force as I could generate. She folded around it, clutching my forearm, unable to breath. I put my arms around her shoulders, holding her so she wouldn't collapse onto the floor. I wanted her on her feet. This worked better if she was standing. After 30 seconds or so, the first wheezing gasps of air entered her lungs, and tiny cries of agony escaped her lips as she slowly regained the capacity to breathe. I examined her, still snared by her beauty. The tendons in her neck straining, nostrils flaring, mouth open wide in an effort to admit the life giving air she so desperately needed. When her legs could support her again, she stood shakily, one hand grasping the door-jamb, as her breathing steadied. She stared at me in shock and fear. Understandable, I'd never so much as lifted a finger against her. Then again, until that moment, there never was cause. I, on the other hand, maintained an air of calm, waiting for her. "I...I can't believe you hit me!" she finally whined. "I did nothing of the sort. Was there something you wanted to say? If not, why don't we have a drink? It's been a stressful day." "No, Allen. I can't live like this. I want a... Aaaah!", she screamed as the blow to her stomach lifted her off the ground. Solar plexus shot, leaving her gasping and breathless. Her eyes were on mine, fearful, as I eased her to the ground on her back. Her lips opened and closed, desperately grasping for air. I straddled her, and sat on her chest, lowering my weight, crushing her rib cage. My legs pinned her arms to her side and the tears started trailing from the corners of her eyes, as the battle for oxygen was slowly lost. I rose up a little, and heard the faint rush of air into her lungs. A wheezing, whistling sound, it brought focus back to her eyes. The instant look of relief on her face vanished when I put my hand over her mouth and nose, suffocating her. She fought it, twisting, shaking her head, all in vain. I pressed down on her chest, and watched the light extinguish in her eyes. I think she got the message. * * * She was only out for maybe 30 seconds. Enough time for me to lay her on the couch, her head resting in my lap. I hadn't even needed to deliver mouth-to-mouth, she came back all on her own. My wife of 8 years sat up abruptly, gasping loudly, eyes open wide. She was obviously terrified. I held her and gently eased her down. I waited for her to get her bearings, and felt the fear and trembling take over her body. She turned her eyes to me, tears streaming freely. I brushed them away. "Was there something you wanted to talk about, baby?" I asked softly, my hand caressing her cheek. I let my hands glide lower, encircling that long slender neck of hers. Her eyes locked with mine, hers nervous, questioning, evaluating. Mine patiently waiting. I didn't even squeeze. "I...I made lasagna," she whispered. "Beer or wine with dinner?" "Wine would be perfect," I answered. My hands starting moving, rubbing and massaging her neck. I could see the glint of fear in her mesmerizing green orbs. "You know I love you more than anything, don't you, Donna?" She nodded carefully. "I would do anything for you. I would fight for you. I would die for you. I would gladly, without hesitation, kill for you. You matter that much to me." Her eyes filled with tears, and she nodded again. "I know." I lifted her into my arms, and hugged her firmly. "You look like Hell," I whispered. "Into the bathroom with you and clean up. Don't come out until you're presentable." I walked with her to the master bedroom and guided her into the bathroom. As soon as the door closed I leaped into action. I wanted us incommunicado for at least a few hours. It took all of 30 seconds to rush outside, and unplug the phone access where it entered the house. That also took care of the DSL internet. I located her purse in the kitchen where it normally was, and had her cellphone in only a few more minutes. I turned the ringer to vibrate, and put it in my pocket. She was still in the bathroom. Feeling a little bit better about my control over the situation, I changed out of my work clothing. For a moment I almost put on my sweats and old t-shirt, as I did most evenings. Instead I opted for Dockers and a nice polo. She had dressed up for me, it was the least I could do. I brushed my hair in the mirror over my dresser. I heard the door opening, and saw my wife peer out nervously, brace herself, and enter the bedroom. She flinched as I walked toward her, arms open. "This evening started badly," I told her, as I approached. I hugged her. "Hi baby. I'm so sorry I was a little late. You look marvelous." She hugged me tentatively, then a little more firmly. "You were only a few minutes late, thanks for calling ahead. The lasagna will keep," she said softly. "Kids out?" "I left them with my parents. I...I thought we needed some time together. Alone." I released her, and tilted her chin up, kissing her softly on the lips. "You're right. I think we both recognize that things aren't perfect between us. I'd like to work on that." "Work on it?" she asked, anxiously. "Absolutely." I took her by the hand, heading back into the living area. "I'm starving. Let's eat, and perhaps after dinner we can talk." * * * Dinner was awkward. We talked about the kids, and about work, but not much about what was going on in her life. We assiduously avoided the elephant in the room. We shared a bottle of wine, but at the end of dinner, it was still a third full. Twice during the meal, I'd felt the vibration of her phone going off. I ignored it. When we were done, I stood and picked up the plates. "Dinner was great, as always. You are a wonderful cook. I don't think I tell you that enough. Why don't you relax, and I'll clean up? I'll only be a few minutes." Donna thanked me, and I saw her pop into the kitchen, when I left for the second load of plates. Upon my return she was standing next to the table with her purse on it, looking nervous. I suspected she'd been looking for her phone. "I've got the kitchen, baby. Take it easy." "I...I'm going to use the bathroom. I'll be right back." I saw that guilty, nervous look again. She'd make a lousy poker player. I knew she was likely headed for the phone in our bedroom. The girl was in for a surprise. I took her phone out of my pocket, to inspect the call log. She had the phone password protected, but I hadn't been idle the last couple of weeks once my concerns had emerged, or better said, were exposed. Her password was stupidly simple, the last four of her social security number. The latest call was from an "Emily." As far as I knew, we had no friends named Emily. I hit redial, and a male voice answered anxiously after only one ring. "How'd he take it?" "Run. If you know what's good for you, run, and don't slow down." I hung up. She entered the living room a few seconds later, white as a sheet. I went to her, and guided her back to the dining room table, seating her on the end. I put her wine glass in front of her. "Wait one moment. There's something I need you to do for me, before we talk, Ok?" She nodded quietly. She sat with her hands folded together in front of her, trying to stop the shaking. I returned from the study a minute later, and placed the piece of paper in front of her. "I want you to read this. Think about it. Weigh the words carefully. I'll be back for you in 10 minutes. During that time, all I want you to do is think about what this means to you." She looked down at the paper, whose written words she'd spoken to me a little more than 8 years ago. I, Donna, take you Allen, to be my wedded husband. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'till death do us part. And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness. When I went back to her, 10 minutes later, I could see the words were smeared from her tears. She looked up at me nervously. "Come," I told her, holding out my hand. "Let's sit in the living room." She followed me docilely. I know the evening wasn't turning out as she'd planned. She wasn't a milquetoast by any means, always willing to stand up for herself. Her actions, or lack thereof, spoke worlds about how my response had affected her. I sat beside her on the couch. "Let me tell you how I feel about those words, baby. I consider it a contract, of the highest order. Said after long deliberation and preparation, and sworn to in front of God, our family, our friends, and each other. Do you agree?" "Yes, but..." she whispered. "Shh. Not yet. You'll have your turn. As far as I'm concerned, it's very straight forward. There is only one exit clause in the contract. Only one way out of it. One. It's written there, in very direct terms. Can you tell me what the exit terms are?" She was quiet, and I gave her a little push. "Donna? What is the one way out?" "'Till death do us part," she whispered. "Precisely. I know that things haven't been ideal for almost a year now. I'm not certain why. I'd be willing to work on that. I can't do it alone. I need to know, do you want to exercise your exit clause?" "No," she answered quickly. "Are you certain? I would hate to do it, but I'm willing to execute that option if you feel it's come to that." "Please, Allen. Don't." Her voice betrayed her, stuttering, almost begging. It hurt me to terrify her so, but I felt it was essential if there was any chance of saving our marriage. "Excellent. I can swear to you, today, that I have never broken that contract. I love you, and cherish you, although I may not always show it as well as I should. Fortunately it's been for better, for richer, and in health for the most part, wouldn't you agree?" She nodded. "Yes, for the most part." "I've been faithful to you, 100% since this contract was invoked. I have never been with another woman. I may have been tempted, and even behaved in ways which I might have been ashamed of, but I've never had relations with anyone but you. Can you say the same?" I saw the fear in her eyes return. She hesitated. "I...I've done some bad things, Allen. Some I'm ashamed of right now. I have never been with another man, though, since I committed to you. Do you believe me?" I took her hand in mine. "I do. If I thought otherwise, I might be tempted to terminate the contract. Do you understand?" She nodded her head anxiously. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'd like you to tell me now, what you thought, sitting there re-reading our contract. What it means to you." "It's difficult," she said. "I know. It's been difficult for me these last few months, seeing you willingly ignore it. Tell me, please." "I...When I said these words, I meant them absolutely. You were the best thing that ever happened to me, and I couldn't imagine life without you. I believe we had about 5 or 6 absolutely wonderful years, then a couple that were good, but not the same. In the last half-year, I...I forgot. Forgot what was important. I started thinking that maybe life could be better," she hesitated, gasping a short breath. "God, I'm so sorry Allen, I don't know how I came to think of it, but I was imagining a life without you." "If you were unhappy, Donna, why wouldn't you tell me? Work to make our marriage better, not sabotage it. You need to understand, there are only two people fighting for our marriage, you and me. There will always be those whose goal is to undermine it, for a variety of reasons. Jealousy, lust, anger just to name a few. Only you and I, a team, to fight for it. I can't do it alone." "I never thought of it like that," she said. "Do you remember how we consummated this contract?" She smiled at me sadly. "I do. It was wonderful. I can't believe I ever forgot, even for a moment." "I'd like to reconfirm our contract, and consummate it again. Could you do that with me? It's been almost five weeks since we last reconfirmed it." "H-has it been that long?" "Five weeks tomorrow. The longest since we've been married." "I'm sorry," she whispered. "Shhh. Let's forget about that for the moment. Will you go with me to our bedroom, and consummate it once again?" "Do you still want me to? After tonight?" "More than I want anything in the world." She smiled. "Can you give me a couple of minutes? To prepare myself for you?" "Absolutely." * * * We lay together, naked, after making love for the first time in a very long time. Love, not sex, a commitment and reaffirmation of our love. We recommitted ourselves twice on my part, a few more times on hers. We ended with me holding her, while she cried, clinging to me. When her tears ceased, I mounted her once again, amazed at how readily my body responded to her, after the stress of that evening. Ensconced deeply within her, I kissed her face. "I'm sorry I let it get away from us. I never wanted that. You mean the world to me." "Me too. I...I love you, Allen. I'm so very sorry. You've given me a wonderful life, and two beautiful children. A better life than I ever thought possible, all those years ago. I almost ruined everything, didn't I?" "Too close for comfort. I'm sorry I hurt you. I couldn't let you say the words that would terminate our contract. I couldn't do it. I had to stop you. Please forgive me." The corner of her mouth turned up slightly. "God, that hurt. I still can't believe you hit me! I'm still sore." She looked nervous again. "Do I want to know what would have happened if I'd gone through with it?" I shook my head sadly. She nodded in response. "Thank you for giving us another chance." I stroked into her body slowly, lovingly. "I love being inside you," I whispered. "Me too. We don't do this enough." "I know. I'm sorry for that as well," I said. "What happens now?" she asked, her hand caressing my side. Every few seconds I'd slide into her again, enjoying the melding, doing just enough to keep me firm. I'd been thinking about this a lot. "A relationship between a man and a woman is a lot like a house," I explained. "Some people get apartments. Temporary, little vested in it. They move out after a year and get a new one. Marriages are like a house. You invest in it, you commit to it, you work to make it a home. A good marriage has both spouses doing their best to keep the house up, improve it, maintain it." I paused to pump my beautiful wife for a bit, restoring the steel to my shaft. "We had a wonderful home, the envy of our friends and family, but we allowed it to fall in disrepair. Didn't do the upkeep, made no effort to improve it. It got stale, and a little run down. I'm as much at fault for that as you are, perhaps more. I regret that, and will work to make sure it doesn't happen again." I thrust myself fully inside of her, holding still. I leaned down and kissed her sensuous lips softly. "I believe at some point, some outside forces thought it would be fun for them to undermine our home, tear down the walls, put dividers between us. They wanted you out of our house, and into a new one. I don't know if that would have been an apartment, a condo, or a mansion. All I know is it wouldn't have been ours any longer." "I don't think it was like that," she said softly, nervously. "Maybe they just wanted to help fix up my side a little." "There is no 'your side' and 'my side'. It's our home. This wasn't some handyman we chose to make things better. It was a damn thief in the night. An enemy." I felt a little anger surging up, and pounded into Donna's accommodating depths, powerfully. "Stealing my woman. Mine." I penetrated her fully once again. "I need a name, Donna. There are barbarians at the gate. I need to defend it." "What are you going to do?" she asked nervously, her body trembling. "Defend our home. Make sure they never try to tear it down again." "Can't we just move on, Allen? I'll make sure it comes to an end." "No. I can't trust you yet. You betrayed us. You invited them in. You unlocked the gate. I'm going to slam it shut." I pulled back and slammed my cock forward, making her gasp. "A name, Donna." "Gerald. Gerald Wheaton." A name I'd never heard before. Not one of our friends, thank God. I leaned over her, my face inches from hers, and stroked into her firmly. "I'm angry with you, my love. So very angry. This could never have happened if you hadn't opened the gate. Betrayed our marriage. You were a traitor, allowing another to interfere. It will be a long time before I can fully trust you to be the sole defense of our marriage 'house'. Do you understand?" She nodded nervously. "I never meant for it to happen. I'm sorry." "Forgiven." I whispered, reaching a hand up to gently caress her cheek. "Forgiven, but not forgotten, not yet." Marriage as a House "What are you going to do?" she asked again. "First, here, with you, rebuild the walls. Right now, I'm slamming the gate shut. Afterward, I will take care of the invaders, that's all you need to know." I stopped talking, and pounded my wife into the bed. We weren't making love, I was fucking her. Hard, almost viciously. She responded nevertheless, crying out for me before I finished. We lay together, both of us a little uncomfortable with how things were. I pulled her close. "You won't talk to him, warn him, or anything. If he approaches you, send him away. If he persists, scream, fight, yell, whatever it takes, but do not engage in conversation. Call me if you can. Do you understand? There are no more second chances." "Yes. Shouldn't I tell him it's over?" "No need. I already have." Her eyes opened wide, and I felt a tremor of fear course through her. "Be careful," she said softly. I smiled. Those words went a long ways toward closing the breach. * * * Trust, but verify. The phrase, made famous by Ronald Reagan in his dealings with the Soviets, interestingly enough was coined by Vladimir Lenin. Doveryai, no proveryai. I'm not sure why I found that so entertaining. It was my new motto. The confrontation started on a Friday. Saturday morning, we reconfirmed our contract again, and it was almost like we'd turned back the clock 8 years. Almost. I tasked my wife with getting the kids, and bowed out of Alana's soccer game, for the first time that season. Time was still of the essence and there were things that needed doing. It took less than an hour to download the software onto her smartphone. StealthGenie Gold for the iPhone. It wasn't cheap, well over $100 with 6 months access, but it allowed me to track everything she did, including activating her GPS remotely and tracking her movements. I could read her texts, and all call logs. I had the ability to record her calls, and even, if I so desired, to call in secretly, and listen in on her conversations. It was virtually undetectable. Technology had come a long way. For another $80, I had complete access to her computer, emails, chat logs, web history, key logger, the works. I was surprised how cheap and easy it was. Spytech SpyAgent Stealth Edition, if you're wondering. Less than 30 minutes to purchase, download, install and configure. A thirty minute round-trip journey to Radio Shack resulted in the XBlue recording device, which connected to a phone jack, and my PC. It recorded and logged all phone calls, including answering machine messages, and saved them to the computer digitally. It also tracked Caller-ID and message times and lengths. I purchased a GPS Logger/Tracker while I was there, for about $180. The TecNet TTL 1000 didn't do everything I wanted. I wouldn't have live GPS tracking, but I could download complete histories of all her travels. It would have to do. I had ordered a better one online, with live tracking, but didn't want to wait for it to arrive. I had to wait for her to get home and install it under the hood. It required 12V power, instead of batteries. It also had a 1 GB SD card I'd need access to, to review the logs. I bought a spare memory card so I could swap them out while I was analyzing them. Almost $400 altogether, but a lot cheaper than hiring a PI, or the cost of a divorce. I downloaded Donna's old call and text history from her phone. When she returned from the game, I got the excited update from the kids, while she fed them lunch. After eating, I pulled her to the side for a little privacy. I handed her the phone. "I have your call history. I want you to clear him off your phone. No more hiding under 'Emily.' Who have you talked to about this relationship of yours?" "It wasn't a relationship..." she started. "Don't start lying now, Donna. I have no patience for that. We need to move forward. Every untruth, every deception sets us two steps back. Another crack in the foundation of our 'house'. The truth now. Who knows about it?" She blushed. "Karen and Lisa." I sighed. "Damn it, Donna! You're not making this easy. They are both accomplices in this betrayal." She shook her head, firmly. "Not Lisa. I swear, she fought me on it the whole way. Please, call her, she'll tell you the truth." I nodded. "She is your sister, so I'm going to give her the benefit of the doubt. I'll be talking to her. Karen gets the same treatment as the bastard. She's cut off. No more relationship at all." "No, Allen. You can't do that, she's been my best friend since college." "I'll make it easy for you, Donna. You can cut it off, or I will. If I do, I promise, you'll never see or hear from her ever again. Ever. If you do it, there's a chance of reconciliation in the future. Minimal but possible. Your choice." "Why are you being so harsh and cold about this? So threatening? It's not like you. You're not this kind of person," she sounded angry. Which made me angrier. "This is me. The business me. The part I keep away from you, because I've loved you so much. I've sheltered you. I can be hard and even cruel if need be. You don't rise through business the way I have by rolling over and taking it up the ass. It's important that you understand. For the moment, we are no longer a team, protecting our marriage. I'm in control. Things will be done my way. There is no other option. Variation from my rules will mean complete and total war on my side. Take no prisoners, absolute and merciless destruction. This is the most important thing in the world to me, and I will bring everything I own or control to bear, to make sure I get my way." "You're scaring me, Allen," she whispered. "Good. Now, as I said, cut it off with Karen. You're allowed one call to break it off. I never expect to hear from her again. I'll know if you don't. I reserve the right to inspect your phone and emails whenever I want. You've lost my trust, and until you've earned it back, you're under watch. To be fair, you can inspect my phone and emails as well. I have nothing to hide." "What about Lisa?" "I said I'll talk to her. If everything pans out, she can be your outlet. You can talk to her about everything. I'll let you know by the end of the weekend." "Where do we go from here, Allen? I feel like I've already lost you. You don't trust me, and you're spying on me. I'm scared of you." "We talk, we open up. We discuss what went wrong, and how we can fix it. We take our time repairing the cracks in our relationship. We repair our 'house.' At some point you lost your respect for me. If you won't respect me, you damn sure will fear me. I'll spend a lot of time and effort regaining your respect, while you work to rebuild the trust. We make this a priority in our lives." "I never lost respect for you," she argued. "Your actions speak otherwise." "What if it's not enough?" she asked. "That's not an option. You don't want to know what happens if you break our contract. That's all I'm going to say about that. There won't be another chance." "I...I didn't break it, you know? You have to believe me. I was thinking about it, but I wouldn't do that while we were still married." "I know. That's why we're giving this a second chance. I know a lot more than you think." "How much?" she asked. "You're never going to know. A lot. Let's leave it at that." "But how?" "I said you're never going to know. Leave it alone, Donna. Be happy that you brought it to a head before going too far." * * * I called her older sister Lisa. We had a long, heart-to-heart. Donna had been honest. Lisa was firmly against what she was doing, and on the verge of informing me before things went too far. I brought her into my plan, at least somewhat. I asked her to be Donna's confidant moving forward, and to help her back onto the straight and narrow. "Why did you stop it? If she wanted out, why not kick her to the curb?" Lisa had asked. "I love her. She's the mother of my children. She made a mistake, and we caught it before it went too far. I'd rather fight for my marriage and my wife, then let someone else steal her from me. If I did 'kick her to the curb' it wouldn't be pretty. I don't believe in rewarding traitorous bitches and predators. I would do whatever was necessary to make sure that she and the bastard paid dearly, very dearly, if required." "You wouldn't hurt her, would you?" "Ask her. She knows." She sounded nervous. "I wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of you, would I?" "No, you definitely wouldn't. On the other hand, I'm very loyal and appreciative to those on my side. I can't thank you enough for trying. I owe you one, Lisa." "Let's fix your damn marriage, knock some sense into that thick head of hers, and we'll call it even." I laughed. "Hardly. I'll owe you even more. I don't mind being in your debt. I'll gladly accept all the help you can give us." "She's my baby sister, Allen. I'll help, but if she fails, I won't be the one to tell you." "I understand. Let's try to make sure she doesn't, Ok?" She nodded. It was good to have an understanding and an ally. * * * The talk with Karen's husband, Jerome, didn't go quite as well. He met me at the Dubliner, our local watering hole, where I bought him a beer. "What's going on, Allen? You've never invited me out for a beer before." "First and last, I'm afraid. Your wife had been involved in breaking up my marriage. Neck deep. I've stopped it. She's no longer allowed to be involved in our lives in any fashion. Sadly that includes you. It's too bad, I like you Jerome. Unfortunately, your wife is a traitorous cheating bitch." I could see him turning angry, his face reddening. "Where the fuck do you get off calling my wife names?" "Donna was on the cusp of an affair. Karen was encouraging her. I know that for a fact. I was tipped off by a friend, a true friend, unlike your wife. I did a little checking. I have evidence, and my wife's confession. Apparently Karen thinks that cheating on a marriage is alright. I'm not willing to share that opinion, or allow anyone who espouses it to be involved in our lives. I only thought it fair that you should know, when we cut you two out." "What kind of evidence?" he asked, slowly simmering. "That doesn't concern you. Donna stopped. The bastard who tried to seduce her will pay dearly. Anyone who helped will pay also. I'm giving you fair warning. Karen helped." "I don't believe you." "You don't have to. It's not going to change my response one way or the other. She is my enemy now. You have a choice. Get clear on your own, or try to protect her. Either way, she has to pay." "What the fuck? Are you threatening me?" I sighed. "I did this out of courtesy, Jerome. Like I said, I've always liked you. This is a warning. You've got a little time, not a lot. Then the hammer comes down." I handed him a list. "Surveillance tools. If you want to know more about the woman you married, use them. Or don't. It doesn't matter to me." I got up, and left a $20 on the bar. "It was nice knowing you. If you decide to make a clean break with her, let me know. I'll try to keep you clear of the fallout." He was staring at me as if I had a third eye. "I...I don't believe you." "Yes you do. Confirm it. And stay clear." * * * I called in to work, and took a few days of emergency leave. I agreed to check my emails and deal with any major issues that came up, but I wouldn't be in the office for at least 3 days. Maybe not for the week. I started romancing my wife. Little things. Notes. A single flower. Small jewelry items. I took her out to dinner. I complimented her. I expressed an interest in making love to her every night, and she responded in kind. She didn't know I'd taken the time off work. I left the house at the usual time each morning, and worked on my plan. It started with a little intelligence, finding out where he lived from public records, and tracking down his car, a two year old Sebring. I followed him from his home to work, little fear that he'd recognize me. I'd certainly never seen him before. Tuesday I placed the mail-order GPS tracker on his vehicle, the kind with a paid service plan for real-time monitoring, and had live updates of his whereabouts. When I got home that night, at the usual time, I knew not only where he lived, but where he worked, where he went, and what he did. I even managed to insert a micro-recorder in his vehicle that I could listen in on while he was in the vehicle. I could download conversations, or even turn on the microphone remotely and listen in. From my wife's computer, I sent him an email. I tried to use the same words and tone she used in her earlier contacts with him. Dearest Gerry, It's over. I was wrong to respond to your advances. Please do not try to contact me again. I'm married, and want to rebuild my marriage. Please accept these images in friendship. I'll recall our times together fondly, but they are over. Please, if you really care for me, don't make this more difficult than it already is. Donna The attachment was an executable. Clicking on it started a simple slideshow of 4 pictures of my wife. None were especially salacious. The simple program also installed software on his computer. Illegal as hell. That night I was able to download his email history, web history, passwords, and other useful content. Another $80 well spent. Wednesday I spent analyzing the intelligence I had gathered. The information was disturbing, but not especially surprising. Donna deleted her emails, but this idiot kept them all. I was able to read the entire six month effort, where he was slowly winning her over, playing on her emotions, building her up, tearing us down. She was beautiful, sensual, intelligent, misunderstood. I was cold, controlling, unloving, a user, and almost certainly cheating myself. He was good at it, slowly worming his way into her confidence. It was interesting how they'd met. Karen had introduced him at a volunteer event at the church. Our friggin' church. What a slimy way to pick up women. Karen wasn't just a facilitator, she was the instigator. Damn, she needed to pay. It turned out the asshole was a serial seducer. My wife wasn't his only target. He still stayed in contact with two previous conquests, and was targeting yet another. He was married with one child, to a woman who didn't understand him, or so he said. Who was too busy with her own job to make time for her family. Cold and heartless, she was. He painted a less than flattering picture of her, little by little over time. I was certain his wife knew nothing of his proclivities. With complete remote access to his computer, I was developing a clear picture of this scum-sucking predator. This was going to be too easy. * * * I decided to spend half a day at work Thursday to get caught up. Donna woke when I did, and made me breakfast. She sat down with me, sipping her coffee. She'd had almost a full week to stew. "I was an idiot, Allen. I don't know how I let it happen. I look back at my actions now, and it was like I was a different person. I don't like that person, what I had become." I nodded. "You were seduced by an expert. You were hardly his first conquest, and he's already started on his next." She reached into her robe, and passed me her phone. "He's been trying to contact me. When I wouldn't accept or return his calls, he showed up here yesterday, insisting I speak with him. I...I had to talk to him. I told him it was over, and I never wanted to see him again. I threatened to call the police if he didn't leave." I passed her back the phone without looking at it. "I know. A little after 1:00. Thank you for telling me. He won't bother you much longer." I knew he'd stopped by the house from the GPS tracking. I didn't know the rest but was happy enough to let her believe I did. Keep her off balance and maintain the all-seeing, all-knowing façade. "Please don't do anything stupid, Allen. He's not worth it." "I'll be careful. Just stay clear of him. Tell me about your conversations with Karen and Lisa." Again, making it seem as if I already knew. "I told Karen she almost cost me my marriage, and I wouldn't have anything more to do with her. She wasn't very happy about it. I also called all of our common friends, and made sure they understood that I was no longer willing to associate with her, and if she was invited to any events, I would not attend. I told them I valued my marriage, and she had been willing to torpedo it. I don't think we'll have to worry about seeing her around much." "Do you want to explain how she was involved in you meeting the bastard?" I asked, calmly. "You know?" she stared at me, surprised. Then she shook her head. "Of course you know. You've known everything. Why didn't you stop me, Allen? You should have stopped me!" "No, Donna. If I interrupted too early, you'd never believe me. I had already lost your respect. You needed to decide it was the wrong thing to do on your own. That was the only way I could trust you. The only way things could get back to the way they were. Unfortunately, you never did that. I only intervened at the last moment, when your next action would have destroyed what we had. I couldn't let that happen. I love you and our daughters too much to subject them to what I would have been forced to do." She was obviously distraught. "I'm sorry. I know you're probably tired of hearing that. I swear I didn't even see it coming. He was just a friend, when I needed one. Someone to talk to, a sounding board. He was good to me, understanding." "Of course he was. He wanted to fuck you. Wanted to cuckold me, take you away, use you and throw you away like he has with the others. He wanted to demolish our 'house.' You're a smart woman, Donna. How could you not see it?" "I...I don't know. He seemed like a perfect gentleman, and Karen kept telling me I was doing nothing wrong. It's Ok to have male friends, a different perspective. Even the first time he kissed me, it was like kissing a cousin. Friendly, nothing more. I don't know how I let it keep growing." "You opened the gate. The first time you shared an intimacy, spoke about your feelings, about your and my relationship, you let him in. He liked to get you to talk about that, didn't he?" She nodded. "But he was always supportive. He wanted to help me, make our marriage stronger. Make me feel better about myself." "I hope you've learned your lesson. You need to understand, Donna, strange men don't want to become friends to help you. They want to fuck you. Make you their slut. The better ones may want to take you for themselves. Guys like your boyfriend want to use you and throw you away. They get their jollies that way." "It was a painful education," she admitted quietly. "It's still hard to believe. He seemed so nice." "Enough of the bastard, and that slut Karen, his partner in crime. I'll deal with them. How about Lisa?" "Two long talks. She chewed me out but good. She says I'm lucky. I agree." "She's a good one. I don't think I ever realized it. I'm sorry I didn't make more of an effort to get to know her better. I'm glad she's in your life." She looked nervous. "I want to ask you something," she finally said. "By all means. Ask anything. I want you to be able to talk to me about everything, freely." "I have too much free time on my hands. I'd like to do something to keep busy. The kids will both be in school next semester. I think I want to get a job, or at least do some kind of volunteer work." "That's a great idea. We don't need the money, so that shouldn't be a consideration. You can get a job if you like, pursue some schooling, or volunteer. I'll support you in any endeavor. You're a smart woman. I'm sure you'll succeed at whatever you choose." Marriage as a House "It would be part time. Only while the kids are in school, I hope. I don't want anything to interfere with what we're doing." "Good. If you need my help with anything, job search, referrals, resume, whatever, just let me know." She got up and put her arms around me. "You do love me, don't you?" "I would hope you wouldn't even have to ask, baby. You're everything to me." "I'm sorry that I started to forget that. I'm going to make it up to you. You'll never have to worry about me again, I promise." "I know. I'm willing to accept part of the blame. I wasn't doing my part in keeping the love alive and vibrant between us. Wasn't maintaining our 'house' like I should have. That's one mistake I won't allow to happen again." "I love you, Allen." "Thank you. I love you too." * * * That afternoon I hired professional help. I had been hoping to avoid it, but the information gleamed from the bastard's computer necessitated it. It wasn't cheap, costing me $2000, but it was fast. Friday morning I had the results. I was ready to make my play. Public libraries are great things. The computers are free to use, and mostly unprotected. Within 20 minutes of sitting down, I'd inserted the USB into the machine, and installed the anonymous private VPN service. The bastard was considerate enough to leave his credit card information on his PC, and he paid for the service. I felt I'd covered my tracks as well as I needed. His emails involving his previous conquests, along with some very incriminating photos, were sent to their spouses, and his as well. The full history of his current ongoing seduction was forwarded to the unlucky husband, with the information about his previous successes included. GPS locations and car discussions outlined nefarious lunches, and a planned future meeting. The soon to be cuckolded spouse was provided with the location, date, and time. One of the women he'd been involved with worked with him at the same company. She no longer worked in the same building, but that didn't change anything. His email contact list was filtered to get all the company emails, and his co-workers were all included on a very informative missive about his activities with his fellow employee, and everyone else he'd been involved with. All customer contacts extracted from his emails were notified of the type of person he was. In detail, with photos. It was a start. * * * Donna was dressed as I'd requested. The kids were with her sister for the night, and I took her out for dinner and dancing. She turned down the few men who asked her to dance, spending her time with me. I thought we had a great time for the most part, but she seemed distracted. At the end of the evening, on the way home, she turned down the radio. "It's started, hasn't it?" "It has." "He must have called the house and my phone at least a dozen times. He left some disturbing text messages. He blames me." "I'm sorry. I'll make sure he stops. After this weekend, I hope you'll never have to hear from him again." "Is it going to get ugly?" "Probably. For him. I've done my best to keep you out of it." "God, I really screwed up, didn't I?" "Yes. It's water under the bridge. Did you have a good time tonight?" She nodded, her hand caressing my shoulder. "I did. I should have brought this up earlier. It was distracting, I kept thinking about it." "Please trust me. Don't be afraid to ask anything. At the worst, I'll explain that I'm not going to tell you. I honestly believe our lack of communication in the last couple of years was our biggest issue." "I know. It's better now, isn't it?" "I think so. Getting better. We still have a ways to go, but I believe it's improving. We should have been doing this more often. We need to make time for just you and me." "I want to. Can we do it once a week? Time for just the two of us?" "I don't see why not. I love being alone with you." "Do you? Really?" "You have to stop doubting my feelings for you Donna. I love you. I always have. I'll never stop. I may not have excelled at expressing them, and I regret that. I'll strive to do better." "You're going to show me tonight?" she asked, teasingly. "Over and over again, it you'll let me." "Let you? I'm going to insist on it. Take me home lover, I've been wet for you since we left the house this evening." * * * We lay together, spooning, in the delicious afterglow. I had my arms around her, and she was holding them tightly. "I love this feeling," she said softly. "Me too. Believe me." She giggled, wiggling her rump against me. "Oh, I do." She was quiet for a few moments. "I need this, Allen. This time together, afterward. The holding and cuddling. Sometimes a quickie is nice, but we were losing this. The intimacy. It means as much to me as the sex does." I thought about it and realized she was right. We had been in a rut. Sex was practically on a schedule, and afterward I'd give her a quick kiss goodnight and try to get some sleep. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "I didn't notice the gradual change, but now that you mention it, I'm almost embarrassed I didn't. I was taking you for granted." "Me too. You've been so good to me, but I came to expect it, not to appreciate it. I always loved you, but I think I was getting to the point where I wasn't in love with you. You were my husband, provider, and my children's father, but no longer my lover and confidante." She turned to face me, wiggling a leg between mine, snuggling in as closely as possible. She kissed my neck. "We used to talk in bed. About anything and everything. We talked about our dreams, our goals, our fantasies. It was the most precious part of our relationship, this sharing time, and it slipped away. I don't even remember how or why, but it stopped." She squeezed me tighter, and I realized she was crying. "Don't let us lose it again." I pulled her in closer, enveloping her in my arms. She felt so small, so fragile. I kissed the top of her head. "Never again, Sugar. I promise." She stayed in my arms, until she fell asleep. Even then I didn't want to let her go. It was a breakthrough for me. A window into how things had deteriorated and why. I felt like an idiot. An extra 10 minutes of cuddling a night, might have helped so much. It was a time for communicating, just the two of us, intimacy and openness. I'd let it slip away, once. Never again. * * * I got up early, leaving her a note. I checked the GPS monitor, and found the car parked outside of a motel just off the highway. I drove there, prepared for any eventuality. I hoped it wouldn't be necessary. At 8:30 AM I was knocking on the door. Gerald Wheaton was a big guy, and I suspect a lot of women would appreciate his looks. Didn't do anything for me. "What do you want?" he asked. "Don't ever call Donna again. If I were you, I'd take your lumps and get out of town. If I ever see you again, you won't see me. I'll make sure that you never mess with my wife or any other woman ever again." "You're the fucker who set me up?" he growled. "I'm going to enjoy kicking your ass and fucking your woman." I smiled. "Don't say I didn't warn you. I've been kind so far." I opened my jacket to show him the holstered Ruger LC9. "Leave her alone, and disappear. Last warning." * * * I wasn't surprised to get a visit from the police later that morning. They asked me if I knew a Gerald Wheaton and if I had threatened to kill him. I explained that I heard he'd seduced several married women, and had made a play for mine. I wanted him to leave her alone. I played the recording of the conversation I had with him. "At no time did I threaten him with any type of bodily harm. I told him to leave my wife alone, or I'd make sure he did. That was the extent of it." "You didn't point a gun at him, threaten to kill him?" "At no time did I brandish a weapon of any type. I never threatened him. I told him to leave my wife alone. As a matter of fact, the only threat made was by him." "Would you mind if we had a copy of this recording?" one of the officers asked. "Not at all. If you'll come in, I'll make a copy." Provenance works in strange ways. I had more plans for dealing with the scumbag, but he decided to make it easy. The bastard called the house, and was yelling into the answering machine. "You stupid fuckers! You messed with the wrong man. I'm going to hunt you down, beat the shit out of you, and fuck your woman in front of your eyes. You're going to pay for messing with me, asshole. I may even have to do your daughter while I'm at it. I hope you have eyes in the back of your head, because I'm coming for you." What an idiot. I had to wonder how my wife ever saw anything in him, other than bullshit stacked 6'2" tall. I had a copy of the recording I'd made. I also made a copy of the logs of the dozens of calls he'd made in the previous days, including the recording of his latest threat. "Here's the recording, officer, including a copy of the threat he made just now. I'd like them to stop. I don't want him having sex with my daughter, she's only six years old. Is there anything you can do about that?" The lead officer nodded. "If you'd like to come down to the precinct, I'll file your complaint. I have no doubt the DA will take this very seriously." Don't you love it when a plan comes together? * * * The kids were playing on the Wii, when I let him in. "Hi Jerome, I'll be honest, I didn't expect to see you anytime soon." "She cheated on me, Allen. I don't know how much, or for how long, but my wife is a cheating slut. I'm sorry it affected your marriage." "Come in, sit down. Can I offer you a beer?" "That or something stronger." "Scotch/rocks?" "That would be perfect." I hunted down my wife, who was doing the laundry. "Who was that at the door?" she asked. "Jerome. He's figured out that Karen was cheating on him. Would you be a dear, and bring us both a glass of the Johnny Walker Blue on the rocks?" "The Blue?" "I think it's the least I can offer him, since I was the one who started him looking into his wife's behavior." She finished folding the towel. "How much does he know?" "I'm not sure. I'm hoping you can help clear that up." "Me? But Allen, what she told me was in strict confidence. She was my best friend." "Was, is the operable word here. Two drinks, another for yourself if you'd like, and then please join us." "I...I'm not sure if I can. It wouldn't feel right." "Would it feel better than shacking up with your boyfriend Gerald? Losing your family, your children. On the run, always looking over your shoulder?" She glared at me, then lowered her eyes shamefully. "You're not going to let me live that down, are you?" "Forgiven, but not forgotten. This goes back to the trust. If you're hiding other people's affairs, you're only a gnat's ass from having your own. Approval through inaction. You can see that, can't you?" "Fine. Give me a minute, will you?" She didn't sound happy about it, but I was confident she'd do what she had to. It was closer to five before she joined us, passing out the drinks. She sat in the chair opposite us, taking a sip from her own. Jerome looked a little surprised to see her. "Hi Donna, sorry to intrude on your Saturday." "No apologies necessary, Jerome. I guess this is partly my fault. I've not been much of a friend." "Please tell him, dear. Everything. How long, how often, how many, whatever you know," I urged her. "It's bad. Are you sure you want to know?" she asked, turning and facing our guest. "I don't want to, but I need to. However you can help." She sighed, taking another drink. "She's a slut. Total unrepentant slut. We laughed about it, I'm ashamed to say. She was one in college, and she remained one throughout your marriage. I don't think more than a couple of months ever went by without her seeing someone." "Even after we were married?" "At her bachelorette party, and within a week of you returning from your honeymoon. She had some regular boyfriends, and didn't want to give them up. Two of them, until they both moved on about 4 years ago. A couple of times a week back then, often with both of them." "Did she say why?" "She likes sex. She likes doing doubles, and she enjoys big dicks. That's what she said." "But how?" "She's a stay at home Mom. She has lots of time to play. She always made sure she was home and cleaned up before you got there. She almost never did it in your home. On the rare occasion you went out of town, she'd go a little crazy. She loved to tell me about it. I was the one she could share with, since she knew I'd never tell. We were best friends, after all." I could see he was struggling to contain his anger. "Once they left?" "She was in the dumps for a while, before she found some new playmates. None of them seemed to last more than 6 months or so. She was picky, and finding discrete men with big cocks who liked to play in groups was more difficult than she thought, I guess. I'm sorry to be the one to tell you." "She never tried to get you involved?" I asked. "Of course she did. For years. I kept reminding her I was very happily married, and lived vicariously through her adventures. I didn't really think about it much, how wrong it was. She'd always been that way." "What are you going to do, Jerome?" I asked. "I don't have a lot of choice, do I? First thing I'm going to do is see if the kids are mine." Donna spoke up. "They are. She was always very careful about that. She might be a slut, but she loves you, and only you. This is going to devastate her." "It's not doing a whole lot for me," he said angrily. "Is there any way you could forgive her?" Donna asked. "Forgive her? For cheating on me our entire marriage? I'm not enough for her, obviously that's never going to change." "She says you're a great lover. She loves what you do for her. She's just wired wrong. Maybe you could see a marriage counselor, or work out an open marriage." "Enough, Donna," I said. "This is his decision." I turned to him. "If we can help in any way, just let us know. I'll hold off on any action until you decide. You don't deserve any of this." His eyes were red, as he stared into his glass. "I'm such an idiot. I thought we had a great marriage. I really did. She's a wonderful mother, and the sexiest, most loving woman I ever met. I guess that's the problem, isn't it?" "I don't know what to tell you. I'm sorry you had to hear it from us," I said. "No, it's not your fault. I'm sorry that my cheating slut wife almost dragged your woman down with her." He took a long drink from his glass. "You wouldn't know the name of any good divorce attorneys, would you?" I shook my head. "Can't help you there. I would never get a divorce, or allow one to happen. I'm not wired that way." I turned to my wife. "I imagine you might know one." She blushed. "I have a card, if you'd like me to get it." I was irritated, to be honest. "Why don't you do that? I don't imagine you'll be needing one, ever." She shook her head. "No. I'm sorry, I'll be just a moment." She returned with the card. "I got it from Karen. He's supposed to be the best. You'll want to call him before she does." "Has she slept with him?" Jerome asked. "I...I don't know. I don't think so." "Great. Just fucking great." He finished his drink, placing his empty glass on the table. "Sorry to intrude. I'd say it was fun, but that would be a lie, wouldn't it? It has been enlightening." Donna stood, and gave him a hug. "I'm so sorry, Jerome. She does love you. She's still in love with you. She's just...broken. If you had it in your heart, maybe you could fix her." "I don't see how," he said. "Thanks for the drink." "Anytime. You ever need anyone to talk to, don't hesitate to call, Ok?" I said. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." After he left, I stared at my wife. "Convenient, you having the best divorce attorney's card on hand." She blushed. "I'm sorry. I never thought to get rid of it. Can we please forget about that? It's in the past, right?" I sat down heavily, taking a drink. "Whatever. Your best friend was quite the slut, huh?" She sat down next to me, moving in close. I didn't feel especially romantic at the moment, but I didn't shy away from her. "I think she's a certifiable nymphomaniac. They had a great love life, but it was never enough for her. She was always looking for the next great fuck. I didn't think it would ever rub off on me, we were totally different. For me, sex matters. It's the reason that I never cheated on you, even when I was considering leaving." "We never talked about it. You say you never had sex, but I imagine you did more than hold hands." "Do you have to know? I'll tell you everything if you want. Is it enough to know that I never had sex, oral, vaginal or anal? I didn't. I couldn't do that to you while we were married. Believe it or not, I took my vows seriously." "Kissing, touching, feeling, fingering? Hand jobs?" "I did things I'm ashamed of. I allowed him liberties I never should have. I didn't love him." "But you were willing to walk out on our marriage," I reminded her. "I thought I wanted something new. Something different. I let him convince me I deserved it. Just a separation, to see for myself. It wasn't out of love for him. Now, it's hard to believe I could even think that way. I don't know what was going on in my mind. Maybe I should be the one seeing a shrink. I don't even recognize the person I was becoming." She leaned her head against my shoulder. "I didn't open the gate. It was unlocked, and I let him wedge his way in, little bit at a time, without ever realizing he was doing it. Building tiny walls between you and me with his little comments. I never saw it coming. I'm so ashamed. You deserve better." I put my arm around her, hugging her. "I bet you won't let that happen again. First time you were seduced by anyone but me." She nodded. "Never. I learned my lesson. Anyone pulls that shit, I'll see it coming a mile away." I tilted her head up, and kissed her softly. "I could use some building reinforcement right now." She smiled. "The kids?" "We won't be long." She climbed up and straddled my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck. Her lips pressed against mine. "Wham, bam, thank you ma'am?" "A quickie. For now. I'll make it up to you later." She kissed me again, grinning hugely. "No way. I'm still the one who gets to do the 'making up'." "That works for me." * * * Gerald was charged. He pleaded out, and was given a suspended sentence. Too damn easy on him I thought. He was also given a 1000' restraining order from my family. I was keeping dibs on him, even employing my PI associates a couple of times. He was in the middle of an ugly divorce, and eventually ended up in the hospital. It wasn't me that beat him up, although I'll admit to harboring such thoughts. I guess one of the other husbands didn't take lightly to his fucking around either. I was questioned about it, but had a better than average alibi. Dumb luck. Dinner out with Jill and her husband Roger, with only about a hundred witnesses, and video surveillance. The police only asked once. I had mixed feelings. I had wanted to extract that kind of revenge up close and in person, now the associated risk was much greater. On the other hand, it looked like it was a serious ass whipping, with broken ribs and severely bruised testicles. I backed off at the time. It's like they say, revenge is a dish best served cold. Karen and Jerome are separated. She's seeing a shrink, and they're both seeing a marriage counselor. I don't know how he does it, living with what she did to their marriage. I've put off any more revenge against her, at least for now. The loss of her best friend, most of their common friends, and the state of their marriage are pretty hard on her. She's put on weight. Jerome is paying for her apartment, and has it wired to the rafters. We talk regularly, and he's over for dinner at least every couple of weeks. He makes sure that Karen knows that as well. According to Jerome, she hasn't been with anyone since he gave her the divorce papers. Maybe it was the wakeup call she needed. He's still not sure if he's going to follow through on it. I guess love is a pretty powerful thing. Whether it's trying to get him back, or the meds the doctors have her on, she's at least putting on the semblance of being faithful. Personally, I don't think it's going to last. Marriage as a House As for Donna and I, our marriage 'house' is stronger than ever. She still is determined to make it up to me. I still have trust issues, but I try not to bring it up to her. I check her emails and GPS logs, less frequently I admit, but thoroughly. I don't jump to any conclusions, and all aberrations have been false concerns, so far. She has a job, working at Children's Hospital, and she seems to like it and is doing very well. The money doesn't hurt, and the time spent hasn't interfered with our lives so far. We have our dates, and I never forget how close we came to losing it all. I'll fight for our marriage, like a fucking cornered badger, and I'm still doing it. I make sure she knows how important she is, and we make sure to find 'us' time. It's working. Will I ever be able to stop checking on her, trust her completely? Perhaps in time. For now it's enough to know that she loves me, is in love with me, and is completely faithful. We're even talking about adding an extension to our 'house'. She's only 31 and working with children all the time has her talking about having another one. Frankly, I think it would do the opposite for me. I'm inclined to go along, if it's what she wants. I wouldn't mind having a son. I'm also thinking of how to add a moat and a second set of gates to our 'house'. She says she wants it to be a mansion. I'm thinking more in line with a castle, 30 foot wall, six feet thick, and archer ports throughout. Pots of boiling oil on the ramparts ready to take out any invaders. Hopefully, I'll never need them, but never doubt, I'll fight and kill if necessary, for our marriage. Speaking of which, it's been three months since anyone's heard from the bastard. Word on the street is that since he lost his job, his wife and his reputation, he's moved away. I happen to know that he never made it past the abandoned quarry eleven miles west of here. He never should have tried to contact my wife again. He was warned. I was very happy to hear his ex got remarried within a year after the divorce. I hate collateral damage. As for Karen, we'll wait and see. If Jerome takes her back, and she behaves, maybe I'll let it go. Like I said, I like Jerome, always have. If she doesn't? I'm patient. ============================ Thanks for taking the time to read this little tale. I know, I've got a string of pretty dark stories lately. Emptying my writing folder of several that have accumulated over the last year. They're not all like this, I promise.