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Tony Must be Punished

By: enovelist



Hello readers. 

This is an alternate ending to Taboo Teller's story: "Do for lust, Won't do for Luv." I wasn't satisfied with the way TT left Tony walk away from the affair without some form of retribution from Manty. So the following is how I saw the revenge take place.

My sincere thanks to Kanga40 for her concise editorial review. The story now reads much better because of her efforts and her knowledge of the English language. She even pointed out the fact I was having a love affair with the word "that". 

Any and all comments about this story would be greatly appreciated by the writer.

*

The Evening of the Discovery:

Manty was sitting alone in a corner booth of the fancy restaurant on Congress Street. He was on his third Jack Daniel's, two before he ate and this last one for desert. His mind had been going wild with all kinds of ugly and hateful thoughts about his unfaithful wife. He Manty wanted so much to tear Darlina's heart out like she had done so mercilessly to his heart with her deceit and betrayal. Ugly thoughts of how he would humiliate and debase her for her wanton actions. These thoughts had taken center stage in his mind for the past two hours.

Now, as the liquor and the fantastic meal began to mellow Manty out a bit, a small but persistent voice in the back of his mind kept calling to him. This was his voice of reason calling, some might call it his conscience. It was the voice inside his mind that help him analyze problems and to come to a rational decision as to what course of action he should take. This voice was in opposition to the loud screaming voices calling for Darlina's humiliation. 

Calmly it asked him. "Do you still love her?" "Do you still want to be married to her?" "Can you forgive her?" 

As much as Manty wanted to avoid giving himself final answers to these questions, that nagging steady voice would not give up. "Do you still love her?" "Do you still want to be married to her?" "Can you forgive her?" (I like this sort of repetition – it is great for emphasis!)

A hard swallow of his drink, a shake of his head, then he answered himself. "Yes, I still love her!" "Yes, I do want to stay married to her!" "Yes, I can you forgive her!" Those answers seemed to generate a calming effect in his mind. The angry voices seemed to subside, then go mute.

His voice of reason now had its answer, so it went on to press the issue. "OK, for all of the above. If your answers are correct, then why do you want to punish and humiliate her? The crime is out in the open, you both have to face it. Will punishing and humiliating her make your future marriage stronger or will those degrading actions finally cause her to reject you as the man she loves?" Manty sat there and knew deep in his heart that he would never be able to harshly punish Darlina and feel good about himself later. Two wrongs don't make a right. 

"You may still feel like a cuckold, Manty, but that feeling should not destroy your true manhood." The voice of reason was now in control of his run-away emotions and thoughts. It had always been there to aid and support him in making the most important long term decisions in his life. That voice was now trying to help him make some of the hardest and most decisive decisions of his life.

"Think about it, Manty. If you exact your pound of flesh from her to soothe your damaged ego, what effect will those actions have on reconstructing your marriage? Will they make her more penitent? Will she be sorrier after the punishment, or will the punishment build up a resentment up inside her against you? Think about the long term effects that you wish to create." The voice was not being judgmental with him. It was just a calm questioning voice that wanted him to be sure of the 'cause and effect' reactions that might create more problems than they solve.

Manty ordered his fourth drink. This time it was just a glass of orange juice. Good mental alertness was something he needed right now. Monumental decisions of the nature he was wrestling with needed a very clear head. The major decision that Manty had to make as soon as possible, was the one about his marriage. Putting the kids aside, putting all other feeling aside, did he still want to remain married to Darlina? An agonizing question to have to come to grips with on this day of infamy for him. 

Looking at his watch, Manty realized it was only a little over six hours ago he was standing outside a bedroom window watching his beloved wife having the most intimate sex with her lover. Her lover of over a year. That wound was still bleeding in his mind, yet he knew he must push aside his emotions and try to rationally deal with the future of his marriage.

"Can you forgive her? Can you trust her again?" The voice asked the questions again, but this time it add the trust question. The very hard trust question. Without waiting for an answer, the voice simple said, "A 'no' to either one of these questions means that your marriage is over. You might as well file for divorce in the morning." 

Manty shook his head as if he trying to block out those damned questions. He didn't want to have to answer them. He wasn't sure that he really knew what his answer to them would be. But, that little voice wasn't going away that easy. Again the questions, "Can you forgive her? Can you trust her again?" Manty would have to answer them or the voice would drive him crazy till he did.

"Damn it! Damn it! I still love her, I don't hate her. She wounded me severely but wounds can heal if you want them to and if you let them heal. Yes!!! I can forgive her, at least this time. Yes. I think that I can force myself to trust her again. Without trust, our marriage is over anyway. Yes. I want to stay married to her." Manty said these things to himself almost like stating a contract or a commitment. In spite of everything to the contrary, he was not yet ready to trash his wife and his marriage.

"So, what's next?" It was his turn to throw a question back to that nagging voice in his head. There was a long silence. No answer from the voice. 

Then as if a bolt of lightning had struck him, his mind once again exploded in an angry thought. "That damn bastard, Tony! Here I am thinking of ways to make things right in my life again, and that bastard will just ride off into the sunset! No fucking way, Jose! That bastard must be punished. TONY MUST BE PUNISHED!!!" He had a new target to vent his anger and hatred against, Tony became the focus of all of his rage.

Darlina had told him that Tony was also married. Did his wife know about his womanizing? Did he lie to her and keep his affair secret from her? What would his wife do if she knew about her husband's infidelity? 

Now all kinds of new thoughts were spewing forth from Manty's vengeful mind. TONY MUST BE PUNISHED! Manty wasn't about to go off and buy a .32 cal. pistol and put bullet holes in the bastard's head. The consequences of would be worse than the satisfaction of seeing Tony lying dead at his feet. What Manty needed to do for revenge must be perfectly legal. His retaliation must be hard and be something that would cost Tony everything he had.

As more thoughts poured into his angry mind, the voice simply called out to him. "Don't forget about Darlina." 

Wham! Another brilliant thought flashed into his mind. Darlina had told Manty that she loved him and not Tony. Tony was just a great fuck for her. She loved Manty, or so she said. Would Darlina go along with a plan to betray her lover and cause him a lot of pain and anguish? In order to redeem herself, would she sacrifice her lover so that Manty would get his revenge and settle the score in his mind?

"Why don't you go home and ask her?" The voice piped up with another question.

Manty was stoked now. He had his enemy, he had a vague plan in his head as to how to retaliate against his enemy. It would be up to Darlina to either prove her love and devotion to him by agreeing to help punish her lover, or it would be Manty's final reason to show her the door.

Manty paid his tab and walked out of the restaurant a much changed man. He now had a purpose despite all this mess. If he exacted his revenge against Tony, then all the other questions about his marriage and trust in his wife just might be answered. It would be up to Darlina now, the hard questions would be hers to answer not his.

Darlina was startled as Manty walked in the front door. She knew the state of mind he was in as he left over an hour ago. She expected that he would be out all night just to show her that he was now in charge of his life alone.

"What are you doing home so early, honey?" She asked him in a guarded voice. A thought raced through her head that he might just have come back to tell her they were through, the marriage was over.

"We need to have another talk, my dear." Manty said in a calm voice. He didn't want to sound confrontational with her. "Let's sit down at the table and go over this situation one more time."

Darlina quickly got to her feet and followed him into the breakfast area. He moved to one end of the table and motioned for her to sit at the other end. 

"Would you like a glass of water?" He asked as he went to the refrig to get a glass of water for himself. 

"Yes. If you don't mind." She answered. He set the glasses on the table and sat down across from her.

"Let's start this discussion all over again." He said as he gave her a soft smile. "I have been thinking about all the things that went on since you came home this afternoon. I thought about my actions and the words that I said to you. It appears that my emotions were in charge of my thinking then. So, we need to revisit all those things that we said to each other."

Darlina was confused, but somewhat relieved that Manty did not announce that he was through with her. But, what was there to revisit? Did he just want to rub her nose in her dirty infidelity all over again? She just sat there. This was his show and she didn't know what her script lines were.

"I want you to answer me the most serious question of the night. Do you love me more than you love Tony? Your answer must convince me that you are telling me the truth." His eyes locked on to hers as he waited for her answer. 

"The answer is an emphatic yes! I do love you more than I do Tony. In fact, I told you that I never loved him at all. He was just a fantastic sexual escapade for me. I love you, Manty! I love only you! If my words don't convince you, then tell me what I have to do to prove that I love you." Darlina's voice almost cracked under the strain of her emotions. Her eyes never left his eyes as every muscle in her body tensed up hoping the he would believe her. 

"OK, my dear. I believe you. Now the next question. Do you want our marriage to survive? Does being married to me mean more to you than any other thing in your life?" His voice now had the tone of a lawyer cross-examining a witness in court.

"Oh god! yes, Manty. You are my husband, the only man I ever wanted to be my husband! I love you and our marriage. I want to remain your wife, the mother of our children. Again, please tell me what I have to do to prove all of that to you." Darlina was now becoming more excited by the direction that Manty's questions were heading. There seemed to be a light at the end of the dark tunnel she had been in since Manty told her he knew about her affair.

"All right, my dear. I believe you on both counts." Manty looked hard at her as he took a deep breath. "I still love you very much and I too want our marriage to continue. And to answer your question of what must you do to prove your love and devotion to our marriage, there is only one thing I am asking from you now. One thing that you must do for me in order to cement any trust in the things you say to me." 

"Please darling, tell me what it is so that I can show you that my words are true and that you can trust the things I tell you from now on." Darlina interrupted in a strong pleading voice. She had been given a ray of hope and she didn't want that light to go away.

"Before I tell you what the one thing I want from you is, I want to cover a couple of other things first. I want you to forget about all of those nasty conditions I placed on you before I left the house. The only condition that I want you to fully understand will never be removed is the one about you never having another man in your life. Either as a lover, a one night stand or just some cock for you get your jollies off with. If you ever stray again, or if you ever give me a reason to suspect that you have been unfaithful again, we are through forever. There will be no future forgiveness for you. Do you understand me, Darlina?" A stern voice this time. No room for doubt, no second chance.

"I promise you, darling, I will never have another man in my life ever again. You may have some doubts in your mind as to the truthfulness of my words, but there is no doubt in my mind. Never again." Her face was a stoic mask of seriousness. She wanted her words and her body language to convince him that she would never again be unfaithful to him.

"It may be hard for you to comprehend this right now, my dear. But in all sincerity, I forgive you. And as much as humanly possible, I will try to build back my trust in you. I want you for my wife and my lover. Punishing you would only damage the marriage that I want us to rebuild. I will let your own conscience provide whatever punishment it feels is necessary for your penance." As Manty was speaking, she jumped out of her chair and was coming around the table toward him.

"Stop right there!" He shouted at her. His hard tone of voice stopped her dead in her tracks. "Please sit back down. This conversation is not over. I told you that there was one thing that you would have to do to prove to me that all your words of love and commitment were true."

She backed up and sat back down in her chair. His harsh voice had told her something that she didn't detect in his previous conversation. The 'something' Manty wanted wasn't going to be easy, her mind told her.

"After I left the house, I did some very deep thinking about you and me. The hurt and humiliation that your actions have caused me is a thousand times greater than any anger you might have had for my standing you up for the dinner and play. The betrayal of the trust I had in you and the damage your affair did to our marriage will take a lot of effort to restore. All of the anger I had inside of me because of the affair was being directed at you alone. Then I realized that there was someone else who needed to be punished. Someone who I didn't love, someone I in fact hate .... Tony. 

"Once I wrapped my mind around him as a major villain in this sordid mess, I knew very simply that Tony must be punished. If Tony were truly punished and made to suffer as I am suffering now, then maybe, just maybe, I could regain some of that manliness that was stripped away by him making me a cuckold. I hate that man. That fact you must come to live with, my dear. I want to destroy him and make him crawl in the mud and dirt." Manty's eyes were burning with an internal rage. There was no doubt in Darlina's mind that Manty had found the object to focus his vengeance on. With a small sigh of relief, she was glad Manty had shifted anger from her on to her now ex-lover.

"This is the one thing that you must do to prove to me that all your words about love and commitment are to believed. You will become a major factor in the punishment that I intend to heap upon that wife fucking son-of-a-bitch. It will be up to you to betray your former lover and lead him into the trap that I will have set for him. You will be there to watch his humiliation and his downfall." Manty's words were so emphatic that they shocked Darlina. She wanted to respond to him but her mind could not form a coherent sentence. She just sat there waiting for Manty to continue.

"I haven't put all the flesh to my plan just yet. But, in a day or so, I should have most of the details in place. What I need to know from you, my dear, is whether or not you will do whatever I ask of you to punish your lover? Will you be able to betray him to his face and watch him suffer as I have done?" Manty paused as he watched Darlina squirm in her chair. 

She had wanted to put Tony in the past. She wanted to try and forget about him and the fabulous sex sessions she had with him. But, now her husband was telling her she must betray her ex-lover and drive a stake into his heart. Blood drained slowly from her face and a tight knot twisted her stomach.

"I must advise you, my dear, that this one thing is not a request that you can refuse. Its non-negotiable and non-reversible. If you truly love me and want our marriage to succeed, then there is only one answer you can give me. Without the correct answer, there is no 'us' anymore." 

Bang...bang!!! Those words slammed into her brain like bullets from a gun. In a round about way, Manty had brought her to a final decision about their marriage and their future that she would not be able to elude. A make-it or break-it answer. 

Manty saw the fear and angst in her eyes and on her face. He knew that it was easy for her to say, 'I Love You and not Him', but proving those words were true would mean that she would have to exact the punishment he wanted for her ex-lover. She would have to be the instrument used in bringing her ex-lover to the altar of humiliation and pain. 

"I don't want your answer this minute, my dear. Because either way you answer it, you will be setting yourself up for a very hard road to travel. I do not view this request as a direct punishment for you. Although I'm sure that your own conscience will find some way to cause you some anguish." He paused and took a long drink of water as the silence in the room seemed to roar out loud. 

"I want you to spend tonight thinking about your answer. You offered to do anything to prove that your words were truthful and that I should believe you. This is your one chance to prove it to me."

Manty took a deep breath and got up from the table. He walked into the den and over to the bar where he poured himself a tall Jack Daniel's. Sitting down in his lounge chair, he pressed the 'on' button on the stereo remote. Soft sounds of smooth jazz filled the room. He closed his eyes and reclined in his chair.

Darlina was still sitting at the table, frozen in her chair as if she were encased in ice. Her mind was now trying to comprehend what it was that Manty wanted her to do to punish her ex-lover. He hadn't told her specifically what his plan was, but he did tell her she would have to betray Tony to his face. She would be some kind of Judas leading the victim to his punishment. She didn't hate Tony like Manty did. Although she may not really love Tony, she did have all kinds of warm affectionate feelings toward him. She didn't want to hurt him or see him hurt. True, he was really just a fabulous sex partner for her, nothing more. Somewhere in the back of her mind she always knew that the affair with Tony would come to and end. But, she felt that the affair would end before her marriage would end. Now that idea was going to be put to a severe test.

Other than the sweet sounds of the stereo coming from the den, the house was quiet as a tomb. Manty had retreated from her, leaving her to sort out her true feeling about her ex-lover and what her answer would be. This was not a time that provoked tears from her. Instead it was a time for serious reflection on her part. 

"Why was it so important for Manty to punish Tony? Why not just punish me and let that be enough revenge for him?" Those questions had a meaningless ring to them. She knew damn well why Manty had to punish Tony. It was one of those 'man to man' things. It was the re-establishing of the alpha male in her life. Punishing her and letting her ex-lover go free would hounded Manty the rest of his life. TONY MUST BE PUNISHED! Finally, she managed to stand up by the table. Her legs were still felt numb and rubbery. Taking slow steps, she regained her strength and walked from the breakfast area past the den. 


Tony Must be Punished



"I'm going to bed now." Was all she said as she looked over her shoulder at Manty sitting in his lounge chair. "I'll be sleeping in the guest room if you want me." Then she was gone down the hall to a room that she now viewed as being a jail cell for her. She desperately needed him to come and hold her and to comfort her at this dreadful time. But she knew that he couldn't, not at least until she had answered his question about the one thing that would prove her love for him.

Manty watched his wife walk past the den. She told him she was going to sleep in the guest room tonight. His heart ached to go over and take her in his arms and tell her everything was going to be okay for them. But he knew he couldn't do that. Not this soon after the entire sordid mess came out in the open. Not till she gave him the answer that he needed to hear from her own lips. Both of them would be suffering tonight. Both of them denied the warmth and affection that had been theirs for the past twelve years. He went to bed alone in the master bedroom about an hour later.

The morning came very quickly for Manty. As strange as it might seem, he had fallen asleep right away. No tossing and turning. No visions of Darlina and Tony fucking on the bed in the rental bedroom. Just a long deep restful sleep. The hard decision was now up to Darlina. The fate of their marriage and future was in her hands now. After a quick shower and getting dressed in some casual clothes, he called his boss at work and told him he needed to take some vacation time. His boss asked if there was anything serious happening, Manty told him only some personal matters at home. After hanging up, Manty walked out of the bedroom to the smell of fresh coffee and bacon frying in a pan.

"Good morning, darling." She called out to him as she heard him shuffling down the hall way. "Two or three eggs this morning?" 

"Morning, my dear. Make that two eggs and only a couple slices of bacon. I don't want to eat too much this morning. I might go to the gym later this morning." His voice was upbeat and no hint of angst in it.

They sat and eat breakfast together in silence as the moment of truth was quickly approaching. After Manty had eaten his last bacon slice, he took a long sip of coffee and then said to her. "Do you have an answer for me this morning, my dear? I don't need to repeat the question do I?"

Darlina looked up at him as she swallowed her mouthful of food. Her eyes fixed on his face as she began speaking. "I told you things yesterday that are as true as the sun coming up in the east every morning. I told you I love you and only you. I told you I wanted to stay married to you no matter what you demanded of me." She paused and took a sip of coffee. "If punishing my ex-lover is the only way for me to prove that my statements are true, then my answer in an unqualified yes." 

Another pause, another sip of coffee. "I told you that I do not love Tony. That is also true, but I do not hate him. I do not wish him any misfortune, but you seem bent on making that happen. I must confess I am very torn up inside by your request. I do not relish the role that you will have me play in his punishment. But, you and our marriage mean much more than any feelings I have toward Tony." Another pause, another sip of coffee. "My answer will always be yes to you, darling. No matter how much I may dislike the request." Then silence fill the room again. 

Manty looked over at her and he smiled as his head nodded back and forth. He said nothing, letting the impact of the silence speak for him. He was satisfied. She had given him the answer he wanted to hear. Now he would add the meat to his plan and then present the details to her. That would be another subtle test for her to pass.

"I'll be in the computer room for a little while dear. If you want me for anything, just call me." He said as he got up from the table. He walked over to her and kissed her on the forehead. That move caught her by surprise. She thought that he would keep his distance from her for some period of time. Maybe her answer was bringing him around much quicker.

Manty went to the computer and began to type out a "Punishment Plan" for his arch enemy. The ideas flowed from his brain down through his fingers as the words quickly flashed on the screen before him. The main thrust of his plan was to attack Tony's marriage. Just as Tony had damaged his marriage, Manty wanted to do similar or greater damage to Tony's marriage. The plan really hinged around Tony's wife being told of the affair, and that she would then want to take revenge on her husband. If Manty could convince Tony's wife to join him in a plan to punish her wayward husband, then it would be up to Darlina to set Tony up for the fall.

The plan had several steps that needed to be done in sequence. The first step was to have Darlina call Tony and feed him a story that would keep him away from her until the other parts of the plan were in place. Manty typed out a phone script that he would have Darlina say to Tony when she called him later today.

The next step would be to get some background on Tony. Where he lived, worked, his income level, his wife's name, any run-ins with the law, and any other personal information. Manty had a policeman friend who could get that information for him without causing too much fuss. 

Just then, he saw Darlina walk past the open door. "Hey, honey, come in here for a minute, please." He called out to her. She stepped back and entered the room with a smile on her face.

"What can I do for you, darling?" She asked with a hint of sexual innuendo attached.

"I need to ask you some questions about Tony." He said as he continued to type away on the keyboard. He heard her take a deep breath, but he ignored it and then asked. 

"Does Tony have any kids?" 

"No. No children in that household." Was her quick reply. 

"Any reason for the no kids?" Another probing question.

"He said that his wife was afraid to have children. He said she had a phobia about giving birth to deformed children. Tony got a vasectomy to ensure that he would not get her pregnant."

"How long have they been married?"

"Ten years."

"What is his wife's name?"

"Sharon Ann. Sharon Ann Wilson." The name came out of her mouth with a acid taste attached.

"Have you ever met her?" 

"Not personally. I have seen her photos around their house. I've spoken to her on the phone, once. I think I told you about me calling their house the night of the dinner and play."

"So you never met her and she doesn't know you exist. At least not knowing that you were intimate with her husband. That true?" Some sarcasm in Manty's voice.

"She doesn't know anything about me. Tony has done a good job of covering his tracks. He says that she doesn't suspect anything."

"Has he ever talked much about his marriage? Did he say he was happy in his marriage?"

"We talked several times in depth about our marriages. He told me that he was happy with his wife. He said that she was not as sexually adventurous as he would have liked her to be in bed. He said the real spark had gone out of their sex life. Other than that one statement, he never said a negative thing about her."

"Did the two of you ever talk about divorce?"

"Only once. We both said that we were happy in our marriages and that neither one of us wanted a divorce from our spouse. Our sex sessions were just that. Sex and excitement nothing more."

"What do you think his wife would do if she knew that he was cheating on her and having an affair with you? Would she want a divorce from him?"

"I really don't know the answer to that question. I don't know her personally and Tony never gave me much insight into her thinking about a divorce."

Manty paused in his questioning, but his fingers continued to type and the words continued to flash up on the monitor. Darlina could read several lines of the plan he was typing out. What she read made her whole body shake. Manty was serious when he said he wanted to destroy her ex-lover. 

Manty stopped typing and hit the print key. The printer hummed into life and slowly spat out a white sheet of paper which he picked up and gave a quick proof-reading glance. Turing half way around in his chair, he saw that Darlina was still standing behind him. She was rigid as a statue.

"Please sit down, my dear. No need to stand there waiting for permission." He said with a sly smile on his face.

"I trust that you did not call Tony after I left the house yesterday. Is that correct?" His question was direct though it had much hidden meaning behind it.

"No. I have not called Tony nor do I want to call him. The affair is over and I just want to put it behind us." She replied as she moved over to the other chair and sat down.

"Good. I believe you. But, there is still that one thing that you have agreed that you would do because I asked you to do. Ok?" 

"Yes. I told you I would and I meant what I said. I love you." Her words were intended to try an to push away a dark cloud that was forming in her mind. 

"Thank you. But, here's the first thing you need to do to fulfill that commitment. Here is a script that I want you to read and memorize. Later this afternoon, I want you to call Tony and tell him word for word what the script says. You will need to sound frightened and worried. 

"The purpose of the phone call is to put Tony on hold for a full week at least. You will need to convince him that you think I suspect that you are having an affair. You need to tell him that you think I may be having you followed and the phones may be bugged. Tell him that you cannot see him or talk to him until you are sure that I am still in the dark about the affair. 

"You have to make him promise that he will keep away from you and the he will not try to contact you till you call him and tell him everything is safe again. Got that?" He said as he handed her the sheet of paper. Darlina did not look down at the words written on the paper.

"Yes." Darlina replied with a lump in her throat. She didn't want to have to do the ugly things Manty had in mind for her. She didn't feel the need to punish Tony the way her husband wanted to.

"Great. I now have a few other things to do. But I want you to go in your bedroom where it's quiet and read the entire script out loud over and over again. I want you to concentrate on how your voice sounds as you say the words. It will be imperative that your voice is convincing enough so Tony will believe you and go silent until you call him again." There was only the exchange of forced smiles between them as Darlina rose to her feet and walked out the door with the script in her hand.

As soon as Manty heard Darlina close the bedroom door, he reached over and picked up the phone. He dialed the number quickly. "Morning Phil, how the hell are you today?"

The phone conversation was between Manty and his policeman buddy, Phil Tuddy. Manty and Phil go way back to grade school when they lived on the same block in town. Even though they didn't socialize much after high school, they still kept in touch and every so often, they would go to a ball game for a guys night out. 

Manty told Phil that he needed some information on a guy that he thought might be harassing his wife. Manty didn't tell Phil about the affair. That would remain as much a secret as Manty could make it. Phil cautioned him about the use of police information, but after getting assurances from Manty that there would not be anything illegal done with the information, he agreed to see what he could find out about an Anthony "Tony" Wilson. Manty thanked him and said they needed to get out to another ball game very soon. Phil agreed and they hung up.

It was later in the morning when Manty walked up to the guest bedroom door. He knocked on the door and waited for Darlina to answer. No answer. He turned the door knob, the door opened and he could see her figure lying on top of the covers in a fetal position. Her back was to the door, so he couldn't tell if her eyes were closed or if she was sleeping. He just closed the door quietly and went to get his gym bag. 

Whenever he was under a lot of pressure or had difficult problems to solve, Manty would go to the gym for a hard physical work out. It seemed that there was something in hard physical exercise that would release the built up stress and tension in his body. That release of physical tension would somehow free his mind to better analyze the problem and come up with an adequate solution. Right now, his body was stressed and strung out in ways that it had never been before. 

After his strenuous work out, Manty sat in the steam room. His eyes were closed and his mind was having a conversation with the voice that was always there. "Am I doing the right thing? Am a just a dupe who will get shit upon again by an unfaithful wife?" 

"So your having doubts about your decision, are you?" The voice asked quietly.

"Yes, some doubts. Nothing in this life is certain, so why shouldn't I have my doubts?" His mind responded.

"Nothing wrong with doubts, just as long as you don't get tied up so tight that you cannot act one way or the other. Doubts are there sometimes to keep us honest with ourselves. Just make sure that your doubts don't turn into regrets." The voice was patient and compassionate.

Manty shook his head to try and think some other thoughts. That wasn't going to work this time. "My doubts are not about punishing Tony as severely as I can. Bringing about Tony's downfall is one concrete thing for which there is no doubt. The dark cloud of doubt is all about Darlina. Is it possible that, now that she has tasted the forbidden fruit for such a long time and with such intensity, that she can just walk away from it and never desire that taste again?"

"As you said, nothing in this life is certain. Maybe Darlina has unconsciously become a nymphomaniac. Maybe she will find that she can't keep her legs together. But then again, maybe with your help and your willingness to satisfy her sexually, she will be a born again faithful wife." The voice always had an answer, but the answer was not always absolute.

Manty got home feeling physically refreshed, but not completely mentally refreshed. Still, he had come a long way from where he was when he stood outside that bedroom window witnessing his wife adulterous actions. He knew that a wound that deep wouldn't heal in just a day or two.

"Hello, darling. I'm glad you're back. Can I get you something to drink?" His wife called out as she stepped out from the kitchen. Darlina was dressed very nicely, not too sexy. She wanted to go slowly with her husband. Let him do the leading, let him make the moves.

"That would be nice. A J.D. on the rocks would be a nice start to dinner." He said to her as he put down his gym bag and walked over to her. He kissed her gently on her cheek and then stepped back. All of lust and desire for this woman cried out for him to take her in his arms and make wild passionate love to her. 

But, that little voice told Manty to stop where he was. It was still too soon to let his primal instincts mask over the deep wounds inflicted upon his manhood by his unfaithful mate. Darlina made a movement to try and take him in her arms, but Manty just turned away and sat down at the table. A strong feeling of rejection came over her as her husband walked away from her. Darlina wanted to call out to him and make him come back and hold her in his loving arms. This act of rejection was in part his way of punishing her for her adultery. She wondered to herself just how long he would treat her like a leper.

Dinner was superb and Manty complimented her several times on what a great cook she was. Darlina thanked him for his compliments as she smiled back at him. The meal finished and they sat across the table looking at each other in silence. Then Manty asked. "Have you memorized the script that I gave you, dear?"

"Yes, I have." She said in a strong voice.

"Good. I still have several things that I need to figure out, then you will need to make that phone call."

Another night in the guest room for Darlina. She didn't say a word about her banishment from the master bedroom. Manty was filled with mixed desires of lust for his wife and the doubts that he had about her long term faithfulness. His sleep was not as restful as Darlina's.

The next day the kids were back from Manty's parents house. Darlina had her family back and now it everything was as it should be, almost. The house was noisy from the kids running around and getting all of their things unpacked. Then they were soon down stairs playing video games and Darlina's mind was trying to achieve that inner peace she used to have at times like these. The dark cloud still hung forebodingly over her head.

Even though she slept in the guest room, Darlina was beginning to feel that good things were still possible for her and Manty. That night, her sleep was the most restful for her in several nights.

The next morning before the children got up, Manty and Darlina were sitting at the table with their morning coffee. Darlina looked at Manty and simply said. "Don't you think that its time that we get back to the task of punishing Tony? Neither one of us will be able to free ourselves of this ghost until Tony is properly punished."

Manty looked at her and smiled back. "My thoughts exactly, my dear. We both now need to share some of our pain with that son-of-a-bitch. And I think that we should start today." 

"I have the script memorized, darling. Do you want to make any changes to it?"

"No, I think it is good to go. Also, I think the fact that he has been out there without any contact from you for almost a week should have him thinking all sorts of wild things." Manty's mind was churning through the plan that he had put together over the last several days. "After the kids get up, I want you to drive down to the convenience store and call him on the pay phone. That way your story might have a little more credibility about my being suspicious of you. Tell him that you think I might have bugged the phones at the house and that you I might also be tracking my your cell phone calls. Once he is put on ice with the call, then we can move on to the next step."

Darlina looked at him waiting for him to tell her what that would be.

"We go tell his wife about the affair. Both of us." 

It was several hours later after the kids were fed and down stairs playing. Darlina looked over at Manty and said, "It's time to go and make that phone call. Get the kids and let's go get this plan started."

"No need for me or the kids to have to go with you. You know the script and how to deliver it. I trust that you can do it without me standing over your shoulder. I believe you when you said that the affair is over. That's all the proof I need." He said as took her in his arms and hugged her. There was a tremendous sense of relief in Darlina's mind over that simple statement. He said, 'I trust that you can do it...' Those words were very uplifting for her.

Darlina was standing in front of the pay phone at the convenience store. She stared at it for several long seconds before she lifted the handset. It wasn't that she didn't want to make this call, she was just trying to mentally prepare herself for the distraught emotional state she was to convey to her now ex-lover. Even though Tony didn't know that he had been relegated to that status of ex-lover. The phone on the other end rang three times when she heard his voice.

"Hello."

"Hello Tony. Its me."

His voice sounded both surprised and relieved at the same time. "My god, Darlina what's going on? I haven't heard from you since our afternoon at the cabin. I was worried sick about you."

"Listen, Tony. I don't have a lot of time to talk. So just listen. After I got home from the cabin, Manty was home and he asked where I had been. I lied to him about making some errand stops but I don't think he believed me. I think he is very suspicious about me having an affair. All of his actions and the looks he kept giving me gave a strong impression that he might have found something or that he was putting a lot of little things together." There was stress and tension in her voice. Just the way Manty told her to sound. "Tony, I am frightened that Manty will find out about us. If he does, he'll divorce me and get custody of the kids. That would ruin my life."




Tony Must be Punished



"Calm down, Darlina. He may have his suspicions, but he hasn't accused you of anything yet, has he?" Tony was swallowing the 'frightened wife' story hook line and sinker.

"No. But, if you had seen how he's been acting these past few days, then I'm sure that you would agree with me. He's so different toward me now. I'm not frightened that he will harm me, but I could not endure a divorce that branded me an adulterous wife." Another pause. "I think that Manty has the phones at the house bugged and he may even be having me followed. I'm calling you from a pay phone at a convenience store just so he can't trace this call." More stress and tension in the voice.

After a second or two of silence, Tony spoke up. "Maybe you're right. But, I do want to see you. I miss being with you. When do you think we could get together again?" 

"Goddamn, Tony!" She shouted in the phone. "Don't you get how serious this situation is? I'm afraid my husband's is going to find out enough evidence and divorce me over this affair. I can't be seen with you or even talk to you until I'm sure that Manty's suspicions are put to rest. Don't you understand that!" Her voice was a mixture of anger and angst. She was playing her role very well.

"Yes, I do understand how serious this must be for you. It doesn't change the fact that I do miss you." Tony tried to put some reassurance into his words.

"We can't be seen together. You can't call me at home, at the office or on my cell. Nothing that can be traced to you and me. I am frightened, Tony. And I don't want anything to happen to my marriage." She paused and took a deep breath as the line was silent. "I want you to do some serious thinking also Tony. I want you to consider what you would do if Manty divorces me and puts me out on the street. Would there still be an 'us'? Would you ever consider divorcing your wife so that we could be together? Don't answer me now, but think about it. Think about it very hard."

"Hummmmmm...." was all she heard in the receiver as her last statement started to set sink

into Tony's mind.

"I can't talk any longer. If I'm being followed, I can't let them see I'm on the phone. I'll call you whenever I think it is safe for us to talk or be together again. Remember, keep your distance and no phone calls." Her voice was now more authoritative as she was ending the phone call. "Bye now."

"Bye. Remember that I miss you." He said to her as the phone line went dead.

"Yeah, sure. You just miss my pussy and asshole to fuck." She thought to herself as she walked over to the cooler and took out a gallon of orange juice to take home. 

The drive home was almost a blur as Darlina pulled into the garage. All the way back from the store, her mind was filled with all kinds of conflicting thoughts. The stage was now being set for Manty's plan to punish Tony. She was a co-conspirator in that nasty plan of revenge. 

As she walked into the house, she was immediately greeted by Manty who wanted to know how the phone call went. She told him Tony bought the story completely and that he was now in a holding pattern until she called him again.

"Are you sorry that you made the call?" He asked her as their eyes locked.

"No, my dearest husband. Not sorry, no regrets and no more good feelings about him either. You are the only man that I want in my life from now on." There was a strong tone of conviction in her voice as she leaned forward to kiss him. They stood there embracing, and lips locked.

The rest of the day Manty was in the computer room making phone calls. His first call was to his friend, Phil Tuddy at the police station. Phil had the information that Manty wanted, although none of it would be very useful for him. Tony had a clean record. Only a couple of traffic violations for speeding over the past ten years. The car Tony was driving was a company car. There were no records at the DMV that Tony even owned his own car. Nothing very exciting or incriminating in his file. Manty thanked Phil and the two of them promised to get together soon.

After the call, Manty called Darlina's work and told her boss she was very sick with a virus and that she would be staying home for the next couple of days.

He then called his parents to chat about the week the kids had stayed with them. It seemed the four of them had a great time. The kids and their grandparents went to several parks, to the movies and to the zoo. A great time for all of them. Manty's mother even said she misses them and wishes they could come over for another visit soon.

"We might just take you up on that offer, mother. Darlina and I enjoyed our break from the kids. There are still a couple of things we might want to do without having the kids around." His voice had a devilish sound to it that made his mother chuckle.

"Anytime, my dear. Dad and I are always ready to have the kids for a visit." They said their good-byes and hung up. Manty leaned back and wondered what his parents would think about him and Darlina if they ever found out about her adultery. He shook those thoughts out of his mind and then began to concentrate on his revenge plan.

The kids were busy playing in the recreation room down stairs, Darlina was busy in the kitchen fixing dinner. He walked up behind her and kissed her on her neck. She turned and smiled at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you." She said just as her lips met his.

After they separated, he leaned back against the counter top as she resumed her dinner preparation.

"Tomorrow I want to start the next step in my plan. I will call Tony's wife in the morning and break the news of her husband's affair to her. I am hoping that she will be receptive to listening and then to see if she would want to take part in punishing her husband for his cheating on her." 

Darlina looked at him quickly as she continued mixing something in a bowl. She said nothing to him.

"I am hoping that she will let us meet with her and present her with all of the facts. Then I want to hear what she thinks about retaliation against Tony."

"You want me to go with you?" Darlina asked, but already knowing the answer.

"Yes. It will be important for the both of us to go and see how she reacts to the news and also her reactions to seeing the woman her husband was having his affair with." He responded as he watched for her reaction. There was not outward response or body language that conveyed the angst she had inside her mind with the thought of confronting her ex-lover's wife.

The conversation ended there and Manty walked down to the recreation room to play with the kids until Darlina called them to dinner. As he held, joked and played with his two bubbly happy children, he knew whatever it took, he would somehow repair his damaged marriage. He thought once he put that ghost in his closet to rest, then the rebuilding of their marriage might be possible. As long as Darlina did not fall off the faithful-wife wagon again.

The dinner meal was another special creation of Darlina's. She was doing her very best to impress her husband with her homemaking skills as well as being an attentive wife. After the meal, the four of them sat around the table playing "Go Fish" card game. It was a fun and joyful time for the family to enjoy together. The family was what it was all about in Manty's mind.

After the card game was over, they took the kids to their room and sat there reading them a bedtime story. Lights out and their bedroom door closed, the kids went to sleep quiet and content.

Manty went into the den, turned on the stereo and poured a drink for himself. He sat back in his lounge thinking about how wonderful his family made him feel. Still, there was that open wound caused by his adulterous wife that needed time to heal. He finally went to bed a couple of hours later. This night he slept much better.

The next morning, after the household settled into a routine; kids in the recreation room, Darlina in the kitchen and Manty in the computer room, he picked up the phone and dialed a number he had never dialed before. After several rings, a woman's voice answered?

"Hello."

"Hello, Mrs. Sharon Ann Wilson?"

"Yes, this is she. Who are you?"

"My name is Manty Harris, Mrs. Wilson. I am not a telemarketer, nor am I trying to sell you anything. I do have some information that I would like to give you."

"How do you know me, Mr. Harris?"

"I really don't, Mrs. Wilson. I just know a few things about you that's all."

"I'm not sure that I care to have any conversation with you, Mr. Harris."

"I can understand that, Mrs. Wilson. You don't know me from Adam, but we do have something in common. Your husband."

"What about my husband!?" She barked back into the phone.

"Since there's no easy way to tell you this, I'll just say it outright." Manty paused and took a deep breath. "Your husband and my wife have been having an affair." Silence. Both of them were holding the phone to their ear, but neither one said anything.

"I confronted my wife with the evidence I gathered and she confessed to me that they were in fact having a long term relationship." Manty finally broke the silence.

"Your wife confessed to you?" 

"Yes, the evidence was irrefutable, she had no choice but to confess to me. But your husband is unaware at this time that I know about the affair. He still thinks the affair is a secret."

"What are you going to do about this, Mr. Harris?"

"As hard as it may be to understand, I still love my wife and I would like a chance to try and rebuild our marriage. Doing that might be difficult, and we might just end up in a divorce court. I don't know what will eventually happen in the future." He paused, and again the line was silent. So he continued. "If you would be so kind, I would like to meet with you and discuss this situation in more detail over. Talking about this subject over the phone seems so impersonal, when this subject is so very personal. Would you consider seeing me and talk about this face to face?" Silence.

"I'm not sure, Mr. Harris. Let me think about this. Do you have a number that I can reach you if I decide to meet with you?" 

"Yes, my home phone number is 555-8373. I have a cell phone, number 555-0963. Use either one if wish to call me back." Pause. "I truly hope that you will. It might just help both of us to find some answers for us in the mess our spouses have created."

"Let me think about this for a day or so. If you don't hear from me in 48 hours, then you will know that I am not interested in meeting with you and I don't want you to call me again." Her voice sounded calm, as if she now her suspicions about her husband had been confirmed.

"Fair enough. But, if I may ask one other favor. Please, don't tell your husband about this phone call for those 48 hours either. I would rather him not be told that we know about the affair until you have made a decision as to seeing me or not seeing me. If you decide not to see my, then do whatever you feel you need to do." He stopped and then added. "I sincerely hope that you will give me the opportunity to meet with you and for us to share whatever we can about our wandering spouses."

"I will give that some serious thought, Mr. Harris. Now good-bye." 

He couldn't tell from her voice whether or not she would call him back. She sounded very cool and detached on the phone. Maybe she had her suspicions about Tony's fidelity all along. And, maybe she would call him back if only to verify her husband's adultery and use that as grounds for a divorce. 

All he could hope for now was that she would be curious enough to call him back and arrange a meeting with him. His Plan A was counting on that. If she didn't call him back, then his Plan B would have to be used. Plan B was full of 'what-ifs' and it wouldn't take much to make Plan B fall apart. Mrs. Sharon Ann Wilson was a major player in Manty's plan for Tony's punishment. 

Manty walked into the kitchen and stepped up behind Darlina. He kissed her on her neck and shoulder. She set the pan down on the counter-top and turned to give him an open mouth kiss. When they finally separated, she looked up at him and asked. "Did you make the call?"

"Yes. And I did get to talk to her. I told her about the affair. At least from her voice, she didn't sound surprised. I asked if she would meet with me. She said that she would have to think about it and call me back." Manty said as he looked into his wife's eyes. He could tell she was nervous about the things that he was planning to do.

"Did you tell her I would be there also?"

"No. I didn't want to put too much on her plate at one time. If she says yes, then you will come with me. But, if she does not wish to meet with you also, then you'll have to sit in the car till we're done."

They both stood there holding onto each other. Each caught up in their own thoughts and fears about the events that had lead them to this moment in their marriage, and the future events that might lead to its dissolution if they could not put the ghost in their closet to rest.

The rest of the day and early evening was spent playing with the kids, fixing a leaky toilet and washing his car outside. All the while, Manty was trying to sort out all of his feelings about his wife and their marriage. Since the moment she arrived back at the house after her afternoon tryst with Tony, some of the basic tenets of their marriage had changed drastically. There had been some very personal behavioral patterns that also changed in both of them. The only conclusion Manty could come up with was the fact they would need to get some professional help and counseling to get their marriage on track again. 

After dinner, the evening routine at the Harris house was the same. The four of them would talk and play together for a couple of hours and then it was time for the kids to go to bed. With the bedtime story done, the lights were turned off and their bedroom door was closed. Now came the usual calm period for Manty and Darlina. A time to sit in the den, and relax together and unwind from the busy day. But tonight was different. Events were shaping up; things were happening that were out of his control, and all he could do was sit back and wait. Darlina was still in her holding cell awaiting the time when her husband would see fit to allow her back into their marital bed.

About mid morning the next day the phone rang. Manty picked it up and said. "Hello."

"Hello, Mr. Harris?" It was Sharon Ann's voice.

"Why, yes. Mrs. Wilson. Good of you to call." There was genuine feeling in his voice since he knew what this call meant.

"My answer is yes. I do want to meet with you and discuss this sordid situation with you in detail. I have contacted a lawyer friend of our family. I told him about the situation and that I want to pursue a divorce from Tony. After explaining the circumstances to him, he said that getting a statement from you would help support my case." She paused to listen for a response from him. Then she added. "When and where would you like to meet?"

"Today would be fine with me. I don't have any particular place where I would like to meet, but wherever it is it should be private enough for us to have a long hard discussion." Manty replied.

"Today is fine with me. The sooner the better. And if you want, we can meet here at my house. Tony is gone for the next couple of days. Around 1:00 this afternoon, that good for you?" She asked.

"Fine, Mrs. Wilson I'll see then." 

"Do you know how to get to my house? And by the way, stop calling me Mrs. Wilson. I don't want to be called by that name any more. Its Sharon Ann now." There was a hardness in her voice.

"I'm sure that I will be able to find your house. 342 White Castle Drive, correct...Sharon Ann? And I want you to call me Manty. Mr. Harris is my father." He said trying to interject a bit of friendliness into this awkward situation.

"Yes. The address is correct. I'll see you at 1:00 then, Manty. Bye now." The line went dead. Manty stood there a few minutes thinking to himself.

Part of his punishment plan was to cause Tony's marriage to break up. He had thought that he might have to convince Sharon Ann to divorce Tony, but it seemed that she had already made up her mind without any further encouragement from him. So, that would leave the parts of getting Tony fired from his job, and the public humiliation part of Tony's punishment to execute.

He walked into the laundry room where Darlina was sorting out clothes. 

"The meeting is on this afternoon at 1:00 with Sharon Ann. We're going to meet at her house. You know the way over there, don't you?" His last question had a hint of accusation in it. He of course knew that she and her lover had met there on a number of occasions when Sharon Ann was away visiting friends and family.

Darlina winced at the subtle insinuation. But, she let it slide. "Yes, I know where Sharon Ann lives. Did you tell her I would be with you?" 

"No. When we get there, I'll tell her you're in the car and that you would like to come in to apologize for your actions with her husband. If she agrees, then I'll have you come inside with us. First to make you apology and second to add anything else that she might want to hear about the affair." He paused and waited for her reaction. All she did was to lower her head like a penitent sinner. 

"You will have to call the baby sitter and have her come over about 12:30 and have her stay till around 5:00 or whenever we get home." Manty turned and walked back to the computer room.

Darlina nodded her head yes, and continued her clothes folding. 

Now it was time for Manty to try and generate some dialog in his mind that would convince Sharon Ann to become a co-conspirator in the total humiliation of her husband. From the way she talked on the phone, and the fact she was already talking about divorce, he felt she might jump at the chance to get some hard revenge against her cheating husband.

Darlina and Manty had lunch in silence even though the two kids were chatty and poking at each other. Within the next several hours, they both knew they would have to face the ghost in the closet again. For Manty, it would be another step in his need for revenge against his arch enemy. For Darlina, it would be the humiliating confrontation with the wife of the man she cheated with. She would have to face the condemnation of a wife who had been made as much a cuckold as her husband.

The drive to the Wilson residence took about fifteen minutes. Both of them were silent throughout the drive. Manty pulled up into the drive way as thoughts of the last time she was here flashed through Darlina's mind.

Sharon Ann answered the door and stepped aside as Manty entered the house. "Is that your slut wife in the car?" She asked him as she stood in the open doorway.

"Yes. That's my wife Darlina. And you are correct, she is a slut. Whether or not she'll ever change remains to be seen." Manty said as the two of them met for the first time. "I brought her along so that she could apologize to you for her adulterous actions with your husband. If that would be all right with you."

Sharon Ann shut the door and extended her hand to him. Manty shook her hand as she said. "Let her sit out there alone for awhile. Let her sit there not knowing what we're saying or doing inside here. Maybe later you can call her in so I can hear what she has to say."

They moved into the large living room and sat down. She offered him something to drink. Manty took a ginger ale while Sharon Ann's drink contained a strong shot of bourbon. The conversation started out slow and cumbersome, with neither one of them sure of how to open up the wound that their cheating spouses had inflicted upon them. 

Manty finally was able to tell Sharon Ann his whole story. The suspicions that he had last year and the ensuing events that lead up to his discovery at the rental property last week. He told her just how angry he was at the two of them and how he wanted his pound of flesh from Tony. 




Tony Must be Punished



Sharon Ann just sat there, not commenting or questioning him as he told his slow agonizing tale of discovery. When he was finished she looked at him and then said. 

"It must have been a horrendous sight for you to witness through the window. I marvel at your restraint not to burst into the bedroom and to trash both of them." Her eyes had genuine admiration for Manty and the self control that he must have had. "And then to tell me that you are trying to re-build your marriage, that makes you almost a saint."

"I appreciate your glowing comments, Sharon Ann, but I'm nowhere near being a saint. Some of Darlina's wandering was a direct reaction to some hurt and disappointment that I caused her. Not that those minor infractions would ever justify her wanton actions, its only that she had some weaker moments, I guess. 

"What's making me want to try and hold our marriage together is our family. The four of us as a family. Our two children are too young to understand the cause and effect of this ugly situation. Its for them and the fact that down deep, I still love their mother. As I told you on the phone, maybe the damage to our marriage is beyond repair, only time will tell. So, please don't give me any credit that I don't deserve."

They talked for another fifteen minutes, then Sharon Ann asked him to go out and get Darlina. "She's sat in the penalty box long enough. Now its time to hear her confession." (good metaphor for those who understand)

Manty went out to the car, opened the door and helped Darlina out of the car. He could see the trepidation in her eyes as she stood up. "She would like to hear your apology and I'm sure she has some hard questions to ask you," Manty said as he lead her back to the house.

The two woman stood several feet apart as Sharon Ann gazed at the adulterous wife for the first time. Darlina averted her eyes from Sharon Ann's, but she did take in the full stature of her ex-lover's wife. 

Then Sharon Ann spoke up. "You are a very attractive woman, Darlina. I can see why Tony would be drawn to you. I know that my husband has a roaming eye when it comes to attractive women." Her words were very civil. Darlina had half expected that Sharon Ann would call her a slut or something worse. "Have a seat in here and then you can tell me anything you want about this sorry mess you and Tony have created."

The three of them sat down in the living room. Sharon Ann did not offer Darlina any refreshments as she did earlier to Manty. That fact did not go unnoticed by Manty. There was a moment of heavy silence before Darlina began to speak. 

"I truly want to apologize to you, Sharon Ann for the mess and the hurt I have caused you. There is no rational reason for the sins that I have committed against you and against my loving husband. I am fully responsible for the hurt I have caused both of you. I am very sorry. Please accept my apologies." Her voice trembled a bit as the words slowly came out of her mouth. Manty just sat there listening to his wife's apology, his eyes would glance up at Sharon Ann who was sitting straight back in her chair.

"It may surprise you, Darlina, but there really isn't much for me to forgive you for doing. I always knew that Tony would be unfaithful to me any and at every chance he could get. Why I stayed with him this long I will never know. Now that one of his extra marital affairs is out in the open, I can now deal with all of the ramifications of his infidelity. I accept your apology, Darlina. What I still have a hard time understanding is how your husband could forgive you."

"I don't understand that either, Sharon Ann. I can only be very grateful that he is giving me another chance to mend our marriage and for me to show my sorrow for the pain that I have caused him." There was complete sincerity in Darlina's voice.

"So, tell me all of the sordid details of this affair that you and Tony had over the past year." Now it was time for Sharon Ann to get all the dirty nasty stuff out in the open. 

Darlina began her tale with the first time she and Tony met at the convention and had sex for a day and a half. She then went into the events that got the affair really started the night of the dinner play.

"I remember that phone call. There was no way that I could believe the story you told about having a once-in-a-lifetime business offer for Tony. It was all just a big lie, and I knew it. I wanted to follow Tony that night and see for myself. But, I'm a big coward. I don't have the guts to face reality most of the time." Sharon Ann spoke for the first time since Darlina began her story telling.

Just as she had told Manty, Darlina rolled out the sordid details as Sharon Ann watched from across the room. She told of the sex session in the conference room at the place where she worked. "Tony told me that after ten years of marriage, the spark had gone out of your sex life."

"Tony told you that we were married ten years?" Sharon Ann shot a question.

"Why, yes he did. He said that in April you and he celebrated you tenth wedding anniversary." Darlina said in a surprised voice.

"That lying sack of shit!" Sharon Ann shouted back. "We've been married just a little over four years. Four bad years for me. Even his first marriage didn't last ten years. She threw him out before they got to four years." Sharon Ann's eyes were blazing now. "What did the asshole tell you about us not having children?" Darlina could tell that Sharon Ann was not happy hearing the things that Tony had told her about his marriage.

"He said that you did not want to have children. He said that you were afraid of having sick or deformed children, . He said that it was almost an obsession with you." Darlina said in a softer voice. "He even told me that he got a vasectomy just because you wanted to make sure that you wouldn't get pregnant."

"What a lying sack of shit. I always wanted to have children. Tony never told me he had a vasectomy." There was a long pause as Sharon Ann's mind was pulling some facts together.

"About four months after Tony and I had gotten married, I got a phone call from his former wife. Someone had told her that Tony had gotten remarried, so she felt she needed to talk to me. She told me the reason for their divorce was the fact that he had gotten her nineteen year old niece pregnant. The teenager had an abortion because Tony told her he didn't want to have to pay child support. Once she found out about Tony and her niece, she threw him out and then divorced him."

Sharon Ann wet her lips with her tongue and then continued. "Tony's ex then went on to tell me that Tony confessed, she said more liked bragged, to her that he had at least a half dozen other affairs in the three years of their marriage. Just before she hung up she wished me good luck since she knew that Tony would never change his philandering ways. I never heard from her again after that one phone call. I never told Tony about the phone call either."

The three of them sat there in silence for a long while. Darlina's mind was trying to wrap itself around the awful things that Sharon Ann had said about Tony. It was soon apparent to Darlina that Tony really was an all out womanizer and she was just one more notch on his headboard. Any warm feelings that she might have had for her ex-lover soon evaporated. Now, like her husband, she wanted to get some of her own sweet revenge on the lying bastard.

Manty didn't interrupt as the two women exchanged all the knowledge they had about Tony. He could see that, in a weird way, there was a female bonding going on between them. Maybe it was the fact that Sharon Ann would be able to divorce Tony with some clear and irrefutable evidence. Or maybe it was the fact that Darlina had come to her and apologized for her actions. Having these two women become friends, was a good thing, Manty thought to himself.

Finally, he interrupted them and said. "I think that its about time that the three of us got together and meted out some serious punishment to dickhead Tony. Each of us has been injured some way by that bastard, now its time for some revenge. Don't you agree?"

Both women reacted at the same time and talked over each other in their determination to slam Tony as hard as they could. Both of them were now anxious to stick the knife in and twist it into Tony's lying ass.

Manty laid out his revenge plan to the two women, each one listening intently to the details of the plan. Manty plan was to punish Tony by causing a divorce, causing him to lose his job and then to publicly humiliate him. Toward the end of Manty's presentation, Sharon Ann cut in and said.

"Well, the first two items on your punishment list are as good as done right now. My lawyer is drawing up the divorce papers and they will be ready to serve whenever I say the word. Second, Tony works for my uncle. He gave Tony a job shortly after we got married. Once I tell him what a lying cheat Tony is, Uncle Dave will fire his ass on the spot." There was a evil smile on her face as the idea of total revenge took shape in her mind. 

"The only other thing is the public humiliation. The idea of just leaving him standing on the corner without any clothes on seems to be too weak. He needs to be humiliated to the max. I want him to be devastated." There was fire in those eyes as her mind was churning out various scenarios of degrading punishment.

After a minute or two of thinking about it, Sharon Ann gave her version of what punishment she felt that her cheating husband deserved. Both Manty and Darlina looked at each other, shocked at what Sharon Ann was proposing. 

"That's a criminal act, Sharon Ann! I really want to punish the bastard, but I don't want to go to jail for it." Manty reacted to the plan that Sharon Ann had laid out before them.

"I'm not proposing that we get caught. All the plan consists of is a set-up and entrapment. We won't do anything stupid and there won't be anything to tie us to the criminal part of the plan. Tony may swear that we were the ones involved and that we set him up, but all we have to do is to deny his claims. There won't be any way to tie us to the bad stuff." Sharon Ann's voice had a strong tone of authority to it.

"I'll even do the hard stuff. I know where I can get the drugs and I will get Tony's fingerprints on the plastic bags. You two will have to arrange the motel room and then lure Tony into the trap. There will be an anonymous phone tip to the police and the rest should just fall into place." Sharon Ann's eyes had the look of a woman with a mission.

"Let me think about it tonight, Sharon Ann. Your plan pushes the limit of what I thought would be punishment enough for Tony. My plan didn't include any jail time for him." Manty was trying to get some think-time space before he would commit to ratcheting up the level of punishment for Tony. It wasn't that he didn't like to idea of Tony getting busted in a drug raid, it was the fact that he didn't want to share a cell next to Tony.

Manty and Darlina left Sharon Ann with the promise they would call her in the morning and let her know if they would be in with her on punishing Tony to the max. The drive home was a sobering experience for Darlina. She sat there in silence as the stunning revelations about her ex-lover were sinking into her brain. The realization she had jeopardized her marriage to the man she truly loves by her wanton affair with a lying cheat made her sick to her stomach.

From now on, Manty thought, there would not be any reason to rub Darlina's nose in the dirty ruins of her infidelity. If their marriage was to succeed this second time around, then he would have to back away from his urge to remind her of her unfaithfulness to him. The healing would require restraint and time, not a constant re-running of the past. 

That evening Manty let Darlina return to the master bedroom. She was thrilled with be released from her 'jail cell'. She was so happy that she wanted to drag Manty to bed and fuck his brains out. But he told her there would not be any sex, just yet. Darlina was crushed. He still hadn't released her completely from her leper status. And to make her mental anguish all the harder to bear, she was horny and needed to be fucked very hard and deep. That was not to be, not yet anyway.

They were lying in bed, looking up at the ceiling when Manty broke the silence. "I don't think that I want to get us in a situation where going to jail is even a remote possibility. It's obvious that Sharon Ann is going to divorce Tony. That was one of the main punishments that I had in my plan. So now, that's a done deal according to Sharon Ann. I'm sure that Sharon Ann will have her uncle fire Tony once she serves him with the divorce papers. His public humiliation could be easily arranged without it being a criminal act." Manty paused as his words trailed off into the darkness of the room.

Darlina rolled over and pressed her body tightly against her husband. As her hand gently stroked his cheek, she said almost in a whisper. "Tony must be punished. Severely punished. I agree with Sharon Ann the harder the punishment, the better the two of us will feel. I am now in possession of that the strong hatred you have for Tony." She kissed Manty softly on his lips. Then she continued. "It's true that I went into the affair with my eyes wide open, but it was his manipulation with his lies and deceit that kept me involved. It's time to inflict a terrible punishment on him for his actions. I don't want either of us to go to jail either, but I think I want to help Sharon Ann with her plan."

Darkness and silence filled the room as they both drifted off to sleep cuddled next to each other. 

Darlina was in the kitchen making breakfast when Manty strolled in looking half awake. "Morning, darling." He said to her as her walked over to the coffee pot. "Did you sleep well?"

"As a matter of fact, I did." She replied as she flipped the eggs over in the pan. "Once I made up my mind that I would help Sharon Ann with her plan, I went to sleep quite relieved." There was a smile on her face as she looked lovingly at her husband.

They sat across from the table eating their breakfast. "Its not that I don't want that asshole Tony punished, my dear. Its the 'side effects' that have me worried. To have him sent to jail only to have us follow him would not be justice in my mind."

"But, I think Sharon Ann has it right. There could be enough distance and deniability between us and the frame-up. Tony might claim that we set him up, but without any hard evidence, no blame could be assessed against us. I want us to do it. I want us to punish Tony as harshly as we can." Her voice was firm and committed.

Later that morning, Manty called Sharon Ann and told her that he and Darlina would help her in her revenge plan. Manty could hear the joy in her voice when he told her he and Darlina were in. He and Sharon Ann then made plans to meet later in the afternoon at a restaurant near the mall.

Sharon Ann's plan was rather simple. She would buy enough drugs through a friend of hers, the drugs would not be traceable back to her. Later that evening, she would have Tony get her a couple of plastic Zip-Loc bags from the kitchen so his finger prints would be on the drug evidence. 

Manty would have to arrange for a motel room on the other side of town. The motel needed to be in an area where drugs and prostitutes were readily available. Manty would plant the drugs in the room where the drug sniffing dogs would find them.

Darlina would call Tony and tell him she needed to meet with him. She had to convince him that she desperately wanted to be fucked by him again. Then, she would tell Tony the motel across town would be the safest place for them to meet. If Tony made any protest or wanted to change the meeting place, Darlina was to tell him they wouldn't be able to meet for another week or so. 

Once the trap was set and Tony agreed to meet Darlina at the motel, all that would be left to do was to wait for him to show up at the motel. Then place an anonymous call to the police about a drug deal going down at the motel. Give them the room number and tell them to hurry over. Sharon Ann would be the one to make the call to the police. "I'll make my voice sound just like one of those ladies of the night who work that neighborhood." She said smiling.

"Tony will be home tomorrow afternoon. I think Darlina should call him just after lunch and set up the motel meeting for early tomorrow evening. Probably 6:00 would be the right time. Make it sound convincing and tell him you still think that Manty might suspect that you are having an affair. But, tell him you miss him and just have to see him right away." Sharon Ann looked at the other co-conspirators to see if there was any hint of backing out of the plan. Both Manty and Darlina nodded their heads in agreement. 

"Good, then tomorrow it will be. Manty you will need to disguise yourself and make sure that you pay the motel in cash. Make sure that the bills are washed so you don't have your fingerprints on them. Be careful that you don't leave any fingerprints or any other evidence anywhere for the cops to find at the motel. Use a phony name and drive over in car that can't be traced back to you. After you get the key to the room, make sure that the drugs are hidden in a place that isn't too obvious. Let the drug sniffing dogs earn their keep. Don't forget to leave the key at the front desk when you leave." Sharon Ann's voice and demeanor were firm and resolved. These were not the words or actions of the coward she had labeled herself the other day.

Manty sat there realizing that the 'Tony must be punished plan' was not longer his plan. Now it was all Sharon Ann's. A weird thought flashed through his mind and he smiled as it registered there. "Beware of a woman scorned!" Sharon Ann was that scorned woman, and she was out to exact the maximum revenge that she could think of on her cheating spouse.

The wheels were now in motion for the final act in the 'Tony must be punished plan'. Manty could see that the two women were deep into the revenge psyche. They chattered back and forth about the things that needed to be done and how that asshole Tony was going to pay for all his past and present sins of adultery. Manty just sat there hoping that after Tony's arrest that he would feel as much satisfaction as the women seem to be feeling at this moment.

Manty was dressed up in sloppy clothes along with a baseball cap and sunglasses. He had a fake mustache and beard that he bought at a costume shop. The outfit and disguise were very amateurish, but it would serve the purpose when he had to face the desk clerk to get a room at the Starlight motel. Sharon Ann had arranged for Manty to borrow one of the company cars that her Uncle Dave used in his business. Getting a rental car might leave a paper-trail. 

The motel was one of the standard fuck spots for the local ladies to bring their johns for a quickie.

The desk clerk was a older man, probably in his late 60's, whose face looked liked thirty miles of bad road. He hardly gave Manty a second look as he took his money and gave him the room key to 10A. A corner room on the first floor. 

Inside the room Manty looked around for a good hiding place for the stash of drugs he had in his coat pocket. He finally settled on putting the stash under a drawer in the night stand next to the bed. Everything was in place as he left the room and went to the front office and dropped off the key. The desk clerk was too busy watching Jeopardy on the TV in the back room to notice Manty leaving. The evidence planting part of the plan was complete.

Darlina stood by the pay phone. Her eyes were closed as her mind went over what she wanted to say to Tony to have him take the bait and walk into the trap set up at the Starlight motel. Picking up the receiver, she dialed his cell phone.




Tony Must be Punished



"Hello."

"Tony, its me."

"Darlina, what a surprise. What a very pleasant surprise. How are you doing? Did you find out if Manty knows about us?"

"Not yet, lover. I think he still suspects, but I don't think that he has any positive proof yet. The reason I'm calling is that I miss you so much. I can't stand not feeling your gorgeous hard cock fucking my hot pussy. I need to see you today. I need to feel you inside me again." Her voice was very convincing. She stressed the words, cock and pussy.

"Hey baby, I miss you too. I really do want to fuck your brains out. Are you sure its safe?"

"I think it's safe enough for us to meet this evening. Manty has a Chamber of Commerce meeting tonight. That will keep him busy till at least 10:00." Her voice had a desperate ring to it now. "I just have to be with you tonight and suck that fabulous cock of yours. I'm getting wet just standing here talking to you and thinking about how good you feel in my mouth."

"If you think its safe enough, then damn woman, I want to shove this hard cock into every hole in your body. Where do you want to meet?"

"I found a place, its kind of seedy, but it's out of the way. We've never been there so Manty would not have anyway of finding us. Its the Starlight motel off of 34th street."

"Damn, that's really a bad neighborhood. Sure you want to meet there?"

"Yeah, I think any other place might be too risky at this time. If we can't meet there, we'll just have to wait another week or so till I'm sure that Manty is back to normal." Sink the hook in. Make him think that its this way or no way. Darlina was anxious for his answer.

"Oh hell, I guess we can do that. I miss you so much, I don't think I can wait another week without some of your sweet pussy." The hook was in.

"Oh that's so wonderful, lover. Let's meet there at 6:00. I was so sure that you would want me as much as I want you that I already booked a room there. Room 10A on the first floor, the key will be at the front desk. Make sure that no one sees you coming or going." She paused and gave a loud sigh of relief. "I have to go now, I'll call Manty and make sure he will be at the Chamber meeting tonight. If you don't hear from me before 5:00, then you'll know that everything is a go for us." Another pause. "I'm getting wet just thinking about us tonight." She used her sexist voice.

"Goddamn woman, my cock is starting to strangle itself inside my shorts. You got me so hot that I'm about to cum in pants!" Tony was now thinking with his cock. His mind went numb and his emotions were in charge. "I'll be there no matter what. You just bring that hot tight pussy of yours and some KY jelly. We have some serious fucking to catch up on."

"Bye, lover. I gotta go. I'm sure you'll get what's coming to you." Her joke had a hidden meaning that just went over Tony's head. He was just thinking about shoving his cock up her ass.

The trap was set and the prey was hot to step into it. Darlina felt a wave of relief wash over her as she walked away from the pay phone to her car. There was no remorse in her mind over this act of betrayal she had just committed with her ex-lover. At least she didn't have to do it face to face with him. 

If Sharon Ann hadn't told her all those truths about him, then maybe there would have been some stress over being the Judas. But not now ... now there was only the wish that her ex-lover gets hurt as much as she hurt her husband by her adulterous actions. 

The dashboard clock read 5:57 as three of them sat in a car diagonal from the motel. They would have a clear view of anyone coming and going at the motel. Sharon Ann had a pre-paid cell phone in her hand. A phone that would be disposed of after it was used only once. A car pulled up into the motel driveway and stopped outside the office for a long minute before Tony got out and walked inside. He came out and drove to the back area of the motel.

"Well, the bastard is here and now its time to close the trap." Sharon Ann said as she dialed 911 on the cell.

"Hello, what is the nature of your emergency?" The voice on the other end.

"There's something very bad about to happen at the Starlight motel. There's a man there in room 10A selling some drugs. My boyfriend is going to go and beat the shit out of the white cracker. Nobody is going to cut in on his territory without paying. You better send some of your boys over there right now before Leon does something real bad to that dude."

"Mamam, what is your name?"

"No name here, I'm just a concerned citizen. Send a car now or send the paramedics later." Sharon Ann hung up the phone. The three of them looked at each other in silence. The plan was now fully executed. Inertia would have to carry it the rest of the way.

Two black and whites pulled into the motel parking lot at the same time. No lights flashing just a quick stop and the four policemen jumped out and headed over to room 10A. 

"Too bad we're not flies on the wall in that room. I would love to see Tony's face right now." Sharon Ann said as they watched the action unfolding across the street. A minute later a third police car pulled into the lot. A officer and a large dog got out of the car and went into room 10A. "Now his ass will be grass. That dog will find the drugs and then the finger-prints will tell the police they belong to Tony. Good riddance, asshole." Sharon Ann had a evil smile on her face as Manty and Darlina sat there in silence.

It took less than a half hour for all the action to die down across the street. The two police cars had left and only a couple of plain clothes detective were around talking to the desk clerk and taking pictures. 

"Its time for us to get out of here. Now we all know the story that we're going to tell the cops when they call us, don't we?" Sharon Ann's question needed no answer from the other two. "Tony will be calling me trying to make bail for him, which I won't do. Then he'll try to convince everybody that he was set-up and framed. Just stick to the story and we'll be fine." Sharon Ann was still in charge. 

After they got their cars from the public parking garage, the two women hugged each other. Manty just shook Sharon Ann's hand and said. "Thanks." Nothing more needed to be said or done. 

They drove off in different directions. This was the last time Manty and Darlina would see or talk to her.

The morning newspaper ran a short column on page 6 telling about a drug bust and arrest at the Starlight motel. Anthony Wilson was arrested with a large stash of drugs in the room with him. He was charged with possession of an illegal substance with the intent to sell. He was in county jail awaiting arraignment on the drug charges. 

Manty just sipped his coffee and tried to sort out his feelings at that moment. There was not the overwhelming sense of justice and satisfaction he thought he would get from Tony getting busted. Maybe it was the fact that he had not gotten physical with Tony. Maybe if he had beat the shit out of him, there might have been a greater sense of satisfaction. But, the punishment was meted out and now the rebuilding would have to start between Darlina and himself. He fervently hoped that, with time and patience, he would be able to put his wife's infidelity in the past. 

Tonight, he would lift her time-out punishment. He would welcome her back into their marital bed they would have an very intense sex session. It would be his way of reclaiming all of her body as his, and his alone. 

Tony had been punished and now the closet was empty.