40 comments/ 16974 views/ 10 favorites Tragedy in the Oilfield By: c1992w Author's foreword: Thanks for some good suggestions on my last submissions - in particular, '...develop your characters more fully... In this story you are warned in advance it contains no masturbatable fucking, so it's not for everyone. Also, the characters speak English - because I don't know how to write any other way. ***** Robb Corbin's two children were strapped safely into their carseats in the rear of the sedan while their Dad carefully threaded his vehicle through the huge parking lot of 'Magic Spur.' It billed itself as the 'largest and most celebrated C&W dance floor west of Fort Worth.' It was about 7:00 Friday this summer evening, and one could still be blinded by the bright sky. Now cooling, it had been a typically hot summer day and the dance hall was almost full of people by now. The energy industry employees of this 'oil-town' chilled out here making it the most popular 'watering hole' in the city. The cheap draught beer, large floor space, and the live band drew the crowds. Robb eyed the sedan his wife of seven years drove, and once again, satisfied himself that she was indeed at happy-hour enjoying herself with her co-workers. He relaxed since she was where she said she would be. Earlier, after he and the children had finished dinner, he bought them ice cream and when driving home he had spuriously decided to check the parking lot of the 'Spur' tonight. The reason was that he had stumbled across his wife's personal calendar just this past week and learned that over the past year about the only time his wife missed Friday Happy Hour was when she was in her period. This raised some disturbing questions and he became somewhat suspicious again. (It was 'again' because three years ago when his second daughter had turned one years old, a Houston billboard advertisement asked, "Is the Baby yours?" When he called the listed phone number, he was explained the procedure they required. This done, the certified results came back stating that Robb was not the father of the second child but was of the first. He never confronted his wife but decided to watch her closely. He wanted to see if her pregnancy was caused by a one-time affair where she was caught or was her promiscuity a habit. Besides, by this time he loved both children dearly and wouldn't willingly part with either no matter what. As for Robb, as a young man, 'Handsome' was an adjective never used to describe him. But he was so technically brilliant to the point that that being ugly didn't prevent ladies from trying to attract him. He went steady in high school starting in the 10th grade for three years plus the first three years of engineering school. He and his sweetheart, Millicent Flowers, could be found at each other's side most of the time. A stunningly beautiful woman, Millie, who had been voted by her high school student body, "Most Beautiful," was quiet and studious herself - for example, she had made captain of the high school math team as a junior. She modeled clothing on the side and was popular for that reason (at least two students that Robb knew about then had department store sale paper pictures of Millicent modeling underwear that was taped inside their hall locker). Both Robb and her being religious conservatives, they began copulating in a fit of passion. But both had convinced themselves previously that "God approves of our relationship," even though they were technically sinning. Their intimate courtship lasted through the first three years of college, where her engineering degree plan was a mirror image of Robb's. They both studied hard and rarely took time out for passion. But, during a 'get acquainted' dance both attended at the beginning of their senior year, Robb met Julie Delmont on the dance floor. He was struck dumb and fell immediately under her charms and convinced himself that he was madly and hopelessly in love — this after dancing with her just one time. Like a gentleman that he was, he later went to his sweet heart of five years and said, "I have met someone who has stolen my heart completely." Millicent asked, "Robb, that doesn't sound rational to me - our five years mean nothing?" He replied, "It means everything to me. I will not continue to build a relationship with you when my focus is on someone else. Would that be fair to you?" After agreeing and painfully smiling, she replied, "I wish the best for you because I love you so much." She kissed his cheek goodbye, while maintaining a stone face so that he never saw the pain and suffering the breakup caused her. Upon graduation the high school sweethearts and college peers were independently recruited by the same firm, but started work in different offices. She dated but remained single and focused on community and church activities. Later, she requested and was transferred from Houston to the same Permian Basin office, and worked in the same building as did Robb. This happened right after the rising star's farewell office party in Houston which celebrated the heading up the seismic operations. Millicent now lives in a luxury apartment house a mile away from Robb's home and picks and chooses her dates, but remains single. Robb and his wife Julie, by way of contrast, live tensely and unhappily in a four thousand foot home. On this beautiful Friday afternoon in the grimy and pot-hole filled 'Spur' parking lot, he immediately threaded his way out and drove to the city park so his children could play on the equipment until dark. Afterwards he bathed and read to the children and put them to bed. He then watched television until his wife came home. She had always made it home before 10 P.M. in the past. ——— At 3:00 P.M that afternoon Julie Corbin sat in her Accounting Department office cubicle of the Oilfield Maintenance firm where she worked as one of three accounting technicians. In her very large high school in suburban Houston she had been just average looking at best, but excelled in Music - for example, she won the First Chair Cello position of the State Youth Orchestra. But, when she enrolled in the University of Houston she felt practically ugly by comparison to the divas that crowded the campus. She developed a complex about it. But, she compensated by wearing stylish clothes and keeping fit. She quickly developed the reputation of being a 'party girl,' so lots of male attention was paid her as such. Julie had the good fortune to meet Robb at a Mixer dance in her fourth year and the two were in bed with each other by the second date. She liked him because his GPA was near 4.0 in engineering school. Every time she looked into his eyes, she saw dollar signs, and fell more 'deeply' in love. Since both were in different circles on campus, Robb didn't find out she was a' party girl' until years later. Both graduated the same year, went to work with two different Houston area firms, and they continued as each other's live in significant other until she accidentally became pregnant with their oldest child. At that point they got married in a small civil wedding. After the child was born 'prematurely' her husband got the big promotion and they transferred to the Permian Basin office 350 miles northwest of Houston. Julie couldn't stand the initial separation from Robb weekdays, where by now her husband had settled into a routine of flying home weekends and flying back to the Permian Basin on Sunday evenings. In his absence, Julie contacted a former college lover who then often became her companion on weeknights while Robb worked 18-hour days in the oil patch. Soon she found herself pregnant again with this married party hound former peer. Despondent, because she knew the father wasn't Robb, she wanted to have a secret abortion but the social workers talked her out of it. So the second child became one of the 20 percent of children where the sperm donor is not the legal father of record. Robb fell madly in love with the newborn and it never crossed his mind that the child was not his. Then they sold their home and relocated to the oil field three years ago. - Today at work, Julie was focused on the clock and had planned to slip out early. Her cell phone beeped a text: 'Am parked rear of Spur back row. C U Soon. Ben here now will double with us tonight. Billy' Julie silently smirked, "I will gladly put up with two men so I can enjoy Ben's 11-inch cock in addition to Billy's big 'pipe.' Oh Boy! Her underwear became wet at just the thought." She closed down her workstation and locked her filing cabinet. After adjusting her Bra and blouse so that her nipples might be noticed, she grabbed her purse and the print out of the report that the senior accountant had asked her to prepare. She went into his office and closed the door behind her. As she handed over the report, she leaned forward on his desk. Her boss was trying to study the report with Julie's large tits and nipples in plain view. She gave him her sexiest and most promising smile and said, "I double checked all the macros and the report is 100 percent correct. By the way, Boss man, I need to bug out early again, but I will make it up to you. Is that O.K.," she asked as she fluttered her eyes? Still getting over the two shocks of Julie's report and the sight of her nipples he said, "Yeah. Go ahead as there is nothing more to do until the CEO sees this on Monday. Have a great weekend." Julie hurriedly pulled into the Spur's parking lot at 3:30 and drove to the back row behind the cavernous nightclub. She parked directly beside Billy's car in the mostly empty lot this early in the day. She then texted him and thirty seconds later the two men she was expecting were walking towards the car next to hers. As soon as his car doors were digitally unlocked, she scooted into Billy's front seat clutching her gym bag. Her hunk got behind the steering wheel and hurriedly drove his car out of the parking lot. Billy Waller was the roughest of Roughnecks, though today he was dressed in clean jeans and a T-shirt. When younger he had been a crew hauler on an oil well casing crew (The hauler plus three people cased a well being drilled so that polluted water would not mix with ground water. Also, he could beat any two of the crew's ass without even thinking about it, and at times did.) He had gone up in his career and now worked on a drilling rig as a well-paid Driller. He was single and completely convinced that he was the best lover in the oil field - though he didn't have a long cock, the diameter of his was legendary amongst certain females in the city. By way of contrast, his best friend, Ben, who now sat in the back seat, had bragged that he, Ben, was the 'real' best lover in town because he had a full eleven inches when hard - Ben liked to think that he originated the expression, 'it takes two hands to hold a whopper.' That word, also, was out and circulated amongst certain females like stock quotes did amongst certain men. Whenever the two had walked into the Spur, many of the ladies made their way over to say, "Hi" and hoped to be asked to dance the Texas Two Step for a song or two. Life was good, indeed, for these two 'good-ole-boy' Rednecks. Julie had become intrigued with the Redneck Billy on the dance floor because he was known as the best Texas two stepper in these parts, where as she mechanically shuffled around the floor having just recently taken lessons. But Billy led her so well and made her relax so completely until any on-looker would swear she was an accomplished dancer. In time Julie would leave her office mates and sit with Ben for a short while. A year ago she grabbed at his leg under the table and felt the thickest cock she had ever felt, and he wasn't even hard. Her heart fluttered and perspiration broke out on her forehead and she said to herself, "You will be mine, big boy!" She soon went home that night to keep Robb up until daylight demanding that he tongue her pussy and her ass hole to multiple orgasms while she focused her mind on Billy's big cock. The following Friday night she and Billy had been dancing a slow waltz to the sound of fiddles and steel guitars backing up a nasal singer. He had said nonchalantly, "I want to fuck you, Julie. Lets leave here as I live five minutes from here." She had replied, "I can not. Two small children and a husband will be upset if I am not home by 10 and my co-workers all know and like my husband and they will tattle on me." To that he had replied, "No problem. I will think of something and text you." On Wednesday of the following week, Billy's text to her read: 'Friday Tell office no happy hour. hubby yes happy hour. Text me when U arrive Spurs. Stay in car. I will park beside you. Get in my car. I will have you back to your car spic-n-span by 9:30. Billy' As usual she erased all correspondence as her heartbeat wildly with both delight and fear after texting Billy, 'Will do.' Julie remembered having walked on air for the remainder of the workday, and then sucking poor Robb dry after they went to bed that night. She also again provoked her husband above and beyond Thursday night after encouraging him to take two of the Viagra pills. She wanted to be sure that he would be in no mood for sex on Friday after she got back from her announced, 'Happy Hour' outing with two men. A year has passed since the first charade and now its about 9:45 and Julie is driving home after the most physical fuck session she can remember of the dozens with a total of five different Roughnecks - she especially felt ecstatic now as she remembered being sandwiched between the two guys. But, she physically hurt over most of her body, since the guys refused to stop or go slow when she screamed in pain. She felt tipsy from drinking too much and concluded that her pussy and ass hole hurt so much, 'Robb can not touch me for a week!' At times like these her ecstasy alternated with a wailing scream, 'Why did I turn out to be a slut? What will happen to me? What do I say to my children or Robb - Dear God, my poor husband!' She started shaking and pulled to a stop, violently threw up, and then allowed herself to settle down before she could continue her drive home safely. —- Robb heard the garage door going up at 10:05. He smiled and hoped that Julie would be in the mood to chat for a while before bedtime. But that was not to be. Julie cried out from the laundry room door, "Darling, I don't feel well and I got ptomaine poison from the dinner we had, I think. I need to go to the bathroom and then go straight to bed. Please? We will talk in the morning." Robb replied, "Surely. I understand, Dear. You can sleep late in the morning. Wake me if you need me." Robb later crawled into their queen size bed beside his wife. She was breathing heavily through her mouth emitting painful grunts, although she seemed to be asleep. After he fitfully slept for awhile, he was awaken by the sound of her retching in the bathroom. He stood outside the bathroom door and asked, "May I get you anything, Dear, and are you O.K." She replied, "I am O.K. and I am sorry for waking you up. We will talk in the morning. Go back to sleep, Dear." The remainder of Robb's night was sleepless as he read using the bedside lamp. But, he alternately watched his wife snore whenever she turned onto her back. At one point he looked at her face completely void of make-up and concluded, "She is down right ugly, and I bet she was ugly in college but then I was just blind with lust. What have I done?" He then admonished himself by saying, "You will get through this, Robb." After the children had finished breakfast Robb had cooked for them, he went to the pantry room to put a load of clothes in the washing machine, as he usually did on Saturday mornings. The children followed him in and the oldest one asked, "Is Mom coming down?" Robb replied, "No. She came in late and was sick so lets allow her to sleep in. You two go get ready for the birthday party. I will drive you there. Afterwards, she should be up. Got your presents wrapped?" At this they hurried up to their rooms. The big clothes hamper was full this time and on top was Julie's casual day pants and blouse and underwear she wore to work yesterday. He started to sort the colors when he felt that her clothes were soaking wet - not to mention very smelly and slippery. Not wanting to believe what he was sensing, he was forced to conclude the dampness was a result of cock-tracks. Robb thought he was going to be sick at his stomach as he sat down trembling. He then remembered that usually on Friday nights after happy hour she put a load of clothes in the washer when she came home, but was too sick last night to do that. His world crashed. His first tearful thought, though, was of Millicent, not his wife. Robb escorted his children towards meeting the mother of the child giving the party; he encountered his neighbor who had her child by the hand to do the same thing. The two adults exchanged pleasantries while in the queue. He shocked himself because he actually started smiling as more parents he knew greeted them. Driving home, Robb sketched his course of action in his mind. He then turned to entertaining his children. At home, his wife still had not come from the master bedroom even though it was now lunchtime - the kids ate at the party. He announced that they could watch one movie and then he silently went up the stairs to listen at their master bedroom door. Silence. He knocked and opened the door. Julie sat propped up in bed with her head resting on her knees. Tears streamed down her face but she said nothing and refused to look at her husband. Finally, she asked, "Did you wash a load of clothes this morning?" "Yes. Two," She replied, and then, " what did you do after that?" "Dear, you must have forgotten. I took the kids to the birthday party. Both previously ate a good breakfast. They had pizza at the party, so here we are back. They are watching a movie. Both asked about you." Julie snapped, "What did you tell them?" Robb calmly replied, "Only that you would be joining them when you felt better." For the first time she visibly relaxed somewhat and said, "I am sorry for flaking out on you last night. One of the people had a large 100 percent cacao chocolate bar and I ate half of it after some very bad pizza for dinner. That must have been what did me in. I thought I was going to have to call you to come get me I was so dizzy at one point." Faking a warm response, he said, "Hey! Things like that happen to the best of us. How do you feel now?" She smiled weakly and said, "My head has eased a bit, but I certainly don't feel like sex today or maybe not even tomorrow. Do you mind?" After he painted a fake smile on his face with his response being, "No hurry. Sex, when one of the party is not having fun, is a bummer so I understand and you will find me patient." For the first time Julie reached up and touched his face warmly smiling and said, "You are such a kind and wonderful husband and father. You know, the children treat me like hired help, and dote on you all the time." "They love you, too, Julie. You know that. May I fix you some brunch, dear," asked Robb, forcing himself to smile and be inviting? She said, "Yes - sausage, eggs, and toast with coffee. Please wait downstairs for me, will you dear?" ——— Monday morning as he walked into his office the phone rang and his administrative assistant stuck her head in the door and said, "Its the old man calling from his home in Houston!" Picking up the phone, Robb forced a smile and said, "Good morning, Mr. Grimes." "Robb, I convinced the majority stockholder to open up an office in the Bakken oil fields in the Dakotas. I have three manager trainees here and I want you to come down and choose which one we send. Or choose that we get another if you don't think either can handle a start up. " Tragedy in the Oilfield Robb replied, "How soon should I come?" "Can you come down this afternoon and come into the office early in the morning?" "I will see you in the morning, Mr. Grimes." The circuit was broken and Robb called out, "Gwen! Get me on the latest flight today to Houston Hobby and a room for three nights." Robb picked up his phone and called the Private Investigator his company used after a warehouse theft a year ago. "Marcus please, this is Robb Corbin." "Hello Mr. Corbin, long time since we have heard from you. Thanks for calling." "Marcus, I don't have much time and want to buy your lunch today, say 12:30 at the Bodega. Can you make it?" "See you there," and both circuits went dead simultaneously. "Gwen, Please ask Millicent Flowers to step in here when she gets a minute." Miss Flowers sat across from Robb while he finished a phone call. When he hung up the phone, the cuckolded husband looked at his old flame and started thinking of a Seinfeld comedy skit just to keep from crying. He picked up two folders and said, "I have been summoned to Houston for three days and I need another set of eyes to look at these seismic reports before next Monday. Have you got any time that you could spend?" She replied, "I really don't, Robb, unless I look at them at night. The new hire has some time though. What about her?" "Milli, I am going to interview candidates to set up the new office that will open in the Bakken. I really need to be studying their work experience day and evening to be fair to them. But, it's only your eyes I am interested in. I will think of something. Thanks, anyway." The lady stood up and looked straight into Robb's eyes and said, "I will study those print outs, gladly, if you can convince the Old Man to add my curriculum vitae to the group for consideration." "Hey, Millie! We are talking about the Dakotas - as in freeze to death. You sure?" She took the folders from his hands and said, "What do you think I have been doing for seven years," as she hurriedly left his office. —— When Robb and Marcus' lunch was finished, Robb said, "Thanks for coming, but this is not a business matter. I am being cuckolded, I am almost certain. But I need proof. That is where you come in. Interested?" Marcus grimaced and said, "We only take commercial clients. However, there is a champion investigator on my staff who wants to hang her own shingle. You know start-ups always work stakeouts and divorce cases. She is quite capable. Let me send her over to your office?" Robb replied, "Ask her to come about 3:00 if that would work." Marcus excused himself as if to go to the men's room, and returned shortly. He said, "Shirley Spike from General Mechanical and Electrical Services will call on you at 3:00, Robb." Back in his office three messages awaited Robb, and one was from his wife. He didn't get around to returning her call until just after 2:00 P.M. "Hi Dear." "Damn it! Gwen just copied me on your Houston itinerary, is it possible for you to get someone to go in your place for just this once?" Robb replied, "It wouldn't be possible, dear, but this is a first time you have requested something like that. Why now?" She replied, "I am completely well and I want us to have a fancy dinner at the Country Club and then have a fun evening at home, again." "Dear, I have three call backs to do and I am swamped with work. I promise you there will be time for us next week." She replied, "O.K. I do love you, Robb." "Goodbye, Julie," as Robb broke the circuit. At three sharp, Gwen called and said, "An electrical contractor vendor, Shirley Spike, is here making a sales call. You want to talk to her?" "Yes. Send her in." After their greetings and Robb has closed his office door he said, "Shirley, I will come right to the point. I am about 95 percent certain that my wife is having one or more affairs. I know she has done that in the past because I did not father our second child. Here is a printed photo of her and a bio sheet. Here is also a photo of her 4 door sedan." She asked, "What made you suspicious that she is currently having an affair?" Riley told her the details of last Friday night and concluded with, "I think Friday night partying may be almost weekly routine for her. She likes to dance C&W and spends time over at the Golden Spur. Sometimes we the children at extended daycare when I, too, am busy or for evenings out. Since I will be out of town the rest of the week, I suspect she will pick up the children late. If she does, odds are that she is going straight to the Spur or somewhere to meet her lover. Her employer's parking lot is very small and you could watch her drive away about 4:30. " Shirley asked, "What exactly do you want me to do for you?" Robb replied, "Photos. If she is just doing what a married mother normally does, no big deal. On the other hand... If you snap a telling photo I would like to talk as soon as possible." He paused for a moment and looked at his itinerary and continued, "Meet me at the Southwest Terminal for the 8:00 P.M. flight from Houston on Thursday. O.K.?" Robb counted out $500 and said, "Bill me personally at this address if more expense money is needed. Any more questions?" "You have covered all the bases and you will hear from me, Mr. Corbin. And, thanks for trusting me as I just got my license last Friday and you are my first client." Sitting across from the 'old man' in Houston on Thursday morning, Robb put a folder on the ornate desk and said, "This candidate, among the three I spent many hours chatting, will do you the best job in a start up - not because of his analytical skills, but his sales ability. But he needs some brains to back him up and I have brought another personnel folder with me of a Permian Basin employee of ours who would make the office shine." The old man looked at the name and said, "Oh yes. I forgot all about Millicent Flowers. Could she manage a startup?" That was the one question Robb hoped would not come up. For the past three days every spare moment was spent thinking of her. He almost called her once, but didn't. One time she called him on a technical matter, but then said, "Goodbye" afterwards. With this in his mind, Robb said, "Her pluses are brilliance, beauty, and consistency. She would have no trouble making sales calls. The minus is that she has zero experience dealing with our public. So to answer your question, Mr. Grimes, I would recommend you interview her yourself and see what you think, keeping in mind that replacing her would be next to impossible for me." "Dammit Corbin, why can you not give me an objective answer?" "I am too close to her and my personal feelings may cloud my judgment." The boss showing signs of anger, replied, "I sure hope you are not getting 'your meat and your bread from the same store,' Corbin." "No sir. Its not that kind of relationship." Mr. Grimes smiled and offered his hand, "Thanks for the hard work and your honesty. Have a safe trip home." Corbin disembarked into the Midland-Odessa terminal hoping against hope that Detective Spike would not be waiting for him. Once past TSA, however, his heart sank. There she was. Once he was sitting beside her in the vehicle, Robb said, "Just give it to me straight, Shirley." "On Monday and Tuesday nights, nothing extraordinary happened. On Wednesday at 3:30 I followed her to an apartment complex very close to the Spur. A man I recognized, William O. Waller, was waiting in the visitor parking area of his apartment complex. They passionately kissed, and walk into the building. At six O'Clock the two came out, she got in her car, and they kissed goodbye through the open window." She displayed the second photo. "Go on." "Early this morning I breached his apartment in his absence and stole two photos off his wall and took these photos of pictures taped to the walls of his filthy apartment." Robb's world crashed again as he looked at his naked wife in the company of as many as three naked men sexually partying. Keeping a stone face he said, "Thank you, Shirley, do I owe you any more money?" "Thank you, Mr. Corbin. I am going to ask you to give me that last group of pictures back for safekeeping. If you go to trial, I will work out something else with you." Robb handed them back, and asked, "Could you drop me off near remote parking?" Corbin sat in his car willing himself to snap out of it - "It is what it is, so get over it! You are a big man now." He seemed to have snapped out of it but then decided to drive over to Millie's apartment for the first time ever, even though he was unannounced. He stood at her door for a full minute listening to Chopin on her Hi-Fi system while strains of a Hank Williams song were coming from the parking lot below. He broke into audible crying, and rang her doorbell. "Who is it?" "Robb Corbin, Millie." She quickly opened the door in her housecoat and stepped back to watch the man she loves stumble in. The sight of his tears provoked hers and she ran to him and held him. "Want to talk about it, Robbie?" I hired a private detective to verify that I am married to an indecent woman. The next step is divorce court and exercising damage control to my children." "Robb, my home is your home and while you completely cleanse yourself of Julie, feel free to sleep in my guest room." They had talked until it was near 10 O'clock when they broke away from each other and said their goodbyes. When Robb got home he went straight to the children's room. The older one was sound asleep, the younger one cried out with joy, waking her sister. He held both for a full ten minutes listening to their talk. Their mother stood at the open door. Finally he tucked them both in and left their room. Robb looked at her across the table after finishing a sandwich and said, "I am exhausted after three grueling days, and I need sleep. Would you be O.K. with that, Dear?" Sensing that something was terribly wrong, she asked, "Robb, but why??? I know I haven't been a good wife to you in the past year or a good mother. I can make it up to you. I can make you happy. Please, don't cut me out of your life." "Sorry, Julie, I have lots of things on my mind. I want to go on with our lives like before except focusing more on the girls." Julie was stunned speechless but finally started crying and said, "Something is terribly wrong with us, Robb. After an out of town trip in the past you always kept me awake half the night afterwards. Whatever is wrong, we can fix it together. Please, Dear." He replied, "My sleeping in the guest room is not permanent, but just tonight as I need to chill out and wind down. Please understand. I had to make a tough decision in Houston that took a lot out of me." Julie smiled and was obviously relieved and said, "Oh. I see, of course. You should bathe and go right to our bed in our bedroom. I will sleep in the guest room." On Friday morning Julie dropped the children off at school and Robb sat down at his computer and began the often-told tortuous process of divorcing his wife. - Tuesday morning Julie was writing another Macro for the boss when the receptionist rang her phone. "Julie, there is someone here to see you." Thinking it might be one of her friends from the Golden Spur she hurried to the front entryway. The lady said, "Julia Delmont Corbin?" "Yes." "You have been served," as he handed her a large envelope. Both she and the receptionist gasped. She made it through the morning by focusing on getting her keystrokes right for the macros she was creating. But then she went to the break room to eat her sandwich, the ladies there were suddenly were silent when she entered. They rudely ignored her. Back at her desk she texted her main sex toy Billy, "call me when you get some time, please." Her phone rang immediately, so she went to the ladies room which was empty and said, "Billy, I have a divorce petition that my husband filed. I need your advice." "Wait a minute, Bitch, I don't even know you and he can not know anything about your playing with us in the past year. I warn you to keep me out of your legal troubles. You do know that you are not the only woman I am fucking right now, don't you? Just remove my name from your contact list and go away." Click. Julie went home 'sick' to an empty house. Suddenly, she wanted to cry more than anything, but even tears were not possible. Once in the den she stripped down to her underwear and got her Cello out of the closet. She sat in the kitchen with her bare feet on each side of the instrument, bowing it to some spirited melodies she had learned in high school. But those fun songs gave way to sad and sorrowful ones. When Robb came in the door with the two children, she was in the middle of "The Swan" because the beautiful melody often brought tears to her husband's eyes. The children waited patiently for their mother to finish and then hugged her and then chatted as Julie put up her cello. Robb just stood in the doorway saying nothing at first. He finally told the children, "O.K. You can watch TV for one hour while Mom and I talk." They rushed off. Julie looked at her husband with massive tears and a runny nose and said, "Please don't do this to me at this time. I need counseling for my ADHD and therapy for my hormone imbalance. I am not trusted to do any real accounting work at the firm and I only write reports for management, so I am not making it in my career. I need help, Robb, your help. Please." "Julie, you have not been my loving wife since I was commuting to West Texas from Houston. I stuck it out with you intending to move out when the children left for college. But I cannot wait because of what I have learned. I have proof of what you've been doing for the past several months. You and I are history. I beg you to be strong in front of the children." "Robb, I tried to expla..." "Stop it, Julie! I will pick up the children from the after school program as usual and bring them here. Often, I will take them out to eat and to play. I expect you to carpool them in the mornings and to most of their activities, as usual. I won't accept any of your phone calls, but leave a message if you need for me for something special for them. Oh. I will still fund the household account, so you will only need to fund your own partying." As Robb started to walk to the den to kiss his children goodbye, Julie asked in a panic mode, "Where are you going, Robb?" "A short distance from here. I have already moved my toiletries and some clothes near here. I wish you well, Julie." "Please Robb, let me explain," but he obviously had forgotten her existence for the moment. She watched him tear himself loose from his crying children because they wanted to go with their Dad. But, he finally walked out the front door." The remainder of the week went by like a bad dream for Julie. It dawned on her that she didn't have a single soul sister with whom to discuss her troubles. She did contact a lawyer only to find that he was intent on laying her, while he fleeced her husband. At one point he had said, "Look. This is Texas and half of everything is yours for starters, and you can bleed him white since he makes 8 times the money you make. And you can do all this while he is going the extra mile for his children and you can have fun Lots of fun. Work with me, will you, Mrs. Corbin?" Julie felt nauseous and hurried away from her first free consultation. On Friday, she drove to happy hour at the Spur to meet with 3 women and two men from her office. When the third pitcher of beer had been served, one lady asked, "Julie, you have declined two dance invitations. I hope you are not waiting for Billy Waller to show up and invite you to dance because he is hung up on someone who just moved out here." The soon to be divorcee spilled her half-glass of beer on herself and rushed to the back door without saying goodbye. She leaned against the wall outside trembling and trying to regain her wits. Every time the door opened the dance hall odor and the music - that had suddenly become hideous to her - throbbed in her head. Walking to her car, she was hit on by two cowboys but she simply said, "No Thank You" and hurried to her car. Once arriving at her empty house, again she took out her cello and bowed it an hour and a half until she calmed down. The children came in running wanting to talk about the Disney movie that they had seen, and as expected, Robb had already kissed them goodbye and left." Robb had rented an efficiency apartment in the same complex as Millie Flowers. But he only slept, bathed and changed clothes there. The remainder of his time was spent as quality time with Millie, who cooked for him nightly - and often packed food for his children. They would often visit or work together until very late and he would walk to his unit for the rest of the night. Julie's second free counseling session with an attorney was different. He advised her, "Ask for another $1000.00 per month child support and try your best to make a friend out of your former husband - its very important for the children, but even more so for you going into the future." This struck Julie as a strange thing to say coming from an attorney but she let it pass and asked, "But counselor, why can I not ask for alimony." "Mrs. Corbin, you are a degreed accountant with a solid work record. Alimony is not going to happen in Texas in your case. And because this is Texas, his winning custody of the children is not going to happen, either, no matter how many men are in your life. Dear Lady, so I recommend you leave the joint custody and the Joint profiting from the future sale of your home as is." She said, "O.K., add the one thousand and get this settled before court date, if you would." Outside her attorney's private office, she grimaced as the man inside could be heard washing the feel of her handshake off his hands in the corner basin. - Once the divorce was filed, Robb moved in with Millie and canceled his lease. Two weeks later he was invited to join her in the master bedroom. He and his former wife cooperated on the care and transportation of the children, and often the youngsters spent the night in Millie's guest room. The 'step-Mom' and children became more and more attached to each other. —- Two years later a sobbing Julie said in a phone call on speaker to both Robb and Millicent, "I have been terminated from my job. I need some money. I want to relocate to North Dakota with my significant other and leave the children with you at least until I get on my feet. Will you help me?" Robb was stunned, and while he was thinking what to say, Millicent spoke up and said, "You are on speaker phone, Julie, and I heard what you asked. I would like to suggest a method whereby you can pick up nearly 100K dollars cash in a week or so. You won't even have to pay taxes on it if you buy another house. Interested?" "Oh yes. I will consider anything." "Sell your house to me at its appraised value. You will have cash in your hands and will be free to accompany your significant other to wherever he goes. You could relax knowing that the children are being loved and taken care of and we will even offer you a room in the housekeeper quarters when you fly in to visit your children." "That is a generous offer, Millie, but what else would I have to do?" Millie replied, "You and Robb would need to have the family court approve some changes. Moreover, that would need to be done first. There are lots of fine homes in Midland County for sale and I can take my pick, so I am only offering to do you a favor." "What changes, Millie?" She replied, "The children reside in Midland County and you pay all expenses related to your travel to visit your children and, of course, no more child support payments to you after I close on the house." Tragedy in the Oilfield Julie replied, "If I agree to that, Millie, how do I know you will follow through and buy our house?" Millie said, "Why should I wish to capitalize on your misfortune? I will pay cash for your home. And, I don't want the children to be disrupted as much as you and Robb don't either. Besides, what motivation would I have to do otherwise?" Julie asked, "Would you hold a minute" Robb and Millie sat looking at each other almost crying while Julie and a man could be heard in an unintelligible conversation. Like children again, both had their fingers crossed while they waited. Julie came back on line and said, "O.K. Robb and Millie, I trust you because you have never done anything shady or spiteful. Please get the paperwork ready for me to sign?" The End Epilogue 1: The family court petition took two days to approve the changes. The next day, the three appeared at the Title Trust company to transact the home sale. The administrator gave both Robb and Julie a check for their equity. Julie's significant other sat in his SUV in the parking lot with a loaded U-Haul trailer attached. Later the children could hardly suppress their excitement when told that Millie and their Dad will be moving in with 'them.' Epilogue 2: Five years later, Julie's mother mailed a news paper clipping to Robb at his office address from the Bakken Daily Ledger: Julie Delmont Hall and John L. Leason were shot dead in their apartment. The husband, Larry Hall, called 911 and surrendered the apparent murder weapon to the police..." Robb, recalling that there had been no video or email or phone visit from their mother in two years, solemnly told their children that evening, "Your mother died violently in North Dakota. I am quite certain that her last thoughts were of you two, though." At the news the younger one barely paused doing her reading assignment while the older one said, "Well, maybe Millie can be our official mother now."