33 comments/  32243 views/  41 favorites

Sophia Continued Pt. 01

By: northlander



 Part 1. Barbara's Story -- Edited

This story is a continuation to a story by Castlestone. Sophia's story begs a continuation and conclusion and my efforts to contact castlestone have met with no success. I note from one of the comments on the last story by castlestone, that he may have been killed in an accident. I hope that isn't correct, because it means a very inventive, witty mind is with us no longer. Before reading this story I recommend that the reader read Sophia Parts 1 to 4 by castlestone. Otherwise this story won't make a lot of sense. I hope this provides a sense of continuation and regret that I don't have the sense of humor or the gamma ray desk light that castlestone had.

Barbara

Hi, I am Barbara, Barbara, "the fool of a whore!" to be precise though I didn't fully realize it until now. I just got back from a session with my counselors, a husband and wife team that take no prisoners. If they could have done they would have confronted me with Don, but I told them to leave him alone, don't even ask him. I have done enough damage to him, and things just seem to be getting back to an even keel at least where the girls are concerned. They had already told me that the chances of getting back together with Don were slim to none existing; I had really burnt my bridges behind me as far as he was concerned.

Instead they had me write out a journal describing every affair that I had, then had me justify to them what I had done. They used my journal to refute every point that I made. It would likely have been easier for me if Don had been there, because I am sure that he would have gone easier on me than they did. Anyway, after much crying and denial I finally began to realize just how much damage I had inflicted on myself and my family because of my ego and my willful disregard for my wedding vows.

Funnily enough, as a single I have been pretty lonely. Oh yes, there is the bar scene with the ones who would be delighted to get into my pants for a nights sex or the guys looking for the money I ended up with but that isn't for me. The days of fucking all our supposedly good friends came to a sudden end as soon as Don divorced me. 

The fact that he alleged and could prove adultery even though the judge found that he had to know about it (Perjury worked). All that meant that my so called female friends wouldn't have anything to do with me in case I made off with their husbands (Those that had not been divorced already due to the fallout). What was that about the life of the gay divorcee? Oh it was great for a couple of months, until I woke up one morning and realized that I could count my really good friends on the fingers of one hand and still have a couple of fingers left over.

I am sure that a lot of the men in our social circle were only interested in screwing me because in doing so they were screwing Don, putting horns on Mr. Perfect who trusted me implicitly and didn't have a clue what was going on. Once the divorce was final and I was available all the time the invitations stopped and the men who had been so enthusiastic disappeared. Men with money don't marry whores and if that was what they thought of me, I couldn't blame them, after 24 affairs the name fitted really well, and that is just the way I was thinking.

After the divorce I did a lot of travelling and I'm sure that many thought I was just going through Don's money and finding male companions along the route. The reality is that while I could find lots of that kind of company in the resorts. It wasn't company that counted. 

Really what I was doing was running away and it wasn't long before I realized that the person I was running away from was I. Until I could deal with myself and what I had become, there was no place to hide. The only trips that mattered became the ones I took with Megan and Robin and even then there seemed to be a wall between us that I just couldn't get through or over.

Anyway, here I am trying to get my head straight, wishing that I had never met Don's sisters, let alone confided in them and listened to them. I can't blame them for everything, let's face it I was a willing slut, they didn't have to twist my arm a whole lot, but I'm sure that without their prodding assistance, I would never have had the first affair let alone have gone as far as I did.

Now while I still have hope, I know deep in my heart that Don would never trust me again. I am lucky that he has never tried to block my access to the girls because I don't think he would have a hard time doing so. I hope that one day I will be able to do something to make up in some way for what I did. 

The girls are with me for the next couple of days, so I think I am going to try a few questions, whether they will answer, who knows, young as they are, they were pretty pissed with me for treating their dad the way I did. I'm sure as well that they knew that all was not well. They certainly made it pretty clear that they preferred to be with him. Well they will be in from school shortly, and I really need to ask them a lot.

"Megan" "Robin", " I've been going to counseling, it has been pretty rough, and I am really beginning to realize that I haven't been a very nice person, in fact while I would hate it that you would think of me as such the word most people would use is slut. Somehow I can't say that they are wrong. To really get hold of what is happening, I'm going to need your help, that is if you will help me." The looks between the two looked comical as if they figured it wasn't as serious as they thought, oh well, it has to happen, let's get it over with.

"First off ladies, why the sudden change? For over two years, getting you to stay with me was a major chore. Even to go on trips like Europe. You both made it pretty clear who you preferred. If your Dad hadn't made you come to me, I doubt that you would have. Even when you did come, getting a smile or a kind word from either of you was like trying to pull hens teeth. Now in the last couple of months or so, things have changed. Do you know why? I'm interested to know"

Megan replied "Mom, don't get upset with us. We loved you as our mother, but we hated you for what you did to dad and to us. Before you left you insulted us with your lies to us, telling us what you were doing. We had a pretty good idea what was going on, when you were out most afternoons and rushing to get a shower before Dad came home, then the tales we heard from other kids at school about who you had been seen with. I almost told Dad what I suspected but I couldn't be the person to destroy his dreams and his life, but then I didn't have to. You did it for me."

"You left us alone with our family in pieces and what you and your lawyer and friends did to dad can never be forgiven. One day we hope the truth will come out. Anyway we talked to our friend Maria who we both love and has made a big difference in our lives. She convinced us that it isn't constructive to hate, it takes too much work, and that we should have you in our lives as well. When all is said and done you are still our Mom and we still need you in our lives. Let's face it Dad isn't the best judge when it comes to dressing and talking about girl stuff."

"Just an off the wall question girls, do you think that there would ever be a chance for your dad and I to get back together' Robin spoke up "Mom, for a year, every night we stayed with dad we could hear him crying himself to sleep. He never said anything to us to put you down but you hurt him really deeply. That can never be fixed and if you did get back together again, we and I'm sure dad would be waiting for you to do exactly the same thing again"

Megan continued "Since we met Maria, and her friends, dad has been much happier. He is back to doing his helpful things, making himself useful. As if he has something else in life other than work and us and he is valued, especially after he knocked out those guys who were trying to kidnap and rape Kathy and held them for the police. Believe me Mom you were lucky that he never met you out with one of your boyfriends. You and he may never have escaped in one piece."

Wow, this was a side of Don that I had only once seen, long before we married, something that in my foolishness I had forgotten. I knew that he was really strong though. Maybe I was a lucky lady but I had never ever felt threatened by him. I'm sure that was part of why I betrayed him, I'm sure I put Don in second place because he felt dull and dependable, always there whenever I needed him.

I craved excitement but he was so steady but now I know that if I had put the energy into my relationship with him that I had into my affairs we would still be married. Now the question is who is Maria? And what does she mean in Don's life and that of my girls?

"Okay girls, who is Maria? What have I been missing over the last couple of months? "Once the girls started, the words came tripping out of them. Before long the two of them told me pretty much the whole story, about the rescue from the car old reliable Don again, the handling of the tree, the meals, the special trips to Maria's house even the un dorking of Don (try as I might, I just couldn't see him dancing) I had tried with him so many times. 

The part of the story that hurt the most was hearing how much she had done with Megan and Robin without my knowledge, things that I should have done, I really hurt to hear that, but I also knew that without that help that she had given them, we wouldn't have been sitting on my bed chatting.

Now for the sixty four thousand dollar question! "Girls is Dad in love with any of these women?" Megan replied "Mom that is the worst part, even to two kids like us, Dad and Maria are absolutely nuts about each other, but for some reason both of them are scared to say anything in case they hurt the other" Megan continued "honestly at times I feel like telling Maria to drag Dad into her bedroom and keep him there for a couple of days until he gets the idea". "I wonder who this girl is and what she has done with my Megan. Who has she been talking to to get these ideas? Not exactly what you expect from a young teenager, but at least she has become a very attractive forthright young lady. I just hope that she stays that way.

For the first time in a long time the girls joined me on my bed where we watched a couple of movies and ate a whole pizza between us. Silently I thought to myself, "Maria, whoever you are, thank you for bringing my babies back to me". Now with a little help, maybe we would become as much of a family as we possibly could. I resolved that no matter what, I was going to do whatever I could to bring that about. It is time that I really show the person I can be, not that person that I had become.

I had been aware that some investigating had been going on into my past. Friends had let slip the fact that an investigator had been asking questions about me, and my previous life and a couple of days later I contacted the only really good friend I had left. She had tried all she could to get me to stop my destructive rampage, but unfortunately I hadn't listened. When the world came crashing down around my ears she had been the only one not to tell me "I told you so" I may have made lots of money, but I lost the three best friends that I had, in Don Megan and Robin.

"Molly can I ask what you told that investigator" She replied "What do you expect, I told him the truth, that you screwed up royally and when you listened to your so called friends, you had to know that what they were saying was bullshit but you listened to them anyway!" "Thanks," I replied, "I'm glad to know that I have one friend left who will call it as she sees it," 

"Now I need your help, do you still have the name and number of the investigator who talked to you? There is something I need to do, and he may be able to help me" She told me he was Peter Symons of the Symons Agency. I agonized for a couple of days thinking of what I could do, and what doing it could me do for me then I called his office and made an appointment to see him the next day.

At 9 am prompt the next day I walked into his office, dressed in a smart blue business suit. He was a tall good looking (in a craggy sort of way) I almost expected him to be dressed in a plaid shirt, cords and hiking boots. He certainly looked larger than the office anyway. He sat me down, brought in some coffee and said to me "Barbara, this is quite a bit out of line, an investigator actually sitting down with the person he investigated. Can you tell me what exactly you had in mind?"

I told him that I was aware that he had investigated me and told him that a lot of lies had been told about my former husband Don both in court and in the press. Want I wanted to do was to try and put that right. Don had always put his family first and because he was so trusting and busy looking after us, it became so easy to mislead him and cheat on him, that he never had a clue, especially when I played the loving sexy wife at home every chance I got. He didn't really defend himself in court to avoid hurting the girls

Peter picked up the phone, dialed a number, when he got through, he asked for Richard and said "Richard, you aren't going to believe this but the break you have been looking for to help Don is sitting right across the desk from me." He told him I was there, and why. He listened for a moment, and then put the phone down. 

"That was my client, a financial adviser, Richard Younger; he was the person who asked that Don be investigated because he was involved with one of his clients. He would like to see us later today if you can make it. It would be after lunch, and if it is ok with you, I would be happy to take you to lunch. If you would like I can get you a taxi to the City Center Mall and I will book a table at Mario's restaurant right there, for 12 noon."

Peter and I met at Mario's, and surprisingly enough we had quite an enjoyable lunch. He treated me as if he had known me for years, regaling me with stories of things that had happened during investigations. Before long my Capalleti was gone. Along with a couple of glasses of wine as well, I was feeling quite relaxed until Peter said it was time to go see Richard, I was really concerned about what was going to happen. I could not have foreseen just how easy it was going to be.

Richard could not have been nicer. He said "Originally the investigation began into Don after I had talked to my former wife Maria. We are still great friends, just couldn't live together. I'm also her business manager and I had been concerned that Don came across as a little too good, too able; I believe that Maria has fallen for him pretty badly, though she might not even realize it yet. I was really concerned as to what kind of a guy he is as Maria's last boy friend and his mother hurt her badly. I still care about her enough to want her to be happy."

I told him, "With Don what you see is what you get. He is so loving it is painful sometimes, and so duty bound he willingly accepts any task that comes up. He is the only guy I have ever felt secure with and trusted absolutely" he asked, "then why did you cheat on him" I replied "because I thought I wanted excitement, I wanted away from children, away from the staid life that I had, from the matron I was becoming. I still loved Don as a man but he just wasn't exciting enough for me." Now I know just what a fool I was, I can't even say it was lust, as some of my choices were no hell, right from the word go they were nothing but another cock, and none of them lasted very long".

Richard then asked "why then was there so much rancor in the divorce, making it look as if Don was aware of everything that went on?" 

I said "that was kind of a put up job between Don's sisters and my lawyer. Until the divorce came up, I really had no idea how much Don's sisters wanted to hurt him. They figured that the worse he was made to look the more sympathy and money I would get and the more he would be hurt. 

I still can't believe that his own sisters could hate him like that. I guess it was because even though he was the youngest, when their father died he pretty well took over, made the girls toe the line for their mother. If it hadn't been for their urging, I'm sure I could have resisted the temptation to cheat."

Richard asked, "What do you want to happen?"

My reply was "what I want more than anything else is to be back with Don and my girls, but I know that after what happened during the divorce, that just isn't going to happen. We made Don pretty much the laughing stock of the City as if he was the biggest wimp going. He isn't and I would love to be able to tell people that the only thing he did wrong was that he placed absolute trust in people who didn't deserve it and he worked too hard to realize that he was being made use of."

Richard's next question was, "If possible, would you go public with what you have told me, even though it might make things look bad for you?"

I told him, "Without a second thought if it made up for some of the harm I have done to my family." 

He replied, "I'm glad to hear that answer. When we were doing that investigation we found some matters that seemed out of line, but we couldn't find definite evidence of any wrongdoing. You may be able to help us out."

The next morning I got a call from Richard asking me to go to his office. I went there and he introduced me to a lawyer James Jones telling me that Jones was the President of the Bar Association. After James told me he was investigating the possibility of collusion between the judge in my divorce and the lawyer representing me, I had a lengthy interview with him which was taped. He told me he would be in touch and then I went home, wondering what I had let myself in for, was I right or wrong?

I didn't hear anything more for several weeks, so I busied myself with the girls. As much as they would let me anyway, there was still that wall between us that I desperately wanted to pull down. Like always, I tried to buy my way in to their confidences, but like always it didn't work. 

The only time they would even begin to thaw, was when they talked about Don or Marie or something they called the PDA. I asked what that was and they said it was a kind of secret society that Don knew nothing about and that if it had been started well before the divorce, there wouldn't have been one.

After wondering for a couple of weeks I finally heard from James Jones. He called me into his office and when I got there, Richard was there also. James told me that the executive council of the Bar Association had recommended that the material I had given him be passed on to the District Attorney as not only did it give grounds for Don to commence several civil suits, but it also could be construed as a conspiracy to obstruct justice besides revealing a number of perjury offences. He wanted my consent before he sent it on because without my testimony it would be hard to proceed.

Richard warned me that if we did proceed with the complaint, it would mean that I could be indicted as a co conspirator. While my cooperation would count a lot, I could still find myself facing criminal charges, as the result of the evidence I had given, the DA would not be seeking a severe punishment, but I might face one nevertheless. Where I got the courage from I don't know but my answer was "Go right ahead, let the chips fall where they may Don has suffered enough."

He also asked me if I would sit down with a local reporter and tell her my story, so that the real story would appear in print and help to negate what was bound to be put out when my former lawyer, the judge, and Don's sisters heard what was against them. I said I would.

I then went home, took out pen and paper and started to write the toughest letter I have ever had to write in my life.


Sophia Continued Pt. 01



"Dear Maria.

My girls Megan and Robin tell me that I have you to thank for getting them to accept me and what I have done, and still treat me as their mother. I thank you for doing that and for letting them feel that you are their friend. I am going to ask you a major favor, I hope you can see your way clear to help me in this.

I am planning to go public with the true story of Don's and my divorce and it is pretty certain that charges of perjury and other offences will result. Richard has warned me that this could result in my being indicted as a co conspirator and as I won't be fighting them, some time in prison. One consolation is that four others will be going down heavier and for longer.

To make sure that the machinations of my lawyer and his second cousin the judge are not swept under the rug; I will also be going public in the press. I expect that there will be some nasty name calling when the story is finally out and I will be the recipient of a lot of it. What I am asking of you and I know it is a lot, is that you help Don and the girls through this. Hopefully by the time this is over. The girls and Don will have a greater understanding of what drove me during all our problems.

The one thing I do know is that by my stupid actions I drove away the three persons I love the most. The more I live without Don makes me realize that I never stopped loving him. The greatest thing I could wish for is to have him by my side again, but I realize it isn't going to happen. Even if it did, I could never regain his trust, and I wouldn't blame him, because I would always be wondering if I could trust myself. Looking back, I wonder how I could have done to Don what I did. I know I was advised and helped to do it but I still have to blame myself, because when it boils down to it, I still did it consciously and with all my faculties.

The girls tell me that they think that you and Don are in love, but both afraid to say anything in case the other doesn't feel that way. Just a little word of advice. Don may seem the epitome of how to get things done, but when it comes to affairs of the heart, sometimes to get him to see the obvious, you have to get his attention first. As a metaphor, that is when you hit him with the two by four. You may have to go for it, but after you do you will have a companion for life if you want him.

Thank You

Barbara."

I slid the letter into an envelope, addressed it to Maria, and asked the girls to deliver it to her without Don knowing.

End of Part 1



Sophia Continued Pt. 02



This is the second part of Sophia Continued and should be read in conjunction with part 1 and parts 1 to 4 of Sophia, by Castlestone for it to make sense. My purpose in continuing the story is to provide closure to Don and Maria in their relationship. Castlestone is a tremendous writer, and I must thank both him and also Yellowperil, Castlestone's editor for some tremendous help. Before he became unable to contact, castlestone had completed two further chapters which he had sent to yellowperil for editing. Thanks to yellowperil allowing me access to those chapters, I have been able to ensure that the story does not diverge too far from the story line envisaged by castlestone. Thanks also to yellowperil for his voluntary editing of most of this part, as like castlestone, each time I read the story I want to add more to it

Maria

I was with Don and the girls on one of our nights out. I wish it had just been Don and me but I'll take what I can get. We had been out to a movie and were enjoying another bowl of popcorn at Don's apartment. Don got a call from one of his tenants about a problem in their apartment so he went away with his tools to fix it. Megan asked me "How long do you think he'll be away? Can we get serious?" I told her I thought we could, and she took a letter from her book bag."Mother asked us to give this to you. We don't know what's in it, but the way she asked made it sound pretty serious." I opened and read Barbara's letter asking me to help the girls through events that were likely going to be happening soon.

Robin asked, "What's going on? Why would Mother write to you? Is she trying to hurt you now?" I quickly replied, "No, that isn't what it is. I will let you read her letter because it concerns you, and then we will talk about it." They each read the letter. They both looked at me with serious faces. "What will happen to Mother?" they asked in chorus...

"Well, I don't know for sure, but what it looks like to me is that your mother is going to try to put right a lot of things that were said and accepted as the truth, mostly because your Dad didn't want to fight things and make your situations worse. For a time it could mean that she could be in prison."

Robin and Megan both gasped, "What will happen to us?" 

"Well, you saw what your mother asked of me. Is that ok with you? You will be staying with your Dad anyway."

Both girls grinned and said, "That's just fine with us, situation normal then." 

Then the other shoe dropped. 

Megan smiled with that angelic look she has at times. "What about the last section when Mother talked about you and Dad and the use of the two by four? Are you really going to use one?" 

I grinned back. "As you two well know, that is a metaphor for a surprise to get Don's attention. Now, do you two think your Dad is in love with me?" There was a concerted YES! from two pent up young girls, so I continued, "Okay, I just love him to death, so I'm really thinking of something that could be more like a two by six. If you two want to get him primed, feel free to help out - just remember, the letter is between us women, so let's just keep it that way. Maybe there is no way that your Mother and Father will ever get back together, but I would like it if even only for you two, they could be friends."

Don

I had been working out in the basement of my apartment building when my cell phone rang. I saw that it was from Richard and wondered what he wanted. I always chatted with him when I saw him, but I wasn't on a regular phone call basis. If the truth were to be told, I was a bit jealous of him for the fact that he had been married to Maria and had remained a trusted friend and financial adviser. On top of that, I didn't feel that I was good enough for her. When I answered, Richard asked if I could pick up Maria and drop by his office. I told him that I would.

When I got to Maria's condo to take her to see Richard, she asked me what it was all about. I told her that I had no more idea than she did, so I couldn't help. I was just doing what I was asked. When we got to Richard's office, his secretary showed us right in. She brought us coffee and we all sat in Richard's interview center, a group of comfortable chairs that he said worked much better than a conference room. 

Richard said, "Don, this is pretty much about you and the girls. I wanted to give you a heads up about something that is coming up regarding your divorce."

I replied, "Oh, Lord, there is something wrong or it is being challenged to get more money! I thought that Barbara was going through money like crazy, but this is ridiculous! When does it ever end? Can she re-open things again, or is she after full custody of the girls?"

"No, Don, it's nothing like that, it's the absolute opposite in fact. The truth is that there has been a very quiet investigation and, I guess as of right now, the DA's staff and police are in the process of arresting the Judge, Barbara's lawyer, your sisters, Barbara and a few others on charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice and a number of perjury charges. I just wanted to warn you that it was coming and to be prepared for the whole thing being made public again. I understand if you want to take the girls and go away for a while, and I can guarantee that the Child Welfare Department will not be raising any objections. I'm also sure that your lawyer can get the custody order varied, certainly until the court cases are dealt with. You should get full custody if you want it; the only thing is that you may be called upon to give evidence, so we would have to know where you are. Before you come to any decision, I want to tell you one thing Both girls grinned and said, "That's just fine with us, situation normal then". 

I have to tell you; this whole thing got off the ground because Barbara looked at herself in the mirror, didn't like what she saw, and decided to do something about it, so don't hate her for it being opened up again. She came to me and talked about it and realized that if we said nothing, not only would it not do anything to restore your reputation, but it would allow the judge and Barbara's lawyer to do the same kind of thing again. The minute the Judge saw who Barbara's lawyer was, she should have recused herself from the case. 

I also recommend that you take the time to sit down alone with Barbara to have that talk that you should have had but couldn't a year ago. Just as an aside, I can tell you that what she got of the extra million dollars after that scumbag lawyer was finished didn't go into her pockets or her lovers'. She invested the whole lot in a trust fund for the girls' education."

I thought about what he said for a moment. "Richard, I can't possibly look any worse than I did the first time around. Can I retain your lawyer to look after the girls and my interests? I will let you know about going away later. That is a decision that I have to make with the girls." 

I turned to Maria and asked, "Maria, can you come to lunch today? I need your wisdom on a couple of matters and you can help cheer me up if anyone can."

We settled for Mario's as it was close and we both enjoyed it. Pizza for lunch sounded just fine. I didn't think it was as good as mine, but I wouldn't tell Mario that. After we ate, I asked, " Well, Maria, what do you think of this all being opened up again - do you think it will do any good?"

She replied, " Well, at least if all goes as Richard said, it could show you in a very different light and might change a lot of people's ideas about your part in the divorce. What Barbara might want I don't know, it may well be a change of heart. I hope so, for your sake and for the girls."

"Do you think it will hurt the girls a lot? Do you think we should we go away while it is all going on?" 

Maria thought a moment and replied, "I think the girls are a lot more grown up now. They now know what Barbara has done to you, and have been able to both handle it as well as be with her as friends, if nothing else. I feel they can handle it, and I will certainly help and support them without any reservations at all."

I began to feel better about the thoughts of another court case; it would also help Maria see that I wasn't quite the wimpy ex-husband that I appeared to be, that I had purposely let things go to avoid hurting the girls. 

She asked, "Are the girls with you tonight?" I told her that Barbara had asked me to pick them up from school and keep them for at least a week, as she had some things to do that might take her away from home for several days. I had just taken it for granted that she had planned a trip with one of her male friends as she had done a lot after our divorce. Maria said, "Then I will pick them up, if that's okay with you, so you can get supper for us all and we can sit them down and tell them what is happening." "Sounds good," I agreed. We then left and I dropped her off at her condo. At about 5 that night, Maria and the girls arrived, just as I was putting the finishing touches to a great Lasagna and they went to watch the TV news while I was finishing off.

"Dad" Megan yelled "Mom's on TV. She has been arrested along with Aunt Diane and Aunt Michelle and a few other people. What's going on?" Maria and I sat the girls down and told them that there had been an investigation into what amounted to a conspiracy, and that Barbara was cooperating with the District Attorney, but as she was a part of it, she had to be arrested with the others and that she would likely make bail in a couple of days.

"Will you bail her out, Dad?" asked Megan. I stopped to think for a minute, and I was tempted to say it would be a frosty day in hell before I would, but Maria surprised me

"I'm sure that your Dad and I will help. Maybe Barbara has broken the law, but she is still your Mom, she still loves you, and I think in her own way she is trying to put things right as much as she can." The smiles of relief on the girls' faces were all that I needed to put me in instant agreement. Lord but I'm easy to get turned around.

For me most of the evening was a somber time. I really had to examine the way I felt about Barbara. What I had been feeling was the 'cheated on male, kick 'em to the curb' line of thought, but Maria had really made me think more positively, especially in light of what Richard had said. Later, after we had all had a spell in the hot tub and the girls had gone off to their beds, Maria and I sat in the lounge in the big recliners. I looked at her and smiled, "Thank you for helping me with the girls earlier, it could have been a real problem if I had said what I felt at the time. You have really made me think about what has happened."

What Maria said then really shook me to my core. This perfect woman who I had believed would never have time for anything but friendship for me, really opened my eyes. "Don, you are a wonderful guy. There doesn't seem to be anything you won't try to fix. You are a fabulous cook, you can do anything with your hands, you have a great brain and you treat your daughters with nothing but love. The trouble is, you are so busy "doing for others" that you don't sit back, relax and see what is going on around you. You look on me as a friend, not as a woman who loves you and adores your daughters, and looks upon you as her family. That is why I help, not because I feel as a friend that I am obliged to. Yes, you heard right, I said I love you!"

I could see the tears starting to run down her cheeks as she continued. "Why do you think that we were teaching you to dance, to date, relax and have a good time? You need to become involved with others as well as the girls. Break out of the mould your father set you in and enjoy yourself. You aren't Dudley Doright and you aren't responsible for helping the world every time something goes wrong." 

I was stunned, "Am I that bad?" Maria continued, "Don, you are a great guy, but you are so complete and capable within yourself that, without even knowing it, you make other people think that they are less than you, that they are not needed, that all you need is yourself. Your father may have been a great guy, but what he did to you by making you responsible for your family when you were a boy was the worst thing he could have done. You didn't have the opportunity to be a child or to grow up gradually. You were forced to mature really quickly and be a young father figure and provider. "

That's what Barbara saw in you when she grabbed on to you so quickly. If you had been able to relax and show your true self, someone who needed others, like everyone else, you would probably still be married to Barbara, raising those two beautiful girls and maybe a boy or two. The worst thing is that you sometimes can't see and accept the reality of what is right in front of you." With that Maria burst into tears and continued, "I have to go home before I am a total mess. Please tell the girls that I will see them tomorrow night, hopefully with better news about Barbara!" 

I replied, "Maria, please don't go yet, I am absolutely floored by what you have said. Ever since that night I pulled you out of the car, I have valued your friendship. I've wanted so much for it to become more, but I was afraid that you with your smart and cultured friends would not feel anything for us but friendship. I was scared that, some time down the road, we would lose you to some smart man who might take you away from us. That night was the night I fell in love for the second time in my life. Yes, I love you too, and ever since we met I have been terrified that dull old Don was not enough for you, just as he wasn't for Barbara. Please don't go, the girls and I need you in our lives so much!"

Maria let out a sob of relief and smiled through the tears as she said the words I had really wanted to hear since we met. "Don, we really are a bright pair, aren't we? You are the most loving, capable and knowledgeable guy I have ever met but, just like me, you have been reluctant to say what you feel. The truth is that I have loved you and the girls since you pulled me out of that car, and I have been so afraid to say anything in case you didn't feel the same way. When I was driving out to the house that night you saved me, I was feeling devastated. I had just been put down by the family of the man I had pinned so many hopes on, which is why I was in the ditch - I wasn't concentrating on the road. Suddenly there was a knight errant who appeared out of the storm and saved my life by risking his own. Then, on top of that, he saves my house from destruction, not thinking of the danger to himself or what could have happened if he failed to do everything just right. That was when I realized that the jerk's family had done me a favor, and that for once in my life I was in the company of a real man who was content in being what he was. Something started growing inside me that has developed into a warm glow when I am with you, and an empty feeling inside when I am not. I just haven't been able to show that for fear that you didn't want me once you knew about my past."

I went to her, put my arms around her and kissed her lightly. Her arms went up around my neck pulling me into her, her mouth opening slightly and her tongue poking at my lips. That light kiss became a sensation like sinking into a pool of warmth as she returned my kiss with interest. We stood there in the center of the floor and held each other tightly, leaving me very conscious of Maria's breasts pushing into my chest with their hard nipples poking holes into me. Our tongues touched together, pushing against each other, when there was a click of the latch as the door opened and the air was split by two whoops and we were almost knocked off our feet by two teen tornados who apparently had been listening in. They took the opportunity to race across the room and joined in a group hug that lasted quite a while. "Maria" I said. "Please stay with us, we need you, I need you, you have become a big part of "Us" 

Megan poked her teen nose in, "Maria, we would love you to stay, forever if you want, but tell him that it's only one room from now on. We'll tie him down for you if that's what's needed." 

Maria looked at them, looked at me, smiled and said, "Out of the mouths of babes. Don, you heard them, that's condition number one, one room with a big bed. Condition number two is that you start to relax. Get your counselor, if you must, to teach you to let others do things for you, especially when they are done out of love. They don't commit you to making any return other than accepting that love."

I grinned as I replied, "Maria, condition number one is easy, but I will need help with number two. Mainly your help though. I think we can leave out Freddie, Kathy and Vanessa of the Polishing Don Association, though they are a great bunch." 

Maria agreed, "Okay, we know how everybody feels, but first I have something to get off my chest; I think it is something that you all have the right to know. It is something I haven't been able to tell you before, not because I wanted to hide something, but because it may make you think less of me, and because, after you hear it, you may not want to even have me as a friend, let alone a member of the family." 

"You all know that I was married to Richard. After 3 years it had become more like sister and brother than a marriage, so we decided to end it while we were still friends and didn't get into any other problems. We did that and you know that we are still friends and that we do business together. Well, as soon as the ink was dry on the divorce decree, I got kind of carried away and became a real party girl. I got into some wild relationships and did some things that I should, on second thought, not have. In a way, you could say that, for around four months, the only difference between Barbara and me was that I wasn't married."

"A lot of people I know say that it was my own business, that I didn't harm anyone but myself, but there are a few of my former rivals in the modeling business, namely Joanne and Anna and by virtue of association Gwen, who delight in repeating the tales and keeping them going, especially if it seems to them that I am going to achieve any kind of happiness. You've all met them. I call them the three witches. That life was over pretty quickly, but it still is spoken of sometimes especially if it appears that I am going to get any happiness and could reflect badly on you and the girls. I would hate it to make the newspaper sometime and hurt us all."

I carefully thought about what we had just been told before responding. "Maria, our life with you began the night we pulled you out of the car. What you did before that night has nothing to do with what we feel about you. Certainly, to the best of my belief, ever since that night you have helped and supported our family far beyond the normal bounds of friendship. For the first time since the divorce I feel a sense of direction and have a confidence back that I thought had been smashed to pieces. But, I do think that maybe we can do something about Hagatha and her cronies. Let me think about it."

Well, of course, as the result of all the ado, there was very little sleep the rest of the night. First, the girls figured it was a Pizza night, my PIZZA didn't qualify, so I wasn't allowed in the kitchen. Maria and the girls made a great late night meal. I wasn't needed except to eat, and I sat back thinking I could get to like this. The girls sat Maria and me together on the couch. Maria curled into me and the girls claimed the recliners while we ate the pizza drank milk and watched a movie on the Disney channel. At least the girls did.

I was deep in thought for a while as we cuddled together. Maria had given me a lot to think about. Thrilled as I was with what she had said about us, I had lots to think about with Barbara, Diana and Melanie and how, usually without consulting them, I had pretty well always done what I thought was best for them. What I had been doing was controlling them, not caring for them. I guess I finally realized that. No wonder my sisters hated me.




Sophia Continued Pt. 02



After a time, both girls fell asleep, and one by one I carried them through to their beds. Maria came with me to tuck them in. We went back to the living room where I sat down and Maria sat in my lap, sliding close with her arms around my neck. I slid my arm around her just beneath her breasts, feeling their full weight as they rested on my arm. She turned her face toward me, with her full lips close to mine. I bent forward putting my lips over hers and pressing against them. The feeling of soft warmth against my lips was wonderful, and then her mouth opened slightly while her tongue slid between my lips, gently, without any urgency.

I pulled away for a moment, looked at this wonderful woman and said "Maria, what I am going to say should be no surprise. I know that for romance it doesn't rate very highly and probably won't meet with the approval of the PDA. But believe me when I tell you that I regard any thought of a future without you in it as pretty bleak. Will you marry me, or, should I say, will you marry us, as we come as a package?" 

Maria's answer was "Don that is just the most romantic thing I have ever heard. I would love to marry all of you just as soon as we can arrange it. Before we make any commitment, I want you to listen to what I have to say. I didn't want to say too much while the girls were up, but this is something I want you to know now, not find out later. I told you of those first four months after my divorce but I didn't tell you the whole story. I was 22 years old, divorced, a well known model, the world was at my feet and I could do anything I wanted! It was party time and I could sleep with whomever I wanted, and I did. I even got into some threesomes. I was always careful, always insisted on condoms. One morning I woke up, looked at myself in the mirror, and didn't like what I saw there. The party stopped right then and there. The trouble is that I have never been allowed to forget it. Every time that something good happens in my life, Joanne or one of her witch cronies shows up, especially when I am out with anyone, and makes some sneering reference to those four months. You had to know about it as I don't want you or the girls to hear any of it and not be able to deal with it."

I thought carefully, "Have you had sex or made love with anyone since we met?" Maria shook her head in the negative. "If we marry are you going to expect me to take part in any threesomes or swinging, or will you want me to share you with anyone else?"

Maria shook her head again, "Don, there is no chance of that. If we marry, I am yours alone for life. Look at me! I'm 30 years old, I've been married once and had other relationships. Never once in that time have I ever wished for a child not even when I was married to Richard. In fact I've done everything I could to prevent it. With you, I want your babies, as many as you want. I want them to grow inside me and I want to give you a second family. The tears ran down her face as she spoke.

"Then my question still stands. Will you Maria Jackson, marry Don, Megan, and Robin."

She smiled at me and said, "In a heartbeat my love, yes I will!" 

I pulled her to me and kissed her. She pulled away from me a little and looked into my face. "Don, us getting married brings up another 'must' that maybe you won't like. There are two girls who even now feel a part of me. If we marry, I will become responsible for them just as you are. They also have a mother who loves them, and I can see that there are going to be times that I will need to talk to Barbara, either to get her advice or permission to do something with the girls. It will be much easier if I can do that as a friend or, at least, a neutral party rather than as an antagonist. Can you handle that?"

"Don't worry" I said, "if you feel that it is necessary, I can go along with it. I never thought I would ever say this, but I'm beginning to think that I can understand why Barbara did what she did. I still hate the fact that she did it, but I'm finding that I don't hate her as much as I thought. I hate my sisters more, as they pushed her into something just out of their feelings for me without caring what it would do to our family."

I kissed her again, and said, "Don't worry, I won't hold you to what the girls said, you are welcome to sleep in your own room."

Her answer was, "If you think after all this that you are going to get away from me tonight, then dream on Buster, tonight we become husband and wife." With that she took hold of my hand and gently pulled me towards my (our) master bedroom.

I said, "Before anything else, I need a shower." So, taking my robe, I went into the bathroom and stripped off. I turned the water on and stepped into the shower and, as the water drenched me, I heard the noise of the shower door closing. I turned and there stood a vision waiting for me. The resemblance to Sophia Loren didn't end with the clothes. Her breasts stood out proudly, with aureoles bigger around than silver dollars and deep reddish brown nipples that were begging to be fed upon. 

Her body tapered down to a small waist and a lightly rounded stomach, continuing down to a well pronounced mound. Her downy pubic hair filled the space between the tops of her legs leading the eye down to the two puffy pink lips of her vagina, just begging to be stroked and opened up. As the water ran down her body, she looked fantastic. I took her in my arms, her breasts pushing into my chest, and an erection immediately followed.

My penis slid between her legs, touching the lips of her vagina and seeking its home. I turned her back against the wall of the shower, but she placed a finger on my lips and said "Let's get clean and take this to bed. There will be lots of time for sex in the shower and christening the other rooms, but right now I want you loving me, not lust. There is plenty of time for that. I want our first time together to be in our bed." We hurriedly soaped and rinsed each other, dried each other off and then hurried into the bedroom. We stood beside the bed, holding each other, and then I sat on the side of the bed and pulled her down beside me. 

A thought struck me and I said "Maria, what about protection? I have never brought a woman back here before, I don't have any condoms. Are you on any kind of protection"? 

Her answer was, "No, I'm not on the pill; I haven't needed protection for a while. I know I am clean, and I'm sure you are. I don't mind if you give me your baby. In fact, I hope you do. If the bride goes to the altar with a baby bump, she will be carrying it proudly. Let's get started on those boys!"

She lay back on the bed, and I settled alongside her on my side so that I could bend down and kiss her. I nuzzled my lips down her neck and chest until my lips were brushing one nipple and my fingers were teasing the other. Then I switched and felt the other nipple firm and erect. I slid my hand down her body and cupped her mound, feeling the dampness there. For a moment I thought Well, what does the book say to do next? Then I thought To hell with it, just do what come naturally.

Her left hand stroked my hard shaft and cupped my balls. I slid one finger between her lower lips and felt her body rising to take it deeper into her. I began sliding my kisses down her body, sliding a second finger between her lips as she became wetter.

My lips soon were brushing her pubic hairs, and I slid my tongue between her lower lips, soon finding her clitoral bump. As I licked it, she moaned, saying "Yes, lover, that's the spot, but I don't really need that, I need you in me, right now." I moved between her long legs, and her hand slid between our bodies, taking my manhood and guiding it between the lips of her vagina. She moved it across the lips a few times till it was coated with her juices, and, with a sigh, she guided me into her, shallowly at first then deeper. As I moved to and fro, Maria started pushing up to me, saying "Harder, harder," till she yelled, "Oh my god! I'm coming!"

I pushed in deeper, as far as I could go as she pushed up to me. I kept the movements slow and deliberate for a few minutes, but my need became too much for me to handle. Then things happened in a rush and I felt my semen empty out into her. I tried to lift off her, but she held me close and we continued deep kissing.

I felt Maria's hand reach down to my penis and she started gently sliding her hand up and down. I felt my body begin to respond to her movements and get harder. She whispered to me, "That got the rush away, this time just make slow passionate love to me." I did. I slid gently into her, and slowly moved back and forth, trying to hit all her nerve endings and hot spots until we both hit long slow orgasms and could do no more. 

Maria stirred, looked up at me and said, "You know, there are three women in your life that didn't have a clue what they were dealing with. I do and am very happy to say you are mine, and I am yours for as long as you can put up with me." We were a long time settling down to sleep, and even then woke a couple of times, both times with me on my back and a beautiful body pressing me down nicely, her vagina within range of my swelling manhood. It was a short night for both of us.

Next morning I was treated to the sight of her wonderful face beside me, her breasts tucked in to my chest. Her eyes opened and gazed at me. "Good morning, lover" were her first words. "What would you like for breakfast?" My answer was, "I've got everything I want right here, I'm happy until lunch." Maria came back, "You may be satisfied, I certainly am, but just how much longer do you think those two terrors of ours are going to give us?" Her use of the word 'ours' thrilled me. A feeling of warmth flooded my body. Just then the door opened and two faces peeked around it.

We hastily pulled up the covers as they grinned at us, then ran across the room and jumped on the bed with us. We cuddled one each close, making sure there were no accidental views. That was much easier for me than for Maria. Then I asked them to let us get up and get breakfast started. Maria and I dressed in underwear and robes; she had to use one of mine to get to her clothes in the other room. In the meantime I chased the girls off downstairs to get the newspapers.

When I looked at the headlines, I got a total shock. Right across the front page, I saw the headline "Confessions of a Foolish Woman". Under the headline I read, " These articles over the next four days will detail the actions of a woman who describes herself as foolish at least, stupid at worst. She details how, by her own conduct, she destroyed a good marriage and how, at the end of the process she was even assisted by the court system to destroy her trusting husband."

"Barbara Gibbons, the former Mrs. Barbara Hendricks, has decided to tell the story of how she destroyed her marriage and the reputation of her former husband, and the way she was assisted in doing so by her ex-husband's siblings as wells as by the Justice system. Readers may recall the local television news last night that detailed the arrests of Ms. Gibbons, her two former sisters, her lawyer and her divorce judge on charges of conspiring to divert the causes of Justice in her divorce."

"Ms. Gibbons has decided to tell all to make sure that her former husband's reputation is restored as much as possible. In the following series of articles, she will be naming names of those she had affairs with. The publishers of this paper would be foolish to make these allegations without proof. The proof is that Ms. Gibbons has kept a series of journals detailing her affairs, how they started, on whose advice they started, whom they were with, and when. These journals are supported by receipts for a credit card in her own name, a personal bank account, and, in many cases, photos."

"As stated, Ms. Gibbon's purpose in releasing this story is not to make money, but to first of all remedy the wrong done to her family, and also to bring the entire affair into the public eye so that nothing can be swept under the rug in the charges related to the arrests. We at this paper have examined the evidence provided by Ms. Gibbons, and back it one hundred percent. Our lawyers have also commented that this information would be prime evidence in any lawsuit brought against any person or company involved in the case, and will be made available to Mr. Hendricks at the end of the publication of these articles. See the first of the articles on page 2 of the first section."

I passed the paper to Maria, who read it, whistled softly and then said, "Wow, she really meant it when she said she was going to be coming clean." 

I replied, "Well, if what the article says is correct about the information, there are a lot of people who are going to be more than a little worried about what is coming out. The girls are going to be hurt by it, I'm sure." 

Maria responded, "That is true, but it happened and it can't just be hidden away. The other kids in school are going to be reading the material and commenting on it to the girls. Let's face it, there is nothing crueler than a child who has an axe to grind. It would be far better that the girls know what is going on and are prepared to handle it."

We called the girls in and showed them the article. Maria said to them, "We aren't going to try to hide these articles from you. You are going to hear about them at school without a doubt, and you have to be prepared. You just have to remember that Barbara did these things when she was encouraged and pushed by others, and that she is trying to clear things up. Hopefully, when all this is over, we will be able to understand her more, and you will be able to handle it. Just try your best to take things easy, and we will see what happens."

To be continued



Sophia Continued Pt. 03



Sophia Continued Part 3

Should be read after Sophia Continued Parts 1 and 2, and all parts of Sophia by CastleStone. I make no claims to be as funny as CastleStone. I'm just trying to provide a conclusion for Don and Maria who were kind of left hanging in the wind. Also, I don't have the gamma ray desk light that CastleStone had or his recipe book.

Just maybe this part will give us that conclusion. Also I would like to give credit to Yellow Peril, CastleStone's editor who gave me access to two further parts that CastleStone had written but were going through the editing process. While I couldn't use his material, it gave me more insight into his plans and the realization that we were working along the same lines. We just had slightly different ways of getting there. I would also like to thank Yellow Peril for volunteering to help me with the last two chapters. I admire his patience as an editor.

Chris and Maria. The conclusion

Well, the day after that article was printed, the dam burst. The first part of Barbara's interview was published, telling how her sisters had urged her to have an affair to get some excitement into our marriage, and how they had helped by setting it up for her with their gym instructor, and her first couple of affairs with their friends. No details were left out. How she made her lovers wear condoms, so there was never any semen left! How she always made sure to get home early, shower and douche, and then once I got home, she made sure to get me in the mood so that we had sex as well. What really hurt was when she said that the biggest enjoyment for her was not the sex, but the feeling of power over me that began to replace her feeling that she was always in my power.

Megan and Robin read the first article, and both of them had tears running down their faces. They could not believe their mother could say the things they were reading! We had moved much of Maria's clothing to my apartment that day, and she was there to console them as much as I was.

We told them that we had also been down to the courthouse and offered to post bail for Barbara, but were told it had been looked after and that she had been freed. She had gone into seclusion and the courthouse staff wasn't allowed to give out her address, even to us, unless there was an emergency involving one of the girls. She was staying away from the press except for the local paper that was running the articles. I told them that Richard was going to contact the court to try to arrange a meeting with their mom for Maria and me.

The phone started ringing. When I answered it, the first words I heard were, "I'm Sally Reed of WOKK News. Do you have any comments on the interview given by your former wife in the Daily News?"

I quickly answered, "Miss Reed, I have no comment. The article is my ex wife's business and not mine." That was the first of many phone calls. Eventually I pulled all the jacks out of the phones to stop them ringing. I told Megan Robin and Maria to use only their cell phones; I then called Richard and asked him what to do. His suggestion was that we hold a one-time press conference, which I thought was a good one, so I told him to go ahead and arrange it for tomorrow, and gave him my cell number so that he could contact me.

Maria broke in and asked, "Why don't we go up to my place in the mountains? It isn't listed in my name; Richard knows the number, as do Freddie, Kathy and Vanessa, so they can all contact us there. We will still get the information from the papers, and we won't be disturbed by the reporters. It didn't take us long to pack and get started loading the SUV down in the parking area, but it was going to be a daunting task to fit everything in. After a few minutes of frustration, Maria said, "You know, we could get a whole lot more into that vehicle if the tool boxes and survival gear weren't there."

I retorted, "Yes, but it was the stuff in those boxes that saved your life, remember."

Her reply was short and sweet, "Don, go take a look out the window. The sun is shining and it is the middle of the summer. Why do we need foul weather gear? Remember, between us we have enough money to handle any bills, and other people do good work too."

I finally grinned; I knew when to call it quits. Maria 1 Don 0, yet it felt so good for once to be overruled. This relationship was going to be something pretty different from my experience with Barbara

We decided to delay going to Maria's place in the mountains until the next day after the scheduled press conference. Richard and Maria were there, as was my lawyer. He handled things and gave out a statement, which he then read aloud, that I was unaware of what Barbara's intentions were, that I was unaware of what disclosures were to be made and that, while the whole matter had been over now for several years, I was happy that my good name was being restored. Any actions on my behalf would be taken by my lawyers if I so instructed.

I then stood to take some questions. I was asked what I thought about what Barbara was doing. My reply was, "I think she is being very courageous in ensuring that the truth is finally presented."

I was then asked, "In light of this, is there any truth to a rumor that you will get back together again with your ex wife?"

I answered, "Because of what was done, things between my former wife and I have progressed far beyond the possibility of reconciliation. Trust was destroyed and will be the most difficult to restore. Barbara and I still have two daughters together, and raising them will make us work together at times. If we can do that as friends it will make life much smoother for the girls. That is all I will say on the subject." Then I bent and took Maria's hand, raising her up beside me. "Besides, this lady has done me the honor of consenting to become Mrs. Maria Hendricks. When the wedding will be we have not decided yet, but no doubt I will be told in time to get there. Just as an aside, though, I have been told by others that there are several people who are extremely jealous of my fiancé, and will stop at nothing to mar her happiness. I'm choosing to serve notice now that I and my family are aware of her past, that I will regard any publication of such gossip as an attack on my family, and that I will take legal action against any person or company doing so."

In the uproar after my announcement, we managed to slip out of the room through a rear exit, pick up the girls, and head down to the basement parking. As we drove out and pointed the SUV towards the mountains, I breathed a big sigh of relief. Megan yelled "Hooray! No school for a while!"

Maria instantly turned in her seat towards the girls and told them, "As I seem to have been elected the second string mom, I have to look after my children's educations, so, sorry girls, but I will be arranging for a tutor for a couple of weeks."

"Foiled again." was Megan's grumpy reply

After we arrived at Maria's house and started some coffee going, she called Carl and Lucille to let them know that we were there. They said they would be right over to get a meal going for us, as they hadn't expected us. Maria let them know that we were there to stay away from all of the press hubbub. She asked them to please not let anyone know that we were there. When they arrived a few minutes later, Maria and I were sitting in the kitchen while Megan and Robin were up in their bedroom unpacking. Maria poured them some coffee, and asked them to sit with us for a while.

She went on, "Well, we have a bit of a surprise for you. Don and I have decided to marry, as soon as we can."

Carl grinned, looked at Lucille, and happily proclaimed, "I win!" Maria and I looked at them with mystified expressions.

Lucille smiled and added, "We had a bet on whether you would get married. The only reason he got to bet 'yes' was that he got in first. My bet was that you would be (a) married by the end of the year, and (b) that you would be pregnant by then. Looking at the foolish grins on your faces, I figure I'm going to be the big winner."

There were happy hugs and 'congratulations!' all around. Then Lucille turned to me, smiled, and said, "Boss or no boss, I'm telling you one thing. This is my kitchen, and unless I or Maria invite you, you stay out of it! I've heard all about you and your cooking, and the giant messes you make, so you had better stick to the barbecue; I always hated that anyway."

I raised my hand as if to ward her off and keep her away from me as I rapidly backed away. "Ok, ok, I get it, I'm supposed to leave things to others and not take over. Carl, I take it you don't have any rules for me?"

Carl replied, "Not much, just let me know about any projects you plan, and let me see how I can help. The way you handled that tree still makes me shudder, you are lucky you weren't killed! If we both work on something, that makes for more safety."

Maria and I left them to their cooking, and went through to the living room to cuddle together. Maria looked up at me and said, "You're being very quiet tonight. What's on your mind? Not second thoughts, I hope?"

I quickly replied, "Not for a minute! But, as I'm being relegated to the position of husband around here, I was wondering what, as protector in chief, I could do about the three witches."

Maria sat up in a hurry, "Just you be careful around those bitches, and I don't need you getting involved with them!"

"Don't worry," I continued, "for what I had in mind I won't be involved until it is just about all over. I'll give my lawyer and Richard a call in the morning and get things started."

Next morning, or rather mid morning, for some reason Marie and I got up a bit late, saw both Maria and me on the phone; Maria was calling the girl's school to get the name of a tutor, and I was on the line to Richard. Funny how much this guy has become a part of my life too. I talked to him for a few moments and explained the sting I had in mind for the three witches. Then I called my lawyer and asked him to set up a dummy company.

Richard was talking to Peter about getting some actors help for the sting, and he thought he could do just as well with some of his staff. He also let me know that he thought a meeting between Barbara, Maria and me was possible. He was just waiting to hear from the court.

I then talked to Eve about some help at the club. She was overjoyed at the chance. "You mean I finally get the chance to help take those three down? I love it! When do we get started?"

That weekend we had a visit from the entire cast of the PDA. Freddie ran into the house squealing, "A wedding, I can't believe it is finally happening! I want to be Maid of Honor!. When is it going to be?" She pulled me into a bear hug as she squealed. The other two weren't to be left out.

"We want to be Bridesmaids!" echoed Kathy and Vanessa.

Maria interjected, "Hey, you three, put my lover and future husband down; he's mine and he's a keeper!"

"How about us?" asked Megan, "Don't we get to help?"

"Of course, you will both get to help a lot!" we quickly reassured them.

After much discussion over the weekend, they (you don't really think I had any input, do you?) decided that the wedding would be in four months and that we would rely on the PDA to do as much of the organization as possible so we could stay where we were as long as possible

A week later a sign went up on the notice board at Eve's club where the three witches were sure to see it. It read:

Wanted,

A to Z Ladies Wear - a new women's wear company is actively seeking models to show their designs at buyers shows throughout the continental US. Please send your portfolio to: Box 1960, New York Times, 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018. Only those whose portfolios are actively being considered will be called in for interview.

All portfolios received were mailed back to Peter and, as expected, there were folios from Joanne, Anna and Gwen. All others were mailed back to the senders thanking them for sending them in and notifying them that the positions were filled. Peter's next step was to set up interviews. On my instructions he rented two rooms at the downtown Hilton. One was a boardroom in which we would conduct the interviews, the other was a suite several floors up for which we had special plans. Both rooms were wired for video and sound. Each of the witches was to be interviewed on different days.

All of the actors were members of Peter's team of investigators. The interviewers were a male and a female operative, and the special sting actor was a man who worked for Peter occasionally on sting operations. Paul Hughes was a big man who quite honestly disproved the theory that black males were better equipped that white males. He was so impressively equipped that his previous career had been as a well known porno star known as Poleaxe Paul. He had been really popular until he met up with a certain young rookie porno actress and fell madly in love. She decided that she was leaving the industry right then and there, and that Poleaxe Paul belonged to her and her alone.

The plan for the sting was that as each of the witches was being interviewed, the interviewer would say, "First, I have to advise you, that so we can make our decision properly, these interviews are being videotaped. Copies of the video will be made available to you. What we are looking for is a single model who will carry the company name. We have three possible candidates for the position." Then he or she would name all three of them. They would be asked what they thought of themselves and of the other two. What we had hoped for took place.

Joanne was the first to comment. "I'm by far the best choice; neither of them knows what to do if I'm not there to tell them. Anna is a fat pig, Gwen has a food disorder, and you never know if she is going to do the job or run off making herself sick. They are both drunken sluts, they will drink and club all night, then go off to bed with whoever wants to get into their pants. If it wasn't for me neither of them would have a clue as to what is going on." She continued in the same vein. The interviews with Anna and Gwen were much the same; they both extolled their own virtues and tried to trash the other two. They both equally badmouthed Joanne, who was pictured as a manipulative controlling bitch who ruined every shoot she went on.

The final step in each interview was to say, "Upstairs in Suite 316 is one of the major investors in the company, a Mr. Paul Hughes. He has expressed interest in meeting you, and to be quite honest we don't know what he has in mind. It may be that he wants something you are not willing to do. It is up to you to decide if you are willing or not. I can't counsel you one way or the other!"

All three of them, Joanne, Anna and Gwen, were to go upstairs where they would be videoed rapping on the door and entering. In the bathroom would be the famed Poleaxe Paul. He was to come out into the room, naked as the day he was born, and concentrate on getting the girl as hot as possible, until she removed her clothes and got on the bed. Then he was to say, "Forget it, Babe, you ain't worth cheating on my wife for," leaving each crushed and furious. The sting worked like a charm. Each of them was furious when she left. Paul's obvious equipment had each of them drooling, so he hadn't had to work very hard, and they were furious when they found out that they were not getting any part of it.

A week later they were called to Eve's club where the announcement of the winner was to be made. Eve and the three were seated at a table near the band, with security close at hand. A screen was lowered and a projector set up. A DVD was placed in the machine, started, and the video of Joanne's interview was run. It was closely followed by those of Ann and Gwen. The people in the club sat in silence until they were finished. Then they burst out in roars of laughter at the way the three had been set up. There was no laughter at the three witches' table though, and the security people were needed to stop physical blows as they each tried to get at the others. After getting them all under control, the guards and Eve escorted the three to another room where Maria and I were waiting to put the final lid on things.

I greeted them all with a big smile. "Hi, ladies, we have met before during your pitiful efforts to come between Maria and me. I also have it on good authority that you have tried to make Maria's life miserable with your catty and self-serving comments. Well, let me show you something." I then played the videos of each of them with Paul.

"Ladies. You heard what I said at the press conference - the campaign against Maria is to stop. Remember, we have these videos, and if there is any dirty talk or gossip about Maria from any one of you, then these videos go on the net. You are intelligent enough to know they will go viral, so you will not be the laughing stock of just this city, but of the whole world. Enough is enough, and don't ever forget, you will never know whether you are talking to a friend of mine. Now get out, and don't let us ever see you in our lives again. I'm sure that ban applies to Eve and her club as well."

In the background Eve said, "Don, you sure have that one right! I've never seen such a sickening bunch. If they never came here again, they would be doing me a favor."

To say that Joanne, Gwen and Anna slunk out with their heads betweens their tails would be an understatement, and we were sure they would offer us no trouble in the future.

Maria

After our successful operation to short circuit the three witches, we stayed up in the mountains for a couple of months. Barbara's admissions made the press for almost a week, but the uproar slowly died down as other news came up, pretty much as was predicted, Don and I made the best of our time, making wedding plans and putting my good friends in the PDA to work. We occasionally went to the city whenever Don was scheduled to testify, or for dress fittings, or for signing contracts for the hall, band and caterer, but that was all.

'Richard was able to set up a series of meetings between Barbara, Don and myself. We held the first one at my house up in the mountains. When Barbara and Richard arrived, I put out coffee for everyone, and Richard introduced me to Barbara.' "Barbara I'd like you to meet Maria. She looked over at me and said, "I can't even say it is nice to meet my competition. I'm well aware now, that I made sure that I wasn't competition for anyone. I would like to thank you, though, for the efforts you have made with Robin and Megan to accept me for what I am. At least they talk to and with me, which they wouldn't do for a long time. I wish you both the happiness that I thought was boredom until I threw it away and didn't have it anymore."

Don looked at Barbara and thoughtfully replied, "Barbara, the fact remains that we have a lot of history together. It wasn't all bad, and we have two wonderful daughters that we still have to raise together. In a way, I can even understand the way you felt. You can thank Maria and her friends for opening my eyes to my own behavior. My father had turned me into a 'fix it now' machine when I was a child, and I never grew out of it. Maria and her friends made me see that I wasn't 'helping' so much as 'controlling'. I never relaxed. Anything that had to be done, became something that had to be done right now rather than something to be done sometime. I couldn't have been easy to live with."

Barbara looked at Don with tears in her eyes. "I wish I had been able to try harder to teach you that. If I had put as much effort into my marriage as I did into my lifestyle, I think there would have been a very different result. As it is, that is all water under the bridge, and as long as you and Maria allow me to help with the girls, that is all I can ask. You know, I was going to get all angry about the comments you made at the news conference and talk about how unfitting Maria was to help raise the girls. Then I looked at myself and compared us, me a married woman having all kinds of affairs, Maria a young woman in her 20s and single. I did far more damage than she has ever done. All I can say is good luck to you both."




Sophia Continued Pt. 03



Don looked at Barbara and replied, "Thank you. You will always be a part of our daughters' lives. Also, regardless of the result of the court cases, I will not be seeking any money. The original two million dollars was a fair settlement. Richard tells me you placed the additional million in trust for Megan's and Robin's education cost. I propose we leave it in the trust fund, but that both you and I are named to the fund to administer it jointly." Barbara agreed and the meeting was over. 'After that first meeting, we held the remaining ones at Richard's office. They were very helpful in clearing the air and setting things in place for the upcoming trial.'

Otherwise the next couple of months were paradise, compounded with happiness when that little test stick turned blue. That was even more so a week later when a second test confirmed the first. It hadn't taken too long, either. I think Don may well have done the job right the very first time. What else would we expect from him? I was just happy that inside me there was a new life growing that would be both of ours to nourish.

I think that Megan and Robin were just as thrilled as Don and I were when we told them. That they were going to be big sisters was the best news of all. 'Just wait till we get back to school to tell!' was their biggest thrill. I thought This little one, boy or girl, is going to be one of the most spoilt children alive.

The trials were over quickly. Once all the defense lawyers saw the evidence that Barbara had provided, most of the fight went out of them and all they could do was try to minimize the damage. Don's testimony was pretty much what he had said in the original divorce proceedings. Barbara's original lawyer was finished after Barbara as well as Don's sisters testified, as to the way he counseled them to testify in the original divorce. He was found guilty of suborning perjury and conspiracy to impede the course of justice, as were Barbara, Diane and Michelle. He got a 3 year sentence; Barbara, Diane and Michelle were sentenced to 2 years, which in Barbara's case was suspended, plus 200 hours community service, which wasn't. Barbara is now volunteering at a local hospice for the terminally ill.

In the Judge's case, it was decided she was not part of the conspiracy since there wasn't sufficient evidence against her. The Bar Association stepped in though, and revoked her license to practice law which, was also required to act as a Judge, and meant she could no longer sit as a Judge.

The hottest contention that Don and I had was when I said, "Don, I want to invite Barbara to the wedding."

"Why on earth do you want to do that!?" he exclaimed, his cheeks a bright pink. "I can't think of any reason why you would want her there!"

"Because this wedding is going to be the first big positive event in your daughters' lives. It is almost as much their day as ours. She is still their mother, and I bet they would love to have her see them that day."

Don grumbled and mumbled until I said, "Okay, let's ask them. They are in their rooms" We called them in, and I asked them, "If you have the choice, when your Dad and I marry, would you like your Mom to be there to see you or not?"

Megan excitedly asked, "Do you really mean it?"

I answered, "If you want her there, we will send her an invitation. We can't force her to come, but she can if she wishes."

"Can we sign the invitation as well?"

"Of course you can!"

"Then, yes!" they both said.

Of course, I didn't tell Don or the girls of my other reason. I was making a statement to Barbara that I didn't want her to miss. "You had this man and threw him on the scrap heap. Now he is mine, and he will be until the day I die!"

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Yesterday was the big day. I could barely hold back the tears as I watched Robin, my flower girl, followed by Megan, Cathy and Vanessa slowly walk down the aisle ahead of me, followed by Freddie. Smiles followed them as they walked down the aisle. Richard murmured to me, "Knock them dead, girl, that dress really emphasizes your little bulge that is developing," and, with a grin, offered me his arm.

As we walked down the aisle, I looked ahead and there was Don, handsome in his tux, alongside Ken, who was his best man. I thought for a minute, Ken you had better have those rings. He had made my engagement ring and had made matching wedding rings for Don and me. I hadn't even seen them yet! With a great deal of satisfaction I saw Barbara sitting there watching. I especially gloated at her obvious surprise that I was pregnant and showing already.

Suddenly we were there in front of the altar. Richard passed my hand over to Don and then stood to one side. Our vows passed in a blur of time until Don slid a beautiful diamond ring on my finger, and I slid a matching ring on his. When the Minister told us we could kiss, I felt fulfilled, at last.

After we signed the register, we turned and started back up the aisle. I looked over and Barbara was in tears, her head down, and I realized just what it had cost her to come. It had to be a tremendous blow to her pride, but she had come for the girls. Later, as she came through the receiving line, I thanked her for coming as it meant a lot to the girls. She leaned forward and quietly murmured, "Be good to him. Be the wife I should have been and wasn't." Then she left. She didn't come to the reception. I guess I wouldn't have either. Did it make me feel great or triumphant? Not a bit. I was surprised, but I actually felt sorry for her when I realized just what it had cost her to be there.

Barbara

When I went into the church, it was almost déjà vu seeing a much more mature Don in his tux standing waiting by the altar. It sent my thoughts back many years to the day when I was the one making that walk down the aisle. I was proud to watch Megan and Robin play their part so well. They must have practiced their walk for hours.

Then, when Maria came down the aisle, I was devastated. She was obviously pregnant and had that special glow that mothers-to-be have. Then, after the ceremony, when Don and Maria came down the aisle hand in hand, the tears started to flow. I knew that any hope I might have had with Don was gone. If I never had before, I finally realized what I had thrown away by my actions. I held myself together for as long as it took me to congratulate them, then I had to leave.

I don't know how I drove home.The tears were flowing well into the night for what might have been, but now would not be. I finally fully understood the consequences that I had not dreamt of when I decided to break my marriage vows.

Epilogue - Don

Well, I get to get a word in again. With a wife, two teenage daughters and three female friends who delight to be with us, it gets kind of hard, but -- hey, I'm not complaining. In about a month I will no longer be the only male around. That is when Donald Hendricks Junior is scheduled to show up; yes, it's a boy, or so I'm told. I still have problems figuring out the ultrasound, but I have it on good authority that he is definitely a boy.

All I know is that he is a powerful little guy as he kicks away, letting Mom know he is still there, and Dad, too, if we happen to be in bed cuddling. Half the time Maria is giving me a hard time, telling me that this is entirely my entire fault, making her look huge and making her waddle around. The other half of the time she is sitting on my knee with her tongue down my throat urging me to head for the bedroom. I know we won't be able to do that for a while after he arrives, so I always take advantage of Maria when she feels in that mood.

We left the legal scene up to our lawyers. The last we heard, they had settled with the Judge, Barbara's ex lawyer and my sisters, and they were up to around 4 million. My former company had acknowledged that my former boss had breached the company's morality clause. Barbara's journals showed that he had been trying to get into her pants from the day her met her, long before she ever betrayed me, and it is now just a matter of how high the insurance carrier will go.

The A to Z Women's Wear Company is flourishing. That's why we see so much of Freddie, Kathy and Vanessa. We were talking with our lawyer one day, and he asked if we wanted to dissolve the company. Marie felt we should hang on for a while. She and the girls kept on talking, and between them they decided to go into business together selling fashionable clothing to some niche markets that were not adequately targeted: the pregnant, mature and disabled women who were not being served .

Maria was the first pregnant model for the company. The other girls started handling the mature and the disabled, and right now they seem to be having a pretty good run of business. They picked up a couple of good recent fashion graduates and an excellent clothing production company, and it seems to be going full speed ahead.

Even Barbara has an admirer. The girls tell us that Peter has taken her out for dinner and to some shows, and they spend the occasional evening with them. In a way it doesn't really surprise me, as, during the trials, Peter told me that he admired Barbara for her persistence in the face of her obvious personal pain. Once she decided her course of action, she stayed right with it. I wish them good luck, something I never would have thought possible before that irresistible force came into my life, and changed it for the better.

There is one rule I have to obey, though. On our wedding night I was told in no uncertain terms, "Don't even think of Sophia, it's Maria and always will be!"

The end