Transcription
Welcome to Channel. Today, we explore a story filled with unexpected twists. Please subscribe and like to stay updated. Let's begin.
My name is David Palmer, and this is my story. Right now, I'm living in a small apartment, but things weren't always this way. A year and a half ago, I had a three-bedroom house in Pineville, two cars, a mortgage, and a wife who cared about me. We had been married for five years and were planning to start a family once we saved a bit more money, so my wife, Megan, could stop working and be home with the baby.
That was until my younger brother, Jake, moved in with us. Jake had just lost his job. He was living far from the rest of the family and felt lonely, so he figured it was a good time to come back home and start over. He didn't have much saved. He'd only been working for a few years and wasn't great at managing his money. He didn't want to stay with Linda and Robert, so he asked if he could live with Megan and me until he got a job and found his own place.
I asked Megan, and she was happy to have Jake stay with us. She had always thought he was funny and nice, and since we had extra space, it was fine. I thanked her for being so cool about it, and we made the arrangements. A month later, Jake moved in. He was very thankful for our hospitality and he promised not to cramp our style too much.
The routine around the house changed a bit, but for the most part, it was for the better. Jake worked around the house and yard when he wasn't job hunting, so it made things easier on me and Megan. He even cooked once in a while, which Megan really appreciated. We spent our evenings watching TV or movies or playing games, and it was nice to have my cousin home again. We would go over to Linda and Robert's for cookouts, with Jake being the center of attention for a while because he had been gone so long. My mother especially doted on him, but I understood. He was the baby, after all, and had always been close to Linda.
Things went along well, except the job market was tough in our area, and Jake wasn't having much luck finding anything. He felt like he needed to contribute more, as it looked like his stay with us was going to be longer than he had first hoped. He volunteered to take over all outside chores and even helped with the housework. I found this to be very helpful, as I was involved with a project that was taking up more of my time than I liked.
One night, I was sitting with my cousin in the living room watching TV. Megan was out with some friends, so it was just us guys. "Jake, how's the job hunting going?" I asked. I had been working late the last few days, and we hadn't talked in a while.
"I've got a lot of resumes out that I have to follow up on in a few days, but so far, no luck," Jake sighed, taking a sip of his soda.
"I hear you, bro. The job market is tough right now, but you've got a good track record and a good attitude. I'm sure you'll get that interview real soon." I took a pull of my soda as well. "Any luck on the dating front?"
Jake looked at me like I was nuts. "Dating front? What dating front? I'm here working when I'm not on interviews or at the library, and at night, I'm home with you and Megan. The only action I'm getting is from my right hand." Jake chuckled sadly.
"You don't have to hang out here every night, you know. You should get out and meet people. Networking could help you in more ways than one, you know."
"You know, maybe I will. We'll have to look into groups that might be in my field. Who knows, maybe you'll meet a hot woman too."
Having my cousin around did cut into our love life, but not too badly. We would never have been a couple to screw in every room in the house at the drop of a hat, though we had christened every room when we first moved in. Our love life was very good. We would have sex three or four times a week, more on weekends, of course, when we had more time and we were more relaxed. We took having sex in the afternoons on weekends when Jake was out, or we'd do it quietly before going to sleep when he had stayed up late to watch a movie. In spite of our best efforts, having Jake around cut into our playtime, if you will.
After he had been with us six months, our three or four times a week had dwindled to three or four times a month. I didn't know about Megan, but I was getting frustrated. Between the extra work I had been doing these past few months and the decrease in the frequency of our sex life, I was not a happy camper. I decided to do something about it, so I made a reservation at a bed and breakfast we'd been to a year or so ago for the coming weekend. I had wanted this to be a surprise romantic weekend, but it didn't work out that way.
"You did what?" Megan asked incredulous.
"I made reservations for Friday and Saturday night at our favorite bed and breakfast. We've been neglecting ourselves too long. We need a weekend away to recharge our batteries," I said enthusiastically.
"Well, I wish you'd checked with me first because I can't go this weekend," Megan said hotly.
"If you'd listen when I talk, you'd know that I'm already committed to helping your mother with her yard sale all weekend."
"We'll call Linda and tell her what's up. She'll understand," I said, trying to calm her down.
"No, she won't. This is the neighborhood sale, and she's been planning this for months. She's asked Jake to help too, so there's no way I'm going to get out of it."
"You take the cake, Charlie," she said disgustedly. Megan got up and left the room, leaving me with my mouth open.
I called and canceled the reservation. Luckily, it was early enough, and the cancellation didn't cost me anything. After this little argument, our love life really trailed off. It seemed as if I could do nothing right. If I wasn't working too much, I wasn't helping around the house, allowing poor Jake to do all the work. I was flabbergasted, to be honest. Why was Megan taking this attitude with me? She knew I was on a big project at work that required a lot of overtime. She also knew that Jake had volunteered to work around the house as payment for living with us rent-free.
I didn't like her attitude and told her so. "What the hell is your problem, Megan? You know I don't want to be working these kinds of hours. You also know that Jake volunteered to work around the house because we don't charge him rent. What's the real problem?" I asked angrily.
"I don't have a problem, Charlie. It's obvious what is important in your life, and it isn't me."
"You know we both have to work to pay for this house. Are you telling me that you'd rather I quit my job? Is that what you want?" I yelled.
"No, I just want you to stop working so damn much. We never get to go anywhere anymore."
"Well, whose fault is that? You're the one who couldn't disappoint Linda when I would plan a romantic weekend."
I was pissed now, and the gloves were off. "At least I helped your mother. You didn't do a damn thing that weekend but hang around here or play golf."
"Jake did more to help than you did," she fired back.
"Jake, Jake, Jake! That's all I hear lately. If Jake is so damn great, why don't you move into his bedroom and leave me the hell alone? I'm sure he'd be more than happy to support this house. Oh, I forget, he doesn't have a job."
I picked up my jacket and headed out the door. "I'm going out," I slammed the door behind me and hopped in the car. I drove to the local sports bar and nursed a beer for the second half of the basketball game. As I sat there, not watching the game, I replayed the argument. We both said some things we probably regret, but I had to wonder why she was taking this kind of attitude. Why was she supporting Jake? I wondered for a second if she might be having an affair with Jake, but I quashed that idea pretty quickly. I loved my cousin, and he loved me. He would never do anything like that to me. I didn't think Megan would either, but her attitude and the lack of sex lately made me wonder.
I knew I was pretty frustrated, so I guess she had to be as well. I wondered if she wasn't so frustrated that she'd do something to fix it. I didn't know what to do. I had no real evidence that something was up with Megan, and I sure wasn't going to spend a lot of money having her followed or anything like that on just a wild hunch. I did have a small voice-activated tape recorder that I could hide somewhere. Where to hide it, though? I decided to start in the bedroom. If I didn't get anything in a week, I would move it around the house and see what I could get. With some kind of plan in place, I finished the beer and headed home.
I walked into the house quietly, not willing to rouse anyone if they were asleep. I hoped that Megan would be asleep too, since I didn't want to deal with her at this point either. The bedroom door wasn't locked, so I crept in as silently as possible, stripped off my clothes, and slid into bed. I turned over, facing away from Megan, and settled down to sleep.
When I felt my wife's hand on my shoulder, "Charlie," she whispered.
"Yes," I responded carefully.
"I'm sorry, honey. I've been a real pain to you, and I don't know why you put up with me," she said as she stroked my shoulder and back.
"I love you, Megan. That's why. I'm sorry too. I have been working too hard, and maybe I've been neglecting you," I said as I turned over.
Megan came into my arms as soon as I turned over, and she attacked me, kissing me lustily. We had wild sex. Once we were done, we lay beside each other. "God, Megan, that was the best sex we've had in a long time," I said as I kissed her nose and smiled.
"Maybe we should fight more often," I teased.
"No way," she said emphatically. "I hate fighting with you, Charlie. I'm really sorry, baby. Can you forgive me?"
"Of course, honey. I hate fighting with you too." I pecked her on the nose again and flopped onto my back. I pulled her into my arms, and she laid her head on my chest as we enjoyed the afterglow. I kissed her head and was surprised to find that she'd already fallen asleep. I closed my eyes and allowed sleep to claim me as well.
The next morning, I felt pretty foolish for my thoughts that Megan might be cheating on me. We had gotten into a rut, and both of us had been frustrated and taken it out on the other. I vowed not to be such a jerk again. I turned over and watched Megan sleeping. She was a very pretty woman, shoulder-length sandy blonde hair, green eyes. Her shape was very pleasing, curvy without being heavy, and all the curves in the right places.
"Hi, baby," Megan said with a smile as she opened her eyes.
"Hello, sexy," I said as I kissed her deeply.
"I love you so much, Megan."
She smiled and caressed my cheek. "I love you too, Charlie." She glanced over at the clock and threw back the covers. "I'm going to shower. Want to join me?"
"Yeah, I'm right behind you." As I walked into the bathroom, I noticed a mark on her hip. It looked like a bruise, but it had a strange shape. "Honey, what happened on your hip? It looks like you bruised it."
Megan looked behind her but couldn't see what I was talking about. She stepped over to the mirror and saw the mark I was talking about. She blushed and seemed to be hesitant to answer. "Oh, I remember now," she said nervously. "I slipped in the tub yesterday and banged against the soap dish. I didn't think I would bang myself that hard, but I guess I did."
Soon, we started the shower, and it ended with sex. However, this time she did something that she had never done. Some details I would rather not share, but she was different. The water was starting to go cold, so we climbed out of the shower and dried off. Megan came to me and hugged me tightly to her. "I'm so glad you liked it, Charlie. I've been so horny lately. I've read some articles about sex, and they made me so hot. I hope you don't mind the new me."
"Of course not, honey. Who is going to argue with a sexy wife who wants to please her husband with some new things? I'm sure not going to," I said with a chuckle. I smacked her on the hip as I made my way to the bedroom.
"Hey, watch that," she said with a smile.
"You better get dressed, or we'll be late for work," I said with a leer.
"Yes, Charlie, but you just wait until tonight."
Megan was true to her word that night and many nights thereafter. It seemed as if our sex life had been reborn, but with a difference. Where before our lovemaking was gentle and slow, now it was more frantic and experimental. I enjoyed this new side to my wife very much, but it also made me wonder where it came from.
"Megan," I said after a particularly energetic session, "I hope you don't think I'm complaining, but has this new side of you come from? You never used to be this enthusiastic."
"You don't like it?" she said, sounding hurt.
"Of course, I do," I said, trying to sound positive. "I guess I just wonder what happened to cause this change in our lovemaking. I'm just curious, that's all."
She looked at me, trying to gauge my sincerity. "I suppose I've been talking with a new woman at work," she said carefully. "She's very open and free about everything. Once we became friends, she started telling me about her sex life. Life, some of the things she told me had me blushing, but they also intrigued me. I started asking questions, and we talked about things that she loved her husband to do to her, and she to him. She made them sound so sexy, and I started thinking about them a lot. Then I found that woman's magazine that talked about pleasing your partner in bed, and the things in there reinforced most of the things we talked about. I realized that I would been a bit of a prude and had been missing out on a lot of the fun we should have been having. The problem was, you've been working a lot, and our sex life had suffered. After our fight, I vowed to change and start to do some of the things I would heard about," Megan said as she ran her finger around on my chest.
"I'm sorry if I caused you to worry, Charlie. You have to admit, you've changed quite a bit for the better, for sure, but it did make me wonder. I'm very happy that you've decided to be more open about things in bed. I love our sex life, and I couldn't ask for a better wife." I kissed her deeply and rolled on top of her. We made slow, wonderful love again, then fell asleep dreaming the dreams of lovers.
After Jake had been living with us for about nine months, he got a new job and moved out. I was sorry to see him go in one way because it meant I would have to take over the yard work. Actually, I was looking forward to having our home life back to normal without my cousin hanging around. He still stopped by once or twice a week for dinner. Megan was worried that he wouldn't be eating right living all alone, so at least he'd get a good meal when he ate with us. My project finally ended, so my hours at work went back to normal, which I was very, very grateful for. Megan always got home before me, so she'd have supper cooking when I would walk in. On the days Jake was over, he'd be at the house before me as well. He'd usually hang around for a couple of hours, then go home.
One night, I got home a few minutes earlier than usual, as traffic, I guessing. As I walked in the house, I heard what I thought was a groan. "Megan, are you okay, honey?" I called out.
Megan hurried out of the kitchen, red-faced. "Oh, Charlie, you're home early. I'm all right. I just touched a hot pan, is all," she said as she kissed me. I looked at her hand, but didn't see any sign of a burn.
"It looks like you didn't burn yourself too bad, thank goodness. You need to be more careful."
"I will, honey. Come and sit down, dinner is almost ready." We walked into the kitchen. I saw Jake sitting at the table. He had an odd look on his face at first, but it was gone before I could be sure. We ate as usual, then watched a video Jake had brought. When it was time for him to leave, he collected his video and started for the door. Megan stopped him, telling him she was sending some leftovers home with him. I told him good night and headed upstairs. I had time to get undressed and had been in bed for a few minutes when Megan finally came upstairs.
"What took you so long?" I asked.
"Just getting Jake some leftovers. I sent a lot home with him," she said as she made her way to the bathroom. She did whatever she usually did in there and then came out wearing her long nightgown. She climbed into bed and gave me a quick kiss. "Night, Charlie."
"I was horny this evening," so I leaned over and started kissing her.
Megan turned into my arms. "Sorry, honey, I'm kind of tired. Can we do it tomorrow?"
"I guess," I said, disappointed. "I'm probably a little slow on the uptake." Okay, make that a lot slow on the uptake. It took me four more months before I noticed the pattern. Our lovemaking had fallen into a routine. I would like to think it was because the days weren't the same all the time, but the conditions were, and that's what I should have picked up on. I finally noticed that on nights my cousin visited, if we had sex at all, the only sex we had was oral. Megan always had some excuse as to why we couldn't make love, but she was more than willing to take care of me in other ways, so I didn't complain or think all that much about it at first.
I probably wouldn't have figured it out at all if she hadn't worn that stupid long nightgown every time. I saw Megan walk out of the bathroom wearing her long nightgown, and my first thought was, "No sex tonight." It was then that I realized that I had made a connection between that nightgown and my lack of sex. When she wore it, we didn't screw. I vowed to test that theory.
"Right now, hey baby, why don't you put on something sexy so I can take it off you?" I asked huskily.
"Not tonight, baby. I don't feel like it. I had a hectic day at work, and all I want to do is go to sleep," Megan said with a yawn.
Sleep came slower to me as I spent the next hour running through the previous weeks and months, trying to figure out when this had started and why. I guessed it had been well over six months since she had been doing this, but I still hadn't figured out the why. I decided that I was going to be careful to take note of events in the future so I could determine the cause. I hoped. I am no investigator or detective, so it took me another month before I figured out the pattern.
There were a lot of things that happened on the nights Megan wore that nightgown, but there was only one thing that happened on every one of them. Every night that she wore her nightgown, I only got a BJ or no sex at all. My brother had been over for dinner. The problem I had was making a connection between my cousin being over and our sex life. It didn't make any sense. Jake had been dropping by for dinner ever since he had moved out, but rarely on the same night, and usually only once a week. It had to be the most amazing coincidence in history, or there really was something that connected these two events.
Again, it was dumb luck that gave me the clue I needed. I had some work to do, so I was upstairs in my study working when the phone rang. I grabbed it at almost the same time as Megan. She was already speaking as I put the phone to my ear. "Hello?"
"Megan?"
"Hi, Megan. Can you talk?" Jake asked.
"For a minute. Charlie is upstairs working in his study. He should be up there for a while."
"Good. I want you to go down to the laundry room and close the door."
"Yes, master," she whispered. "Master?" I thought. What was this? I pressed my hand hard over the phone so my breathing wouldn't be heard. It wasn't long before I heard Megan's voice again. "I'm here, master."
"What are you wearing, pet?"
"A blouse, bra, skirt, and shoes, sir."
"That... that's very good, pet. Thank you, sir. I wish you were here, sir. I need to feel your hands on my body," Megan said breathlessly.
"I wish that too, my pet. For now, you will have to be content with my words directing you," Jake said huskily.
They were having phone sex. I heard it all. Once they were done, I heard Megan's voice. "Thank you, master," Megan said with obvious pleasure in her voice. "I will be over tomorrow at the usual time."
"I can't wait to get my hands on your sexy body, pet."
"I can hardly wait, master. Make sure you take care of good old Charlie tonight. We wouldn't want him to get suspicious, would we?"
"No, sir. We would not. He'd probably kill both of us if he knew."
"Don't worry, master. They'll screw his brains out tonight," she said with a giggle.
"Until tomorrow, pet," Jake said as he hung up. Megan hung up the phone on her end, as did I. I put away the papers I was working on and began planning how I would catch them the next day at work. I planned and schemed until I came up with something I thought would work. It was simple and didn't require a lot of equipment. I would do it tomorrow night. No need to put this off any longer.
Right when I arrived home that night, Jake was already there, reading the paper. I smiled at my cousin, but it was a smile with an ulterior motive. He smiled back, then continued reading the paper. I walked into the kitchen and pecked Megan on the lips. "Oh, hi, honey," Megan said. "Why don't you get washed up? Supper will be ready in a few minutes."
"Okay," I said as I made to walk out of the kitchen. "Oh, I almost forgot. I've got to work late tomorrow night, probably until 11 or so. My boss told me we had to rework some of the figures for our proposal, and it has to be done tomorrow." The first part of the plan was in motion.
"Oh, Charlie, not again," Megan cried.
"Don't worry, I already told him not to make a habit of it. He assured me he understood, and if this wasn't an emergency, he wouldn't have asked," I said as I walked back and hugged her.
"I'm sure we can deal with this one time, can't we?" Megan looked into my eyes and nodded her head. "Yeah, I suppose." She pulled out of my arms and back to her cooking. "Go wash up now."
"Yes, ma'am," I said as I hurried to the bathroom. During supper, I mentioned having to work late tomorrow to Jake. I carefully watched his reaction, but I had to give him credit; there was no outward sign that this was good news. I wanted to make sure, so I put the second part of the plan into play. "Jake, I would like to ask you a favor," I said, putting down my fork.
"What's that, bro?" Jake asked.
"I was wondering if you don't have anything going on tomorrow, maybe you could come over and keep Megan company while I'm at work."
Jake made a face as if he was thinking. "I don't have anything special going on tomorrow. Sure, I would love to do it," he said with a smile.
I clapped him on the shoulder and smiled back. "Thanks, Jake. I really appreciate it."
Our evening went along as usual. We finished supper, loaded the dishwasher, and then played cards for a couple of hours. Jake left around 10, and after watching the news, Megan and I headed upstairs to bed. I knew that tonight would be a BJ night since Jake was over, and upon seeing Megan come out of the bathroom wearing her usual nightgown, I knew I was right. She sat on the side of the bed, smiling a sexy smile. That night, I just rolled over and slept.
The next morning, I called into work after I pulled out of the driveway, telling my boss I would be in late, as I was having car trouble. I had some things I needed to do that morning to be ready for the big show. This evening, I had already packed my digital camera in my briefcase, so my next stop was the hardware store. I picked up a small package of clothesline and a roll of duct tape. I also picked up a few other things so the clerk wouldn't think I was going to kidnap someone and call the cops on me. My next stop was the bank, where I took half of our savings and opened a new account in my name only. Next, I called the credit card company, telling them I had lost my wallet and needed to cancel my card. I told them to issue one card in my name only and to cancel the joint account. We would only been in our house for a few years, and we didn't have much equity beyond our down payment into it. We would have to sell the house, and I planned to split the proceeds 50/50 with her. After all, I did love her once. I wasn't in any hurry to get a lawyer because I knew that after tonight, I would have enough evidence to make an uncontested divorce her best option. I was hoping I could convince her to draw up a settlement ourselves and then only hire a lawyer to file the papers. That was my hope, at least.
I went into work at noon and surprisingly got a lot done. I left at my usual time and hit a restaurant near work for supper. I wanted it to be dark when I got home, so I hung out at the mall for a while. As the sun was setting, I headed out. As I neared my house, I saw that the only lights on in the house were those upstairs in our bedroom. It looked like they had taken the bait. I pulled into my driveway, shutting off the engine and coasting in so I wouldn't draw attention. I closed the door partway and then pushed it closed with my hip. I had my bag containing the camera, rope, and duct tape in a cloth bag so it wouldn't make any noise. I opened the door carefully and slipped inside. I took off my shoes and started climbing the stairs. Our bedroom was not in direct line of sight with the stairs, so no one saw me, but I still climbed slowly, keeping my ears peeled for any sign of them.
As I got to the top of the stairs, I could hear noises coming from the master bedroom. I crept silently to the door and stopped. "It sure was good of old Charlie to invite me over tonight to keep you company, wasn't it, pet?" Jake said happily.
"Yes, master, sir. It was a real surprise, but I'm not complaining. I can't get enough of you, sir. I miss serving you. I miss having your hands all over my body, giving me pain and pleasure," Megan said on a sigh.
"If you miss me so much, why don't you leave Charlie?"
"I would love to have you with me always. I can't, master. I love Charlie too much. I don't think I could handle our relationship 24/7, sir. As much as I enjoy you dominating me, I couldn't give up my life with Charlie."
"How can you love Charlie and still give yourself to me?" Jake asked curiously.
"It's because you opened my eyes to this part of me that I want to continue it. I couldn't do this with Charlie. I had think I was a pervert, but you made me like this. When you first forced yourself on me, I can allow myself to act this way because you brought out this side of me. Charlie hasn't complained about my new found sexual freedom, but I don't think he'd understand my desire to be dominated and punished. Does that answer your question?"
"Yeah, I guess it does. We do things for each other that no one else will do. I know that I want this to continue for as long as possible. Do you think Charlie suspects anything?"
"I couldn't wait to hear this. God, I don't think so. I sure as hell hope not. He'd divorce me in a heartbeat and probably beat the crap out of you." She paused, then continued, "No, Charlie doesn't suspect. He was sleeping like a baby last night."
"Good. How about we go shower? I love having sex with you in the bathtub," Jake said.
"Yes, master," Megan giggled. I heard the rustling of the bedclothes, and then the light went on in the bathroom. I snuck into the bedroom and got my camera ready. With the light coming from the bathroom, I was able to stand slightly off to one side and still see everything very clearly. I started clicking off a few pictures as they got the shower started. Soon, they started having sex. It was time to let my loving brother know exactly what I thought about it. I snuck into the bathroom, but he must have sensed I was there. He started to turn just as my fist connected with the side of his head. He dropped like he'd been poxed, hitting his head on the tile floor as he landed.
Megan, unaware of what had happened, groaned out her frustration. "What happened, master?"
I reached over and grabbed her by the hair, yanking her back so that she was looking in my eyes. "Your master is getting what he deserves." I threw her head, and she fell face first into the tub. She scrambled away from me and started screaming.
"Shut the hell up!" I yelled. Megan quieted down but shrank away from me, cowering in the tub. I picked up the bag where I had dropped it and took out two lengths of rope. I used one to tie Jake's hands behind his back and the other to tie his feet. I took out the duct tape and put a piece over his mouth, making sure not to cover his nose. I wanted him quiet, not dead. I bent down and hoisted his body over my shoulder. I picked up my bag and shoved it in my pocket. I turned to face my snot-nosed wife. "Come, I have to show you how your master begs for his life."
I took them to the bedroom and started beating my snot-nosed brother. I landed punch after punch. "Say my name! Call me your master!" I kept beating him until he was begging at my feet. I kicked him in the head and knocked him out cold. I stared at Megan and said, "You wanted a dominating man in bed? Look, here is what you chose. This piece of crap disgusts me. Megan, get dressed and pack your stuff. Once I've taken care of him, they'll be back for you." I started to walk out but turned back, having one more thing to say. "By the way, I hate piercings on women."
I walked out of the bathroom, down the stairs, and out to my car with my wife's wailing ringing in my ears. I popped the trunk and dumped Jake inside. He groaned but still seemed to be out. The ride to my parents' house was quick but rough, at least it was if you were riding in the trunk. I made sure I hit every bump and pothole, even if I had to go over the center line to do so. If a cop had been behind me, I would have been pulled over, but luck was with me. I backed into the driveway nearest the gate leading to the backyard. My parents weren't home. It was their night out at the VFW. I knew that, as it was part of my plan. I opened the trunk, and as the light came on, the frightened eyes of my ex-brother met mine. I landed three punches on him and heard him cry, "I hope you enjoyed the ride, you maggot!" I hoisted him out of the trunk, which wasn't easy, as he struggled until I punched him in the gut. "Quit struggling, you maggot, or I'll dump you on the front lawn." The punch and the threat got to him because he quieted, allowing me to get him over my shoulder. I opened the gate, making my way down the side of the house and into the backyard. I slammed him on the grass, none too gently. Grabbing him by the hair, I brought him nose to nose with me. "He'll tell you this once and only once: You will stay away from me. If you see me coming, you will turn and run the other way, because if at any time I see you, I will not kill you, but I will beat you to the edge of your life and then revive you so that I can beat you again. This will continue for the rest of your life. So if you want to be safe, and if you're intelligent, which I doubt you are considering you were screwing my wife, you leave town. Also, do not try to contact Megan, because I'll know, and I'll come looking for you," I hissed. I pulled out the paper I had prepared for my bag, attached another strip of duct tape to it, and placed it on Jake's chest, making sure it was thoroughly embedded in his chest hair. The note told my parents to ask Jake why he was in this condition, signed by me. I wanted to make sure they knew who did this to him, and they were going to know why. "I'm leaving now, maggot, but don't worry. Linda and Robert should be home in another couple of hours. I'm sure they'll find you, because tomorrow is garbage day, and Robert always puts the trash out at night." I debated on kicking him in the nuts, but then just did it anyway.
I arrived home to find Megan sitting in the living room, her bags by the door. "I grabbed the two suitcases. Let's go. We've got a long drive ahead."
"Where are we going?" Megan asked nervously.
"Your parents' house."
"No, not there," she cried.
"Shut up. I didn't ask for your input." Megan cowered against the door, trying to put as much distance between us as possible. Her parents lived about an hour away, and by the time we got there, it would be pretty late. I was looking forward to waking them up. The rest of the trip passed in silence, if you discount the sniffing and crying coming from the passenger seat. I was fuming the whole time, and her bawling was doing nothing to calm me down. "Would you stop your bawling? It's getting on my nerves, and right now, you don't want to piss me off any more than I already am." She stopped, or if she did cry, she did it silently, for which I was very grateful.
Fifteen minutes later, I pulled into her parents' driveway. I turned in my seat and glared at my snot-nosed wife. "Let's go. Time to wake good old Linda and Robert." I grabbed the suitcases, dumped them on the porch, and leaned on the doorbell. It didn't take long before the door was thrown open by her father, her mother close behind, both of them in their pajamas.
"Charlie, what the hell are you doing? Why are you ringing the doorbell at this time of night?" he asked angrily.
"Ask her," I said as I pointed my thumb over my shoulder. "She's the reason we're here."
"Megan, what is this all about?" her father asked, confused. Megan's head hung on her chest, refusing to meet her father's eyes. I was getting impatient. "You'd better tell him right now, or I will, and believe me, they'll tell him everything," I hissed in her ear. That got her attention.
"I did something bad, Robert. I need a place to stay, please," she begged. Since she was not telling what she did, I cut in. "Your daughter needed a man who could dominate her in bed, beat her up in a sexy way, and since her husband was not doing that, she got another man. Today, I caught her with that man, who happened to be my own brother. I beat the crap out of him. I really wanted to give her a lesson in gender equality, but then, your daughter is not worth me spending time in jail." Before her dad could ask me anything more, I was halfway down the walk. "Good night, folks," I said over my shoulder as I climbed in the car and drove off.
By the time I got back to the house, it was 2 a.m., and I was beat. I pulled off my clothes and collapsed on the bed in the spare room. Samuel Lauro. I had a lot of things to do. First among them was to throw out the bed in the master bedroom, but now all I needed was sleep. I slept fitfully, dreams of Jake and Megan together floating through my brain, causing me to wake up in cold sweats. Finally, about 7, I gave up and went downstairs to make some coffee. The coffee helped, as did some toast, but that was all I could keep down. I chuckled sadly, thinking I needed to lose some weight, and it looked like I was going to be doing that now. I sat drinking coffee until the pot was empty, then headed upstairs to shower, clean, and shave. I dressed and made preparations to get rid of the bedroom furniture. The phone rang, interrupting my plans.
"Charlie, what have you done?" my mom shouted as soon as I picked up.
"Linda, what are you talking about? Why did you do that to your brother? I want an answer now, now!"
I was pissed. My ex-brother hadn't told my parents the reason I had done what I did to him. I was going to fix him for sure now. "It'll be right over, Linda." I hung up before she could make any reply. The trip to my parents' house took less time than it should have because I about broke every traffic law on the way. I was out of the car and in the house in seconds. "Where is he? Where is that maggot?" I hollered.
"Charlie!"
"Linda, stop that yelling! Am not deaf! Who are you looking for?"
"That no-good son of a bitch brother of mine! Where is he?"
"He's still at the hospital with your father."
"Damn! I wanted to get my hands on him," I said, still furious.
"Don't you think you've done enough already?" she asked pointedly. "Why did you do it, Charlie? Answer me."
"I've done enough? No, Linda, I haven't done nearly enough to him, not yet. I haven't. I gave him a chance to come clean last night, and it's obvious he wormed out of telling you what he's done, so now it's my turn. We'll make him tell you what he's done."
"You will not touch him, Charlie! I will not have you terrorizing him! Now, if you have something to say, you'd better say it, or you can leave."
"You want to know why I did it? Okay, I'll tell you why. I caught Jake and Megan having sex last night in my bed, in my bathroom, and it wasn't the first time either. I was shaking, I was so angry. He tried to make me out to be the bad guy."
"That's impossible! Jake wouldn't do that! He loves you and Megan! He loves Megan, that's for sure." The shocked look on Linda's face told me she still didn't believe me.
"And I've got the pictures to prove it too."
"Pictures?" she said, confused. "Now?"
"Yes, Linda. I've got pictures and video. I knew something wasn't right, and then I overheard a conversation between the two of them last night. I set them up and caught them in the act. I took plenty of pictures and some video so I would have the evidence I need when I divorce that woman I'm married to. I told Jake I never wanted to see or speak to him again, and I expected him to tell the truth. Obviously, he didn't do that, so I had to. I'm sorry, Linda, but it's the truth."
My anger came down, my shoulders slumped. "It can't be," she said, shocked. "Why would he do that?"
"I don't know, Linda. All I know is that he did. I let him stay in my home, and this is how he repays me. I don't know how long they've been together, but it's been at least six months, probably more. I trusted him, Linda. I trusted him."
"Oh, Charlie, I'm so sorry, son." Linda hugged me, and I lost it. I cried on her shoulder for everything I had lost: my wife, my marriage, and my cousin. We stayed that way for several minutes, she rubbing my back and whispering her love for me. She directed me to the kitchen, where she got me a cup of coffee. I sipped my drink silently, my head down, staring into the cup. She waited patiently for me to calm down. She'd pat my hand and sigh heavily, knowing she could do nothing to ease my pain. Finally, once the cup was empty, I felt calm enough to continue.
"Sorry about that, Linda," I said, embarrassed.
"Don't be silly, Charlie. You needed to get that out of you. Obviously, I'm just sorry you had to." She paused, uncertain whether she should ask what was on her mind. "So, what are you going to do? What about you and Megan?"
"I took Megan to her parents' place last night. I'm going to divorce her," I said seriously.
"Divorce? Are you sure, Charlie? Megan loves you," she said emphatically.
"Yeah, right. Megan loves me, all right. She loves me so much she bangs my cousin."
"David Palmer!" I will not have you using that kind of language, no matter how angry you are."
"I'm sorry, Linda. It's just that every time I think about last night, I get so angry."
"I'll try not to swear." Linda, I was truly sorry. I had never used that kind of language in front of my parents ever. "I'm sorry, Linda, but I can't abide what Megan has done. It's as simple as that. It was bad enough that she cheated on me, but to do it with a member of my family, my little brother? That's unforgivable."
"Speaking of your brother, what about him?"
"He's family, Charlie."
"Not anymore, not to me. My brother died last night. The brother I grew up with, the kid I protected from bullies, the kid who asked me to take him into my home, wouldn't do what he did to me. He proved to me that he's no longer the brother I knew, so he's dead to me. I never want to see or speak to him again."
"Charlie!" she said, shocked. "I mean it, Linda. I told him last night, and I'm telling you now: if I see him again, I'll beat him again." The look on my face told her I was serious.
"But Charlie, he's family."
"Linda tried again. "Not to me. He's not. Look, I understand he's your son, but so am I. I never want to see him again. I don't want to hear his name. If you can't do this for me, Linda, then you will only have one son. If he's here, I won't be. That's the bottom line." I rose from the table, kissed her on the cheek, and went home.
I cleaned out the bedroom when I got home. The bed was the first thing to go, but ultimately, I emptied the whole room. I called the Salvation Army and donated the whole mess to them. Maybe someone would get some happiness out of it, as I certainly couldn't. I moved my stuff to the spare bedroom and put the remainder of Megan's things in garbage bags, storing them in the garage until she could come get them. I went to the hardware store and bought a new lock set, since I hadn't gotten Megan's keys last night. Since I had planned to catch them, I had taken a week's vacation, so having to be at work was not an issue. Thank goodness, because I was pretty much useless for anything requiring mental sharpness. I called a buddy of mine who had gone through a divorce recently to get the name of his lawyer. He had done okay, or at least he didn't complain about his lawyer too much, so I thought I would use the same one. I got the name and made
An appointment for late that afternoon. I brought my pictures and video on a thumb drive, but I also printed a few out, just in case. I was told that the pictures and video would probably make the divorce go easier, since he was pretty sure her lawyer wouldn't want that video shown in court. He told me he had the papers drawn up the next day and had her served as soon as he could after that.
The last detail was a deposit, which drained my bank account and only pissed me off more. It was costing me money because my wife and brother screwed me over. It just didn't seem fair.
By the time I returned from the lawyer's, there were 10 messages on the machine. I figured some of them would be from Megan and the rest from people I didn't want to talk to anyway, so I ignored the flashing light but turned off the ringers on all the phones so I wouldn't be bothered. I opened up some canned soup and settled down in front of the TV. I am not a drinker, MO is the pity, so I didn't get stinking drunk so I could forget. I tried to keep busy, but it was a losing cause. I watched a lot of TV, but I couldn't tell you one program that had been on since. I had missed so much sleep the previous night, and I didn't expect I would get too much tonight.
I took a sleeping pill, the recommended dose, no more. I was blissfully asleep soon after lying down, but my dreams didn't allow for any rest. All I could seem to dream about was Jake plowing Megan, both of them laughing at me. I woke in a cold sweat a couple of times, but I managed to get a few more hours in before I dragged my sorry ass to the shower to start another day.
After 2 days of sulking around the house, I went back to work. I couldn't take just sitting around doing nothing but thinking. I found myself going over and over what I had done to make Megan and Jake treat me like this, and I got nowhere. I couldn't think of any reason that made sense. I truly hadn't thought Megan would ever cheat on me, no way. We were very happy, or so I thought. Why Jake did this was even more unfathomable. I would have been his best friend, as he was mine, ever since we were kids. I never thought he had any attraction to Megan beyond that of a beloved brother-in-law.
Of course, I guess what bothered me more than the sex, which was bad enough, was the betrayal of my trust by the woman I loved and my own brother, and that was what I found I couldn't forgive. I was also very confused by the form of their adultery. I suppose you never know the sexual kinks of your family. You don't really discuss them at the dinner table, so I guess Jake could have always been interested in dominating women. Why he had to pick my wife to dominate was a complete mystery. Maybe he saw something in her that gave him a hint that she should be receptive to his type of advances.
As much as I didn't want to know the details of their affair, I would have seen and heard enough to last me a lifetime. I did want to know why she became involved with him in that manner. In spite of my curiosity, I wasn't ready to talk directly to Megan yet. She had left numerous messages on the machine, begging me to forgive her, that she was so sorry, and all the usual stuff you hear from a cheating spouse after they've been caught.
I called Linda and asked her to tell Megan that she could pick up the remainder of her clothes and things from the garage on the coming Saturday, as I was planning to be away the whole day. Linda voiced her displeasure with me, but finally agreed to pass my message along.
I left the house very early, around 6:00 a.m., to avoid any chance that Megan would be able to catch me at home. I returned well after midnight for the same reason, going so far as to drive past the house with the lights off to make sure no cars were in the driveway or the garage. Thank God for wireless door openers. As I opened the back door, I saw a note taped to the glass. It was from Megan, of course. I had to give her credit, she was going to take every opportunity to contact me that she could. I tore the note off the glass, debating whether to read it or throw it out the garbage can.
One, 3 months after that horrible night, I was finally calm enough to consider meeting with Megan. She had moved from her parents' home. My commute was too long to her job, and she had rented a studio apartment in the city, or so I would have heard from Linda. I understood why Linda kept in contact with Megan. She was the daughter Linda never had, and they'd always gotten along very well. Linda was almost like a second mother to Megan; they were that close.
I also had to give Linda credit. She didn't nag me about Megan. She dropped subtle hints and other bits of information, like that bit about her getting an apartment, into our conversations. I would ignore them, not giving her the satisfaction of a reaction, and she continued talking as if nothing was amiss. It was an interesting game we played. I also have to say that she and Robert respected my demand regarding Jake. No word of him was uttered in my presence while I was at their home, for which I was very grateful. They must have spread the word to our extended family as well, because I never heard any comments from them either, or at least not when they knew I was within earshot. One time I did hear my aunt asking Linda about Jake, but as soon as I made my presence known, both of them clammed up. I smiled and said thanks as I passed through, letting them continue their conversation in peace.
So it was that on one of my visits, as I was getting ready to leave, I asked Linda if she'd do me a favor. "Linda, I need a favor." "Of course, honey, what can I do for you?" "I need you to contact Megan for me." "Oh, Charlie, I'm so happy!" "Hold on, Linda, hold on. I'm not taking her back. I've decided that I need to hear her out before the divorce becomes final, that's all. Despite what she's done, she deserves a chance to tell me why she did it. Ask her to meet me at the diner on Maple Street at 5:00 on Saturday. If she can't make it, ask her to leave a message on the machine." "Diner? You can't have a private conversation there. It's too loud," she said incredulously. "It's also very public. I don't want her going into the gory details of her affair and having a bunch of families with kids around. It should stop any inclination she might have to brag. I just want to know why, not how. If she can't meet me where I want to meet, then to hell with her."
I was starting to get upset again, which wasn't a good sign. "Calm down, honey, you don't have to get upset. I'm sure Megan will talk to you anywhere you want. She's not going to brag, Charlie. She's very embarrassed about what she did. She's apologized to me for driving a wedge between my sons, and I've forgiven her. I hope you can find a way to forgive her too. It's not good to carry the kind of anger you've been carrying, son."
"You can forgive her all you want, I don't give a damn. It depends on what she has to say to me. If she can't give me a reason that I can accept, then how can I forgive her? Even if I do forgive her, it's not going to make a difference to our marriage. It's over. It died that night. It died a horrible death when I heard them, saw them, and it's not going to be resurrected. I know you don't want to hear that, Linda, but I'm not going to sugarcoat this, and I don't want you getting Megan's hopes up either. This meeting is her chance to tell me why she cheated on me, nothing else."
Linda sighed. "All right, Charlie. When I talk to her, I'll tell her just what you said. I hope what she tells you will allow you to move on. I think you're doing the right thing, honey. You two need to talk at least once before you and your marriage." She kissed my cheek as I hugged her goodbye. "Good night, Linda," I said as I closed the door behind me.
Despite my every effort to remain calm, I was very nervous. This was the first time I would be seeing my wife since that night. How was I going to react? I would pick the place for more than the reason I told Linda. I picked it because I hoped it would deter me from any irrational action that might end with me in jail. I didn't know if it would work, but I thought it would. I wasn't the kind of guy to make a scene in a restaurant, especially one with children around.
I arrived at 4:45 and told the hostess that I would need a table for two, non-smoking, but the other party hadn't arrived yet. She told me that she'd seat us as soon as my party arrived. I was waiting by the door when Megan walked in. She was dressed casually: a crisp cotton blouse, blue jeans, and sneakers. Her hair was pulled back from her face, and she was wearing very little makeup. She looked good, as good as she always had. "Megan," I said. "Charlie," she said with a shy smile. "Our table is ready," I said as I motioned to the hostess. We were seated near the windows, away from other diners, but within earshot if we got loud. The hostess gave us our menus and left.
"Charlie," Megan started, "please let me eat first. I don't want to ruin my meal, and I have a feeling this conversation isn't going to be conducive to good digestion." "Suggestion," I said, chastised. We perused the menu, and by the time we'd made our decision, the server had arrived. We placed our orders and waited, mostly in silence. For some reason, we couldn't find much to talk about that didn't sound anain, so we didn't say much at all. The meal arrived quickly and was eaten silently as well. I actually felt sad. Before this whole mess, we had been able to talk about anything. Megan was a very intelligent conversationalist, and it was fun engaging her. We did didn't always agree, but we always had fun. I ordered coffee for both of us, but after it arrived, the silence continued. I suppose it was up to me to begin.
"Why did you screw my cousin, Megan?" I said simply. Megan sighed deeply. She had known this moment was coming all evening, but it didn't make it any easier to start. "I'm so sorry, Charlie. I don't know what got into me." "I know what, or who, got into you," I hissed as I leaned close so she could hear me. "I want to know why." Megan shrank back, tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Charlie. I'm so, so sorry," she cried softly. "We've established that you're sorry, Megan. It's too damn late for sorry. There should have been no situation where you had to be sorry. It's way past the time for sorry."
I gazed into her eyes because I wanted to see her response to my next statement. "By the way, how long were you screwing my cousin?" You'd have thought I would have slapped her in the face. Her eyes widened, and she inhaled violently. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, but no words came out. "It's not that hard a question, Megan. How long?" She settled down, but the blush that rose up her neck told me I wouldn't like the answer. "A year," she said hesitantly. My jaw dropped, and I was now the one speechless. A year? She'd been screwing my cousin for a year, and I hadn't even guessed until a few weeks before the end. Guess what a dope I was. I guess the old clichés are true: the husband is the last to know. "I see," I said, trying not to react as violently as I wanted to. The restaurant had filled up more by now, and that was tempering my reaction.
"I know you want a reason why I cheated, but I really don't have a good one, Charlie. It wasn't a decision I made one day. I didn't get up and tell myself that today I was going to cheat on my husband." Megan sipped her coffee, giving herself time to compose her thoughts. "It was just innocent flirting at first. Jake always flirted with me, and you didn't seem to mind. That's when I thought it was innocent fun. That's when I thought my cousin and my wife were just friends and family. I never contemplated that either of you would do what you did." "I know, I know," she wailed. She glanced down at the table but continued to talk. "One day he caught me up against the kitchen sink when I had my hands in the water. When he touched me, he was so rough. I screamed at him, but he just kept it up. He took what he wanted, and all of a sudden, it was like a switch had been thrown in my brain. I wanted what he was doing, and I had no control over my body. I didn't want to believe I could react the way I did to that kind of treatment, but I did. Even later, after he had left for the day and I was alone, I wanted more of what he had done to me. No matter how angry at myself I was for what I had done, no matter how ashamed I was for cheating on you, I wanted it. It was like I was a junkie, and I needed my next fix. I kept going back for more despite my efforts to fight it. I don't know what else to say, Charlie, except I'm so very sorry."
I had my answer, but it wasn't what I would have expected. It was worse than I would ever have thought. Her explanation told me for certain that our marriage was over. If she was, as she described it, addicted to that kind of treatment, there was no hope for us as a couple. I couldn't live with the fear that some other man would flip that switch in her brain again and put me through the hell I had been in ever since that night.
"Thank you, Megan. I know that had to be hard for you. I appreciate your honesty. I can't say I understand, but I can at least accept your explanation," I said quietly. "Is there any hope for us, Charlie? I do love you so very much," she begged. "Are you kidding me? I guess you do. I can't see how you can do what you've done and still claim to love me. Even if I believed you loved me, I couldn't accept your activities. I may have stopped you from continuing your affair with Jake, but I can't live with the fear that some other man might come along someday and give you what I know I cannot. I'm sorry, Megan, but that's the way I feel."
"I understand, Charlie. I had to try. I just had to," she cried. She pulled a tissue from her purse, drying her eyes. "Thank you for meeting with me, Charlie. I never meant for any of this to happen. You have to believe that, but I know I brought this on myself. I am so ashamed that I was so weak that I let it destroy our marriage."
"I am too, Megan. I really am. I'm going to miss you, but we both know it's not going to work for us. I forgive you, Megan. I forgive you." I sniffled a bit but smiled at her nonetheless. We parted ways, and we both knew we wouldn't keep in touch. She wished me well, and with a quick kiss on the cheek, we went our separate ways.
About a year after that horrible night, the divorce was finalized. We had sold the house and split the profits. We had agreed on the settlement long before the hearing, which was a mere formality. The final decree was mailed to my new apartment a few weeks later.
I've been very skittish about women since the divorce. I've had a few dates, but nothing serious. I got into a routine. I worked. I went to the gym to help relieve stress, and I went home. Day after day, month after month. It's not a bad life, but not what I would have foreseen for myself 2 years ago.
I suppose you're wondering if I ever forgave my cousin. Never. I saw him once at my parents' home. My dad had to hold me down while he ran for his life out of the house. It has happened twice so far. I did land a few punches the last time I saw him. I kept my word. I guess I have stopped going to my parents' place without notice. I don't want to end up in jail. I knew I couldn't look at him without being saddened by his action. It was easier for me to remember him as my little brother who I loved as a kid, rather than as the man I would have found in my home that night. Family ties are still strained, but no one is willing to broach the subject with me.
Did I forgive Megan? No. I am a vengeful man. After the divorce and after settling the assets, I released all the pictures and videos of my cousin and Megan to all our relatives and friends. I also sent the video to my cousin's office and my ex-wife's office. Well, all three of us are now outcasts of society. At family functions, we are not invited. My brother and my ex-wife for obvious reasons, and I am an outcast because of an unknown fear. They don't want to cause any controversy at their functions. I know I shouldn't have done that, but there is an old saying: play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
Thanks for watching. This story was filled with heartbreak and tough choices. What would you have done in David's situation? Was his reaction justified or too extreme? Share your thoughts in the comments, and don't forget to like and subscribe for more thought-provoking stories. See you next time.