Choice Between Past And Future. Cheating Wife Stories, Reddit Cheating Stories, Audio Stories

I spent most of the night tossing and turning, but sleep was elusive. The breeze flying through the open window brings with it the smell of the lake. I smell the freshness of the plants and the cloudy smell of lake water with a slight hint of fishy smell. I breathe deeply, sitting up in bed.

Just as my head begins to clear in the predawn darkness of early Autumn, the phone rings. I love my iPhone. It is a miracle of technical wizardry that allows me to access and do things that would have been unimaginable just 10 years ago. But this time, the sharp ringing, designed to be heard above the noise of the machines in the factory I operate, combined with a vibration setting that alerts me to the ringing even when I can't hear it, has an unsettling effect.

I press a button that only appears on the screen, and the call connects. The trembling, sobbing voice, a caricature of its usual rich resonance, strangely does not evoke the usual feelings. But I instantly recognize it. "Mark, are you in touch? I actually don't know where you are, but can you come home so we can talk? Mark, I can't live without you. I want us to get back to where we were. I love you. I've always loved you. I guess it just didn't seem obvious until you left and got involved with that horrible little [ __ ]. I'm done with Todd. In fact, you finished him for me. But I called him. I told him it was the the end, and I never wanted to see him again. I told him goodbye, and I meant it forever." She said it all in one breath, then she froze, waiting for my answer.

After what seemed like an eternity of silence, she began speaking again. "Mark, damn it, I won't let you throw 25 years together into nothingness. I'm serious. I told him goodbye, and I meant it." This time, she was more persistent. There was desperation and a slight hint of sadness in her voice. Finally, I answered her. The ice in my voice cooled and surprised even me. "You should have called him back," I said icily. "It's too late to say goodbye." I heard a series of sobs, and the phone fell.

I was about to hang up when I heard her start picking it up again. This time, there was even more desperation in her voice. It looked like the phone had been taken from her, and someone calmer spoke. "Great job, Dad," she said. "You don't know what she's been through lately. She has lost a lot of weight. There are bags under her eyes. She had to be hospitalized for a while. Again, don't you have any feelings? I don't think he's in his right mind at all. I know it's not your fault. You gave her a chance, but you have to do something to make it easier for her." The woman who was now lecturing me over the phone at this indecent hour of the morning was my daughter. I felt sorry for her that she was caught between two fires, especially since she was part of the reason for all of this. But she was smarter than her mother and quickly learned her lesson.

When my mother picked up the phone again and started ranting about forgiveness, I thought about how it all started just a few weeks ago. I thought I was one of the luckiest people on Earth, not in a religious sense, since I've never been particularly religious. But I thought I had everything a man could need. No, I'm not Bill Gates, but I'm the best Mark Brown I can be. I run a family manufacturing business that my father started over 50 years ago. Things were going well enough for me to make a more than comfortable living. I always made enough money to pay my bills and chose to reinvest the rest back into the business. I will receive a large sum of money when I decide to retire, whenever that may be. It was actually my father who started this practice. This was a great move because the business truly belonged to to the family, not to him personally. And since he did not receive a fixed salary, he was able to leave his second wife almost nothing in their divorce. I've actually never thought of it that way. My father was something of a woman, even at a late age.

I've always been a family man. My wife and daughter are or were the ones I loved the most and was proud of. Now everything is probably different. What I had to show off came back to haunt me like a restless wind, and the best times that are left behind come with a whistle. All the good times I had with Lori and Katie continue to flash through my mind as I consider each memory as an object. I turn them over, searching for lies in the cracks and cracks, as if I haven't lived them myself. And my daughter, she was the one who really brought me to the light that destroyed our family. So her desire to fix the situation did not come from a place of love or family.

I remember when all started. It was a Friday night. I was cutting the grass in our backyard. I usually did it on Saturday, but the next day I was going to a car show. Besides my wife and daughter, my favorite car was my 2009 Mustang GT. I just finished washing and waxing the car and put it in the garage to keep it out of the grass and dust. Katie, my 24-year-old daughter, pulled into our driveway and, after giving me a perfunctory hug, went into the house in search of her mother. After a short time, they came out into the kitchen and sat on our terrace, animatedly discussing some problem that Katie was facing.

Katie has been married for the past couple of years to the most wonderful guy I could imagine. Eric was everything I wanted in a son-in-law. He obviously loved Katie, but he was good in other ways too. He paid his own way through college. After receiving his degree, he got a job and built a life with Katie. He didn't drink or be a party animal, and he shared housework with her. They had some financial problems that most young couples have, but nothing insurmountable.

I watched Lori, my wife, and Katie from the corner of my eye as I rode the lawn mower around the large yard. I knew that at this stage of the game, my presence was not necessary. Usually, Katie would approach Lori, tell her what she needed, and convince her to take her side, and then together they would come to me for money to buy what Katie wanted but couldn't afford. I knew I would probably end up giving them money. I could never say no to any of my girls, but they always needed to have that united front. However, this time the conversation seemed unusual.

As I approached them on the lawn mower, they were so engrossed in their conversation that they seemed to have forgotten about me. As I got even closer, their voices were so loud that I heard them, and my world changed. "Katherine, how could you be so damn stupid?" Lori exclaimed. I realized that Katie had problems. Her mother only called her Catherine when she did something really bad. "Damn, Mom, it just happened," Katie said complainingly. "It's not the end of the world. Physically, there was almost no difference, but it was just more exciting. I don't even think about leaving Eric, but he can be so boring sometimes." "He's your husband, Catherine. You have to think about it. This person loves you. He will do anything for you. If things are boring between you, then you should say so and do something to make things more interesting. I can't believe my daughter could be so stupid," Lori said. "Oh, damn, I thought there is already trouble in paradise. They have only been married for 2 years. Mom, it's not a big problem. I just wanted to do it again, just to make sure, you know," Katie said.

I turned off the lawnmower because I had a feeling that my little girl had done something that should have gotten her ass kicked. When the sound of the lawnmower died down, both angry women looked at me. "Mark, try to talk some sense into your stupid daughter," Lori hissed. "She went to a party last night while Eric was working late. She got drunk and apparently slept with some guy she met there." "Damn, Mom, tell everyone why not?" my daughter screamed. "You and Daddy are still together," she said, and suddenly I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. My wife's mouth dropped open in surprise when she saw my reaction. And honestly, Katie continued, "It was just one time, and I was drunk. I just wanted to try it again when I wasn't drunk. This doesn't mean I'm trying to have a long-term affair like you had. And anyway, Dad forgave you for cheating on me, so maybe Eric would forgive me too if he found out. Who knows? It might even add spice to our relationship." Katie suddenly looked up at her mother, who had turned white as a sheet. "Mom, are you okay?" she asked stupidly. "You look like you're having a heart attack or stroke or something." She turned to look at me and saw the pain and anger in my eyes. Lori suddenly came towards me, and I stepped back. "Mark," she began, "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." "Shut up and don't come near me, Lori," I said. "What's going on here?" Katie asked, then she looked at me. She saw the pain and anger on my face. "Dad, you didn't know, did you?" "So she lied to me about what she told you, Catherine," I said. "Remember that look on my face because that's the exact same look Eric will have when you tell him what you did. And you need to go home now and tell him because the longer this goes on, the the worse it will get, and the harder it will be for you to get him to trust you again." "Mark, honey, we need to talk," Lori said. "But Dad, if it hurts him as much as it hurts you, I'm not going to tell him," she said. "Then you will definitely lose him because it is always worse when you find out from someone else. And I swear to you, if you don't tell him, I will. Hell, maybe I'll call him when I get to where I'm going. Maybe we can take a lawyer together and get a disc account." "Why does Eric need a lawyer?" Katie asked. "Perhaps he also wants a divorce," I said. "Mark, you're upset," Lori said. "I know that, and damn upset is putting it mildly," I hissed. "For most of my life, I treated you like a goddess. Name one thing you've ever wanted since we've been together that I didn't give you. Name something I haven't done for you. And now I find out that I am married to a cheater. And in the same spoiled conversation, I learned that my daughter is following in your footsteps." "Mark, honey, I know I messed up, and I know how you feel right now," Lori said carefully. "So you know I feel like a complete fool, right?" I shouted. "For years, I bragged about my family. I told people all over the country about my beautiful wife and daughter. You both were my purpose in life. You were the reason I worked so hard and broke my back. Then both stood there shocked by me. Not anymore," I said, lowering my voice. "Years of working in business during a bad economy have taught me to adapt to economic waves. I have become a master at accepting my losses and moving on. This experience turned out to be invaluable." "Then it's good that you know how I feel right now, Lori," I said. "So I don't have to explain it to you." "Who is he? What difference does it make who he is?" she asked with tears running down her cheeks. "Because I [ __ ] want to know," I said. "What are you going to do?" she asked. "I'm going to smash his damn ass," I said. "Mark, he has a wife," she said. "And they are not as stable as we are. They have all sorts of problems." "And it's just so you're saying we don't have any problems right now?" I shouted. Both women retreated from my anger. I think they both thought I might hit Lori, and they were closer to the truth than they even suspected.

"I'm going to the Mustang Memories show tomorrow," I suddenly said, regaining my composure. Lori hesitated, then nodded. "I know that, darling," she said. "I'll go with you, and maybe during the trip, we can talk." "No," I answered sharply. "You're not going anywhere with me. I'm not my father. I'm not like him." "What does this have to do with us, dear?" she asked. "Don't call me darling or anything other than my name," I hissed. "My father considered himself some kind of womanizer. He talked to a lot of women that he would have been better off staying away from. I don't hang out with libertines. So we won't go anywhere together. In fact, the next time we meet together, we'll be in court." "And Mark, what are you talking about?" Lori sobbed. "I already told you I'm sorry." "We need to talk about saying sorry is nonsense. This is not fourth grade, Lori," I hissed. "And what we're doing now is the only conversation I intend to have." "If we don't talk, we can't work this out," she whined. "Mark, I, if you say sorry again, I'll hit you," I said. "Everyone knows you're sorry. I'm sure by now, after all that screaming, even our neighbors know you're sorry, and they probably know why." "Lori, we can't work this out. We're done," I said. "After the auto show, I will file for divorce. You're not going because by the time I get back from the show, I want you to pack your things and move out of my house." "No," she screamed loudly. "Mark, I love you. I don't want a divorce." "And I didn't want to be married to a cheater," I said. "But this is what I have. I have to cope with what I have, just like you." "No, we can work this out if you give me a chance," she began to cry. "Lori, I gave you a chance when I asked who he was. You didn't tell me. That means protecting him is more important to you than our marriage. So..." "But you," she interrupted. "But it doesn't matter," I said. "You were so worried about his damn marriage when you should have been worried about yourself and yours. You were a stupid [ __ ] about this, like everything else. I'm going to sue him for ruining our marriage. So I'll still find out who he was, and in the trial, I will have his wife called into the dock to ask her how she felt when she learned about it. If they don't have money, I'll pay for her divorce to ruin his life even more." She looked at me again as if she didn't recognize me, and to tell the truth, she didn't really know me. Within a few minutes, I changed. Now, like I said, I'm going to finish cutting my damn grass, and then I'm going to the hotel for the evening. I'm coming back from my car show tomorrow, and I want you to get your ass out of my house." "Mark, please," she wailed.

As I started the lawn mower again, as soon as the engine began to purr, I stopped it. "Catherine, remember what I said," I told her. "You better say something to Eric because if you don't, I will." Then I started the engine and drove away to finish cutting the grass. As I mowed the grass, I realized that this didn't make any sense. It seemed like the actions of a madman, but in those early hours after the discovery of Lori's infidelity, I was going crazy. My mind was spinning at the speed of light. My whole life turned out to be false. Nothing I had hoped for or worked for for the past 25 years mattered because it was not real. Cutting the grass and driving to a car show may have felt like I was out of touch with reality, but in fact, it was quite the opposite. My mind was trying trying to find some piece of normality to cling to. I needed a big chunk of routine to bring some order to my life.

Lori and Katie screamed at each other for several minutes while I slowly circled the yard on the mower. Katie eventually got tired of yelling at her mother and left. Then Lori sat and looked at me for a very long time. Every time my circle brought me close to the terrace, she looked like she wanted to say something, but I never slowed down or even acknowledged her presence. When I was done, I put the mower in the garage and went upstairs to pack for the night and the next day. "Mark, can we please talk about this?" she asked with deaf ears. As I turned to leave the room, I stopped and looked around, hesitating. "Looking at her, what are you doing?" she asked. "I take one last look at my home with you as a part of it and with you as a part of my life," I said slowly. "We can fix this," she said, crying. "I know we can fix this if we try, not when only one of us wants to try," I said.

My home in rural Ohio was only 30 minutes from the Michigan border and about 90 minutes from the Detroit area. The auto show I was going to was at Ford Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. It was a great event. It showcased not only the Mustang but everything Ford had to offer as a whole. Showing off my Mustang and checking out both Ford and third-party Ford products would help take my mind off my problems and allow me to think about everything calmly. Who knows, I might even stay and watch the NASCAR race at MIS on Sunday. As I thought about it, I realized that I would now have a lot more time on my hands. All the sacrifices I made over the years to make my family happy didn't matter in the end.

While I was driving, I was lost in my memories again. I thought back to my early days in college when I first met Lori. I looked across the crowded party room and fell in love with her jet black hair and bright blue eyes. Like most people at our small Midwestern college, she wasn't from there. She spent most of the evening holding the hand of a big guy who barely seemed to pay her any attention. Then I noticed that he had disappeared, leaving her alone. I didn't care if they were in any relationship. The first thing that came to my mind was that I had a chance, and I wasn't going to miss it. I grabbed two beers and quietly made my way across the room until I was next to her. She looked up when I handed her one and then shook her head. "I don't drink," she said. "That's good. I admired." "Why?" she asked. "Sometimes I feel like I'm a fish out of water here. Everyone else is already half drunk." "That's good because I don't drink either, but I'll probably need both of these beers," I said. She looked at me as if I had said something strange, and her smile lit up the room. Her sadness turned to curiosity. "If you don't drink, why do you need two beers?" she asked. "That's quite a lot to drink in a short time." "I need at least that much to calm my nerves," I said. "What makes you so nervous?" she asked. "Standing next to the most beautiful woman on the planet has such an effect on me," I said. Her smile became even brighter. I could barely look at it; it was so bright. "Well, that's good to hear," she said. "It's a pity that not everyone thinks so." "Unfortunately, you won't be here very long." "I would stay here as long as you let me," I said enthusiastically. "I wouldn't mind if you stayed around longer," she smiled. "But I'm not the one you need to worry about." I thought about a guy who is funny to call my boyfriend. "Well, if you laugh when you call him your boyfriend, maybe you need need someone who will take you more seriously," I said. She started to smile, but the smile quickly faded, and she closed her eyes and pursed her lips. "He's twice your size," she said. "And what?" I said. "And he's standing right behind you," she continued. I turned around and looked up at him. He was angry. I smiled and handed him the beer. He stared at me, then opened the lid, catching the edge of the lid on the countertop and slamming it with his powerful hand. He took a sip of beer and then burped loudly. He drank the entire beer in two large gulps, each accompanied by a loud burp, which obviously impressed his friends. "Why are you hanging around my girlfriend?" he asked angrily. "Must you know that's rude, don't you?" I asked, interrupting him. "You have no manners. It's a party, after all," what he asked. "I brought you a beer," I said. "Said, just politely bring me a beer in return." "Sorry," he said sullenly, then left to get a beer. I shook my head as he went to get a beer. "See you later," he told her. She smiled at me again. "If he can't find beer for me, give him this," I handed her the second bottle and left the party.

In the following months, I spent a lot of time with her. Lori was sweet, soft-spoken, loyal, beautiful, and an overall wonderful girl. Why she stayed with Todd was a mystery to me. Todd was as big as a house and moved almost as slowly. He was a lineman on our football team. Like many college athletes, he dreamed of a career in professional sports. Women were all around him in case he actually made a career of it. Todd, for some reason, simply could not deny himself the pleasures. He also had a soft spot for blondes. Here he was in a relationship with one of the most beautiful women on campus, but he risked everything for any girl with blonde hair who walked by. I once saw him leave Lori to sneak behind a building with a woman who weighed about 200 lb. The weird thing about it all was that Lori had the strangest outlook on life I've ever seen. She was smart, she was witty, but she took the easiest, almost idiotic classes that were offered at school. She didn't even have a major.

One night, when she called me to keep her company while Todd cheated on her, we talked. "You probably think I'm stupid or something," she said. "I sit here and talk to you night after night, and you're too polite to say anything about it, but we both know he's out there cheating on me. I probably seem like some tragically stupid woman waiting for him." "I don't think you're stupid at all," I said. "Some of the things you do surprise me, but I never thought you were stupid. And I really don't mind him cheating on you." She looked at me strangely. "Why?" she asked. "I thought we were friends." "That's the problem," I said. "I want us to be more than friends, and I don't mind him cheating on you because it gives me more time to spend with you, and I hope that the more time we spend together, the more obvious it will become that I'm better for you." "Apart from me waiting for Todd, what else surprises you?" she asked, changing the subject. "Well, the classes you take," I said. "You're pretty smart, but you're taking mostly preparatory courses without any specific focus or program of study." She smiled. "I'm not a career woman," she said. "I know it's not the 19th century, but I just want to be the best housewife I can." I looked at her in surprise. "Do you think it's bad to be a good wife and mother?" she asked. "No, but I have two questions for you: If all you want is to be a housewife, why are you even here? And the second question is, if you want to be a housewife, why don't you take home economics or parenting classes?" "We had a plan from the very beginning," once we started dating, she said. "Todd will become a professional football player. They earn millions of dollars. The problem is that he needs to be good at college football to do that, and to be good at college football, he has to go to college. So from the very beginning, I took the same classes as Todd to help him with his studies. It worked the same way as in school. He got excellent grades on his assignments but failed most of his tests. Teachers thought he was just bad at taking tests or had test anxiety. They gave him extra assignments, and he barely scraped by with the minimum score to keep him on the team. Then he turns professional, we buy or build our beautiful mansion, and live happily ever after." "Yes, until he started starts cheating with the maids, neighbors, your children's teachers, and any other woman he sees who has blonde hair," I said. "No," she said. "He's just having fun now. As soon as we get married, he will stop." Even though she said it, we both knew she didn't believe it. It was just something she hoped would happen. "Perhaps this is what he promised her." "You deserve so much better," I said. Then something passed between us as we looked into each other's eyes, and the next thing I knew, we were kissing. It was the hottest and most passionate kiss I have ever experienced, and just as I started to really get into it, she pushed me away. "No," she said. "Lori, you need to start looking for someone who will love you for you. You deserve someone who won't put you second to sleep with some whale just because she has yellow hair and breasts that could fill a bucket," I said. "And you don't even have to look far to find it. He's right here, in front of you." "So you prefer to just sleep with dark-skinned women, huh?" she asked, a tear appeared in the corner of her eye. "Lori, this is not about sex," I said. "I never gave you any hints." "Then what is this about?" she asked sharply. "Why is it that every time I look around, you are next to me? What does it mean? If you don't want me around, all you have to do is say," I said. "Just say the word, and I'll leave." "I'm here because, Lori, I love you. I've loved you from the moment I saw you at that party. I know my situation is hopeless, just like yours and Todd's, but that's love. It makes a person hope for the slightest chance, even when the person you love is entangled in a relationship with someone who isn't right for them and doesn't deserve them. You just keep hoping." "What?" she asked. "Forget it," I said. "I've had enough humiliation for tonight." As I was leaving, she called me. "Mark, I'll see you tomorrow, won't I?" she asked. "That's the problem with love," I said. "For some reason, she makes you feel like getting kicked is a good thing. See you tomorrow."

And so the last two years of my college years passed. I spent all that time pinning and hoping, committing myself to a woman who was about to marry another guy. I've missed out on some solid opportunities along the way. I'm not a troll. During these two years, I had many opportunities to start relationships or even connect with other women, but most of these women suffered from the same deficiency: they just weren't Lori. Poof! It's strange, but in the end, everything worked out in my favor.

At Christmas that year, before Lori went home, she gave me a Christmas present. It was just a bottle of cologne, but she told me to wear it for her. If it smelled like skunk [ __ ], I'd still wear it with pride. Even stranger was the end of the school year. The last time we met before leaving home, I didn't even think about anything. I was excited about everything I was going to do this summer. I had already decided to work in the family industry to put into practice what I had already learned, but I was going to go camping and do a lot of other things I liked. I was just ready for a break. Lori didn't seem as excited about going home for the summer, but the last time I saw her, I was shocked. We were supposed to be separated for only 3 months, but she did not want to let go of my hand. "Don't wear my cologne for other women in the summer," she told me. "I promise." "I promised her, feeling my heartbreak." "I'm going to miss you so much," she said. "I think I saw tears in the corners of her eyes." "It's only 3 months," I said. "I want to see what kind of engineer I can be, so I'll work hard and bring a lot of money so we can do more fun things while you wait for Todd." "In the fall, it's too long," she said. "Time will fly by," I said. "Damn it, Mark," she said. "I think I love you too. Why does life have to be so difficult?" She started crying and slipped something into my hand and then ran away. I was so stunned by her confession that she loved me too that my brain just stopped working. After she left, when I looked at my hand, I noticed that she gave me a piece of paper with her phone number on it. It said, "Call me." And I called.

In those days, interstate calls were expensive. I think I spent about a quarter of the money I made over the summer on long-distance calls to Missouri. I later found out that I spent more time talking to her that summer than Todd did, and he lived right next door to her. When we returned to school in the fall, I was in for the biggest surprise of my life. I had just settled into my dorm when someone knocked hard on the door. I opened it and saw Todd. I don't think he was trying to outshine the sun, but he did. "Todd, trying to fit in my doorway was like standing in front of an eclipse." "Where have you been?" he asked. "Todd, whatever you think I did, I didn't do it," I said. "I just arrived on campus today." "That's what I'm talking about," he said. "I haven't been able to do anything since we came here 3 days ago. I need you to do what you did last year," he said. "What did I do last year?" I asked. "You know, spend time with Lori to cover for me," he said. "This way, I can go out and do what I do without worrying about someone hitting on her. I need to have as much fun as possible right now because once we're settled and married, my only glory will be on the field. I owe you one, buddy. As soon as I sign my multi-million dollar NBA contract, I'll tear you a piece, okay?" "Of course, Todd," I smiled. "I'm your boyfriend." He turned to leave. "Hey, Todd," I called. He smiled and turned to me. "The NBA is basketball. Football is the NFL." "About," he said. "Which ones are cars? NHL, right?" "No," I said. "Damn it, brother," he suddenly shouted. "This idiot owes me money. He told me the NHL is nothing but hard left turns." "This is NASCAR," I said. Todd walked away muttering about how he was going to break his brother's ass.

Less than 20 minutes later, Lori arrived. A lot changed in that last year. Lori and I spent almost every second together. When we weren't in class, we kissed a lot. By the end of the school year, it was all about sex. Lori felt a lot of guilt about this, so I didn't press her, but every time we parted, I had to push her away from me. "I want you so much," she told me, kissing you is better than the time I had sex with Todd. I think if we had sex, it would be really great." "You only had sex once?" I asked. She nodded. "I shook my head. I keep hoping that summer never comes," she said. "But it will happen. The NFL draft begins in the next few weeks. Todd will be chosen, and then he and I will move away, and and I will never see you again. I love you so much, Mark." My heart was about to burst. I felt the same way, but in a way, I thought there was a bright side. I can find my own woman and survive this. But things tend not to work out or work out for the better.

Todd wasn't drafted at all in the NFL. He didn't make it through the first, second, or third round. He wasn't chosen at all. His agent started calling teams, and no one showed interest. No one even wanted to fly out to him for an interview. He soon lost his agent and began calling teams himself. He showed up at the headquarters of some of the worst teams in the NFL and was rejected. He persuaded me to call one CFL team for him. I finally got through to the team's president of football operations in Ottawa. "Hello, I'm calling on behalf of Todd Williams," I said. "Who?" the guy asked. He hung up before I could say anything. I received a copy of the intelligence file on Todd. It was painful to read it out loud. It turns out Todd was big enough for the NFL, but most teams thought he was too slow and stupid for the fast game. He was a college lineman who lacked the smarts, speed, or skill for the big leagues. The package included a video that showed that over the last three years he played, opposing teams had already adapted to Todd. He was big, like I said, but he was also slow. They didn't try to double-block him anymore. Opponents simply bypassed Todd. It was humiliating. Game after game, video showed players lining up against Todd and quickly passing him, getting through the line before he could react. After four years in college, Todd was far from earning any degree, and because he had exhausted his athletic qualifications, he was kicked off the team. Todd planned his entire life around one goal, and when that didn't pan out, his life was in question. Todd became depressed. For the last two weeks of school, he didn't even show up to class. He drank himself into oblivion and did all sorts of stupid things. Lori didn't seem to mind. "In a way, it's good," she told me. "I was completely at a loss. Todd will figure out what we should do next," she said confidently. "But for now, this means that I shouldn't leave you. If Todd had been chosen, we would have already left, and I would already miss you, so it just gives me more time with you." I looked at her strangely. From the moment we met, I apparently considered her some kind of unattainable phantom. When she told me that she loved me too, I loved hearing it, but I never had any illusions about where her feelings were directed. "Don't look at me like that, you fool," she said. "I told you for a long time that I love you too. I don't understand this myself. I always thought that true love was only possible for one person, but I swear that I love you both equally." I was stunned. "I know," she said. "It's confusing as hell, and I will marry Todd, but only because this is how my life should turn out. My family and everyone I know expects me to marry Todd. Sometimes it seems that if I don't marry him, the world will collapse." Everything she said made me believe that she really wasn't sure which of us she wanted to be with. She has spent a lot more time with me over the past 2 years. Todd was always running around with friends or cheating on her with another woman. She really expected him to give it up, but he didn't. I truly believed that if I persisted, I could convince her that I was the best choice for her. The problem is that even though I told everyone, including myself, that I was ready to lose her when the school year ended, I lied. I loved her so much that it seemed impossible, and when you love someone that much, you don't try to force them to do something against their will; you just want the best for them and what will make them happy. So I just listened to her, but didn't try to push her in any direction. I guess deep down, I considered myself noble. In the end, I hoped with every cell in my body that she would choose me. I imagined us settling into a perfect life. I would do everything possible to make her the happiest woman on Earth, but I wasn't going to beg her or try to pressure her in any way. I left everything to fate. I rolled the dice on my life and got lucky. My number came up, and it didn't happen right away. This happened step by step, with some difficulties. The first step came when she and Todd decided that rather than return to Missouri in what Todd considered a disgrace, they would stay in Illinois, and he would find a job. The problem was that Todd couldn't really do anything other than play football, and it turns out he's not very good at it. They rented a small apartment, and Todd went from job to job, failing at each one. Todd also remained depressed and continued to spend whatever money they could save on trips to see the NFL, then CFL, and then Arena teams. He didn't generate any interest anywhere, and while he still ate the same way he did in college, he didn't have a structured workout routine to stay in shape. So with 8 months, Todd began to look like the marshmallow man.

One good thing about them staying in Illinois was that it allowed me to see Lori whenever I wanted. She never told me about her problems, but she told me every day that she loved me. The first time I realized they were in trouble was when she told me she had to get a job as a waitress, and that it was a much harder job than she expected. She said they needed her income, or they wouldn't be able to pay the rent. The next thing I knew, I had to leave work to pick up a hysterical Lori. She called me and asked me to come pick her up. I had never seen their apartment, but it was only an hour's drive from my workplace.

My career has been funny. It's always a little strange working in a small family business. I wanted to know my worth. So right after college, I got a job at another company. Everyone in my family was immediately outraged. I was expected to graduate from college and immediately take over the family business. In the end, of the three brothers, I was the only one who went into production. My older brother, Jeff, was a teacher. He went into education because of the three of us, he was the only one old enough to remember our mother and our parents' terrible fights. Michael and I were raised by my father's second wife, who also eventually left him. She visited us often but did not speak to my father if she could avoid it. Michael became a writer because he didn't want to get into production either. Both of my brothers received a small annual income from the company, which increased their net income to the point where they didn't need anything. With my father's health deteriorating, my brothers expected me to drop out of college and essentially take over the company. I worked there every summer and knew everything about the business. Neither of my brothers cared about the company; they just wanted their checks to keep coming. So when I got a job at another company, everyone was furious. Finally, it was my father who came to me. "What the hell are you doing?" he asked me. "What do you mean, Dad?" I asked him. "Look at you," he said. "You are one of the 15 or 20 lower-ranking production managers here. Nobody even knows what you're capable of. Every decision you make has to be approved by three or four guys who never even see the production. What's the point?" I asked. "Why serve in heaven when you can rule in hell?" he asked. "You have your own company that you could run. Now you would run the company. Heck, you'd own a company. I know we don't get along, but according to my doctors, I'll be gone in a year. I'll leave everything to you. Your arrogant brothers don't care what happens as long as they get their damn share. Neither of them had set foot in the building for more than 10 years. Everything will be yours, Mark." He lived much longer than doctors thought. He even lived to see the birth of his granddaughter.

During these three years, I learned a lot from my father. I learned that the company had only lost a lot of money once in its history, and this was because my father had to pay my stepmother a large sum in their divorce. After that, my father didn't trust anyone anymore. That's why the company was part of a family trust. This meant that it could not be considered marital property for us. So in the event of a divorce, neither my wife when I got married nor my brother's wives could receive a penny from the company. He also taught me the value of creative accounting. According to the books, my father earned $200 a week. In terms of dollars and cents, my father's lifestyle was more consistent with someone making over $100,000 a year. The company budget had several discretionary accounts that he could use for any purchases, including mortgage payments or any other desired purchases. But after the divorce he went through, he was never going to give a woman even a quarter if he could avoid it. So even if his next wife received half his income, it would only be $100 a week. Later, I appreciated the value of this. But that day, when I drove up to Lori's apartment building, I was shocked. I couldn't believe she lived in such a rundown place. I just took over our company about 3 months ago. I only made two major purchases. One of them was my house; the other one is my car. I bought the first of the Mustang series. Back then, I was afraid to park my car in front of her building and leave her. Fortunately, I didn't have to do this. Lori was sitting on a bench near the door to the building, crying when I arrived. She had one small suitcase and she left it near the bench while she ran towards me. Todd was still in their apartment. He stuck his head out the window and shouted to me, "You can have her this time. She's useless anyway. Ever since we met, she's just been sitting on her butt waiting for me to get rich so she can live off me. Do you need a woman who is only needed when she wants something from you? [ __ ] her." Then he closed the window, and I haven't seen him since.

On the way to my office, I listened to Lori's horror story. She worked every shift possible. She just finished two double shifts in a row. She had worked for six of the last 24 hours. She came to their apartment and found Todd with a fat blonde. During the confrontation, Todd told her that she was stupid if she expected him to change overnight. He was still doing the same things he did in college. He didn't think he should stop until they were married, which would be in a few months. He was confident that he had done nothing wrong and even saved money by having sex in their apartment instead of spending money on a motel room that they would not be able to afford. All this time, his blonde hair was wrapped in a robe and reading one of Lori's wedding magazines. Lori got really angry when she noticed it was her own robe. Then she grabbed a few things, threw them into her suitcase, and called me. I had to go back to work, so we bought lunch, which we ate in my office. I asked Lori what she wanted to do. I told her I would be there for her to help with anything she needed. She still didn't want to go back back to Missouri, even though I offered to pay for her airfare. She decided that she just wanted to avoid Todd for a week or so, and then she would give him an ultimatum: he will either start behaving decently, or they will break up. History was never one of my favorite subjects at school, but back then, I looked forward to it. We had lunch at my office, and I gave Lori my credit card, and my secretary and I sent them to the mall to buy her everything she needed. I moved her to my guest room, and she never left it. It was as if we had never parted. Somehow, she never got around to going back to Todd. A few weeks later, I introduced her to my brothers and stepmother at a family gathering. My stepmother told me that I shouldn't let Lori leave. "She's the one you should marry," she said. "Mom," I said, thinking about Todd. "Lori is..." "I was just waiting for you to ask," she said, stunning me to the core. But I wasn't going to miss my chance. I got down on one knee. "Lori, I don't have a ring yet, but if you say yes, we'll go out tomorrow morning and pick out any ring you want." "You'll yes," she screamed, not allowing me to even finish. After that.

Everything started to move too quickly. My stepmother and Lori, with the help of my brother's wives, began planning their wedding. The next day, she called and explained everything to her mother. Her mom and dad flew out the following weekend to meet me and find out why their chosen son-in-law wouldn't marry Lori. Her dad went to talk to Todd, and when he came back, he took me aside and gave me his blessing.

No one talked about Todd anymore, but I realized that he had done something to really anger Lori's father. Over the next 20 odd years, I truly thought I had kept my promise to make Lori the happiest woman on Earth, but apparently, this is not the case.

The trip to Michigan was much shorter than I thought. My Mustang must have flown for miles. While I was contemplating my life, I even glanced at my digital speedometer a couple of times and had to slow down. I found a motel near Dearborn and settled in for a few hours of sleep before heading to the car show. I set my alarm for 8:00 a.m., and when I heard the phone ringing, I thought it was time to get up, but that was not the case. It was only 7, and my phone was ringing.

"Hello," I said.

"Hely," lack of sleep and shock made me sound much more tired than I actually felt.

"You sound the same as I feel," she said. "Have you calmed down enough for us to talk?"

"Lori, I don't want to talk to you," I said. "For over 25 years, I gave you everything I could. You never asked me for anything that I would say no to. I loved you so much that I wanted us to have a perfect life."

"And and we had," she said. "And Mark, it lasted longer. We've been married 25 years, but come to think of it, we were together for 2 years before that. So if you love me so much, why can't we continue to have our perfect life?"

"Dear, it was a perfect life. I'm the happiest and luckiest woman on Earth, just like you promised. So why can't you forgive me this time and go back to it?"

"Because it was one big lie!" I blurted out. "I heard you and Katie yesterday. Whoever you slept with, it wasn't a one-time thing. It wasn't just curiosity or drunken misbehavior. It was a long-term, pre-planned affair. That means there was some kind of emotional connection. So that even though I loved you just as much as I always told you, you didn't feel the same way about me. I think you think I'm just jealous or whining, but it's hard to get punched in the teeth by the same person you loved and trusted more than anyone in the world."

"But it's not," she began.

"But that's how it is," I interrupted. "The best thing you can do, Lori, is do what I told you. Just pack your things and get out of my house. Get out before I get home tomorrow. After that, we can communicate through lawyers."

"Mark, what are you talking about?" she exclaimed. "We've been together for almost 30 years. This is not a reason for divorce. I will stop, and we will work through through this. It will take time, but everything will return to normal."

"That was the stupidest thing you could have said," I told her. "What she asked, when you said 'I'll stop,' it made me realize that this is still going on," I said angrily.

"Lori, don't stop. Let him take you. Just get out of my life. I'll be 50 in 2 years. I don't have time to waste on lying, cheating people. I need to find someone to spend the rest of my life with."

Life before she could say anything, I hung up. Since I was already up, going back to sleep was not an option. I was even more angry than before. She called when the phone rang again. I managed to look at the screen before answering. I let the call go to voicemail and then went into my phone settings and blocked Lori's number.

I arrived at the exhibition quite early. There were already a lot of cars there, and as soon as I took my seat, I started doing the representative rituals like everyone else. I got out the tire cleaner and gel and the quick polish spray and started wiping and polishing every inch of my car's shiny black and chrome exterior. After I finished, I walked around the show area and took photos of many of the cars that I liked. I smiled at many people but avoided conversation. Lori and I used to talk a lot with people about our cars and what we were going to do with them. Lori also talked to to some of the wives about women's issues. This time, I avoided real conversations because I just wasn't ready for it. I met several people I knew or had met in previous years at the same exhibition. Everything was going great until someone asked where my wife was. I just smiled and said, "At home," without elaborating or saying why. It was really hard to remain polite to casual acquaintances when I had a Lori-sized hole in my heart. The whole time I was there, I was walking around and looking at things I could do to upgrade my car. I tried to avoid talking as much as possible. The thought in my mind was that if I didn't talk to anyone, they would never know what a big fool I was. I had dinner in my motel room and decided to spend another night there. Normally, Lori and I would go home straight after the show, but this time I was in no hurry to go home.

I left early the next morning. I was in no hurry and pulled into my driveway around midafternoon. To my surprise, Lori's car was still there. My brother-in-law's car was there. There was also a rental car. I thought I understood what was happening. I assumed that Lori had decided that I would like to keep her Cadillac, so she rented a car. I thought my son-in-law was here because he wanted to talk about my daughter cheating on me. As soon as I entered the house, I realized that I was wrong. Not only was Katie there with Eric, but Lori's parents, who were in their late 70s, were there too. Lori figured out how to gather everyone she could to support her. She was sitting on the sofa with Katie on one side and her mother on the other. They seemed to be trying to calm her down.

"Everything will be okay, Lori," her mother was saying. When I entered, she looked at me even before I closed the door.

"Why are you still here?" I asked.

Everyone looked at each other as if they were shocked by my cold tone. "Listen," I said, "you can keep your car. Unlike you, I keep my word. When I gave you the car, it became yours. I will continue to pay the loan, but you will need to take out your insurance."

"Mark," my father-in-law said, "we all need to sit down and discuss everything. You are too happy to break up over a misunderstanding. Ever since I met you, you have been a perfect son-in-law and a very, very reasonable person. Over the years, I have always been glad that she married you and not for that damn football player."

"She dad," I said, "I now wish that she would actually marry Todd. Then I would have found someone else to spend my life with and not have to go through this."

"Come on, Mark," he smiled. "Every married couple has problems. Lori's mom and I almost broke up a few times over stupid things. There was the time I went to Vegas and gambled away my entire paycheck, and we almost lost the house. Your problems are nothing compared with that."

"So you're telling me that Lori had an affair that apparently lasted for years?" I said.

"What?" he asked.

"I thought that," I said. "Your daughter, whom I have loved and supported for the last 25 years or so, has been having sex with another guy for a long time. I found out about it yesterday when she was counseling Katie about how stupid it was for her to do that."

Katie's face went white as a sheet. "Katie," Eric asked, "he's lying, isn't he?"

Katie looked away. My mother and father-in-law were both speechless. Lori started crying even louder. She didn't seem to say anything to her parents. Eric and Katie were arguing loudly. I went upstairs to put my things away.

Lori walked up the stairs. "Are you happy now?" she asked. "You told my parents your twisted view of what was happening, so now my own parents also think I'm a [ __ ] and you ruined your daughter's marriage."

"Look," I said, "the only opinion I could give to your parents is what I have. You refused to give me any other information about your affair, not that I wanted it. I just want you out of my life. And as for Katie, I told her that if she didn't tell Eric, I would. I think she thought I was joking because I thought she didn't tell him anything."

I went down the stairs and left the house. I calmly opened the garage and pulled out a cart with car wash supplies. I started getting ready to wash the car.

"Son," my father-in-law asked, "are you sure now is the time to wash the car?"

"No matter what else happens, I'll go to work tomorrow," I said. "My whole car is covered in road dust and dirt. It's too good a car to leave dirty."

"But you'll have to negotiate with Lori," he said.

"No, everything is settled," I said.

"Just?" he asked.

"It's just like that," I said. "I tried to talk to her. I asked her who this guy was, but she didn't even tell me that. It seemed like protecting him was more important than protecting what I thought was a good marriage. Besides, you have to look at it from my point of view. Lori was the woman of my dreams. I really thought I hit the jackpot with her. I put everything, everything I had into our marriage, only to discover that she had obviously been cheating on me for a long time. This is a one-time thing, and when she called me yesterday, I found out that apparently she hadn't stopped. There's nothing to save here. Take her with you when you leave. I won't waste any more time on her."

"Listen, Mark," he said, "I'm a lawyer. I'm very angry with Lori too, but I know one thing. I know that my daughter loves you very much. There must, must be some way to work this out. I told her not to leave until she was forced to go to court. For more than 20 years, it was her house. I know you owned it before your marriage, so the court will probably allow you to keep it, but until she is forced by the court, it is not in her best interest to leave. Also, the fact that you are both here gives you the best a chance to make things right. I'm also going to try to block the divorce. I'm going to ask the court for counseling. They're going to force you to come to counseling sessions, so that will force both of you to talk and try to work things out."

"No court can force me to accept a woman who cheated on me," I said.

"But she's already agreed to stop, so maybe we can start trying to work it out," he said.

"Try as hard as you can," I said. Then I turned on the hose and started washing the car.

Eric left in a huff a few minutes later. Katie came out of the house with tears in her eyes and stood looking at me. "How could you?" she asked. I didn't answer. I just continued to wash the car. I then waxed it, cleaned the tires, and polished my chrome wheels. It seemed like everyone was in the driveway watching me wash my car. Then I returned to the house and packed another suitcase.

Lori came up to me. "I won't leave," she said. "My dad said a good lawyer would advise me to stay in the house, so you're stuck with me until you physically force me to leave."

"When can we talk?"

"We can't," I said. "And I'm not stupid enough to get physical with you. I'll wait until the court evicts you from my house, but until then, I'll be living somewhere else."

"But darling, you can't do this," she cried. "We have to fix this."

"It can't be fixed," I said.

"You don't want to fix it," she objected.

"I'm also not the one who did all this," I said. "Everything will become clear eventually. I'll have my lawyer contact your dad as soon as I find him. That'll probably be tomorrow. I'll have him call your dad."

"I don't want," she began.

"We've already discussed this," I said. "I actually wasn't as cool and calm as I seemed. I truly was a ball of conflicting feelings and pain. I just didn't want to show them how much she hurt me." When I left home, fate intervened. My neighbor called me. He didn't live in my neighborhood, but he lived near the lake house that my family had owned for over 30 years. He just called to remind me that the grass at the dacha was so tall that it had become a fire hazard. He asked if I wanted to pay him to cut the grass. I told him to get to work, and I'll come by tomorrow to pay him for it. He said it was no problem and that I could just mail the check, but I assured him I was on my way there. At that point, I couldn't cut the grass myself because I brought my own car, and the lawn mower wouldn't fit. I was actually going to stay in a motel until I could work things out with Lori and evict her from the house, but this seemed like a better idea, especially since she was going to stay in my house until I could legally evict her. The dacha, although smaller, had all the amenities of a regular home, including cable television. I just had to call the company to reconnect the service. There was even internet that I could use. As soon as the cable was connected, it was the perfect solution. Of course, there was a problem with distance. The dacha was a 45-minute drive from my house. It meant I had to spend an hour driving there and back every day, but damn, I loved driving my car.

The next morning, after I checked the production floor and made sure everyone was doing their job, I called my lawyer. He only practiced business law, but I was counting on him to recommend a divorce specialist. The lawyer he referred me to was willing to take my case. He suggested drawing up two different sets of documents. The first one, he will write the way I want. I will file for divorce on grounds of infidelity and will not offer Lori anything. She could have kept the car and personal items and simply disappeared from my life. I would also sue her lover for anything we could get. Both of these options were legal in our state. The other set of documents was was more moderate. I would file for a no-fault divorce and even give Lori a few thousand to get her settled. I wouldn't ask her who she cheated with, like the lawyer said, because it really didn't matter to me, and I'd be better off not knowing. I really needed to just get over it and start over. He told me that in his years of practice, he had handled literally hundreds of divorces, and in most cases, people just gradually grew apart. He said that even though it seemed so terrible, none of us were the villains. We just made a choice that felt good to us individually. The best thing to do was to forget about all this anger and focus on happiness. If I wasn't going to be happy with Lori, I just had to find something or someone that made me happy. One thing he saw over and over again was that the people who were able to leave these situations behind and move forward were the ones who ended up being the happiest. The people who lingered on this and held on to grievances were the ones who died early or lived long, unhappy lives. I didn't understand this at first, but I agreed to do everything his way. I wrote him a check, and he said he would have the paperwork ready in a couple of days, and we could meet Lori and her father. I gave him my father-in-law's number. For the rest of the day, I tried to focus on running my business. I decided that trying to keep the rest of my life normal would minimize the stress I was feeling about my marriage going to [ __ ]. However, it didn't work out. Before lunch, my secretary called me at my office for a phone call. Sylvia has been with me since I took over the company, and she always missed Lori's calls. "I think I should tell her what's going on between us," I thought. I picked up the phone, thinking it was a client or supplier. I was in full working mode.

"Mark Brown here," I said, answering the call.

"Lori Brown, trying to bring some sense into her husband," she replied in the same vein.

"Mark, I can't believe you went to this extent. Did you actually hire a lawyer?"

"Yes, Lori," I said. "That's what people do when they get divorced. Besides, didn't your father tell me everything you will and won't do? Doesn't your father act as your lawyer? Remember all that talk about what you won't do? It's in your best interest to leave the house. Remember, he even told me about your strategy and how you were going to send us to counseling."

"Honey, this is," she began.

"I already told you that you should call me by my name," I interrupted. "I'm not your darling or anything. You can save that treatment for whoever you slept with."

"Mark, it was just to get you to talk to me about this. I never thought it would go this far. Dad and I just thought that if we started talking about counseling, and especially if I stayed in the house, then you and I would sit down and discuss this like two rational adults," she said.

"Lori, when I first heard about this, I asked you. You didn't want to talk. I asked you who this guy was, you didn't say anything. You won, you protected him. I hope you're as important to him as he is like you, because when this is over, you won't have a home, and I won't give you a cent more than you need."

"Mark, you can't be serious," she said. "I'll tell you everything you want to know about."

"Listen, Lori," I interrupted, "I don't want to know anymore. I don't care. I just want this to end. My lawyer is smart enough. He told me the best thing for me is to just move on. I just want a new beginning."

"That's what I want too," she said. "That's why we just need to sit down and talk about this so we can start over. I know it's going to take us a while, but we'll get through this."

"And Lori, you just don't understand," I said. "When I said I wanted a new start, I didn't mean we started again after you ruined our marriage. I meant a fresh start without you in my life. I need someone I can love and who will love me the same."

"Mark, we're not done yet," she said. "It might take a while for you to realize it, but we'll be okay. We have too much of a past together to just throw it away over something so stupid. We have a kid together."

"Goodbye, Lori," I said. "Please, please don't bother me at work anymore. I'll see you in court." After that, I just hung up and went back to work.

3 hours later, I received another phone call. "Dad, why are you doing this?" she asked. "After all these years you two have been together, doesn't she deserve better treatment?"

"Katie," I said, "a woman who cheated on her husband for a long time deserves what she gets. If it was about me mistreating her or treating her badly, I could understand that, but I loved your mother from the moment we met. I never even raised my voice to her. I also never neglected her or put anyone else before her. If anyone deserves better treatment, it's me."

She fell silent after that. "Let me ask you a question," I said. "If you found out that I cheated on your mom for years, if I slept with clients or a secretary or just picked up girls, whose side would you be on? You'd defend your mom, right?"

"Probably," she said. "But I think I would still want you two to stay together. I would just want you to stop what you're doing. I don't think any child wants their parents to split up ever."

"So why aren't you on my side in all of this? I'm not the one who did wrong," I said.

"I think it's because, in a way, it's my fault, Dad," she said. "If I hadn't gotten angry and opened my big mouth, you would still be happy."

"You mean I'd still be stupid and in the dark?" I said. "Somehow, this doesn't seem right to me. Another thing I can't understand is why, if you knew she did it, you never told me. Have I ever been a bad father to you, Katie? Have you been treated poorly or even unfairly? Why don't I receive the same level of devotion that you gave her?"

"I don't know, Dad," she said, starting to cry. "I'm really sorry. I should have told you, but she told me it was over, and you dealt with it, and you didn't have to tell. Tell Eric. He's so upset with me right now that it hurts. He used to look at me the way you look at your mother. That's a big part of why I fell in love with him, but now when he looks at me, it's not the same at all. Even if we can work it out, things may never be the same between us."

"Katie, you are very lucky that you never had the opportunity to do this again. Your mistake will end up being a one-time drunken act. Eric will give you a beating for this, Katie, and you deserve it."

"You cheated on your husband, but I was drunk," she cried.

"Shut up, Catherine," I said. "You are a grown woman and you have common sense. You know that if you went to a party without your husband, you shouldn't have been drinking in the first damn place. A married woman should not find herself in such a situation. Like you told your mother, you weren't that drunk. You knew what was going on and decided to allow it because you thought Eric was boring. You even asked her if she thought you should try it again. You're really lucky because, like I said, Eric is mad at you, but he loves you. He'll probably scold you for a while, but since it only happened once, and he doesn't know you're thinking about doing it again, he'll forgive you. But what you did was bad, and so am I. I hope you learned your lesson."

"I have, Dad," she said. "Is it true this will never happen again? Over the past few days, I've realized what my life is like when Eric is angry with me. I never want to see what will happen if he leaves me. I thought I was a grown woman, Daddy, and I used to think that I loved Eric, but sitting there in that house with him refusing to talk to me, I realized how much I truly cared about him. One of the reasons he's not interesting is because he's so damn tired of working all those hours to pay our bills."

"Well, I'm happy for you, honey," I said.

"But Daddy, what about Mommy?" she asked.

"She also wants to improve the relationship between you. This is a different situation," I said. "Your mother was not drunk. She cheated on me, and apparently had been doing so for years. She made a conscious effort to do this, and I just don't think I could ever trust her again. It would be better if we went our separate ways."

"Dad, she doesn't want this. She loves you, and honestly, I don't think she can handle it on her own."

"Katie, it's not my concern anymore. Her lover can take care of her from now on. I have nothing against her or them. I just don't want to be the third wheel in this love triangle anymore. Now I have to get back to work. I hope that everything will work out for you and Eric, dear."

3 days later, I saw my wife for the next time. I looked at her across the long table in my lawyer's office. She got dressed for the meeting. Her hair was freshly styled, and she looked good. The years have hardly changed her. I noticed a few wrinkles on her face that I hadn't noticed before, but she was still as beautiful as ever.

"What are you looking at?" she asked me.

"I was just wondering if you realize how beautiful you are," I said. "And I'm just wondering how the hell am I supposed to get over you now."

"You really don't have to," she smiled.

"Yes, I really should," I said. "And it'll take a while, but I'll be okay eventually."

Her face darkened. "Mark, we need to stop this before it's too late," my lawyer said. "And Mrs. Brown, we are here to discuss the divorce and decide how we will proceed. Your husband, rather than just sending you the paperwork, wanted to discuss the matter and give you the opportunity to decide how we would proceed. He has been very open and honest about everything, and I hope you can continue to do so in the same spirit of cooperation."

"Why should I?" she asked sharply. "I don't want a damn divorce. I love my husband, and we belong together. This is all stupid. I'll do everything I can to stop this from happening."

My father-in-law told Lori to calm down. My lawyer presented her with two sets of documents.

"What is this?" asked Lori's father.

"There are two possible paths we can take," my lawyer said. "Personally, I prefer a no-contest, no-fault divorce. It will move through court faster and cause less stress for all parties. On the other hand, if she doesn't want to settle, we'll go another route. My client may be willing to negotiate the settlement amount, but this is the only concession he is willing to make."

"But this is pure nonsense," said my father-in-law. "He'll basically chase her out the door with just the clothes on her back and her car."

"She's been cheating on me for years," I said. "She doesn't even want to say how old or with whom. Let him take care of her. Our marriage is over. I acted in good faith all this time. I loved her and never cheated on her."

"I loved you too and didn't cheat on you," she suddenly exclaimed.

"What the hell do you call that?" I snapped. "You went off and had fun with another guy for years, and now you expect me to just—"

My lawyer nudged me, and I suddenly fell silent.

"I'm going to petition the court to order counseling," my father-in-law said. "They clearly still have feelings for each other. This marriage can be saved, and there is no need to file a motion."

"My lawyer said my client agrees to the consultation. He also agrees to pay for it. You can choose the consultant we use."

"No, I—" I started.

He silenced me with his gaze. "But in case the counseling is unsuccessful, you need to decide which route we will take for the divorce," he said.

"Young lady," he said, "you understand that court records are public, right?"

She looked at him as if she didn't understand what it meant. "This means that all your neighbors and everyone in town will have access to the records and know why you got divorced. On the other hand, with a no-fault, no-contest divorce, you don't have to give a reason. You can tell your friends and neighbors whatever you want."

"Her face didn't change. Half the town will think you're a [ __ ]," he said.

"To hell with the city," she said. "I won't give up my husband without a fight."

"This is all wrong," said my father-in-law. "Where do these records come from? He must have more money than that. That car he bought her. How the hell can he even afford car maintenance when he only makes $200 a week? They don't have children at home. Most, most judges will only give her child support for a certain period of time. Let's say 4 years."

"Three," said my lawyer. "This means that even with having given that he owned the house before marriage, he will most likely keep it. He will probably only end up paying about $115,000, and it will be spread out over 3 years. How damn is that fair? How was it fair that I supported her and bought her everything she wanted for 25 years while she was sleeping with another man?" I asked. "I wanted someone I could love and who would love me back for life. I wasted my best years on a liar. I think she's leaving with a lot more than I got. I wanted someone I could grow old with, whom I could spoil with grandchildren. I received handouts from a temporary wife and a permanent cheater. Don't you see it, Dad? I put in this with the best intentions. We made vows in front of our families and friends, but only one of us was ready to comply with them. If this were a business, I could sue her for failure to comply with the terms of the contractor for fraud."

The atmosphere in the room became increasingly tense, and Lori's tears began to flow. "You don't understand. You got what you wanted," she cried. "I love you, Mark. I always have. We could grow old together the way you wanted."

"And I," I said, "wanted it for both of us. Not for three."

"We're not making any progress here," my lawyer said. "I have come up with an alternative strategy. I must warn you about this, but I am not obliged to tell you what it is. In the absence of a solution from Mrs. Brown at the end of the consultation period, I will file for divorce on the grounds of infidelity. Please let me know until then if you change your mind."

Lori shook her head. "Please contact me as soon as you find a therapist for consultation," he said. "This should not take more than 3 days. I will inform my client to ensure he attends the sessions."

"Why can't I just tell him who the therapist is?" Lori said.

"We will only see each other at sessions," I said. "We won't talk to each other."

"Why not?" she asked.

"My father said you should come home. After starting this, it doesn't make sense for you to stay in a hotel for the entire month while we're in counseling. We can sleep in separate rooms if you insist, but this is your home."

"That makes a lot of sense," I said. "We are starting the divorce process. We are in a legal battle. I don't want to do or say anything that you could use against me in court. I have already arranged for another place to stay."

"Why are you doing this?" she asked with tears. "You don't even want to try to fix our relationship. You want to throw away 25 years."

"Lori, you did all this yourself," I said. "You threw away those years. I'm just trying to pull the pieces of my life out of the trash."

Lori and her father have probably already agreed on a therapist. My lawyer called me less than an hour after I left his office to let me know when and where. He checked the woman out and said she seemed professional and had the right qualifications. Our first meeting was scheduled for the next evening. Lori seemed to truly believe that counseling would work wonders. The therapist was a large woman with huge glasses who seemed like a very kind person. She smiled a lot and radiated good feelings.

"Okay," she said, "let's start by arranging our chairs. You can sit anywhere, but try to do it in a way that allows us to communicate easily."

I sat down on the chair, and when Lori moved her chair next to me, I just looked at her. "Interesting," said the consultant.

"What's so interesting?" I asked.

"I can usually tell a lot about where a couple sits," she said. "In your case, I see that Mrs. Brown was the one who cheated, but strangely, after I saw this, I expected you to move your chair away from hers, but you didn't. I haven't figured out why yet."

I shrugged. "The first thing we need to figure out is why we are here and what we want to achieve. My hope is that you both leave here in better condition, regardless of any other outcome. Mrs. Brown, let's start with you. Why are you here and what do you want?"

"I want to overturn my husband's divorce and save our marriage," Lori quickly responded.

"And you, Mr. Brown?" asked the therapist.

"I'm here to speed up the process," I said.

She looked at me with bewilderment. "My lawyer knew they would insist on consultations," I said. "If we waited until they found a judge and got permission, and the judge ordered counseling, I would still have to do it. The judge would probably want a longer period of sessions, and it would take five or six weeks for him to even make a decision. So I cut the therapy down to one month and started it immediately. That means I'm saving almost six weeks and maybe another month of therapy. So by just agreeing to it instead of resisting it, I'm cutting back almost three months of time that I will have to endure all this. I will get my divorce even faster."

"So you automatically assume that your marriage cannot be saved?" she asked.

"Sorry, but he can't be saved," I said.

"Let's start with you this time, Mr. Brown. Why did your marriage fail?"

"My wife cheated on me, so I don't want to be married to her anymore," I said.

"Do you agree with this, Mrs. Brown?" she asked.

"No, I don't agree," Lori said. "He just doesn't understand the situation. I want to be his wife. I love him."

"The reason I don't understand the situation is because she doesn't say a damn thing about it," I snapped. "I'm just not going to put up with this. I don't know how it started, I don't know when it started, I don't know who this guy is, or even what I did or didn't do to make her start cheating on me. I did everything I could to be a good husband."

"And you were the best husband a woman could ask for, dear Mark," she suddenly began to cry. "It it didn't start, it just never ended. You didn't do anything wrong. You did everything right. I just owed him, and he just—"

"What do you mean, it never ended?" I exploded. I stood up so quickly that the chair I was sitting on tipped over. I looked at her.

"It's Todd, isn't it?" she burst into tears and started crying.

The therapist tried to calm her down. I just shook my head. I turned and headed towards the door.

"Mr. Brown, where are you going?" asked the therapist.

"I don't need to be here anymore," I said calmly. "I'm not upset or anything. I made sure you get paid for the entire term, but this case needs to be dismissed. I don't even want a divorce."

"What do you have in mind?" asked the therapist.

"When I first met Lori, she was in a relationship with a guy who was constantly cheating on her," I said. "I just found out that she married me while still in that relationship. I didn't start a sexual relationship with her before we got married. She never seemed to stop sleeping with him. I'm okay with that. They knew each other and were a couple for a long time when I met her. The only thing I regret is that I supported her all these years."

"There are so many things that I need to get," she said.

"Which things?" asked the therapist.

"I am now sure that I need a DNA test for my daughter," I said. "Some of her personality traits seem unusual to me for someone with my genes. But I also need my lawyer to do something completely different. I will sue Todd for his role in destroying my marriage, but if it turns out that Katie is his child, I will also sue him for all the expenses of raising her and everything else. But at least now I can just ask the judge to give me an annulment or even annul the entire marriage on the ground of fraud. Lori married me and gave it to me, swearing under false pretenses. It should be pretty clear that Lori and Todd probably owe me at least several hundred."

I didn't even look at Lori when I left the room. Maybe I should have. I went to my lawyer's office and told him everything that happened in therapy. He immediately got down to business, and then the real action began. Within 2 days, I became very popular and very unloved among many people. My father-in-law was furious. My mother-in-law was upset too. My daughter was upset. Todd called, threatening me, and some woman I had never met wanted to meet me.

My father-in-law came to my office. "Damn it, Mark," he shouted. "What happened to you?"

"Um, I fell in love and was betrayed," I said.

"Forget it now," he said. "Lori is in the hospital. Do you care?"

"Lori cheated on me for 25 years," I said. "She was never mine to begin with. I loved her with all my heart. My heart is broken. Aren't you sorry? I'm the victim here, so don't start complaining to me because Lori is upset. Lori started this whole thing. I'm probably not even Katie's father."

"Aren't you sorry?" he said. "Trust me, Katie is your daughter." He sat down on the chair opposite me. "Do you have anything to drink here?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Oh yeah, you don't drink," he said. "That's another thing I've always liked about you."

"I didn't think you ever accepted me," I said.

"Mark, don't be stupid," he said. "When I first met you, I was just shocked because everyone in our town expected Lori to marry Todd. I had heard that fairy tale for so long that I believed it too. But when I met you, I had to at least try to understand why the fairy tale went off the rails. When I saw what Todd had become, I was glad she was marrying you and not him. All I ever wanted was for my little girl to be happy. It took me less than an hour to realize that she is much happier with you than she ever was with him. Mark, if I had known for one second that she was going on with this, I would have made her stop," he said. "But despite your differences, I know two things. I know that my daughter really loves you. And I would bet that Katie is your daughter."

I just looked at him. "Hell, you don't need a DNA test to figure this out," he said. "Todd is too stupid to be her father."

I smiled a little and nodded. "It doesn't really matter who her biological father is," I said. "I raised her. I thought she had my values. No matter what I do, I can't bring back the memories and all the happiness that little girl brought me. So I have to rely on what I know. No, I'm a business person. I trade dollars and minds. So if Katie really turns out to be Todd's child, Todd will have to pay me for ruining my marriage."

"You just don't understand this, son," he said. "Todd didn't ruin a damn thing. You love Lori, whether you want to admit it or not. Lori loves you. All the memories you two had created over the past 25 years were real. Todd simply pulled a scam on Lori and manipulated her using her guilt. The two of you have a beautiful home, a beloved daughter, and a wonderful life together. You also have each other. All Todd got from her was a few dollars, and he would call her once or twice a month, and they would have sex out of guilt."

"It doesn't matter if it was once or twice in a decade," I said. "It still wasn't right."

"I agree," he said. "But there are degrees of right and wrong. Smart people understand that life is not always black and white. There's a lot of gray here. Hell, life has red, yellow, and a whole spectrum of colors. Just think about it. Meanwhile, your wife is in the hospital. 25 years later, isn't she worth a visit?"

When I got ready to leave that evening, Katie was waiting for me. She sat in my car with tears streaming down her cheeks. "So I'm not your daughter, right?" she asked. "I'll take your damn test, but I've never even met this bastard. How could you think that I belong to him?" The next thing I know, she ran up and threw herself into my arms, crying her eyes out.

"Katie, you will always be my baby, no matter what," I said. "This has nothing to do with you and me. It's just another way to make this idiot pay."

"Dad, exactly how much is he going to pay?" she asked.

I was so angry that I went and saw my mother and talked to her about all this. "He is an old, fat, homeless man with a terrible character. He is married to a fat, old woman with bleached blonde hair. He had a regular job in life. He cheats on his wife, and not only his mother. He has no children and never has with any of the women he has been with. According to his mother, she always forced him to wear a condom. I don't belong to him in any way." Then she looked at me. "What's the matter?" she asked.

"What did I say, Katie? It's not you," I said. "Your mom and I never used condoms. Once we decided that all we needed was you, she started taking the pills. So her running around the store buying condoms to use with him just proves that she made a conscious attempt to cheat on me."

"The more I hear, the more it hurts." Against my better judgment, I went to visit Lori in the hospital. She was hooked up to all sorts of devices, but she seemed wary when I entered the room. She looked at me, her face flushed, and then went dark as darkness and anger colored her expression.

"I guess you came to kick me while I'm down, huh?" she asked.

"I can leave," I said. "Your father thought I should stop by." I sat on the edge of her bed and looked at her. "Why did they hook you all up to all this stuff?" I asked.

"When you left, I almost had a heart attack," she said quietly. "It turned out to be a really bad panic attack, but my blood pressure went up so much that they were really worried I might have a stroke."

"I've only loved two men in my entire life," she said. "Even though you keep calling me a [ __ ], I have only ever had sex with the same two men. So if I'm a [ __ ], I'm probably not very good at it. I didn't cheat. This is not some grand plan to hurt or fool you. It's just a very strange situation. When I met you, you knew I was with Todd," she said. "You knew this and still followed me. I've never lied to you. Every damn time you asked me why I was with him when he treated me like crap, I was being truthful. I was with him because I loved him. I told you that every damn time, but you still came back. And every time you looked at me, the way your eyes lit up when you saw me, it was magical, Mark. You made me feel so special. After some time, I realized that I love you. I also realized that I like you, and just because I loved you too didn't mean I stopped loving Todd, but I liked you more. I hated the way Todd treated me, but I had loved him for so long that it wouldn't go away, and I wanted him to stop cheating, and he spent more time with me, but I couldn't stop loving him. We had our whole lives planned out before you came along, and the next moment, I realized that I was cheating on him with you. Of course, we didn't have sex, we just kissed a lot, but if you ever insisted a little, we would have sex, and you know it. You were too good a guy to push me. Then the dream collapsed. I was probably scared. My life was not going the way I wanted. I hated my life with Todd. I hated that crappy apartment, and he never stopped cheating on me. Mark, this hurts so much. When I was in college, if he cheated on me, which he always did, you made me feel better. That's why, Mark, I called you. And Mark, you came, you came, and saved me, and treated me like a damn princess again. And I didn't lie, Mark. I've never lied to you. I really loved you, and I still love it. I will love you until my last breath. When I heard your stepmother say that you should marry me, I wanted you to ask me, and when you did, this I agreed, not because I wanted to deceive you, but because I loved you and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. I wanted to have sex with you, give birth to your children."

Grow old with you, and everything that you also want. And Mark, I still want it with every fiber of my being. I want you, darling. Don't look at me like that. I can call you whatever I want. We're still married, so you're still mine," she said sharply.

"I was really happy, Mark. I planned our wedding, and it was going to be the biggest and best wedding ever. Then he called me. He apologized and said he was going to seek help. He said he fell into depression and simply couldn't cope with the way his life had turned out. He was so disappointed that he couldn't become a professional athlete that it made him feel like he wasn't a man. He had one goal in life, one dream, and he failed. All other women were just his way of venting his emotions, but he was going to seek help, and we would be fine."

Then my eyes hardened as she spoke. "He wanted me to leave you and come back to him," she said.

"Mark, my heart broke for him. He was so apologetic and so remorseful. He tried so hard to put pieces of his life back together. All my love for him came back. It didn't mean I loved you any less. It simply meant that I was back where I started. I was still torn between you two."

"I told him about you, and he got upset and hung up. But a few days later, he called me again and said he understood. He also said that since I fell in love with you while engaged to him, the least I could do was let him try to get me back the same way I let you take me away from him. He kept calling me, and then we started seeing each other, and the next thing I knew, we were having sex. I didn't like it, and I need to tell you that I don't have sex with him because I like it. I do this out of guilt. I'm asking you for sex, Mark. He begs me and makes me do it out of guilt."

"I probably should have realized I was wrong when he didn't seem to care that I was still going to marry you. He even seemed to like it. He even told me that if it was fair for you to take me away from him while you were supposed to be taking care of me for him, then it was fair for us to be in touch while I was married to you. I know it sounds stupid, but I really couldn't give up on either of you, Mark. And this was the easiest way to keep you both. And you have to understand that although deep down I always loved you more and liked you, I felt sorry for him. You have a wonderful life and you have a lot of good things. Todd was always unlucky. There were times when you gave me hundreds of dollars for shopping without even asking what I bought. Often I would buy one dress, parade around in it for you before sex, and give the rest of the money to Todd so he could buy food or pay rent."

"He had a way of placing even more blame on me. He said such terrible things as he often told me I use people. I stayed with him as long as I thought he would become a rich professional athlete, but as soon as he failed, I left him. I tried to break up with him several times, but every time he managed to blame me and force me to return. I know you think I had sex with him all the time, but I swear to you, it was only once or twice a month, never more, and I always made him wear a condom. There was never a time when he didn't wear it. That's why you think your daughter could be his. It's funny, but please get the test result. Ads, I want you to get them and then apologize to her. There's something else you need to know. After Katie was born, I ended all relationships with Todd. It was around that time that I learned what he really thought about me."

She wiped her eyes. "Mark, Todd never loved me from the very first day we met. He likes blondes, no matter what they look like. He only chose me because I was smart enough to help him get through high school and then college. Then he came back to me because I gave him your money. I felt like a fool. I went to his same lousy apartment, and I arrived earlier. I brought him money and hoped to just leave it at the door and leave. As I said, Katie was born a few months ago, and I didn't have any sexual relations with him while I was pregnant because he thought I looked like a whale. I heard him talking about me. 'Look, I'm only dealing with this [ __ ] because she makes us money,' he said. 'She was never my type.' He continued to describe me as stupid, overly emotional, and boring in bed, but he needed the money I brought to pay for their apartment. He reminded the other person that he actually married her, not me."

A few moments later, the door opened, and the same fat, toothless woman came out of the apartment. I was so shocked that I just stood there. She recognized me immediately and smiled at me as she passed by. I was still standing there, feeling, feeling stupid, when he walked out.

For several weeks after that, I didn't take his calls or do anything. But then he started being rude. He started telling me that he would tell you what was going on if I didn't come. And after that, I had to go because I couldn't risk losing you, Mark. I love our life and our family too much to ever risk that.

As the years passed, maybe having sex with him once a month didn't seem so bad. It was just sex. It wasn't what you and I did. I started to think of it as a tax. For every 10 or 12 times you make love to me, I have to give Todd some. Most days, I just lay there and thought about my shopping list. I usually went to see him while you were at work. Then I would go out and do my shopping. I guess even though I love you with all my heart and soul, there is still a small part of me that wasn't ready to give up on him either. So now you know everything," she said.

I left her room and left her screaming at me to come back and talk. 25 years is a long time, but I vaguely remembered where that lousy old building was. I wandered around and wasn't sure until I saw Todd, or what was left of him, sitting on the steps in front of the building. The years have not been kind to Todd. It was still huge, but it was fat now. I wondered how a man without a job could be so fat, but he did it. I noticed something else. He walked with a limp and had spots on his arms and stomach. He was also dirty and unshaven, and damn, he had one of those little oxygen tanks that he rolled behind him.

When I got out of the car, I called him. He turned to me, and I saw a flash of recognition on his face. A woman stood next to him, looking puzzled. "How's our girl?" Todd smiled. I noticed several missing teeth in his mouth and rushed towards him. I hit him as hard as I could in his huge belly. All the air rushed out of him in one huge gasp, and he began to fall. As he fell, the tube from his oxygen tank became disconnected, and he began to gasp for air. I did not care. I started kicking him. He moaned with every blow. I think he tried to scream, but he didn't have enough air to do anything more than moan.

Then everything went dark. When I came to, the paramedic was holding ammonia over my nose. I was handcuffed. Todd's wife knocked me out cold by hitting me on the back of my head with a 6-ft board from a rotting porch. The police pulled me to my feet. I told them I didn't need to go to the hospital, but one of them had to drive my Mustang to the police station. I told them that if my car was stolen or damaged, they would be responsible for it. They ended up handcuffing me to the steering wheel and letting me drive while one of the cops drove with me. On the way to the station, the policeman looked at me like I was worthless. "What type of person attacks a damn disabled diabetic?" he asked. As I drove, I told him the whole story, including Todd's blackmail and his guilt over Lori. "Tell them that story, and you'll probably get away with it," he said.

I called my lawyer, and 2 hours later, I was free without charges. The only thing I had to agree to was to talk to Lori once. I told the D.A. the story, he agreed to the deal. I could have gotten a charge of simple assault instead of felony assault. My lawyer accused Todd of blackmailing Lori and extorting money from me through her. The district attorney said I would need evidence to charge me. My lawyer got Lori to admit it. Todd agreed to drop all charges if I dropped mine. This meant that I could not sue him for ruining my marriage. But then I realized that suing Todd was a waste of time and money. Todd had nothing, and in his condition, he won't last more than a year or two. Lori agreed to help me in exchange for the chance to talk again.

When she left the hospital, they wanted to keep her for another week or so. I agreed and returned to my hut. Her father kept calling me to talk about calling off the divorce. He said that Lori was feeling better every day and was looking forward to our meeting. He saw Todd and reminded me that Todd was not a threat to me or my marriage. Lori actually called me from the hospital and asked if I could come back to the hospital instead of waiting a week. When I entered her room again, she looked almost as good as she did in the lawyer's office. "Hello, honey," she said. She was smiling from ear to ear. "What are you so happy about?" I asked. "Well, I was able to help you," she said, "and secondly, you've seen Todd. He's not a threat to us. I also have interesting news for you about your daughter." She smiled. "She really is your daughter, or as Maury Povich would say, in the case of 24-year-old Katie Brown, you are the father. So you see, everything will work out well for us."

"I'd like to believe it," I said. "Yes, you helped me, but to get your help, I had to agree to this conversation with you, Lori. For these 25 years, I gave you everything you ever wanted, no questions asked. When I needed help, everything, only in one matter, and it didn't cost you anything. You blackmailed me to get it. As for Todd, as a threat, you didn't notice two things. First, I love you with all my heart. When you feel like that, find out from your wife that a small part of her heart still belongs to another man, painfully so. If the bastard was blind, crippled, and crazy, he would still be a threat. And through it all, you still haven't done the only thing that could convince me the opposite. You still never told me that it was over, over with him. You still never really told me that it was all over with him."

Her mouth opened in surprise. "One last thing about Katie. I always knew she was my daughter. I just wanted to shock her into acting like it. She has both of our genetic traits. She has my ability to reflect and learn from my mistakes, but I had to shock her because she relied on your ability to be cunning and justify actions like a damn [ __ ]." But she sobbed. "You also helped me more than you know when you repeated your tragic story about Todd and our shared history to the D.A. to drop the charges against me. It was made public record. That means I can use it to get my decision for fraud against you and end this marriage. You have some time before our case starts, but you should probably start packing up your things from my house."

The signals on her machine began to fluctuate, and the lines on the monitor began to jump. I wished her a good day and left again. 3 weeks later, I was leaning against the railing on a cruise ship. The ship was huge, and as I looked down at the surface of the water, I felt sick. I've always been a little afraid of heights. I didn't consider it a weakness or a flaw. I just thought it was common sense to be a little wary of something that could kill you. I still had a week left on my two-week Caribbean cruise. There was a chill in the air that morning, so I pulled on a sweatshirt over a t-shirt. It was a sweatshirt I got from the Woodward Dream Cruise the year before. It featured a GT500 from Team Shelby. My phone rang, and I looked at the screen. At first, I was surprised that someone from home could call so early, but then I remembered that we were in a different time zone. Hell, it was almost noon in Illinois. My brothers both grumbled, and they called me every hour or so during work hours to ask me the most basic and stupid questions. What's the point of being on vacation if they call me every 5 minutes? Lori's number was blocked, so she couldn't call me if she wanted to. My lawyer also called me to give me details about how the case was going, but fortunately, he limited his calls to one per day.

I felt someone tug at my sleeve and turned around but didn't see anyone. I turned back to the ocean lapping past the ship. "So far below," I heard from behind me. I turned, and this time looked down and also behind me. At 5'10", I'm far from a giant, but I was almost a foot taller than her. All I saw were waves of wild red curls. She was probably no taller than 4'11". She had the face of a cherub, framed by all that wild red hair. Freckles danced on both cheeks; they did not so much obscure her beauty as add to her charm. I saw plump lips under the largest green eyes. "Are you going to jump?" she asked. "Hell no," I replied sharply. "Why the hell are you asking me such a thing?" "I just thought if you're going to jump, I want this t-shirt," she said. "Don't worry, I'm not judging. I thought a lot about the jump myself." "That would be the worst possible way to die," I said. "Falling into the water from that height would be like falling on concrete. You'd have all sorts of internal injuries, and then you'd freeze to death and drown." "Thanks for the encouraging words," she laughed. "If I go back to my depression, I'll find another way to end it." "What would make someone like you feel depressed, let alone think about..." I began. "What do you mean, someone like me?" she asked. "Listen, I've heard every joke about little people, and I don't need to wait," I said. "I didn't say anything about you being small." "All I..." "Then what the hell are you talking about?" she asked. "You're quite nice," I said wearily. "What do you mean, pretty nice?" she said. Now she was smiling. "I was afraid to say it," I admitted. "I didn't want you to rip my head off or try to start something." "Is this going to turn into a conversation?" she asked. "Because if that's the case, you should either come inside and have breakfast with me or give me this t-shirt. I'm cold." Her manner has changed. Her face became even more beautiful with a slight dissatisfaction. I extended my hand to her, and she gently took it.

As soon as we boarded the ship, we ordered breakfast from one of the countless restaurants on board. "Emily Anderson," she introduced herself, extending her small hand to me. As we sat down, "Mark Brown," I replied. We spent the morning exchanging the tragic stories of our lives. She fell in love with a guy in high school, they got married, and lived together for 18 years. She came home from work and found him in bed with her cousin. They talked, and she learned that after the first few years, he realized that her small stature, her small proportions, and the fact that they didn't have children made him want to move on. He had been ready to separate for many years but could not tell her about it. She also learned that two of her unmarried cousins' children were his. She divorced him so the family could be together. As much as it hurt her, they all remained on good terms. When they broke up, her ex won a cruise ticket from a radio station and gave her the ticket. She had no idea what she would do next. She planned to just get in the car and drive until she found a place where she fit. She could not return to Tennessee; it would be too humiliating. I told her my tragic story. "After that, what a [ __ ]!" she said.

By the time we finished talking and eating, the sun was high in the sky, and it was warm. "What are you going to do today?" I asked her. "You know," she smiled, "go to the movies, that sort of thing." "Let's sit on the deck a little longer," I suggested. "I know we just met, but I like talking to you. I like your accent and your spirit, Mark." "I like you too," she said, "but in case you haven't noticed, I'm a redhead. I'm real. I don't tan, I just flash and burn. Can I meet you after the sun goes down?" "I don't want to wait that long," I said. "I can do things indoors too," she smiled, and I was captivated.

We spent the rest of the week inseparable, except when we slept. We discussed everything we could think of. I think I even offered her a job once. But what I really remember is the last day we were together. We started kissing. I knew it was wrong because I was still married to Lori, but kissing her was so exciting. I don't think it was because we barely knew each other. I'm also sure it wasn't because I was at least technically cheating. Her lips tasted like freshly picked cherries, and I just didn't want to stop. I intended it to be a tender, romantic kiss, but she had other ideas. She grabbed the back of my head and started devouring my lips. She wrapped her arms around my neck, then jumped up and wrapped her legs around my waist without breaking our lips. Between kisses, it seemed like she was growling. "Bed," she ordered, "but I don't..." "I began. "Hell with the details," she hissed. "Live in the moment." "What will happen?" "Okay." And it happened. It happened again and again. We spent our last day at sea in my cabin. Late afternoon, I woke up from a nap to find her cuddled up against me, nestled in my arms. I tried to move my hand, and her hands instantly reached out and pulled her back towards me. We eventually got up and went to dinner, and then walked around the deck. The strangest thing was that we didn't talk much. We communicated with glances and small gestures, as if we had been together forever.

"I've never done this before," she said. "Wow, you learn very quickly," I admired. She hit my hand with her small fist. "I, I've had sex before, you fool," she sneered. "I was married for 18 years before I found out I wasn't sexy." But my burst of laughter interrupted her. She brushed her mane of wild red curls away from her face and showed me the fire in those green eyes. "Who said you're not sexy?" I asked. Then I grabbed her and kissed her again. "That's it," she said. "I'm 38 years old, and my 13-year-old niece has bigger breasts than me. So can I finish?" She looked at me with fire in her eyes but a smile on her lips. "Anyway, I've never done anything like this before. There was never any romance. All those kisses and caresses you did made me feel sexy for the first time, and I felt loved. I feel ready to go out and fight and rest in peace now. So I just wanted to say thank you." "A," I said in shock. "That sounds like goodbye." "It's not like that, darling," she said. "I was married for a long time to a man who loved me but never had passion for me. I'm stuck in a small town in Tennessee. I want to get out and see something new. That's what I wanted from the beginning." My face fell. I couldn't believe I met this amazing woman who made me completely forget about Lori. Within a week, she had effortlessly lifted me from the depths of despair to new heights, and now she was about to leave. She lifted her chin for me to kiss her. As a tear rolled down her cheek, a flash of anger passed through me. I wondered if I should even kiss her. After all, we didn't know each other that well. I wondered if I should even want this. How could I resist another kiss from a stranger? Should the anxiety go away? But if I must abstain, will I not be the same as a jealous dog? From this day forward, it may be too long, but crossing the border would be so wrong. And you're right. She didn't give me time to decide. She grabbed me again and took what she wanted. I grabbed her small butt and pulled her close to me. "Oh no, cowboy," she said. "We won't have sex so soon, but I promise you'll get your chance." But I started. "This time," she silenced me with a kiss. "I don't know how to say goodbye," she said. "So don't even look for me in the morning. Just remember me and move on with your life." She kissed me again and walked over to my closet. "I'm taking back my t-shirt to remember you," she chuckled, and then she left.

The next day was full of bustle and travel for me. I turned on the phone and started returning calls to my lawyer, my daughter, and my brothers, all of whom were angry at me for disappearing for a week. When I returned home, I went straight to work. My brothers, who by that time could not stand each other, left without a word. My older brother, a teacher, told me that my other brother was an idiot. He didn't elaborate; he just left. When my brother the writer left, he told me that I needed to train someone to replace me and run the place in my absence because he wouldn't do it anymore. I later learned from my secretary that my brothers didn't actually do anything in my absence. They each managed to sleep with our receptionist, which led to them quarreling with each other and to the fact that they began to block each other's path. My secretary eventually fired the receptionist, who had only worked for us for a short time, but it was too late. My brothers were too busy arguing to keep up with work. We each sent messages to each other's wives about the incidents, and it looks like all three of us will soon be single, like our father before us.

I spoke with a lawyer and learned that the judge, although sympathetic to my claim, refused to annul my marriage on the grounds of fraud. On the other hand, he would definitely grant me a divorce if we could agree on a reasonable settlement. My lawyer negotiated with Lori's father for over a week. They couldn't come to an agreement because my father-in-law was just stalling until I got back and Lori could talk to me again. The last thing that happened was my lawyer got Lori to move out of my house in exchange for his promise that I would meet her immediately upon my return. I went to see her at her little house as agreed. "I'm here," I said, looking at her. "What do you want to talk about?" "The same thing I always want to talk about," she said, "about us."

Over the next 30 minutes, she gave every argument she could think of to explain why her many infidelities never hurt me. She said that I was completely wrong and that the only reason I objected to her relationship with Todd was jealousy, and I had no reason for that. "Why was it okay to spend most of my time with you when I was engaged to him, but not okay to spend a little time with a sick person? Now that I'm with you," she asked, "it's your ego, pure and simple. It was okay for you to share with me when I was his, but you can't share anything." Then she made her final argument. "Mark, I've always loved you both," she said. "Maybe you treated me better, but that's because you could. You have money and all the other advantages. I can't leave him when he's sick, Mark. He won't live 5 years. Most of the time, he can't even get up lately. We haven't even been able to have sex."

And I smiled. "Oh, you think it's funny that the poor man can't get up?" she began. I shook my head. "No," I said. "I just realized a few things. That cruise I got to take with you did wonders for me. I learned to put things in perspective. For a long time, I felt bad that our marriage wasn't working. I guess it's because I loved you so much that I thought you were the only woman in the world for me. During our divorce, I was tormented by one thing, but I couldn't understand it until I just realized it." "What is this?" she asked. "All this time, I tried to compromise and negotiate when I didn't have to. You didn't try at all. For someone who supposedly wanted to try to save our marriage, you weren't willing to do the only thing necessary to even give us a chance. You're still dating him, aren't you? You're still trying to have sex with him. You can't give him up, can you?" I asked, laughing. "Just like I couldn't give up on you in college when I thought he was going to go pro," she said. I shrugged. "You don't have to," I said. She smiled. "Hearing this, what about divorce?" she asked. "To hell with it," I said. "I was spending so much money on legal fees that it just wasn't worth it." "I can't wait for you to come home!" she exclaimed. "Yeah, tell that to Todd," I said. When she approached and reached for me, I dodged and turned to leave. "Mark, what's wrong?" she said. "I wanted a kiss." "Kiss Todd," I said. "You have no reason to be jealous," she said. "I'm not jealous," I said. "I don't care what you do or who you do it with anymore." "But you won," she said. "You'll end up staying with me." "Who said this is a victory?" I asked. "Then why refuse the divorce?" she asked. "Because a wise woman recently made me realize that life is too short for nonsense, and I need to live in the moment. Just because I gave up on divorce doesn't mean I can't find my happiness. Just because we're legally married doesn't mean we should live together or have something in common. In the end, I really won. I kicked you out of my house. Now all I need is to find someone who makes me happy and move in with me." Her. She didn't know what to say. She just stood there with her mouth open. "I wish you and Todd happiness," I said. "Say hi to him for me."

I talked to Eric on the way out. I explained to him that I wanted him to come work for me. I would like to take a break sometimes, and having someone who could take care of everything for me would be nice. I asked him to stop by the plant so we could discuss this in more detail after he had considered the proposal. After that, I received several angry voicemails. Some were from Lori's parents, a couple from Todd, and one from Lori, who called from my daughter's phone. Lori's father was upset because my decision to refuse the divorce meant that Lori would get nothing from me. I didn't have to pay her anything, and I didn't have to support her. Many married couples maintain completely separate finances, and I cut off her access to all my accounts. This literally meant that her father had to support her again. Lori's mother was also upset because her adult and almost 50-year-old daughter had to move in with them again. All of Lori's complaining and crying was getting on their nerves. Todd had become accustomed to the money he received from Lori, and she no longer had any money. Lori was so angry that she just cursed at me on the phone. Apparently, several things happened that made her angry. She found out that none of her credit cards were working. She decided to return to our house after an argument with her mother and discovered that the locks had been changed. And finally, as she turned our conversation over in her head, she realized that I was talking about the woman who gave me advice.

Over the next few days, I focused on work. I got the company's production in order to relax a little for peace of mind. I tried to avoid places where Lori might be. It was Saturday evening, and I was washing my car when she showed up. "The Mustang? Isn't that big of a car, but it felt huge when she stepped out of it. 'Wash mine next,' she said, smiling at me. She was still wearing the sweatshirt she had taken from me 8 days ago. 'What you,' I began. 'How are you? You told me your whole life. Did you think I wasn't listening? You even told me the name of your business and the city you live in. It's actually more like a town.' 'You didn't tell me you had a Mustang.' 'You didn't say what you had either,' I said. 'Why do you think I wanted this t-shirt?' she grinned. 'So why are you here?' I asked. 'I was still a little hurt about her saying goodbye.' 'I didn't just stop by,' she said. 'I will stay.' 'I thought you wanted to see the world,' I said. 'I thought so too,' she smiled, moving closer to me.

When we separated for 6 hours, I realized that I had made a mistake. I started a big argument in my head. On the one hand, I had just gotten out of a very bad, very long relationship. I was afraid to enter into a new one. On the other hand, another part of my brain said, 'You made me feel better in a week than Lori did in 18 years, and that was worth exploring.' By the time she finished that sentence, she was rubbing herself against me. Then I had another argument. On the one hand, I thought that you never told me that you loved me or wanted a relationship with me, although you told me that I was quite nice. I also somehow reasoned it seemed like you thought I was sexy. On the other hand, I felt like you should know how I felt about you, and you felt it because you obviously didn't want me to leave. I think you were a little hurt when I left, but I already told you that I just don't know how to say goodbye. No matter how nice I look when I cry, I just decided to come here and see what you think about it." By then, she had already hugged me. "I have an opening for a receptionist," I said. She kissed me, and I tasted the cherry again. "But you can't have it," I said. "Why?" she asked. "If I looked at you all day, I would never be able to work," I said. "Well, I guess I should move on then," she said. "If you try to leave me again, there will be trouble," I said. "Between kisses. Well, I'm not one for trouble," she said, wrapping her small arms around me. "I need to tell you something," I said. "I already know," she said. "No, Mark, this is serious," I said. "I'm quite serious about you," she said. "I didn't realize it until you left. I called off the divorce," I said. Her eyes widened. She got up and sat on the wet hood of my car. "After everything she did to you," she said. "The judge refused to consider the deception. He agreed to a divorce if we could agree on compensation," I began. "Mark, write her a check," she said. "Life is too short." "Too exactly," I said. I explained the game Lori was playing and why I called off the divorce. "So she doesn't live with you anymore?" she asked. "No. You live now," I said. "Aren't you just doing this because you still want her?" she asked. "I forgot about her the day I met you," I said. "That's enough for me," she said.

Emily and I picked up where we left off on the ship. From that day, we never parted. She even came to the factory when she missed me, which happened quite often. She gradually conquered all the people in my life. My secretary was the first to be won over by her. Soon followed by Eric, who accepted the job offer. From rumors about her through Eric, my daughter came to my house, ready to hate her at first sight. They became friends almost instantly. Katie warned me that Lori knew about Emily and was very upset. I knew a storm was coming when Lori's father arrived and demanded a meeting. "Is it true that some girl lives with you?" he asked. I simply nodded. "Is it true that she's a teenager?" he asked. I started laughing. "No, Dad," I laughed. "She's 38 years old. She's just pretty small." "Does she understand that you are married and that she is preventing you from improving your relationship with your wife?" he asked. "She's not the type who marries a man but continues to date her university boyfriend," I replied sharply. "She's not the type who can't let him go, even with a 25-year marriage on the line. She's the kind who puts the man who cheated on her multiple times over the years and who admitted he only wanted her for my money above of his own husband. So between the two of them, I like her better. I gave Lori all the time in the world to decide what to do. In the end, she couldn't give up on him, so I gave up on her and moved on. She wouldn't give me a divorce, so I had to make do without him. Luckily, I found someone who wanted me enough to take me as I am. We are happy, and that's the most important thing."

"But what about Lori?" he asked. "She loves you. She's unhappy without you." "She she's fine," I said. "I saw her just a week ago in Todd's neighborhood. She just can't let him go. She made her choice, and I made mine."

A few days later, the inevitable meeting took place. I wish I could have been there to see it, but Amy told me everything. It was a nice day, and Emily was on the deck under our large awning, shielding herself from the scorching sun. She was reading a book, wearing a swim top and shorts. She heard someone knocking on the fence. "You can come in through the garage; it's open," she shouted, thinking it was one of the neighbors. She has already made friends with many of them. She raised her head again and saw a woman looking at her angrily. "So you're the ex, huh?" Emily smiled. "Get out of my house," Lori screamed. "Last time I checked, this was Mark's house," Emily replied calmly. "But he calls it our home, so I guess it's my home in a way." "You lost the right to call it your home when you started having fun with your ex-boyfriend." Lori was shocked; she didn't expect Emily to know so much about her. "My daughter and my son-in-law think you're a good person," Lori tried a different tactic. "Good women don't live with married men. They move when they love them, and when men are married only because their exes won't give them a divorce," Emily replied. "Lori, you can't have them both. You made your choice a long time ago. Let Mark go." "He'll give you more money. I'll try to take care of it." "I don't want money, you stupid [ __ ]," Lori screamed. "I want my husband back." "You can't bring him back," Emily said calmly. "That ship has already sailed. You made your choice, now live with it." "What I can't understand is why Mark clearly loved you. You had a beautiful daughter. Why did you choose a man who felt nothing for you instead of someone who loved you as much as Mark?" "Honestly, Lori," said Emily, "I don't know myself. I should have given up on Todd a long time ago, but I couldn't. Even when Mark found out, I was still trying to figure out a way to have them both. I guess I love Mark, but I feel bad for Todd." "Mark was your husband, Lori. You should never have put anyone before him. When you got married, he became your priority," Emily said. "He was my priority," Lori hissed. "But I still had a life outside of our marriage. I'm a grown woman. I can have friends, and Mark doesn't get to choose my friends. I was his wife, not his slave. I shouldn't jump when he says you. From 1983 or what? Did I have to give up my whole life for him?" "No," said Emily, "not anymore. But at least we know where we stand, and I love him enough to not deny him anything. If he doesn't like one of my friends, that friend will leave. But I bet he feels the same way about me. He probably felt the same way about you." "What do you mean, felt?" laughed Lori. "Mark has loved me most of his damn life. I can have him back any time. All I have to do is call him. This whole thing between us is just an argument over one issue. As soon as one of us gives in, it's over, and we'll be together again. I just wanted to warn you. I wouldn't settle if I were you. I hope you haven't unpacked everything yet because you'll have to pack your things soon."

As I said, when I got home that evening, Amy told me everything. We had a quiet dinner and went to bed, but not to sleep. When we woke up yesterday morning, I decided we should get away for a while, so I took us to our cabin. She liked it here. She liked the lake and the shady forest around it. The fresh air and bird song inspired us, and we were very energetic in bed. The weekend was going to be great until Lori called. I hope the phone call didn't wake Emily. When Lori kept berating me on the phone about how much she still loved me and repeating over and over again that she was finally over her relationship with Todd, I repeated to her once again, "Forget it, Lori," I said. "It's over between us." "But I told him it was over," she said. "I told him it was final. I told him goodbye, and I told you, Lori, it's too late to say goodbye." I turned off the phone and put all thoughts about my ex-wife and divorces aside. I returned to bed where I belonged and wrapped the blanket tighter around myself and the little redhead who now shared not only my bed but also my heart. "M," she purred, making it clear that she wasn't quite awake yet. "Are you going to seduce me again whenever I get the chance?" I said.