It was several weeks ago that it happened. It was a Thursday morning and I was up trying to get our two kids ready for school when the phone rang. Since it was only 7:30 I wondered who could be calling. Caller ID said it was an out of area code number which made me wonder even more.
"Hello." I spoke into the mouth piece.
"John, its me."
It was Clare, my wife. Wonder what she wants I thought since we'd just talked together the evening before.
My wife works as a representative for a small marketing and printing firm in our medium sized city and travels a lot. I'm more or less the care giver for our kids as I work at home with only occasional forays into our office in town. Anyway, it works for us and between the two of us we make pretty good money. We have a nice 4 bedroom home in the suburbs with a pool and a nice bunch of friends.
"What's up Clare?"
"I've got a problem honey. My purse was stolen last evening when I went down to the hotel lobby to get a newspaper. Iyou need to cancel our credit cards and get them to issue new ones as soon as possible. I've talked to Joy, my boss, and she's going to get a new company American Express card sent to me overnight so I can have it by tomorrow before I check out. She's also wiring some cash to tide me over.
"Your usually very careful with your purse. What happened?"
"I was a little careless and set it down on the cashiers counter while I went to get more reading material and when I got back it was gone. The cashier says she was distracted by another customer and didn't see anything. My driver's license is gone too but the hotel is sending out someone to check garbage containers in the area and I hope they find it or I'll have to take a cab to my meeting today."
"OK, I'll take care of the credit cards as quick as I can."
"I'm sorry about being so careless honey. Hopefully, it won't cost us anymore than the two hundred dollars or so that I had in my purse. The other cards I had can be replaced in time. Most of my makeup was up in the room so I'll be ready for my presentation this morning. How are the kids? I miss you guys."
That's what happened about six weeks ago. I managed to get the credit cards cancelled before any charges appeared and they did find her purse with her drivers license and other non-credit cards intact so I just forgot about it. Our lives went on.
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Today I'm looking at a statement from my wife's account at Fidelity. She maintains a separate investment account because that's where she deposited the inheritance after the passing of her parents in an auto accident a few years ago. I try to respect her privacy in regards to this account but I was searching for our home insurance policy and ran across a folder with the monthly statements on her account. I knew when her parents died the inheritance was about $350K and I wondered what the value of the account was now. I was pleased that it was now in excess of $400K. As I glanced at the statement I noticed a withdrawal on the money market account of $3K about 6 weeks ago and I wondered what she'd used the money for.
My curiosity was aroused and I went into the details of her money market account and found she'd written a check for that amount to a jewelry store in the city where she'd lost her purse a couple days after she'd been there. "What did she buy in a jewelry store?" I wondered. She hadn't bought anything for me or hadn't heard her mention anything about buying jewelry for anyone else. She has a brother but I didn't think he warranted a $3K present. After several moments of thought I went to the PC and found the jewelry store's web site and noted the phone number. Picking up the phone I dialed the store.
The phone was picked up by a woman who identified the store and then asked how she could assist me. I identified myself and the transaction I was interested in then explained that we'd had a problem with the purchase and wondered if there was a store warranty on it. She took a minute to look it up on her PC and asked me, "What appears to be the problem with the rings? "
Rings? I asked myself. What rings would she be buying?
I was fortunate when the girl on the phone suddenly spoke up again.
"Oh, I remember that purchase. The lady was quite distraught when she came in and told us her wedding and engagement rings had been stolen and she wanted replacements. It took us quite awhile to find two rings that would satisfy her. She used a company credit card as collateral and mailed us a check a few days later. You say that there's a problem with them? We offer a ninety day store warranty on them. Is the diamond setting loose?"
She replaced her engagement and wedding rings? I was confused. She never mentioned loosing them; only that her purse had been stolen. I had to think more about this.
"Look," I told the girl. "I need to talk with my wife about this and get back with you. I'll call back later."
"Ok, goodbye."
She sounded puzzled but not as puzzled as I was.
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Obviously, the rings must have been in her purse when it was stolen. Why would they have been in her purse unless she didn't want others to know she was married. There were no restrictions on marriage as far as her job that I was aware of. However, if she wanted to appear unmarried in a social situation, I rationalized, it could mean that she wanted to be a player when she was away from home. The thought gave me an immediate queasy feeling in my stomach. We'd been married eleven years and had two children, Jeremy, 7 and Melissa, 6 and I thought we had an ideal marriage and family. Our love life was good, or so I thought. Why would she go looking for sex outside our marriage? She usually traveled once a month and was away two or three nights at a distant city so if she wanted to play she would feel safe doing it then. The loss of her rings must have really scared her and she decided to replace them with some some as close as possible to the originals. I'd bought them when I wasn't making as much money and they weren't fancy so it wouldn't have been terribly expensive to purchase a good likeness of them. She could have filed a claim with our insurance company but I would have most likely found out about it.
If she did have her purse stolen in the hotel she must have reported it. I wondered what she told them about the loss. I found the number of the hotel and gave them a call. I asked them if they had a record of my wife's purse being stolen. When they indicated they did have a written record of the the incident I asked if they could FAX me a copy. Within a few minutes I had copy.
The report was made and signed by Clare. In it she described how her purse had been stolen while she was dancing in the lounge. She'd left the purse in the booth where she'd been sitting and it was gone when she got back to her seat. The hotel had noted that Clare had not wanted the police involved.
My thoughts were going wild with the implications of what I'd discovered. She had lied to me by omission by not telling me about her rings being stolen and had lied when she told me it had been stolen in the gift shop. Maybe there was some other explanation for this but I couldn't picture a different scenario than the ugly thoughts that were going around in my head. I knew I'd have to find out what the loss of those rings meant or it would drive me crazy wondering but it was becoming obvious the rings were in her purse while she was dancing with some unknown male..
She been on a trip since then a couple of weeks ago and was due to go on another trip in a couple of days and I needed to get a little more information on the itinerary for her next trip. I wanted to find out what she did in the evenings when she was away from home. If she had been being intimate with other men, maybe the loss of her rings was enough to scare her from doing anything more. I knew if I found out she'd been unfaithful to me it would probably be the end of our marriage although the impact on the kids was something I didn't want think about. She was an excellent mother, but I couldn't allow her to have custody if we split and she was going to be traveling and screwing around.
My mind was going a mile-a-minute trying to think of ways to find other clues concerning her faithfulness.
What other clues might tell me what she was doing on her trips? Would she fuck them bareback or would she have them use condoms? I would bet she had them use condoms as she wouldn't chance bringing something home or getting pregnant. I'd had a vasectomy after our second child was born and a pregnancy would be an absolute no - no. She couldn't trust the man to bring condoms so she must carry her own supply. Where would she keep them? She wouldn't keep them at home or in her car so she would have to keep them in her office at work. They would probably be with her when she left for her business trips. She always carried her business papers, laptop and presentation materials in a large brief case that she kept at her office. However, if she were leaving on an early morning flight she would bring the bag home the evening before and then take it and her suitcase to the airport. That was the key; I had to find an opportunity to search that brief case before she left. I hoped her next trip required an early morning flight.
I decided I would have to be calm about this so I didn't alert her that there was something wrong. I need not have worried because once the kids got home from school I was too busy to worry but the possibility that she was cheating on me remained in the back of my mind. When Clare got home from work I was involved in a minor accident while preparing dinner as a dish of beans had slipped out of my hands and fallen to the floor. My usual calm was involved in cleaning up the mess and with the kids running around I looked a little frazzled so I don't suppose she noticed anything odd in my demeanor. After things had calmed down and the mess cleaned up I welcomed her with a kiss on the cheek as I usually did and we sat down to eat.
We usually chatted about our day as we ate so I didn't think it would be unusual to ask about her up coming trip.
"Are you off again in a couple of days.?"
Oh, yes. Its pretty much the same thing again. I'm not looking forward to it."
"If you don't like it why don't you apply for a different position. You've been with them long enough and know enough about the company, you could fit in just about anywhere."
"I've thought about it but I want to stick it out a little longer before settling down to a desk job."
I decided to prick her conscience a little.
"The kids and I miss you very much when you're gone."
"I know and I'm sorry about that. I miss you too."
"So, where are you going this time and do you leave in the morning so we can get together before you leave?" I leered at her, mindful that the kids were listening.
I thought I was doing a good job of acting as though things were normal although I was having a hard time eating with my stomach in turmoil. She obviously thought things were normal because she responded in kind. I wondered if her stomach was giving her problems, but she seemed to be eating without difficulty. Maybe I was wrong about her but I f I could search her case I'd have a better feel for her fidelity.
"I'm only going to Denton so I'll be leaving in the morning on a 7:30 flight and I'll need something to tide me over till I get back on Friday." She winked back at me.
"That's good." I winked back trying to act normal and she blushed.
That meant she'd be bringing the case home with her the evening before she left and wouldn't be going into work before she left for the airport. Her blase attitude about her trip in front of our kids and myself would seem to indicate she wasn't playing around when she was away or she had grown accustomed to cheating. The brief case would tell the story, I hoped.
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The evening before Clare left on her trip she arrived home in good spirits and put her car next to mine in the garage as usual. She seemed to be excited about something and I wondered if it was in anticipation of sex with me or with someone else. She didn't bring her brief case in with her so I assumed it was out in her car. I had been working on getting dinner and as we sat down to eat she asked me if I would get her suitcase out of the garage when we finished eating.
"Sure, do you have everything you're going to need?"
"Oh yes, its just the usual trip. I have my brief case in the car ready to go and I'll just pack my bag with the usual things I need for a couple of nights away. Do you have anything planned while I'm away?"
"No, the kids and I will just do our thing as we always do during the week. Maybe we could do something together as a family this weekend."
"That sounds good. I'll be looking forward to it."
After dinner she helped me clean up the table and the kitchen then fill the dishwasher. After turning it on she went to the bedroom to pack and I headed to the garage to get her suitcase. While in the garage I looked in her car but didn't see her brief case so I assumed she had it locked in her trunk. I'd anticipated this and had an idea to access it during the evening.
Going back to the bedroom with her suitcase I asked, "Where are the keys to your car? You have a tire that's low and probably has a slow leak. If I get it down to the gas station I can ger Jerry to fix it right away."
She looked flustered for a minute and then reached for her purse. As she was handing me her keys she asked,
"Can't you just put the spare on?"
"That's just for emergencies. We have time to fix it so I think that's what we should do." I told her as I headed back to the garage before she had a chance to think.
Quickly backing her car out of the garage I headed down to the corner gas station that my high school buddy, Jerry, owned. Pulling into the front of one of his bays I honked the horn and he saw me and opened the door allowing me to drive in and close it behind me.
"What's up man?"
"I'm supposed to be here getting a tire fixed but I needed the time to check something else."
"Problems at home bud."
"Maybe." I told him as I opened the trunk and removed Clare's brief case. Setting it on a work bench I used the key on her ring to open it.
"Well, I've got a customer so have fun." Jerry told me as he headed back into the small convenience store he ran with his station. . I very carefully began to search the case as I didn't want to disturb anything unnecessarily. Checking some pockets in the lid my fingers found a package that I withdrew. My heart sank when I saw the opened package of condoms. There were about three missing. My worst suspicions were confirmed. I put the package back where I found it and closed and locked her case. Putting the case back in the trunk I closed it and turned as Jerry came back.
"Did you find what you were looking for?"
"I'm afraid so. Can you let me hang here a little. Maybe you can check the air in her tires just so I can tell her I fixed the problem."
"OK, can do." He just looked at me funny but kept his mouth shut. He was a real friend.
After his check I backed out of the bay and pulled up to the gas pumps and filled the tank. No telling when I would ever do that again.
I thanked Jerry for his hospitality and headed home. My thoughts were very dark and I was on the verge of hyperventilating when I pulled back into our garage. I was feeling rage and frustration that she would do that to me, the kids and our marriage. My thoughts then began to plan my next step. I would need to get final proof of her adulterous, immoral behavior to assure I would have custody of our kids. She was a good mother and kids needed a mother and I would allow visitations but my goal was to have full legal custody. She would have to explain to her brother and friends why we divorced.
Entering the house I hollered back to the bedroom, "You're all set. It was just a small nail."
"OK, thanks."
I couldn't face her yet so I went into the kitchen and got a beer then went into the family room with the kids who were watching TV. About half an hour later Clare came into the room and sat beside me on the couch. By then I had a chance to cool down although I felt really sad that this once happy family would soon be history.
Clare slid over a snuggled up to me.
"You ready for tonight stud?" She whispered in my ear.
I took a swallow of my beer before answering.
"I think so but my stomach is acting up."
Oh, that's too bad honey." she told me as she snuggled closer. I automatically put my arm around her shoulders and was somehow feeling some affection for her. I wondered why she did it? Was it for the excitement or did she just needed more sex than I could give her. Maybe I'll never know. All I knew was that my trust in her was gone.
We both put the kids to bed and I looked at her as she kissed our two little angels goodnight. She'd be gone by the time they got up in the morning but they weren't concerned because she traveled so much.
That night we made love. It wasn't hot, passionate sex but more of a goodbye intimacy. She felt my sadness.
"Is your stomach still bothering you, honey?"
"Yes, but I'll survive. Do you really have to go on this trip?" I asked, hoping that she would prioritize our love and our marriage. Maybe I was hoping it was all a nightmare and would all go away if she would stay home with us.
"I'm sorry honey. This one is a must and I'll try to break away and get home as soon as I can. I'm really looking forward to this weekend with you guys."
"OK, honey," I said with a sigh. "Better get some sleep; you have to get up early to catch that plane."
"I'm going to have a quick shower first then I won't have to do it in the morning."
"OK."
While she was in the shower I went over and looked in her suitcase to see what she packed. Most of the clothing on top was business oriented but underneath I found a stash of some of her filmiest lingerie and the little black cocktail dress that I found so sexy. It looked like she was going to be a busy girl while she was away. Carefully rearranging the suitcase as I found it, I closed the lid and got back into bed.
I didn't sleep too well that night and when I heard Clare get up about 5 AM I didn't get out of bed to say good bye as I usually did. I knew I felt tired and sad at the same time. I knew the rage would begin to build later.
"Still not feeling well sweetheart?" she asked as she kissed me goodbye on the cheek as I lay there. After I heard the garage door close as she left I got up and went into the shower. I was going to have a busy day.
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After getting the kids off to school and having my breakfast, I got out the phone book and looked through the yellow pages for a private investigator service; specifically one that had affiliates around the country. I phoned a couple of them and found one that had an affiliate in Denton, where Clare was going, and then made an appointment to go meet with them that morning.
I then looked up a divorce attorney that a friend had used in the past and was highly complimentary about him. I called and made an appointment to see him in the afternoon.
When I got to the PI's office I arranged to have Clare watched in the evenings she was gone and to get what pictures they could and a report of her activities after her business was finished for the day. I'd brought along a picture of Clare and her itinerary so they wouldn't have trouble of locating and identifying her. They said they would email the information to the office in Denton and have a report back to me by Monday morning. I told them that would be fine and placed a hefty advance with them for their services. They warned me that they would probably not be able to get pictures of them actually having intercourse but they would try to provide as many incriminating pictures as possible. I told them I'd be satisfied with that.
The afternoon appointment with the lawyer was as I'd hoped. He told me that we were in a no- fault state as far as divorce was concerned but that since I was the primary care-giver for our children I would most likely be given custody but I would have to face up that Clare would be granted generous visiting times. We would split assets 50/50 but no alimony since our incomes were approximately equal. With me granted custody Clare would have to provide child support. Regarding the inheritance that Clare had received she would retain all of that, which I didn't care about. Our kids were my primary concern. I told him to go ahead a prepare the paperwork and have it ready to serve on her by Monday based on irreconcilable differences but I asked for a stipulation that Clare must move from our house immediately after being served.. The lawyer said I would be within my rights as custodian of the children to ask for that. When the children turned eighteen the house would be sold and we would share the selling price. I left the lawyers office feeling satisfied that life would go on for me and the kids and that Clare would reap the punishment she deserved for her infidelity.
I didn't do anything with our finances, insurance or will right away. I felt there would be time after she was served. With her inheritance I didn't think she had to worry about her share of our savings. It was almost time for the kids to get out of school so I headed home to be there for them when the bus stopped.
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When she got back Friday afternoon I offered to do her laundry for her but she thanked me and said she'd take care of it later. I just smiled to myself thinking what a rotter I was to be teasing her like that. I knew why she wanted to do her own laundry. The smell of sex on it would be a dead give-away and she had to hide her extra-marital activities at all cost.
We had sex again that night even though my heart wasn't in it. She seemed to sense some reticent activity on my part when we finished.
"Is your stomach still bothering you honey? Maybe you ought to see a doctor. Its been going on too long now."
I thought I was being a little cute when I responded.
"I'm going to try some new medicine a friend told me about and that should solve my stomach problems."
"Well, I hope so. I want you back running on all your cylinders as soon as possible." She told me as she spooned against me to go to sleep. God, I was going to miss her.
It was Monday after the kids left for school and Clare had gone to work when I got the call from the PI's office telling me they had a report ready for me. I told them I'd be right down and half an hour later I was sitting with the office manager. He told me the report had been faxed in that morning from Denton and some photos had been sent also. He told me he hadn't had time to read it all but what he had gotten from scanning it and looking at the pictures seemed to be damning. I took a copy of the report from him and began to read:
Subject: Clare Barton
I picked up my observation of the subject female at 5:17pm, Wednesday, June 16 in the lobby of the Denton Mariotte. Identity was established by means of photo received from the Merrickville office and a company name tag on the subject. Subject was carrying a brief case and went into the elevators. My associate went up with her in the elevator and confirmed she went into her room(414) at 5:23. Subject was alone. Picture of the subject dressed before entering room is provided as exhibit 1A.
I looked at the photo 1A and saw she was dressed in her business clothes. I could plainly see that she was wearing her rings. He or she must have taken the picture with a cell phone.
Associate stayed in room rented across the hall from subject. At 6:31 subject alerted me that subject had left room and taking elevator. At 6:32 subject exited elevator into the lobby. She was dressed as noted in exhibit 1B.
Exhibit 1B photo showed Clare in her little black cocktail dress, high heels with a necklace I'd given her on our tenth anniversary and looking like a tart on the prowl. The photo had enough detail to reveal that she had no wedding rings on her left hand.
Subject entered dining room and had a light dinner with a glass of wine. At 7:13 subject left dining room and entered adjoining lounge where she took a seat at the bar and ordered a glass of wine. At 7:17 subject was approached by a single male and they talked for a few moments. See exhibit 1C.
Exhibit 1C photo showed a tall, good-looking male standing talking with Clare at the bar. After a few minutes of conversation subject nodded and followed male to a booth near the dance floor. Subject spent 1 hour and 43 minutes with male in booth. Danced six times with male and intimacies occurred. See exhibit 1D.
Exhibit 1D photo showed Clare and the male in exhibit 1C seated in the booth in a tight embrace kissing. Her short dress was pulled up her thighs and his hand appeared to be underneath.
At 8:51 subject and male left lounge, took elevator up to subject's floor and entered subject's room(414). See exhibit 1E.
Exhibit 1E showed Clare and the male from the lounge entering her room. She looked a little tipsy but very happy.
At 11:13 male left subject's room and departed the building. Licence no. of male's car: MBS2892. Registered to Alexander B. Tate, 1424 Azalea Dr., Denton. Male is married and has two infant children.
I glanced through the rest of the story and the report indicated that she repeated her activities the next night with a different man. It was signed by the investigator in Denton. My wife was a slut when she traveled away from home. There was no way I could tolerate what she was doing. Even the loss of her rings hadn't scared her enough to stop.
After paying the PI the balance of my bill I thanked him and left. I took two extra copies of the report, all on CD with me and drove straight home. At home I immediately called the divorce lawyer and asked him where he stood on the divorce paper? He told me they were ready to file and I told him to proceed with filing and asked if he could have them served publically at her work the next day. He said that it wouldn't be a problem and I provided him with her work address. I wanted to hurt and humiliate her and having her served at work would go a long way to give me some revenge for what she'd been doing.
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That night we didn't have sex. I think she knew something was wrong and maybe realized I knew something but was afraid to voice her concerns other than to say she hoped I'd be better soon. Oddly, she seemed a little reticent in her own right, but I let it pass without comment.
In the morning I was up early as I hadn't slept too well during the night. I worked at my computer until I heard the kids stirring and then I went and started breakfast. After breakfast I saw her off to work and she came to me for a hug and a kiss before leaving for work. I gave her a half hearted hug before urging her out the door. I think at that instant she knew. There were tears in her eyes as I closed the door behind her and her whispered "I love you.". I felt a great sadness overcome me as she left and wanted to cry myself but the kids needed organizing so I could get them ready for the school bus.
The call came at about 10:45. Caller ID said it was Clare's work place and I picked up the phone without acknowledging the call. There was a moment's pause while the caller accepted the fact I wasn't going to speak.
"I'm so sorry." Her voice said in a whisper and then the line went dead and I hung up.
She didn't come home that night and I wondered if she was playing her sick little game without worrying about a husband anymore. I knew I was being hard on her but I retained a certain amount of justifiable rage. The kids wondered where mommy was but I took them out to Mickey Dees for dinner and by the time we got home they were very tired and ready for bed.
The next morning she called.
"Honey, can I come home and get some of my things and can we talk?"
I felt a qualm of conscience but it quickly passed.
"Why don't you come between 9:00 and noon. That way the kids and I won't be here. As far as talking, I will talk with you one on one at my lawyers office once you've signed, notarized and returned the divorce papers. I will listen to anything you have to say then."
A sob, then, "Alright."and the line went dead again.
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POSTSCRIPT
She signed the papers and we were divorced became final in six months. She'd been pregnant but had an abortion before then. While fucking her last lover the rubber had broken and it was near her fertile time so even though I'd discovered her adultery because she lost her rings she would have most likely been found out anyway.
I hear she's back in the dating scene too. I think if she gets close to marriage again I'll give her husband-to-be a heads up on her faithfulness. No sense in having her cuckolding two of us.
We did have a meeting, as I'd told her, in my lawyers office. She asked me to please give up on the divorce. Not having unlimited access to our kids was hard on her but I told her I just couldn't trust her anymore. She explained she's been having seeing a psychologist and he's diagnosed her with a form of nymphomania and had been receiving help in coping with her addiction. She had her urges under control now. I told her that wasn't good enough for me if she still had the urges and if she'd sought help about her urges in the beginning she wouldn't be in the position she was in now. I left her crying in the lawyers office.
I'm dating again and I think I've found a woman that I like and I think I could easily fall in love with. She's my age and a divorcee. Caught her husband cheating and wouldn't put up with it. My kind of woman. A big plus for her is that the kids like her too. I suppose its only a matter of time until I pop the question.
THE END
"Hello." I spoke into the mouth piece.
"John, its me."
It was Clare, my wife. Wonder what she wants I thought since we'd just talked together the evening before.
My wife works as a representative for a small marketing and printing firm in our medium sized city and travels a lot. I'm more or less the care giver for our kids as I work at home with only occasional forays into our office in town. Anyway, it works for us and between the two of us we make pretty good money. We have a nice 4 bedroom home in the suburbs with a pool and a nice bunch of friends.
"What's up Clare?"
"I've got a problem honey. My purse was stolen last evening when I went down to the hotel lobby to get a newspaper. Iyou need to cancel our credit cards and get them to issue new ones as soon as possible. I've talked to Joy, my boss, and she's going to get a new company American Express card sent to me overnight so I can have it by tomorrow before I check out. She's also wiring some cash to tide me over.
"Your usually very careful with your purse. What happened?"
"I was a little careless and set it down on the cashiers counter while I went to get more reading material and when I got back it was gone. The cashier says she was distracted by another customer and didn't see anything. My driver's license is gone too but the hotel is sending out someone to check garbage containers in the area and I hope they find it or I'll have to take a cab to my meeting today."
"OK, I'll take care of the credit cards as quick as I can."
"I'm sorry about being so careless honey. Hopefully, it won't cost us anymore than the two hundred dollars or so that I had in my purse. The other cards I had can be replaced in time. Most of my makeup was up in the room so I'll be ready for my presentation this morning. How are the kids? I miss you guys."
That's what happened about six weeks ago. I managed to get the credit cards cancelled before any charges appeared and they did find her purse with her drivers license and other non-credit cards intact so I just forgot about it. Our lives went on.
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Today I'm looking at a statement from my wife's account at Fidelity. She maintains a separate investment account because that's where she deposited the inheritance after the passing of her parents in an auto accident a few years ago. I try to respect her privacy in regards to this account but I was searching for our home insurance policy and ran across a folder with the monthly statements on her account. I knew when her parents died the inheritance was about $350K and I wondered what the value of the account was now. I was pleased that it was now in excess of $400K. As I glanced at the statement I noticed a withdrawal on the money market account of $3K about 6 weeks ago and I wondered what she'd used the money for.
My curiosity was aroused and I went into the details of her money market account and found she'd written a check for that amount to a jewelry store in the city where she'd lost her purse a couple days after she'd been there. "What did she buy in a jewelry store?" I wondered. She hadn't bought anything for me or hadn't heard her mention anything about buying jewelry for anyone else. She has a brother but I didn't think he warranted a $3K present. After several moments of thought I went to the PC and found the jewelry store's web site and noted the phone number. Picking up the phone I dialed the store.
The phone was picked up by a woman who identified the store and then asked how she could assist me. I identified myself and the transaction I was interested in then explained that we'd had a problem with the purchase and wondered if there was a store warranty on it. She took a minute to look it up on her PC and asked me, "What appears to be the problem with the rings? "
Rings? I asked myself. What rings would she be buying?
I was fortunate when the girl on the phone suddenly spoke up again.
"Oh, I remember that purchase. The lady was quite distraught when she came in and told us her wedding and engagement rings had been stolen and she wanted replacements. It took us quite awhile to find two rings that would satisfy her. She used a company credit card as collateral and mailed us a check a few days later. You say that there's a problem with them? We offer a ninety day store warranty on them. Is the diamond setting loose?"
She replaced her engagement and wedding rings? I was confused. She never mentioned loosing them; only that her purse had been stolen. I had to think more about this.
"Look," I told the girl. "I need to talk with my wife about this and get back with you. I'll call back later."
"Ok, goodbye."
She sounded puzzled but not as puzzled as I was.
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Obviously, the rings must have been in her purse when it was stolen. Why would they have been in her purse unless she didn't want others to know she was married. There were no restrictions on marriage as far as her job that I was aware of. However, if she wanted to appear unmarried in a social situation, I rationalized, it could mean that she wanted to be a player when she was away from home. The thought gave me an immediate queasy feeling in my stomach. We'd been married eleven years and had two children, Jeremy, 7 and Melissa, 6 and I thought we had an ideal marriage and family. Our love life was good, or so I thought. Why would she go looking for sex outside our marriage? She usually traveled once a month and was away two or three nights at a distant city so if she wanted to play she would feel safe doing it then. The loss of her rings must have really scared her and she decided to replace them with some some as close as possible to the originals. I'd bought them when I wasn't making as much money and they weren't fancy so it wouldn't have been terribly expensive to purchase a good likeness of them. She could have filed a claim with our insurance company but I would have most likely found out about it.
If she did have her purse stolen in the hotel she must have reported it. I wondered what she told them about the loss. I found the number of the hotel and gave them a call. I asked them if they had a record of my wife's purse being stolen. When they indicated they did have a written record of the the incident I asked if they could FAX me a copy. Within a few minutes I had copy.
The report was made and signed by Clare. In it she described how her purse had been stolen while she was dancing in the lounge. She'd left the purse in the booth where she'd been sitting and it was gone when she got back to her seat. The hotel had noted that Clare had not wanted the police involved.
My thoughts were going wild with the implications of what I'd discovered. She had lied to me by omission by not telling me about her rings being stolen and had lied when she told me it had been stolen in the gift shop. Maybe there was some other explanation for this but I couldn't picture a different scenario than the ugly thoughts that were going around in my head. I knew I'd have to find out what the loss of those rings meant or it would drive me crazy wondering but it was becoming obvious the rings were in her purse while she was dancing with some unknown male..
She been on a trip since then a couple of weeks ago and was due to go on another trip in a couple of days and I needed to get a little more information on the itinerary for her next trip. I wanted to find out what she did in the evenings when she was away from home. If she had been being intimate with other men, maybe the loss of her rings was enough to scare her from doing anything more. I knew if I found out she'd been unfaithful to me it would probably be the end of our marriage although the impact on the kids was something I didn't want think about. She was an excellent mother, but I couldn't allow her to have custody if we split and she was going to be traveling and screwing around.
My mind was going a mile-a-minute trying to think of ways to find other clues concerning her faithfulness.
What other clues might tell me what she was doing on her trips? Would she fuck them bareback or would she have them use condoms? I would bet she had them use condoms as she wouldn't chance bringing something home or getting pregnant. I'd had a vasectomy after our second child was born and a pregnancy would be an absolute no - no. She couldn't trust the man to bring condoms so she must carry her own supply. Where would she keep them? She wouldn't keep them at home or in her car so she would have to keep them in her office at work. They would probably be with her when she left for her business trips. She always carried her business papers, laptop and presentation materials in a large brief case that she kept at her office. However, if she were leaving on an early morning flight she would bring the bag home the evening before and then take it and her suitcase to the airport. That was the key; I had to find an opportunity to search that brief case before she left. I hoped her next trip required an early morning flight.
I decided I would have to be calm about this so I didn't alert her that there was something wrong. I need not have worried because once the kids got home from school I was too busy to worry but the possibility that she was cheating on me remained in the back of my mind. When Clare got home from work I was involved in a minor accident while preparing dinner as a dish of beans had slipped out of my hands and fallen to the floor. My usual calm was involved in cleaning up the mess and with the kids running around I looked a little frazzled so I don't suppose she noticed anything odd in my demeanor. After things had calmed down and the mess cleaned up I welcomed her with a kiss on the cheek as I usually did and we sat down to eat.
We usually chatted about our day as we ate so I didn't think it would be unusual to ask about her up coming trip.
"Are you off again in a couple of days.?"
Oh, yes. Its pretty much the same thing again. I'm not looking forward to it."
"If you don't like it why don't you apply for a different position. You've been with them long enough and know enough about the company, you could fit in just about anywhere."
"I've thought about it but I want to stick it out a little longer before settling down to a desk job."
I decided to prick her conscience a little.
"The kids and I miss you very much when you're gone."
"I know and I'm sorry about that. I miss you too."
"So, where are you going this time and do you leave in the morning so we can get together before you leave?" I leered at her, mindful that the kids were listening.
I thought I was doing a good job of acting as though things were normal although I was having a hard time eating with my stomach in turmoil. She obviously thought things were normal because she responded in kind. I wondered if her stomach was giving her problems, but she seemed to be eating without difficulty. Maybe I was wrong about her but I f I could search her case I'd have a better feel for her fidelity.
"I'm only going to Denton so I'll be leaving in the morning on a 7:30 flight and I'll need something to tide me over till I get back on Friday." She winked back at me.
"That's good." I winked back trying to act normal and she blushed.
That meant she'd be bringing the case home with her the evening before she left and wouldn't be going into work before she left for the airport. Her blase attitude about her trip in front of our kids and myself would seem to indicate she wasn't playing around when she was away or she had grown accustomed to cheating. The brief case would tell the story, I hoped.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The evening before Clare left on her trip she arrived home in good spirits and put her car next to mine in the garage as usual. She seemed to be excited about something and I wondered if it was in anticipation of sex with me or with someone else. She didn't bring her brief case in with her so I assumed it was out in her car. I had been working on getting dinner and as we sat down to eat she asked me if I would get her suitcase out of the garage when we finished eating.
"Sure, do you have everything you're going to need?"
"Oh yes, its just the usual trip. I have my brief case in the car ready to go and I'll just pack my bag with the usual things I need for a couple of nights away. Do you have anything planned while I'm away?"
"No, the kids and I will just do our thing as we always do during the week. Maybe we could do something together as a family this weekend."
"That sounds good. I'll be looking forward to it."
After dinner she helped me clean up the table and the kitchen then fill the dishwasher. After turning it on she went to the bedroom to pack and I headed to the garage to get her suitcase. While in the garage I looked in her car but didn't see her brief case so I assumed she had it locked in her trunk. I'd anticipated this and had an idea to access it during the evening.
Going back to the bedroom with her suitcase I asked, "Where are the keys to your car? You have a tire that's low and probably has a slow leak. If I get it down to the gas station I can ger Jerry to fix it right away."
She looked flustered for a minute and then reached for her purse. As she was handing me her keys she asked,
"Can't you just put the spare on?"
"That's just for emergencies. We have time to fix it so I think that's what we should do." I told her as I headed back to the garage before she had a chance to think.
Quickly backing her car out of the garage I headed down to the corner gas station that my high school buddy, Jerry, owned. Pulling into the front of one of his bays I honked the horn and he saw me and opened the door allowing me to drive in and close it behind me.
"What's up man?"
"I'm supposed to be here getting a tire fixed but I needed the time to check something else."
"Problems at home bud."
"Maybe." I told him as I opened the trunk and removed Clare's brief case. Setting it on a work bench I used the key on her ring to open it.
"Well, I've got a customer so have fun." Jerry told me as he headed back into the small convenience store he ran with his station. . I very carefully began to search the case as I didn't want to disturb anything unnecessarily. Checking some pockets in the lid my fingers found a package that I withdrew. My heart sank when I saw the opened package of condoms. There were about three missing. My worst suspicions were confirmed. I put the package back where I found it and closed and locked her case. Putting the case back in the trunk I closed it and turned as Jerry came back.
"Did you find what you were looking for?"
"I'm afraid so. Can you let me hang here a little. Maybe you can check the air in her tires just so I can tell her I fixed the problem."
"OK, can do." He just looked at me funny but kept his mouth shut. He was a real friend.
After his check I backed out of the bay and pulled up to the gas pumps and filled the tank. No telling when I would ever do that again.
I thanked Jerry for his hospitality and headed home. My thoughts were very dark and I was on the verge of hyperventilating when I pulled back into our garage. I was feeling rage and frustration that she would do that to me, the kids and our marriage. My thoughts then began to plan my next step. I would need to get final proof of her adulterous, immoral behavior to assure I would have custody of our kids. She was a good mother and kids needed a mother and I would allow visitations but my goal was to have full legal custody. She would have to explain to her brother and friends why we divorced.
Entering the house I hollered back to the bedroom, "You're all set. It was just a small nail."
"OK, thanks."
I couldn't face her yet so I went into the kitchen and got a beer then went into the family room with the kids who were watching TV. About half an hour later Clare came into the room and sat beside me on the couch. By then I had a chance to cool down although I felt really sad that this once happy family would soon be history.
Clare slid over a snuggled up to me.
"You ready for tonight stud?" She whispered in my ear.
I took a swallow of my beer before answering.
"I think so but my stomach is acting up."
Oh, that's too bad honey." she told me as she snuggled closer. I automatically put my arm around her shoulders and was somehow feeling some affection for her. I wondered why she did it? Was it for the excitement or did she just needed more sex than I could give her. Maybe I'll never know. All I knew was that my trust in her was gone.
We both put the kids to bed and I looked at her as she kissed our two little angels goodnight. She'd be gone by the time they got up in the morning but they weren't concerned because she traveled so much.
That night we made love. It wasn't hot, passionate sex but more of a goodbye intimacy. She felt my sadness.
"Is your stomach still bothering you, honey?"
"Yes, but I'll survive. Do you really have to go on this trip?" I asked, hoping that she would prioritize our love and our marriage. Maybe I was hoping it was all a nightmare and would all go away if she would stay home with us.
"I'm sorry honey. This one is a must and I'll try to break away and get home as soon as I can. I'm really looking forward to this weekend with you guys."
"OK, honey," I said with a sigh. "Better get some sleep; you have to get up early to catch that plane."
"I'm going to have a quick shower first then I won't have to do it in the morning."
"OK."
While she was in the shower I went over and looked in her suitcase to see what she packed. Most of the clothing on top was business oriented but underneath I found a stash of some of her filmiest lingerie and the little black cocktail dress that I found so sexy. It looked like she was going to be a busy girl while she was away. Carefully rearranging the suitcase as I found it, I closed the lid and got back into bed.
I didn't sleep too well that night and when I heard Clare get up about 5 AM I didn't get out of bed to say good bye as I usually did. I knew I felt tired and sad at the same time. I knew the rage would begin to build later.
"Still not feeling well sweetheart?" she asked as she kissed me goodbye on the cheek as I lay there. After I heard the garage door close as she left I got up and went into the shower. I was going to have a busy day.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++===
After getting the kids off to school and having my breakfast, I got out the phone book and looked through the yellow pages for a private investigator service; specifically one that had affiliates around the country. I phoned a couple of them and found one that had an affiliate in Denton, where Clare was going, and then made an appointment to go meet with them that morning.
I then looked up a divorce attorney that a friend had used in the past and was highly complimentary about him. I called and made an appointment to see him in the afternoon.
When I got to the PI's office I arranged to have Clare watched in the evenings she was gone and to get what pictures they could and a report of her activities after her business was finished for the day. I'd brought along a picture of Clare and her itinerary so they wouldn't have trouble of locating and identifying her. They said they would email the information to the office in Denton and have a report back to me by Monday morning. I told them that would be fine and placed a hefty advance with them for their services. They warned me that they would probably not be able to get pictures of them actually having intercourse but they would try to provide as many incriminating pictures as possible. I told them I'd be satisfied with that.
The afternoon appointment with the lawyer was as I'd hoped. He told me that we were in a no- fault state as far as divorce was concerned but that since I was the primary care-giver for our children I would most likely be given custody but I would have to face up that Clare would be granted generous visiting times. We would split assets 50/50 but no alimony since our incomes were approximately equal. With me granted custody Clare would have to provide child support. Regarding the inheritance that Clare had received she would retain all of that, which I didn't care about. Our kids were my primary concern. I told him to go ahead a prepare the paperwork and have it ready to serve on her by Monday based on irreconcilable differences but I asked for a stipulation that Clare must move from our house immediately after being served.. The lawyer said I would be within my rights as custodian of the children to ask for that. When the children turned eighteen the house would be sold and we would share the selling price. I left the lawyers office feeling satisfied that life would go on for me and the kids and that Clare would reap the punishment she deserved for her infidelity.
I didn't do anything with our finances, insurance or will right away. I felt there would be time after she was served. With her inheritance I didn't think she had to worry about her share of our savings. It was almost time for the kids to get out of school so I headed home to be there for them when the bus stopped.
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When she got back Friday afternoon I offered to do her laundry for her but she thanked me and said she'd take care of it later. I just smiled to myself thinking what a rotter I was to be teasing her like that. I knew why she wanted to do her own laundry. The smell of sex on it would be a dead give-away and she had to hide her extra-marital activities at all cost.
We had sex again that night even though my heart wasn't in it. She seemed to sense some reticent activity on my part when we finished.
"Is your stomach still bothering you honey? Maybe you ought to see a doctor. Its been going on too long now."
I thought I was being a little cute when I responded.
"I'm going to try some new medicine a friend told me about and that should solve my stomach problems."
"Well, I hope so. I want you back running on all your cylinders as soon as possible." She told me as she spooned against me to go to sleep. God, I was going to miss her.
It was Monday after the kids left for school and Clare had gone to work when I got the call from the PI's office telling me they had a report ready for me. I told them I'd be right down and half an hour later I was sitting with the office manager. He told me the report had been faxed in that morning from Denton and some photos had been sent also. He told me he hadn't had time to read it all but what he had gotten from scanning it and looking at the pictures seemed to be damning. I took a copy of the report from him and began to read:
Subject: Clare Barton
I picked up my observation of the subject female at 5:17pm, Wednesday, June 16 in the lobby of the Denton Mariotte. Identity was established by means of photo received from the Merrickville office and a company name tag on the subject. Subject was carrying a brief case and went into the elevators. My associate went up with her in the elevator and confirmed she went into her room(414) at 5:23. Subject was alone. Picture of the subject dressed before entering room is provided as exhibit 1A.
I looked at the photo 1A and saw she was dressed in her business clothes. I could plainly see that she was wearing her rings. He or she must have taken the picture with a cell phone.
Associate stayed in room rented across the hall from subject. At 6:31 subject alerted me that subject had left room and taking elevator. At 6:32 subject exited elevator into the lobby. She was dressed as noted in exhibit 1B.
Exhibit 1B photo showed Clare in her little black cocktail dress, high heels with a necklace I'd given her on our tenth anniversary and looking like a tart on the prowl. The photo had enough detail to reveal that she had no wedding rings on her left hand.
Subject entered dining room and had a light dinner with a glass of wine. At 7:13 subject left dining room and entered adjoining lounge where she took a seat at the bar and ordered a glass of wine. At 7:17 subject was approached by a single male and they talked for a few moments. See exhibit 1C.
Exhibit 1C photo showed a tall, good-looking male standing talking with Clare at the bar. After a few minutes of conversation subject nodded and followed male to a booth near the dance floor. Subject spent 1 hour and 43 minutes with male in booth. Danced six times with male and intimacies occurred. See exhibit 1D.
Exhibit 1D photo showed Clare and the male in exhibit 1C seated in the booth in a tight embrace kissing. Her short dress was pulled up her thighs and his hand appeared to be underneath.
At 8:51 subject and male left lounge, took elevator up to subject's floor and entered subject's room(414). See exhibit 1E.
Exhibit 1E showed Clare and the male from the lounge entering her room. She looked a little tipsy but very happy.
At 11:13 male left subject's room and departed the building. Licence no. of male's car: MBS2892. Registered to Alexander B. Tate, 1424 Azalea Dr., Denton. Male is married and has two infant children.
I glanced through the rest of the story and the report indicated that she repeated her activities the next night with a different man. It was signed by the investigator in Denton. My wife was a slut when she traveled away from home. There was no way I could tolerate what she was doing. Even the loss of her rings hadn't scared her enough to stop.
After paying the PI the balance of my bill I thanked him and left. I took two extra copies of the report, all on CD with me and drove straight home. At home I immediately called the divorce lawyer and asked him where he stood on the divorce paper? He told me they were ready to file and I told him to proceed with filing and asked if he could have them served publically at her work the next day. He said that it wouldn't be a problem and I provided him with her work address. I wanted to hurt and humiliate her and having her served at work would go a long way to give me some revenge for what she'd been doing.
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That night we didn't have sex. I think she knew something was wrong and maybe realized I knew something but was afraid to voice her concerns other than to say she hoped I'd be better soon. Oddly, she seemed a little reticent in her own right, but I let it pass without comment.
In the morning I was up early as I hadn't slept too well during the night. I worked at my computer until I heard the kids stirring and then I went and started breakfast. After breakfast I saw her off to work and she came to me for a hug and a kiss before leaving for work. I gave her a half hearted hug before urging her out the door. I think at that instant she knew. There were tears in her eyes as I closed the door behind her and her whispered "I love you.". I felt a great sadness overcome me as she left and wanted to cry myself but the kids needed organizing so I could get them ready for the school bus.
The call came at about 10:45. Caller ID said it was Clare's work place and I picked up the phone without acknowledging the call. There was a moment's pause while the caller accepted the fact I wasn't going to speak.
"I'm so sorry." Her voice said in a whisper and then the line went dead and I hung up.
She didn't come home that night and I wondered if she was playing her sick little game without worrying about a husband anymore. I knew I was being hard on her but I retained a certain amount of justifiable rage. The kids wondered where mommy was but I took them out to Mickey Dees for dinner and by the time we got home they were very tired and ready for bed.
The next morning she called.
"Honey, can I come home and get some of my things and can we talk?"
I felt a qualm of conscience but it quickly passed.
"Why don't you come between 9:00 and noon. That way the kids and I won't be here. As far as talking, I will talk with you one on one at my lawyers office once you've signed, notarized and returned the divorce papers. I will listen to anything you have to say then."
A sob, then, "Alright."and the line went dead again.
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POSTSCRIPT
She signed the papers and we were divorced became final in six months. She'd been pregnant but had an abortion before then. While fucking her last lover the rubber had broken and it was near her fertile time so even though I'd discovered her adultery because she lost her rings she would have most likely been found out anyway.
I hear she's back in the dating scene too. I think if she gets close to marriage again I'll give her husband-to-be a heads up on her faithfulness. No sense in having her cuckolding two of us.
We did have a meeting, as I'd told her, in my lawyers office. She asked me to please give up on the divorce. Not having unlimited access to our kids was hard on her but I told her I just couldn't trust her anymore. She explained she's been having seeing a psychologist and he's diagnosed her with a form of nymphomania and had been receiving help in coping with her addiction. She had her urges under control now. I told her that wasn't good enough for me if she still had the urges and if she'd sought help about her urges in the beginning she wouldn't be in the position she was in now. I left her crying in the lawyers office.
I'm dating again and I think I've found a woman that I like and I think I could easily fall in love with. She's my age and a divorcee. Caught her husband cheating and wouldn't put up with it. My kind of woman. A big plus for her is that the kids like her too. I suppose its only a matter of time until I pop the question.
THE END