It's been about two months since I took my wife back after she cheated on me. But there was something about her heartfelt confession that didn't ring true.
It was a Saturday morning after a girl's night out that my wife left her cell phone on the kitchen table as she went to do some laundry. Her phone buzzed with a text from Mark. I knew her passcode, I didn't know Mark who was telling my wife that last night was the best sex he's had in forever, so much better that his wife and he couldn't wait to get together again.
I texted him back, "My husband just headed to the golf course, come on over if you're ready for another round."
"Let me make some excuse to my wife and I'll be over in 30 minutes. Send me your address."
I sent him our address and added, "Just come in."
A dozen different plans went through my head, mostly dealing with physical violence and then a more palatable plan emerged
Taking my wife's phone. I shouted out I was heading to Home Depot and drove around the corner and parked my car and waited.
I prepared a text for Mark on her phone, "Holy shit, his tee time was cancelled, he's on his way home." I watched the BMW pull in my driveway and a middle-aged man approached the door, just before he reached for the door, I hit send. He had started entering my house when his phone pinged. The look of oh shit on his face was priceless. I made sure the ring cam doorbell caught it all. He headed back to his car, and he raced out of the driveway.
His initial haste made it difficult to follow him discreetly. I stopped being discreet once he pulled into his driveway and I parked right behind him, raced to his front door and started banging. A woman answered about the same time the cheater caught up with me. The cheater ended up in a headlock and the wife was freaking out.
I told her, "I'm sorry but your husband fucked my wife last night and I thought you should know."
The husband was trying to say something, but I tightened my headlock.
"If you reach into my pocket, you will find my wife's cell phone and the texted he sent this morning."
The husband was begging her not to look but she did anyway. After reading the message she started hitting him. I held his face up so she could get some good shots in. It didn't take her long to start drawing blood from his mouth and nose.
She was running out of steam, "I'm on my way back to my house, my wife doesn't know that I know about her infidelity yet. I would never hit a woman, but you could."
"Let's go," she said. She turned to her husband, "Give me your keys shithead. The baby is in his highchair. Keep an eye on him while you pack your shit. I want you ready to leave when I get back from kicking some slut's ass. We'll see if she's so much better than me when I'm done with her."
On the way to our cars I said, "I'm Jack, my wife's name is Jesse, what's yours?
"Vicki," she said.
I gave her my address but let her follow me. She walked in right behind me as my wife was yelling out if I saw her phone. Jesse came into the front room and didn't see Vicki behind me until it was too late. Vicki closed the distance in seconds and led with a roundhouse right to Jesse's left eye. Jesse was still staggering as Vicki slapped her hard with her left. Jesse crumbled to the floor and Vicki pounced on top of her. Vicki grabbed two handfuls of Jesse's hair and used it to bang Jesse's head against the tile floor. I stopped Vicki from killing Jesse.
"I have a six-month-old baby at home you stupid slut. You ruined fucking everything."
Vicki collapsed on top of Jesse and started sobbing. I helped Vicki to the couch, Jesse curled into a fetal position and started sobbing.
"Vicki, would you join me for a cup of coffee. I'm thinking you should calm down a bit before you drive anywhere."
Vicki mumbled okay.
"Jesse, I'm going to take Vicki out for a coffee, please find some place to stay for at least a few days. I hope you're not here when I get back and here's your phone. Good job, destroying two marriages in one night. I hope you're proud of yourself."
As Vicki and I were at the door, Jesse yelled out, "Please Jack, can we talk about this?"
"Jesse, you should be thankful I stopped Vicki from killing you and that I didn't kill you myself. Don't be here when I get back."
Vicki didn't want to go into the coffee shop with the way her eyes looked so I went in a grabbed a couple of cups to go and drove her over to a little park.
Vicki looked like she was going into shock as she stared into the distance.
"Would you take her back," Vicki asked.
"I can't see that happening, but people have given me second chances, especially at work. I picked up a little alcohol problem ten years ago. My number one goal was to make sure they never regretted it. I haven't had a drink since, but the next few days will be rough. What about you?"
"I have our son to think about and I'm not sure Mark and I could afford to live separately. We agreed I would be a stay-at-home mom until the youngest entered school, thinking we would have two or three. I can't see having any more children with Mark, after all I must be horrible in bed anyway." Vicki started crying again.
"It's just not that he cheated on me, but it really hurts when he said sex with your wife was so much better than sex with me. My self-esteem has taken so many hits this morning. I need to head home and thank you for telling me. Time to start my life as a divorcee."
"Vicki, I'm not talking romantic stuff but please call me if you need anything else. And thank you for smacking Jesse around."
"Thank you for holding Mark so I could get a few good shots in. That felt so good."
We parted ways and she rarely called me. She had taken Mark back; the baby made her situation so different. Vicki also said she would never let him in her bed again.
Jesse was gone when I came home, there was a tear-stained letter on the kitchen table which I ignored. When I sat down, I felt like I was hit with a truck, she fucking cheated on me, my marriage was over. Vicki was right, it's time to start my life as a divorcee. But first a nap.
Trying to sleep was fruitless so I got up and started researching divorce in my home state. Even though she was a cheater, things would split down the middle. I found a checklist and started locking credit card and squeezed into the bank before they locked the door and opened my own accounts and split the balance in our joint account. On my way home I called my sponsor, it had been years since I talked to him last, but I needed him now. He was the only person to see me cry since I was a kid, and I felt a good cry coming on. He invited me to meet him at a local Denny's.
Over coffee and some eggs, I took him through my day. He asked a few questions here and there and finally asked what my long-term plan was. I stuttered; the word divorce was on my lips but I couldn't get it out. He knew what I was going to say.
"It's okay Jack, I'm sure you had no idea we would be having this conversation when you woke up this morning. I'll send you the name and number of my ex-wife's divorce lawyer. She's pretty good. Keep the ball moving Jack, divorces take forever and will make your 30-day pin look easy. Just because you start the process doesn't mean you need to follow through with it. I'm also going to send you the number of a counselor. The person you saw when we first met has retired. You'll like this woman, she's blunt and I know you'll like that."
There was always something about listening to him talk that made me feel like I was in control, not that I could control everything, but I was in control of how I reacted.
Sunday was downright horrible. Jesse kept texting me, she wanted to talk, she was at her mother's, she needed stuff from the house for work on Monday. I told her I was heading to the store at three, she could come over then and to be quick. At three I headed to Home Depot and then the grocery store. I knew how to cook but had no desire, so I picked up a rotisserie chicken.
Jesse had come and gone while I was out. She sent me a text asking if I read her letter. I didn't respond. I installed the new locks before stuffing my face with the chicken. As I climbed into bed, I was proud of myself for not even thinking about a drink.
Monday was a little better during the day, I had something to distract me and made appointments to see the lawyer on Wednesday and the counselor on Tuesday. I kept the ball moving.
Monday evening sucked when I found Jesse sitting on the front steps. Her left eye was still swollen as well as her lips.
"You changed the locks Jack? Why? We can fix this, please talk to me."
"Jesse, I recognize that at some point we will have to talk but I'm not ready and the more you pressure me to talk the less you're going to like the outcome. By the way, I locked our credit cards."
"Jack, please stop, I need to explain what happened. It's not what you think."
"Jesse, I can't believe you just said that. You're living in a fantasy if you really think that or think I would believe it. I have a meeting with a divorce lawyer on Wednesday, I suggest you find one."
