A Clean Brea

A CLEAN BREAK

Arnold Branch came home on an early April Friday at his usual time - six pm. His wife Marian was already home. She gave him a quick hug and said, "I'm headed out to dinner with some people from the office and some clients tonight. I left you a casserole in the fridge." She was dressed nicely, but nothing extravagant. She looked good, though. Tallish at 5'7" with a slim, sexy build, light brown shoulder length hair.

Arnold said, "When do I expect you home."

"I believe I'll be late, Arnie. It's probably going to be followed by a meeting with the clients."

"Oh." Arnold was not a person who could hide his emotions completely. Not a good poker guy. His face fell when he spoke his 'Oh.'

Marian looked at him, with some trepidation. She was going out to dinner with her boss, Jed Billing. She had worked for Jed at his brokerage for eight months. For all of those eight months, Jed had made an effort to get into her panties. Jed was a tall, handsome blond man, forty years old with a young family. That was two years younger than Marian. Three years younger than Arnold, who was neither tall nor handsome. Rather, he was 5'8", pudgy and balding.

Arnold and Marian had two twin children, Terry and Brett. Both had gone off to college that year. Marian had been quite sad in the fall. But over the winter, what with holidays and all, she had perked up.

Now, just lately, she had made a decision to expand her sexual horizons. Starting with Jed. She and Arnold still had sex, and it wasn't bad at all. But Arnold, although talented in bed, was not by any means the paradigm of masculine desirability. He wasn't in bad shape. He hiked. But he was a stale commodity for Marian, and she felt entitled to more. Arnie was his same old pudgy self. She loved him and didn't want to lose him. So, she lied. Just now for the first time, really.

She knew that Jed had a room at the hotel where they would have dinner. She fully intended to accompany Jed up to that room and get herself royally fucked. She thought she'd be home by two or so. Arnie would be asleep, for sure.

But Arnie's sad face, so sad.... Well, she shivered. She said, "What's wrong, Arnie?"

No answer. A stare.

"Arnie?"

"Nothing, dear. Someone must have walked over my grave." He smiled, doing his best. Marian was partly reassured.

But Arnie knew what she was doing and where she was headed. Her rival at the firm had intentionally intercepted Arnie on Monday, when he was on his daily lunch walk.

He saw her coming and said, "Hi, Lois. What's up?"

She put on a sad face. She said, "Arnie, I feel I have to warn you about something."

"What?" He was now quite curious.

"It's Marian. She and Jed are getting very close. He's been after her from the start. And now....well they have a date for Friday evening. Dinner and a hotel room. I heard them discussing it in his office. They'll go to the Stoddard."

The Stoddard was a local privately owned hotel. Quite fancy. But Arnold didn't trust Lois to tell the truth. She was probably feeling threatened by Marian at work. Marian was really good and might have passed Lois in the hierarchy.

But he said, "I'll have to check that out, Lois. Can we exchange info, so we can keep in touch?

"Sure. I think you're one of the good guys, Arnold."

They parted with that exchange. Arnie kept walking his normal route. He was distracted, though. Because, lately he had seen Marian becoming a tad distant. Sex was lukewarm, and so was dinner when he got home. She seemed distracted. And he had already been worried about her. But this was something he hadn't anticipated. He thought that Marian was just getting down again, about the empty nest thing.

When he got back to the office of his accounting firm, he closed the door and found himself a private detective firm - Discrete Inquiries. They were able to see him that afternoon. So off he went. He still didn't believe Lois, but he had to be sure. He regarded Marian as being rock-solid.

The agency had only two people full-time. Jeanette Blake and her husband Don. Arnold assessed the two as they spoke about his dilemma. He thought that they were likely to be competent, although young. The three made a plan. There would be no fancy electronic stuff used. Instead, the two detectives would post up at the hotel Friday night and see what developed. They'd use their phones to record the action, discretely, as in their name. Arnold gave them some money and left to go home.

He arrived there exactly at six pm, as usual.

He and Marian had dinner. She seemed distracted, which was normal lately. She didn't notice Arnold's own flat affect. They watched an adventure movie and went to bed. Neither one wanted sex.

And that was the way it went all week. Arnold got used to it, and so seemed more like himself. He had decided to see whether Lois was correct. If she was, and Marian went to the hotel with her boss, into a room, Arnold was done with her. He had given it some thought. His decision was firm. Images of Marian getting screwed by her asshole boss flitted through his head. No way was he going to tolerate that.

He had given some thought to bearding the lion, and trying to stop her. He decided that, even if he was successful, he'd never be able to trust her again. Or live with her. So, he simply needed to see the truth.

Friday afternoon he checked with the detectives to make sure he was covered. Then he left the office at the usual time, leaving instructions for his second in command about what to do if Arnold did not come to work for a while. That woman, Ellen Christ, was surprised. But Arnold simply said that there was some chance that he'd be gone for an extended period. He left it at that. But Ellen thought it through after he left and came down on marital problems with Marian. Maybe Arnie's health, but she thought not. She was fairly certain that Arnie would be gone for a while. She had heard some things about Marian, and she well knew what empty nest blues could do to a woman.

Now, Arnie was hearing lies from Marian. After that, he was 90% sure the marriage was over. Marian was not so sure of herself after seeing Arnie's sad face. But she accepted his explanation. And off she went, driving her own car to the hotel.

The hotel where Jeanette and Don were posted up.

They kept Arnie updated on what was going on between Jed and Marian. The two had kissed when they met at the entrance to the hotel. Then they went inside for dinner, holding hands. Don got those shots. The two detectives had a table near the exit from the restaurant to the hotel. They ate a light meal as the subjects also ate. Marian and Don had wine, but the detectives did not. Periodically, one or the other would send Arnie an update with pictures.

When dinner was almost at an end, Jeanette got up and left the restaurant. She and Don had given the desk clerk a small gratuity to know the room number of the targets. Jeanette went to the fourth floor and waited.

Meanwhile, Marian and Jed left the restaurant and got onto an elevator to the fourth floor. Don texted Jeanette about that. Jeanette was walking down the hall when the two almost lovers passed her on the way to room 430. Jeanette turned and filmed them as Jed opened the door and ushered Marian into the room. She went downstairs and texted Arnie the news, with the video. That was the end of their remit.

Arnold was deeply sad. He took a duffel that he had prepared, left his phone, his wedding ring and an envelope with a note and some photos he had printed off the phone - pictures of the date, and of Marian entering Jed's hotel room. The note simply said, 'Marian, I thank you for the twenty-two good years. Now we're over. You betrayed me and lied to me. Arnold.'

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Marian had been having a grand time with Jed. The dinner was fine, the wine was great. Jed was also in a fine mood, having nearly achieved an objective that he'd been pursuing for some time.

When he and Marian entered the room. Jed took her into his arms. They had a scorching kiss - to start. But Marian was struck, just then, by an overwhelming sense of dread and disgust. It was so strong that she broke the kiss and gasped, reeling away from Jed. She staggered across the room and fell onto the bed. She was suffering something similar to a full-fledged panic attack. Her breathing was shallow. She was light-headed and filled with fear.

Jed was aghast, and also fearful. It occurred to him that Marian may be in serious medical trouble. And, if so, he may have to call 911. Jed had a wife and two children in junior high school. He was supposed to be on an overnight business trip. If he called 911, he'd likely be busted, and his marriage might be finished. He knew his wife, Deanna. She'd go for the throat. So, he waited, patting Marian's hand and making soothing sounds.

And, surprise, surprise, that seemed to work. Marian gradually calmed down. She sat up. Jed backed away a bit, so as not to bring on another spell like the last one.

Marian said, "Help me up." She extended a hand.

Jed got her to her feet and stood close in case she faltered. She did not. After about a minute, she looked at Jed and said, "This has been a very bad mistake on my part. I must go home immediately."

He asked, "Are you okay to drive?"

"Probably. Well, yes." She started for the door, paused, then opened it. She turned to Jed and said, "We've been so very foolish - both of us. I apologize for my part."

He nodded and she left the room.

Jed sat in the armchair provided by the hotel. He emptied his head and tried to relax. After a while, he doffed his clothes and showered. Then he went to bed and slept fitfully until dawn. He had forgotten to close the drapes. The balcony window faced east. The sun woke him.

Marian left the hotel at 9:30pm. She drove home, carefully. She got there at 10:15 pm. She expected that Arnie would still be up, maybe reading in bed. But the only light on was the dim one they left on when they were going out for an extended time.

Marian assumed that Arnie was asleep. She went to the kitchen to get some cold water. There on the table she saw Arnie's phone and.....his wedding ring. She knew immediately what that meant. For the second time that night, Marian was staggered from within. She lurched to a kitchen chair. She was not suffering the panic that she had felt at the hotel. She was initially numb. Then she saw the envelope, and the note. She read the note. And she opened the envelope and saw the photos of her evening with Jed. The last one was of them entering the hotel room.

When she saw the pictures, she was almost certain that all was lost for her. He marriage. Her man that she loved. All her fault for leaping off the infidelity cliff. Except she had shied at the very last moment. Not soon enough, though, it seemed.

Marian needed to explain to Arnie that she had backed out. That she hadn't betrayed him - well, not completely. She was sobbing as she walked up the stairs. She sat at her desk in their bedroom. She opened her email and wrote a group email to her children, his parents, his sister and her own parents.

It said: 'To All: Tonight, I made a grave error, and my beloved Arnold has left me. While the mistake was a big one, I DID NOT complete it in the end. I intended to have sex with another man, but I could not do that. I left and came home. But Arnold has gone. He has the impression that I fully betrayed him. If any of you hear from him, please tell him that I didn't go through with it, and that I am very sorry. I love him so, and I am such a fool.'

She sent the email. And then she forwarded it to Arnie's email, with the following addition.

'Arnie, you see what I have written to everyone. My confession. I know that you had me followed, and that you must have believed that I was having sex with Jed. That is what I intended. But I was unable to do it. I felt so bad. I did not have sex of any kind with him, beyond a kiss. I left the hotel and came home. But you were gone. I know that what I have done is a betrayal, even though not a consummated one. I hope that my sudden change of heart will be enough to allow you to return home, where we can try to survive as a married couple. I love you so very much. Please allow me to speak to you and try to explain. Marian.'

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Arnie was holed up in a motel about a two-hour drive away from his suburban Virginia home. He had made arrangements, anticipating that Marian would cheat. He had a separate checking account, with a substantial sum in it. He had a debit card for that account. He had a lawyer who had been entrusted with his new cell phone number, and his new email address. His instructions to that attorney were that no one was to be given any contact information for him. He had given the lawyer, Charles Kirkpatrick, a power of attorney, and had left him with further instructions about the business. Those instructions were to put it up for sale.

He slept badly at the motel. But in the morning, he arose, ate a big breakfast in a nearby diner, and set off driving west. He did this for three days, not moving fast, looking at what he could see. He was missing his family, and his wife. But he decided that a clean break with his old life was the best way to deal with his wife's betrayal. He knew that eventually he would get in touch with his children and his parents. But he did not want to discuss with any of them Marian's evil behavior.

He was, in the end, devastated. Marian was the one person in the world that he had trusted the most. The others in the family had his trust and love. But not to the extent that Marian had. There was only one person in the world who could hurt him like he had been hurt.

His response was to isolate himself from anything and anyone associated with his old life. To shut down emotionally and try to start over somehow. He wanted to seal off what was before, and the pain that it had brought him.

Arnie wandered for almost a month and found himself in Arizona. He traded his Honda Civic for a new RV. He wandered around in it for three months, taking in the sights, and talking to people that he would never have spoken to in his old life.

Another thing that Arnie did was to undertake to remake himself physically. It occurred to him that Marian only wanted a man who looked fit and virile. Jed did look like that. He didn't. He researched physical fitness, and had a plan for all seven days of the week. He followed that plan for the three months. So, he found himself lean and hard.

He also developed a hobby - mathematics. He had always been interested in math. But he had to make a living and so he put that interest away. Now, he took it out again. He had internet in his RV, and he used it to stock up on math books. It all came back to him quickly, and he found that he had some real insights about the discipline.

His lawyer informed him about an offer for the business. They discussed it, and wrote up a counter-offer, with protection for the employees. That was accepted. The sale made him a rich man.

He decided to stop wandering. He settled on a four-acre lot he bought outside of San Diego. It was near a village that had some amenities, such as a gym, and some not-so-fancy restaurants. He thought to stay a while, which is why he bought the lot.

He also decided, after three months had passed, to reestablish some contact with his kids and parents. So, he opened a new email account and sent those four an email saying that he was okay, and that he was having a good time. He emphasized that he did not want Marian to have his contact email.

That was a useless gesture. It was less than two weeks when someone caved to her. One morning, there was an email from her on his computer.

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Marian was so excited when Arnie's mother gave her his email address. She was still at their old house. She had resigned her job at Jed's firm the Monday after her little hotel adventure. It had not taken her long to get another position. Jed gave her good references.

Marian had also spent a good deal of time and money trying to locate her husband. Indeed, she had hired Discrete Investigations to do some of that work. To no avail so far.

She had hired Discrete two days after Arnie disappeared, because she found their info on his phone. She simply walked into their offices. Both were there. She introduced herself, but she didn't need to do that. Jeanette and Don recognized her right off.

Don said, "Mrs. Branch, I'm afraid we can't get into much with you. Your husband was....is our client."

"I know what you did. I've seen the pictures. I want to hire you to fix what happened. You see, I only spent maybe five minutes in that room. I got cold feet and left. I wondered if you told Arnie that."

"No. Because we left when you went into the room. It seemed obvious why you went in there. That was all he hired us to do."

Marian said, "Damn. I need to prove to Arnie that I didn't go all the way. If I can do that, maybe..."

"Well, did you go out the front of the hotel?"

"Yes. And over to the garage."

"They'll have video."

"Oh. Oh! Can you please get it?"

She signed a contract with them that day. Jeanette went to the hotel, and obtained video from them. It showed Marian getting into the fourth-floor elevator at about 9:28 pm. She didn't look good. Another camera caught her as she left the hotel out the front door. A third showed her leaving the garage in her car. She left at 9:36 pm. Based upon the time stamps on the pictures from the detectives' cell phones, Marian had spent six or seven minutes inside room 430.

Don reported these things to Marian, who was overjoyed. She had them prepare a report about what the video showed, and how they got it. She attached that report and the video to a new email that she sent to Arnie. She titled it 'PROOF.'

But Arnie never checked Marian's email. He was determined to avoid contact with her. He did email his kids and parents with a stern warning about allowing Marian to have his email. Then he switched email again.

Marian waited for a reply from Arnie. It never came. After three weeks, she hired Discrete to find him and deliver the report to him.

The longer she was without Arnie, the more she missed him. She lived like a hermit for some time. She worked, went home, spent some time supervising the search for Arnie, and slept. Well, she did eat. And she maintained her fitness routine, even increased it. It seemed to fight her depression. But she didn't date, even though men from her new work asked her out. And other men did as well.

She was frustrated that there had been no contact with Arnie.

Jeanette Blake called one day, about four months after the hotel event. She said that they had run the VIN number on Arnie's car and found that it had been sold in a suburb of Phoenix. A call to the dealer yielded the information that the seller - Arnie - had purchased an RV, and driven it off. She got the VIN of the RV.

Marian told Jeanette to keep searching. She was getting the unsettled feeling that she may never locate her husband. One Friday evening, after work, she agreed to go out with some of the women from work. A girls' night out. (Even though two of the others were married - happily, they said.)

The four of them all went to a bar, where there was live music and dancing. Marian had two glasses of white wine. A guy asked her to dance. He was young, tall, and his name was Saul. She agreed. The other three women were already out on the floor.

Marian and Saul danced two numbers, jitterbugs. Marian was having a good time. The band went into a slow, country number - Walking After Midnight. Marian let Saul pull her into the slow dance. At first, he kept a discrete distance. But midway through, he pulled her tight. She felt his erection. She didn't move away. The song finished and the band took a break. Saul took her hand and led her outside - 'For some air.' She went. She had flutters, but she went.