A Merry Christmas - 002

A Merry Christmas - 002

It was later than I planned when I left the library. Considering the trip from the library to home, it wouldn't get there until after 7. My phone was still off, and I decided to leave it in that condition. I set off toward my house, unsure what I would encounter when I got there.

I came in the back door through the garage. Amanda, Jimmy, and Julia all came running through the house when they heard the backdoor open. I assumed they had been watching the front of the house for my arrival. I stopped and they all pulled up short. Amanda spoke quietly.

"Are you ok, Dad?"

"Yes."

Jimmy started next.

"Damn it, Dad. Mom has been frantic. You won't answer the phone and you don't reply to texts. She thought you had done something stupid. You have no right to treat her like this."

His tone was demanding and almost condescending. I simply looked at him and spoke in an emotionless and flat tone.

"Do not ever speak to me in that tone of voice again young man. You are my son, and you will treat me with the respect I deserve. If you can't be civil and respectful you can leave now."

That prompted Julia to join in.

"Don't you use that tone of voice to him."

I looked at her and this time my voice was filled with venom.

"You can sit the fuck down and shut up."

I could just as well have slapped her the way she reacted. I had never used that tone or those kinds of words to her before. She stepped back and her mouth worked but no sound came out. I turned back to Jimmy.

"Do you have anything else to say?"

He looked at me with large eyes and shook his head. I turned to Amanda.

"Would you get me something to eat? I have had nothing for almost 24 hours. I could also use a soda."

She smiled and handed me a can of cola and then took the makings of a sandwich from the refrigerator and went to the counter. I turned back to Jimmy and Julia.

"It's time. You have a decision to make."

Julia sat down heavily onto one of the kitchen table chairs. She put her forehead in her hands, with her elbows resting on the table. Jimmy moved to put a hand on her shoulder and glowered at me.

"Are you really going to make her decide now?"

I looked at him and shook my head.

"Son. I will not tell you again. You will speak to me with respect, or I will toss your ass out the front door. If you don't think I can do it, then try me."

Jimmy was at least 3 inches taller than me and probably 20 pounds heavier. He was a hell of a lot younger, and I saw the debate in his eyes. I think he really considered trying me on. I didn't want it to come to that, but I was completely prepared to do what was necessary to maintain my self-respect. What Jimmy failed to realize is that in my present state of mind there would be no quarter and I was prepared to be no gentleman.

I think he finally realized the gravity of the situation and he backed down, dropped his eyes, and for the first time I heard him quietly respond.

"Yes, Sir."

"Better. Julia?"

"I will stop it. I will accept your demands."

I was, in fact, completely surprised. I expected her to argue and plead to keep the status quo so she didn't have to give up her lover.

"But please. Don't harm Stanford."

I looked at her and felt my daughter's hand go around my waist. I looked down at her and she nodded slowly.

"I promise I won't retaliate against Stanford, as much as I want to kick his worthless ass around the block."

Julia managed a weak smile.

"You can call him now. Put the call on speaker and tell him that it is over, you won't ever see or speak to him again. Make sure he knows that I know about the two of you."

Her face fell and she went white.

"I can't do that in front of the children."

"They aren't children anymore. They are adults and they are fully aware of what you have been doing. Do it now."

She took her phone from her shorts pocket and pressed a key. She had his number on the speed dial. It rang a few times and then a breathless voice came on the phone. I recognized it instantly.

"Good God, Julia. I had to rush out of the house. Nancy was standing right beside me when you called."

"Stanford. I won't be seeing you again. I won't talk to you. I won't take your calls or your messages. We are done. I am sorry."

I heard Stanford stutter and bark back angrily.

"What the hell. After all these years that is what I get?"

I spoke up from across the table.

"Stanford, yeah, that is what you get. You best take it for what it is. Let it go. I know all about your affair, the lies and cheating."

I reached over and hit the disconnect button. I straightened up and looked at Julia.

"You can continue to live here. For the time being you will move all of your things to the guest room where you and Stanford carried on your affair. I expect you to take care of the things you have done in the past. There will be no sex, no cuddling, or any other expressions of intimacy. As far as I am concerned, you effectively ended our marriage five years ago.

Jimmy started to speak.

"Dad, isn't that a little harsh."

I silenced him with a glance. He dropped his eyes quickly.

"If I ever get even a suspicion that you are having any kind of relationship again, it is over. If I find out you have talked to, messaged, or communicated in any way with Stanford, all bets are off. I am going to take a shower and change clothes."

I took the cola and my sandwich and headed upstairs. I munched on the sandwich while I undressed. I took a long hot shower, shaved and then put on clean clothes. I have to admit that I did feel much better as I finished the sandwich and took the plate back to the kitchen. Amanda was sitting at the table waiting for me.

"Where are Julia and Jimmy?"

"In the living room, I think. They left just after you did and have had their heads together since then."

"Plotting. How are you doing?"

"Don't worry about me. How are you?"

"I am in as good a place as I should expect I guess."

"I can't believe you aren't going to burn both of them. This is almost like a reconciliation."

"Don't fool yourself. I don't have the energy or the desire to expend the effort to go after Stanford. I am smart enough to realize that this sort of thing can escalate rapidly and end up with very tragic results."

"What about Mom? Are you going to let her off scott free?"

"I think she is going to suffer much more over the next few months than you realize. She won't have access to her lover. She won't have access to me. She is going to find herself much more alone than you can imagine."

Amanda looked at me. I think she thought I was sliding back to being a wimp.

"Don't worry. I will never again even consider wavering in my principles. I still love you mother. I just can't trust her. I may never be able to trust her. I don't know that I have enough time left standing to give up that kind of trust again. I don't want to shut her out of your lives. In time, you and Jimmy may have kids and I want her to be part of that. She was a good mother."

Amada stood up and hugged me.

"You are the best. I just wish you could get more satisfaction."

"No one ever really gets satisfaction from revenge. There are always consequences."

She nodded.

"I have to get back home. I have a huge exam tomorrow and this has certainly gotten in the way of my preparation."

"Go. You take care of you and school. Keep your eye on your goals."

She smiled, tiptoed up and kissed me on the chin. I watched as she left without telling her mother or her brother goodbye. It occurred to me that I was beginning to see the fall out of Julias choices.

&&&&&

Six months later, things seemed much better. Jimmy had gone back to college. He was apparently doing well. He was pursuing a degree in biomedical engineering. I had a sneaking suspicion he really wanted to go to medical school but was struggling with how to pay for it.

Amanda graduated with honors and was immediately accepted into grad school. He was on her way to an MBA. Her grades, with some grants and scholarships and the trust fund, just might be able to get her through without having to resort to student loans.

That left Julia and me. The first few weeks were uncomfortable. I remained aloof and almost cold toward her. I insisted that she allow me to put tracking software on her phone. I knew she could get a burner phone, but it would increase the risk of being discovered since I made no secret of routinely checking the house.

She seemed to recover faster than I did. She resumed keeping the house. She did my laundry, kept fresh linen on the beds and even folded my underwear and put it away. She was, for the most part, almost as chipper and cheery as she had ever been. She insisted on greeting me in the mornings and when I returned from the gym or one of my new hobbies with a kiss on the cheek and a hug. Eventually, I began to reciprocate.

Yes, I had joined a gym. I will admit that I am, to a certain degree, lazy. THe thought of moving heavy things from point A to point B for no apparent reason leaves me cold. Instead I joined a cycling class. It was fun especially with the new high tech stationary bicycles and the huge display screens that made it look like you were really traveling along a scenic bike train.

I also took up dancing lessons. They were held at the gym and with my membership, cost almost nothing. I tried never to dance with the same woman twice. It took a while but I finally became comfortable in all manners and styles of dance, including the tango.

I made no secret about what I was doing from Julia. It was about this time in our new arrangement that she quietly asked one evening during dinner if I had fun at the gym. I told her that I did. It was both an emotional and a physical outlet for me. I put a lot of my frustration and trauma into bike riding and the dancing helped with my need for social interaction. She had then asked if it would offend me if she wanted to go to the gym.

At first I was dead set against it. The gym had become my haven, my escape. I didn't think I wanted to share it. Then I realized that in the six months since our come to Jesus meeting, she had barely been out of the house. She ordered groceries on the internet and her only time out had been a few times to have her hair cut and some short trips to buy clothing. I finally fought my way through my own feelings.

"I think that can be arranged. I will add you to my membership. I am going to workout tomorrow afternoon. You can come with me and I will get you set up."

&&&&&

Something else happened this time. I didn't hear about it until several weeks later. Apparently, word got back to Stanford's wife that he had been carrying on an affair for several years. I never got the full story about how she found out, but I was aware of the repercussions. I still held Partner Emeritus status at the agency. I didn't actively participate in the management but I did still draw a small partnership share which gave me some rights to attend meetings. I had not done so because I wanted there to be no chance I would have to deal with Stanford.

I got a registered letter on the agency stationary. I was informed that a partnership meeting was to be held just a few days hence. All partners and Emeritus Partners were urged to attend. There was no agenda listed nor was there any mention of the subject of the meeting. I tossed the letter on the desk and intended to forget about it. The next day I got a phone call from Fred Smitherman. Fred and I had started with the firm about the same time. He had retired a few months after I did.

"Donald. Fred."

"Hello. Haven't heard much from you in a while. How are things."

"Great. Retirement is grand. How about you?"

"Retirement is good. There have been a few rough patches. What's up?"

"Are you going to the meeting?"

"Probably not."

"Why?"

"Personal reasons."

There was a slight pause.

"I really think you should go."

"Why?"

"I have been told that there is going to be a big change in the partnership status that could affect us all."

"Really. Are they going to sell the agency?"

"I don't think so. I think this is much more internal than that."

"Then who cares as long as I continue to get my benefits."

"That's the point. There is some sort of legal action that apparently could destroy the whole partnership?"

That got my attention.

"Are you going?"

"Hell yes."

"Can you pick me up?"

"Yes. See you next week."

I spent a good deal of time wondering what was going on. I dug one of my old suits out of the closet. It still looked pretty good but when I tried it on, I found it to be too large and baggy. Apparently, the time at the gym on the bike was paying off. I decided that I would just be the old, retired partner and show up in a pair of khakis and a polo shirt. I wasn't trying to impress anyone.

Fred picked me up at the appointed time and we headed to the office. The parking lot was full, and the door was locked with a closed sign. A uniformed security guard came to the door and asked out names. He checked a list, nodded, and unlocked the door.

"Everyone is gathering in the big conference room."

Fred and I made our way back. The office hadn't changed much until we got to the back. Instead of the much smaller conference room I had been expecting, we entered into a very large, auditorium style room with a full array of technical audio-visual equipment. It appeared the firm had been investing heavily in technology. As soon as we entered, many of our old colleagues gathered around to catch up.

Presently, a younger man stepped to the front and spoke. He was wearing a wireless mike.

"If everyone takes a seat we will begin."

Fred and I found seats near the middle of the gallery. We watched as the current managing partners marched onto the small stage and took chairs behind a draped table. The chair where the senior partner should be sitting was empty. That should have been Stanford. He was nowhere to be seen. The next most senior partner stood and spoke. I recognized him as Tom Hazleford. I had worked with him for years and knew him to be a stand-up guy.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize about the secrecy surrounding this meeting. Suffice it to say that we needed to protect the integrity of the firm and our good name in the community. I am afraid that what we are going to discuss and decide at this meeting is unprecedented."

"A week ago, the senior partners were all served with several legal documents. Among these was a lawsuit charging the firm with failure to enforce the morals clause of the partnership agreement, alienation of affection, and misuse of partnership funds. We understand that at the same time the licensing board at the state received a complaint about abuses at the agency. We have since been informed that the partnership will be audited later this month."

There was a dull roar as the mumbling among the others in the room grew. There were approximately 15 Emeritus partners, 12 or so full partners and the 8 managing partners that were sitting at the front. Someone in the gallery spoke out sharply.

"Just what are the details of all this?"

Tom looked a little uncomfortable. The absence of Stanford was glaring, and I was sitting back with my arms folded and a slight smile. This was getting more and more interesting.

"Most of you may not know that Stanford was served with divorce papers by his wife yesterday here at the office. Shortly thereafter a restraining order was served on Stanford prohibiting him from coming within 500 feet of his home, his wife, or the agency. He was escorted out of the building and off the premises by the sheriff's deputy that was with the process server. No one at the agency has had any contact with him since that time.

The bigger issue is the lawsuit. It was brought by Stanford's wife, Lilian. Our attorneys are busy right now working through the document trying to ascertain if we have any liability. The general outlook is that, while it may be costly, we may be able to dodge this in court. Another voice burst out.

"How costly?"

Tom again looked a little pained.

"In the neighborhood of three quarters to a million dollars."

There was an audible gasp through the room. Then the same voice spoke up again.

"What did that jackass Stanford do to bring this down on our heads?"

Tom fell back on what I feel was a prepared rally point.

"At this time our attorneys have advised us not to speak of any details concerning the lawsuit."

Another voice could be heard from the gallery.

"It's all in the public record. I have a copy of the divorce filing. Seems Stanford has been diddling one of the wives of the partners for a long time. That would be the basis for the moral clause and the alienation of affection lawsuit. We all know that ass hat was padding his expense account at every opportunity. What do the managing partners intend to do about this?"

Tom looked at each side of the table. The other managing partners sat stone faced. He was on his own, it appeared.

We are here today to act on a motion to remove Stanford as a partner, to buy out his partnership and effectively sever all ties to him.

I sat trying not to laugh out loud. It seemed karma was about to be served. The vote was held quickly, and it was almost unanimous. Only one or two voted against the motion. They slunk out of the room early as the meeting was closed. Fred and I hung around. I wanted to listen. What I heard was astonishing. Apparently, it was well known that Stanford had carried on with the wives of some of the other partners as well as those of his employees for years. What we would learn later as the investigation progressed, some of the female members of the agency would also file harassment charges against him for using his influence to coerce them into sexual relations. As I left, I was having some serious thoughts myself.

I decided not to bring any of this up to Julia. Things were actually going well at home. I didn't see any reason to bring Stanford back into our relationship. If she still harbored feelings for him, I didn't want to stir those up with news that he was finally suffering for his attitudes and actions.

It took months for the whole affair to finally come to a culmination. Stanford lost his position and his standing with the firm. The moral clause cost him not only his partnership, but any vested interest he might have had. He left with only the payout for his partnership interest.

His wife fared better. Her PI had been meticulous and had documented more than thirty different partners. Some of them were due to his pressure and influence. Several were blackmailed. He had used his power to threaten a spouse's job. One was specified as a long-term affair that had abruptly ended a year or so ago. The PI was never able to ascertain who it was or what happened.

By the time the trial was done, Stanford wouldn't be able to get a job in any capacity that required a license or had anything to do with investments, banking, or insurance. Lilian got the house and about 70% of the assets. The last I heard, Stanford had moved across the country and was working as a groundskeeper at a public golf course.

The partnership survived with some changes. As expected, the alienation of affection lawsuit didn't go anywhere, but it did prove costly to fight in court. Lilian did get a fair settlement on the lawsuit over the morals clause as did several other female employees. I was surprised when a court officer contacted us to deliver a nice check from the firm made out to Lilian. I gave it to her and told her to use it as she saw fit. I didn't want any blood money.

A professional manager was hired by the firm, and the role of the senior partner devolved into a mostly ceremonial position. The state audit pointed out some glaring deficiencies in policies and procedures that were quickly corrected. A hefty fine accompanied the report.