This is a resubmission as the original was fraudulently reported as not having RichardGerald's blessing to publish an alternate ending. Please join me thanking the person who keeps reporting my stories, the attention gets me extra readers. Also join me in wishing the site administrators would check some of these malicious claims before acting. Finally, rest assured, these bullying tactics will never drive me off this site.
In July and August 2016, Richardgerald published a trilogy called "ANOTHER LOVE". Readers scored Part 1 well as it describes a good, strong man finding out his wife cheated on him over a number of years. Part 2 was, in my opinion, excessively lambasted, as it gave his wife's side of the story of an unjustifiable second love and also implicated one of their children in a cover-up. Part 3 saw the author crucified. In many people's eyes readers were robbed of justice when our hero turned from a strong character to weak.
Undoubtedly a talented writer, I think RG overestimated the sophistication of the readership who didn't see Karen's regret at having hurt her husband as adequate punishment even with Rob being recompensed with an MFF threesome. In RG's own words to me, "No one got the story".
I was one of those that was left screaming for justice to be done, so I contemplated a sequel. However, I like a large element of originality in my stories and I couldn't think of anything original to punish those that deserved it, and there were no shortage of those. Karen, the wife, unrepentant to the end. She deceived her husband for over twenty years and even used his children to perpetuate the deception, which, in turn, damaged their relationship with their father. Avril, the lover's wife, and her extended family, who condoned the affair. Of course, the main perpetrator was the lover, but he died before the start of the story.
Then I read some of the comments on Chapter 3. One anonymous commenter couldn't see how the lover could be punished as he was dead, and wrote the line, "You can't fight a ghost."
Those words stuck with me. I agreed with the commenter. And then it hit me; maybe you can't fight a ghost, but you can destroy one.
From that premise, I started writing. As you would expect from me, everyone that deserves it is subject to appropriate, and, I hope, original justice. Until recently RG denied me permission to publish this sequel and I respected that. Recently, he changed his mind for which I thank him. Initially, he wanted me to be gentle on Karen but, for me, she's just too evil for that. As I said to him, you created the monster, now it has to be destroyed. Having said that, this sequel treats Karen as a relatively minor character, as RG intended.
The sequel starts after the end of Chapter 2. For full effect, I suggest reading the original Chapters 1 and 2 first, so you can get as offended as I was. I hope the unusual choice of main characters in this story works.
A hearty thanks to all those that reviewed this story and, as usual, it is far better because I have the best editor on the site in CreativityTakesCourage. Maybe you could thank her and do yourself a favour by reading her excellent works.
Please don't disappoint me and yourself by saying Rob's nature changes between RG's version and mine. In RG's three chapters, Rob's character changed completely. I chose the uncompromising Rob of chapter 1.
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Kevin McDonald stood impatiently at the arrivals concourse at Chicago's O'Hare airport waiting for his little brother to arrive from LA. During a scan of the faces of the incoming passengers he caught sight of his reflection in a pane of glass and realised that he looked as haggard as he felt. He'd only managed about four hours sleep in the two nights since
the
email had arrived from his father. The email that proved the estrangement he'd felt for years toward, not only his father, but his little brother, was based on a lie. The feelings of guilt, remorse, and a terrible sadness for the lost years that could never be retrieved, was eating him alive.
An hour after reading the email, he was still staring at the screen, contemplating ringing Oscar, when the former rang him for the first time in over two years. When the younger brother heard how devastated the elder was, he'd rung off, organised leave and an airline ticket as quickly as he could. Now, here he was, thirty-six hours later striding out of the gate lounge area.
The brothers hugged awkwardly, then went to Kevin's car. They were quiet on the drive back to Kevin's place. Both men were hoping like hell their estrangement would end, but neither knew exactly how to start the conversation. Subliminally, they both feared their emotional divide was too entrenched and would never be breached. Neither gave thought to how their difficulty in discussing their emotions mirrored that of their father.
It wasn't until Oscar was settled in the spare bedroom that they quit stalling and got down to business.
"What happened with Mom in LA, Oscar?"
"Well, her visit was going normally until she got this phone call from some woman called Avril."
"Wow. Avril. There's a name from the past."
"The past?"
"Yeah. Don't you remember her?"
"No. Who is she?"
"Are you sure you don't remember? Small, Eurasian woman." At Oscar's shake of the head, Kevin continued, filling in the information. "Up until you were about eight or nine, I suppose, we used to occasionally go and see a guy called Phillipe, Mom's boyfriend, and sometimes there was a woman there called Avril. Sometimes she would look after us while Mom went into a bedroom with Phillipe."
"I remember Phillipe, of course, but not the woman."
"Well, Avril was Phillipe's wife."
"Actually, now you come to remind me, I vaguely remember her. Hang on, weren't Mom and Phillipe in the bedroom having sex?"
"Yes, they were. Phillipe and Avril had an open marriage."
Both men paused to contemplate their own thoughts on such an arrangement. They both started to feel uncomfortable as those thoughts led toward the reason for their estrangement from each other.
Memories mixed with new information and in a moment of clarity Kevin now knew why the children's visits to Phillipe's had stopped after one such trip. Oscar had asked some innocent but difficult questions as they drove home. Their mother had given some vague replies and then stressed the importance of not mentioning the visit to their father. Her words echoed in his head,
"Your father is a proud man, he doesn't like to be reminded, so you must remember to never mention Phillipe and Avril's names."
Anger at the memory of his mother's selfish lies festered in his gut. To distract himself, Kevin asked a question.
"What happened when Avril rang Mom in LA?"
"Well, Mom got real upset, then tried to ring Dad. After that, she talked to you and I tried to ring Dad but he didn't answer. You tried too. Right?"
At Kevin's nod, Oscar continued. "I didn't get to talk to her before she left. She spent the night crying in the bedroom. After she left, I thought it was strange that she was acting like Dad didn't know about Phillipe. I mean, that's the one thing I do remember. She always said Dad knew."
Silence descended again. They both knew this was the moment they became brothers again or remained strangers. Oscar broke the silence in a soft voice.
"Why did you lie to me, Kevin?"
There it was. The crux of the matter. The main reason sleep had eluded Kevin for days. Once again he replayed their conversation of four years ago in his mind.
It took place just before Oscar left for LA, when he'd had what he'd described as a crisis of respect. The disturbing memories of his mother's trips to see her boyfriend didn't sit at all well with his respect for his father, a clearly intelligent and capable man. One who'd always acted honourably as far as Oscar could tell. Confused about his conflicted feelings, he'd gone to the one person who he thought would understand; his brother. He'd asked Kevin what the story was.
Kevin had told him why he shouldn't confront his father. His father knew about their Mom and Phillipe but had insisted it was never talked about. It was a matter of pride. Oscar was old enough to see that point, but still wanted to confront his father. Kevin empathised with his little brother fully. They both had the same dilemma. How could their father expect his sons to respect him when he let his wife sleep with other men? That was the reason Rob and his eldest son were already estranged. Afterwards, Kevin made Oscar promise not to raise the issue with their dad, it was the start of the serious estrangement between Rob and his second son. For both, what began as a wedge became what seemed an insurmountable chasm.
"Please believe me, Bro, I didn't lie to you intentionally. Mom told me all along that Dad knew about Phillipe but insisted no one must ever mention it. She lied to me, Oscar. I am guilty of repeating her lie. I'm sorry, but it wasn't until his email arrived two days ago that I realised that it was all bull."
Kevin averted his eyes, so Oscar wouldn't see his tears. Oscar reached down to his carry bag and got out his laptop, mainly so he had an excuse to look away. He fired it up and pulled the email to the screen. He knew it by heart already but read aloud anyway.
My Dear Sons,
Please forgive me for writing the following in an email rather than speaking to you directly, but I am too emotional to control my thoughts and words.
I recently discovered your mother had an affair with another man for years. Apparently, it started over a year before I went to Kuwait and lasted for years after I returned. It only stopped with his recent death
. She confessed that her lover lived with you the whole time I was away. She told me that she even took you both to see him after I returned.
Before you panic and think I bear you any ill will, hear me out. She explained that she always told you not to mention anything about it and I can understand why you kept her confidence. She put you in the position of keeping her secret or destroying our family. If for no other reason, that is why I am divorcing the evil bitch. I know it is unlike me to use language like that but knowing what I now know I can't see her actions as anything short of evil. Monstrous, even.
I bear neither of you any ill will for choosing our family unity. I now realise that the reason you drifted away from me was the conflict you must have felt over this dilemma. I was proud of you the days you were born and still maintain that pride now you are men.
