Ashes to Ashes

Ashes to Ashes

The following was inspired by an idea from a reader.

There is a reference to an incident in a previous story, “Revenge in Advance: The Briefing.”

As always, constructive comments are always welcome and appreciated.

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John Sullivan wept hot tears as he pored over the photos and the report just handed to him by the private investigator. He now had ironclad proof that April, his wife of nearly 25 years, was cheating on him. At that moment, he had nothing to look forward to but darkness and loneliness. Divorce was the only option.

There was just one problem. His wife was running for re-election to the House of Representatives and she had garnered some very powerful and influential friends. One of them, in fact, was featured prominently in some of the photos he held. A lot of people were going to be damaged by this. And if he wasn’t very careful, he could be one of them.

He had suspected something was wrong for quite some time. Of course, her schedule kept her very busy and she was always jetting off for one thing or another. If it wasn’t a fundraiser, it was something else -- a speech for a prominent civil rights group, a meeting with Hollywood celebrities, an interview on a national television program or even a face-to-face with a foreign dignitary.

He understood that was part of the territory, but there was something more -- her whole attitude towards him had changed over the last year. Initially, she was proud to show him off -- he was, after all, a very successful businessman who started his financial consultation firm from scratch in his home office. Over the years, he had made millions.

But lately, she had become dismissive of him, acting as though he was just a piece of furniture or a household servant. Nothing he did seemed to be quite good enough to suit her. It was great when he became wealthy enough to buy this large McMansion she just had to have and it was great that he was able to put their two children through college.

She never complained when he bought her the new Mercedes she just HAD to have. But now, she would simply walk in the door and hand him her jacket like he was the butler and expect him to wait on her hand and foot.

And sex? Hah! Forget about it. When they were younger, they used to make love several times a week. Now it was maybe a couple times a month, if that. Even then, she acted as though she was doing him a favor by spreading her legs and laying there like a dead fish until he finished.

It all came to a head about three weeks ago at a fundraiser. As usual, she dressed nice and gave him a perfunctory smile as he walked her to his car. He opened the door for her as he always did and drove to the event, listening to her constant string of complaints.

When they arrived, she painted on a smile for the cameras and acted the loving wife. He wanted to puke. She introduced him to a few movers and shakers, then ordered him to get her drink while she chatted with her colleagues.

Being the dutiful and considerate husband, he went to the bar and ordered the usual -- beer for him and a gin and tonic for her. While he waited, two young men came to the bar, excited about something. He couldn’t help but overhear their conversation.

“You think she’ll do it right here?” one man asked.

“Oh hell, yeah,” the other man said.

“No fucking way,” the first man said. “With her husband here? Seriously?”

“That’s why I got my best camera, dude,” the second man said. “Talk about an exclusive!”

“You got that right,” the first man said. “Every paper in the country will be after those pics.”

John wasn’t stupid, so he kept an eye on the two men after they left. There were always rumors about some politician getting involved in an adulterous affair, and he normally ignored them. But April’s attitude lately had him wondering if she was getting some on the side. He got the drinks and headed back to the main event, but his wife was no where to be found.

He went to their table and set the drinks down, then began looking around. She was scheduled to speak tonight, so he figured she was somewhere behind the curtains getting herself composed and prepared for her speech. What he found instead signaled the end of his marriage.

He walked backstage and was behind a curtain when he heard his wife talking with another man. He couldn’t quite make out what they were saying, so he peeked around the curtain. There she was, her arms around Doug Simpson, the local Party boss. Her face lit up as she kissed him, full on the lips. He kissed her back, his hands lifting the back of her dress. She ground her crotch into his as he cupped her panty-clad ass. She hadn’t looked at John like that for months if not longer.

“God, baby, I’m so fucking hot for you,” he said.

“I wish I didn’t have to give a speech tonight,” she said in response. “I’d love to rip these clothes off and fuck your brains out right here.”

“What about your husband?” he asked. “Isn’t he here tonight?”

“Yeah, but he’s a clueless wimp,” she said. “He’s so spineless he’d probably just excuse himself and walk away.”

“Well, you’d better get ready for your speech,” he said. “Maybe afterward, you can tell him that you have stuff to do for your campaign and you’ll be gone for a while. Then we can head out to the Marriot on the beach.”

“The usual location?” she asked. He nodded his head.

“What can I say?” he asked. “I like the view.”

“That sounds like a good idea, lover,” she said, kissing him. “See ya later.” John left the area as quickly as he could and went looking for the two men he saw earlier. He spotted them about ten feet from their table and made a beeline for them.

“Excuse me, gentlemen,” he said as he walked up to them. “Can we talk for just a minute?” They looked at him, confused.

“Sure, man,” one of them said. “What’s up?”

“Hey, wait a minute,” the second man said. “I know you. You’re Congresswoman Sullivan’s husband, aren’t you?” John nodded his head and shook the hand offered him.

“Yes, I am,” he said. “I’m sorry for eavesdropping on you earlier, but I heard the two of you talking at the bar.” They looked at each other for a moment before addressing John.

“Um, yeah,” the first man said. “I’m sorry you had to hear that.”

“That’s okay,” John said. “I’m just curious, were you two talking about my wife, the congresswoman?” The second man looked down, sheepishly.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Sullivan, but yeah,” he said.

“Please, call me John,” John told him. “And there’s no need to apologize. Are you two with the media?”

“Well, not exactly,” the first man said. “We’re with an independent political blog and we’ve been covering your wife for a while now. We were hoping to come up with a scoop that might put us up on Drudge.”

“I see,” John said. “Are you with the opposition?”

“Not really,” the first man said. “We just follow the leads where they take us. We don’t care which party, really. In our view, everyone in Washington is crooked.” John smiled. He liked these two young men and he admired their attitude.

“Understand,” he said. “Look, can we talk, maybe after the fundraiser, off the record?”

“Sure, Mr., er, John,” the first man said. “But won’t your wife be with you?”

“From what I heard, I rather doubt it,” John said. He looked at the dais and saw his wife standing there, scanning the room, probably looking for him. “I think they’re going to be starting soon, so let’s meet afterward, okay?”

“You got it, John,” the first man said. John turned and walked back to his table, his mind in turmoil. How could April do this to him -- to them? After all these years? Was he not man enough for her? Did he not provide for her sufficiently? Or was she just simply drunk on power? He needed answers, and he needed them fast.

April stormed up to him after he got to their table, which was situated right in front of the raised platform where the speakers would be delivering their messages.

“Where the hell were you?” she asked angrily. “My drink is warm now. You need to get me another one.” He looked at her and took a sip from his beer. She looked at the beer with disgust. “Couldn’t you just for once drink something besides a beer, for God’s sake?”

“Fuck you,” he said quietly, causing her eyes to open wide. He had never talked back to her like this before. “I got your goddamn drink, it’s not my fault you let it get warm. And I happen to like beer. Get one of your flunkies to fetch you a cold drink if you want one or better yet, get it your own damn self. I’m not paid to be your fucking butler.”

“Well, I never,” she began.

“That’s not what I hear,” John said. She turned on him.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked, clearly agitated. John snickered.

“You’re so goddamn smart, you figure it out,” he said.

“I don’t know what’s gotten into you, John Sullivan,” she said. “But you’d better drop the attitude right now. This evening’s very important to me, and it’s important to the Party.”

“Why, yes, ma’am, whatever you say,” John said, adopting a fake accent he knew got under her skin. She huffed and turned away, heading to a point just behind the platform. As she left, Doug walked up to him with a smirk on his face. He held out his hand, but John refused to shake it.

“Hey, Doug, good to see you here supporting your wife,” he said. John felt like punching him in the teeth.

“What do you want, Simpson?” John asked. “Besides my money, that is.”

“Listen, I just wanted to let you know that your wife and I will be in a strategy meeting with some of the Party apparatchiks after the fundraiser for a while. It might last a while, but I promise I’ll get her home safe and sound,” he said.

“Make sure you use a condom,” John said.

“What?” Doug asked, shocked. He wondered how much John really knew about April’s extramarital activities. He shook his head before continuing. “I’d better go get things started,” he said as he left. John took his seat and the fundraiser began. Doug took his place behind the podium and told a few lame jokes before introducing April, the keynote speaker. The audience stood and applauded loudly. John slowly stood up and gave a slow golf clap.

April nodded her head, smiling at the audience, taking in the adoration. Soon, everyone settled down and she began her speech, talking about how much the opposition sucks and promised to get things done in Washington. Hell, he thought, she had been there for at least 10 years. Couldn’t she have gotten some of this stuff done by then? Or was she too busy fucking everyone on the Hill?

He tuned her out and focused on his wedding ring. He thought about how things used to be, when April’s political career was just starting. She served on the city council for two terms before being elected to the state legislature. After two two-year terms in the State House, she ran for Congress, hoping to replace some sleazeball who got caught with his dick in an intern’s ass. She won and had been re-elected four times, repeating the same tired old mantra.

At first, he fully supported her, even though he didn’t agree with all of her political positions. She was young, smart, attractive, easy on the eyes and easy to approach. Everyone liked her, and so did the cameras. Even some in the opposition party liked her. She became a favorite for certain talk shows and had a way of eviscerating her opponent with a joke and a smile.

She continued to work and campaign through two pregnancies and the young children helped boost her ratings even further. He was so proud of her back then. She always seemed to have plenty of time for the family and her job and he had no problem helping whenever he could. But that was then. This is now. As he looked at her speak, he could almost see horns growing out of her head. Finally, the speech was over and the audience clapped like trained seals. He put his hands together a couple times for appearance’s sake.

“Was there something wrong with my speech,” April asked when she came to the table. Apparently, she wasn’t too happy with her husband’s lack of enthusiasm. He shrugged his shoulders.

“Nah,” he said. “It’s just that I’ve heard the same thing hundreds of times over the last decade. I thought you might’ve come up with something new considering all the time you spend with Simpson and your campaign people.”

“What are you implying?” she asked.

“Nothing,” he said. “You asked me a question and I gave you an answer.” She sighed heavily. Just as she was about to say something else, Doug came to their table.

“Wasn’t that a barnstormer of a speech?” he asked, his mouth fixed in a stupid grin.

“John wasn’t to impressed,” April said. Doug looked at him, confused.

“Oh?” he asked. “Why?”

“Well, like I told my wife,” John said, “I figured that with all the time you two spend together, you could’ve come up with something new by now.”

“Hey, you go with what works, know what I mean?” Doug asked with a sideways smile. “So, can we count on you for a donation?”

“Don’t worry,” John said, “you’ll get something.” Like a poke in the eye, he thought.

“Good,” Doug said, stretching out his hand. John ignored it and looked at his wife.

“Listen, John,” April said. “I’m going to be busy for a while, so why don’t you go on home and I’ll see you later, okay?”

“Yeah, Doug told me,” John said. “Just clean up before you get home, okay?” April reached out to give her husband a kiss on the cheek, but he turned and left before she could make contact. She watched him head to another table in the back of the room where he met with two young men. She turned to Doug, nervous.

“What’s up with him?” Doug asked. She shook her head.

“I don’t know,” she said. “He’s never acted like this before. Do you think he knows?”

“No way,” Doug said. “He’s an old fuddy-duddy. I don’t think he has a clue.”

“I’m not so sure,” she said. “We need to be extra careful. The last thing we need is a scandal.” Doug smirked as he looked at April.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “He doesn’t know anything, and he won’t know anything.”

“If you say so,” she said. “But I know my husband, and there’s something eating him up.”

“Just give him a blowjob in the morning and he’ll be good for another six months,” Doug said. “C’mon, let’s get out of here.” April said nothing but watched as her husband shook hands and spoke with the two men. Who were those guys, she wondered, and why would John be so eager to speak with them? She turned and walked away with Doug, concerned that her marriage could be at stake.

John, meanwhile, had met the two young men who introduced themselves as Robert Wilson and Jack Colton.

“So,” John began, “What can you tell me?”

“Well, John,” Robert said, “we’ve heard a number of rumors on Capitol Hill about a certain attractive female member of the House engaging in adulterous sexual activity. We’re investigating that now.”

“Would that female member be my wife?” John asked.

“Yes,” Jack said. “And we have reason to believe that Doug Simpson is one of her regular guys.”

“One?” Jack asked. “How many has she been involved with?”

“According to the rumor, at least five,” Robert said. “And we’ve heard that she’s traded sexual favors for endorsements and contributions in the past. Those are just rumors, you know. We were hoping to catch her and Doug in the act here and get photographic proof.”

“You expected them to do something here? In a public setting?” John asked, shocked.

“Yes, we did,” Jack said. “Doug is a bit on the kinky side The more public it is, the better he likes it.”

“Damn. Well, I did catch them in an embrace,” John said. “And I overheard them planning a rendezvous at the Marriot hotel on the beach. From what I heard, it’s their usual location.”

“The Marriot, huh?” Jack said. He looked at his partner. “Well, we’d better get going, then.” He looked back at John. “Can we get your contact information?” he asked John. John nodded his head and gave them a business card with his personal cell phone number.

“Talk to me before you publish anything,” John said.

“Okay,” Jack said. “I guess we owe you that much. We’ll be in touch.”

“I look forward to hearing from you,” John said. “Tomorrow?” Jack looked at Robert then nodded his head.

“Tomorrow,” Jack said.

“Thanks,” John said before shaking their hands. He left the event and headed home, his heart heavy. As soon as he got home, he pulled up their finances and made a few notes. He knew that divorce always favored the woman, so he made some moves to protect his assets. He also looked at his company’s finances and made some decisions.

He also searched the Internet to find out what he could about Doug Simpson and the rumors of his wife’s extramarital affairs. From what he could glean, Doug was separated from his wife and two children for -- guess what? Cheating. Figures, John thought.

As for the rumors, only a few sites had posted anything, but all of those articles were based on “unnamed sources,” which threw up red flags. Jack and Robert were right. They needed hard evidence before going public.

He spent some time thinking about what he would do if April really was cheating on him. There was no way he could tolerate that, not after remaining faithful to April all these years. Divorce was a given, but he would need more to reclaim his manhood. In normal times, a divorce based on charges of adultery would be devastating to a politician. But these days, who knew? Look at all the allegations and stories about Bill Clinton, he thought.

He grabbed a beer and headed upstairs to the master bedroom. He had a lot to consider before he took action, but he decided he wouldn’t move on the basis of a rumor. And he wasn’t quite ready to dump his wife just yet, at least not without giving her an opportunity to come clean and make things right.

Unable to sleep, he pulled out his tablet and started watching a movie. He really wasn’t paying much attention to it and finally dozed off. He woke up, startled, when April came in the room. He looked at the clock. 3:00 am. And she was just now getting home. Her clothes were disheveled and her hair was messed up. As he watched, she undressed and went into the bathroom, closing and locking the door. He heard her start the shower and got out of bed.

He checked her clothes. Sure enough, the smell of Doug’s cologne was all over them and the gusset of her tiny panties was soaked with cum. Her purse was on the dresser so he checked it out. Finding her personal cell phone, he pulled it out and opened up her text messages. They had never locked their phones before so he had no problems getting in. What he read devastated him.

Message after message between the two of them indicated they had been engaged in a long-running affair. He closed out her phone and put it back in her purse. One of the last two messages from Doug complemented her tight wet pussy and her skill as a cocksucker. The very last message asked: “So are u going 2 feed cucky boy my cum?” Her response: “Of course. Like always.” He felt like throwing up.

Instead, he forwarded the texts to his personal email account and put her phone back in her purse. Soon, April finished her shower and walked back into the bedroom, wearing a short bathrobe. God, she’s beautiful, he thought. Too bad she’s just another fucking whore. He decided to keep it together as much as possible until he got ironclad photographic proof, but admitted to himself that it wouldn’t be easy.

“You’re still awake?” she asked as she crawled into her side of the bed. “I thought you’d be asleep by now.”

“Yeah, I had a lot on my mind,” he said in a neutral tone. “Did you and Doug get anything accomplished?” Besides getting fucked, he added to himself.