Banality: No Guilty

Claude

Look, I'm not at fault, I'm sure if it wasn't me it was another ...I mean, that woman is a tease, so it was to be ... Guilty is her husband who didn't choose better. I didn't break their marriage, it was a sham from the start.

What was between us? Only sex.

Why is it good to have mistresses at my age? Because a mistress allows me to take Viagra.

Everything was going well until Emilie became delusional. I mean, I always had mistresses and maybe my wife had her lovers too, but we never thought about divorce, excluded. For what good? To jeopardize my business, for what? To marry a cheater a second time? Never!

Olivie

I don't find any guilt even if my son has only reproaches, the ungrateful one!

The psychologist told me that I want to control everything, that I am domineering, nonsense!

Here's how it was.

Pierre found a nice girl from the south and fell head over heels in love. I just told them to stay with me in my chic villa. That is, rents are high in Paris for a decent apartment and even very high for a larger one, not to mention luxury. Why spend unnecessarily?

Better to use the money for fun, life is short.

Anyway, I have enough rooms, big, spacious, airy and bright, a flower yard and everything else. And it's better for children, there are playgrounds and other facilities.

They just had to commute to Paris. This is not a problem, from the personal car to the fast trains, everything was at their disposal. My daughter-in-law accused me of alienating her daughter. A madness! I mean, if I was retired, I took care of her when they were at work. From wiping the bottom in the early years to doing homework, everything has been in my care all these years. Instead of thanks reproaches.

Jean-Marc

In the divorce between Emilie and Pierre, I have no guilt, I didn't even know them at the time. I mean, I cheated on my wife, Amelie, but that's normal in France, where Savoir Vivre is the norm. Maybe she cheated on me too, she certainly did, but I couldn't prove it. Anyway, she left home and moved in with her parents. She also changed her job, became a teacher there in her town, and did a lot of hard work for not let me see my boy.

I mean, it happened that one of my mistresses got pregnant, but it wasn't my fault, please believe me. I mean, what interest would I have in paying child-care and others?

Of course, she did it on purpose, because I have a certain condition and she wanted to milk me, but Amelie did not want to understand that I was a victim.

Pierre

All my friends told me to be careful, that Emilie will be a hotwife, her eyes always looking for men. But sex was incendiary, so I lost my mind, it happens.

They kept repeating that the divorce rate is very high and that it is a lottery to succeed in marriage.

But I always answered that any life leads to death and if you are pessimistic you miss your existence. Thinking about divorce is like thinking about death, they are both inevitable, but at least live until then.

Of course, I did not want to break up with her, but she insisted and insisted and forced divorce. She wanted to marry her boss, but he hit her.

What was Emilie blaming me for? That I am too mature with her, that I am authoritarian, I patronized her.

I'm nine years older than her, but Claude, the boss was more than twice her age. I could understand if he cheated on me with a younger one but like that?

Emilie

Looking back, I find no guilt. Pierre played the father with me, he didn't act like a partner. My mother-in-law took care of everything in the house, she gave me a poisonous gift.

Others felt the burden of marriage, after work chores at home, from housekeeping to raising children, but I didn't. It was like I was on vacation. I was coming home, everything was ready, cleaning, food, homework done. My mother-in-law took my girl everywhere, from ballet to music and swimming lessons, I was more like an older sister.

Too much free time urged me to sin. I mean, if I was more tired, maybe I didn't feel like it.

About Claude? Always a woman could mess with the owner of the company. He was not young, but he was very well dressed, he went to the gym and everything else. He knew what to say and when to say it.

I mean, he was mature, but unlike Pierre, he wasn't an asshole, he never made me look small.

Why wouldn't I mess with him? I mean, everyone here has a lover, France is the land of love. Not that my husband was suffering, I didn't deny him anything. I mean, sometimes I was tired, but it always happens. Not even the most faithful wife has sex with her hubby every day, her head still hurts sometimes.

As a lover, Claude was Ok because of Viagra. Envious people said I was doing it for promotion. Stupid, they were just collateral advantages.

Of course, I lost my mind in the end. Claude always gave me presents, not much, but attention counted, a piece of jewelry, an expensive dress, a show, a meal at a luxury restaurant. I mean, he didn't give me cars or a villa. And I hoped for more.

Amelie

That's how it was, I don't have any guilt in this whole story. Jean-Marc came to tell me that he had to pay child-care and then I told him that he would have to pay me too, that I would not stay with such an asshole even for a minute.

My mother and Pierre's mother were somehow friends and I befriended Emilie. We saw each other on the weekends, sometimes at my place, sometimes at her and she told me everything.

I mean, I am not a home-wrecker, she traded up Pierre and I saved him from self-destruction. He is a good and attentive man, I no longer needed someone like Jean-Marc, I needed a father for the boy and a sex partner. Nothing special. Then Emilie turned around and wanted him back, but it was too late, he was already married to me.

Jean-Marc

My son is growing up with this Pierre. I rarely see him. It doesn't suit me, but I don't have much choice. I mean, I could stay with him longer if I didn't have the business in mind, it takes up a lot of my time.

Anyway, he was already married to Amelie, her second husband, not as great as me, but that's her bad luck.

Man, I don't like you taking my wife, I told him. I mean, she was divorced from me, but anyway, I'd like to be even. Get to know Emilie.

He rolled his eyes.

I don't talk to her anymore, he replied.

Nonsense, you always see her when you go to get your daughter.

People will consider us weird, swingers, or something.

Nonsense, we know that's not the case. We didn't know each other before our divorce.

Why do you want her? I mean, she is not a church-goer.

I'm not either, I grinned. Anyway, she's done her number, the years have passed, she has the experience of failure, a certain bitterness, I don't think she wants to start over.

I hope you're not going to take revenge on the little girl. If I find out you've tried something, I'll take your eyes off.

Please believe me, he made me angry. For my part, you can take the brat at your home, only the law requires her to stay with her mother.

Eventually, he introduced me and we got married.

Olivie

Amelie is a bitch. I mean, I don't think she's cheating on my boy, but she's very authoritative with him, he dreaded her. She took him out of my house, took him to her mother, not far away, at the other end of the street, it's just an insult to me.

I don't even like having a son under his wife's thumb, but he says that's fine.

With Emilie he was too authoritarian, with his new wife is obedient to see the difference.

I: Okay Madeleine, is that failure your newspaper article? Nothing special here, a trivial story, no one falls on his back if he read it.

Madeleine: Children suffer, I could write more about them.

I: never want to rate the suffering of some children, I don't even want to mention their names, put them aside, they are not to blame.

Madeleine: Nobody is to blame, that's my idea. That is, the consumer society has ruined us all, we are individualists, the life partner is no longer a life partner, all the legislation and public opinion seem to urge us to cheats. Even psychologists find enough arguments that we are not wrong.

I: You"re going too far, we can't argue with everyone. Better write something about Gilets Jaunes.