Fallout 03: Assumptions
This is the third installment of a new series called, "Fallout" that deals with the consequences of cheating. The current plan is that each entry in the series can be read as a separate story.
The following was inspired by Captain Steve's 2003 story, "
A Perfect Martini
," about a wife who tells her husband she is going to sleep with his business partner in revenge for him allegedly sleeping with his partner's wife. The names have been changed and the outcome is different, but the basic premise remains.
Many thanks to those who offered comments and constructive criticism on my previous stories. For those who want to say this or that would never happen, remember this is my universe, a place where nearly anything can, and often does, happen. At least on paper...
Please refer to my profile for more on my personal policy regarding comments, feedback, follows, etc. (Yes, I DO moderate comments) And please remember, this is a work of fiction, not a docu-drama...
...
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Here I am at a major Chamber of Commerce function about to receive an award and Rhonda, my wife of ten years, just whispered in my ear that she was going to leave with Gerald, my business partner, for a weekend of sex in Las Vegas immediately after the award ceremony.
"Are you out of your mind?" I asked quietly so as not to be heard by anyone else.
"Only with lust," she whispered back. "For him. Right now, I'm feeling his hard cock through his trousers and soon, I'll be putting it in my pussy."
"We need to talk," I told her. "But not now. Later, after we get home from the ceremony."
"No, Ron, I'm telling you how it's going to be," she said. "If you want to talk, you can give me some ideas or maybe remind me of the things you've always wanted me to do with you but refused. I'll be home Monday evening and we can talk then if you still feel the need." This was the start of a three-day weekend and I knew she didn't have to be back to work until Tuesday.
"And you plotted this with him?" I asked quietly.
"Of course," she said. "His wife also knows." I looked and saw my soon-to-be ex-partner and friend sitting next to Rhonda with a shit-eating grin on his face. I wanted to punch the fucker out, but not here, not in front of all these people, these so-called "pillars of the community." I looked at Judy, his wife, who sat next to him. She didn't look too happy at all. Apparently, she also knew about this.
My mind was racing, but I focused back on the present when I heard my name called by the Master of Ceremonies. I got up, shook his hand and accepted the award, holding it for a second as a photographer took a picture. I gave my prepared acceptance speech and noticed as I did that Rhonda's hand was in Gerald's lap. I decided to make an impromptu change in my speech.
On my notes, I had included an acknowledgment of my wife, but I ended my speech a bit early, not even mentioning her name. Instead, I thanked the community for their support and the Chamber for the award, then ended my speech. I didn't know if anyone would notice the slight, but Rhonda mentioned it after I sat back down.
"What, didn't I even rate a mention?" she asked sarcastically as I took a sip of my now tepid drink. I simply glared at her, not saying a word. "So, that's how it's going to be, huh? Well, like I said, we'll talk Monday evening when I get back." Gerald got up and headed for the podium, deliberately bumping into me on his way up.
"If you go through with this, don't bother coming back," I whispered to Rhonda as Gerald spoke. "There'll be nothing here for you to come back to." To emphasize the point, I slipped my ring off my finger and handed it to her. She smirked as she dropped it in her purse.
"You know why I'm doing this?" she asked. "Of course you do," she added. "It's for what you did with Judy. Don't lie. I know all about it. I have pictures. So you'll say or do nothing, let me do this and we'll talk when I get back."
"Don't do this, Rhonda," I said. "Nothing happened between Judy and I except dinner. We can talk about it after the ceremony."
"Too late," she said. "It's going to happen. The tickets have already been bought. The reservations have already been made. I'm going to give Gerald my naked body this weekend. I'm going to let him do whatever he wants to me and there's nothing you can say or do to stop me."
"What if I told you he's HIV-positive?" I asked. She laughed.
"I wouldn't believe you. You'd say or do just about anything to keep me from going," she said.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," I told her. "I guarantee that if you do this, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."
"Look, just enjoy the weekend without me. Go play golf or something. When I get back, things will go on as before," she said. I couldn't believe the nerve of this woman.
"No, they won't, Rhonda," I told her.
"We'll see about that," she said. A minute or two later, Gerald returned and took his seat. Rhonda turned to him and I could see she had placed her hand back in his lap. Disgusted, I turned away from her. Finally, the event was over and we got up to leave.
"This is your last chance, Rhonda," I said. She and Gerald smirked as they looked at me.
"We're leaving now, Ron," she said. "I may call you. Or not. Either way, I'll see you Monday."
"No hard feelings, partner," Gerald said. "I promise not to damage her too badly for you."
"We're done, Gerald," I told him calmly. "As partners and friends. I don't ever want to see or hear from you again."
"We'll see about that, partner," he said as he guided Rhonda away. I turned and looked at Judy, who had tears falling down her face.
"Do you need a ride home?" I asked her. She shook her head.
"No, I have an Uber coming for me," she said. "Thanks for asking anyway."
"Didn't you tell them that nothing happened between us?" I asked. "That it was just a dinner and a conversation?"
"I tried, but they wouldn't listen," she said. "Gerald has pictures of us at the restaurant and Rhonda insists it was a prelude to an affair. You know how she can get sometimes." Yeah, I knew, all right. Until now, the only complaint I had about Rhonda was her uncanny ability to act on false assumptions. And once she got something in her head, there was almost nothing anyone could do to change her mind.
"I see," I told her.
"I'm sorry, Ron," she said. "You don't deserve this. I only hope he thought enough to bring condoms."
"It doesn't matter," I said. "Whether he uses a condom or not is immaterial. The fact that she's going to let him screw her is all that matters. No, I'm finished with both of them."
"What are you going to do?" she asked.
"What I need to," I told her. "What about you?"
"I told Gerald if he went through with this I'd divorce him," she said. "And that's exactly what I intend to do. This isn't the first time he's cheated on me, but by God, it'll be the last."
"Good for you," I said. "Let me know if there's anything I can do. If you like, I can refer you to a good lawyer."
"Thanks, Ron," she said. "I appreciate that." With that, she left and I followed shortly, making my way back to the car. On the way home, I thought about the last ten years with Rhonda. We married about five years after Gerald and I went into business together.
Gerald introduced me to her after we had been in business together for about four years. By then, he and Judy had been married for three years. Rhonda and I dated, fell in love and got married. Gerald was the best man at our wedding, and I never would have believed he would be capable of doing something like this. I never thought Rhonda would, either.
By the time we got married, the business was growing significantly, so my lawyer suggested I have her sign a prenuptial agreement to protect my assets, which included my home, and the business. She didn't like it, but she signed it anyway. I made sure the agreement was equitable, and included a clause for infidelity.
I had a lot to do and not a whole lot of time to get it done. It was still fairly early in the evening when I got home, so I called my lawyer, Jim Simpson, on his cell.
"Hey, Ron," he said. "I thought you and Rhonda would be celebrating your award tonight. What's going on?" He listened as I told him what happened earlier in the evening. "Oh my God, Ron, I'm so sorry to hear that," he said when I finished. "You want me to start drawing up papers?"
"Yes, Jim," I said. "I want a divorce for adultery based on our prenuptial and I want you to draw up papers dissolving the partnership." When Gerald and I drew up the partnership, we included a clause that said the partnership could be dissolved if one or more of the partners engaged in morally unacceptable behavior that could significantly impact the operation of the business. I felt this certainly fell into that category.
"Are you sure about that?" he asked.
"Yes," I said. "Absolutely. I want it reorganized as a sole proprietorship if possible. I know we had talked about incorporating it as a limited liability company before. Maybe this is the time to do that."
"Alright, I'll get the ball rolling on that," Jim said. "It's going to take some time, though."
"I know," I said. "But I want the partnership dissolved as fast as possible. And I want my losses mitigated as much as possible."
"Consider it done, my friend," he said.
"Thanks," I said, ending the call. I knew that under the terms of the agreement, I would have to pay Gerald something to get him out of the company, so the less I had to give him, the better. I knew Jim would come through for me. A couple hours later, I got a call from Rhonda.
