I'm Gone with the Wind (750 Words)

After we had cleared the table, I asked my wife, Nancy, to sit with me for a sec, we need to talk.

"Ok, what is it?" she asked.

"Are you leaving me?" I asked.

"What? No, why would you even ask that" she responded, alarmed.

"Well, because I know there is no conference this weekend, I know you and Jason are just headed to Orlando to shack up for the weekend."

Her eyes grew big, and her face took on a lighter shade of pale.

"No, it is seminar on real estate sales techniques, I told you that" she insisted.

"Real Estate folks don't do classes on weekends, weekends are for showing homes. And a few phone calls confirmed that there was no conference." I said in a calm voice.

"No, really, it's a private course" she protested.

"Look, let's not waste time, are you leaving me?"

"No, George, I am not leaving you, I love you. Please, stop this nonsense, everything is okay," she said, her voice a little stronger.

"So, does that mean you're not going this weekend?" I persisted.

"No, I have to go, it's part of my job."

"Okay, got it. You will have this tryst with Jason, but you're not leaving me. I'm expected to stay home alone while you go fuck your lover. Sorry, my dear, but that doesn't work for me."

Then I quickly added, "I'm kicking you out. You can stay until the house sells, then you are out. I'll stay elsewhere until then."

"George, there is nothing going on, I swear."

"I've seen your texts. You really should have changed your phone's password. Do you want to see, I have printed them off?"

Her face went completely white. "Okay, okay, damn it, you are right. Jason and I are planning a fling, but we are not ending our marriages, it's just something physical, something we have to get out our systems. It will burn out soon, a few months probably."

I added "I called Jason's wife today about your affair. They are having this same conversation right now."

"Why would you do that? He has kids; this will destroy his marriage." There was panic in her voice.

"And, I have already told our kids. They'll call you later to give us a chance to talk."

"You involved the kids? Damn you, that is so unfair!" She yelled out.

"It's their family too. I thought they had a right to know that it's broken."

Her face had turned an angry red.

"I have paid off our joint credit cards and cancelled them. The card you use for your business is still open, although I see you have maxed it out. Money to pay the kids tuition and expenses in their education accounts should be enough. I've transferred half of the money in the joint accounts to my personal accounts. The rest is yours. The house is mine since I inherited it before we married."

"George, stop it. Don't do this!"

"Financially this is going to hurt both of us. Maintaining two households will be much more expensive. Maybe Jason can help you out if he moves in with you."

"I don't want Jason, I want you."

"What you want is for Jason to get the fun weekends and the naughty long lunch hours in my bed, I get the weeknights after a long workday and occasionally sloppy seconds with me paying most of the bills. That doesn't work for me."

Nancy started to cry. If I had any tears left, I might have cried, but I had already cried all week. Twenty-four years of what I thought was a loving marriage was ending. I knew it was in trouble in the last few months as my wife had grown cold, but it was only in the past week that I realized she was cheating.

I got up and grabbed an overnight bag from the hall closet. Nancy was standing next to me as I turned around.

"You don't have to go George, please stay."

"I can't. Too many sad memories here."

I headed for the door, and Nancy called out again, "George, please, don't leave me, I love you. I am sorry. I will break it off with Jason. I'll do whatever you want. Please, just don't leave me."

I looked at her and shook my head in pity.

"George, where will I go, what will I do?"

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn!"

I briskly walked to my car.