The beginning:
My name is Mark Windsor I am forty years old and married to Karen also forty with twins John and Jasmin age seventeen. We have been married for nearly twenty years our anniversary is in six months' time. We are having or were having a party at the hotel ball room and all our friends and family are to attend and we are or rather were looking forward to it.
I am a self-taught day trader and doing verry well at it, you can day trade from anywhere as all you need is a laptop and internet connection. I'm also a keen sailor and have a thirty-foot sloop which Frank [my best friend] and I take out every chance we get. Karen and Frank's wife Mary can't see the attraction so while we are at sea they go shopping or to the spar.
My wife works at a PR firm Randle Associates as a researcher and promoter she is the one who gets up in the morning kisses me and goes to work nine to five. I get the children up fed and out to school, so I'm a stay-at-home dad. We share the household chores like any other married couple and socialise with the same people mostly. We take two vacations a year one to sunny climbs and one skying. Her mother Grace lives just an hour down the road and her sister Beth lives close enough to babysit when the kids were young. Life couldn't get much better or so I thought.
The pebble in my shoe started to rub one afternoon when I got a text from one of my poker night buddies Frank with an attachment.
''Hi Mark, sorry to bother you but I thought you should know where Karen is and who she is with. This may be nothing and I'm sorry if I'm poking my nose in where it doesn't belong, please see attachment The guy is Paul Scot the CEO of Randle Associates her boss. If you want, I can follow them and see where they go after lunch.''
I opened the attachment to see my loving wife sitting holding hands with Paul Scot looking to all the world like a couple. I had met Paul Scot at one of the companies promotional galas he is tall about 6'2'' and had been a famous NFL quarterback in the day, I would guess his age at around thirty-eight. I didn't like him from day one he looked at every woman like a shark sizing up a meal. I particularly didn't like the way he looked at my wife, when he saw me looking at him, he just smirked and walked away.
I texted Frank back that I would very much like to know where they went after lunch. And he texted back speak to you later. I had trouble concentrating for the rest of the day and gave up working early I [you can't make mistakes when trading] sat about brooding then picked up the kids.
The usual conversation started almost as soon as they got into the car.
''Dad if you would get us our own cars you wouldn't have to collect us every day, all our friends have cars so why not us.''
''I have no problem with you having a car, but you must buy it yourself gat a part time job and save up. I held two jobs to pay for my college fees.''
''yeh, yeh we've heard it all before and you had to drive around in an old clunker. We know you're a self-made man blah, blah, blah, you were poor then now we're rich and you can afford to buy us cars so why not?''
''One we're not rich your mother and I are well off, but you won't be rich until you earn it yourself. I will provide the opportunity and guidance to achieve that, but you must put in the effort necessary. Are we all clear on that?''
They never answered they just sulked all the way home. When we arrived, they went straight to their rooms hopefully to do their homework. Karen arrive home at her usual time of five thirty. I had prepared and started to cook dinner she came over to me and kissed me lightly on the cheek. Now that I was aware of her possible wanderings, I had heightened awareness and noticed the faint smell of sex on her.
''I'm gona grab a quick shower won't be long.''
''Dinner will be in ten minutes tell the kids to come down.''
We always sat down to dinner together and discussed our day, but the kids were sullen and silent, Karen said little. I started a conversation to see if Karen would tell me about her lunch.
''How did your day go babe?''
''Oh, the usual mostly paperwork a couple of meetings nothing special.''
''I hope you had time for a proper lunch it's important to keep your sugar levels up with your active lifestyle.''
I thought I saw a slightly worried look flit acrost her face, but she recovered quickly.
''You needn't worry a few of us girls went to the deli for lunch.''
Lie number one.
''I hope you're keeping away from that pussy hound boss of yours I would hate to have to rearrange his face for hitting on you.''
Guilty look and a glance at the kids who glanced back. WTF do the kids know something I don't.
''No haven't seen him for a couple of days and he pretty much ignores me anyway. Why?''
Lie number two.
''It's just that Frank was lunching with a customer at Lombards and thought he saw you there with a well-dressed man....... I suppose he was wrong.''
Really worried look.
''Well, it certainly wasn't me he must have been mistaken. What is this the third degree?''
Lie three you're out.
The kids ask permission to leave the table to finish their homework and we agree.
''Not at all just worried about your welfare that's all.''
''What do you mean worried about my welfare is that a threat?''
''No babe of course not. I know you would never betray me you love me too much for that don't you?''
Panicked look on her face.
''Of course, baby I would never do anything to hurt you. You know that right?''
''That's what I thought because I would hate to think what I would do if you broke your vows.''
''What brought this on?''
''Well after what Frank thought he saw the thought of you having lunch whilst holding hands with another man breaks my heart. But as he was mistaken no harm done right?''
Fear on face clears dishes with trembling hands and can't look me in the eyes.
I still haven't heard from Frank.
''I'm going to be working for a while see you later.''
..........
Karen:
I'm on my way home after a great afternoon with Peter, I'm feeling a bit sore, so I hope Mark doesn't want any tonight. I enter the house Mark is getting dinner ready {I idly wonder if Peter would do the same, I doubt it Peter is an alfa male and wouldn't do women's work Mark is such a sweetheart} I walk over to Mark and kiss his cheek and he gives me a funny look.
I go up and shower tell the kids that dinner is ready and return to the dining room. Dinner is served we all start eating, the kids are unusually quiet I suppose they have had another argument with Mark again.
Mark askes about my day specifically my lunch arrangements I start to wonder and make up a plausible lie. Mark then makes a vailed threat against Paul; I almost faint and look at the kids hoping they won't give me away. Mark then tells me that Frank saw someone who looked like me having lunch with a man at Lombards. I deny everything and ask what he's accusing me of, he then makes a vailed threat against me {oh fuck he knows or suspects, my stomach turns to water, and I feel sick} I clear the table nearly dropping the dishes, but I can't make eye contact with Mark. He turns away and goes into his office. This is all Frank's fault he should keep his nose out of other people's business if only he knew what Mary got up to with Clive White the head of HR.
...................
Mark:
Frank phones me and asked me to meet him at Jills Grills a favourite watering hole of ours. We agree to meet at eight thirty he wouldn't tell me anything else over the phone. I'm sitting in a booth when Frank comes in, I've got a couple of bears waiting. He sits opposite me and takes a swig; he seems to have trouble looking me in the eyes.
''Ok Frank what have you got for me?''
He looks at me with pity on his face and hands me his phone. I see it's queued up for a video shot. I press play and my world falls apart there on the screen is my wife of twenty years on all fours with Paul the bastard Scot fucking her doggy fashion. {at least they were using a condom Tears fill my eyes and bile threatens to spill out of my mouth I have to rush to the bathroom and throw up. When I return Frank is sitting there with tears rolling down his face. {he really is a good friend} I look at the recording again this time the heart ache is gone replaced by a burning hatred mostly for my wife. Frank explains, he followed them to a motel {all in the recording} and gave them half an hour then went up to the door and then to the window. They had not pulled the curtains shut properly and frank had managed to record a few minutes of the action. My wife was on her hands and knees with Paul's prick shove up her ass and screaming like a banshee.
''Mark I'm really sorry I wished I hadn't seen them in the restaurant then I wouldn't have to hurt you so much. What are you going to do?''