Mrs. Carter

I find the stories in which women are generally unapologetic about their infidelity fascinating. The typical justification is that it doesn't affect the marriage because she still loves her husband and can't understand why he can't accept that. They're upset that their husbands found out and were hurt, but that's about it.

A common theme is that the woman is the corporate slut, either just for her immediate boss or for the company at large. I decided to take on one of those themes but from a slightly different perspective. I guess we'll see how it works.

Like many of my stories this one is heavy on the dialogue and has no actual sex, as it is the emotion and conflict that primarily interests me. And if you're looking for a bitch burning you'll be disappointed.

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MRS. CARTER

She wanted to explain.

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"Helen Carter to see you, Mr. Weston."

Shit.

"Okay Leah, send her in."

I rose from my desk to greet my visitor. She was a regal looking woman, nearly 60 years old. I had known her for several years, ever since my wife had gone to work as her husband's executive assistant. We had socialized on a number of occasions in the past and I had always respected her...until recently.

"Mrs. Carter, come in and have a seat. Would you like something to drink?"

"Thank you, Henry, but I'm fine. So, it's Mrs. Carter now?"

"To my knowledge you've been Mrs. Carter for over 30 years."

"Yes, of course, but that's not what I meant. What I meant was that for the past 8 years you've called me Helen, but today it's Mrs. Carter."

"Ah, well, recent events have convinced me that I had made some assumptions about the nature of our relationship. I had thought we were friends but I've realized that's not the case, so I felt using your first name would be inappropriate."

Her face showed a sadness at the change in our relationship and my attitude toward it.

"And I assume one of those recent events is your discovery that your wife is my husband's mistress?"

"And the fact that you encouraged the relationship. Is that why you're here, to talk about this?"

"She's falling apart without you, Henry. She can barely function on a day to day basis and her work is suffering tremendously."

"That's not my fault, Mrs. Carter. In fact, it's more your fault than it is mine, but of course it's more Trish and Jim's fault than anyone."

"Will you at least listen to what I have to say, to let me explain why this doesn't mean anything?"

"See, that's the damn problem," I said in a raised voice, suddenly angry. "Everyone's trying to convince me that it doesn't mean anything, that I should just be okay with my wife fucking her boss! Well I'm not, and I never will be. Is that in any way unclear?"

"Can I at least explain then? Patricia has told me that you won't let her explain, at least not the whole story. Would you let me?"

I thought about it, and decided I could maybe use this to my advantage. Up until my discovery that Helen Carter had not only been okay with her husband sleeping with my wife but had been encouraging it and helping to hide it from me, I had thought she was a person of integrity, and hoped that except for that one glaring exception she would continue to be.

"I'll listen to you on one condition."

"If it's within my power to do it then I will."

"When you've told the whole story, when I've listened to all of your justifications, then you'll go to Trish and do your best to convince her that there's no way back and get her to sign the damn divorce papers."

"I can't promise to convince her of that."

"No, but you can try. So far it's been three against one. Between you two telling her I'm just angry and overreacting and her lawyer, which I have no doubt you and Jim are paying for, throwing up every conceivable road block he can, I can't even get on with my life."

"I'm sorry, Henry, but we wanted to help. You're right, we felt responsible for upsetting your marriage and we wanted to help her. She's like a daughter to us."

"Which is just another reason why your husband shouldn't be fucking her, but also why she might actually listen to you. Her parents are gone and she's told me before how you were like a mother to her. If you were to tell her what you guys did was wrong instead of joining her in trying to justify it then maybe she'll get it through her head."

She was clearly struggling with this one. She wanted the opportunity to plead her...their...Trish's case but she didn't want to be seen as turning her back on Trish. Finally I think she realized there was no way forward but this one.

"All right, Henry, but like I said, no promises."

"None expected."

"Let me first be clear that I love my husband, and everything I did was for him. It wasn't easy to make the decision to allow him to be with other women but I did it for him. About 7 years ago I lost interest in sex. Completely. I did my best to take care of his needs but it did nothing for me.

"We stumbled along like that for about 2 years when, to make matters worse, it started being uncomfortable and then painful. I saw my doctor and even got a second opinion but the result was simply that my body had changed due to menopause and just aging to the point that sex was decidedly unpleasant, and I didn't want to do it anymore."

"I can imagine that was difficult."

"It was extremely difficult. Sex was something I really enjoyed and you can't imagine how much it affects you when you lose it. And it was worse that Jim's libido hadn't cooled. But when he realized how bad it was for me he insisted we stop. He didn't want me to go through that. Not that I had ever really doubted it but I knew then that he loved me as much as I loved him."

"Okay, Mrs. Carter. So as bad as this sounds it's really just a natural part of aging and a sacrifice that a husband might make for his wife. That doesn't justify him moving on to someone else's."

"I can't say I disagree with you, and that was never the intention. We tried to maintain some semblance of a sex life without the...penetration that I had come to hate. Oral sex had never really been a part of our sex lives but we tried it. But taking him in my mouth had never held much appeal and was even less so now since I had no sexual desire, and neither of us was particularly comfortable with him putting his mouth on...down there."

As I listened to Helen Carter I tried to imagine how it would feel to reach the point of having no interest in sexual intimacy with the person you've loved your entire life. Before this all started I couldn't imagine not desiring Trish or wanting to do something, anything, to show her I loved her. Oral sex had been a regular part of our lovemaking, but I suppose everyone has different tastes and attitudes. She continued.

"Finally I made the decision to suggest Jim take a lover. Initially he was upset that I even suggested it and shut me down. But as time passed he became more and more frustrated and agitated. I kept revisiting the idea and he finally agreed that something needed to be done.

"At first we tried trying traditional dating services hoping to find someone steady but that didn't work. We should have realized that those people were looking for permanent, long-term relationships, not the chance to be someone's mistress. So we tried a couple of those sites set up for just, what's the vernacular, hook-ups? But that didn't really go well either. The women were kind of slutty and we realized that they weren't particularly selective, so who knew what we might end up with.

"As a last resort we found a website that was set up for 'sugar daddy' type arrangements. We actually met one very nice young woman and that worked out well for about 6 months before she met someone special and bowed out. They got married and just had a child."

"That's great for them, Mrs. Carter. I'm happy for them, really. But can we get to the point, here?"

"I'm almost there. I wanted you to understand that we tried every other means we could think of to solve our problem."

"Except Jim just accepting that the sexual part of his life was basically over," I said, more sarcastically than I intended.

"Actually, as I said, that was the first thing we tried but Jim got agitated and snappy. Now, Patricia was aware of what we were doing and even assisted us, and by that I mean she made dinner reservations for Jim and his dates, gave him dating tips, things like that. As I said, she was like a daughter to us and we were all very close, so we talked to her about it and the problems we were having. She was the one that actually suggested the sugar daddy arrangement and we even tried it again, but the second woman we met decided that she was going to try and blackmail us by threatening to go public about what we were doing unless we paid her a huge sum of money. She was naive and dealt with, but it turned us off to that arrangement. This, I'm sorry to say, is where Patricia stepped in."

"Stepped in...or laid on her back?"

She ignored my pithy comment.

"We were brainstorming ideas and she was the one that suggested perhaps we could find a married woman, one who was in an open marriage of some kind, or perhaps one whose husband traveled a lot and left her alone. Basically, a woman that was available for sex but wouldn't need Jim for anything else, and who wouldn't want things made public either."

"I imagine that proved difficult to find."

"It was, I'm afraid. Perhaps people who are in different social circles than us would have had more luck but we simply couldn't find anyone. Patricia made discreet inquiries but had no success. Jim resorted to some...anonymous experiences while this was going on but took little satisfaction from them. He was never one for going from woman to woman, even when we met. He wanted just one, and finally Patricia suggested that she be the one to fulfill that role."

"So it was her idea?"

"Yes, but that was what she did, what Jim had hired her for all those years ago. She was a problem-solver. Most of our efforts were driven by her ideas. Jim and I hadn't the foggiest idea what to do. She insisted that this was the only solution. She would never try to blackmail us by threatening publicity. She was in a very happy marriage so she would never want more from Jim. And the final argument was that she and Jim loved each other. Not like you and she or he and I, but they had worked together for years and were very close."

"Except for her being married to a man that wouldn't be okay with it, it all sounds so perfectly logical."

"It was very logical. As it was they spent a lot of time together over the normal course of business. They already traveled together for work, as you know, and she already spent a lot of time in his office. The key, we realized, was to not alter those things in any way. Any liaisons they would have would have to occur during the time they were normally together anyway. She couldn't suddenly start staying later or coming to work earlier. They couldn't go out to motels for a long lunch."

"Christ, this was meticulously planned, all with the goal of deceiving me."

"Deceiving everyone, Henry, but with the goal of you not finding out, yes. Patricia was aware that you were acquainted with the people she worked with. Not friends, exactly, but you knew each other, and we wanted to ensure no one would spill the proverbial beans. So they would have...be together in his office during the day. When they traveled they still booked two rooms but she would often spend the evening in his."

"Did they get their kicks doing it while she was on the phone with me?"

"Please, Henry, I understand that you're hurt but you're trying to make this more sordid and humiliating than it was. The truth is that she treasured that time on the phone with you. She wouldn't even let him be in the room with her when she spoke with you. It was important to her that she compartmentalize what she was doing with Jim. To her she was helping her friends solve a problem and that was all. To her the true love was with you and she wouldn't allow him to intrude on that."

"I'm almost touched to hear that."

"She loves you to distraction, Henry. She needs you. But anyway, it was working very well until apparently one of the other employees saw something that made him suspicious and he tipped you off, as I understand it. When you showed up at the office no one even tried to stop you when you walked into his office and caught them on the couch. I'm ashamed to say we were initially disappointed and angry at the lack of loyalty the staff showed before we realized how hypocritical that was."

"Indeed. A wife that's cheating on her husband and a boss and his wife encouraging her to do so being upset over a lack of loyalty. That is ironic."

"It wasn't long before we realized that. And you basically know the story since then. You refused to speak with her and tossed her out of the house..."

"It was mine when we met so I sure as hell wasn't leaving."

"You wouldn't give her a chance to explain. She came home to you packing her things and you wouldn't listen, or so she said. You just quietly packed her stuff and set the suitcases outside. Apparently you said 5 words the entire time: 'You'll hear from my attorney'."

"That's pretty accurate."

"She didn't understand. As far as you knew this could have been the first time and she couldn't understand why you wouldn't listen. Of course, she didn't realize all of the planning and investigation you had done leading up to that day. You spoke to employees of the hotels and found out that her room was rarely used. You spoke to employees of the companies they met with on the road and found out they almost always extended their trips by an extra day so they could be together without feeling rushed. She didn't know you knew almost everything before finally walking in on them that day."

"I had to know how deep the lies went, but even then it was all circumstantial evidence until I actually saw them together. That's why I hadn't kicked her out before then."

"Henry, she loves you so much. Isn't there some way to rebuild things?"

"Mrs. Carter, where has Trish been staying?"

"Staying?"

"Yes, where has she been living since I kicked her the hell out of my house. Where has she been staying?"

"Well...she's...she's been staying with us."

"Right. And are they still fucking?"

"Henry..."

"Don't lie to me, please. You should know by now that I probably know more than you think I do."

"It means nothing. It's a biological function, Henry. They both have strong libidos and rely on sexual release to deal with stress, and this situation has been very stressful."

"Exactly. So she never once said she was sorry she did it. She was only sorry that I found out, only sorry that I was hurt. She simply tried to justify what she did and explain how it didn't mean anything and didn't really hurt us. She wasn't spending any more time at work or with Jim than she always had. She was only spending that time differently, and if I could just understand that everything would be fine."

"But that's the truth..."

"She never offered to stop doing it or quit her job. Her entire effort was geared toward getting me to accept that it meant nothing and to accept it, like it was part of her job. And now she's living with the guy she's fucking and his wife, and hasn't bothered to stop the behavior that led to me filing for divorce even as she tries to convince me to stop the divorce. It's like she's completely delusional."

"She loves you and believes that you love her enough to believe what she says and be understanding about it. Don't you love her anymore?"

"Mrs. Carter, you've been married a long time. You probably know that love alone can't sustain a marriage. There must be trust and respect, too. Those are the three pillars of a marriage; really of any successful relationship. You can maybe lose one. Things would be wobbly but might still stand. But lose two of the three and the whole thing comes tumbling down. So while I do still love her, those other pillars are gone and they can't be rebuilt. I can wait as long as she can if I have to, but if she truly loves and cares about me then she'll accept that there's no chance and she'll let me go. Please try to convince her of that."

"Henry, please..."

"Mrs. Carter, I did as I promised. I listened to everything you had to say and I'm simply not willing to give her another chance. A one time mistake I could get past but this was calculated and deceptive and went on for a very long time. There is absolutely no chance. I expect you to keep your promise to me."

"I'm sorry things have worked out like this, Henry. It was never our intention to split you two up. She loves you more than I can express and losing you for good will be positively devastating. But I will keep my promise. I suppose it's the very least I can do."

She stood up and I did the same. I escorted her to the front door of the building. I think she had hoped for a hug of some kind but had to settle for a handshake.

"Thank you for listening, Henry. At least I can tell her you know the truth."

"The truth as she sees it anyway," I responded.

She smiled and gave me a little nod before turning and leaving. I hoped this would be the final hill to climb and that things would finally go smoothly from here, but I wasn't optimistic.

I returned to my office and closed the door, burying my face in my hands. I wasn't crying exactly but I did have that hazy feeling you get in your head when you're about to. Despite the relative calm I had maintained while talking to Helen Carter, the entire conversation had been an emotional roller coaster and I was suddenly exhausted. My reverie was broken by the door opening.

"Everything all right, Henry."

I looked up into the smiling face of Leah, our departmental assistant. She was about 5 years younger than me, with a thick-but-not-fat body and long, straight blonde hair that was currently pulled back in a ponytail. In fact, it usually was except when she let it fall into my face when she rode me cowgirl. She knew I liked that.

"I'll be okay. That was the asshole's wife. She wanted to explain."

"When she gave me her name I figured that's who she was. She try to convince you to take Trish back?"

"Of course. But she used the same tack that Trish tried. It didn't mean anything, you didn't lose anything, so where's the harm? She promised to try and get Trish to sign."

"We still on for tonight or was it too much? I can call my folks and reschedule."

"No way. I've been dying to meet your parents and I'm not waiting any longer. I'll be fine."

She came over and sat on my lap, giving me a gentle kiss. I stroked her left breast with my right hand until her nipple made it's presence known.

"Stop that, unless you're prepared to take me right on the floor here."

"Don't tempt me."

"Do you think she'll have any luck getting Trish to sign the papers? Our wedding date is getting closer every day."

"I know, baby, believe me, I know. But even if she doesn't I can tell the judge is getting tired of the delaying tactics they're using. I don't think it'll be a problem."

She smiled and stood up. She glanced back at my office door to make sure it was closed and then lifted her top up, bra and all, and shoved her beautiful tits in my face. I sucked each nipple for a few seconds, knowing she'd insist I do so to keep them even ('otherwise I'll walk around lopsided all day') and then she was gone.

For the record, while I had known Leah for 3 years, we only started seeing each other 6 months ago, which was nearly a year after I had walked in on Jim and Trish and then started divorce proceedings. Even though Trish and I were still married, neither I nor the law saw what I was doing as adultery