Author's note. Thank you for staying with me while I told my story. Loving Wives has a tough audience and I knew I wouldn't make everyone happy. I only hope you find this ending satisfying.
(Part 3 of 3)
Everything was going great with Melanie since that night we had made such amazing love. She had really responded to my romantic campaign. Now she was returning the favor. She was thoughtful, affectionate. We were doing things together like a couple again. Our intimate moments were random, spontaneous, unrestrained.
Of course, I could no longer pretend about what happened. With her lover Tom, in his car, in the motel room. Who knows where and what else they had gotten up to? But I could pretend it was over. So I did. My efforts to win her back had worked, were still working. Certainly I kept it up. I had almost lost her and I swore to myself to never take her for granted.
As Spring Break loomed on the calendar, however, there came a change in her demeanor. She started to become distant, the physical side of our relationship declined. It didn't take a psychic to see what the future held. Fuck! Did I have to take the whole week off to keep her from screwing around? What about when Summer comes and Tom has whole months to fuck her?
The weekend at the start of break she avoided me. I raged silently. My efforts were for nothing. I decided I wouldn't be treated this way and began researching divorce advice. I packed some bags and put them in my trunk, made sure I had plenty of cash, collected my personal effects, chose a lawyer to call on Monday. I still made some efforts to connect with her but was politely rebuffed.
When Monday came I went to work. I kept putting off calling the lawyer. Funny how your brain can hold out hope when there is none. I couldn't focus on my job though and late in the morning I pleaded sick and left. On a hunch, I decided to drive by the motel where Mel and Tom had their tryst. Coincidentally, I got a text just then from the housekeeper who had helped me before. I had asked her to keep an eye out, contact me if they came back. They were back.
I roared over there and Emmy met me at the stairwell. I handed her two hundred-dollar bills without comment and she stuffed them in her apron pocket. She was agitated about something.
"Mister J_____. There's something I have to tell you."
I nodded for her to continue.
"There's more than one guy in there with your wife. Right after I messaged you another guy went up and they let him in."
I went cold. This was so unexpected, so rude, so perverted that never in a million years would I have thought Mel capable of it. This was not who she was. She was a lady. Or so I thought.
"You want me to let you in the room next door?"
"No. Just tell me what room they're in."
"Are you going to make trouble?"
"Perhaps."
"Will you leave my name out of it? I like this job."
"Absolutely, Emmy. I thank you very much for your service."
I strode down the corridor, red rage pulsing in my ears. I hammered on the door several times, then again, then again. Someone engaged the slide lock on the other side and the door opened several inches. It was that fucking bastard, Tom.
"Dude, what are you doing here?"
"Open this fucking door!" I shouted.
Melanie's voice from inside the room jarred me, though I knew she was there. "Oh no, is that Allen? Tell him to please, PLEASE, go away."
"You heard her."
"I need to speak with her."
"She's a little tied up right now."
Stifled masculine laughter from inside the room made my blood boil.
"I'm sorry, that was uncalled for." Tom's words were apologetic but it was plain he was pleased with his joke. He held up his hand, palm open, and gestured for me to back away from the door. "Can I come out and talk?"
I backed away and tried to compose myself. If I kept my cool maybe I could get Melanie out of there. Or at least prevent something bad from happening to her. I considered violence but knew that would likely involve the police. Maybe that would be a good thing. Probably not. Tom undid the slide lock and emerged from the room, pulling the door shut behind him.
"Man, I understand exactly how you feel. If she was my wife I'd be outraged. But then again if she was my wife I wouldn't have been stepping out on her."
I glared at him, speechless.
"Yeah, she told me. Believe me, I would not be doing you like this if she hadn't. I tried to talk her out of it. I did. But when I saw she was determined to go through with it, I knew it had to be me. She could have done worse. A lot worse. You know that?"
"You fucking kidding me?"
"She's trying to figure some things out. I'm trying to help her. She trusts me. And if you trust her instincts then you should trust me too."