Paul 9

This one is short and to the point.

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2014

I got home about 2 AM. The apartment was dark inside. I put my coat in the closet and softly walked back to the bedroom. It was dark in there and I was quiet so that I didn't wake Paul. When I turned on the bathroom light it illuminated enough of the bedroom that I could see that the bed was empty. I wondered where was Paul. No matter, I got undressed, found the long t-shirt I normally wear to bed and went to the kitchen to get something to drink.

The apartment is only one bedroom so I knew that Paul wasn't home. It was odd for him to be out at this time of night. I had told him that morning that I was meeting up with Suze and Britt after work and we were going out for food and a couple of drinks. He had nodded at me while he was drinking his morning coffee and eating a bagel. I kissed him on the cheek on the way out and that was it.

The kitchen was dark and I didn't turn on the light. I got the drink of water, took the pill that I had in my purse and went to bed. In the morning I woke up about 7 o'clock and rolled over to see that Paul's side of the bed was still empty. I sat up and called his name. No response. I got out of bed and walked to the kitchen thinking that he would likely be there having his morning coffee. He wasn't there.

It was then I noticed the envelope on the counter. It was the normal white letter sized envelope with my name, Emma, printed on it in Paul's normal script. Fuck what was this. My hand shook a bit as I picked it up and I knew that it wasn't going to be good. Slowly I ripped open the sealed envelope. Paul's wedding ring fell out. Fuck.

The letter read:

Emma,

So, I guess this is pretty much the end of our marriage. I've known for a while now about your inability to be anywhere close to faithful to me and the promises we made each other three years ago. So, there is no point in trying to pretend that we have anything close to a marriage.

If you had told me that you were going to have sex with your many boyfriends before we got married, it would have saved us both a lot of bother, and expense. Keeping that little secret spelled the end of us.

I've moved out and taken all the things that I wanted. Mostly my clothing, personal things and a few books that I wanted. The rest you can keep or give away or do with whatever you chose.

It's a good thing we haven't had children. They would have been the ones to suffer the most. It's clear to me that you may not want to be the 'motherly' type. That would be tying you down and keeping you from that which you truly enjoy.

You can spend your evenings and weekends with Kevin, Troy, Jake, Luke or whomever your flavour of the day is. It doesn't matter to me. Not anymore. I only really found out the true scope of your fucking-around when you left your phone open a few weeks ago after you got home and ran off to the shower to get cleaned up. The phone buzzed and I looked at it. Imagine my surprise when I saw a selection of photos that your boyfriend had sent you from your evening together.

I won't be sharing any of this with your mother and father or anyone else. What you do is your business. I'll have my lawyer do up the necessary paperwork and send it over to you.

Please don't call or text or email me and most definitely don't try to track me down and come see me. My plan is to forget I knew you and move on to a relationship that is less encumbered by competitors.

For your own safety and health you really should see your doctor and get tested to ensure that you haven't picked up something from one of your boyfriends. I got tested and I was glad to find out that I haven't gotten anything from you.

I went to the bank and separated our small savings account. If you call the bank they have details and can make sure you have access to your money.

That's about it for this marriage. Good luck and make good choices for your future.

Paul

Fuck!

A shiver went up my back as I put the letter back on the table and went to the bedroom. Paul's closet was empty and his bureau was also cleaned out. I guess this is it.

I opened my phone and found the number I was looking for. "Hello, Marcus, it's me. Can I come over tonight?"

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2022

"Paul , where are the kids backpacks?"

"Don't worry Becca, they're already in the trailer. along with their bikes, our hiking poles, and a thousand other things."

"I just don't want to forget anything important, like I did last time with the bug spray."

I laughed, "Got it covered, Dear." I glanced around to see our daughters run by with another armload of things. "The truck is ready to go and the trailer is hooked up. You've got the food all sorted out and the kids have enough clothing to last a year. I think we're ready to go."

Becca looked at me and then turned to head to the bathroom. "Gotta go, this one is sitting right on my bladder."

I smiled and quietly thought to myself that this one might be a boy.

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