Separate Vacations: Parallel Lives

If you haven't read this story by DanielQSteele1, read it now. It won't make any sense if you don't. This story is my Moby Dick, the one I've fixated on since I read it the first time. DQS1 is a very talented writer, but he has a habit of making his male protagonists a little too noble, putting up with extraordinarily hurtful things from the women they love. This version, while it doesn't exactly go to the dark side, knocks at the door. I want to thank DQS for his graciousness in letting me use his characters, and Bebop 3 and the rest of my friends for their input.

There are a few characters from his other stories in this version. Bill Maitland from When We Were Married, as well as Lew and Mona Walters from The last Goodbye. And I probably got the timelines wrong but I tried to be as close as possible.

One more thing. This was the catalyst for my August event, Welcome To The New World. I thought of it and Bebob 3 took the idea and ran with it. It's probably more his project than mine, and I thank him.

*****

I sat there, watching the deer, the unbearable sadness welling up. It was over. I'd tried for ten years, but in the end it hadn't made a bit of difference. She would never be a full partner in any relationship she would ever have, and I was tired of trying. Her telling me how much of a failure I was, how little she respected me, how she may or may not cheat on me while she was off on 'the vacation of a lifetime', was the final nail in the coffin.

Sighing, I got up. She'd started this, expecting me to just roll over. I was pretty sure she was not going to believe what was about to happen.

I didn't have shit for money, she'd made sure of that, but I had a pretty good 401, and I knew I'd be hitting it first thing tomorrow morning. Hopefully there would be enough to get a decent lawyer.

They called from California later that night, and I talked to the girls, hanging up as soon as she took the phone. It took a little willpower to not answer the phone, but all I had to do was remember her little speech when she dropped the vacation news on me.

I went to work the next day, got with corporate, and started the ball rolling. The good news would be I could get 30 grand in just a few days. The bad news was I'd get 30 grand. It was a lot of money to me, but wouldn't buy an afternoon of time with the lawyers her company was tied into, and I was sure she'd come after me with everything they could think of. I'd just have to deal with it.

The next night her mother called and began ranting as soon as I answered. I didn't say a word, just hung up. She called back three more times, getting more abusive. I hung up every time, deciding to record all calls from then on. Thirty minutes later she called back.

"You selfish bastard! Thanks to you, she can't enjoy this trip at all because she's worried. You need to get over yourself, before she hooks up with a real man."

"You mean like that big dicked lawyer? Tell her to go for it. It doesn't matter to me any more."

"I will, he's four times the man you'll ever be, and I'm not even including your pathetic dick!"

"Fuck you, you worn out old whore! Isn't there a married lawyer out there somewhere waiting for his blowjob? I wouldn't want you to get behind schedule. So many dicks, so little time, how do you manage it?"

Her sharp intake of breath let me know I'd scored a hit, and I hung up before she recovered.

Two more days went by, and Tiffany called. After telling me she wasn't going to let me talk to my children, I hung up, and didn't answer the next ten calls that came in rapid succession.

Frustrated, I went out, ending up at a bar called O'Briens, a watering hole that welcomed all. You might rub shoulders with a trucker or construction worker on one side, and a high priced lawyer or a cop on the other. The whole thing was presided over by the retired boxer himself. He was still willing to mix it up if you got out of hand, and carried a ball bat when he needed to. People weren't overly polite, but the regulars knew better than to misbehave.

I ended up sitting with an old friend who happened to be there. The jukebox was on, a preponderance of Cranberries songs playing. It was a little loud, so we were basically shouting. I was telling him about my future plans, and asking if he knew any good divorce attorneys.

The song had just finished, and I was still in loud mode. "I can't afford much, and I know she'll have Martin, Devon, Bailey, and Bartley. They're tied up with her company, and she personally knows most of them. Hell, they'll probably do it for free. I'm screwed, but it won't stop me."

There were several business men in expensive suits sitting behind us, and while I didn't see it, the head of one shot up quickly. In a few seconds I felt a light tap on my shoulder.

"Excuse me, but I couldn't help overhearing part of your conversation. May I have just a few minutes of your time? It may be beneficial for both of us."

I sighed. "Why? Are you a divoce lawyer?"

He grinned and handed me a card. My eyes went wide. This was Lew Walters. I'd read about him in the papers. He was the lawyer millionaires wanted when it came time to end a marriage. He could break prenupts for one client, get the weakest of one upheld for another. He was best noted, though, for trying to find reasonable solutions to unreasonable situations. Many, seeing who they were facing, urged their clients to settle out of court.

I handed him the card back. "I really appreciate the offer, Mr. Walters, but there is no way I could afford your services."

He grinned. "Oh, my rates can be very flexible for the right cause. Please, just a few minutes. After you listen to me, if you want to walk away, I'll accept your decision."

I had little to lose, so I followed him to an empty table. "Before we start, let me tell you a little story. Once, there was an idealistic young lawyer fresh out of school, trying to make a name for himself. He had the misfortune early in his career to run afoul of a very prestigious, very connected law firm. They destroyed him, even though his client was in the right, using underhand and illegal tactics. A year later they did it again. It took years for the lawyer to rebuild his career, and the law firm used every opportunity after he started winning cases to undermine him. He's been wanting a rematch for years, and you just handed him one. The money is not important as revenge. That being said, if there is money involved, I expect to get my fee. If not, I'll do it pro bono and absorb the cost. Interested?"

We talked for about thirty minutes before a man appeared at our table. "I hate to interrupt, but we need to leave. Lew, I've had a few too many, and I need you to drive." It was strange looking into the eyes of a man I'd seen over a dozen times in the papers. It isn't often you meet The Angel Of Death and live to tell about it. He grinned and shook my hand.

"Bill Maitland. It's a pleasure to meet someone who can get Lew excited. It's been a while, since the..." He trailed off, looking embarrassed.

"Bruce Davis, sir. It's an honor to meet you." We made small talk while Lew paid our tab.

He came back, a question in his eyes. "You have my card. Call me tomorrow if you're interested."

I looked at his card after he left. Hell yes I was interested.

..................

Tiffany called the next day, apologizing for her silence and promising me I could talk to my children, if I just talked to her for a few minutes. I learned a little more than I wanted to hear about their activities with good old Uncle Stephen from the kids before she came back on to the line.

"Please, Bruce, you're taking a little argument and blowing it up into World War Three. I'm sorry I hurt your feelings. Separate vacations can be a good thing. It allows spouses to love each other more when they reunite."

I couldn't help it. "I'm sure it does, Tiff, if they're planned ahead. It's another thing entirely when your wife takes off for a month in the company of a man who wants nothing more than to fuck her, with no notice at all, hoping it will teach me a lesson. In all honesty, Tiff, it has. It may not be the lesson you wanted, but it's opened my eyes. You'll never fully be a wife and equal partner. You'll hold on to a separate piece of yourself, fully convinced that sometime down the road I'll let you down. We're getting very near the end of that road. I hope you like the destination."

"Bruce! Please, you're scaring me here. What can I possibly do to make it better, to get you to understand I have no intention of having an affair, and that I still love you?"

"Get your ass on a plane and come home."

There was silence for a long while. "I...I can't do that, Bruce. The kids are having a great time."

I snorted. "So you'll do anything to make it better, as long as it doesn't interfere with your vacation? Why have I never noticed what a fucked up bitch you are? Wait, I think I always knew, I just thought that if I loved you hard enough you'd come around. How's that working for me? Have a good time, Tiff. Have my children call me, if it doesn't cut into their time with Uncle Stephen too much. Oh, and one more thing. Tell that flaming bitch of a mother you have that's she's done a stellar job of scrambling your brains. And tell her, Tiff, whether we stay together of not, that she is never to speak to me again as long as she lives, and that's not negotiable."

I hung up before she could respond, and once again listened to it ring for hours.

I met with Lew the next day, and again the following Monday. He went right to the point. "You got any idea how much your wife is worth?"

"Not exactly, but I suspect quite a bit."

"She's worth four point four million in cash and assets. Surprised? So was I. She's worth that, and she makes you pay the mortgage, along with the rest of your bills? That seems a little skewed to me."

I told him, in great detail, how Tiffany thought. He couldn't keep the amazement off his face. "How could you stand it? My ex was adulterous bitch, but she never disrespected me like that. If she had, the marriage would have been over a lot quicker."

I shrugged my shoulders. "I loved her, and thought I could get her to change."

"So then, you want me to go ahead?"

I just nodded.

"How bad do you want it to be?"

I never really thought about it and shrugged. "I just want it done. I'd like reasonable access to my children and that's about it."

His look said it all. "If that's how you feel, you may as well leave now. I can't do a thing for you, her lawyers will eat you alive and laugh while they're doing it. She obviously hurt you badly. She takes off with your kids for a month long vacation, without you, in the company of people who could care less about the continuation of your marriage, and you just go out with a whimper? She was right, you do need to grow a set."

"What do you suggest?"

"Hurt her back. Give her something to think about, see how she responds. Get her undivided attention, make her focus on something besides herself for a change. You've rolled over so long the thought that you might actually do something about this is completely foreign to her. If you want to go through with the divorce, let her know. Tell you what, I'll have her served with preliminary papers in two days, right in the middle of her fun filled vacation. It won't really mean anything but it will get her attention. See how she reacts. If she blows it off, then we can start the dance. I'll film the whole thing, and keep tabs on her, see what she really is doing while she's away from you."

"I can't afford..."

He waved a hand. "I'll handle it. And if it comes to it, and you do go separate ways, you can afford it. There is no prenupt, so you get half of what she has, plus, your earnings are so disparate I'm sure there will be a couple of years of maintenance. I'm thinking really nice condo here."

Well, if I really wanted to hurt her, that would do it. The thought of having to actually give me part of her money would drive her insane. So I told Lew to go ahead, thinking I could always drop the whole thing when she came to her senses.

.............

I watched it on video later. The man was standing in the lobby of her hotel holding a sign with her name on it. She came down with the kids, her mother, assembled other vacationers, and Mr. Big Dick himself. Seeing the man, she smiled and approached him.

"I'm Tiffany Davis."

He looked at the photo on his phone. "Ma'am, I need to deliver these documents to you, and you have to sign for them. Could I see some ID, please?"

She dug around in her purse and handed him her driver's license. He thanked her, took a picture of it, and handed the thick envelope to her. "Mrs. Davis, you have been served. Have a good day." He started to walk off and stopped, addressing her again. "I was given a hundred extra to deliver a personal message. Bruce said to tell you 'lesson learned'."

Tiffany looked confused for a moment, opened the package, screamed, and let it flutter to the floor. Stephen Middleton picked some of the pages up, read them, and smirked. Her mother openly smiled behind her back. She immediately dialed my number.

"Thanks, you stupid bastard. Now she can find a real man."

"Bitch, don't you ever call me again."

I watched the surprised look on her face. She hit redial eight times before giving up. Tiffany took her own phone out, and her mother tried her best to take it away from her, but she fought her off. I answered on the first ring.

"Bruce, Bruce, what are you doing? You know I love you with all I have."

I actually laughed, surprising her. "Yes, you've given me everything, haven't you? Your love, your respect, your willingness to be an equal partner in our marriage. I do believe you actually love me, as long as I know my place, behind the kids, your mother, your job, and your money. I was never first in your heart, Tiff. If I was, it was a very long time ago. You love me? Come home, let's try to rebuild the wreckage our marriage has turned into."

Her tone changed instantly. "You've always wanted to own me, haven't you? Is this your pathetic cry for attention? I'll come home when this vacation is over, not a minute before. And you better like the taste of crow, because I won't allow you in to the house until you apologize and admit I was right."

"Tell you what, I'll practice my speech, make sure I have it just right. In the meantime, could I talk to our children?"

"AArgh!"

She hung up, thought about it a minute, and hit redial. She tried for an hour before she gave up.

The next day it was my turn to get a package. It contained a ticket, coach, for that afternoon, and a short note. "You win, you asshole. Get your butt on the plane, and we'll talk when you arrive."

I carefully pissed on the ticket, letting it almost dry out but still moist enough the smell would tell you what it was, sealed it in plastic and sent it back. Lew laughed his ass off when he heard, and then said I shouldn't have done it. Then he got quiet. "I had her checked out. She hasn't cheated on you, yet. But some pussy hound lawyer is sniffing around her, and her mother is throwing him at her every time she turns around. The mother and the erstwhile boyfriend have been observed in private talks a dozen times, and it bodes no good."

"Being served has shaken her. She's not really sure how to deal with you developing a backbone. Have you heard from her?"

I handed him my phone, and he transferred all the conversations to his computer. He looked at me, a sad smile on his face. "She really does love you, you know. Her brains have been scrambled for so long by her warped mother she was never prepared for a real relationship. It's why she's stuck. Her mother has ingrained into her that sooner or later you were going to cheat on her, and try to take her money. It's looking more and more like at least part of it is a self fulfilling prophecy. Think about what you'd like to happen, they come back from vacation in ten days and then it's really going to hit the fan. I want you prepared, because it could get very ugly. I urge you to try to get her to keep it civil, for the sake of the children."

He sighed, and I felt a moment of sympathy. His marriage had cratered, his wife carrying on a year long affair with his partner and best friend, but when he found out and filed for divorce she had fought it tooth and nail. It had been dragging along for almost a year with no resolution in sight. Rumor was their inability to conceive had a lot to do with the relationship devolving.

Tiffany called me several more times, allowing me access to the children. They wanted to know why I hadn't taken the ticket, as well as their mother. When I got Tiffany on the phone and she asked, I went off on her, gently as possible.

"Surely your head isn't that far up your ass. I wasn't invited until I started divorce proceedings, and it was more an appeasement move than one of genuine intent. You really think tossing me a bone would make everything better? All you had to do was come home. We could have taken the girls later and had a real family vacation. Alpha Bitch couldn't allow that, now, could she? It would have been considered a weakness to compromise. So stay, play with your lawyers and land developers, their wives and lovers, the pretty, rich, upscale people, and ignore your loser husband. If you had come home we MIGHT have had a chance."

Her temper finally got the best of her. "This is the last time I want to hear about your silly divorce plans! Yes, I did it to teach you a lesson. No, it didn't work out like I planned, not at all. I WILL NOT cut this vacation short. You need to think about how you're going to live up to my standards.

We have a lot of thing to go over when we return. I want you well rested, because I intend to fuck your brains out when we get home. Once we catch up on our loving, maybe we can look at things in a calmer manner."

"Really? The fuck him stupid defense is going to make up for being abandoned for a month so you could romp with the rich and powerful, flirt, maybe have a little fling, try out a really big dick and see if the girls were right? All I can say is enjoy ever minute of what's left with them, because they're none left with me."

"Bruce! I..." I was getting really good at hanging up.

Eight days later I was watching them deplane, looking tanned and tired, laughing and sharing memories. I promised I wouldn't lose it, the need to see my babies was just overpowering, but when I saw her walk out with Stephen Middleton, him holding the hand of my youngest daughter, looking like a loving family, I lost it. Some of the people recognized me, some were going to speak but one look at my face convinced them that would be a really bad idea.

He saw me first, actually flinching and letting go of her hand instantly. He must have said something to Tiff, and she turned with a smile, that disappeared as soon as she saw me. It was the hand of God that kept me from killing him where he stood, in the form of my girls. They swarmed me, hugging and kissing me, babbling about what they'd done and all the fun they had.

I let it go, reveling in the feel of my children in my arms. I finally looked up, to see Tiff smiling through tears. I stood, and she threw herself at me, trying desperately to hug and kiss me. I saw the confused look in her eyes whe I didn't return the hug and evaded the kiss, gently pushing her away.

"I'm so glad you came! I've missed you so much. You have no idea, but I intend to show you repeatedly tonight and for the rest of the weekend, the rest of our lives. Are you going to drive us home? Let me get our bags, and tell Step...uh, everyone goodbye."

"Take all the time you need. I'm not driving you home. I don't live there anymore, it would just complicate the divorce. I just wanted to see my daughters."