She Said

My wife Amber was waiting for me as I walk through the door. Looking around the kitchen I didn't see any cooking vessels on the stove or smell the tell-tale aromas of dinner cooking, the oven cold, dark and empty. I found it strange as Saturday evening is our normal date night where we go out for dinner and sometimes drinks and dancing. The house was unusually quiet. I said, "Where are Jimmy and Amy?"

"They're upstairs doing their homework."

"Are we ordering in pizza or have I forgot something?" asking, in a quandary as to what is going on this Friday evening in the Evans household.

"You can order in anything you want." Amber said with ambivalence.

"Well what would you like my dear? Since you do most of the cooking I can order in or I can whip us up something while you relax with a glass of wine."

"Alex, I won't be here. I'm going out tonight." Her voice gave away her excitement at the prospect.

"Who is watching the kids and where are we going? It won't take me long to get ready even though we're moving date night up a day."

She gave me a look of determination though her face revealed a bit of trepidation as well. "Alex, to answer your questions you are staying home tonight and watching the kids. I didn't move up date night but I am going on a kind of date with Jonathan Winters. We will still have our date night, tomorrow."

I'm feeling like I have been hit by a bus as I stand there looking at my wife with utter disbelief. "What do you mean you are going on a date with another man?" I could feel my anger rising with every syllable.

"Just what I said. Jonathan has been after me every day at lunch to go out to dinner and dancing with him and I finally said yes. He is picking me up at 7pm. We are going to the Oak Room and then to the Starlight Club."

"The HELL YOU ARE!" Raising my voice to a dull roar. What on God's green earth made you think that I would ever be comfortable with or allow my wife to date other men! And you have been meeting this asshole for lunch every single day??"

"Jonathan is a nice guy. He is new to town and he doesn't know many people and I befriended him and we have lunch! Big deal!"

"An occasional lunch with a colleague happens. With a member of the opposite sex it shouldn't be just the two of you and most certainly not every damn day Amber!"

"Oh, Alex grow up! Jonathan said that you would be a real asshole about this and I told him no, my husband is reasonable and doesn't have a jealous bone in his body but I was wrong."

"Amber I'm not jealous. What I am is your HUSBAND! I expect from you a sense of loyalty and fidelity that includes not running to the arms of some would be lothario just because he's nice. I'm sure he told you to ambush me with this rather than sitting down and having a reasonable and rational discussion. Blindsiding me and leaving me with little to no recourse!"

"NO! You need to call this "nice guy", a guy "nice" enough to hit on married women and looking to make their husbands a cuckhold. For the sake of our marriage, for me, call him and tell him you must cancel. I am not going to idly stand by while my wife starts dating!" I let the sarcasm drip off the word nice.

She said, "You don't own me or my body!"

Looking her straight in the eyes I replied, "True. However, you did explicitly state that I had sole use and rights of said body 'forsaking all others until death do us part', you remember, our wedding vows? Taken in front of God, family and friends?"

"Honey, she said taking an unctuous tone, it's only dinner and some dancing!"

"NO! The HELL to the NO! There is no way I am going to stand for this! Call him and cancel immediately! He has used these "innocent" lunches to stalk and systematically seduce you. I'm sure he has belittled me insisting that I am someway ignoring you and your needs, mistreating you or abusing you, telling you that I am undeserving or unworthy of your love, trust, and respect. Come on Amber you're smart enough to see through this!"

"I'm going to out with a friend and that's all. I need to shower and get dressed. I've made up my mind and I deserve to have a night out without you trying to control my every move!"

With that she stormed off heading for the shower. I heard her slam the door to the bedroom. This conversation, hell knock down drag out, isn't over by a long shot. So, I fly up the stairs and go to open the bedroom door only to find it locked. I hear the shower running. I get the key to the door I keep in my desk for emergencies and unlock the door. I see her LBD, lacy black push up bra and matching panties from Victoria's Secret laid out on the bed and her "come fuck me" pumps beside her dress. On her vanity I see she has a tube of bright red lipstick and her bottle of Xanadu perfume.

I try the bathroom door to find that it is locked as well. I knock, "Amber open this door!"

Nothing. Suddenly a plan forms in my mind. I head to my closet and get out a suitcase and pack myself some clothes for the weekend and a get out a couple of suits, ties and work socks and put them in my garment bag. I also pack the dress, undergarments and shoes. I carry them downstairs and put them by the door. I grab my running shoes and a jacket and set them with the bag.

I get out my phone and call our babysitter Kelli and tell her if Mrs. Evans calls her to sit tonight or tomorrow to tell her she is busy. I tell her that I will pay her double her rate for 8 hours each day. She tells me that she is "real busy" studying for a major test on Monday.

I call my Mom and tell her not to answer any calls from my home phone or Amber's cell or even the kids. I tell her what's going on and I get her word that she won't take the kids this weekend or answer the phone. If Amber shows up, she will tell them Dad is "sick and contagious".

Now I know that Amber won't be able to get anyone else on such short notice. I go up and talk to my kids. I could see they were scared as they heard our argument. "Kids don't worry! Mom and I are having a disagreement over something. I must go out of town but I will call you every night. Amy don't let your Mom use your phone, if she thinks to ask, tell her you left it in your locker at school. Put it on vibrate because I will call you before bed. The house phone will be temporarily disconnected but I will turn it on before I leave, okay? So, be good for Mom until I get back.?" I kissed them on the forehead, they hugged me and through tears they promised they would.

I went downstairs and went into her purse and took out her cell phone and removed her car key from her key ring and I also took our spare set. I texted the asshole pretending to be Amber and told him he was right about Alex being upset and being a jerk. I told him I would meet him at the Oak Room at 8:15pm. He texted back okay. I told him I needed to get dressed and that he should shut off his phone because Alex got his number and might try to call and harass him. He agreed and telling "me" that he couldn't wait until "I" was in his arms dancing close. I decide to keep her phone as well so I put it in my pocket.

Now she won't be able to go anywhere tonight. I grab my stuff and head out the door. I disconnect the phone line before getting into my car, I back out of our driveway going around the block before parking down the street from my house in Jerry's driveway as he and Helen are on vacation. I sit patiently waiting for "Mr. Wonderful" to realize he has been had. I use the time waiting to make a reservation at a nearby motel.

He'll turn his phone back on and call Amber's cell and when he doesn't reach her, he'll take off for here under the guise of worrying that I hurt her somehow or are holding her against her will. 45 minutes pass by and then I hear a strange ringtone come across Amber's phone. I let the call go to voicemail. Next, he sends out a text writing, 'U ok? Did the asshole hurt u? I'm on my way.

The text was sent at 9pm. It is a 15-minute drive from the Oak Room to our driveway. I have seen Amber come to the window several times. With three minutes to go I call my daughter on her phone and tell her to call her mother up to her room saying she isn't feeling well. Amy said she would and it would be the truth.

I see Amber leave the window. I start my car and drive it across the driveway to prevent the asshole from pulling in. I get out of my car and pull out one of my daughter's softball bats from the trunk. I stand in the shadows and wait. Right on cue the asshole comes flying up my street and parks side of the road.

He jumps out of his car and starts around my car heading for my front door when I step out of the dark in front of him with the bat in my hands. "YOU Jonathan?"

He takes a step back saying, "I am! I came here to make sure you didn't harm Amber!"

"Thank you for your "concern" for my wife's well-being! Too bad it stops short of doing irreparable harm to her marriage, injuring her kids, and destroying her family! All for a strange piece of ass!"

"Let me see Amber now!" he said with a bit of false bravado.

"Listen asshole, you are trespassing on my property! She is with my children because they are ill over hearing our argument about you and the end of their parent's marriage. She is not leaving with you and you are not going any farther near my home or my family! I'm telling you to leave now or I'll phone the police and have you arrested!"

"You may stop me today but I will see her at work Monday. She wanted to go out with me. Your nothing but a jealous prick!" he says with smugness and a smirk as if trying to goad me into assaulting him.

"In case you haven't got the point SHE IS MARRIED! Perhaps she did want to go out with you, since you wormed your way into her mind and actively seducing her by undermining and belittling me at your "innocent" lunches. You have her thinking and seeing unclearly but you don't fool me at all. All you want to do is sleep with her. You don't give a fuck about the collateral damage you leave behind in your wake—my children, my wife, after your done using her, me and our family, the life we've worked so hard to build!

"You probably get your rocks off humiliating me but how you can in good conscious know what you are doing to my children and our family is monstrous. I'm on to your little game so get this, you are not leaving with or furthering your seduction of my wife further tonight or ever if I've anything to say about it!"

"By the way, smile, you're on "candid camera" as I point to my security cameras. "I have them zooming in on us and recording every word and deed for posterity and evidence. Now for the last time leave and don't return or I WILL have you arrested for trespass. Am I "myself perfectly clear?"

"Fuck you!" he said turning and heading back to his car. I watch him pull away and I get in my car and follow him to make sure he didn't double back. Assured that he left the area I went back parking at Jerry's until I saw the lights go out. I went back to the house and reconnected the phone wires. It was now 2am and I was confident that asshole wouldn't call risking me answering the house phone.

I head out to my room and settle in for the night. I want to get a bottle of bourbon and get plastered but I know I need to keep my wits about me. I undress and take a long hot shower. As the hot water cascades down my worn body and the steam engulfs me, I hope that it will relieve some of the stress I'm feeling. However, the shower fails to work its usual magic. I dry off and crawl into bed hoping for but knowing that sleep would not be forthcoming.

Alone with my thoughts as the adrenaline finally subsides, the pain overtakes me as I lie there wondering what would make my wife fall for this asshole's line of bullshit. If something was amiss than its news to me. Until this evening I never had a hint of a problem. Over the course of the night and early morning I make some decisions. If she sees this asshole then we are through.

I decided that I need to find out everything I can about one Jonathan Winters. Unlike the late comedian of the same name, this guy isn't one bit funny. I check him out on social media and I find that he is married with two children. His wife Melody and kids are still in Chicago. I assume they plan on joining him after the end of the school year in 60 days or so.

I pay for and do a background search and I find that he left his last two jobs abruptly. I need to call these firms and see what I can find out come Monday. I get his address and phone number in Chicago. First thing in the morning I call my boss Dan Jenkins and tell him I need some time off due to a family emergency. I give him some of the details and he tells me to take whatever I need. I tell him a week no more than two.

I guess the trip to Disney World will be off. The kids will be disappointed that is unless I can resolve my problem before the end of the week. I grab a quick shower and clean up before heading to Molly's Diner for some breakfast. I get back to my house at 6:45am and I go and disconnect the phone wires again.

I wait at Jerry's until 7:30am before going into the house and getting my kids. I grab some clothes for them and telling them to stay quiet. I get them dressed, down the stairs and into my car. I take them out for breakfast while having more coffee. After breakfast I take them to my parents and ask them to keep the kids for a couple of days incognito until I can get things straightened out with Amber one way or another.

I get back in my car driving back to my house. It's time for us to come to an understanding. I pull in the driveway, get out and head back into the house. Amber is in the shower. She is unaware that the kids are gone. I take her phone out and call asshole. "Amber?" he answers.

"No asshole, it isn't Amber. If you know what's good for you then you better stay away from my wife. Don't call, don't come by. That is unless you want me to have an interesting chat with Melody! I'm sure that she Jon and Jason will be extremely interest how her husband and their father is occupying his time in Pittsburgh until they arrive." When I stop talking, I hear an audible gasp followed by utter silence. "Now that I have your attention you better hear and heed my words of advice asshole!" I disconnect the call.

I get up and make a pot of coffee and pour myself a steaming mug full of the life sustaining nectar and take a huge gulp. I hear Amber in the bedroom. I pour a mug of coffee with cream two sweeteners, yellow packet stuff for her while topping my mug off yet again. I take the coffee to the table and sit down waiting for her to descend the stairs into the kitchen,

Her eyes widen as she sees me sitting there. Before she can get a word out, I said, "SIT DOWN AND DON'T SAY A SINGLE FUCKIN WORD!" I can see the dark circles under her eyes that are red and puffy from crying as she sits down a bit frightened as I never ever use such a tone with her.

"I want to begin by apologizing, not for what I said but the way that I said it. Until last night, I never raised my voice or issued any type of ultimatum to you and for that I'm sorry. When you made the decision to carry on with that asshole, giving me an ultimatum, I felt backed into a corner. That is no excuse but it is what happened. She starts to speak but I put my finger to her lips, "Please let me say what I have to say then I will listen to you but not before."

She nods in the affirmative. "Amber, since we started dating and throughout our marriage and with our children, I have always done everything within my power to take care of my family. To protect all of you, provide for you and I treat you with the love and respect you deserve and I expect the same in kind. I deserve it and I dare say I have earned it during the past 14 years and 12 years of marriage."

I see tears streaming down her cheeks as I continue, "Last night you failed to give me any kind of respect, failed to show me any type of mercy and you tore my heart out. With your words, your actions and intended actions you cut me to the quick. I spent the entire night wondering what horrible thing or things I could have done to you for you to behave the way you did."

"If something horrible or inexcusable on my part exists then I'm clueless as to what I did to make you decide to date another man while we are married. I know we discussed in depth and detail what fidelity means to be and you agreed way before I asked and you said yes."

"I take my wedding vows seriously! I would never ever try to pull on you what you did on me, EVER! In turn I expect you to honor your commitment to me as well. Anything short of that then we are through! I don't want our family broken apart but I will not live with a woman that is less than 100% committed to us, to our relationship nor will I allow a stranger, a usurper into my marriage." The tears have given way to sobs.

"You have to decide that if a little fling with "Mr. Wonderful" is worth your marriage and your family. With something that important you better be sure you have all the facts. Did you know he has a wife and two children in Chicago? That they are waiting until the end of the school year before joining him? If you don't believe me look him up on Facebook." Her eyes widened.

"Yes, if you two decide to continue then your actions will cause a great deal of pain and suffering to our children, Melody his wife and their children and our collective extended families, friends and colleagues. You both need to ask yourself if it's indeed worth all the carnage.

"You're right I don't own you. You have already cheated on me by having an emotional affair and it's just as big a violation of my love and trust, just as big a betrayal and lack of respect for me as if it were physical, and I believe it would have been last night."

"I did horrific things in order to stop last night from happening. I took your phone and keys, called our sitters to prevent you from leaving the kids, and I waited and confronted that asshole outside our home. I did it to give us both time with the hope that you would see what is happening from my perspective and hopefully listen to reason and have a civil discussion about things with me. It is not my finest hour and I'm not proud of my actions. I resent being so desperate as to have said and done what I did last evening. I hope upon hope that you will come around but frankly my faith in that happening is waning."

I, directly and you indirectly, involved our children in adult issues. I'm beside myself with guilt for that. If that continues then neither of us deserve our sweet, innocent children. I for one won't let that happen again. So, from this point on its all on you, you decide or both of you decide what the future holds for us, them, for all of us."

"As you know I moved out last night. This morning I have taken the kids to my parents. I will leave your phone and keys here. The kids will stay with Mom and Dad for a few days unless you decide to go get them. If the two of you decide to date, fuck, whatever, just don't do it in this house, in my former bed or ever in front of our kids."

"You need to think long and hard about the future. I'm going upstairs to get the rest of my things and I will be out of your hair. I'm finished and as soon as you have your say I'll be leaving. I will stop by Mom and Dad's and tell them what's happening. I'll tell them to take your calls and that you will let them know when you're ready to pick up the kids. I'll explain things to them. I can't bear to hurt them any further than I already did when I lost my temper last night. I'll carry that with me for the rest of my life. Again, I'm sorry for doing that to them and to you."

Amber cried uncontrollably for several minutes before collecting herself to speak. "Alex, I want to say I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry for hurting the kids and hurting you. I'm sorry for not talking with you instead of at you, sorry for giving you an ultimatum and backing you into a corner and I'm sorry for being a hurtful, narcissistic idiot. I'm extremely sorry for cheating on you in anyway, you do deserve better, especially from me. I love you and I don't want you to leave! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!"