British English language and spelling. In some stories the processes or facts may be incorrect, it's only a story and in my world that's how it happened. A warning to those who steal stories to use on YouTube channels, I am watching and will hit you with a copyright claim.
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Sign The Form
He was asked to sign a form, the search for a pen revealed a lot more.
I always thought my marriage was good, until I found out the truth. I'm Dave Ramsden, married to Sandra for sixteen years. We met in a local pub whilst out with respective groups of friends. Two years after we started dating, we got married. At the time we were both twenty-three years old. I worked in the transport office for a large haulage company, Sandra was a legal secretary for a large firm of lawyers. In the early day's things were tough financially, neither of us earned big money. Over the years I have risen to the position of Director of Transport, Sandra still works for the same firm of lawyers.
Three years after we married Sandra fell pregnant, she gave birth to our eldest son, Steve. Eighteen months later Mark rounded out the family. We had already agreed that two kids would be enough, regardless of what sex they were.
The only time we argued was when Mark got hit by a car outside the school. Some idiot decided to reverse into the entrance to turn around, he didn't check and sent Mark flying. Luckily his injuries were just scrapes and bruises. The school tried to contact Sandra, she wasn't answering her mobile phone. I got a call and raced to the hospital, the doctor said Mark would be okay to come home the following day. That evening Steve was at football training, we had an argument about Sandra not answering her phone.
"It was on silent in my handbag, I was in a meeting with some clients."
"I don't give a shit if you were having tea with the Queen, you make sure you can see or hear your phone. If your boss doesn't like it then tell him to stuff it and find another job."
"For Christ sake, Dave. You're pissed off because you had to do something for once."
"NO I AM NOT." I yelled. "I'm pissed off because they couldn't get hold of you. If you couldn't deal with it, all you had to do was call me. The kids are more important than your fucking job!"
Things were frosty around the house for a day or two after that, eventually we returned to normal. We were both approaching forty at the time, our sex life was reasonable. We had sex two or three times a week, Saturday night was usually a long session as nobody had to get up early the following day.
Mark was none the worse for his ordeal, he returned to football training a few days later. We had just finished dinner one evening, the boys went training. Sandra loaded the dishwasher and said she was going to take a shower.
"Can you sign that form, Dave? It's a consent form for the boys' football tour."
I had a form to complete for myself, it was to do with my truck driving licence. I looked for a pen, finding one on the counter beside Sandra's notepad. She scribbled out items she needed to buy when she went shopping. I cursed my luck as the bloody pen was dry, it scratched the page.
"Bloody pen," I cursed and threw it in the bin. I knew Sandra always had a pen in her handbag. Searching through I found a pen, it was the pack of condoms that shocked me. I had a vasectomy after Mark was born, so I didn't need them. More to the point, why would Sandra need them?
I slid them into my pocket, I was sitting staring at the wall when Sandra came downstairs.
"Did you sign the boys' form?"
I nodded. "Sit down Sandra." I explained the hassle with the pen, she still didn't seem bothered. "When I looked in your bag for a pen I found one, I also found something else." I put the condoms on the table. "Care to explain why you have those in your bag?" The answer I got wasn't what I was expecting.
"You have no right going through my handbag."
"I only wanted a pen for fuck sake, the one on the side had dried up. I didn't expect to find those in your bag. So come on then, explain to me why you have condoms in your handbag."
"They are for Duncan."
"Who the hell is Duncan?"
"Duncan Whiteside, he's a lawyer where I work. I make him wear condoms for safety."
"Are you telling me you are fucking someone you work with?"
"Yes. We have been getting together for a few months."
"Who started it, you or him?"
"I guess he did. I do like him, he's very handsome. He started flirting once we got to know each other and it went from there. I enjoy sex with him the same as I do you."
"So are you in love with him?"
"I suppose I am in a way. I love him, but I love you more."
I don't believe I'm hearing this. You make it sound like it's nothing."
"It's something for me, something not connected to me and you. It doesn't take anything away from you, Dave."
"Of course it does, you stupid cow. We are married, remember the vows we took, forsaking all others?"
"They are just old fashioned words that everyone says, nobody means it, for God's sake."
"I bloody well did. I thought you did as well, guess I got that wrong. So what is it? Am I not enough for you, or is he bigger and better than me?"
"It's not like that. He's about the same size as you, it's just different."
"So what's the plan then? See how good he is and leave me for him?" I was getting seriously pissed off at Sandra, she was handling this like it was a casual discussion about something trivial.
"No, I'm not planning on leaving you. I told you what I have with Duncan is separate from what I have here, besides I enjoy sex with both of you."
"Yeah. well until you tell lover boy it's over you won't get any sex from me, that's for sure. You tell him it's over and we can try and get past this, maybe go to counselling or something?"
"I'm not giving him up, I like him. It's possible to love two people, can't you see that?"
"NO, I bloody well can't. You can't have both of us, make up your mind. You give him up, or give us up."
"You won't divorce me Dave. Don't forget I work for a firm of lawyers." Before I got a chance to reply the boys returned home, I greeted them and made the excuse of taking a shower to get away from Sandra.
I showered and went to bed, I needed to think. Sandra tried to cosy up to me and instigate sex.
"Leave me alone, I don't need one of your pity fucks, thank you." I turned away from her and closed my eyes. In the morning I dressed for work and left the house. I said goodbye to the boys, completely ignoring Sandra.
As I drove to work I wondered what made Sandra think I was going to accept her having sex with someone else, I knew I needed legal advice. During the morning I walked over to our legal department. Millie Wingrove was our company solicitor, I asked for a few minutes of her time.
"What can I do for you Dave?"
"I need the name of a good solicitor, one who deals in family law." I sat and explained it to Millie, she knew Sandra and was shocked when I told her.
"My brother-in-law specialises in family law, I'll see if I can get you an appointment." I sat and waited as Millie made a phone call. "Okay, thanks Charles, I'll send him over this afternoon." Millie hung up the phone. "Charles can see you this afternoon, anytime after three o'clock." Millie handed me a card with an address on it, luckily Charles was local.
"It's not my area Dave, but these never go in the man's favour. You might be left with the option of letting the affair run its course, or try and get Sandra to see sense. Failing that, I doubt you'll come out of it on top."
"Thanks Millie. I'll see what Charles has to say later." I walked back to my office. Millie's last words echoing in my head. If we did end up divorcing, I was going to fight for everything, the house, custody and whatever else I could think of. I didn't get much work done as my mind was elsewhere for most of the day.
I felt downhearted after talking to Millie, I felt worse after talking to Charles Winthrop. It appears that if we divorce Sandra would get the house and custody of the boys, along with a boat load of support, courtesy of yours truly. The only way I could get the house and custody was to show Sandra as a bad mother, something she wasn't. She might be a bad wife, but she was a good mother.
"Sorry, Mr Ramsden but that's how it is. In a divorce the wife normally gets custody of the children and the right to stay in the marital home, at least until the children leave home." That pissed me off as Steve was only thirteen and Mark was eleven, it could be seven years at the earliest before we had to sell the house. I got to thinking if I hadn't looked for a pen, I would have been none the wiser.
I wasn't going to accept Sandra fucking someone else, I decided to plan for a long game. My priority was the boys, I didn't fancy being a part-time Dad. As difficult as it was going to be, I would have to tolerate her affair, for now. Charles had agreed to represent me, providing I did nothing illegal.
I arrived home at my usual time, the boys were out in the garden playing football. Sandra looked at me and smiled, I didn't return the smile.
"Did you speak to your lover boy and tell him it's over between you two?"
Sandra glared at me. "No I didn't. I told you I am not going to stop seeing him, you'll have to get used to sharing me with him."
"The fuck I will. I asked you to give him up, you have refused, anything that happens now is on you." I stormed upstairs to get changed "Share with him, like fuck." I muttered to myself. Things were certainly going to be different in our household from now on.
Dinner was different for a few reasons. I spoke to the boys without any problems, if Sandra spoke to me I ignored her, I also didn't speak directly to her. The boys went upstairs to do their homework, I sat in the lounge leaving Sandra to clear the table and wash the dishes. I could hear Sandra banging about in the kitchen, she was clearly pissed off that I wasn't helping her.
"So, that's how it is going to be, is it?" Sandra asked as she sat down on the sofa.
