The Cruise - 750 Words

My wife Jesse and I were on a 10-day cruise, a very expensive cruise I booked in hopes of saving our marriage. Over her objections, I had coerced Jesse to join me for dinner on day eight. Yes, getting my wife to join me for dinner or anything else on our romantic getaway had become somewhat of a chore. Jesse barely picked at her dinner and spent most of her time surveying the room, obviously looking for somebody.

"Jesse, if you're looking for your friend Mr. Parish, he never reboarded the ship after today's walking tour. Or should I refer to him as your lover."

"Have you lost your mind Jack?"

"He received a phone call from his wife this afternoon and is flying home as we speak. He's hoping to save his marriage. I'm obviously a poor judge of character but from my conversations with Mrs. Parish, I'm thinking he won't make it through the front door."

"You spoke to his wife?"

"Yes, it was a crazy conversation. I told her that her husband was having an affair with my wife, and she said her husband was having affairs with multiple wives, which one was I referring to."

"He was cheating on me?"

"Yes, how ironic, the cheater cheating on the cheater."

"You have lost your mind Jack, I don't cheat."

"Sometimes I wonder Jesse, you know I booked this cruise so that we could reconnect, and you went and had your lover book the same cruise. I know that we have grown apart over the last year, but I did not realize that you actually hated me so much that you would do something like that to me."

"I actually thought there was a chance for us. Your sister warned me I had lost the battle long ago. She offered to take your place on the cruise."

There was a look of horror on Jesse's face. That look was worth the cost of this cruise.

"You spoke to my sister?"

"Yes, she called me some time ago to tell me about your affair, of course I already knew about it. Your parents are not happy with you either."

"My parents know?"

"They had trouble believing your sister, after all you were the golden child. But after I shared an earlier copy of the PI report, they realized that you were far from the golden child."

"You hired a PI and there's a report? When? How?"

"Jesse, what Company do I work for?"

"Pyramid PSG."

"And what does PSG stand for?"

"I don't know Jack; can you get to the point."

"PSG stands for Private Security Services. We have private investigators in almost 100 countries. It's sad that you don't understand my company. Here's an updated copy of the PI report. You might as well have one, everybody else does."

"Jack, what have you done? Who else has a copy of this report?" Jesse's face alternated between bright blush and deathly gray as she reviewed the pictures in the report.

"The list is pretty long Jesse, is there a specific person you're interested in? If you know them, assume they have a copy."

"I have had your belongings moved to a Parish's empty room. I'm sure you're familiar with it since you spent more time there then with me. Here's the key and a copy of our divorce papers. I am suing on grounds of adultery and executing the prenup. You will lose everything including both houses. I am going to continue on the cruise for another two weeks, so you'll have until then to remove your belongings from my houses. After that, the restraining order attached to those divorce papers will kick in."

"Do you have any questions for me Jesse?"

"There's no chance for us Jack?"

In that moment, all the hatred and rage I had been holding back for so long broke through, the tone of my voice scared the shit out of me and Jesse:

"Are you fucking kidding me, not only did you have an affair, but you took every opportunity to embarrass me."

I was leaning across the table, and she recoiled on every syllable as if she was being slapped.

"Please leave Jesse, I'm close to losing my temper or my dinner."

She was crying as she left, I sent her sister a text, asking her if she was still interested in joining me for the second part of the cruise. I immediately received a response with a 'yes' in all caps.