In April 22, a new law came into effect in the UK that allowed no-fault divorce at the request of either or both parties. There is no longer any need to prove abuse or infidelity. There are apparently few, if any, practical grounds to contest and the whole process can be done on-line and could complete in 7 months.
BUT I'm not a solicitor so this isn't actual legal advice. Just saying.
All participants in this story are over 18.
*****************************************
It was Sunday Evening and twenty six year old Pete was driving Tina, his wife of three years, home from the pub. She had been for a night out with friends, phoned him for a lift, and he'd picked her up. She told him she'd enjoyed catching up and shared a bit of mildly racy gossip and then became engrossed in something on her phone. She tutted in apparent disappointment.
"Something wrong, Love?" Pete asked, looking briefly across at the petite, twenty four year old, brunette sitting next to him.
Tina gave a little start. She hadn't realised she'd done it. "No. Well, not really," she explained hurriedly. "I was supposed to meet Emma for a drink on Thursday, but she's just cancelled." She looked at him and smiled. "You'll do nicely instead though."
Pete smiled back, but she'd already gone back to her phone. At first he was going to pursue the issue, but remembered some of his father's advice. "When you're faced with a number of options, the first thing to consider is doing nothing. Compare all of the likely outcomes of your actions against that, before you decide what's best to actually do."
Pete's problem was that Emma had 'Friended' him on Facebook last year, to find out Tina's favourite perfume for the office Secret-Santa, and he knew from her most recent Facebook post that she had just arrived in Lisbon for a long-planned two week break. There was no chance she had made and broken the arrangement Tina had just described. Why the lie?
Tina started squirming in her seat. "Christ! That last glass of cider has gone straight through me. I really need a wee!"
"Shall I pull over somewhere?" He asked.
"No; I think I can hold it until we get home," she replied. "But don't dawdle, for God's sake." She went back to her phone.
When they got in, Tina dashed through the kitchen to the bathroom, dropping her phone onto the granite worktop as she went. Pete adored his wife but he really wished she'd take more care of her stuff: He'd replaced three screen protectors for her already this year, and it was only June.
He picked the phone up and turned it over to check the screen; it was fine. But, what the fuck was that? In the last second before the screen went into Sleep-Mode, the image he'd briefly seen was a profile page for some website called Infinidelity, and he was sure the thumbnail picture was Tina, but that wasn't the name on the profile.
The rest of the evening was subdued; Tina on her phone and Pete sitting quietly, pondering. Eventually, she stood up. "I need the loo again and I'm knackered. I'm off to bed. See you in the morning." She left him to his thoughts.
Pete was up earlier than usual the next morning and Tina was only just coming out of the bedroom as he was about to leave the flat. "Didn't sleep well last night," he explained. "Thought I'd get up and get an early start rather than disturb you." He kissed her goodbye.
He wasn't exactly in a sour mood when he got to the warehouse where he managed the local distribution department, but neither was he particularly happy: so, when he heard Jason call out, "Hey, bum-boy, get your gay arse over here and help me clear this stack." he stopped, turned round and walked back into Goods Reception.
"Jason! My office. Now!"
Pete stormed into the office block and calmed down enough to ask Jenny, their Admin, Secretary and basically the heart of the business, to phone the security desk and ask for someone to join him in his office asap.
Jason arrived a few minutes later, followed by Dave, the most experienced security officer; ex-military, straight as a die, hard as nails. Pete nodded to Dave then looked at Jason. "Jason, you're suspended. One week; no pay and, if I have any say in it, you will not be re-instated."
"What the fuck for?" Jason exploded.
"You've been warned too many times for bullying and harassing colleagues. What I heard this morning was the final straw."
"Was just a bit of fuckin' banter," protested Jason.
"Bum boy, get your gay arse over here," parroted Pete. "That's sexually aggravated harassment and I won't have it on my watch. Dave will see you off the premises. Do not come back unless you're specifically told you're reinstated and do not contact any of your workmates to try to get them to cover for you."
Dave spoke up quietly. "I served alongside men who liked other men. They fought and bled, and some died, just like the rest of us. Every single one of them was a better man than you'll ever be, you mouthy little piece of shit!"
Pete smiled as Jason slouched out, muttering under his breath. He stopped smiling when he remembered the paperwork involved in sacking and replacing even a useless twat like Jason.
After lunch, Pete called the Goods Reception Team into his office; there were only three remaining with Jason gone. He looked at Lee, the recipient of Jason's 'banter'. "Lee, I'm sorry that you had to put up with that." He glared at the other two. "Did it even occur to you to call Jason out on the way he talked you your mate?" Both looked sheepish, but said nothing. He dismissed them and got on with his work.
It was turned three o'clock before he had a moment to look at the website he'd noticed the evening before. "Infinidelity," said the splash screen. "The site for extra-marital excitement." His heart sank as he read on, "The place for singles to meet married men and women for no-strings-attached sex." His heart felt as though it had been wrenched from his chest. Actual, physical, pain.
He tried to log in to the site, but it wouldn't allow casual browsing. Users had to register with a photograph and pay for membership by card. He couldn't risk his name or photo appearing on the site. He needed a believable proxy, a young, good looking avatar. In fact, he realised, he needed Lee. He left his office and walked to Goods Reception. The team didn't notice him at first; they were working together, quickly, quietly and efficiently. He realised that they had got twice as much done without Jason. Good!
"Lee!" He called. They all looked up. "Lee can you spare ten minutes when you're finished there?" Lee gave him a thumbs-up.
At five to four, Lee knocked on the office door. "The guys said they'd finish off without me. I think they are trying to make amends for not sticking up for me."
