The Price 14

You can be broke and divorced, or rich with a happy marriage.

What is the price tag to accept infidelity? Ask John.

John and Tina had been married for twenty-two years. They met in college and had an instant attraction. Like all marriages, it had its ups and downs. The last year had been difficult. John realized their problems started when Tina was promoted to the CEO's secretarial post. She had become distant. Their sex life which Tom considered above average dropped from a few times a week to Saturdays. Without the normal enthusiasm, Tina usually shared. He planned on working hard to restore it to what it had been.

They had enough money. John planned on asking her to quit her current job and work in an area she was truly interested in. She was an excellent writer. Maybe she could write some short stories.

John was looking forward to Friday's date night. He planned on discussing with his wife his ideas for improving their marriage. He was hoping tonight would go a little way to repair some of the recent damage.

Tina was at home. She had her plans. She was going to Los Vegas for a week with her boss. Mike was the owner of the company both she and her husband worked for. Her husband was the second-in-command engineer. Tina was the owner's secretary. She called her landline with her cell phone. She left a message.

"John, there will be some changes around here. First I am going away for a week with Tom. When I return I will be spending every Tuesday and Wednesday with Tom. We will occasionally go away for a week. Not often because his wife will get suspicious. Except for what I mentioned our marriage will remain unaffected, the same everything. I still want you but I also want what Tom can give both you and me.

I will be promoted with a huge bump in salary to Tom's assistant. You will be promoted to chief engineer with a raise. The current one has retired. In five years Tom is going to retire. He will offer you the CEO Job and a partnership.

I know you might not want these changes. You can divorce me. Tom will fire you and give you terrible references. I will take as much as I can get for you. I had the house before we married so it will remain mine. I do not want a divorce. I love you. Of course, if you insist I will get the best lawyer and fight it. I will drain as much money from you that I can.

I think that if I sit with you and have a civil conversation that you see we can have a happy life under the new conditions.

You can be broke, or rich with a happy marriage.

Monday if you do not show up at work I will assume you have taken the divorce route. Otherwise, you can go to your new office with your new responsibilities."

After listening to the call, John called a friend of his. Paul was a PI. John paid him to go to Los Vegas and get pictures of Tom and his wife. He told Paul he did not want them for court so he did not care what Paul did to get them.

Saturday night Tina called. John did not answer. She left a message, "Have you made a decision?" He did not respond.

Monday he went to work. His workers welcomed him to his new job. He attacked it vigorously. Tom called him to congratulate him. He did not answer the call. Tom called John's secretary and told her to, "Tell John to return his call." John did not do it.

John continued working until Wednesday. John had removed every paper he had written and erased every file he had created. He did not return any calls. Wednesday afternoon he went to the HR office. He turned in his resignation and did the paperwork to cash in his 401k.

Tom was upset that John did not return his calls. He sent his security people to visit John at Tina's house and make him respond.

They knocked at the door. Someone came up from behind carrying a pistol. He invited them inside. He asked them,"Do you feel lucky. Today was their lucky day. After today if they came near him he would feel threatened and respond immediately." He said, "He did not want to use his pistol. It was new and he wanted to keep it clean. Also, "He was allergic to blood. When it got on him he would have to take Benadryl or he would break out in a rash. From experience with people like them he thought it was a real possibility that he was allergic to them." They said, "We only want you to call Tom." He replied, " Just listen." He called Tom. When the phone was answered he hung up. He said I do not like to talk over a long-distance call. It gives me a headache. Now please leave. They left.

He went to the bank and found out that Tina had cashed in and closed all his accounts. He had the secret account that left him with a balance in his name worth about twenty thousand. The accounts that were closed were worth about Five-hundred-thousand dollars. Half was his money.

He cleared all his stuff out of the house. He had always loved camping. It was cheap and he could get lost. John was a marathon runner in great shape so he could walk for miles. Walking back and forth to town was not a problem.

He went to a large forest and set up a camping site. He sold his car so it could not be used to find him.

The night before Tina was to arrive home, John set fire to her house.

Tina's Story

Tina's Story

I was always in love with my husband. Tom was just a boss. Tom had pushed me to occasionally have sex. I did it because I knew it was why I got my job. He was not a great lover but was adequate.

One day Tom called me into his office. He said, "I want you to consider a deal I have. I enjoy sex with you.

My wife does not enjoy sex. I love her but I am tired of always being horny. I am looking for someone to take care of my needs regularly. I want an attractive lover. You fit that mold. It could make you very prosperous. I am willing to promote you to my assistant at double your salary. I have an opening for a chief engineer. Your husband is in line for the job. I will promote your husband with a twenty percent raise.

I am retiring in five years. John is the smartest, hardest-working engineer I have. He is full of unique ideas. I will make him CEO with a partnership when I retire.

I will see you Tuesday through Wednesday. We will have a date night. Your husband would have to agree. If he did not agree I would terminate him. What do you think about the idea? "You would be well off."

I said, "I like the idea. You are attractive. The sex part sounds interesting. The money is a big pull. However, my husband would never go along.

John's mother told me that although my husband seems mild-mannered he isn't. H

e

is quite capable of being brutal. She said that if I decided to cheat or to get a divorce. John's reaction could be very violent."

Tom said, "I think if we put a lot of negatives on him passing it up he would change his mind. I have some people who I pay well to protect my interest. I am sure a little pressure from them would help him come to the right decision.

We can go away for a week. We can leave a message with all the options. It will give him a week to calm down and come to the right decision. If he wants a divorce I will get the best lawyers to make sure he gets screwed. I am sure he will jump at the CEO post. I am positive what his decision will be."

That was a huge mistake. I realized it when I saw my house was burned down.

While I was parked in front of the house I received a text message. It said, "You could have lived a comfortable life with a husband who loved you or be a whore with a man who loves his wife."

Tom received a large envelope at work. Inside was a picture of Tom and Tina nude in the missionary position. A short note was included. The note said I have many snaps of both of you. I will send them to your wife if you do not leave me alone. Tina will be told what to do. Just do it.

John went to Tom's address and watched him for a week. He left every day at eight am. He returned after six pm. He frequently went out on weekends with his wife.

Tom hired people to protect Tina, himself, and his wife.. One day his car blew up in the driveway. No one was hurt but Tom was shaken. A few hours later Tina's car blew up at work. The police did everything they could to find John but did not have a clue.

Finally, Tina called John's parents and asked, "What had to be done to end this mess?" They replied, "John said it must be karma causing her problems. When the money they stole from his account was returned and a fair divorce was granted maybe karma would change. The money John expected was three-hundred thousand. This would include interest for John waiting."

Tina replied, "That maybe if the parents spent some time in jail for shielding John the karma would change." John's mother replied, "When John was a youngster a bully took his lunch money. He got a bat and the bully's leg got broken. John told him about karma. The bully wisely never mentioned who hit him with the bat. That was a wise decision. We have often advised John to let minor annoyances go. This is not a minor annoyance. We told John to employ as much karma as necessary."

Tom and Tina had a conversation. It was decided that they would put the money in an account. Have a PI watch it. When John took it out to have him arrested for the other crimes.

John went to a lawyer. He had papers made out giving his parents access to all his money. They made the withdrawal. When Tom and his PI's went to their home the parents said that they had given it back to John.

Epilogue

John was divorced on grounds of abandonment. He received a fair settlement. Tom and Tina never saw or heard from John again.

John got a set of identity papers with a new name and social security number.

He took his money and went to Alaska. He bought a homestead and lived his life a single man. He was never married.

Tina and Tom continued their relationship. Someone sent Tom's wife a set of pictures. She divorced Tom. She remarried and was very happy. Tom eventually dumped Tina. Tina married a rich old man. She was very unhappy in the relationship. Every day she regretted leaving John. Tom met and married a ruthless woman. She cheated and stole every cent of his money she could get. Karma is real for John.