Unforgiven

Like other readers on this site, I have heard many arguments why one shouldn't harbour a grudge after being wronged. These arguments seem to centre around some people's perceptions that revenge harms all parties and achieves nothing positive. Please accept this as my counter-argument. Warning, there is no reconciliation in this story. If you like that sort of stuff, stop reading now. Also, there is very little sex.

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Hiya. Dave's the name and I'd like to tell you a little story of why I'm sitting in my kitchen.at 2.30PM on a weekday when I would normally be at work. You see, I'd just like to justify the four phone calls I've made and one text I've sent since I've been sitting here, let me see now, two hours already. One hour and forty-five minutes of stewing and fifteen minutes of action, to ruin god knows how many lives. You see...excuse me, someone is at the door.

"Oh hi sweetie. Where's Fiona?"

"I rang Stewart and he came home early. He'll pick her up from kinder and look after her until I get home."

"Linda, I've said it before but I'll say it again. He's a great guy. I know it's traditional for a bloke to dislike his son-in-law, but you picked so damned well that I just can't help liking him."

I chuckled at my daughter's grim smile. We shared a sense of humour.

"Have you told Pete yet Dad?"

"No, your brother is at sea at the moment. I'll email him later."

"Okay Dad. I'm here for you, you know that."

"Yeah, thanks sweetie."

We lapsed into silence for a long moment.

"Why would she do this to you Dad?"

"I don't know darling."

"Why, didn't she say anything?"

"Um, I haven't actually spoken to her yet."

"You mean she's still...?

"Yup."

I watched as my daughter's troubled eyes flicked to the stairs leading up to the master bedroom.

"I just wanted to wait, so she could tell us all why she did it at the same time."

"All?"

"Yeah, I've invited a few more guests. They should be here shortly."

"What are you going to do?"

"No more and no less than I have to, so I can survive this."

"So you already have a plan?"

"Yup."

"Doesn't it depend on her reason?"

"Why? The facts speak for themselves. The reason is irrelevant."

"But, she may have been blackmailed."

"Believe me, if you saw what I saw and heard what I heard, you'd know she wasn't being blackmailed."

Linda looked into my eyes for a moment.

"I thought you were taking this well, but I can see now, you're not are you?"

"No."

I turned away. No daughter should see her father cry.

"What would you like me to do?"

"You do what your conscience tells you to do. I won't think better or worse about you, whichever way you decide."

"Thanks Dad. Do you have any idea why she would do this?"

"I have absolutely no idea sweetie. I thought we had a good marriage until this morning."

"What happened this morning?"

"Well your mother has always been lousy at lying and keeping secrets. It's just not in her nature. After 27 years of living together I know her routines like my own. She showers every morning. Every Tuesday and Friday she washes her hair. She'll be getting ready for five minutes more or less than an hour. Every other day she is in there for five minutes more or less than 30 minutes. This morning she was in there for almost an hour and a half. When I went in there to tell her she would be late for work, I saw what underwear she had on and what she was planning to wear. It wasn't her usual office clothes. I asked her what her plans were for the day and she said nothing unusual, just work. She was lying. Every other day she thought she would be late for work, she got kind of agitated. This morning she was as cool as a cucumber. I knew then that she had no intention of going to work."

"So what did you do?"

"I called off work and parked just up the street. I was going to follow her when she left but she didn't go anywhere. I stayed there until that guy she works with at the real estate office turned up at about 11.30. I crept in and confirmed it was what I expected, then thought what I was going to do. After that, I made a few phone calls and here we are."

"Were there any clues Dad, I mean before today? I thought you guys were good."

"No sweetie, nothing. As far as I knew, I loved her and she loved me. We were going to work for a few more years then retire and live happily ever after."

"Dad. I have to ask you this. Did you ever..."

"Don't even say it Linda. No, I have never betrayed your mother. I have never disrespected a woman that way in my life. Even when our sex life pretty much died a couple of years ago, I just sucked it up."

"What? You haven't had sex in two years?"

"Nope. Your mother was never an overtly sexual being. She reckoned she just didn't enjoy it that much. Sure she seemed to enjoy it when we started, but it was the starting that was the problem. When she hit menopause two years ago, whatever I used to get just dried up completely."

"So when you found her today, you know, it must have hit you hard?'

I let my steely gaze answer for me. Just then there was another soft knock on the door. I opened it to see my father-in-law standing there.

"Come in Paul."

"Thanks Dave. Where is she?"

"Upstairs in our bedroom."

"Okay. I have to see for myself."

"I understand. Go ahead sir. Just don't disturb her please."

The old man went up the stairs and came down a minute later, but much more than a minute older. He slumped in a chair. I poured him a whisky which he gulped.

"I can't believe she would do that to you. She knows how devastated you were when that fiancé of yours cheated on you. She helped pick up your pieces after all. Not only that, she knows how devastated I was when I caught her mother and she ran off with that..that shithead, abandoning me and the kids. Sorry, I have to get out of here."

I guess a woman shouldn't see her Grandad cry either. I walked him to the door. Linda made like she was going to follow us but I waved her back. I wanted the old guy to maintain what pride he had left. He stood on the porch and gripped my shoulders for support.

"Do what you have to do son, but nothing physical okay. I couldn't stand by and see that."

.

"Don't worry Dad. I won't harm a hair on your daughter's head. But as for the other shit... I apologise for what I am about to do to your daughter. A guy has to do what he has to do."

He stared at me for a long moment, then nodded. He shuffled to his car and drove slowly away. A broken man. I rang his son, my wife's brother and without going into detail suggested he go and see his Dad, to offer support. I was just hanging up when I heard the upstairs toilet flush. Ah, nap time must be over. I rejoined Linda and we sat in silence for a few minutes. Shortly we heard a bed creaking and sounds of passion.

"See Linda. Does that sound like blackmail to you?"

"No Dad. How can you stand to sit here? Why don't you go up and beat the fucker's ass?"

"Well, it's not easy sweetie, but I have this ability to turn off my emotional side. Kind of disassociate myself from all the feelings you know?"

"Oh, is that where I get it from? So why torture yourself. Why not go upstairs and stop it? Kick the slut out?"

"Um, there's one more visitor to come."

Right on cue there was another knock on the door. I opened it to a reasonable looking lady a few years younger than me. Surprisingly she had a boy and a girl with her. They looked about mid to late teens.

"Mr Brown is it?"

"Yes, please call me Dave."

"I'm Jenny Smith and these are my kids Robert and Sarah. I picked them up from school. If what you say is true, I wanted them here. If for no other reason than to understand that it was their father that destroyed our family."

I shook hands with Robert. It was surprisingly firm. I introduced them all to Linda.

"You said you had proof Dave."

In answer to that I walked over to the pants that were lying on the arm of the couch and pulled out a wallet. I handed it to Jenny. She opened it and looked at the driver's license. A tear escaped her eye. I guess she'd harboured some hope that what I'd said on the phone was wrong. Her face hardened suddenly.

"Well Dave, where are they?"

In answer I just held my finger to my lips in the international symbol for silence. We sat there listening to the grunts and groans.

"Son of a bitch. You haven't confronted them yet?"

"No, I wanted us to do it as a team, as it were. I just took some video for us, which I am happy to share with you. I also set up a voice recorder and slipped it under the bed. We can go now if you like. I suggest the children hold back until we can get the, ah, performers, decent."

"Yes, you're right. Just hold on a moment, I have a locksmith standing by to change the locks on my house. I was just waiting to make sure you were right before giving them the go. I'm not surprised really. This isn't the first time. He's a smooth talking little fu...shit."

Linda and I waited patiently while she rang the locksmith, then her lawyer and gave them both the go. We distracted her children from the noises by chatting about inanities. Jenny then pushed her shoulders back.

"Okay. Let's do this."

Jenny, Linda and I walked up the stairs while the kids waited at the bottom for our signal. After Jenny snuck a look through the doorway, I motioned for the other two to stay out of sight, then entered the room. I stood at the foot of the bed and watched the show with disgust. What I'd witnessed before had been straight missionary. Now he was taking her doggie. I watched impassively as he ploughed into her. She showed her appreciation by moaning continuously. She'd refused to do doggy with me since shortly after the wedding. Said it was demeaning. Suddenly she cried out in orgasm and collapsed on the bed. He let her rest for a moment, the considerate prick, then resumed thrusting into her prone form.

"Stop please John, I'm sore. Let me finish you with my mouth." Now she hadn't done that to me since the rock had hit her right hand ring finger. She turned onto her back. As she rolled over, her eyes met mine. Her face fell and she screamed. Her lover followed her gaze and saw me also. He started to rise, looking ridiculous with his cock swinging free. Once he was on his feet, he stopped and looked up at my face. I could see he was starting to get a really bad feeling about his physical safety in the next little while.

"That's right shithead. I'm bigger and uglier than you and please believe me, a fucking sight angrier. Why don't you just get back into that bed and cover up yourself and my ex-wife."

He was an obedient fucker if nothing else. Within seconds they were lying side by side under the covers. I noted that Tracey's expression had gone through shock to defiance. I let her speak first.

"Um, Dave, I want a divorce. I've fallen in love with Jo..., the guy here. I'm sorry you had to find out like this. We were going to tell you tomorrow."

"It's okay wife dear, you've got it. By the way, I was going to find out his name was John Smith eventually wasn't I?"

I could see this shocked them.

"Not the smartest move to leave your wallet in your pants pocket downstairs shithead. Tracey, just idle curiosity, but why did you end our marriage this way. You had to know catching you cheating would devastate me."

Finally, I saw some shame on her face.

"I'm sorry David. We couldn't help falling in love."

"I accept that dear. You could help putting the cart before the horse though. You could help fucking this prick before announcing you wanted a divorce though, couldn't you?"

"I'm sorry David. I just wanted to know that John and I were compatible, you know. We didn't want you to see us. If it helps, this was the first time."

"What? Test drive the new model sort of thing? Try him IN for size."

"Don't be crude David. I don't want to end our marriage fighting. Can't we just part as friends?"

This almost got through my mental defences. I'm guessing that in the pressure of this situation, she as quoting from tomorrow's pre-rehearsed speech.

"You've got to be fucking kidding. You lie there in MY bed, with another guy's cum leaking down your leg and want to part as friends. I don't think so."

We stared at each other until Tracey dropped her eyes. I decided it was time to start evening the pain scores.

"Your Dad asked me to tell you how disappointed he is in you. He kind of hoped you wouldn't turn out as big a slut as your mother."

"You didn't?"

Tracey's face had gone sheet white.

"I did. I'm surprised you didn't see him. He was standing right here not half an hour ago."

"Why?"

"Because bitch, I wanted you to start feeling some of the pain I've been feeling since fuckwit here showed up. I don't know what the kids will make of it all."

"Oh god Dave, please don't tell the kids. Please."

"Sorry dear, too late."

Linda took that exact moment to step into view in the doorway. Tracey glanced over at the movement, squealed, then hid her face under the sheets.

"Don't bother mum, it doesn't work for ostriches and it won't work for you."

Tracey just stayed under the sheets moaning. Her bed partner just kept looking really uncomfortable.

"When Dad rang me, I gave you the benefit of the doubt. I just couldn't believe you would do this to him. I can see why he rang me now. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I might have urged him to forgive you, but seeing you like this I know that is never going to happen."

Silence, apart from deep, racking sobs, was the only reply.

"Well mother, if you have nothing left to say, I'll say it all. We won't be needing you to babysit your Granddaughter this weekend. In fact, if cutting you off from seeing her will keep her safe from your poisonous influence, then you can kiss goodbye to ever seeing her again."

There was a pitiful, "Noooo," from under the sheets.

Linda was sobbing herself now.

"You should have seen the look on poor old Granddad's face before; you devastated him."

She turned to run but I grabbed and hugged her. She pulled away and ran downstairs. Shortly afterwards we all heard the front door slam. It was still a couple of minutes before Tracey re-emerged with red eyes.

"Why did you have to do that David?"

"Because you haven't felt half the pain I have yet Tracey. You haven't yet felt like you've had your heart ripped out and stomped on. But you will, I assure you of that. Now I'm sick of this charade. Just fuck off out of my house, both of you."

Again the look of defiance returned to Tracey's face.

"If anyone is leaving this house it's going to be you. I used the power of attorney you gave me, in case anything happened to you, to transfer the deeds into my name only."

I think the vehemence of her own voice even surprised Tracey. She could certainly see by my face, that by revealing another of her betrayals, she'd made me even angrier. She also realised that morally she was just digging her grave deeper and deeper. I recovered quickly. The strange thing is with shocking news; it stops hurting much when it reaches a certain point. I'd reached that point two hours ago.

"How are you going to afford the mortgage Tracey?"

"You think we didn't work this out David? With my pay and commissions, plus John's, we'll cover it easily."

"What pay is that Tracey? Your boss, Mr Johnson, said to tell you both, you're fired. He would have told you himself, but apparently both your phones are off. Good Christian soul that he is, took a dim view of two married pricks like you cheating in company time."

"You didn't tell him Dave. Tell me you didn't."

"Yup. Sent him some lovely photographs too."

Tracey's bedmate finally found his voice.

"How do you know I'm married?"

"Driver's license remember? Phone book, telephone, easy. Wife Jenny, about 5' 6", pretty, red hair. Children, Robert and Sarah, look like good kids. Tell me shithead, were you going to shaft them like this bitch was planning on shafting me?"

"Please Mr Brown, don't tell my wife."

"Why not, haven't you finished draining all your bank accounts yet, in preparation for sailing off into the sunset with my wife?"

"She was going to get the house. Just give me a chance to tell her gently please. She doesn't deserve this, I...I still love her in my own way. She doesn't deserve to find out like this."

"What, doesn't deserve to find out like I did you mean? Yes, you're right. Unfortunately, it's too late."

I didn't need to turn around to know exactly when Jenny and her children stepped in the door. His face told the story. The expression was priceless.

"Yes it's way too late my darling husband. I will be eternally grateful for Mr Brown here bringing this to my attention. Just so you know, the video he is giving me should be enough to trigger the post-nup we had drawn up last time I forgave you."

Tracey's head swung to look at her bed partner. In my disassociated state, I idly wondered why. Was it the fact that he was a serial cheater? Or was it the news that their financial plans were now scuppered?

"The locks should have been changed on my house by now. If you want to stop by in the morning to collect your things, they will be in the dumpster I intend hiring this afternoon."

Throughout this tirade, the unfortunate John had just looked at his own feet with an expression of horror. I found out later that it had been him that had initially seduced Tracey but the, er, test drive had been her idea. His plan had actually been to tell his wife and family the next day as well. He looked forlornly at his wife, then glanced briefly at his kids, but couldn't face them for long. Jenny was losing control but rallied briefly.

"Well kids, if you ever wondered what a slut looks like, then take a good look."

Tracey cringed under their combined stare. Jenny grabbed the kids and stormed out. I walked to the bed and snarled to the cowering couple.

"Just get out of my house. You have no idea of the rage I am feeling right now. I'll return in two or so hours, I want you both gone when I get back. Don't even think about trying to rip me off Tracey. If you do, then your chances of living happily ever after, no, make that living period, will plummet from very, very small to non-existent, understand?"

One look at my face convinced them of the seriousness of what I intended. I ran after Jenny and caught them before they drove off. We agreed to meet at a coffee shop, which we did. We consoled each other and tried to lead the kids through the process to come. Robert proved to be mature beyond his years and helped comfort his sobbing sister. I really wish her father was here to see his daughter's pain. I gave Jenny my card and offered to help her with anything I could. We parted friends I think.

The next week was very hard. Yes, I can turn my emotions off in a crisis. However, that doesn't stop the pain, only defers it. Sure I was busy with work and lawyers. They were very interested in my evidence; particularly the voice recorder I retrieved from under the bed. It had picked up fairly decent conversations where the two lovers had detailed the extent of their planning to snatch the majority of the marital assets of the two households. Tracey was justifying it as her right and because of my earning capacity. Sure, the assumption in divorces was an equal split, but my guy informed me that judges had the capacity to go away from this and evidence of pre-planned skulduggery, often swayed them that way. Linda insisted on hearing the recordings as well. We were both stunned by her mother's planned vindictiveness. Linda actually rang her mother for an explanation, but got nothing to convince her that it wasn't just pure evil. I put on a brave face for Linda and a brave voice for my son when he rang, but I was struggling.