This is my own sequel to the story "Something We Have To Talk About" by nici. As you can see, it's a bit different from her conclusion to it. Susan will learn a hard lesson in the process. I am also borrowing SEVERUSMAX's idea in the next chapter of using the theme from the Bonnie Raitt "Let's Give 'Em Something To Talk About" for Jonathan and a new woman. I thought that his idea fit Jonathan and the title well, the wordplay with nici's title would be too clever to resist, and it would allow Jonathan's future woman to be a little more eager to be with him, which would help his battered ego. In short, it was too witty to avoid as a title for the next chapter. However, this one is called, "What's Left To Talk About?" That seemed most fitting for the end of their marriage. It's a question that hangs in the air and Susan's inability to answer it will doom her marriage.
Susan's abrupt announcement that she was going to spend the night with her lover, Rich, was truly the last straw for Jonathan. He was so furious and hurt that he didn't give a damn whether or not he was able to keep a house anymore. He had to leave, for his own sanity's sake! That night, he packed everything and left a note for Susan and the children. It was very short.
*
Dear family,
I have not deserted you. However, I cannot tolerate how I am treated in my own house by my wife of 25 years. When I am informed that I must accept a cuckold situation in the name of helping some manipulative outsider, that I have nothing to offer a woman (from my own wife's lips, no less- very odd words for a woman who claims to love me), and that she will expect me to consider what she does with him to be "none of my business", I feel that there isn't much left to talk about. You want me to ask why, Susan? Why does why even matter? Why should the question "why" even count now? Neither why, whom, where, when, or how matters as much as the what of it.
That "what" is that you're unfaithful. You broke your wedding vows to me to "forsake all others", the only conditions under which I also agreed to "forsake all others". Do you actually think that I can "forsake all others" when I know that you won't? Furthermore, do you really expect me to "love, cherish, and protect" you, while you make it clear that you will not "love, honor, and obey" me? Were those words only binding on me in your mind when we spoke them? If I had thought so, I would never have spoken them.
To make matters worse, you seem to think me unreasonable and even hurtful for objecting to such unfair and cruel treatment at your hands, including giving to another man what you have denied to me. Well, I do not share your view. Nor will I let fears of being "taken to the cleaners" by my selfish whore of a wife, who flaunts her adultery as if it were a badge of honor, deter me from my new path. I am divorcing you. There will no counseling. There will be no more talk of reconciliation. Our differences are, to use legalese that your paralegal lover will grasp, "irreconcilable". You said that we had "something to talk about". We talked about it, alright, ad nauseum. What's left to talk about?
Your soon-to-be ex-husband, Jonathan.
P.S. Oh, and I'm fighting you for custody of the children. I have also made copies of this letter for the benefit of the court, so they will know my reasons. Since the children have no doubt read this too, it will hard for you to pretend that it doesn't exist. I imagine that the court will consider their views on where they wish to live, and I can only assume that they won't necessarily view your compassion on Rich to be a good reason to stay with you, especially since you are so cold toward me. I'll be going for sole custody, with you only getting visitation rights. Best to start out with a firmer line in negotiations, don't you think?
P.S.S. By the way, I plan to find a woman who will put me ahead of some third party and not cheat on me. I don't know how long that will take, given your low opinion of my potential as a lover and husband. However, I imagine that not every woman is as shallow as yourself. I shall have great fun testing that theory. You said that you'll put yourself ahead of me. Well, that's nothing new. You've always thought of everyone else ahead of me, especially yourself. I'm about to return the favor and think of myself for a change.
Susan read the letter with more than a little alarm when she returned that morning. Thankfully, the kids had been out for the night with extended family. He had chosen his moment of escape well. She now realized that her words had been a bit provocative and extreme, even if they expressed her thoughts. To her mindset, she was only doing what was best for all three of them: her, Jonathan, and Rich. A more selfish woman would surely have just left a blue-collar hick like Jonathan, right? Then again, was he a hick? Could a hick have written so eloquently about his rage and jealousy, as well as his refusal to wear a cuckold's horns?
That was another thought. It had never really occurred to Susan that she had turned Jonathan into an unknowing cuckold, nor that she was trying to turn him into a willing one last night. She had never really gotten into alternative lifestyles of any sort. This affair had not been planned when it started, after all. She had once been proudly faithful and monogamous. Without realizing it, she had humiliated her husband of 25 years and put him into a situation that he had given a rather blunt, but accurate name. Was it necessary to describe it in such stark terms, though?
Surely, this was different from the usual situation of adultery? She was acting out of understanding for a needy man, not with the intent of being cruel to her husband. However, without seeing what she had leapt into, Susan had in the process of helping Rich, dramatically angered and shamed her husband. She had essentially tried to emasculate the man, take away his dignity, and take over the marriage. Was that her real intention all along, and if so, was this simply a pretext?
What was worse was that the children might well see some form of this letter when they came. If she hid it, she'd still have to explain Jonathan's departure. Furthermore, given his postscript, she deemed it likely that he had made copies for them too, in case she had discarded this one. She had never thought him so persistent.
Well, she was still firm in her intentions. There was no backing out. It was still necessary, but she had to minimize the damage and see if she could win Jonathan back. It was no part of her plans to lose her husband, while helping Rich. However, how could she handle it? Well, angry speeches and lectures, such as last night's, wouldn't help. She would simply hurt him again, and then he would hurt her again, as he had last night. Maybe she was partly at fault for his hostility, given her own attitude last night. No man liked to be bossed around by his wife, or at least no man like Jonathan. She had forgotten what kind of man she had: he was no wimp by nature. He wouldn't tolerate such abuse.
Still, this was a unique circumstance, not normal infidelity, no matter how wrong her methods. Two wrongs didn't make a right, correct? So, she would not put up with a revenge affair. However, she had to retake the moral high ground and not do it angrily. She had to plead with him to understand. She had to beg his forgiveness for her past deceit and harsh words of hypocritical indignation at his suggestion. Then she had to urge him not to set out to hurt her by sleeping with other women for sheer revenge. She had to let him see that his motives would not be as justified as hers.
Most of all, she had to convince him that this was not a permanent double standard, so not really a double standard at all. It was a special case, an exception to the vows of marriage. That's how she had always deemed it. Only if she worded it right would she convince him to stay and not leave her. No more self-righteous anger or threats of financial ruin would be used. She would try to charm her way back into his arms. Surely, she would get him back with honey, rather than the proverbial vinegar that she had unwisely used last night.
She also had to reassure him that he was an attractive man. Clearly, her attacks on him had made him question his own sex appeal. What would she feel if he had done that to her? What if he had used vicious words to prevent her from having a revenge affair for his own act of compassion toward a lonely woman? Also, she had to present it that way. She would make it that she would understand if he had shown such empathy and had a love affair as a result. She had only spoken harshly because she found the idea of him taking revenge that way and using sex for that purpose to be repulsive. Maybe then he would know that there was no hypocrisy on her part.
Having convinced herself of this course of action, Susan set to work on finding Jonathan. She also thought that perhaps she should meet with Rich and get him to meet the man, once he was calmer. Perhaps if he met him, he wouldn't view him as a threat. He would understand why she had done so much for the man and wouldn't worry about minor details over sex acts that she had reluctantly enjoyed with Rich (though admittedly, she had enjoyed them- she just didn't dare try them with Jonathan afterward, for fear of awaking suspicion in him). It wouldn't hurt now if she promised to try them with Jonathan, so he didn't feel left out or betrayed, their marriage less important than her affair with Rich. That was, evidently, how he felt, right or wrong. She had to correct that painful feeling in him, persuade him that it wasn't true.
She was no longer shocked, either, that he didn't ask her why. Evidently, it wasn't because he didn't love her. It was because he was a hard-nosed, practical man who cared about concrete things more than emotional issues or excuses. She had hoped that he would ask, so she could explain it to him and make him understand what she felt, but had she really felt that at the time? Would she really have given him the same exemption that she asked from him in such a case? He would have reason to doubt it, given how she had put him down and threatened divorce, basically saying that any affair of his would be an insult to her on grounds of his ugliness. That wasn't really how she felt, was it, so why did she say that? She wanted to believe that she only wanted to discourage him from getting back at her in anger, from doing something to hurt her as she had hurt him. It was a protective instinct, a self-defense mechanism.
A rather nervous and shaky Susan dialed up Jonathan's old friend, Len MacDougal, a retired Teamster, originally from Nova Scotia. He was retired now and hadn't spoken to either of them in a few months.
"Hello, Susan? You seem a bit upset about something, Sue. What is the matter?"
"Jonathan wants a divorce," she stammered.
"Why on God's earth would he want to divorce a pretty thing like you? Do I need to straighten him out?"
"Well, I can't really blame him, though that's tempting. I've been having an affair, and I just told him about it."
"And he can't forgive you and go to counseling? I mean, that's not too smart of you to cheat on Jonathan. I don't know what would possess you to do that, Susan. He's always treated you well. Has he been working too much? You should both go to counseling, anyway, in either case," Len urged her.
"Well, I, um...uh..," Susan stuttered, reluctant to tell the worst.
What had possessed her to call him, aside from the hope that he might locate Jonathan? Would Len understand her point of view? It might be a good acid test for a third, impartial perspective. After all, he was close to both of them.
