There is some medical stuff in here. I made it all up
"We've done this sort of thing for many years Mr Moffet and the advice I'm going to give you is based on that."
I looked at Carl Black and nodded my understanding both of this advice and that it implied that Rachel, my wife of 17 years, was indeed having an affair.
"We have both photo and video evidence that Mrs Moffet is engaging in an extramarital affair. Don't look at that evidence unless you truly need to see. Accept that it exists but don't look at it. Give it to your lawyer but don't look at it."
I was disturbed that Carl felt he had to tell me three times not to look at. How bad could it be?
"As I said we've been doing this sort of thing for many years" he repeated "and when an affair is taking place it fits into a couple of categories. The first is a purely physical affair. When asked why those spouses typically answer 'it was just sex' -- sometimes they fail to understand why the cheated spouse is so upset by it.
The second category is a full emotional affair. It may include plans to divorce, or include behavior to demean the cheated partner. The reason's for this type of affair include they have 'found their soulmate' to 'they could get away with it', to 'it didn't take anything away from you' and everything in between."
"Mrs Moffet is, at best a severe instance of the second category. But honestly it feel like we've come across a rare third category. She has a total infatuation with her AP, her affair partner. "
Carl pushed a photo across to me. It looked like the sort of shrine you would see in a stalker movie.
"She keeps this next to where she sleeps" Carl explained quietly.
"What, is Rachel brain washed or something?"
"Mr Moffet as well as looking into the possibility of a cheating partners we sometimes accept jobs to help parents track down teenagers or young adults that have joined, to put it simply, a cult of some sort. When we do, the situation is typically that a highly charismatic individual has convinced them that some ideal lifestyle is the way to go. That is what you might imagine as brain washing. This is different."
"Her AP Jessie White is no such individual. I would describe him as a run of the mill pussy hound out to seduce any women that catches his eye. In my opinion he might have been able to seduce your wife, but this devotion, this treating him like some sort of religious figure is just plain weird. When she's with him there is a sense of euphoria about her, about the way she looks at him. About the way she speak to him."
"I'm not sure what your intentions might be going forward" he paused "but from what we've collected the only reason she hasn't started divorce proceedings is because it hasn't crossed her mind. She's too busy" he paused again "worshiping? I guess is the best I can describe the way Mrs Moffet is treating Mr White. I'm guessing here" he hedged again "that it may even go as far as abandoning her relationship with you, AND your children, rather than take time away from Mr White."
"Why...why's she doing this? Is he drugging her or something like, I dunno, a super ecstasy or something?"
"We wondered that as well but we haven't observed any narcotics. There is some alcohol consumed but not in a quantity that would cause this behavior."
The stresses of the last month and a half seemed to suddenly catch up to me. I felt exhausted, my head felt like it was on fire -- I could feel beads of sweat appear and make my hair feel like I had just washed it - my body ached and mostly I felt nauseous. "I think I'm going to vomit." I said as I sat there feeling unable to move. A small rubbish bin was urgently pushed in front of me.
"He's white as sheet, oh no, I think he's going into shock"
100 days later
Today is freedom day. There are two of us sitting in an office waiting to join the last minute conference call with the judge before she announces the end of the marriage with a bang of her gavel. Stress, anxiety, and lack of sleep have all taken a toll on me -- I can only imagine what I'd look like in a mirror.
