Why Stay

I watched as my wife started her third dance with her boss. I grabbed her pocketbook and walked on the dance floor.

My blood started to boil as I watched them together. I could feel as if my heart was being carpet-bombed. To make matters worse, the whole world could see what she was doing to me. One dance was sure to be polite, but three? That was just rubbing salt in the wound! What am I to make of this situation? Should I just stand here and do nothing? Look like a fool? No, there is no way I can just let this pass like nothing is happening!

I pulled on her arm and said, "We are leaving Nance.".Her boss, Robert Strange, touched my arm. Strange said, "Nancy is staying the night."

He fell to the floor as I pulled my wife toward the door. At the same instant, a loud noise occurred. I had given Robert a charge from my Laser in my coat pocket.

I had a friend take Robert's picture lying on the floor. I captioned the photo "Robert's big sex night." I made sure the image was sent to all his friends, along with a picture of Robert taking it up the ass, which I did not have any problem composing. He had taken something I deeply cared about in this world, my wonderful wife, and acted as if I did not exist. Or was that part of what he enjoyed about taking her from me, knowing he was hurting me, knowing that she was already my wife? What made him think he should be allowed to get away with such outrageous behavior? I was snapped out of these thoughts by a voice... Nancy's voice.

Nancy yelled, "What are you doing?". I said, "I will not allow you to humiliate me. Tomorrow, I will file for divorce, but tonight, you will go home with me and stay the night. If Bob comes over, I may have to kill both of you." There was a big smile on my face. Still, I wasn't joking. After over a month of built-up emotions and stressing myself out to ripping out my hair, this was the big release. Trying to tell myself that things were going fine and we would make it through this, but tonight, this was the last straw. How could I possibly tolerate this?

I should start at the beginning when things start to go sour.

Six weeks ago, Nancy was promoted to Roberts's secretary. I had pleaded with her not to take the job. I told her, "Robert has a reputation. He has slept with everyone who was his secretary. He also enjoys humiliating their husbands. I am sure that job will lead to our divorce." Well, you know what they say: being right is overrated. If only I had been wrong on this occasion; sadly, the events unfolded as I had predicted. I imagine Nostrandomas was not happy with all of his future predictions, either.

Nancy replied that it was just rumors and nonsense. She said she loved me, and Brad Pitt could not seduce her. Well, he couldn't, but Robert could. Soon, she was working late, planning on going to a conference with Bobby, her new name for him and spending some time on weekends with Bobby.

When I complained, she commented, "Adjust. We have a good life. My salary is terrific. I still love you. Our life is much better with Bobby in it."

When I suggested divorce, she just laughed. A divorce will lower your lifestyle, so get over your ego and enjoy it.

What was she saying? How could this even make sense? Was I meant to be happy about this whole setup? No, that is not what is going to happen here!

I hired a private investigator who collected all the evidence I needed. Robert and Nancy did not even try to hide their affair. The PI told me that was Roberts's style. I let the husband know so he would feel humiliated.

I started to hatch a plan. Why shouldn't he have to feel the same pain that I felt? I had felt the same way every day since she took that awful position as his secretary. I could think of only one solution...

I decided that Bobby should learn how to handle humility. The first thing I did was to cut off Nancy from all affection and sex. I also went to diners and restaurants to eat. I only slept in my room in the house.

I never responded When Nancy explained that it was only a brief affair. I wouldn't talk to her. I just smiled and left the room.

The copy of a letter from the state's health department claiming he had an STD, in which the recipient's name was changed to Robert Strange, was hung in all the bathrooms in his office building.

The picture with him on the floor and his anal pose was sent by e-mail to all on his contact list.

Pictures of him kissing other men and giving a hand job were also distributed.

A letter was passed on to all with a note about how he liked to seduce married women and that he was lousy in bed, so they soon dumped him. The note said, "Say hello, Bobby, I loved your pictures," whenever you meet him in the building.

After all my work, Nancy came to me and asked if I was the person ruining Roberts's reputation. I smiled but had yet to answer her. I hung up everything I had sent on the wall in my home office.

Eventually, Bobby and Nancy visited me at home and asked me how to stop the harassment. I smiled and said, "I loved your pictures, Bobby." I said with the same smirking grin that he gave me after he danced all night with my wife in front of me and everyone else, totally humiliating me and shoving their affair in my face. But then he got angry...and lunged at me.

He grabbed me by the neck, and I gave him a strong shot from my Laser.

I told Nancy, " I want a fair divorce." You get half the house and half our savings. You keep everything else, including your 401k. I keep everything else, including my 401k."

Nancy shouted, "I do not want a divorce. Bob and I are finished. It was a nothing affair."

You had a fling with a man who is bisexual. He has an STD and is promiscuous with both men and women.

You and Bobby humiliated the wrong man. I will humiliate him whenever I find a way to make Bobby look stupid.

You have lost a good husband. That is your punishment.

Epilog

I got my divorce. Bobby was fired. Nancy could not stand the embarrassment. The entire story got around. People started saying to her," Hello Bobby, I love your pictures," whenever they met her in the hallways.

She found a job with a different company.

I married an incredible woman.

I met Ruth at a book club I was attending, hoping it would clear my mind. I had been meaning to go for ages, but this whole affair has been taking up all my time. Nancy was never interested in going with me. Now that it is over, I finally decided that I am allowed to have some personal freedom and finally went to this book club.

The book of the month was Hamlet. When I got to the meeting, there was a lovely woman sitting in the room. She smiled when she saw me and asked me if I was there for the book club, seeing as how I had the book in my hand. I told her that I was and was looking forward to meeting everyone. She kindly introduced me to the rest of the group, but she definitely stood out there.

As the discussion went on about Hamlet's character and reached the "To be or not to be" monologue, some people were unsympathetic to his plight, but she was the one who said that contemplating existence and whether or not the good outweighs the bad is one of the essential questions we have to wonder about in our lives.

After the club, I asked her if she would like to get a cup of coffee with me. To my great pleasure, she said yes. As we talked over coffee, I learned more about her. She was sweet and kind.

We talked for two hours about our lives and our favorite books.

In the coming weeks and months, I will be excited to learn that she was great in many ways. You could both have a nice night eating Chinese food while watching the movie. She also liked finding different little adventures like going to Botanical Gardens or Aquariums. Sometimes, it was as simple as just taking a walk to the park and enjoying feeding the ducks. We enjoyed many joyous years together.