Tony paused once again to suppress his emotions as he began to choke on his words. That was the hardest moment of his life. It was harder even than telling his children that their mother had died.
"What was it that attracted you to Quentin Chalfont? The money? The cars? His charming personality? Did you want a piece of his lifestyle? I admit it must have been seductive especially when he took an interest in you. After all, you were a married mother of three, what man would be interested in a woman like that? Quentin Chalfont, that's who. He is famous for breaking up marriages and splitting up families. How could you have not known that? A cop on a cop's salary could never offer you what he could. What was less well-known was that he was a crazy mother fucker with a hatred of women, but I knew it. I tried to warn you. I tried to tell you that you needed to stay well away from him, but I couldn't get through to you."
"When the police arrived at the door at the crack of dawn, I have to say I wasn't surprised. I was sad, but I wasn't surprised. They tell me that he beat you unconscious with his fists then he smothered you with a pillow. He had abused many women before you, but his fancy lawyers and his money kept him out of jail. Not this time. Killing a cop's wife, even an unfaithful wife who had left him, causes the system to come after you. The DA says that they found an unsent message pleading for help on your phone. Who were you going to send that message to? To me? To another lover? If was to me, I would have come to rescue you, hell, I would even have let you stay in our home. Not for me, but for the kids. They missed you. I would have loved it if Quentin Chalfont had come to our home, then I could have put a bullet in his head, and it would have been legal. I suppose the law will have to take my revenge for me. Is that why he killed you? Were you going to leave him? Were you planning to come home? The police think that is why he killed you. He couldn't allow anyone to leave him."
"The DA is going for the death penalty. They want to send a message to any rich fucker, and domestic abuser who thinks they are above the law. Quentin Chalfont's place in hell was assured a long time ago."
"It will be your funeral in a few minutes. I will have to shed a few tears for show but to be honest, I have already mourned you and I am ready to move on. I began to mourn you the day you left. I have to say the Undertakers have done a terrific job. There isn't a sign of the bruising that I saw when I identified your body. I barely recognised you, but the Undertakers have made you beautiful again. You were always beautiful."
"As much as I have enjoyed our last conversation, Julia, saying goodbye wasn't the reason for my visit," Tony reached into the casket, gently lifted Julia's stiff arms, and slid a manila envelope under them so it was held tightly to her chest. "Divorce papers. Our marriage was over the moment you climbed into Quentin Chalfont's bed and spread your legs for him. I saw a lawyer a day after you left but I never managed to give them to you. I suppose I still hoped you would see sense and come home. I'm getting full custody of the kids, taking the house and I'm not paying alimony, but that shouldn't be a problem now, should it? I would appreciate it if you could sign them and get them back to me as soon as possible once you've arrived at wherever you're going. Goodbye, Julia, you have been served," Tony told his wife with a great deal of hostility.
Tony turned to walk away before he stopped and hung his head, putting his hand on his hips. He turned back around as a solitary tear slowly found its way down his cheek, "I did love you, Julia," he told her with great sadness in his voice. "I loved you with all my heart. I wonder if you ever realized how much you broke my heart when you began to cheat on me and how much damage you caused. I forgive you, Julia. I forgive you for the cheating because it doesn't really matter anymore, does it? But I can't forgive you for dying. The children are distraught. It was your choices that led to your death. If you had just left us or even left us for a different man then the children would still have a mother, but you didn't and for that, I can never forgive you. Goodbye, Julia, I will pray that you go to heaven and find forgiveness for your sins."
