Caught Wet Handed
Dear Auntie Amy,
I recently discovered my husband of 16 years in bed with his 23 year old secretary. I suspected something was up for months, so I hired a private investigator. He showed me multiple photos of them checking into hotels during lunch breaks.
When I confronted him, he lied and said it was a once-off. Now I just feel so betrayed. I told him to move out and he didn't object. I think he even moved in with her. My heart is completely broken. Now I drink during the day and cry whenever I think about him. I want to call his company and tell them what has been going on.
I honestly thought he was my soulmate... What should I do?
L
Too easy.
My fingers moved on autopilot, writing at least the hundredth iteration of basically the same message.
Dear L,
First of all, I am so, so sorry you went through that. You deserve FAR better...
Blah blah blah.
When I started writing agony aunt responses for WifeAndMom.com, it was purely a paycheck. It seemed my naive dream of writing the great American novel had a very tangible (and very reasonable) price. My editor suggested that my Japanese name would probably be 'less relatable'. With that, Asami Taylor became "Auntie Amy"!
You don't get a Master's degree in English Lit and fantasize about consoling divorcees or suggesting fellatio technique (...thank God for pseudonyms!). As I continued to write, however, I came to believe that I was helping these women deal with and overcome their difficult situations.
I'd be lying if I said my ego didn't mushroom somewhat for a period of time.
Luckily a few follow-up emails informing me how my advice had fucked up some of the readers' lives even worse brought me back down to Earth.
One woman told me that my advice to try a threesome had led to her boyfriend leaving her for the other woman... who became pregnant within weeks. The new couple had even become born-again Christians.
That one still makes me shudder.
Since then I swore simply to 'do no harm'. To be non-directing but comforting, understanding but realistic, empathetic but empowering. I don't want to create legions of embittered women or capitalize on misery if I can help it.
So I hammered out a safe, boilerplate response to L... in roughly 5 minutes.
Just as I was about to click Save, my laptop beeped loudly and my screen went black.
Oh shiiiiit!
The hum of the laptop slowly faded and died.
Noooooooo!
... You motherfucker!
I tried pressing the power button but to no avail. I pressed it again. Still nothing.
Sadly, that was the extent of my IT expertise.
What the hell was I going to do? I needed to submit my work by noon tomorrow or I wouldn't get paid.
Hmmmm...
Ahhhh!
Ryan!
"RYAN!?!" I yelled upstairs.
"WHAT!?!" my son yelled back.
"CAN I BORROW YOUR MACBOOK? MINE DIED!"
"UHHHH.... GIMME... A... MINUTE!"
I chuckled to myself.
Probably closing Pornhub as we spoke.
After a couple of minutes, my tall, handsome 18-year-old son came downstairs, laptop and cable underarm.
"Here ya go Mom," he said, his brown eyes half-hidden behind his messy black curls. Luckily he had gotten his father's wavy hair. At 6'1, my son was a handsome young man. He had a chiseled jaw, and a slim build, ideal for his rocker fashion sense.
I had met Aaron, Ryan's father, in college. Despite warnings from my conservative Japanese family about marrying a white man, we had tied the knot at 22... and untied it by 28. I really hated proving my parents right.
"Thanks, sweetie, you're a lifesaver!" I kissed him on the cheek. He blushed and turned back upstairs, his long legs taking them two at a time. After a minute, I heard him practicing riffs on his electric guitar. I sat at the kitchen table, opened the laptop, and resumed my work.
An hour later, I had submitted 6 pieces. I needed one more to fill my weekly quota.
As I perused the website's inbox, I kept an eye out for kinky subject lines. I liked to spice up the content with at least one unusual or salacious topic.
My daughter dumped her boyfriend of 5 years and has started dating an older woman.
Hmmm.
Not bad... but I had one lesbian piece already this week.
I continued scanning.
I can only climax when I'm being humiliated.
I heard my editor's voice in my head. "Too extreme for the average WifeAndMom..."
I kept looking.
One in particular seemed to catch my attention.
I found my son's porn folder. Now I can't look him in the eye.
... Hmmmm!
Hello.
Certainly, a topic I hadn't covered before... and with just the right amount of deniability for readers. They could pretend they were shocked or outraged, while secretly loving the sordid details.
I clicked into the mail.
Hi Auntie Amy,
I recently found videos on my son's laptop of stepfamily porn... including a lot of stepmother and stepson content. I don't know why he would like that as he is the only son of me and my husband (who are happily married). What really turns my stomach is that some of the women in the videos slightly resemble me! Ever since I found them, I can barely look at him or even have a conversation. Could it just be a phase? I'm starting to wonder whether he is mentally disturbed. I don't know what to do.
Please help!
Mom in need
Shit!... that's a toughie.
I liked it.
It was the kind of piece that could go viral.
I sat back, closed my eyes, and allowed my mind to wander. Usually, I found it best to imagine myself in their shoes.
So... what would I do if Ryan liked that kind of stuff?
Jesus.
I mean... for all I knew, he could. The thought was not a pleasant one.
My fingers caressed the keyboard as they awaited inspiration.
How could I properly answer a real plea for help if I couldn't imagine myself in that situation?
Self-doubt crept in as I began to hit keys.
Dear Katy,
Thank you for your mail...
Then... nothing. My mind was blank.
... Shit.
I looked at the clock. It was almost midnight.
Hmmm.
Sometimes sleep helped me come up with more creative solutions to tricky letters.
I sighed softly.
Fuck it.
I'd try again. first thing in the morning.