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Authors note:
To those who have followed my work previously on this site, welcome back. Suffice to say that health problems necessitated my prolonged absence from writing, but that's in the past and I'm back once more. Thanks for your concern, feedback and comments.
To those reading my stories for the first time, welcome. I certainly hope you enjoy the following tale and your comments are always welcome. Now, on with the show.
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"They'll be ice skating in Hell before I'd agree to something as ridiculous as that, you cheating son of a bitch!" Angela McMasters screamed into her cellphone. With that outburst, the screen then read 'Caller disconnected'. With a shriek of rage and frustration, she flung the offending instrument at the bedroom wall where it shattered into fragments of plastic and printed circuits. She threw herself back on the bed crying in deep, racking sobs as her once idyllic world crumbled around her.
What had happened to the sweet, loving, thoughtful man she'd married all those years ago? Erin and she had met at a sorority mixer during their Junior year. He was pre-Med, she was studying accounting and finance. The attraction was immediate and they soon became lovers; enjoying each other at every opportunity and the sex was fantastic.
When they graduated they moved into a small downtown apartment near her new employment. Their love grew ever stronger and they were soon married. Erin had gone on to medical school while she secured a position as an investment analyst for a large mutual fund corporation. As the years went by, he became a successful orthopedic surgeon, she a senior partner in the firm.
She bore him two beautiful and loving children; first Megan, now a vivacious 22-year-old in her Sophomore year at State U, then Jeremy, now 18 and graduating high school this summer. He intended to enroll at State U in the Fall with a full Tennis scholarship. Erin was a responsible, but gruff and distant, father. He was devoted to his profession and was often gone for weeks at a time as a resident physician at Mother of Mercy hospital.
Angela was a devoted mother, working from home whenever possible, being there for her children whenever they needed her. Megan and Jeremy adored her and she them. Sometimes it seemed as if it was the three of them against the world.
She and Erin always had a healthy sex life from the beginning of their relationship; experimenting with various sex positions, toys and enhancements to make things more exciting. They both exercised when they could, ate healthy foods and maintained their weights in a sensible manner. Except for her post-pregnancies bustline and more prominent hips and buttocks, Angela could still have almost worn her cheerleading uniform and prom gown from high school of which she was quite proud.
Then she happened.
Eight months ago, Erin became more distant towards her. Meaningful conversations, teasing and having fun, interacting with Megan and Jeremy and, most importantly, being intimate became noticeably less frequent. He was spending increasing amounts of time at the hospital that he attributed to experimental surgery, an increasing workload and more government mandated paperwork. At first, Angela accepted it and felt sorry for him, then, as time went on, she became more irritated and finally became suspicious.
Talking with her girlfriends about matters at home, they consoled her as best they could and one of them suggested she hire a private detective to keep an eye on her husband. Reluctantly, she did so and after several weeks the woman returned with the sad news that Erin was indeed having an affair. Angela's heart sank as she read the detectives notes and leafed through the still photographs of her husband and his paramour out on the town and entering and leaving various hotels and motels in the area.
Laura, the detective, was sure the woman worked in the hospital as well but didn't know who she was. She figured they were even having encounters in the hospital, but the risk of her being discovered in that guarded environment while investigating was too great. Angela was curious as to who it could be, but Laura respected the woman's privacy and had carefully obscured her face in all the photos. The mystery woman was tall, slender, with a prominent bust line, long, shapely legs and chestnut hair that hung down past her shoulder blades.
Angela hired a divorce lawyer, then confronted her husband with the evidence of his transgressions. Realizing outright denial was useless, he confessed all, agreed to move out, collected his belongings and went to live with his girlfriend. The divorce procedures were going smoothly until one day he suddenly became obstinate and make outrageous demands before he would sign the divorce agreement. The latest of which he had nastily conveyed to her over the phone, sending her into a fit of rage that cascaded into a crying jag.
Five years ago, Angela was shocked and saddened by the death of her beloved Aunt Polly from liver Cancer; a cheerful woman who had outlived three husbands, birthed seven children and had been quite successful in fashion design, clothing manufacturing and product marketing. When Angela was a pre-teen and continuing when she became a college freshman, Aunt Polly would send Angela and her mother numerous examples of the latest fashions from her clothing lines. Angela was always the envy of her classmates when she wore her new clothing to school.
Several months after the funeral, Angela was contacted by her aunt's attorney and summoned for the reading of the will. She nearly fell off her chair when she learned her aunt had left her over ten million dollars in stocks, bonds, precious metals, jewelry and cash. Polly's offspring were furious, but the will was valid and as they soon discovered, unbreakable.
