Don't Do Anything Stupid

This was my first attempt at writing a story about a cheating wife and though some people liked the premises of the story , many more found the end unsatisfying. So I rewrote some of the story, the bulk of the which remains the same though I did correct a few errors. I added quite a bit to the ending and hope you enjoy it. Again any and all comments are welcomed, it's the only way I can become a better writer.

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Standing at the window of the hotel room I stare out at the sunset thinking back to how this all started and how I ended up here. Sipping my vodka I feel the liquid burn as I swallow, just as my memories do of the last several weeks. Still I have hope that all is not lost. You see six weeks ago I discovered my wife of the last 12 years was having an affair. The way I found out was by accident, but isn't that the way most clueless husbands find out. By the way my name is Dave.

My wife Jamie and I met our Junior year in college and dated up until we graduated. I went into the Marine Corp. and she went in search of a job. I knew then I loved her but didn't want her to marry me while I was going to be stationed to God knows where. I felt it would be unfair to her.

So five years later after finishing my stint I came home and with in a few weeks landed a good job with a very large company in their sales group. It seems my boss was also a Marine and he likes to hire former military types as we tend to be more disciplined in our work ethic. I did well in my job and start to make a name for myself. During this time I decide to begin dating again so I checked out some online sites.

To my very pleasant surprise I found my college sweetheart Jamie on one of them. God she does look good in those pictures. Now Jamie doesn't have supermodel looks, but she does have a killer body. During college she took modern dance and was very much into staying in shape. And what a shape she has. She stands 5'6" with her legs of a dancer, not overly muscular but curvy. She has a very flat stomach, tight ass, and perky 34B breasts. She has long flowing rich brown hair that frames her face with those dark brown eyes and a smile that melts my heart every time I see it. She has that girl next door look, you know sweet and innocent, with just enough sexy thrown in for good measure.

I signed up as fast as I could and contact her immediately. It wasn't until a week later she responded asking where the hell had I been and why I hadn't called or at least emailed her over the last five years. If she was this pissed at me for not contacting her while I was in the Marines then she must have missed me. This was a very good sign.

Soon we were dating and pretty much picked up where we had left off in college. Within a year we were married and a year later we had our first child Rebecca. My job was going great although I was having to travel more but that was expected. Two years later we had our second daughter Amy. Since then I'd been promoted and we now have a very nice house in a good neighborhood with good schools. I still travel quit a bit, sometimes two weeks each month, but its what required for my job.

It wasn't until a few years later that Jamie started to ask when I wouldn't have to travel so much. She missed having me around and felt saver while I was home. I told her it was a necessary part of my job, that it won't be to much longer before I would be promoted to the next level and then I'd hardly be traveling at all and would be home more often. She accepted this but was not thrilled to see me go off on my next trip. I should have seen at that time there was trouble brewing but I loved and trusted my wife completely so I was blind to the first hints of a problem.

The first clue was us fighting about trivial things when I got back home. She would start by pointing out something that I had nothing to do with and then some how blame me for it. The 'If you were home more this wouldn't happen.' or 'We need you here and not gallivanting all over the country.' She did have a point, it just took me a while to realize it.

The second clue was when I found some of her new lingerie in the clothes hamper. I was looking for a shirt and came across some silk panties and a matching silk top. My wife has simple tastes and usually just wears a t-shirt and shorts to bed. Sweat pants if its colder. The only time I did buy her something nice from Victoria's Secret she wore it only once and never again. But those I found I'd never seen her wear and thought she bought them for herself.

The third clue was the lack of sex we were having. We usually had some pretty good sex, very romantic and energetic sex. But she was coming up with some excuses as to why she didn't feel like it. I was tired myself so at the time it didn't seem to be an issue. I figured once I wasn't traveling so much things would go back to normal. I didn't want to push her as I knew it would only make a bad situation worse.

The last clue was a kick in the gut and when first told I didn't want to believe it. A mutual friend of ours saw Jamie with someone while he was at a farmer's market in a town 40 miles away from where we live. He thought it was me because the two of them were holding hands and he had seen how playful they were with each other. Laughing , touching, and kissing. When he got closer to say hello he saw it wasn't me she was with. He turned quickly away before she could see him and walked away. He knew something wasn't right so he followed them for a while until they got in his car and drove off. I still remember that call.

My cell rang as I was just leaving a meeting, "Hello?"

"Dave? Its Frank."

"Hey Frank. Is this important? I'm in between meetings and really can't talk right now. Can I call you later?"

"Yeah that sounds good. Call me the first chance you get. Okay?" he said with some concern in his voice.

"I'll do that. Are you sure this isn't important?"

"No its fine just call me when you can. This can wait."

I hung up and went to my next meeting not thinking to much about the call as I didn't know anything and Frank would have told me if it were something I needed to be aware of right away. It wasn't until early that evening that I was able to call Frank back.

"So Frank what's up? What is so important that you felt the need to call me while I'm away?"

"I don't know how to tell you this but its something you need to know. I saw your wife out the other day and, well she wasn't alone." he paused waiting for me to say something.

"What do you mean? Was she with a friend of hers? I don't know what you're trying to tell me." now I was getting nervous.

"When I saw the two of them together I thought it was you she was with until I got closer and saw that it wasn't you. She was with another man and they seemed, well, like a couple. They were holding hands, laughing, and kissing. I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this Dave. But I think she's having an affair." those words hit me so hard I was numb.

"What makes you think that? I mean we're happily married. She has no reason to...." I couldn't finish that thought. Then the clues that I'd come across earlier started to make sense yet I still didn't want to believe it.

Frank brought me back, "Listen Dave I know this is hard to hear but I felt you needed to know about it as soon as possible. Maybe there is still hope to save your marriage. Look just tell me if you need anything, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah sure. I'll, I'll let you know. Thanks Frank." I hung up and sat on the bed trying to think if this was real or some kind of sick joke.

The more I thought about it the more I came to the realization that this could be likely. She had seemed distant the last few times I was home. As I considered the possibility of my wife cheating on me, the angrier I became. God I wanted to kill the bastard that was fucking my wife.

On the flight home I started to cool down and started to think more clearly as to what I needed to do. I still didn't have any hard evidence that she was having an affair and I had no idea of where to start. The first thing I did when the plane landed was to call Frank. He told me he had seen them together and I wanted to know more about the SOB she was with. The most important thing for me was that my daughters not find out that their parents were having problems. I wanted to save our marriage if it could be and keep our family together.

"Look Dave don't do anything you'll regret. I have a friend of mine who went through the same thing. Maybe you should talk to him to help you find the right way to handle this situation. I'd hate to see you get into any trouble or make things worse."

What Frank said made sense. I needed to take a step back and talk to someone who had been through the same thing and could provide some insight on how to prove or disprove that my wife is cheating.

"The best thing you could do right now is go home and act like nothing is wrong. If she suspects that you know something it will make it harder to get any evidence against her. I hope I'm wrong but I know what I saw that day." Frank was right.

By the time I got home I was able to compose myself enough so I could act normally around Jamie and the girls. It wasn't easy but some how I pulled it off. Over the next few days I started to look around the house for clues or telltale signs of her affair. Nothing jumped out at me but I had this feeling there was something I was missing. Frank called to see if I wanted to talk to his friend so I agreed to meet them after work at a bar across town the next day. I didn't want Jamie to know what I was up to so I told her I had some late meetings this week.

Entering this dive bar I found Frank and his friend sitting in a back booth each nursing a beer.

Frank looked up from his drink, "Hey Dave. This is Mark the friend I was telling you about."

We said hello to each other as I sat down across from Frank, neither one looked happy to be there.

Mark spoke, "Frank filled me in on your situation. I know how you feel right now but don't do anything stupid like I did." he looked hard at me. "My wife cheated on me with her boss and at first I tried to win her back but she didn't want anything more to do with me. So I took what revenge I could short of killing her and her fat ass boss. I ended up doing 5 years in prison and losing everything in the divorce to my wife and the lawsuit to her boss. So let me be clear, DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID."

I just nodded my head, "If you could have done things differently, what would you have done? I mean would you have still tried to win your wife back? Would you have divorced her from the start?"

"I would have gone after her boss but in a more subtle way so he wouldn't have seen it coming until it was to late." I could hear the contempt and hatred for the man that stole his wife in his voice. "As for my wife, knowing what I know now, I would have divorced her ass."

Then we began to talk about what I should and shouldn't do. First thing was to get as much damning evidence of my wife's infidelity so if and when I confronted her she could not deny it. Second was to talk to a divorce lawyer and see what assets I could protect and what rights I had in this situation. Third was to have a large amount of cash on hand in case she found out about what I was doing and places a freeze on all the accounts and credit cards. Forth was to get a small apartment or make other living arrangements so if I did decide to walk out I'd have a place to stay.

Those were all good ideas and suggestions, but I thought I could just talk to my wife and get her to stop. As soon as I started to say that Mark pounded his fist on the table.

"What part of 'don't do anything stupid' didn't you understand? I'm sure her new boyfriend is filling her head with how much he cares about her and that her husband is probably out on his trips screwing some young cocktail waitress or striper he picked up at some seedy bar. Look before you do or say anything to your wife you need to know what she has been doing and what she has been told by this asshole. Did you serve in the military at all?"

This question surprised me, "Yeah I was a Marine. But what does that have to do with this?"

"What's the one thing you want before going in to battle?"

I thought for a moment, "Good intel about your enemy."

"Damn right. So you need some good intel on what has been going on. You need to look at this as a battle and have a plan of attack. Of what you should do if something goes sideways. A plan to deal with the aftermath. You can not go forward if you don't know which direction forward is."

I sighed, "I just never imagined my wife would do this to me. We seemed so happy and....." I couldn't say it.

"It happens even in the best of marriages. I'm really sorry." Mark said quietly.

We sat not talking for several minutes until Frank spoke up, "So what do you want to do? How do you want to handle this?"

I knew what had to be done, "Well I want to keep my marriage together if that is still possible but what I want more than anything is to make that SOB suffer big time for trying to steal my wife. Something that won't involve prison time for me." Mark smiled at that last comment. "But first I need proof and intel on my enemy. Any thoughts or suggestions?"

"You should be able to get what you need on your own if you have the time and look carefully. Do not waste you money on a private investigator. I spent more money on them and got very little in return. You have access to her bank, credit card accounts, and phone records. First thing I would look for is if she has made any purchase or calls out of the ordinary. Also see if she has a second cell phone and if you can get any numbers off of it. Next you might want to set up some hidden video cameras around the house that can also record audio. Nothing like catching them in the act if they're doing it in your bed." I didn't like to think she had used our own bed with this asshole. Mark saw my face. "Sorry man I didn't mean to...."

I raised my hand, "Its okay I need to hear this if I'm going to make him pay."

We talked for another hour and I had taken some mental notes. One thing Mark had said was not to talk to anyone at work until I knew who she was seeing. It could be someone that knows my schedule and if I tipped my hand to soon the game would be up. Also he had said he would have been more subtle in going after his wife's lover and that started me thinking of a way to really screw this guy over. But I needed more information and help.

The following day at work I looked over my travel plans for the next month. I had two trips planned and saw one was only a couple of days. If someone here at work knew my schedule then I needed to be discreet about any changes I made to them. So I talked with my boss and said I may stay out at that client for the whole week and not just the two days. He didn't see any problem with that and even said that it was a good idea. The next thing was to make it look like I was out there but some how make it back un-noticed.

I purchased a prepaid debit card with cash and then used it to buy a return ticket on another airline. Then I got online and bought several spy cameras and a regular camera with a powerful zoom and good low light capability. This was part one of my plan, to see who this bastard is and find out as much as I can about him. The second part was to catch them in the act on video so there can be no question of her infidelity.

My day was spent plotting and planning which I'm very good at but I still lacked the most important piece of information I needed most. Who was this man? Until that was answered I couldn't trust anyone, even my best friend and boss Hal. I knew it would take some time to find out the name of this asshole but I would get it.

By the end of the week all the items I had ordered had been delivered to the Frank's home. Now I just needed the opportunity to place the spy cameras around my house. Jamie likes to go shopping on Saturday with our girls and her mother so that left the house all to myself. After several hours I had all the cameras in place and had tested them out. I could even access them from my tablet or laptop over the internet and see in real time what was happening.

With the cameras in place I went and searched the house for clues. First checking the credit card bills for any strange charges. Then going through her closets to see if she had purchased any new clothes that were more reveling or sexy. There were a few newer items and one that was a very short red dress that I had never seen her in. I would love to, but only for me and not anyone else.

My search didn't turn up any thing concrete but that red dress was a departure for her from what she normally wears. I was driving myself crazy and needed some time to think, so I put on my running shorts and shoes and went for a five mile jog. A long run always calmed my mind and I was able to think more clearly.

On my return I saw Jamie's car in the driveway and knew my angels were home. As I walked in I heard their voices and laughter which always brings a smile to my face.

I called out, "Jamie I'm back." then I was assaulted by my girls as the ran from the family room to tell me how their day was.

Jamie came out from the kitchen, "How was you run?" then kissed me on the cheek and shoed the girls away.

"It was good but I need a shower. What are we having for dinner?" I started to remove my shoes.

"Pork chops. Hope your hungry." she turned and walked back to the kitchen to finish cooking dinner.

After my shower and dinner we put our girls to bed and went to the family room to watch some TV. I didn't even notice what was on the screen as I thought about what she was doing while I was away on my trips. Again I was driving myself crazy so I said I was going to bed early. Once up in our bedroom I saw her purse on the hope chest at the end of our bed. Taking a chance I looked through it for any clues. Soon I found what I was looking for, a cheap cell phone that I didn't know she had. I turned it on and waited until it powered up. As soon as it was on I copied down the number then looked at the call log to see who else called her. There was only one number, so I copied that number down then shut the phone off.

This new found evidence caused me to now finally accepted the fact she was having an affair. I was heart broken and wanted to kill the bastard who was sleeping with her. Then Marks words rang in my head, 'Don't do anything stupid.' I had to be patient. My revenge on him would come soon enough.

I changed quickly and went to bed. When Jamie finally came up I pretended to be asleep not wanting to talk to her for fear of letting something slip.

The next few days were hard for me trying to act normal after finding some very damning prove. Finally the morning came when I was to leave for yet another business trip I went through my usual routine.

With my bags in the car I was about to head out, "So I'll be back in a week. You have anything special planned?"

She looked at me strangely, I'd never asked that question before, "Uh no just the usual."

Trying to salvage the situation my mind raced with possible explanation, "Well I thought you and the girls might do something that's all." then I said a quick goodbye and left.

Driving to the airport I wondered if the cameras I placed in our house would catch her with that SOB. I was hoping that she had enough decency to not have him in our own bed but then I was sure before all this started she would never cheat on me.

The next couple of days I finished up with this particular client in record time and was packed and getting ready to head back home. That night I was checking the video feeds from the cameras but saw nothing out of the ordinary. So I decided to review what was recorded earlier, this was a system that would start to record when someone walked in the room that the camera was set up in. It also had a unit that stored all of those recording from all the cameras which I could access remotely. I was fast forwarding thru that days recordings and in one Jamie was on her secret cell phone. I stopped and reversed the video until I saw her answer the phone and then played it at normal speed. I wanted to hear what she was saying, but the audio was very poor, but I heard enough.