Harrassment

"Yes I did. Why are you asking?"

"Just wanted to make sure that we didn't have a repeat of the last incident. Is the car with you now?"

"Yes. Its out in the parking lot."

"Is it OK?"

"Let me check."

We could hear Ken mumbling in the background as he checked the parking lot through the window. There were a few squawks and a low moan. He came back on the phone. "Something doesn't look right. I'll have to get dressed and go check. I'll call you right back."

"OK, but Mister Beauchamp, why aren't you dressed now?"

"None of your damn business. I have to go."

They both hung up. John looked at me and smiled. "Happy?"

"Of Course. Look, I have to get back to work. If you have any questions call me, OK. Maybe we'll have lunch again next week."

"I hope not. This will have to end soon before somebody gets hurt."

I went back to work. Roy had the logs in ship-shape condition, and Freddy had dumped the acid bottles where they wouldn't be found. Tonight at home would be interesting. Janice had picked up the boys, but said nothing and went to bed early again.

John came to see me the next day. He explained all the damage done to the car, and that Ken's insurance was pending since the Corvette incident. The car was totaled. He was out over sixty thousand dollars. Ken insisted that I had something to do with it, even after John told him that I was with him when it happened. Of course John knew I had a part in it, but couldn't prove a thing, and I don't think he wanted to. I don't know how Janice was getting her tires fixed. I never asked and no one ever volunteered.

Since Janice had never come clean about the whole situation, I decided it was time to end it all. My STD test came back OK. I had filled out the paper work for the lawyer to get started on the divorce.

I was planning on going out to the Gilbert's ranch this weekend with the boys, just in case Cindy was there. If not, we would spend the day with Marge. The only loose end, was that I still didn't have any proof of the extramarital sex.

The weekend was good. Cindy was there. The kids were ecstatic, and we all had a great time again. We were like a family. I really missed that, and so did the boys. Cindy still didn't know anything about what was going on, but at least she didn't ask. Before I left, Marge winked and said everything will be OK.

I was offered a new position about 100 miles away. It was for more money, a better job, and the option to buy into the business in a few years. It was perfect. The only bad point, was that we would not be near Cindy.

The next Wednesday, Janice did her dress up thing again. I don't know what her boy friend was using for a car, but she was definitely getting ready for another visit with him. I assumed they were still going to the same place. I was going to have to do something, but I really hadn't planned ahead for it. The guys and I were trying to figure out what to do, when Marge Gilbert drove up.

She motioned for me to come over and told me to get in the car. She didn't say anything, but just drove down to the plant. She parked in the back and we went in by a private entrance straight to Mister Gilbert's office. Marge went through the introductions, and his secretary brought us all coffee. We talked about frivolous stuff for a while, and finally I said. "Did you bring me here for a reason?"

Mister Gilbert laughed. "It is time to bring this show to a close. Marge has briefed me on what is going on, and I had a little in-house investigation done. As soon as everything is in place, we will get started. We should have all the information you need by the end of the day. If I do anything to embarrass you Bill, I apologize ahead of time. It is not my intention to do anything to hurt you.

We chatted a little more to kill time, and Marge could see me smile when the talk turned to Cindy. I was trying not to be obvious about it, but I did a poor job.

The phone rang and everyone's ears perked up.

"What's going on? OK. Thanks for the call. You know what to do now, right?"

Mister Gilbert smiled and said: "OK, everything is in place. We can get started. Ken and your wife are in their regular room at the Holiday Inn. Ken drove a company Benz to get there. That is against company policy, so it is being brought back to the plant right now. I am sorry to say but I think your wife also has a couple of flat tires. It appears to be some type of tradition."

He put the phone on speaker and dialed the room.

"Ken, this is Mister Gilbert. Sorry to disturb you, but I have to discuss a very important matter with you."

Ken sort of stuttered and stammered a little. "Yes, OK. No problem. How did you get this number?"

"Ken, that's not important, but what is important is that the legal department was notified of a possible sexual harassment situation. It is necessary for me to get correct answers here Ken, so listen carefully. Is there a female company employee there with you now?"

There was a pause, and some background conversation that we couldn't make out. "Yes sir, there is."

"Ken, is she there of her own free will or is she there because of some coercion or threatening on your part?"

"No sir, absolutely not sir. There was no coercion of any type at all. She is here of her own free will. I didn't force her to do anything."

" The sex is all consensual then?"

"Yes sir, absolutely. Its all consensual."

"That's great Ken. Thanks. That's all I needed to hear to straighten this mess out. I really appreciate your honesty on this touchy subject. We'll get a statement ready to attest to that, and we'll be all set. Now, I need to also verify it with the young lady. Will you put her on please?"

There was a flurry of background noise again that we couldn't make out. Finally, Janice came on the line.

"Sir, how can I help you?"

"Janice, did Mister Beauchamp coerce you or threaten you in any way to get to go there with him?"

"No sir. He didn't threaten me in any way."

"That's good to hear. Then the sex was consensual, and you were not intimidated in any way. Is that correct?"

There was a pause again, and lots of muffled speaking. Janice came back on the line. "Yes sir, it was consensual."

"That's good to hear. When you and Ken get back to the plant, we will have the statements ready for you to sign. Can you put Ken back on please?"

"Sir. How did you know my name?"

"Don't worry about it Janice, it's not important."

After Ken came back on the phone, Mister Gilbert told him to return to the plant so they could sign the papers in the legal department. He hung up the phone and smiled.

"Marge, why don't you take Bill out for lunch and come back in a couple of hours? The legal people should be done by then, and we can all get our lives back to normal."

We had a great lunch. I had a hard time not gushing, but I just couldn't thank her enough. She finally made me agree that we would not talk about the subject, or what was done, ever again. She also made me promise not to say anything at all to Cindy about it. That was a good sign. I told Marge about my new job offer and she was glad for the boys and me.

After lunch, we returned to the plant and I picked up notarized copies of Ken and Janice's statements. They both swore that they had consensual sex outside of their marriage. The legal people assured me that that was enough for my lawyer to lock in the divorce. Ken and Janice were both fired. Their personal belongings were packed before they got there, and they were escorted out of the building. Unfortunately, neither one of them had a car.

Marge gave me her car to use, and said I could return it the next day. I dropped the papers off at the lawyers. She made me several copies of each: one set I was going to send to Ken's wife. I went to the bank and closed the accounts. I paid off all the credit cards and cancelled them. I called the gas, water, electric, and phone companies and arranged to have the utilities turned off on Friday afternoon. I stopped by to see John Fritz, and told him I had been a good boy. He laughed. I notified the landlord, I would not be staying the next month. I gave notice at work. They were glad for me, but unhappy about my leaving. Freddy followed me to the Gilbert ranch with my truck so I could return Marge's car. It was time to pick up the boys and head home. I dreaded walking through the door.

Janice's car wasn't in the driveway. She was sitting on the couch crying when we got in. This was the first time she had shown any emotion at all. Two file boxes of her personal stuff from work were sitting there. I fed the boys and turned on the TV for them. I stood by her as if to give her an opportunity to speak if she wanted to.

"You had to do it. Didn't you? You just had to screw up everything in my life? Why the hell couldn't you just mind your own business? You had no justification to meddle in mine?"

I was amazed. She still looked at the whole situation as if it all revolved around her. She cared nothing about the children or me. She gave no thought at all to Ken's wife, Amy. Our family, our life, and our plans, all meant absolutely nothing to her. Her only concern was what she was doing at the moment. Nothing else mattered. I was relieved that I wasn't going to spend the rest of my life with her. I didn't say a thing. I went up and took a shower. Later, while I was getting the boys ready for bed, she went into the bedroom and closed the door.

The next day, I took the boys with me to work. I just made sure that there were no loose ends and that Roy and Freddy were able to keep up with the system I had set up. We went to some stores and collected boxes for the move. I drove by the Holiday Inn, and Janice's car was gone, so I figured she had it repaired by now. Fixing flat tires must have put a big dent in her shopping budget for the last month. Janice wasn't home when we got there. We were only taking clothes and toys. I left everything else there for Janice to get rid of. Of course, she didn't know that by the next day, all the utilities would be turned off. Damn I was a mean son-of-a-bitch. As we were pulling out of the driveway, Janice was parking. She just stood by her car and watched us drive down the street. I took the boys to Chucky Cheese, and we spent the night at a motel.

The next morning, I took the boys to day care. I gave Carol some cookies and party favors, and told her it was the boy's last day and I wanted them to enjoy it with their friends. Before I left, she took me aside.

"What was the deal with your wife last week? I didn't want to ask but since you are leaving, I am dying to know. She was very upset when I called. She insisted on knowing where I got that number, and when I told her you gave it to me, she started swearing like a sailor. She didn't say anything when she picked them up, but I could tell she was really pissed."

"I'm sorry, Carol. I sort of set you up. Janice was having an affair. She was at the Holiday Inn with her boy friend, and I was hoping if I got you to call and interrupt their party, that she would have second thoughts about the whole thing. It didn't work. She just ended up getting mad at both of us. I am serving her with divorce papers this afternoon, and the boys and I are leaving for a new job right after I pick them up. It was a cheap shot on my part, and I apologize for getting you involved."

I went to see my divorce lawyer. She had everything ready. I was getting the kids, and Janice would have visitation rights any time she wanted. That was fine with me, because I didn't think she would be interested in them anyhow. Everything else was split fifty-fifty, but there wasn't much to speak of. There was no alimony, no child support, and no cash settlements of any type. I left her all the furniture, appliances, and household stuff. I really didn't want them. She kept her car. I didn't want it, because it kept getting flat tires. All I had to do was hand the papers to Janice. Unless she contested it, everything would be final in three months. A copy of Ken and Janice's notarized statement was attached to the divorce paper work. A small margin note the lawyer made, indicated that the statements would be kept private if all the terms of the divorce were agreed upon. There were no questions.

The car was in the driveway, so I was sure she was home. I sat in the driveway for the longest time. I had loved Janice. She was the only girl I was ever close to. I figured our relationship was normal and had not even given it a thought that I was not providing what she was craving. She never let me know directly and I was too dense to pick up all the clues. I had failed her is so many ways. What she did was deceitful on her part, but I felt some of it was because of my inattention. I knocked on the door of my own house, and it felt weird. She opened the door for me. She looked tired. She asked if I wanted anything to drink.

I handed her the papers. She didn't open them. Just looked at them and back up at me.

I looked at her and said: "Why?"

I couldn't tell if she was mad or sad. After a few seconds she finally opened up.

"He smelled like aftershave, you smelled like fertilizer. He wore Armani suits, while you wore jeans. He ate lobster and steaks, while you ate ribs and burgers. He had a London Fog Overcoat, while you wore a Carhartt. He drove a nice fancy car, while you drove a truck. He had manicured nails, while yours were always dirty. He had a real job, and you were still just a farm boy. Is this enough for you? I can go on all day if you like. I was hoping for a life that you couldn't give me. I am sorry that we got married, Bill. I married you for the wrong reasons. I should have realized that you would not be willing or able to give me what I really wanted. I saw you as a means of getting away from my parents, and didn't think far enough ahead. I am truly sorry for that, but can't change the way I feel. I love my children, but I regret having them. I know that sounds terrible, but I do not seem to have a motherly instinct. I was hoping that by finding someone who could fill the empty holes in my dreams, that I would feel satisfied, but it just made me less satisfied with my present situation. I am sorry I misled you. I am sorry I was a poor mother to my children. I am not sorry for chasing my dreams and looking for something better."

"What about his wife? What about your husband? What about your children? What about your family?"

Her demeanor seemed to change immediately. My questions made her mad and she no longer appeared to be sorry for her actions.

"I don't give a shit about any of that stuff. It's my turn. I want to live the life I always dreamed of. A farm boy husband and two dirty-faced, snot-nosed kids don't do anything to help me get there. I got your damn papers. Now just leave so I can get on with my life."

Well that made things easy. I just turned and walked out. When I picked up the boys, Carol said to let her know if I needed her to make any more phone calls.

I called the utility companies and told them not to disconnect till the end of the month. I guess I felt a little sorry for her.

The divorce was final in three months. I never heard a thing from Janice. The lawyer said everything went smooth as planned. My new job was great, however, I missed out on getting a chance to buy the business. Somebody else got it along with a quarter section of prime land attached to it. My boss said they were going to turn it into some kind of horse-breeding farm. My job was safe, but my chance at owning my own place took a set back.

Two weeks later they started construction next to the feed store. We were all trying to guess what was being built, and finally one of the guys asked the site engineer. It was a vet clinic for large animals. I thought that was interesting, but dismissed it as wishful thinking. They got the whole building up in less than sixty days. The new owner was due to show up Saturday. The boys and I went by on the way to lunch. I was a little curious.

All of a sudden both the boys started yelling, "Cindy, Cindy."

There she was, looking better than ever. Marge was with her. Cindy had gotten her vet degree, and wanted to raise show-horses while she ran a large animal clinic. She was showing the boys around the new building while Marge and I talked. We all went to lunch together, and Cindy told us that she was also building a new house on the property so she could be close to her work. The boys and I were grinning ear-to-ear all the way home that night.

Five years later, Cindy was raising beautiful horses. Her clinic was a big success, and I had just opened my sixth feed store. The boys had two baby sisters that they adored. My mother-in-law Marge, and Mister Gilbert come by every weekend. I never learned what his first name was. Janice never came to visit the boys.