Some Things Are Meant to Be

When I read novels like this, I have a tendency to skip over the love scenes because that stuff just doesn't add to the story for me. However, as I read my book tonight I read every word, sex play and all. Some of the details of the wife's affair were vividly portrayed. When I finished reading two chapters I closed the book and silently asked myself, "Could she really do that sort of thing while we are married? Is that what she did this afternoon, or did she really go shopping? I don't think I could ever have and affair," I concluded, "but now I truly wonder about Colleen."

One of the subplots in the book that I was reading was framed around the wife's strong desire to get out of her marriage without being exposed for the adulteress that she was. So she hired a Private Investigator to spy on her husband for two weeks. Her lover helped her out financially (so her husband wouldn't suspect) and even recommended the guy she chose to spy on her husband.

I finished reading at the point in the book where she had just received word from the PI that her husband was indeed cheating on her. The whole matter took only a few days, instead of two weeks, and the PI turned all his evidence over to her at the end of the chapter. I didn't know how she was going to handle what she had learned, but she was delighted to find that her husband was vulnerable to losing his shirt in the event of a divorce. I wondered if that could be me one day soon. I wanted to read on but I was too tired.

As I went upstairs to bed, I remembered that Walgreen's bag and wondered what it contained. I went into the bathroom, closed the door and looked around. I found the bag and the receipt in the waste can. I quietly retrieved it and looked at the receipt. All it had on it was one entry listed for Tylenol ® Night Time tablets. I looked in the medicine cabinet and saw the new bottle. I was relieved.

I had decided to get up with the family tomorrow instead of sleeping in so I went to bed in our bed. Colleen was still out and didn't budge when I pulled back the covers and lay down. She was dead to the world again, just like last night. I wondered how many tablets she had taken.

As I lay there, I determined to be more involved with my family and much more aware of what was happening in our lives.

CHAPTER SIX

Monday and Tuesday came and went. Colleen met her classes, did her usual things around the house, and seemed normal with the children. She seemed to be lost in thought at times. I wondered if she was feeling depressed. Each night she had taken her sleeping pills and had gone to bed earlier than usual. Wanting to have more family time, I got the guys at the shop to cover for me and I took off work so I could tuck Jill and Jack into bed and read them their stories.

By Wednesday morning of that week, I couldn't bear it any longer. She had been acting too perfunctorily and it was bugging the hell out of me. I felt that we needed to resolve some issues.

I knew that Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays were days when she had a big hole in her teaching schedule from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. She had no classes during those hours and would often use that time to run errands or come home for a while.

She was in the bathroom, so I walked up behind her in the bathroom put my hand on her waist. She tensed a bit but didn't reject me. I looked over her shoulder into the mirror in front of us and said, "Colleen, I love you and I want to try to work this out. I don't know all that's going on but I believe that whatever is happening is not good for us as a couple. If it's possible, I want to prevent anything from happening that would destroy our marriage."

She stared back at me in the mirror and asked, "What do you think might happen?"

"I'm not sure," I responded, "but I have come up with several scenarios that I don't like."

"Well, are you thinking that I have decided to leave you, Ed? If so, I haven't yet, have I?"

"Don't be sarcastic, Colleen. You know as well as I that there are numerous other things that could happen even if you didn't leave me," I responded.

"Like what," she queried?

"Colleen, why are you playing games? You know as well as I do what can happen. You could have an affair, for one thing. Some of our divorced friends who had affairs convinced themselves that it would actually help their marriage. What a crock of crap that kind of thinking proved to be. I don't buy it and I could never accept it if you chose to go that route, no matter what."

"Is that all you're interested in, whether or not I'm going to have an affair?"

"No," I replied, "that is not all. That's only the tip of the iceberg, Colleen. I want to know what has driven you to the point that you could viciously lash out at me as you did without any hint of regret. I want to know what's wrong with our marriage that we haven't been working on. I also want to know what Bill could say that would make you turn against me and make me out to be the enemy."

She moved forward and turned to face me. "Why would you think Bill turned me against you? He simply helped me see our life as it really is and to understand the truth about things I was not aware of. Now, you'll have to excuse me. I must get the children to school and go to work. If you have more on your mind, we can talk about it later. Okay?"

I could hardly believe her patronizing tone of voice, but I wasn't finished.

"Nothing is okay, Colleen. How about meeting me for lunch sometime during your four-hour break today. If we're going to salvage our marriage, we need to start talking now rather than later."

"Uh, I can't work you in today," she said. "It's not a good ... what I mean is, I already have an appointment with someone."

I noticed she had sort of fumbled with her words, but I didn't really pick up on it.

"Who is that," I asked?

She paused for a moment, then she said, "Uh... Dean Schmidt."

I couldn't figure out why the two of them would need to meet unless they were working on a school-wide project together. So I asked, "Dean Schmidt ... the head of the Business Department? Why would he need to meet with the Acting Dean of Music?"

"I'm not sure," she replied. "He just asked me to come see him today."

I turned and walked away. As I went downstairs, it occurred to me that even the college was another source of people who might want to have an affair with Colleen. What world had I been living in that it had never occurred to me before? How could I possibly watch her all the time if she were to decide to fool around on me? I was acting paranoid. I knew that I couldn't keep thinking thoughts like that or I'd drive myself crazy.

Colleen had blown me off when she said, "I cannot work you in today." She had a four-hour break. Why couldn't she work me in for at least one hour? I had tried to set up a time to talk with my own wife and she had made me feel like I was just another prospective appointment. My stomach was in knots and my mind was spinning as I left for work.

After I arrived at the shop, I decided to do something I had not done for some time. I went to a florist in the mall and asked them to prepare an arrangement of one dozen roses. I said I would pick them up around noon during my lunch break. I picked them up, as promised, right after noon, and I drove to her college to deliver them. I honestly didn't have an ulterior motive when I decided to do it. As Colleen says, sometimes things are just meant to be. You'll see why I brought that up.

As I walked down the corridor that was Dean's row, I came to Dean Schmidt's office. I could see that he was talking with a student and Colleen was not there. When I turned around I realized that his office was located directly across the corridor from Colleen's office. In fact, the way they were positioned, they could see into each other's offices when the doors were open. It was 12:35 PM, and Colleen was not in his office, so I surmised that her meeting with Dean Schmidt must be over.

I turned and walked into Colleen's office. Her secretary greeted me, and I said, "My wife said she had a meeting with Dean Schmidt during this break time. Is she finished or is the appointment for later?"

"No," she replied. "She isn't scheduled to have a meeting with Dean Schmidt to my knowledge, and I'm usually one of the first to know things like that."

"Well, I am certain that's what she said, but I see that she's no longer there, or here for that matter. Do you know where she is?

The young lady must have become suspicious of something because she looked at me with a questioning expression and cast another glance into Dean Schmidt's office. Then she looked back at me and said, "I don't know where she is, actually. She just told me that she was leaving campus and would be gone from 11:00 until 2:00 PM. She has her cell phone with her so she can be reached if you need to call her."

"I do. Would you please call her for me? I'll take the call in her office."

It didn't add up. Why would Colleen go off campus for three hours when she had a meeting with Dean Schmidt? Maybe the meeting was cancelled.

I was still holding Colleen's flower arrangement, so when the secretary said, "It's ringing," I set them down on her desk and pushed the button for the speakerphone.

Colleen answered on the fourth ring. Evidently she had seen her office number come up on her caller ID because she simply said, "Yes?"

"Hello," I replied. "I apologize if you're still in your meeting, but how would you like to go to a concert if I can get some free tickets? I need you to make a decision like right now, however, if you're interested. Would you like to go?"

"Ed, I really cannot talk to you now. I'm still in Dean Schmidt's office and you're disrupting us. Can't this wait until I get home tonight?"

Ding! The liar bell just sounded. She had just told a blatant one, too, and both her secretary and I had heard it clearly!

When Colleen said what she did about being in Dean Schmidt's office, her secretary rotated in her chair and looked at me quizzically. I just shook my head and smiled. She, too, could see that Colleen definitely was not with Dean Schmidt.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to pass them up," I said. "Sorry to have bothered you. Have a good meeting with Dean Schmidt."

There was pause before she said, "Okay, Ed. See you tonight."

I turned off the speakerphone, jumped out of the chair and ran out of my Colleen's office. As I rushed by her secretary, I handed the rather dazed young lady Colleen's roses and said, "Here. These are for you. Thanks for listening. I may need you as a witness," and I ran out the door.

On a hunch, I decided to drive by our house. Our place was a straight shot down the street just a couple of blocks from the college. I did not recognize the car that was in the driveway but I had a sickening feeling I knew who owned it. I parked in the street, rather than in my driveway, and I quickly walked to the front door. I retrieved my house key and quietly put it in the lock. As I did that, I looked into the living room through the window in our front door. Colleen was sitting on the ottoman talking to Bill, who was on the couch. Once again, he was holding her hands. Bill looked up when he heard the door opening with a look of panic on his face.

I burst into the room and headed straight for him. He had started to stand with his arms defensively outstretched in front of him, but I aimed my punch between them and crushed his nose. The blow landed him back onto the couch. He went limp and Colleen fell backwards off the ottoman screaming. I grabbed Bill by his collar. I literally dragged him out the front door and shoved him toward the driveway. He unceremoniously landed on his palms and face.

I went back inside, slammed the door shut and walked over to Colleen. She was now on the floor, hysterically crying. Her face was flushed and fearful.

"Please, listen," she pleaded. "Nothing happened between us. Please, believe me!"

"Something already happened, Colleen. You lied to me, deceived me, and brought another man into my home to do only God knows what. Now get your ass up and get out of my house."

She repeated, "Nothing happened between us, I swear to God. We didn't do anything except talk. You can't throw me out for that!"

Her tears and her pleading didn't deter me.

"I'm not the only one who knows what a liar your are, Colleen. When I called you a few minutes ago, I was in your office sitting at your desk, talking to you on the speakerphone. Your secretary overheard the whole thing. She heard you tell your lies. Your reputation is now in the crapper with her, also."

"Well I hope that makes you happy," she said.

"None of this has made me happy, Colleen, absolutely none of it. You are screwing up your life and mine, and for what? I want you to pack your things and get out. You've chosen to go behind my back to have some kind of relationship with Bill and I won't put up with it. You've sunk to his level as a cheater and a liar and I will no longer tolerate any level of deception on your part, for any reason whatsoever. Pack your stuff and get out. You still have a few hours before your next class and I'll wait while you pack your things, but when I leave, you will already be gone and you will not be welcome to come back."

"Colleen, being alone with another man in my home, without my knowledge, is more than I will accept. You've even violated your own limits of permissiveness. If you don't want me to start throwing your clothes out the door, you had better start packing!"

"What about the children," she cried.

I retorted, "For now they are no longer your concern. All you have to worry about is what you are going to do with the rest of your life. Now start getting your lying ass out of here before I totally lose it and do something you'll regret. I tried to talk with you this morning and you acted coy and blew me off. I wanted to get together with you for lunch and you blew me off. I now see the kind of person you've become and I don't like you very much right now, so I suggest that you don't push me. You've got a lot of decisions to make if you want to remain my wife, and you best be making them quickly because my fuse has about burned out."

One last time she begged, "Please! Please, let me stay so we can talk it out now."

I tried to calm down some as I said, "Too late, Colleen. Now I'm the one who is not in the mood to talk. I cannot fit you into my schedule for a while. When you decide that you're truly sorry, call me and we will meet and talk. Do you understand? In the meantime, this is my last warning. Start packing, and get out!"

She picked herself up off the ottoman and headed up the stairs. As she walked into the bedroom an idea came to me, so I acted on it. I went to her purse and removed her cellular phone. I checked her recent calls and found she had been calling him since Sunday at our main Audiomart store where he worked. Then I checked her missed call log and found a couple of calls from the same number. It appeared that she was hooked. Either that, or she was being hooked.

I put her phone back and went to the kitchen sink and let the cool tap water run over my head for a couple of minutes. I had never been so angry or so heated about anything before. I felt like something inside me had exploded and I couldn't calm down. After a bit, I dried my hair and went back to the living room.

Colleen had never seen that side of me before. No matter how assertive I could be at work, I was normally the peacemaker at home. Colleen had a temper, as I've said, and I jokingly remarked once that she had enough for both of us. Now she had seen a small sampling of what I was capable of and she was frightened. She had every right to be. I had never hit her, and I probably never would, but she didn't know that at this point. One thing for certain, there was no longer any doubt about who was calling the shots. Her patronizing mouth had finally been silenced.

When she came down the stairs she was carrying a couple of suitcases. She looked over at me with sad eyes and I stared back at her. I didn't smile, I didn't blink, and I didn't offer to help her with her baggage. I just sat and watched as she walked out the door to her car and loaded her stuff in the trunk. Neither of us said another word.

As soon as she was gone, I called a locksmith and told him to change both my outside locks and the code to my garage. I asked him if he needed me to leave him a key and he laughed. "You must be joking. Stop and think about the job title of the guy you're talking to," he said. I felt a bit foolish. He told me that he would leave my new keys in the mailbox, and he promised me he would be finished by 6:00 PM.

6:00 PM. In just a few hours Colleen will be locked out of the house, but what about my life? It didn't look good at this point.

I realized that I needed to do something about the children, so I called the school and asked if they had an after school day care service. They did so I told them I would be right there and I headed out.

On the way I called Mike at the store and told him that I'd had a crisis at home. He told me that he would cover for me as long as I needed, so I took a little longer at the school to talk to the Principal about what was going on. She was deeply regretful and promised to let the children's teachers know, but otherwise keep it "under her hat." I then went to talk to the children. I explained to them what I wanted them to do. They asked about Colleen and I said that she wasn't feeling well again and was taking some time away until things were better. I told them I would come get them and take them out for hamburgers and milk shakes if they would promise to be good in daycare. Their eyes lit up and they clapped their hands. I gave them hugs and kisses and let them go back to class.

As I climbed into my car my emotions let go and I started shaking. I sat there for a few minutes without moving. "Maybe this is the beginning of the end," I said out loud."

CHAPTER SEVEN

Back at my shop I made a call to the president's office at the main store. When he answered, I asked if he had a few minutes to talk to me. He told me to take as long as I needed so I began.

"Chris, when Bill finally comes back to work he will have some skin missing from his nose and maybe elsewhere. I want you to know what happened and that I'm responsible for his pain. I am not apologizing for my actions because I would do it all over again. You see, I found him alone in my house with my wife. She said that nothing happened, but they were holding hands and looking all starry-eyed when I walked in. I punched Bill in the face in and then threw his ass out on my driveway. He made a three-point landing and will take a while to heal. I'm not his boss, so I cannot fire him, but rest assured that I will come after him if he ever comes near my wife again, even if I have to come there to get to him."

Chris slowly responded, "I had no idea you two were at odds with each other. How long has it been going on?"

I poured out the entire story of everything that happened from Saturday night through this afternoon.

Chris commented, "I sure hope nothing more happened than just talk. What do you want me to do?"

"I cannot tell you what to do but it's going to be very uncomfortable at company gatherings and business meetings with both of us still around," I replied.

"Well, that settles it. Bill's gone. It's time anyhow. It seems that every recommendation he's made around here was to benefit him. I never did totally agree with his suggestion that you be promoted to management, but others agreed so I went ahead and did it. Anyhow, I needed someone like you to salvage a few of my stores. I regretted it, however, every month when I saw your sales dropping below what I knew you could achieve. Next week I want you to come to see me. Let's talk about your future with the company over dinner. Okay?"