Tony Must be Punished

"I'm going to bed now." Was all she said as she looked over her shoulder at Manty sitting in his lounge chair. "I'll be sleeping in the guest room if you want me." Then she was gone down the hall to a room that she now viewed as being a jail cell for her. She desperately needed him to come and hold her and to comfort her at this dreadful time. But she knew that he couldn't, not at least until she had answered his question about the one thing that would prove her love for him.

Manty watched his wife walk past the den. She told him she was going to sleep in the guest room tonight. His heart ached to go over and take her in his arms and tell her everything was going to be okay for them. But he knew he couldn't do that. Not this soon after the entire sordid mess came out in the open. Not till she gave him the answer that he needed to hear from her own lips. Both of them would be suffering tonight. Both of them denied the warmth and affection that had been theirs for the past twelve years. He went to bed alone in the master bedroom about an hour later.

The morning came very quickly for Manty. As strange as it might seem, he had fallen asleep right away. No tossing and turning. No visions of Darlina and Tony fucking on the bed in the rental bedroom. Just a long deep restful sleep. The hard decision was now up to Darlina. The fate of their marriage and future was in her hands now. After a quick shower and getting dressed in some casual clothes, he called his boss at work and told him he needed to take some vacation time. His boss asked if there was anything serious happening, Manty told him only some personal matters at home. After hanging up, Manty walked out of the bedroom to the smell of fresh coffee and bacon frying in a pan.

"Good morning, darling." She called out to him as she heard him shuffling down the hall way. "Two or three eggs this morning?"

"Morning, my dear. Make that two eggs and only a couple slices of bacon. I don't want to eat too much this morning. I might go to the gym later this morning." His voice was upbeat and no hint of angst in it.

They sat and eat breakfast together in silence as the moment of truth was quickly approaching. After Manty had eaten his last bacon slice, he took a long sip of coffee and then said to her. "Do you have an answer for me this morning, my dear? I don't need to repeat the question do I?"

Darlina looked up at him as she swallowed her mouthful of food. Her eyes fixed on his face as she began speaking. "I told you things yesterday that are as true as the sun coming up in the east every morning. I told you I love you and only you. I told you I wanted to stay married to you no matter what you demanded of me." She paused and took a sip of coffee. "If punishing my ex-lover is the only way for me to prove that my statements are true, then my answer in an unqualified yes."

Another pause, another sip of coffee. "I told you that I do not love Tony. That is also true, but I do not hate him. I do not wish him any misfortune, but you seem bent on making that happen. I must confess I am very torn up inside by your request. I do not relish the role that you will have me play in his punishment. But, you and our marriage mean much more than any feelings I have toward Tony." Another pause, another sip of coffee. "My answer will always be yes to you, darling. No matter how much I may dislike the request." Then silence fill the room again.

Manty looked over at her and he smiled as his head nodded back and forth. He said nothing, letting the impact of the silence speak for him. He was satisfied. She had given him the answer he wanted to hear. Now he would add the meat to his plan and then present the details to her. That would be another subtle test for her to pass.

"I'll be in the computer room for a little while dear. If you want me for anything, just call me." He said as he got up from the table. He walked over to her and kissed her on the forehead. That move caught her by surprise. She thought that he would keep his distance from her for some period of time. Maybe her answer was bringing him around much quicker.

Manty went to the computer and began to type out a "Punishment Plan" for his arch enemy. The ideas flowed from his brain down through his fingers as the words quickly flashed on the screen before him. The main thrust of his plan was to attack Tony's marriage. Just as Tony had damaged his marriage, Manty wanted to do similar or greater damage to Tony's marriage. The plan really hinged around Tony's wife being told of the affair, and that she would then want to take revenge on her husband. If Manty could convince Tony's wife to join him in a plan to punish her wayward husband, then it would be up to Darlina to set Tony up for the fall.

The plan had several steps that needed to be done in sequence. The first step was to have Darlina call Tony and feed him a story that would keep him away from her until the other parts of the plan were in place. Manty typed out a phone script that he would have Darlina say to Tony when she called him later today.

The next step would be to get some background on Tony. Where he lived, worked, his income level, his wife's name, any run-ins with the law, and any other personal information. Manty had a policeman friend who could get that information for him without causing too much fuss.

Just then, he saw Darlina walk past the open door. "Hey, honey, come in here for a minute, please." He called out to her. She stepped back and entered the room with a smile on her face.

"What can I do for you, darling?" She asked with a hint of sexual innuendo attached.

"I need to ask you some questions about Tony." He said as he continued to type away on the keyboard. He heard her take a deep breath, but he ignored it and then asked.

"Does Tony have any kids?"

"No. No children in that household." Was her quick reply.

"Any reason for the no kids?" Another probing question.

"He said that his wife was afraid to have children. He said she had a phobia about giving birth to deformed children. Tony got a vasectomy to ensure that he would not get her pregnant."

"How long have they been married?"

"Ten years."

"What is his wife's name?"

"Sharon Ann. Sharon Ann Wilson." The name came out of her mouth with a acid taste attached.

"Have you ever met her?"

"Not personally. I have seen her photos around their house. I've spoken to her on the phone, once. I think I told you about me calling their house the night of the dinner and play."

"So you never met her and she doesn't know you exist. At least not knowing that you were intimate with her husband. That true?" Some sarcasm in Manty's voice.

"She doesn't know anything about me. Tony has done a good job of covering his tracks. He says that she doesn't suspect anything."

"Has he ever talked much about his marriage? Did he say he was happy in his marriage?"

"We talked several times in depth about our marriages. He told me that he was happy with his wife. He said that she was not as sexually adventurous as he would have liked her to be in bed. He said the real spark had gone out of their sex life. Other than that one statement, he never said a negative thing about her."

"Did the two of you ever talk about divorce?"

"Only once. We both said that we were happy in our marriages and that neither one of us wanted a divorce from our spouse. Our sex sessions were just that. Sex and excitement nothing more."

"What do you think his wife would do if she knew that he was cheating on her and having an affair with you? Would she want a divorce from him?"

"I really don't know the answer to that question. I don't know her personally and Tony never gave me much insight into her thinking about a divorce."

Manty paused in his questioning, but his fingers continued to type and the words continued to flash up on the monitor. Darlina could read several lines of the plan he was typing out. What she read made her whole body shake. Manty was serious when he said he wanted to destroy her ex-lover.

Manty stopped typing and hit the print key. The printer hummed into life and slowly spat out a white sheet of paper which he picked up and gave a quick proof-reading glance. Turing half way around in his chair, he saw that Darlina was still standing behind him. She was rigid as a statue.

"Please sit down, my dear. No need to stand there waiting for permission." He said with a sly smile on his face.

"I trust that you did not call Tony after I left the house yesterday. Is that correct?" His question was direct though it had much hidden meaning behind it.

"No. I have not called Tony nor do I want to call him. The affair is over and I just want to put it behind us." She replied as she moved over to the other chair and sat down.

"Good. I believe you. But, there is still that one thing that you have agreed that you would do because I asked you to do. Ok?"

"Yes. I told you I would and I meant what I said. I love you." Her words were intended to try an to push away a dark cloud that was forming in her mind.

"Thank you. But, here's the first thing you need to do to fulfill that commitment. Here is a script that I want you to read and memorize. Later this afternoon, I want you to call Tony and tell him word for word what the script says. You will need to sound frightened and worried.

"The purpose of the phone call is to put Tony on hold for a full week at least. You will need to convince him that you think I suspect that you are having an affair. You need to tell him that you think I may be having you followed and the phones may be bugged. Tell him that you cannot see him or talk to him until you are sure that I am still in the dark about the affair.

"You have to make him promise that he will keep away from you and the he will not try to contact you till you call him and tell him everything is safe again. Got that?" He said as he handed her the sheet of paper. Darlina did not look down at the words written on the paper.

"Yes." Darlina replied with a lump in her throat. She didn't want to have to do the ugly things Manty had in mind for her. She didn't feel the need to punish Tony the way her husband wanted to.

"Great. I now have a few other things to do. But I want you to go in your bedroom where it's quiet and read the entire script out loud over and over again. I want you to concentrate on how your voice sounds as you say the words. It will be imperative that your voice is convincing enough so Tony will believe you and go silent until you call him again." There was only the exchange of forced smiles between them as Darlina rose to her feet and walked out the door with the script in her hand.

As soon as Manty heard Darlina close the bedroom door, he reached over and picked up the phone. He dialed the number quickly. "Morning Phil, how the hell are you today?"

The phone conversation was between Manty and his policeman buddy, Phil Tuddy. Manty and Phil go way back to grade school when they lived on the same block in town. Even though they didn't socialize much after high school, they still kept in touch and every so often, they would go to a ball game for a guys night out.

Manty told Phil that he needed some information on a guy that he thought might be harassing his wife. Manty didn't tell Phil about the affair. That would remain as much a secret as Manty could make it. Phil cautioned him about the use of police information, but after getting assurances from Manty that there would not be anything illegal done with the information, he agreed to see what he could find out about an Anthony "Tony" Wilson. Manty thanked him and said they needed to get out to another ball game very soon. Phil agreed and they hung up.

It was later in the morning when Manty walked up to the guest bedroom door. He knocked on the door and waited for Darlina to answer. No answer. He turned the door knob, the door opened and he could see her figure lying on top of the covers in a fetal position. Her back was to the door, so he couldn't tell if her eyes were closed or if she was sleeping. He just closed the door quietly and went to get his gym bag.

Whenever he was under a lot of pressure or had difficult problems to solve, Manty would go to the gym for a hard physical work out. It seemed that there was something in hard physical exercise that would release the built up stress and tension in his body. That release of physical tension would somehow free his mind to better analyze the problem and come up with an adequate solution. Right now, his body was stressed and strung out in ways that it had never been before.

After his strenuous work out, Manty sat in the steam room. His eyes were closed and his mind was having a conversation with the voice that was always there. "Am I doing the right thing? Am a just a dupe who will get shit upon again by an unfaithful wife?"

"So your having doubts about your decision, are you?" The voice asked quietly.

"Yes, some doubts. Nothing in this life is certain, so why shouldn't I have my doubts?" His mind responded.

"Nothing wrong with doubts, just as long as you don't get tied up so tight that you cannot act one way or the other. Doubts are there sometimes to keep us honest with ourselves. Just make sure that your doubts don't turn into regrets." The voice was patient and compassionate.

Manty shook his head to try and think some other thoughts. That wasn't going to work this time. "My doubts are not about punishing Tony as severely as I can. Bringing about Tony's downfall is one concrete thing for which there is no doubt. The dark cloud of doubt is all about Darlina. Is it possible that, now that she has tasted the forbidden fruit for such a long time and with such intensity, that she can just walk away from it and never desire that taste again?"

"As you said, nothing in this life is certain. Maybe Darlina has unconsciously become a nymphomaniac. Maybe she will find that she can't keep her legs together. But then again, maybe with your help and your willingness to satisfy her sexually, she will be a born again faithful wife." The voice always had an answer, but the answer was not always absolute.

Manty got home feeling physically refreshed, but not completely mentally refreshed. Still, he had come a long way from where he was when he stood outside that bedroom window witnessing his wife adulterous actions. He knew that a wound that deep wouldn't heal in just a day or two.

"Hello, darling. I'm glad you're back. Can I get you something to drink?" His wife called out as she stepped out from the kitchen. Darlina was dressed very nicely, not too sexy. She wanted to go slowly with her husband. Let him do the leading, let him make the moves.

"That would be nice. A J.D. on the rocks would be a nice start to dinner." He said to her as he put down his gym bag and walked over to her. He kissed her gently on her cheek and then stepped back. All of lust and desire for this woman cried out for him to take her in his arms and make wild passionate love to her.

But, that little voice told Manty to stop where he was. It was still too soon to let his primal instincts mask over the deep wounds inflicted upon his manhood by his unfaithful mate. Darlina made a movement to try and take him in her arms, but Manty just turned away and sat down at the table. A strong feeling of rejection came over her as her husband walked away from her. Darlina wanted to call out to him and make him come back and hold her in his loving arms. This act of rejection was in part his way of punishing her for her adultery. She wondered to herself just how long he would treat her like a leper.

Dinner was superb and Manty complimented her several times on what a great cook she was. Darlina thanked him for his compliments as she smiled back at him. The meal finished and they sat across the table looking at each other in silence. Then Manty asked. "Have you memorized the script that I gave you, dear?"

"Yes, I have." She said in a strong voice.

"Good. I still have several things that I need to figure out, then you will need to make that phone call."

Another night in the guest room for Darlina. She didn't say a word about her banishment from the master bedroom. Manty was filled with mixed desires of lust for his wife and the doubts that he had about her long term faithfulness. His sleep was not as restful as Darlina's.

The next day the kids were back from Manty's parents house. Darlina had her family back and now it everything was as it should be, almost. The house was noisy from the kids running around and getting all of their things unpacked. Then they were soon down stairs playing video games and Darlina's mind was trying to achieve that inner peace she used to have at times like these. The dark cloud still hung forebodingly over her head.

Even though she slept in the guest room, Darlina was beginning to feel that good things were still possible for her and Manty. That night, her sleep was the most restful for her in several nights.

The next morning before the children got up, Manty and Darlina were sitting at the table with their morning coffee. Darlina looked at Manty and simply said. "Don't you think that its time that we get back to the task of punishing Tony? Neither one of us will be able to free ourselves of this ghost until Tony is properly punished."

Manty looked at her and smiled back. "My thoughts exactly, my dear. We both now need to share some of our pain with that son-of-a-bitch. And I think that we should start today."

"I have the script memorized, darling. Do you want to make any changes to it?"

"No, I think it is good to go. Also, I think the fact that he has been out there without any contact from you for almost a week should have him thinking all sorts of wild things." Manty's mind was churning through the plan that he had put together over the last several days. "After the kids get up, I want you to drive down to the convenience store and call him on the pay phone. That way your story might have a little more credibility about my being suspicious of you. Tell him that you think I might have bugged the phones at the house and that you I might also be tracking my your cell phone calls. Once he is put on ice with the call, then we can move on to the next step."

Darlina looked at him waiting for him to tell her what that would be.

"We go tell his wife about the affair. Both of us."

It was several hours later after the kids were fed and down stairs playing. Darlina looked over at Manty and said, "It's time to go and make that phone call. Get the kids and let's go get this plan started."

"No need for me or the kids to have to go with you. You know the script and how to deliver it. I trust that you can do it without me standing over your shoulder. I believe you when you said that the affair is over. That's all the proof I need." He said as took her in his arms and hugged her. There was a tremendous sense of relief in Darlina's mind over that simple statement. He said, 'I trust that you can do it...' Those words were very uplifting for her.

Darlina was standing in front of the pay phone at the convenience store. She stared at it for several long seconds before she lifted the handset. It wasn't that she didn't want to make this call, she was just trying to mentally prepare herself for the distraught emotional state she was to convey to her now ex-lover. Even though Tony didn't know that he had been relegated to that status of ex-lover. The phone on the other end rang three times when she heard his voice.

"Hello."

"Hello Tony. Its me."

His voice sounded both surprised and relieved at the same time. "My god, Darlina what's going on? I haven't heard from you since our afternoon at the cabin. I was worried sick about you."

"Listen, Tony. I don't have a lot of time to talk. So just listen. After I got home from the cabin, Manty was home and he asked where I had been. I lied to him about making some errand stops but I don't think he believed me. I think he is very suspicious about me having an affair. All of his actions and the looks he kept giving me gave a strong impression that he might have found something or that he was putting a lot of little things together." There was stress and tension in her voice. Just the way Manty told her to sound. "Tony, I am frightened that Manty will find out about us. If he does, he'll divorce me and get custody of the kids. That would ruin my life."