After the Love is Gone

Cameron Sullivan watched as the woman he loved, his wife of ten years, the most important thing in his life, a bag over her shoulder and one small suitcase walk out the door of their modest suburban home. She said it was forever.

Her answer that their love had died, while clear to her left Cameron's mind in a whirl with no real idea of what was happening. When had it died. How did he miss it?

While part of him understood that that she was leaving, the part he didn't understand was why.

They led a normal life. Lived in a nice house, each were employed and brought home good money. They had a good savings account and retirement fund. They had no children due to Stella's health problems caused by endometriosis. That was never a problem as neither of them wanted children.

Cameron guessed he must have been asleep at the wheel not to notice any changes in their relationship. Their must have been something he missed. He was sure as hell going to find out what was going on if for nothing but his own piece of mind.

He quickly made several phone calls.

The one to the bank was very interesting. His wife had withdrawn all the money in their joint accounts and maxed out their joint credit cards with cash advances yesterday. But that really wasn't all that much. They each had their own checking, saving and retirement accounts that the other couldn't touch except in case of death of the spouse and only had two joint credit cards with a five thousand dollar limit. So the majority of his money was safe.

Cameron had the bank freeze all of his accounts and remove her as his beneficiary. He also transferred the money from his accounts to pay off the joint credit cards and closed all the joint accounts.

His next was to his best friend Joel Windsor who was also his attorney. He explained to Joel what had happened and asked for advice.

Joel filed papers for divorce that day. He told Cameron to change all the locks on the doors and the alarm codes.

Cameron wasn't sure if he wanted a divorce. Joel said he could always change his mind later, but something stunk with this deal and it was better to get the first blow in.

He also gave Cameron the name of a private investigator, who he used all the time, Avery Solomon.

Cameron called him right away.

The non descript man came to his house within 30 minutes of Cameron calling. He owed Joel Windsor big time. So anything he could do for a friend of his was his pleasure.

After signing a ream of forms allowing Avery access to all sorts of information, he left Cameron alone to think of anything odd or different in his relationship with Stella, while he started work.

Cameron spent the rest of the week at home. He tried to work but was unable to concentrate. He took a weeks vacation and stayed home, alone thinking.

Avery Solomon called on the fourth day and asked to see him at home. After getting the okay from Cameron, he was their in thirty minutes.

"This without a doubt the damnest thing I've ever come across in a divorce case in my twenty three years as an investigator." Said the little man.

"Let me start at the beginning." Holding up a picture of a large house on what looked like several acres of land, he said "This is your wife's new address."

"Whose house is this?" Cameron asked, sure that it belonged to her lover.

"Her's. Almost paid for. She bought it almost two years ago in her name."

"How in the hell is she paying for it on what she makes from her job. She does alright, but with what she paid into the household bills it doesn't leave that much money." Cameron stated

"When's the last time you saw her tax return? The ones that went to the IRS?" the investigator asked.

Cameron looked puzzled. "We file separately. I have a copy in the file for every year. I gave them to you."

Avery sighed, as he handed him a stack of forms. "Here are copies of the tax forms she filed with the IRS. They are quite different from the ones that she gave you.".

The only thing the same on these forms were Stella's name and social security number. Her address was different. Her title was listed as President and CEO of Eureka Services, Inc. of Atlanta. Her income was well over six figures and included a company car and bonuses.

Her deductions were also quite interesting showing large amounts spent for entertaining and a home office located at the address on the form.

It also showed taxes paid on a wide variety of investments totaling several million dollars.

Cameron truly was shocked. He looked at Avery with questions burning in his eyes.

"Your wife is the CEO of what on the surface appears to be a temporary staffing agency. They provide temps to out of town businessmen or women and selected locals. The also cater parties. But that is basically a front for a high dollar call girl/boy service. That's where most of the money comes from."

"How long has this been going on?" asked the shocked husband?

"I'm not sure but for at least eight years. That's when the company was formed." He said as he handed Cameron a copy of the incorporation papers.

"Damn. I really was asleep at the wheel. How could I have missed all this?" asked Cameron. "And what the hell do I do now?"

"There is only one person who can answer the questions you have, your wife. Maybe she'll answer, maybe not. But you have the goods on her in any case." Avery answered.

Before Cameron could answer, the doorbell rang. The door opened and shut and they heard Joel's voice.

"We're back in the den Joel." answered Cameron.

"Have you seen what Avery came up with?" Joel asked

"Yeah. We were discussing what to do about it. Whether to confront her or maybe surprise her in court? Hell if I know!" Cameron said running his fingers through his hair.

Joel looked at his friend since childhood. "Cam, it's all up to you. If you just want this to go away, we can do that. Pretend that you never talked to Avery. But I think you need to find out the answers for yourself. I know you still love her. Maybe this will give you closure so you can go on with your life."

Cameron shook his head. "No. All I want is out. But I do want her to know that I'm not the cuckold idiot she thinks. I'll hit her where it hurts, in the pocketbook. I want as much money out of her as I can get. She needs to pay."

Joel looked concerned. "Are you sure? That leaves no room for reconciliation."

Cameron with a bitter laugh said, "There is no possibility of reconciliation. I'm done with that whoring pussy selling slut."

"All the nights she wouldn't have sex because she was too tired. Fucked out is probably the correct answer. All the times I wanted to buy things I wanted but didn't because we were saving it for our future, I didn't. All the time that cunt was worth millions. I want my share now." He shook his head. "And to think that bitch cleaned out the joint accounts and maxed out the credit cards. What a cunt!"

"Okay Cam. If that's what you want. I'll have Avery dig deeper and try to catch her committing adultery. That will add some pressure and allow it to be settled out of court."

"I don't care who knows about that cunt. I hope she and her whole bunch of sluts get busted!" cried Cameron

Joel shook his head. "No you don't buddy. If that happens the authorities will seize all her assets and you won't get shit. They might even try to attach yours. No we want this low key as possible."

"Okay you're the expert. Let's get it done as soon as possible." Cameron flatly stated.

After several weeks of searching and several subpoenas and hours of work by forensic accountants, Stella's net worth was determined to be 16.7 million dollars. Without any negotiation, Cameron settled for a little over eight million dollars in cash plus all the joint martial assets.

The only time he saw Stella was when the final papers were signed. She was dressed in an Armani suit with a short skirt and four inch heals. She sat across the table never uttering a word. Not until they gave Cameron his check.

"I never thought you were a money grubbing SOB." She snapped at him.

"I never thought you were a whoring slut either." He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm what you made me. This is the only way to get back at you for what hurt the most, making me a cuckold."

He turned and walked out of the room.

Though he never saw it, Stella burst into tears.

They went for over five years without seeing each other.

Cameron left the Atlanta area and settled down on the Gulf Coast. This was several months after the hurricanes had demolished most of the area.

He became the money man behind several casinos that had been devastated by the storm. Along with his construction and environmental knowledge and lots of hard work, he got them up and running in no time without getting ripped off.

He quickly became one of the largest Casino owners in the Gulf. He built several new ones in areas in need of new employment after their old companies didn't reopen. He made use of all the State, Local and Federal programs available. His company offered the best pay and benefit packages in the area.

He was a very wealthy man. And he made his friends Joel and Avery rich also. They all were part of his empire.

Cameron should be satisfied with his life. But in all honesty, He wasn't. Not with his personal life anyway.

He had lots of lovers and lots of lady friends. But he could never seem to move beyond friendship or sex. There always seemed something missing.

While being surrounded by people, friends, coworkers and lovers he was lonely.

Though he would never admit it, He missed Stella.

One day as he was watching the video cameras in his newest casino he saw her. She was looking just as good as ever. Stella.

The first thought in his head was "Is she working?"

He had the security technician on duty pull up the registration list. There she was big as day. Stella Sullivan registered alone in nice suite still using her married name.

"Guess I might as well get this over with as soon as possible." Cameron thought

"See that blonde lady near the slots?" he asked

"Have the nearest plain clothes agent, ask her to come to the owners suite." He instructed the tech.

He walked out of the room down the hall to his private elevator, then up to his suite.

He had this private space built for his personal use. He was tired of moving from casino to casino. This was his home.

He went all out. Windows looked out over the Gulf of Mexico. The furniture was all hand made by several local craftsman that he had helped set up in business after the furniture plant they had worked in never reopened. It was one of a kind, made just for him. They would not accept any money either, no matter how hard he tried to give it to them.

A knock on the door.

"Come in please." He said as he sat on his sofa.

"Ms. Sullivan, Sir." Announced one of the plain clothes agents.

"Thank you Tom. I'll handle it from here." He said as he stood and walked toward the woman.

The agent quickly left, quietly shutting the door behind him.

"Well Stella. Long time no see. What brings you to my neck of the woods?" he asked in a calm voice.

The blonde woman looked at him for a minute or two without speaking but looking him right in the eyes.

She finally spoke. "I could give you some bullshit about being on vacation and not knowing you were here. But that would be a lie and I lied to you enough. I want to talk to you. What I should have done that day at the lawyer's office, beg for your forgiveness. Get on my knees and beg you not to throw me out."

Cameron looked at her. "Well, it wouldn't have done you any good anyway. I was so hurt and angry that all I could think about was punishing you for making me a cuckold. You had already told me the love was gone, so the only way left to hurt you was in the pocketbook. So that's what I did."

"It's been five years. Are you still angry, Cam?" she asked

Cameron laughed. "No. Living well is the best revenge. The money I got from you is a drop in the bucket now. I'll even give it back if you want it."

"No thanks. You deserved that and more for what I did to you. I sold out six months after we divorced and moved to Nashville. I run a legitimate temp agency now. I make good money. I at least have my self respect." She answered

"All that's in the past so what do you want to talk about? I don't see much value in stirring up all that mess again." Cameron said

Stella shook her head. "I need to talk about it. To explain why I did what I did. What I was thinking. Why I lied to you when I left, telling you that the love was gone. How I loved you then and still do now."

Cameron snapped, "You sure had an odd way of showing your love. Making me a cuckold and refusing me sex because you were tired after turning tricks all day. Running a prostitution ring and hiding all your assets. Making me give up things I wanted because we were saving for our future. Cleaning out the checking account and maxing the credit cards the day before you told me you didn't love me anymore, while you were a millionaire several times over. Really odd."

Stella took a deep breath and said, "Cam, as far as I 'm concerned, you were never a cuckold. To me it was strictly business. Something I was doing for the money. So I'd be financially secure so I could survive when you left me."

"What's this when I left you crap. I never planned on leaving you. I loved you with all my heart and soul. You left me!" he shouted

Stella looked away for a second. With tears in her eyes she started to explain.

"Cam, I knew in my heart that you loved me and would never leave me short of death. But my crazy mind said otherwise."

"My mother and father abandoned me when I was eleven years old. My mother told me that I was too much trouble and that they didn't need me hanging around anymore. They pulled into a rest area out in the country and dumped me and my clothes out by the road. They did give me 25 dollars. Then they left. I never saw them again."

Cameron was about to say something but Stella held up her hand stopping him.

"Please let me finish before you say anything okay?"

"Anyway I lived on the street for almost a year. I met a woman named Julie who took me in off the street. She made me go to school. She also taught me how to appear to be a woman of class. I took piano, dance and ballet. I learned proper manners and how to speak and what clothes to wear. I learned about styling hair and makeup."

"But all this education wasn't free. I had to work. Julie ran a call girl service, a very high class service. I was fifteen when I did my first trick. Julie had an auction to see who would pay the most money to take my cherry. It wasn't fun but it didn't hurt much and in the end was a pleasurable experience."

I worked for Julie till I was twenty one. I had saved enough money to go to college. I still worked weekends and holidays for spending money and books. I graduated with honors. I moved to Atlanta."

Stella sighed. "That's where I met the man of my dreams. You. I had no plans what so ever of falling in love and getting married. But you changed my mind."

"You were kind and gentle and treated me like a lady. Like I was gold, like I was precious. No man had ever loved me. I thought I was unlovable. But you did."

"I was fine for the first couple of years until Fred and Mary Willis got divorced. Everyone thought they were the perfect couple like you and I. Fred left her for a younger woman with four children to support."

"All of the sudden I could see this happening to me. I'd be poor and out on the street again. Homeless, just like before."

"I happened to run into Julie about the time Fred and Mary separated. She offered to sell me her business. She was retiring to Hawaii. At first I told her no, I couldn't do it because I was happily married to the man of my dreams."

"About that time you announced that you were going to have to travel more because your job description had been changed. You spent lots of time out of town and many nights working late. You became somewhat distracted and distant. My first thought was that you were having an affair."

"I explained to you what was going on! I was heading up a new section and that it would require time to get it up and running properly. I NEVER CHEATED ON YOU!" Fighting back his temper, Cameron added, "I never even thought about an affair. I loved you and you alone."

"I know that Cam. I just got lost in my insecurities and paranoia. I decided not to end up alone and broke. So I took Julie up on her offer."

"At first I didn't go on dates. I just worked the office. But when we got overwhelmed, I started filling in."

She took a deep breath and continued, "Cam, please understand. I was making more money than I had ever seen before. Greed took over. Money became the most important thing. I even let it become more important than my husband and my marriage."

"I got a wake up call about six months before I left. Two of my girls turned up HIV positive. We thought it was from a Client that only they and one other person serviced. Me."

"I decided that you did not deserve to get sick because of me. That's when the sex stopped. I decided that I was HIV positive even if the test said differently. Later I found out that those girls had a threesome with a boyfriend of one of them who was less than faithful. That's how they got infected."

"I decided that you deserved better than me. So I decided to leave and make you hate me. You know the rest of the story."

She sighed. "It was working fine until I saw you in the lawyer's office. You looked at me like I was trash. I realized I was."

My pride was hurt and that's when I made that comment about you being a money grubber. But your comeback finished me off. I knew I had thrown away the best thing in my life."

"My plan had worked too well. You really did hate me." She said with tears in her eyes.

"After five years alone, I decided that you should know the truth. I know it's too little too late." She sighed

Cameron looked at her with a sharp eye.

Stella was dressed well, Armani suit, Gucci shoes, lots of nice, but not flashy jewelry. She was still beautiful. She looked the same except there were some traces of gray in her hair and a few character lines around her mouth and eyes. They looked good on her.

God knows he still ached for her. He still had dreams about her most nights. He had sex with other women, but all it was, was a physical release.

He missed the closeness of a committed relationship, the joy of spending time together, sharing secrets with each other and building a future together.

All that was fine in theory, but as much as he wanted Stella, could he ever trust her again? Maybe she was setting him up for a rip off? Who knew what was going on in that beautiful head. It could be full of snakes for all he knew.

Cameron knew he had to be very, very careful and take things slowly. He had to protect himself each step of the way.

"What do you want from me Stella, Absolution? I told you I don't hate you anymore. I forgave you before I heard your fucked up history." He asked

Shaking his head and sighing he looked her in the eyes, "The marriage is over. Our old relationship is over. There is no going back even if we wanted too. To much water under the bridge. Plus to be honest I trust you as far as I could toss the Empire State Building. I don't believe I could survive a repeat."

Crying softly, she got to her feet.

"Thank you for your time and for being so honest. Thank you for not hating me and for forgiving me for the unforgivable. I didn't think there was any hope for us getting back together, but I had to try."

Holding up his hand in a stop signal, he said, "Slow down for a minute. I said the past relationship was dead and buried. I didn't say anything about a new relationship, did I?"