An Emotional Affair

It was finally done and I could get back to the factory. The boss had been pretty nice to let me off for all the court appearances and I wanted to work as much overtime as possible to make up for the time I had been in the hospital and also in court.

I kept seeing the mandated therapist. She helped me get over my sadness about how Melissa had treated me. My girls visited often and I was glad to be back in their lives. Sadly my mom just wanted me to pay all her and my brother's bills so I finally had to move out. They were going through my stuff and selling things.

About a year later I met a new woman. She is a couple of years older than me and not nearly as good a cook as Melissa but she says she loves me and won't treat me like Melissa did. She also has a good job and we are talking about moving in together. I suppose she would like to get married but I don't know if that is a good idea.

Melissa got a great offer on the house and the property, about eight acres total and sold it and moved back to her old home town with her dad going with her. Jimmy, for some reason, didn't go with them and must have moved to an apartment. I wonder who is helping him now.

I know some people who knew how happy Melissa and I had been probably think that my new girlfriend isn't the right person for me but she doesn't ignore me and run out of the house and then stay overnight in some guy's place. I can put up with her lack of cooking skills.

I still love Melissa but I cannot live with someone who would treat me like she did. My new woman treats me better and I don't want to ever hurt her or disappoint her in any way.

You might think this premise is all made up and that no one could possibly treat her husband this way but that part of the sad story is true. 'Melissa' (names all changed to protect the innocent and not so innocent) was treating her poor husband this way. All of her family and friends tried to get her to realize what she was doing was damaging her relationship with 'Wade' but she was adamant that she was not ignoring 'Wade' at any time.

'Wade' went to everyone that he respected, including his father-in-law, for help in trying to get 'Melissa' to stop or just dial back 'Jimmy's help. 'Jimmy' was obviously an addict seeking an enabler and found one in 'Melissa'. She didn't buy him alcohol or drugs but mothered him in every other way. We all believed that she was not in a physical relationship with him but she couldn't see that her emotional relationship was just as harmful.

The night 'Wade' tried to hang himself my wife and I heard the ambulance call on the scanner radio. We knew immediately that it had to have been 'Wade' as they lived on the outskirts of the city and there were only a couple of houses near them. 'Melissa' called us from the hospital and wanted my wife to come and be with her. I try to not tell my wife, Helen, what she can and cannot do but I cautioned her that if she took 'Melissa's' side on this whole sad tale that she might as well not come home. I firmly believed Melissa was in the wrong. Two good people had just destroyed each other's lives. There actually were no bad people here, just victims. Thankfully my wife agreed with me and just supported 'Melissa' in her grief and fear of losing 'Wade' to a suicide. When their marriage fell apart afterward we tried to continue to be friends with both but lost contact with 'Wade'.

How is 'Melissa' you might ask. I firmly believe she is lonely as she has never established a new relationship. Maybe she finally realized how she had let her need to help 'Jimmy' hurt the one who loved her the most.