Betrayal

The mattress went down the stairs and I was in the process of smashing the wooden bed when I heard her scream from the doorway.

I looked up seeing her standing there terrified, her hands to her face screaming at me to stop. She saw the opened case of lingerie on the floor at her feet and ran from the house.

I was throwing things onto the front lawn when I saw the flashing lights. Two cars were heading towards me, and one policeman was coming up the path, his hands up telling me to, "Please calm down sir."

He looked horrified when he saw me and had his hand on his taser. Next thing I know, blinding pain and I had been hit from behind, I crashed to the floor, 4-5 coppers were on me in a flash.

I was carted off handcuffed past my cheating bitch of a wife and put into a squad car. She was hysterical by now on her knees on my perfectly mown lawn. As they pulled away, I saw Darren pull into my driveway, MY FUCKING DRIVEWAY!

I spat and cursed at him through the shut window of the police car, "if you do not calm down sir, we will have to restrain you even more, do you understand!"

I screamed abuse back at them.

It was the next day at midday before I was allowed out. I had been examined by a doctor while held in the cells to make sure I was ok. I was covered in blood when they picked me up from my house, my blood-soaked shirt ripped and torn. A bloody bandage unfurling from my head. No wonder I was tasered and knocked to the floor. The duty solicitor told me I had been bailed to appear at court next week for resisting arrest and affray.

I had calmed down considerably now and thanked him for his help, they gave me my belongings and I saw my kids had tried numerous times to contact me. I still looked awful; my head was banging but at least I had been provided with a clean shirt. My phone went off again, I looked at the screen it was Leanne. I contemplated throwing it across the street but after the ninth ring I answered,

"What?"

"John, I am so sorry."

I hissed "Fuck off." Touching the red button.

I had no cash, no cards no nothing on me, I had no choice but to walk home to gather some stuff and leave.

BEEP! BEEP! It was Clive my son, he pulled up in his car next to me,

"Get in dad, mum told me you had been released I came to get you."

"Not now Clive, I need a bit of space son."

"Get in the fucking car dad!"

He had never sworn in my presence before, and it shocked me. I stood on the pathway looking at him, "Get in dad."

Reluctantly I got into the passenger seat, "Mum told me what happened, what really happened dad?"

"Not now son please."

"Ok but I love you, you know that don't you I am trying to help."

That did it, I burst into floods of tears again. He pulled over into a local park and got out and helped me to a park bench and we sat talking for an hour. I needed to unburden myself to someone, it was a shame it had to be my son, but once I started, I couldn't stop.

By the time I had told my story we were both wrecked. He was angry at his mum, but he wanted to kill his best friend.

"Stay with me and Sophie tonight dad, I will sort you some clothing and stuff later ok. I will drop you at mine, then I need to see mum. Treat it like your own house."

Then he smiled, "NO, on second thoughts don't, please, no wrecking the place."

I needed that piece of humour, for the first time in three days I laughed.

As we entered his house, I was dreading the grandkids rushing up to me, but it was deadly silent. They were all at school. Sophie was at work I had the house to myself. I watched through the window as Clive drove away thinking how my life had turned to shit in three short days.

The tears began to fall again as I sat in my son's favourite comfy chair, I looked around at the happy pictures hanging from the walls. My grandkids at Disneyland last year with myself and Leanne, the wedding photo of us all outside the church. I was happy looking at them until I saw closer at the church photo, Darren, Clive's best man was front and centre of the picture. My wife standing right next to him. That was fourteen years ago, "Surely not that long," I whispered under my breath.

The next thing I knew I woke startled with a shake to my right knee, Sophie was standing before me, she had a tearful worried expression on her face.

"Dad, Clive told me and I came home, I am so, so sorry. What can I do?"

Looking up into her sad face it set me off yet again, the more I tried to stop the harder I sobbed. She held me in her arms rocking me like I was a child, she stroked my hair and cheek saying:

"We both love you dad, the kids love you, you are welcome here as long as you need."

She was the best daughter in law I could ever have wished for.

"But you do need to talk with mum, I know its raw but the sooner the better. Clive is there with her now, I know he is upset and angry too, but she is his mum."

I nodded, "I know, but not today."

"Mum what the fuck have you done?"

Clive asked across the room to her as she busied herself cleaning the mess everywhere, she looked up with tears falling from her cheeks.

"Clive, I am so sorry, where is dad?" she jumped to her feet and ran across the room throwing herself at her son.

"Mum, fuck it mum, you have killed him!"

She wailed and cried into his chest holding him close to her, not wanting to give him space to let go.

"I am so, so sorry, where is he I need to see him."

"He is safe but right now he hates you, to be honest, I hate you right now too.....fuck sake mum.....Darren?"

She fell to the floor at his feet, she was his mum but at this minute he didn't want to help her up.

Clive walked from the room in tears, he didn't like seeing his parents this way, they were supposed to be the stability of the family. How could this have happened?

Leanne found him sitting on the stairs crying, "I am so sorry love, it just happened."

"HAPPENED! It just happened over and over for over a fucking year!" he screamed back into her face.

Leanne was rocked to the core, she saw such hatred in his face as he screamed at her, at that moment she realised the extent of the damage she had done not only to John but her entire family.

"DARREN! My fucking best friend DARREN! I doubt dad will ever come back mum, I know I wouldn't."

As he spoke the words in anger, he was spitting fury and spittle at his mum.

"Dad is at my house for now, I will speak to him but do not expect anything from him soon, he is distraught mum, you have broken his heart. You have destroyed his world."

With that Clive got to his feet and packed a small suitcase for his dad in the wrecked bedroom. He walked into his old room, the spare room and saw the open case on the bed. The sex toys, the lingerie.

"Clive!" Lianne came crashing into the room but was too late, he had seen the damning evidence before him.

"Goodbye mum," Clive turned and walked away from his distraught mother who flung herself onto the bed.

As he opened the front door his two sisters were coming up the driveway,

"She is upstairs, don't be too hard on her even though she deserves every bit of it."

They all hugged and he drove away leaving them to their mum.

The girls got the full story from her, Darren had seduced her over a period of time. She had been frustrated with her lot for years now and Darren had been at the right place at the right time. He listened to her and her troubles and over the space of a year had seduced her. That was over five years ago, the affair had lasted the test of time. She was flattered that someone less than half her age thought she was attractive and got carried away.

It got to the stage that she craved the attention from Darren, it was exciting beyond words. Her sex life had dwindled to near nothing with her husband and this made her feel young again. She carried it on because she never considered the consequence of being caught. The lure of illicit sex was too much, plus she had grown fond of Darren. His hard body excited her.

The girls were more understanding and stayed with her for the day, helping to clean the mess their dad had made.

I was sitting in Clive's lounge when my brother Dave rang me when he heard of the news,

"John, I am so sorry mate, what are you going to do?"

"I dunno Dave, I hate her right now, right now all I want is a divorce."

Sophie was across the room and heard John's side of the call, she called her husband,

"Clive, he wants a divorce."

"I thought he might Soph, to be honest I would too."

"Clive I would never.....you know that don't you.....you do know that right?"

"Soph, I never dreamt my mum would, did you?"

"Clive, this is me, I love you,"

Sophie started crying down the phone.

"Soph I'm just round the corner I'll be back in a minute ok."

Clive walked into a very sombre house, Sophie was waiting and kissed her husband before he even closed the front door.

"Clive, I love you, now and forever."

"I know Sophie, I love you too.......I don't know how but we need to cheer up a bit, the kids will be home soon, what do we tell them."

**************************************************

"I've had a chat with your uncle Dave, son. He is going to help me sort a solicitor tomorrow, but that is tomorrow. Do you mind if I come with you to pick up my grandkids, I need some smiles right now."

"Sure dad, the kids will love to see you. Sophie, you take dad up the school I need to ring my sisters."

Clive rang his sister Sian,

"Sian, it's going to be a divorce."

"NO!"

"He has made up his mind, he wants a divorce."

"Divorce!"

Clive heard his mum shriek with pain over the phone, "Clive I'll ring you back ok."

The kids came running into the house like mini tornados.

"Dad, dad, grandad is staying over!"

"Yes, so I hear." Said Clive laughing trying to lighten the mood.

He looked at me as he said it, I loved these children so much, "Yes kids but just for tonight, I have to go see your nan tomorrow, you don't want her feeling lonely, do you?....Clive, just for tonight ok."

"Your choice dad. You know you are welcome here."

I nodded my appreciation, it took my mind off of all of my troubles playing board games with the kids until their bedtime, it was as good an evening as it could've been.

Later that evening I got a call from Sian and Beth, "Dad, can we talk to you, face to face tonight before you make any drastic decisions? Are the kids in bed?"

"Yes, do you want to come here? I am at your brother's house."

"Yes, we know, we'll be there in half hour."

I was relieved when they turned up without their mother, we all sat and quietly talked around the dining room table. I don't think the girls understood the level of my pain until they saw me. All they had was their mum's side for the afternoon. Clive surprised me at his level of hate and despise for what she had done to all of us.

I informed them all of my decision to divorce their mum, they didn't like it but to their credit they all understood.

The girls saw there was no point in trying to change my mind and left soon after. About 9pm Clive said he was just going over to check on his mum before bed, "Any message dad?"

"No." I said.

At 10.30pm he came back through the door to the dismay of Sophie:

"What the hell happened?"

Clive had a blooded nose, and his shirt was torn, his hands were grazed and red.

"Darren was there, I fucked him up."

"WHAT!"

I jumped from my chair, "What do you mean he was there!"

"He was in the front room comforting mum, I hurt him dad, I hurt him bad. I think the police might pay us a visit."

We rushed him upstairs to the bathroom and cleaned him up washing the blood away. Sophie dressed him in fresh clean clothes, and we sat in the front room waiting.

The visit never came, I saw a solicitor the next day and started divorce proceedings. I met with Leanne two days later to tell her of my intentions, it didn't go down well but that was too bad. She told me Clive had broken Darren's Jaw and nose, three fingers, four ribs and a knee. He would be in hospital a while but would not be pressing charges.

**************************************************

That was seven years ago, I did get a criminal record for affray and resisting arrest, it was suspended with a £500.00p fine. The divorce went through quite quickly, we amicably split everything 50-50. The only ones that gained were the lawyers. Now I am alone and in my mid-sixties, I have a better relationship now with my kids than I ever had before, whether that is because they feel sorry for me or not, I don't know but I love them for it.

I still love Leanne, I know she cheated on me, but I do still love her. Not as deeply as I did before and at least we talk now without me flying into rage. She has tried to explain her side saying she felt that I lost my love for her years ago hence the near non sex life.

I do understand her side a little, she did get carried away on a tide of sexual emotions, and I did lose interest in our sex life, I admit that, but I did still love her.

I might have been able to forgive her if it had been a fling, but it went on nearly six years, six whole years!

I wish she had talked to me properly before this all happened. It could have all been averted. The problem was I think we both went stale and took each other for granted.

From the sale of the house, we both got very small flats and I am sure we are both quite miserable, I know I am. She had already finished her relationship with Darren the day Clive had beaten him to a pulp, that's why he was there.

She never saw him again after that day. I do know he never really recovered from the beating my boy gave him, I am told he still limps and has chest problems.

I am too old now to start again, I am not sure I really want to. I know I could never find someone to love like I loved her. We both say we wanted to grow old together but that can never be now.

I sit in my flat alone thinking of what could've been, still angry that it was taken from me. If I was big enough to swallow my pride, I could still be with her. But would I be happy never knowing what she was up to when she was not with me. That doubt would always be there for me.

Leanne is like me, she has not found anyone else and like me I am not sure she really wants to. We see each other at family gatherings, we are civil and sometimes sit and talk.

I am an old bitter man now but when I am with my grandkids I change, the clouds clear and the sun shines, even if it is just for a few hours, it is worth every second.

The End.