Betrayed Husbands Anonymous Ch. 03

Introduction

This is the third in a series. BHA (Betrayed Husbands Anonymous) is a fanciful look at a means for husbands without the skill or will to effect revenge on a cheating spouse. The notion that a bunch of men could gather, plot, and execute revenge in secrecy is the stuff of fantasy. I pointed out in an earlier version, a quote from Benjamin Franklin, "Three can keep a secret, if two are dead."

So, I ask you to suspend your disbelief - in this universe, characters do not share secrets. Another note about these characters - they are entirely fictional. In reviewing the stories I have submitted here, the death rate among the characters is high - however, no actual (or even fictional) people were really harmed. It would seem in LW stories no punishment is too severe.

I apologize for the length of time it has taken to get this story published. The reviews of BHA2 told me the storyline was too complex (or too poorly told to be so complex). I wanted to explore two distinct types of people in each part of the story - one choosing revenge and the other choosing to move forward. Enough time has passed I have decided I am not going to get that done.

This story continues one of the themes in BHA 2, trying to knock William Mason down a peg. Since so much time has passed, I am going to provide sufficient review that the reader does not need to go back to BHA2.

Finally, many do not attempt revenge, because they have no stomach for it. They believe they do not seek revenge because they lack the ability, or they lack the courage - but in reality, they are morally against revenge. Do such people have a breaking point?

Betrayed Husbands reviewed

Betrayed Husbands Anonymous is a group of men, who help other men avenge their divorce from a cheating wife. My name is Jim Anderson and I have been involved with BHA for about 6 months. I have begun to question how much help revenge is to an individual, who lacks either the courage or the ability to cause their own revenge. I'll admit, it felt good to me when the group got revenge for me - so why do I question those actions now?

First, the thrill I got was temporary and soon my life was just as shitty as it had been. Revenge wasn't what it was cracked up to be. Particularly since I was completely passive in the revenge.

Secondly, it quickly occurred to me that revenge was not what I needed. I needed to move on and live a good life, again. I thought my wife was a life partner; turns out she didn't want that role. Moping about that was unimportant, finding a true life-partner was.

My first assignment with BHA involved Dave Williams, who found his wife in bed with William Mason. Mason beat Williams unconscious and left with the wayward wife. Williams wanted BHA to "take Mason down." That proved to be difficult. My investigation showed Mason was guilty of fraudulent construction practices in his capacity with Wellborn Construction. Mason also had some "dirt" over Wellborn's current president, Rodney Wellborn, III.

William's request lent itself to punishing Mason for his fraud - but how could BHA accomplish that? I could prove to myself Mason had committed fraud - but he'd bought off government officials and had other co-conspirators - so I could not make a case the authorities would accept.

And that was only the first half of the problem.

My boss, Chuck, saw the trouble between Rodney, III and Mason as an opportunity. Rodney, Jr. would not allow Mason to hold anything over his son's head - and in Chuck's mind, Jr. was willing to do "anything" to stop Mason. "Anything" was right down Chuck's alley - if there was a profit in it. Chuck was not bounded by morals, ethics, or the law - I on the other hand am very much bound by all of those.

During my investigation I met a beautiful woman, Bridget Connolly. She and I quickly developed feelings for one another. We both desperately wanted to get out of the hole divorce had put us in and start to live a full life once again.

Bridget and I were able to get Wellborn, III out of exile and he, in turn, moved Mason out of the company's leadership. We were successful. Mason had disappeared and Williams' wife was homeless. She even approached her ex-husband, who took immense pleasure in turning her away.

Suddenly, Mason was back, and Williams' ex was back with him. The bit of revenge we thought we had gained was just as quickly gone.

<<<<>>>>

It was a dreary Monday. The kind of day which makes you wish you'd stayed in bed. I was drinking coffee and hoping something would happen to bring me some amount of joy. Instead, Dave Williams came limping up to my desk. He looked like a man who'd avoided death by the smallest of margins.

"Dave! What happened to you?"

"Mason hired a couple of guys to tell me it was not nice to treat my ex-wife badly. Twice."

"What do you mean? Twice."

He looked at me and could not go on. He sat down on the stuffed chair toward the corner of the office. I followed him and sat on the small sofa which was on the other wall of the same corner. He exhaled and said, "They came up to me and told me it was not nice to treat a woman I had been married to so badly. Then, one of them hit me in the stomach, as I doubled over he hit me in the jaw, and I was out cold. I don't know how long I was out, but I woke up in some garage. They both started on me. They were careful not to knock me out and kept hitting me, everywhere. Finally, I lost consciousness, again and woke up in front of my apartment."

"Did you call the police?"

"I called 911 for help, they sent an ambulance. The police talked to me in the hospital. Of course, both Mason and the Ex have alibis and knew nothing of any beating."

"Well, we've done what we can."

"Jim, we've done nothing that wasn't undone, and they made me pay for trying. I want to knock Mason down."

"Bill, pardon me, but we have learned we are not capable of digging up information to get him prosecuted..."

Williams stiffened his back, "We must try harder. Right now, our efforts have made me worse off. Can you live with that?"

Well, shit. He knew I'd react to that. "Let's roll up our sleeves and get started."

<<<<>>>>

"Bridget, I have something I need to talk with you about."

"Okay, shoot."

"First, this is selfish of me. I need to share with someone I trust. But by sharing I will place you at some risk."

"That sounds ominous and not likely for you..." she paused wanting me to say more.

"I never told you why I was looking into fraud at Wellborn. It's a bit complicated."

"Okay, so tell me."

I explained BHA in detail and asked her to keep it between the two of us. She agreed. I was smiling when she said, "Why the big smile?"

"I never thought I'd trust anyone, again. Now, it seems so easy. But what comes next is why I am cautious."

"Jim, this is important. I don't mean what you are going to say. I don't even know what that is. I have been miserable. I mean desperately lonely and needing something in my life to make me feel whole again. I tried being a great mother - it is a fulfilling role but does nothing to fill that hole in me."

"I know. That is why I need to share this. But there is a danger." I paused and stared at her.

"Jim, whatever it is doesn't matter. If you are in danger, I am, too - whether you tell me or not. Spill it."

"We never got enough proof to take Mason down. You helped get Rodney, III back and Mason disappeared for a while. Now he's back and Williams ex is with him, again. Williams is pissed and wants the revenge he asked for."

"You aren't the police. What does he expect?"

I smiled, "He wants a pond of flesh. Mason beat him up and now, two thugs, who Williams thinks were hired by Mason beat him twice. He wants to avenge those beatings - legally. And there is an added bonus."

She got this grin, Added bonus? You have a way of positively asserting dark things."

"Well, this is certainly dark. Mason has something on Wellborn the third and Wellborn Junior will not allow that to stand. My boss Chuck sees Junior's intransigence as a good thing."

"Jim, you are going to need to get just a tad more specific."

I laughed, "I get mad at my boss because he talks around things rather than talking about them. I know why he does it. He doesn't want to say something, instead, he wants to paint a picture so you can figure it out, without having heard it.

"Let me do it this way. If I were to use the words "take out" I would be talking about escorting you on a date. If you used it, you'd be talking about the food you picked up at a restaurant for one of our evenings in."

"And this is what you call a tad more specific?"

"Hang on," I had to laugh, "I'm getting to it.

"Chuck, my boss, would hear take out and define it as removing another human from the planet. So, we have Williams who wants to take Mason down and Chuck, who wants to take him out."

"And you are afraid that Williams will become aware that someone else wants to take Mason out and want you to seek that as his revenge."

"You told me BHA doesn't do that kind of work."

"Well, I said, I was promised I would not do that kind of work. I don't think BHA does it, either. But Chuck has a more entrepreneurial spirit. If someone is willing to pay him to do something, Chuck is anxious to do the work. He is morally flexible."

"So, you're not involved. What is the issue?"

"Junior wants Mason out of the picture. Chuck is happy to oblige. I know all this today. Does that make me an accessory?"

"So, go to the police."

"Chuck would see that as an impediment to his earning potential and make me part of a package deal."

"Well, technically, you don't know anything."

"True, but can I live with a murder, knowing I could have stopped it?"

"No, I know you can't. And your dilemma is Chuck won't let you live if he thinks you have a conscience."

"Yep. Let's change the subject."

"Before we do, consider this. You really don't know anything. You know Chuck. If we wake up in the morning and some local big-wig has been killed - you'd know if Chuck could find a profit in it, he may have done it. If the big wig were Mason, how would it be different?"

I didn't answer. But she was right. Knowing Chuck is a "bad guy" makes him a suspect. Unless I know of a plan, I don't know anything. Strongly suspecting while willfully ignorant - could I live with that?

<<<<>>>>

Spending the night together is a great part of a new relationship. We didn't get to do it that often because of Judy. Usually, Bridget made us wait until Judy was asleep and then wanted me to leave before we fell asleep. Tonight, Judy had a sleep-over, and I guess, so did I.

We were cuddled, enjoying the afterglow. I asked, "You know one of the things I miss most about spending the night?"

"Well, since tomorrow I'll be uncomfortable sitting or walking, I could guess." She giggled.

"Oh, did I hurt you?"

"Think about it. Did you hear me saying - stop or more."

"Oh, yeah, there is that. To get to the point, I need your help."

She looked at me like I had said something in a foreign language. "I don't think my ex ever asked for my help."

"That's an odd thing to say. Why that response?"

"When he said something like that, what he wanted was for me to take the trash out. Wash his car. Do something, so he didn't have to. I know you are going to ask me to do something you can't. Some way I can really be helpful to you."

"Well, you're right about that. I am not doing well at winning your daughter over and it's important to me."

She laughed, a deep hearty laugh. "You're already ten times the father her father is and he isn't the least concerned. Judy is being a pill right now. For years, my heart has been exclusively hers. Now, I smile when your name is mentioned. She wants her exclusivity back."

"Okay... What does... no that is not what I want to ask, why don't you tell her to stop it?"

"This is not playing her music too loud. It is fundamentally important. If I start making her treat you some way, I am putting myself between the two of you. I want her to love you; she must be the one who decides she will."

Now I laughed. "When I used to ask questions like that of my ex, she would get all defensive. She'd take my question as an accusation. It occurs to me, one of the outcomes of her defensiveness is I stopped asking her - and we grew more distant."

"Jim, I can see your effort and know how hard you are trying. The little princess will finally see she is getting two hearts rather than losing part of one. Give her a little time."

My Dilemma

As much as I dreaded it, I had to talk to my boss, Chuck. He thought the stars were aligning. We had a betrayed husband who wanted revenge on his wife's lover and a wealthy man who wanted that same man out of the way - a "twofer." Chuck also felt laws were more guidelines, for those so inclined.

Because his topic was so often unlawful, Chuck was incredibly careful when he spoke. He talked around things rather than about them. Generally, I had to sit for a while, after talking to Chuck, to decide what we had talked about - and what he'd had to say about it.

I started the conversation with another client. I was stalling. "I was at the meeting in Aurora. The speaker did an excellent job of explaining himself as a man devoted to his wife and three children. In fact, he has been so devoted to earning a living for them, he left them alone, too often. His wife found a man, who makes less, but is happy to share time with her. His request was he help him put his life together."

"I hate wimps like that."

"Wimps?" I asked with as little emotion as I could show.

"I happen to know a little about this one. The guy got his high school honey pregnant and married her. He has spent two decades working his ass off so the kids could get the education he didn't get. His wife gets bored and finds some other guy. She doesn't care he makes less; she'll bleed our guy to make up the difference."

We batted that around for a while. I knew it would go nowhere. The man had asked to help rebuild his life going forward, Chuck was only about getting revenge.

"Let me change the subject. I am concerned about the Dave Willaims matter."

There was a very slight twitch and Chuck responded, "What about it?"

"We keep digging but the fraud committed by Wellborn or Mason is too well concealed."

Chuck sat up and looked at me. "Don't give up. Keep digging." He had a strange look on his face. He was cooking up something. "As a matter of fact, I authorize you to pay up to $10,000 for a forensic accountant to help you dig."

A forensic accountant would discover what we discovered. Chuck knows that. Why would he authorize spending money for no reason? No, that's the wrong question, what is the reason to authorize frivolous spending? The answer is obvious, to have a receipt - proof of the effort. I was to be a part of a diversion. I smiled.

Almost immediately Chuck smiled. He saw I got it. There now was no need for a conversation denying he knew anything about how Wellborn, Jr. intended to take care of Mason. "You are honest and smart. I haven't always had the advantage of collaborating with people like you. I can count on you to be who you are."

Good. He is affirming that I am innocently working on a legal form of revenge, which will make it obvious to anyone investigating some future foul play, that the foul play did not originate here. "Thanks, you can count on me. You know that."

So, I am back to Bridget's statement, I don't really know anything. Willful ignorance is just the same as ignorance - if I only believed that.

<<<<>>>>

The work with Williams took on a different tone. Before, he wanted revenge. Now he needed revenge. Mason's comeuppance was not just a requirement; it was something he required to save his soul.

We hired another accountant and were digging into the same data which we knew led nowhere. Williams was demanding we look at everything again and simultaneously not all that interested. I don't understand revenge.

Bridget can help me understand. We planned a quiet dinner at her place.

I used my key, called out as I entered, she answered from her bedroom. I'd have followed her voice, but Judy appeared. "Hi." She said with no real enthusiasm.

"And a good evening to you." She nearly scowled. I sat on the couch and motioned for her to sit with me. I was pleasantly surprised when she did.

"Good evening to you is not a very good way to say hi, to a woman your age, is it?"

That got a big smile, "A woman? Not a girl?"

"Well, that's the thing, isn't it. You are right in between. Sometimes I'll bet you like to be a girl, but right now you look like a woman to me."

Judy had her back to the hallway to the bedrooms, facing me. She didn't see her mother smiling at us. Bridget backed up, giving her daughter and me a chance to bond.

"You know, Mom is a lot different now. Since you are coming around."

"Different how?"

"At first I didn't like it. She is not there..."

"Distracted?"

"Yeah, distracted. I didn't like that. But I noticed, she is happy all the time now. She used to be all about me."

"All about you. Isn't that a good thing?"

"For me. But for her? Maybe not so much."

"Judy, maybe it's a good thing for you, too."

"Oh, it is. I like her to be happy."

"You're right. Her happiness is important and as a woman you understand that. But your happiness is important, too. You can be happier now that she is happy. And not just vicariously."

"What is vick, vi..."

"Vicariously. It means to enjoy something through someone else. To feel someone else's emotions. And, in this case, you and I can build a relationship, too."

She looked at me like she was trying to figure out what that meant. She was intrigued. She might be my friend, too. I decided we'd made good progress and to let her sit with the new possibility for a while.

We were quiet for just a few moments and Bridget joined us. "Who'd like pepperoni pizza for dinner?"

Judy raised her hand, I followed, and then Bridget followed. Thirty minutes later, pizza followed.

Judy led the dinner conversation, "You wouldn't believe what Billy Michaels did." And sure enough, I didn't.

But it is amazing to see a person so passionate about the details of their life. We spent most of the first couple of slices, each, learning about life in the young lane. I decided to add, "You know, I have never had this opportunity, in all my years."

Judy didn't take the bait, so Bridget asked, "What opportunity?"

"To sit at the dinner table, like a family, and do what family does."

"Are we going to be a family?" Judy's tone was curious, a big step forward from hostile.

"Well, I have two women to convince it would be a good thing. Right now, I'd say I am doing better with the mother than the daughter."

"You are doing better than you think with the daughter." She smiled. That got a big smile from me and a knowing look from her mother.

and then it happened

The radio news, on the way to work Monday brought a sense of foreboding. There was a fiery one-car crash on a mountain road, Sunday night. Two people, William Mason, and a woman, as yet unidentified, were killed. The initial finding of the police is under investigation. It is possible the crash was the result of foul play.

Well, now I am faced with it. I don't know Chuck had them taken out - but really.

And, I have no real choice. I can't go to the police and say, you know I was worried my boss might have those two murdered. I wish I'd done something earlier.