Consequences - Joyce

"That's fine with me. I'll be home about the same time as usual and I'll relieve Eileen. You go and have fun."

I finished drying the dishes and went in to watch the news. I knew she planned on meeting Ron for dinner and then spending the evening with him. If he was smart, he would have a room waiting and he would take her there. I expected her to meet him at either the Ramada or the Holiday Inn: both had fairly nice restaurants and lounges. And rooms for rent. I wanted to check the recorder tonight since she would probably make a call to him soon, probably right after I went out to the garage.

Joyce came in after the kids went off to play video games in the playroom and sat down next to me. She leaned her head on my shoulder and rubbed my arm. I let her just to see what she would do.

"I'm sorry Russ. I know you still don't trust me much now, but honest, honey, it's just dinner with the girls. Ron will not be there because he wasn't invited. You can check if you want. The reservations are at the Ramada. In my name."

"It's not necessary. I don't want to have to check up on you every time you go out. If I have to do that, we don't have much of a marriage. I know I screwed up and I know you were angry so it's my fault you did what you did. I'm just happy it didn't go any further than that kiss. I can forgive that: especially since you've forgiven me. You have, haven't you?"

"Of course I have. I told you that and I hope I've shown you. We've had a lot of fun lately in the bedroom. I can tell you've forgiven me the way you make me feel."

"I have and I know that you would never betray me that way. You have too much love for your family to throw it away like that. I made a mistake but it shouldn't cost us our marriage and our life together. I just wish I had the strength and integrity you showed by controlling what you did with Ron. I trust you completely now."

The immediate tensing of her body would have been a dead giveaway but when her hand stopped rubbing my arm for that split second, it was enough to convince me that she was definitely going to cheat on me. All I had to do now was wait till she made it a reality.

"Thank you for your trust. I won't let you down." Her hand resumed its rubbing but she was quick to lean away from me. It was so obvious she was lying to me, and I wasn't sure how she could act so loving after the words I said. She had to be one cold hearted bitch. Why had I never seen this before?

I let it pass and just let her feel she had put my worries to rest. It's too bad Joyce wasn't smarter. We might have been able to save our life together and make our marriage last. But she was too self centered and too dumb to understand that what I did and what she did were two different things. While I was sorry and would never do it again, she was pleased at what she did and planned to repeat it. Her anger made her blind to her actions. She justified her actions by blaming me.

As I suspected, Joyce got on the phone right after I went into the garage and shut the door. I watched the light come on, the recorder start, and waited. It took just five minutes before it went out. The call was finished. Joyce would be putting the kids to bed right about now so I pulled the recorder, rewound it to the beginning of the call and listened.

"Hello?"

"Hi Ron. It's Joyce."

"Hi babe. I've been waiting for you to call. Are you ready to get together again? I can't wait to see you again."

"Well that's what I was calling for. I'll be free from 4:30 or so Wednesday. I've made reservations at the Ramada for dinner and I was hoping you could meet me there."

"Why bother with dinner. I'll get a room and we can spend the whole evening in bed with each other. I have some ideas how we can pass the time."

"Sounds like fun to me. Last time was fantastic so I hope you can top it Wednesday."

"Don't you worry. You'll be taken care of. Trust me. I'll make you scream just like last time."

"I'll hold you to that. I'll meet you in the lobby at 4:25 or so. We'll have about two hours or a little more. See you then."

That was the conversation. There was little more, confirming the date and reminiscing about that night she committed her first adultery. She lied to me about the dinner and about Ron, and she did it deliberately, knowing what she planned to do. This wasn't payback. This was just Joyce planning to make me the poor cuckold waiting at home with the kids while she fucked her lover. This was Joyce getting the upper hand on me and making her feel better about herself. She would feel superior now, having something secret from me. This was Joyce at her worst. I knew her well, but I never suspected she had this kind of anger and viciousness inside her. This was way too much for a loving relationship. If this was what I could expect if I made her angry, we had no future.

I slid a CD into the end of the recorder and pushed the copy button. Her conversation was copied directly to the CD, the time and date added and when it was completed I ejected it and put it in a sleeve to add to those I already had. Saul would get a copy Monday.

The weekend passed with no more phone calls and no more lies. Except when she said she loved me during our Saturday night fuckfest. Again, there was no love involved from my part, but she didn't even notice. She was probably thinking of her upcoming tryst with Ron so she was so hot she didn't even notice that I shot my load not even caring if she climaxed. When I was done, I just rolled over and went to sleep. She did the same.

Monday I arrived at the office, called Jerry in to review our plans. I had established an identity and bank accounts in the name of Juan Ramirez, a Mexican national. It cost me over ten thousand dollars but I had all the identification records I needed, including a Mexican passport and identification number. I even had a fake identity card and drivers license in that name and since I spoke fluent Spanish, no one questioned me. It's amazing what you can get with money. All funds in that account would be with the Bank of Mexico branch in New York City. Mr. Ramirez would have access to those funds in the lovely land of Mexico. Using the fake identity, I opened the account and deposited the sum of $1,000 to activate it.

On Tuesday I called Saul, and Jerry and I went to see him. Saul gave me the name of an attorney who would take it from here. This was necessary since I didn't want Saul involved in what was going to happen. I had made arrangements with Jerry to sell the company to him for a price, but the price was to be kept in a separate file, available only to him and his partners. There would be two transaction records, one going to Saul and one going to Jerry who would keep it private for the immediate future. We had worked out the deal some time ago and now just had to activate it.

Jerry and I went to the office of the new attorney. Once there, we transferred money from a holding account set up for Jerry and the seven others I had offered the company to, to the account of Juan Ramirez. The amount was two million, five hundred thousand US dollars. The attorney prepared a receipt for the transferred funds and gave it to Jerry along with a signed transfer of ownership from me to Mr. Ramirez for 80% of Cranston Demolitions, Inc.

Once that was completed, we went back to see Saul who then transferred money from the same account to an account in my name in a local bank. That transfer was for $350,000, the amount on those ownership papers. Buried deep in the paperwork was a statement that this transferred 20% of the company in my name to Jerry. This time, the receipt was attached to the deed for the building housing my company and all stocks and funds in the corporate accounts. My name was removed from the ownership records and was replaced with Jerry's name and his articles of incorporation. Jerry and his new corporation were now the owners of Cranston Demolitions, Inc. Saul actually knew only about this transfer so he could swear that this was the amount of the deal.

I gave Saul the CDs I had prepared and left with Jerry to return to the plant and make the transfer final. We called in the top men and told them the transfer was complete. As of that moment, I was unemployed and no longer boss. It was sad but it was also time. I built this company from nothing, but now it was someone else's responsibility. After a quick round of congratulations, I left to finish my plans.

I checked with the Bank of Mexico branch in New York and got my balance. It was all there and would be confirmed by end of business today. Tomorrow, Wednesday, Juan Ramirez would be a multimillionaire. He already owned a beautiful home in Puerto Vallarta, a 1987 fully restored 45' Gulfstar Hirsh sailboat, and a staff of three was waiting for him to fly home. I fully intended to do just that as soon as possible.

I felt good as I drove home that night. I had sold my company to Jerry and his corporation for $2,850,000 but only $350,000 would show on the second set of transfer of ownership records that I now had. The remaining money was in another person's name with no way to trace it to me. Jerry was covered since he had the receipts for 100% of the company at the full sales price. So as far as all records were concerned, the $350,000 was the amount I received. I had openly deposited that in my account.

The remaining money was out of the country legally and not traceable in any divorce actions. Saul was preparing my net worth for the upcoming divorce so he counted the $350,000 as my share of the business. That was added to my share of the home and properties. The rest of the money was gone and Joyce would never see it. The way I saw it, since it was part of our plans for retirement and she had decided to go her separate way by cheating on me with Ron Mason, she had no claim on that money any longer. I offered her a choice: divorce or forgiveness. If she had chosen divorce, I would have given her a fair share of all we had. I was at fault and I would have accepted that. But not this way. She threw it away by her decision to screw someone else, just to get even with me. And she had lied to me about the first time anyway and wanted to continue it. So, our plans suddenly became my plans and no longer included her.

I truly made love with Joyce that night, knowing it would be the last time for me. I had loved her for far too long to just forget and I gave it my all and brought her to a screaming climax four times. I did it all thanks to that little blue pill I got from Jerry earlier. It was a night she wouldn't soon forget and it would give lover boy Ron a goal to shoot for. One he wasn't likely to get the chance to meet.

Wednesday morning, Joyce was especially loving as she got me off to work. I knew what made her so happy and I felt a wave of sadness wash over me. I had loved her for so long that the end was more difficult than I expected. But she left me no choice. While I could stop her by disclosing what I knew, it would change nothing. The intent to cheat was clear and she would do it eventually just to get even with me for stopping her this time. Joyce had made her position clear in the calls to Eileen and Ron.

I dropped my car off with Saul and would take a cab to the airport where I made my reservations in my own name for a flight to Rio for later that evening. Once there, I planned to take an undocumented private flight back into Mexico and to my new home. I had time to kill so I spent it with Saul to review the final documents. The divorce papers were finalized and would be delivered to Joyce first thing Thursday morning. I went over the terms, making sure Joyce got all of the money in the bank accounts, now over $400,000. The trust funds for the kids were already fully funded and the money I left Joyce would satisfy any and all requirements for raising them. She would probably have to go back to work with her lover to remain comfortable, but so what. In addition, I would place money in an account that would pay Joyce $5,000 a month in child support that would continue as long as all needs for my children were met and she remained single. Once she married again, or the kids turned 18, the support would stop.

It was hard to do that and I struggled with it until it was all final. The worst part was leaving my kids, but I had little choice. I wrote a letter explaining what I was doing but not why. I just told them that their mother and I had decided that we could no longer live together so I had to leave. I promised to stay in touch with them and that sometime in the future, we would visit and they could stay with me for a while if Joyce permitted.

My real problem was that the money was in Mexico and in Juan Ramirez's name so that meant I had to stay away in order to enjoy it. Maybe some time in the future, I would find some way to visit them and even to have them come to Mexico to spend some time on the boat and at my villa. Some way existed and I would find it. If I let Joyce know where I was, she would be so bitter she would come after me somehow. That I couldn't chance.

I had lunch and made some calls to friends, telling them I was going to be out of the country for a time and letting them know I would call them later when I returned. Not likely but that established my planned absence. I spent the rest of the afternoon in a small bar and grill and had enough to make me loose but not enough to make me crazy. I bided my time. I had one more thing to do before I left for the last time.

When the clock behind the bar showed 5:00, I walked into the phone booth at the back of the bar, closed the door and dialed the Ramada. I asked for Mr. Ron Mason's room and told the operator that he was hard of hearing so to let the phone ring. She confirmed that he was there and put the call through and I waited.

Finally it was answered on the eighth ring. "Hello! Who the hell is this?"

Oh shit. His voice was hard to hear since he was breathing so hard. He sounded out of breath. Poor Ron was pulled off from fucking my wife and he was pissed. Too bad.

"Hi Ron. This is Russell Cranston and I'm warning you right now not to hang up. If you do, my ass will be up to your room and you don't want that. Now, I believe you're fucking my wife Joyce right about now. I want you to put her on the phone please."

There was silence from the other end until I heard the angry voice of my wife in the background ask Ron who it was. He hissed something to her and I waited.

"Look, I don't know what the hell you're talking about. I'm here by myself. I don't have any fucking idea of where your wife is. You're making a big mistake asshole!"

"No, you're the one who made the mistake, asshole. Ask my wife about my background. She'll confirm what I'm going to tell you. Now, you listen very closely and listen good. If you don't put my wife on the phone this fucking minute, I'm going to come up to your room and break your fucking neck. I warned you once before what would happen and you didn't listen that time but trust me, I'm angry enough to do both of you now. So put her cheating ass on the phone and hope to hell I don't come after the two of you anyway."

Again silence but I could tell he was covering the mouthpiece while telling her what I said. I just waited, knowing Joyce would know I wasn't joking. I thought I heard a muffled scream, then I heard sounds of clothing and rustling bed springs before Joyce came on.

"Listen Russell, this isn't what you think it is. I know it looks real bad but we're just talking, catching up and that's all. I'll come home right now and we can talk. It's not what you think honey, so please believe me, OK? I'll be home in a few minutes Russ and we can make this all go away. It's not what you think honey, it's really not."

"Oh I'm sorry Joyce but it's exactly what I think it is. I tapped our phones and I heard you making plans with your asshole lover to meet at the Ramada. I heard you telling Eileen about the first time with him and how fantastic it was. Remember when you told her it was even better than sex with me? I know it all Joyce and I told you what would happen. Now it's too late for any more of your lies."

"No Russ! Please baby! I'm sorry, so sorry. I'll come home right now and I'll never do this again. Ron is nothing to me. I love you, just you. Please wait for me. I'll leave right away and I'll be home in a few minutes. Please Russ, wait for me."

"Sorry Joyce. Saul will contact you tomorrow morning with the terms of the divorce. As for me, you won't see me again. I want nothing more to do with you. I tried Joyce, I really did. I apologized for my mistake and promised it would never happen again. I did all I could do but it wasn't enough. You had to get even with me. Well, congratulations. You did and in a big way. You win Joyce! You win it all!"

"Russ! What about the children? Can you leave them? You can't walk away from them. They love you and they'll miss you. Can you be that cruel?"

"I don't see you worrying about them now Joyce. Did you think of them while you were fucking Ron Mason? Did you call out their names when he rammed his cock into you? Don't try to blame me Joyce. You fucked up our marriage. All you had to do was forgive me. That's all. But you couldn't do it. Your temper made you crazy."

I heard her now, crying hysterically as she tried to stop me from saying what she didn't want to hear. I heard her screaming at poor Ron, telling him to get out and stay out. Poor guy. He just took what she offered and risked nothing. He thought he was the only smart one in the whole bunch of us. But he forgot that he was warned and didn't listen. He would pay for that mistake.

"I'll call the kids and tell them why I left. You tell them whatever you want. But I promise you that you had best take very good care of them Joyce, or I'll come back to see you and you won't like that. And I want none of your lovers in that house. I've made arrangements to have someone keep an eye on you, so don't make me mad, Joyce. Don't! You know what I'm capable of doing. Remember it.

"I'm leaving the country tonight and you'll not hear from me again. All contact from this point forward will be through Saul. Goodbye Joyce."

As she was screaming at me to wait, I hung up. One final phone call to Jerry, then I was finished with Joyce and all of this shit. An hour after my call to Joyce, I was on my way to the airport and three flights and less than ten hours later, I was in my new home.

A week later, I received a copy of the local paper from home in my villa in Puerto Vallarta detailing the explosion and complete destruction of several buildings in the north part of town which happened two days after I left the country. According to the paper, each appeared to be a gas leak which was somehow ignited, setting off a huge explosion. Fortunately, no one was injured in any of the explosions. The article went on to say, 'The buildings were owned by Ron Mason, a local realtor and foul play is suspected. When asked for a comment, Mr. Mason considered the acts to be a deliberate act by a local demolitions expert but had no proof that was the case. According to investigators, the man in question was out of the country and could not have been responsible. The explosions have been ruled intentional by arson investigators and Mr. Mason is the only suspect. Charges are expected to be filed today by the District Attorney. If convicted, he faces thirty years in jail.' I read the article several times and couldn't help laughing each time. God bless Jerry!

Saul contacted me several times with requests from Joyce to have me call her or give her a means of contacting me but I told Saul to let her know I had no desire to talk to her. She threatened to fight the divorce but Saul told her he had possession of several CDs of conversations confirming her intent to commit adultery and if she persisted in fighting the divorce, he would make those records public for the courts and change the reasons for divorce from irreconcilable differences to infidelity and alienation of affection. He also mentioned a plan to sue her company for failing to enforce morals violations. She and Ron Mason would be named as co-conspirators. She dropped her resistance and the divorce went through. It took only 60 days uncontested. I counted each one of them.