Contamination

Unrestrained tears flowed down both faces. These were words that my parched heart desperately needed to hear. Even if we never reconciled, it was healing just to hear her being contrite instead of arrogant.

"I ended it with him. Thomas is now in my past. I will never have anything to do with him ever again, just as you requested, even if, as my boss, he demands it, no matter the cost. I want to start doing what is right again. I want to be the wife and mother you and our family need me to be. Can we start over again? Can we press the reset button on our marriage and begin anew?"

"Leslie, what you've just said and done gives me a glimmer of hope that perhaps there may be a slim chance for us after all. I'm encouraged and thankful to learn the result of your soul-searching. Don't ask me how I know this but I have reason to believe he put drugs in your fruit smoothies to make you subject to his will. I don't yet know what the future holds for us, but if there is to be even the slightest chance for any kind of reconciliation between us, after everything that has transpired, I still need to see a lot more from you. There are several things I will ask of you and until you comply with ALL of my requests, I'm sorry but the divorce process will proceed unabated."

"How did? But I never mentioned the fruit smoothies. He drugged me?" Leslie tried to process what I'd just dropped on her. "But I did what you asked. I ended it with him. What else? Do you need proof?"

"I appreciate you doing that. It is a start. And yes, I will need proof for my peace of mind. I hope you'll forgive me for not accepting your word at face value right now but I will get my proof in my own way, so don't worry about that." I made a mental note to recheck her recording later on.

"But if you recall, I also insisted that you quit your job as well. I haven't yet heard from you regarding that. So let me ask you, are you still employed there?"

"I do remember you asking that of me. I haven't forgotten. I worked hard to get where I am there. I swear to you that it will never happen again. Don't you believe me?" She pleaded.

"It doesn't need to be the same circumstances to happen again. It just needs to be the right circumstances." I affirmed.

"But the main reason I haven't resigned yet is that you quit your job, and as far as I know, you don't have another one, so what will we do for money? At least one of us has to bring in an income, and so I thought you'd want me to stay on at least until you found something else. Does that make sense?"

"I can understand how you might think that. And it's true, I still don't have a job yet, and no income to speak of. We have some savings that will get us by for the short term. But that request is non-negotiable. Leslie, you don't have to agree with me that we'll be alright financially if you quit. You don't even have to like the idea. You don't have to understand where the money will come from or how we'll get by. But there's one thing you WILL have to do. You will have to TRUST me. You will have to honor the wishes of your faithful husband on this important decision. And if you aren't prepared to put your life completely in my hands after having done so recently with fuck-face, then there is no hope for us. Once upon a time, you had faith in me and our marriage. Somewhere along the line, you lost sight of that. If we can't get that back, then we don't have anything more to discuss.

Her eyes became big as saucers. Only now did the extent of her betrayal fall soundly on her shoulders and she wept all the more. She looked into my eyes for signs of weakness. What she saw was a boldness stronger than steel. She wondered how she ever lost sight of that. At that very moment, she made her decision.

"You're right about me, about everything. I may never understand how I could have become so blinded. I hope it was the drugs you mentioned, and not my volition. Okay, honey....a leap of faith here. I'll quit my job tomorrow. Like you, I won't even work a notice."

"Aside from the obvious, another reason I need you to resign is so that you won't get caught in the crossfire when I go to take that asshole down."

"Take him down? What do you mean, take him down?" Leslie fretted. "He's a VERY powerful CEO, and you're nothing more than an unemployed insect to him. He'll squash you like a bug," she worried.

"Did you already forget your Bible stories? Wasn't David a mere shepherd boy when he slayed the warrior giant, Goliath, on the field of battle with nothing more than a slingshot? Oh, ye of little faith." I reminded.

She looked me right in the eye. She saw unwavering grit and determination, and replied, "You're right. If we succeed, we succeed, and if we fail, we fail together. Whatever happens, I am with you 100%. I do love you, Vernon, and I'm so sorry again for my betrayal and for all the heartache I've brought upon us all. This has been a healing talk. Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow."

She rose from the table and thought to reach for me but didn't want to push it too early. "Goodnight," she said.

"Night", I responded. And we both had our first decent night's sleep in quite some time.

I, once again, was up assisting the kids before Leslie rose for the day. She joined us for breakfast. For the first time in recent memory, the whole family had breakfast together and talked and laughed at the beginning of a new day.

I had downloaded the recording from her purse and listened to it during the night. True to her word, Leslie had ended it with her lover, and Tom was very unhappy about letting her go after investing so much money to keep her, saying she owed him. She told him that she had paid the price a thousand times over with the loss of her husband's love and respect. It wasn't a pleasant conversation. Now for the next test, would she quit her job? The job for which she paid so high a price to get where she was? Only time would tell.

Leslie put on a good front in front of the children but after they got on the bus for school, she couldn't look me in the eye and cried. I wanted to go to her and hold her. But I needed to know the depth of her resolve. Almost as if she had read my mind, she looked up and smiled at me. It was her smile of true love, one that had been missing for so long.

As she composed herself, she said, "I thought about it last night and you're right. That job has already cost our family too much and isn't worth it. I'm going in today and formally quit. Then perhaps we can continue."

"Well, I've given it some thought too, and you may want to reconsider. By that, I mean there is something else I want you to do, and I will gladly go with you for support if you like. When you go to HR to sever your ties with the company, I want you to also file a sexual harassment complaint against Thomas. Now hear me out before you object. I realize that you were a willing participant, and freely gave yourself to him but in reality, he wrongly used his position of authority and access to you to seduce you and lead you astray. He is NOT an honorable man. He is a predator, and until, and unless someone like you lodges a formal complaint against him, he will continue ruining others' lives and leaving devastated families in his wake."

"But if I do that, his wife will surely find out about us. Isn't there some other way we can deal with this without destroying his marriage as well?"

"I see, so you'd rather save his marriage instead of ours? Is that what you're telling me?"

"No. Of course not. That's not what I'm saying."

"Well, that's what it sounds like to me. You can't have it both ways, Leslie. Either you're on his side or mine. I thought you'd said you'd be willing to do anything to save our marriage. Is that no longer true? Do you want him to be free to do the same thing to countless others with no consequences? Choose. What's it going to be?"

"You're right again. It's just that, believe it or not, I had already thought about filing charges of some kind but the bottom line is....evidence. HR is going to want me to have some kind of ironclad corroborating evidence to back up my claims or this will just end up being another 'he said, she said' situation, and he is a lot higher up the totem pole than me, so who do you think they'll believe?"

"Remember that trust thing I asked of you yesterday? That shouldn't be limited solely to financial matters. Trust in me when I ask you to do something. You are not alone in this. I am right by your side, and when I start swinging at them, it'll be like a windmill in a hurricane. Don't you worry, I've got all the evidence we'll need, or I never would have asked you to do this."

"But how? Where? When? How?"

"As I said, don't worry about that. You just go file the complaint, and when they set up an interview with you later to explore your charges and confirm your evidence, that is when we will hit them and blow the asshole's career to hell. When you resign, tell them that the reason is due to Thomas' sexual harassment. That'll get the ball rolling. Do you want me to come with you?"

"Not this time, Vern. It would be too embarrassing to openly admit my stupid infidelity in front of my coworkers, and my husband at the same time. But when they interview me, yes. You're my rock, and I will assuredly want you by my side then. I do love you, you know?"

I nodded in acknowledgment. "Call me when you get in your car after resigning and filing your complaint."

She gave me a wan smile. As she dressed for her mission, I pondered how best to compile all the evidence I had collected. I thought that while she was at work, I would go visit my attorney to determine the best way to approach my plans for Thomas. The attorney suggested that she petition for a restraining order against Thomas, citing her sexual harassment charges as a motive to avoid his retribution. Under it, he could have no contact of any kind with her, regardless of the circumstances, nor could he come within 500' of her for any reason. The petition would be filed as an emergency request immediately after she signed it. That would put him on notice that we weren't playing around. When she called me, emotionally drained from the experience, I asked how it went.

"It took a lot out of me to be honest because I was so keyed up and stressed. But by the time it was over, I was at peace with it all and felt a big load lift from my shoulders. I then asked her to swing by the attorney's office and explained why. She sighed in relief, thinking it was a good idea, and readily signed the petition for the restraining order.

When we both arrived back at the house, there was still some time before the children would arrive home from school. Leslie hoped to explore where things were headed for us.

"I know we have a long way to go to get back to where we were before I strayed and hurt you. I apologize again, and you'll never know just how sorry I am for betraying you and causing you pain. You have always been a wonderful husband, and this is all on me. So far I have done the things you've asked of me, though that might not mean much to you right now. I hope it's not 'too little too late.' Where do we go from here? Will you call off the divorce now?" She started to reach out to touch me but then thought better of it, not knowing yet how I might respond.

"To be perfectly honest, I don't know right now. We've just poked a hornet's nest and there is no telling how things may shake out when it's all said and done. Had you not carried out my wishes, I can promise you we'd be over and done already. We could very well be still. Our emotions are running high right now, and we need to let the dust settle a bit before we make any more life-changing decisions. Rest assured that we remain on very thin ice. But for the moment I don't have any plans to move out right now. If you want to, it's up to you."

"No Vernon, no! I don't want to leave. I'm not going anywhere."

"Don't speak too quickly, Leslie. I have some additional very unusual demands that I expect you to abide by. I have my reasons but it's a take it or leave it proposition. Are you sure you want to hear more?" I tested.

"Go ahead. As long as you don't ask me to murder someone, I'll do it," she promised.

"First of all, I insist that you get tested for STDs including HIV. Perhaps YOU trust that pile of shit not to infect you with a disease, but I don't."

"I'll go to the clinic first thing in the morning," she said downtrodden.

"Secondly, I want you to send off DNA samples of the children and me to ascertain paternity. I know you'll say they are mine and they are. But I also need to know if they're my biological children. You've instilled that doubt in me. You should have results within two weeks at the outside." Sadness pervaded her emotions as she considered the weight of the damage she'd wrought with her betrayal. Saying nothing, she simply looked at the floor and nodded her agreement.

"My third demand is going to shock you to the core, but it's non-negotiable. If you refuse, the divorce proceeds unimpeded." She looked at me with great apprehension.

"Everything about your body, from my perspective, is contaminated from head to toe. From my point of view, you might as well be a walking diseased petri dish since he's touched you everywhere and ruined you for me, so here's what I require of you. I've done some research and discovered that it takes four to six weeks for the human body to completely shed every skin cell and replace it with new. So I don't want you to touch me in any way until every single cell of your skin that has come in contact with him has been purged." She looked confused, wondering where I was going with this.

"I realize that your hair is your crowning glory but to me, it's ruined. For that reason, I want you to shave your head and keep it clean-shaven for a minimum of 30 days. Donate your cut hair to 'Locks of Love' for children and cancer patients. I expect you to re-shave your head every three days. Head hair regrows at an average rate of one-half inch per month or six inches per year. It's going to take a while for you to grow it back to where it once was."

"But why?" She asked startlingly. I've always kept my hair washed and clean for you."

"Did he ever place his hands on your head and hair while you were sucking his prick?" She nodded reluctantly.

"And did ANY of his semen EVER come in contact with your hair, even once?" She again sadly nodded in the affirmative.

"Need I say more?" She shook her head, no. "But you are free to purchase and wear a wig, any wig you like. I have no objection to you having hair. I've always loved your beautiful mane. But he has ruined for me what's on your head right now. Once the adulteration has been shorn, new pure growth can replace it." I pointed out.

"Also, after you shave your head, I want you to shave every inch of your body from top to bottom and then wash your skin thoroughly with an antiseptic body wash. I'll help you shave around your asshole if you are unable to reach certain areas. Every three days, you will repeat the total body shaving. The antiseptic wash need not be repeated. Once is sufficient. In 30 days, you will have completely shaved your body from head to toe at least ten times. Are you willing to comply with this?"

Shocked, but asking no questions, she nodded her head, yes.

"You are not to touch me at all, in any way for the next six weeks (42 days). Is that understood?" She again morosely shook her head.

After ten body shavings and six weeks of elapsed time, I will acknowledge that every skin cell that he ever touched will be purged and gone forever. Your decontamination will be complete. I'm not saying we'll jump right back into bed then but you are not to touch me at all during those six weeks. Understood?"

"Yes, I understand," she whispered.

"Since that's the case, we'll have to learn to pretend and act normal in front of the children for their sake. But until I say otherwise, please don't try to talk to me about 'us' again. Don't try to entice me to your bedroom. If you do so, I will leave the house every time and return after bedtime. You do your thing, and I'll do mine. I just need time to sort things out, and I am hoping you will honor all of my requests. We both have decisions to make, and we both need time to weigh what we both want against what is best for the family."

"I understand, she said in defeat. I won't hound you about us. But can we at least end the silent treatment, and speak to one another about the everyday things of household life? The kids can sense the strain between us, and if we at least have innocent small talk, they will feel the better for it I believe."

"I agree. I hadn't thought about the impact our silence would have on them. You're right, small talk is okay and in fact, necessary if we are going to practice being good parents once again for their sake." I gave her a quick wink and disappeared into my room.

'This is going to be worse than I thought but I will give it my all', thought a perplexed Leslie.

The next day, I received an unusual text from an unknown number. It simply stated, 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend. You are my friend. Have your attorney contact me at this number at 9 pm tonight. You both will be pleased with what I have to tell him.'

Soon enough, the proverbial shit hit the fan. Thomas filed counter charges against Leslie stating that she had seduced and blackmailed him and filed a civil suit against her for $250,000 for libel and defamation of character. Of course, in Leslie's absence, Thomas felt he had the upper hand. Leslie tearfully wept as her whole life seemed to be unraveling before her very eyes. How could her husband ever forgive her in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds? She showed me the papers she had been served at the house and I took them and told her to let me handle it. She couldn't believe the immutable confidence I displayed when to her, our outlook seemed so bleak. But I had asked her for trust. Trust. That was fast becoming her most important word lately. She knew she'd have to work very hard to regain even a smidgen of trust from me, but by God, she could give me HER unwavering trust, and she was going to prove it! As challenging as it was, she never showed any signs of worry or stress. I said I'd handle it and she knows that I don't make such statements frivolously.

Then came D-Day. I accompanied her to the HR deposition, with our attorney, the company attorney, three HR personnel, and also with Thomas and his attorney in attendance. Thomas smirked at Leslie and me condescendingly, as if the cat was about to eat the canary. Never being one to back down from a fight, I just stared him down as we sat on opposite sides of a large conference table.

"Thank you all for coming. My name is Warren Chesterfield and these are my associates in Human Resources, Barry Tilden and Sonya Hutchens along with Mr. Farnsworth, our legal representative. With everyone's permission, this meeting is being audio and video recorded to avoid any misconceptions about what is said and alleged. To my right is Mr. Thomas Henley, CEO of this company sided by his attorney Brad Franklin and opposite them are Leslie and Vernon Mansfield represented by Scott Lindley. We are here to attempt to uncover the truth regarding some serious allegations posited by both parties. Mrs. Mansfield initially filed a complaint with this office alleging sexual harassment by our distinguished CEO, Mr. Henley, who has counter-lodged a similar complaint in return. Do all parties agree with my opening statement?" Everyone nodded in assent.

"Very well. Since both parties have brought legal representation, perhaps they should be allowed to perform their duties and present their case. Shall we start with you, Mr. Lindley?