Discovery in Charleston

"Hello"

"Hi, this is Gemma Hartnell, I'm trying to reach Ellie Benton."

"Well, you're close, this is her husband Will. Can I help you with something?"

"I'm sorry to bother you on vacation Mr. Benton, but Mrs. Benton was riding with us today on Kiawah and her wallet must have dropped out of her purse when she was leaving. I'm guessing she hasn't discovered that yet, or she would have come back for it. Anyway, we had her cell number from her reservation, but she didn't answer. This was the only other number I could find in her wallet, so I decided to give it a try. I'm so glad I reached you."

Before she could go on, Will interrupted her. "You said Ellie Benton, right?"

"Yessir"

"Could you confirm her address from her driver's license?"

"Sure, give me just a second... 1810 Falling Leaf Drive."

"That's our address, but there must be some mistake, Ellie is at a horse show in Lexington, Kentucky this weekend." Will felt his palms begin to sweat.

"I'm sorry sir" the young woman on the other end responded. Gemma also began to feel nervous, not sure what she had stumbled into, but wanting to get out quick. "If you speak with her, could you tell her we have her wallet over at Seabrook Stables?"

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry" Will stammered trying to make sense of the call, "I will be sure to let her know. I guess she'll be over to pick it up this evening or tomorrow."

Will hung up the phone and walked to his laptop and opened it up to the itinerary Ellie had given him. She had left early that morning and would be home Sunday evening. At the top of the page he read, Champagne Run Jumper Stumpers, Lexington, Kentucky; September 10-12. That was this weekend, and apparently, Ellie wasn't there.

"What was she doing in Charleston, or Kiawah Island? He wondered out loud to nobody in particular. "Why would she lie to me about this? "There must be some reasonable explanation."

Will was a smart guy and a methodical one. He sat down and forced himself to work through the options.

• She could be planning a surprise for the two of them later in the fall, but all of that could be done by laptop.

• She couldn't be setting something up for their anniversary since he had overtly hinted he had planned a surprise.

• Was there a show in Charleston this weekend too? Did she just change her plans at the last minute and not tell him, because she didn't want him to think she was flighty? He did a quick search on the Charleston Visitors website schedule for anything remotely to do with horses... nothing.

• Something with sorority sisters she didn't want to tell him about? But why? He wouldn't care if she was on girl's weekend.

None of these or several other notions made any sense. Then he wrote down the last one, he didn't want to consider, but he had no choice.

• Is she having an affair?

He immediately had a lump in his throat and a knot in his stomach. There didn't seem to be any other reasonable explanation. He thought he'd married the most amazing woman in the world. A beautiful woman, a smart and gifted woman, the woman with whom he planned to spend his entire life, a loyal woman.

What should he do? He needed to think and process but he also needed to get himself under control. He needed to ground himself so he turned to the one name he thought could help him... Corey... He started to hit his speed dial # 2 when he suddenly stopped.

"Oh shit" he thought, beginning to put pieces together he desperately hoped wouldn't fit. "Corey went to Florida to visit his folks this weekend... Right?"

He scrolled through his list until he landed on Marty Parker and hit the call sign on his cell.

"Will, to what to I owe this honor, I hope you and my son are still out there slaying the world!"

"Hi Marty, I'm trying to reach Corey. His cell goes to voicemail," he lied, "But he told me he was visiting you and Vera this weekend. It's nothing urgent, just a quick question. Is he around?"

"I think you're mistaken Will," Marty responded, "Corey told me he would be in Hilton Head this weekend with a couple of fraternity buddies. Do you want me to try and reach him?"

Will was fighting to hold it together. "No worries, Marty, I must have my weekends scrambled. I left him a message, I'm sure he'll call me back. Love to Vera," he barely got out before hanging up.

"This can't be happening", Will tried desperately to reason, "Not his best friend and his wife! Please, don't let this be true"

He sat there for the better part of an hour trying to breathe normally and think logically. What should he do? Jump on a plane and try to find them and confront them? That was crazy, he had no way of knowing where they were staying if together. Ignore it until Sunday night and ask for an explanation when Ellie got home? That wouldn't work, because if she was lying, she'd cover her tracks and just continue to lie. He was certain she'd probably have a hotel bill from Lexington to prove it. Ellie wasn't stupid.

He was no closer to an idea an hour later, so he Googled "North Carolina divorce laws."

North Carolina was a no-fault divorce state, and they had no children so there was no question of child support. However, alimony was another question altogether. Would she want half of his 50% of the company? If so, she and Corey would own a majority, and they could force him out. Was that her / their plan all along?

What about a divorce that showed fault? Right there in bold print under chapter 50-1-6 for reasons for divorce were two words. "Commits Adultery." But there was a huge burden of proof and, if she was cheating on him with Corey, all he would have was a phone call from a staff member of a riding stable.

Only one thing seemed clear to him; if Ellie and Corey were having an affair... he was fucked.

He could walk away from the money; he didn't care that much about it anyway. He was a gifted guy and helped build a very successful company. He could latch on to a nice paying tech job with any number of firms, or he could possibly hang out his own shingle.

Will also knew he couldn't play detective for the next few months. Nor could he pretend to be the loving husband for that amount of time while some private eye did the digging. It was late Friday night when he finally gave up and decided the law of diminishing returns was setting in. He was running in mental circles. He took three Tylenol PM tablets, set his alarm for 8 AM and went to bed. 30 minutes and many tears later, the drugs began to do their work...

It was after midnight in Charleston when Corey and Ellie sat on the screened in porch after an amazing dinner, a moonlit walk on the beach and two hours of great sex. The first hour had been rough and relentless sex as if both partners needed to pound the other into submission. When they returned from their walk Ellie drew a bath in the deep, vintage claw foot tub and told her lover to wait patiently for her in the canopied king size bed.

Corey tried to be long-suffering for about 15 minutes before he burst into the bathroom wearing only a smile and a 7-inch throbbing hard on. "No more waiting bitch" he growled as he walked directly to the tub and pulled her forcefully onto his cock. "Suck me now!"

Ellie would never have tolerated being treated like a fuck toy by Will, but for some reason Corey's demanding sexual appetite drove her crazy. She loved him taking control and she also loved him wanting HER so badly. She knew he had other "skanks" as she called them, but he always wanted her more than any other. That caused her to have a warped sense of pride.

"Fuck you" she spat before taking his cock into her mouth and driving him wild with her oral skills. He came in her mouth within two minutes, and, as always, she swallowed every drop. He then returned the lust filled favor by placing her roughly on the foot wide rim of the tub diving into her luscious pussy. He flicked her clit, sucked her lips, plunging his tongue deep into her vaginal canal, all while she moaned and whimpered, pushing his head harder and harder into her. Her climax left her dizzy.

Giving her no time to recover, he sat down in the tub and impaled her on his recovered manhood. "Fuck I'm going to ride you until you can't stand you fucking stud" she cried. Water was splashing everywhere for the next few minutes, but they were oblivious. After one last violent thrust she sunk down hard on his dick and came with shudder. For his part Corey released his seed deep into her womb crying out in orgasm.

A moment later they took the action to the bedroom. Corey threw her down on the bed and began mauling her tits, biting, massaging, and helping himself to her engorged nipples. They kissed deeply, moaning into each other's mouths as he took her missionary style. She spread her legs happily as he plowed into her again and again. Very quickly she experienced her third orgasm in less than 15 minutes.

Slowly they reverted to love making. They spooned and caressed each other for several minutes until Corey needed more. He spun her around onto her hands and knees. Ellie rarely fucked Will doggy style telling him she wanted to look into his eyes while they made love. With Corey it was the opposite. She loved it when he took her from behind.

Cory grabber her hips and teasingly stroked his cock along her glistening cunt. They had played this game often and both knew their part.

"You want it don't you slut?"

"Fuck you, bastard!"

Smack! His right hand came down hard on her ass. "You don't get it until you beg!"

"Never" she hissed, looking over her shoulder at him with pure lust.

Smack! Now the left hand. "I love spanking you little girl, you better ask me nicely or you won't be able to sit down tomorrow! Smack, smack, smack!

Ellie was getting hotter by the second, "Please Corey, fuck me! Take my pussy, it's yours, fuck me you son of a bitch!"

Corey thrust into her with no mercy, and she pushed back onto him just as hard. Back and forth they fucked hard and fast until they both came together in a pinnacle of sexual emotion.

"Shit that was amazing girl!" Corey whispered as he lay next to her completely spent.

"Not bad yourself stud" Ellie responded cuddling up next to him as he put his arm around her and pulled her close.

Fifteen minutes later they sat on the porch talking quietly in the afterglow of their romp. Ellie wore very short sleeping shorts and a tank top that barely covered her breasts. Corey was in a pair of loose-fitting Nike shorts. Her legs draped across his lap, and he was massaging her feet and calves.

"What are we doing Corey?"

"What do you mean babe? Seems to me like you're pretty well versed in what we've been doing."

"Not that smart ass" she responded with a punch to his shoulder. "Why are we doing this? We've been together for over eight months now. You have more girls than you want, and I have a husband, whom I love." The last word stuck in her throat. She felt she did love her husband, deeply, but how could she even say that with a straight face given where she was and what she was doing?

Corey knew better than to tease her about her love for Will. Truth be told, he did have some guilt pangs when she said his name. He'd known him almost seven years longer than he'd known her. They spent 8-10 hours every day in and out of each other's offices, planning, revising, pushing, creating, and developing. Corey had no brothers or sisters, so Will was the closest thing he had to a sibling.

"I don't know Ellie, I just can't keep my mind or my hands off you. I love Will too, but you memorize me, and I must have you."

"Maybe you just can't abide Will having something you can't."

"Maybe"

"We have this weekend and then Will and I leave for the cruise on Tuesday. He can never, never suspect us. You drive me crazy, and I love the sex, but I want my life with Will as husband, and hopefully soon, the father of my kids."

"I hope you're not suggesting this weekend is our last romp together."

"I'm not sure, but no, I don't think I'm saying that. I don't think I could cut myself off from your amazing sexual skills cold turkey. Don't get a big head stud, but you always make me see stars when we fuck."

Corey looked at her, then down at his crotch, then back at her with a smirk. "It's a little too late to tell me not to get a big head." With that he stood up, swept her into his arms and carried her to bed... "Maybe this wouldn't be their last fling" he thought for the briefest moment before they gave themselves again to their lust.

At 8 AM sharp Will Benton was out of bed. Slightly groggy from one too many sleeping pills he forced himself to take a cold shower and clear the fog. He brewed a pot of coffee and finalized a plan he had put together in the last half hour.

Five minutes later he was dialing the "after hours" phone number of Sterling Private Investigators of Charleston, SC. The call service operator took down his information and promised a return phone call from one of their "highly trained professionals" in the next thirty minutes. PI's only eat what they kill, so the return call came in less than ten.

"Mr. Benton, this is Amanda Cunningham, how may I assist you?"

Will laid it all out from bullet points he'd written down.

• His wife, Ellie Benton, said she was going to Lexington for the weekend but somehow dropped her wallet at a riding stable on Kiawah Island.

• He feared she was there with her lover, his business partner Corey Parker

• If they were there, he had no idea where they were staying, but he assumed a private house or cottage, perhaps somewhere remote to keep secrecy.

• They would probably be there until tomorrow afternoon, so time was short. He needed information and he needed it quick.

• He wanted definitive proof either way including pictures, videos, audio recordings etc.

• Cost was of no importance.

Amanda silently grinned at the last point.

"No worries Mr. Benton as soon as we have your 50% deposit our team will find them if they're here and see what they're up to. We don't just call ourselves 'highly trained professionals' to try and drum up business. Our small firm of five has, between us, over three decades of experience is surveillance, spy craft and covert operations. I'll know their whereabouts within an hour."

They chatted for another fifteen minutes as Will wanted to know a bit more before he shelled out the first payment of $6000.00. Her answers were to the point and convincing. Will took her account information and made the electronic transfer. They agreed she would call him no later than noon with an update.

About the same time, Ellie got around to listening to her voicemail from the night before. She also realized she had forgotten to call Will and check in with him. She did so from the Mustang as Corey drove her back to Kiawah to fetch her wallet. Her call went to voicemail, and she left Will a very loving and very dishonest message about horses and the pitiful breakfast at the North Lexington Courtyard Marriott. She assured him sincerely that she was excited about whatever he was planning for the next week to celebrate their 10th.

When they arrived at Seabrook she ran into the office and retrieved her wallet. Gemma wasn't working that morning and so she didn't find out about the call she placed to Will. They decided to take in some shopping on King Street and have shrimp and grits for lunch as Slightly North of Broad. (SNOB to the locals)

While Will gave Amanda and her crew time to work he reached out to Ed Simmons, a long-time friend of his dad and an exceptional attorney. Ed was getting ready to tee off at the Cedarwood Golf and Country Club when the call came in. He decided to take it. After a five-minute conversation he apologized to his playing partners, gave his caddie the easiest $100 tip he ever made and headed straight to 1810 Falling Leaf Drive.

Ed and Will spent ninety minutes going over the initial information to determine Will's best options once the information came back. Ed correctly assumed Will's wife was cheating with someone, probably Corey. At 11:57 AM Will's phone rang. Amanda was on the other end. She summarized what they had learned so far.

• Ellie was definitely in town and had ridden yesterday at Seabrook. She had been there earlier that morning with a man in a red Mustang convertible retrieving her wallet. The gentleman fit the description of Mr. Corey Parker.

• The car had been rented from National Car Rental by Mr. Parker and the local address given was a single cottage on the far north end of Folly Island, somewhat separated from the other homes with plenty of privacy.

• The couple then spent two hours shopping in downtown on King Street. As of 10 minutes ago they were seated at SNOB ordering lunch. She was pretty sure it was shrimp and grits but not positive.

• Surveillance equipment and recording devices were presently being placed at the cottage while the two were away.

"How the hell did you find all that out so quickly?" Will blurted out. Before Amanda could answer Ed inserted himself into the conversation.

Miss Cunningham, this is Ed Simmons, Mr. Benton's attorney."

"Mrs. Cunningham but call me Amanda Mr. Simmons."

"My apologies, Amanda, call me Ed. Unfortunately, I think you and I will be speaking several times in the coming weeks so I need to ask you to follow some protocols that will help my client when dealing with this unfortunate set of circumstances. Is it alright with you if I record this conversation?"

"Yes, of course."

"Before I do, would you please remit my client's down payment? I have the account information and have already sent the deposit back to you. My firm is now officially retaining your services on behalf of my client. All invoices should be sent to me at the electronic address I'll give you."

"Yes, I understand. One of my assistants is looking at that page as we speak, and we will reimburse Mr. Benton immediately."

"Fine, thank you. Now here is what I need you and your team to do...". For the next thirty minutes Will listened with rapt attention as these two "highly trained professionals" laid out the plan of attack. He was beyond impressed with how they interacted. Amanda listened carefully and only interjected when she believed she had a better idea of accomplishing Ed's goals. For his part, Ed was willing to hear other ideas and accepted several of her suggestions.

"Thank you Amanda" Ed concluded, I'll let you get back to work since you have a good deal to accomplish and very little time to do so."

"Roger that" Amanda replied as she clicked off.

"Will, I need to know your objective. Do you want to pursue reconciliation, or do you think you want to divorce? I hate to put you on such a short timeframe. Normally, I would always advise a client to take some time and think it over, but I'm not sure that is a luxury you enjoy right now. It will be fine if the plan changes as we go, but I need to know now, which direction I need to take this."

Will was not a rash man, but this seemed to be a no-brainer.

"I loved her with all my heart and trusted her to return that love to me. She has betrayed me and our marriage. My partner has done the same to me and our business. This isn't a crazy drunken moment at some company holiday party. This is premeditated adultery and that, I cannot abide. It can't possibly be the first time they've been together. Since she has intentionally violated her vows, and my partner has abused our partnership with the same callous disregard I want them both out of my life ASAP. Nothing I can think of or will think of could induce me to stay married to her or continue in business with him. If it costs me every penny I have, so be it, but I want them out of my life, and I want them to feel the pain I'm feeling today."

Tears were forming in his eyes as he spoke. Ed reached across the table and gripped his shoulder in a gesture of reassurance.