Erosion Meets Bedrock

If you enjoyed my last two stories, My Wife Becomes Bar Bait and A Husband Fights Dirty to Save His Marriage, I am confident you will find your time well spent reading this. If, however, you believe every story should end with a husband celebrating his wife's unfaithfulness please skip this missive. It is not intended for you.

For those who enjoy a mesmerizing tale of love, betrayal, and vengeance read on.

Once again I find myself in the position of being a mere scribe, presenting a story which was told to me by a friend-of-a-friend. The story is not mine, I merely set pen to paper and added structure and punctuation to words that were torn from the soul. I am the omnipotent narrator, not the judge of morality. The protagonist swears the story is true. I will leave that to the reader to decide.

All names and places have been changed.

*****

Did you ever get a phone call from a complete stranger which changed your whole life? Mine came one month ago.

It was a glorious Saturday morning in early May; the sun was shining and the birds were singing. With the coming of spring my honey-do list was as long as my arm. My day of chores became slightly more complicated when my wife, Becky, got lassoed into volunteering to work a marathon. The insurance agency she worked for was sponsoring a 3k run the following weekend and needed all hands to help with the myriad of details that needed to be finalized.

Our twin daughters, Meghan and Tami, occupied themselves on our deck while I worked my way through the backyard portion of the list. I promised the girls McDonalds if they played nice while I mowed the lawn. I filled the gas, checked the oil and was ready to start cutting when my cell phone rang. I didn't recognize the number and let it go to voice mail. A moment later it rang again without the caller leaving a message.

My interest was piqued by their persistence and, when it rang a third time, I answered with a friendly, "Hello." The response damn near knocked me on my ass.

"Mr. Richards, you don't know me but your wife is going to have an affair with my husband next weekend."

"What?" I demanded, "Whoever this is, this ain't funny." I hung up but within seconds the phone rang again.

"Look lady," I said, "I don't know who the hell you are but stop calling."

"My name is Daniall Campbell. You may call me Danni. Your wife's name is Rebecca Richards. Right now she is shopping for a new dress and lingerie for date next Saturday night. My husband Randolph has reservations for dinner and dancing at the Pump Room. He also has a suite booked for them to consummate their illicit affair. I know this because I am having them followed."

While I listened in stunned silence my mind screamed, 'No! No! No! That's a lie!'

"My husband is, to use a quaint word, a cad. He finds amusement in seducing then discarding beautiful married women. Randolph knows I know which has made him very careful in covering his tracks. It wasn't easy but I now have a plant at Guaranteed Insurance. Karen is a wallflower who blends into the background but sees and hears everything. She keeps me apprised of his actions on a daily basis. Karen has watched my husband groom your wife as his next conquest. Yes Mr. Richards, that means he has not yet succeeded in having intercourse with Rebecca."

"I suspect your wife spun a story about working as a volunteer at a marathon her employer is sponsoring. The truth is the agency's involvement consists of presenting a substantial check and the owners posing for publicity pictures at the finish line. Oh, and there is no rallying of the troops today. She is, as we speak, shopping at Nordstroms."

"You sir, are being played, as am I. I, however, intend to keep it from happening, with your help or without."

My hands were trembling with rage. I took a deep breath and snorted, "Tell me what I can do."

I guess a little history might help you understand why I was so devastated by the allegations. I met Becky when I was seven years old. After my sister was born mom announced we had outgrown our house in the city; next week we were moving to a brand new home out in the suburbs. Before the moving van was unloaded Becky had wandered over, met me, and announced she was going to marry me. I said "Okay." We spit in each other's palms and shook hands to make it official. All that was left was for us to grow up until we were old enough to make it legal.

True to her word we were an inseparable couple from that day on. I got in more fights than you could count when my friends would tease me for "liking girls." All of that changed when we were in high school as we watched our friends on a constant merry-go-round of who was dating who and who hated who because they had broken-up with another friend. We looked down our noses at these mere bit players in the game of love because we knew we would be together forever.

We both attended community college and, on the day we graduated, I formally proposed.

The first chink in our armor came when our twin daughters entered first grade. Becky got a part time job at a local insurance agency. The hours were great; she could put our girls on the big yellow bus, go to work, and be home in time to greet them that afternoon.

On her second week on the job one of the agents received an award for being high producer in the region. This called for a celebration after work. Becky was invited to join her co-workers at a bar which had a Happy Hour that included two-for-one drinks and free appetizers. She made a quick phone call; grandma was only too happy to babysit her little ones.

Curiously, there seemed to be some kind of celebration every month. But, being a veteran of more than one winding down the week cocktail, I wouldn't begrudge her the opportunity to talk to adults.

It was sometime during the third month I noticed Becky was dressing nicer for work. What had begun as a plain blouse or sweater with pants had evolved into a skirt or dress complete with pantyhose and even heels. "I'm interacting more with customers and have to look good," was how she explained it.

One Friday I decided to surprise my wife by sneaking out of work a little early to crash their ritual. I got there about a quarter past five; the bar was packed. It took a few minutes of elbowing my way through the crowd before I saw Becky. She had a plate full of wings in one hand and a vodka gimlet in the other. When she saw me she scrambled to find a place to put them down so she could wrap her arms around my neck and kiss me. She was thrilled to show me off.

It was nice to meet the people whom I had been hearing about. Two stood out, however, and not for good reasons. One was Eve Lewis. Her long hair and her clothes were jet black, casting a dark, almost sinister pall over her. Becky said she preferred to be called EveL and from office gossip and her own bragging she tried to live down to that moniker.

The second bad vibe came form her immediate supervisor, Randolph Campbell. I called him Randy. He corrected me. He may have been wearing a wedding ring but his demeanor said his mind was single. The man was great at selling insurance because he was always on...and what he was selling was himself. I noticed when I spoke he ignored me and focused on my wife. I also noticed he touched women a lot when he spoke to them...but never men.

I mentioned this to Becky that night but she claimed she didn't notice. She also reassured me that I had nothing to worry about...no man would ever come between us.

Little did I know that EveL was already planting the seeds of infidelity in her mind. Every Monday she would regale my innocent wife with tales of her weekend conquests, of men with ten inch long penises who could fuck for hours on end, and how they showed their gratitude. This went on for several weeks until she mentioned her and Campbell had been lovers on-and-off for the last five years and that he was the best fuck she ever had.

EveL was erosion and Becky bedrock...but all you need do is look at the Grand Canyon to see the Colorado River eventually won. Having never whored around my wife had nothing to add to the conversation. Becky naively hung on every word until she started to believe the tales of immoral romance and adventure. EveL had become Becky's self appointed tour guide on her descent into debauchery.

Hearing she might be receptive Campbell invited Becky to a lunch to "talk about her future with the company." He placed his hand on her nylon clad knee the moment she sat down. Becky foolishly let him keep it there. After that Campbell started patting her ass whenever no one was looking. Becky never objected. On Friday nights he would gallantly offer to escort her to her car. What began as a friendly peck on the cheek quickly escalated to a full onslaught of Becky's mouth by his tongue. He soon was groping her like a sophomore behind the bleachers.

Looking back I should have questioned why Becky was always in the mood for amore when she came home after unwinding with her colleagues. But what married man wants to risk ruining the moment when his beautiful wife comes home and treats him like a newlywed on his honeymoon. I loved my wife and our family and would never do anything to jeopardize it...too bad my self proclaimed partner for life no longer felt the same.

The wall had been reached. Barring a miracle, come Saturday, my wife would no longer have forsaken all others. Her body would be defiled. Fortunately I had an ally who had planned our defense like a chess master.

Earlier in the week Danni had taken the liberty of scheduling an appointment for me with her attorney. 'Nothing gets a wayward spouses attention like being served with a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage."

The only time I ever hired an attorney was to buy a house so I had no idea what this was going to cost. I cried when I took out the metal box I had hidden in my workshop; the money was going to be used to surprise the family with a trip to Disney; now I felt dead as I unlocked the padlock. Inside was every last dime I had been able to squirrel away through skipped lunches, getting haircuts at the barber college, and just plain being cheap.

I counted out $521.66, mostly in singles and fives; I would have to stop at the bank because I would look too pathetic pouring out my shattered dreams on his desk.

Step one was complete. Barring a miracle step two would be taken in three days.

This brings you up to date.

It was another beautiful Saturday morning; a perfect day for a marathon. Before leaving for the city Becky dressed our twin daughters in their Girl Scout Daisy uniforms and apologized again for missing Discovery Day. She kissed both and promised to bring them something from the city.

Becky was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt with Guaranteed Insurance emblazoned across it. While she was taking a shower I checked the trunk of her car and found an overnight bag and a new red cocktail dress still wrapped in plastic. I was tempted to dump her clothes in the garbage and fill it with shop rags but remembered what Danni said, 'delaying the inevitable is no victory...they must be caught, humiliated, and punished to keep this from ever happening again.' I had to agree she was right.

As I closed the trunk all I kept thinking was how could a mother look at her innocent daughters' sad eyes then blow off their big day to have an affair with her boss.

Up until the moment Becky left I kept praying she would change her mind and go with us to the Scout event because nothing was more important than her family. My prayers weren't answered. Instead she casually said, "Today's going to be a long day. Karen from actuarial invited a few of us girls for a sleep over at her apartment in the city. It sounds like fun. You wouldn't mind if I went, would you?"

I almost lost control. This was the closest I have ever come to hitting my wife. She gave me her stupid grin and said, "I'll make it up to you tomorrow."

I clenched my fists, bit my tongue, then nodded my head. Now the future of my marriage rested with Danni Campbell. In a few hours I would find out if her meticulous planning would be in time to save my marriage. The devil found fertile ground in my mind as I questioned if I even wanted to stay married to her. Switch brain off; stop thinking.

I felt like a real rat telling the girls there was a change of plans and we were going downtown. They were very upset about missing scouts until I told them I would take them for a horse drawn carriage ride down Michigan Avenue. I also promised a big surprise.

Before we got to the hotel Danni had already obtained an extra key card for her husband's room. This wasn't much of a problem as her drivers license and platinum American Express card proved she was Mrs. Randolf Campbell of Lake Forest, Illinois. She also had a trusted friend, Janet, pick up the keys for the adjoining suite which had booked on-line. This would be our staging area.

Janet stuck around to help keep the kids in line until they went center stage.

Once she was 100% certain they had left for a stroll along Michigan Avenue, no doubt to find the perfect pair of shoes to compliment her new bright red dress, Danni snuck into their suite. She reconnoitered the bed room and hid a nanny cam so we could make sure we catch them just before the act.

When we got to the room we were greeted by two young girls, Tyler and Michelle. Meghan and Tami hit it off immediately with them and started playing like they were old friends.

Danni next introduced me to Deputy Scott, the man who would serve the adulterers with divorce papers. He was picked for both his discretion and his intimidating size. He stood at least six feet six inches tall and looked like he was solid muscle. He was standing ramrod straight; his expression never changed when nodded his head. He held two manila envelopes in his left hand. The opening volley of World War III was inside them.

We watched the video feed of the two adulterers returning from lunch. I could see the bed had not been disturbed and took that as a good sign. That was about to change as they held each other in a lover's embrace. I started to curse under my breath. "Mr. Richards, be patient. While you may yet find redemption today, I will find nothing but the end of a long, painful journey."

When we were certain the act was about to take place we told the children we were going to surprise daddy and mommy...timing was crucial as we did not want the girls to see either of them naked. Fortunately they had closed the door to the bedroom behind them.

I went shhhhh with my index finger to my mouth and told the kids they had to be real quiet. They flashed conspirator's smiles as we went out into the hall. Danni opened the door and the kids crept into the outer room. Deputy Scott followed while I brought up the rear.

Danni counted down with her fingers and threw the door open. The children ran in screaming with a shrillness that only four young girls can achieve. The flash on my camera gave the room a strobe effect that added to the confusion. Becky was lying in bed, her blouse unbuttoned and her skirt hiked up. I could see she was wearing nylons and garters. Campbell was standing with his pants around his ankles as Deputy Scott served him with the divorce papers. I captured the stupid look on his face with at least six pictures. The man had no clue.

Becky was white as death as all four children jumped on the king sized bed. Her mouth hung open but she uttered not a word as she too was served. One of the girls hit her with a pillow. She didn't react.

A brief melee broke out as Danni's friend shepherded the children into the suite's other room. Campbell took advantage of the distraction to take a swing at me. I got lucky and he missed. Deputy Scott didn't. Campbell's nose exploded in a torrent of blood and he crumbled to the floor. When I saw the bastard still had an erection I kicked him in the balls as hard as I could. It felt good so I kicked him again...and, with Danni's encouragement, two or three times in the ribs.

My wife sat motionless in the bed, the sheets pulled up to hide her embarrassment. She never said a word as I stomped on her almost lover's nether regions. "Now get your clothes on so I don't have to explain to our daughters that their mother is a whore."

Campbell's body was twitching on the floor when the deputy slapped his handcuffs on him and announced he was "under arrest for assault and battery."

Then Becky uttered the classic cheating wife caught line, "I can't believe this is happening to me."

"Happening to you! Happening to you!" I screamed. "This isn't happening to you. This is happening to four little children who will never again go to bed with their mother and father married to each other. This is happening to an innocent wife. This is happening to me. This is happening because you put yourself first. You have destroyed two families. You and that piece of shit!" I kicked him again. Becky looked catatonic; she wasn't crying but breathing like an asthmatic fighting for air. I noticed her lips were quivering before she passed out. No one made an attempt to catch her and she hit the floor hard.

Deputy Scott called for an ambulance to pick up his prisoner. Danni gathered her daughters and said the room is paid for if I wanted to stay and talk. I managed a weak laugh. The four daughters swore eternal friendship and my two began making plans to visit Danni's girls...and their in-ground swimming pool. Danni gave me a hug and whispered into my ear, "Remember, to forgive is divine."

I told Meghan and Tami to go into the other room to watch TV. Both said they were starving and I gave permission to eat anything they wanted from the mini bar...yes, soda too.

I had tears in my eyes as I sat on the floor next to Becky and ran my fingers through her hair. Neither of us said anything for the longest time. Out of habit I pulled her body to mine and squeezed as hard as I could. I still hurt.

"I wish I had died yesterday so I could have spared you all of the pain I've caused." She began sobbing. "I don't know what to do." She picked up the manila envelope and struggled to open the metal clasp. The papers slipped onto the floor. "Where do I go?" She began wailing. "My life is over."

I didn't say a word.

Becky hung her head and said, "I can't look at you. I'm so ashamed of what I did."

She buried her face in her hands, "I'm not just saying this because I was caught but I am sorry, truly sorry. You are the best thing that ever happened to me and I...I...I destroyed us. I had it all. My life was perfect...and I ruined us. I destroyed our family. How will I ever face our daughters again? Why was I so stupid?" She began to sob again.

Meghan and Tami walked in with a Hersheys bar smeared on their mouths. Meghan, the older twin by fifteen minutes, was always the duo's official spokesman, "Is mommy okay?"

"Sweethearts, daddy and mommy need some time to talk. Give mommy a kiss then go watch TV."

Just when things looked their darkest I looked at my wife's face and started to laugh. Becky looked confused.

"Let me help you up, I have to show you something."

On each cheek was a perfect chocolate kiss, impervious to all the tears. I turned her to face the mirror. Becky started to giggle. I threw my arms around my wife and knew we would survive this test. Yes, it would take me a long time before I could trust her, and there always will be pain from her betrayal, but I am confident that together we will be victorious.

Epilogue

Danni's attorney was a pit bull. On Monday sheriffs deputies served papers on the owners of the insurance agency as well as the president of TransGlobal Life, the company that underwrites their policies, for alienation of affections, ignored violations of the company's fraternization policy, and a dozen other fancy legal theories. He also served the catalyst, EveL herself, for conspiracy to commit adultery.