Fallout 10: The Office Wife

"I know, but it's my 30^th wedding anniversary," she said. "Remember what I said when we first started this? If I had to make a choice I would choose him -- always. And I'm not about to screw up our anniversary. I suggested we move it to the weekend, but he wouldn't hear of it. Besides, he's already got reservations at Mangiacotti's."

"At least he has good taste," Jack said.

"Of course," she said. "He married me, didn't he?" Jack laughed and scooped her up in his arms before planting a kiss on her lips.

"Yes, he did," Jack said. "Well, since it will be your 30^th anniversary, I think we can make some kind of arrangement. Maybe you and I can take a weekend and go somewhere."

"Deal," she said. "But not too soon. I want to make sure Denny's over his funk first. Something's really eating at him and I hate to see him like this."

"You think he knows about us?" he asked.

"I don't know," she told him. "Maybe. That's why I think we need to go slow for a little while anyway."

"By the way, what did you tell him about your rings?" Jack asked.

"I told him what you suggested," she said. "That I took them down to get them cleaned."

"And he bought it?" Jack asked.

"Yes," Sylvia said. "Did anyone find them?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "No one turned them in and apparently no one saw anybody coming into the office Friday afternoon."

"Any idea what could've happened to them?" she asked. He shook his head.

"I have no clue," he said. "Believe me, I'm as baffled as you are. I'll keep looking and asking around. They have to be here somewhere."

"Okay," she said. "If nothing else, maybe I can buy a set like the original."

"If need be, I'll take you down and get a replacement set," Jack said. "After all, it happened in my office. I feel kinda responsible."

"You're a sweet man, Jack," she said. "No, this is on me. I'm the one who took them off and put them in my desk drawer. It's okay. I can put them on my credit card. Anyway, I'd better get to work."

"Speaking of work," Jack said. "I wanted to run something by you."

"What's that?" she asked.

"Well, since we're office spouses and all, and since you've already said you're 100 percent dedicated to me in the office, I was wondering how you'd feel about taking my last name?" he asked. "Only in the office, of course. The other executives have been talking about it for a couple weeks now, and it looks like they may want to make it policy." Sylvia thought for a moment and smiled.

"Sylvia Wellstone," she mused. "I like the sound of that. Okay, but let's wait a bit. Maybe for a week or so. Like I said, Denny's been a bear lately, and I want to make sure he's okay before we push things any farther."

"Okay, just say the word and I'll have HR change the directory," Jack said.

"Will do," she said before bouncing out of his office.

...

Denny was in a good mood when he got to Mac's office that morning. He grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down at his desk to check his email just as Mac came out of his office to refill his coffee.

"You know, as much of this stuff as we drink, maybe we should invest in coffee futures," Mac said jokingly.

"I'm all for that," Denny said with a laugh.

"You're in a good mood this morning," Mac said. "Have a good weekend?"

"Very good, thank you," Denny said.

"Things go well with Sylvia this weekend?" Mac asked.

"Yes, they did," Denny said. "Very well, in fact."

"That's good to hear," Mac said. "Just don't let her fool you, though. I've seen it happen so many times it isn't even funny."

"What's that?" Denny asked. "You think Sylvia would do that?"

"It's just the way cheaters work," Mac said. "Sure, they may go clean for a while. Make it up to their spouses, promise to never do it again or make their spouses think everything is fine. But it's not. In my experience, cheating is kinda like a drug addiction for these people. Sure, they get off on the sex, but there's a lot more involved. For them, it's about power, control. Getting one over on the poor unsuspecting spouse. Even if they get righteous for a while, they go right back to it. The only thing that changes is they get sneakier about it. Or they get downright blatant. One day you think everything is alright, the next day they've got you tied to a chair wearing a cock cage while they do the dirty in your bed."

"You think Sylvia would do something like that?" Denny asked.

"I've seen it before," Mac said.

"You sound even more jaded than when you were on the force," Denny told him.

"In the cops, we knew who the bad guys were -- the drug dealers, pimps, rapists, robbers, you name it," Mac said. "Out here, it's a whole different world. You do what you feel is right for you, Denny. I've got your back no matter what."

"Thanks, Mac, I appreciate that," Denny said. Later that morning, he got a call from John, his lawyer.

"Denny, how's things going?" John asked.

"I'm hanging in there," Denny said. "What can I do for ya?"

"Think you can drop by the office for a bit after lunch?" John asked. "I've got the papers worked up and I'd like to go over them with you."

"Yeah, sure," Denny said. "I'll be over at 1:00. That work for you?"

"Perfect," John said. "See you then." Denny was at John's office at 12:45 and was ushered right in. John stood up and shook his hand.

"Have a seat," he said. "I've got the divorce papers worked up just as you said. Take a look and let me know what you think." Denny looked the papers over and saw that everything was just as he wanted. He signed where John indicated and handed them back.

"What about Murdock?" Denny asked. "You come up with something for them?"

"I did," John said, pulling out another set of papers. He handed them to Denny, who began reading through them.

"Intentional infliction of emotional distress?" Denny asked. John shrugged his shoulders.

"I thought about it and decided to go that route," John said. "In my opinion, it meets all four tests required by law -- the company, through the enforcement of their established policies, acted recklessly and deliberately. Second, by allowing and requiring Jack to engage in sex with Sylvia, the company's actions were extreme and outrageous. Third, the conduct required by the company is the cause of your marital breakdown and distress. Fourth, you are experiencing extreme emotional distress as a result of the adultery which led to your divorce."

"You think a judge or jury will buy that?" Denny asked.

"Maybe," John said.

"And I see you're asking for $30 million," Denny said. "I can't imagine a judge or a jury will go for that."

"Probably not," John said. "I figured a million per year of your marriage was a good number. And I also doubt a judge or jury will go for it. I chose that number to get Murdock's attention more than anything else. A lawsuit that big will definitely get noticed, and somehow, I don't think they want to see this in the news. Bad for business, you see. They'll no doubt want to negotiate it down and I think they'll do anything to settle this out of court. I figure if we walk away with $2 million or more, we've won."

"And what's your take?" Denny asked.

"Normally, I get a third. But in your case, since you work with Mac, I'll only ask for 10 percent," John said. "Deal?"

"What the hell," Denny said. "It's a deal. How do we play this?"

"You say your anniversary is on Wednesday and you want to serve Sylvia that night, so why don't we do it that day?" John asked. "I'll file these late Tuesday afternoon, and we can go in to Murdock Wednesday morning. What do you think?"

Denny thought it over and agreed. That would give him time to take care of Jack Fucking Wellstone.

"Let's do it," he said. "I'll meet you at Murdock at, say, 9:30 am?"

"Works for me," John said. "See you then."

That night, Denny grabbed the audio device from Sylvia's purse and downloaded the audio to his computer while she was busy cleaning the kitchen. He put the headphones on and listened to what the device captured. His heart sank when he listened to the two of them. Now she wants to take his name while in the office.

Tears ran down his cheek as he realized that Mac was right. He stopped the audio and wiped his face. Soon, he thought, this will all be over. He pulled out his phone and sent a short text: "Game on."

That night in bed, he rolled away from Sylvia. She reached out to him, but he told her he wasn't feeling too well. He wasn't lying.

...

Tuesday -- D-Day-1:

Jack Wellstone sat at his desk and thought about the current state of his life. He had a great job that paid a lot of money, and better yet, a warm, willing and beautiful older woman for a sex toy. Better yet, the company was actually paying her to fuck him. It doesn't get any better than this, he thought with a smirk.

Sylvia had just left the office to pick up their lunch. He knew that after they had shared their food, they would be sharing each other's bodies. Soon, he thought, she would be all his, and there was nothing her clueless cuckold of a husband could do about it. It was a game he had played many times before, with other older women. But of all the women he had seduced, Sylvia was the best. He was brought back to reality when his phone buzzed. He recognized the number and answered.

"Wellstone," he said when he opened the call.

"Jack, this is Denny," the man on the other end said.

"Yes, Denny, good to hear from you," Jack said with a wicked grin. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm putting together a little anniversary surprise for Sylvia and I was wondering if you wouldn't mind helping me out," Denny said.

"Of course," Jack said. "I'll do whatever I can to help."

"Good," Denny said. "Listen, meet me over at Murphy's Bar at, say, 5:30 this evening so we can discuss it. And not a word to Sylvia."

"Mum's the word, Denny," Jack said. "I'll see you at 5:30."

"Great," Denny said. "See you then," he added before ending the call. Jack put the phone back in his pocket and wondered what Denny had in mind. Maybe, he thought with a smirk, I'll leave a load of cum in Sylvia's warm pussy for Denny to feast on later. Turning to his computer, he did a search on male chastity devices...

After work, Jack headed straight to Murphy's and parked in the lot. The small bar was at one end of a strip mall in an older part of town. He didn't feel too comfortable in this part of town, but figured it was still fairly early. He walked in the dark pub and spotted Denny sitting at a table at the far end of the bar. Two burly-looking men sat at another table and eyed him warily as he walked to where Denny sat.

Denny had a laptop on the table and was typing something when Jack walked up to him. He stopped typing and looked up when Jack pulled out a chair opposite him.

"Right on time," Denny said. "Good. I admire punctuality. Can I get you something to drink?"

"Yeah, a beer would be nice," Jack said. Denny waved to the man behind the bar and indicated two beers. The bartender grabbed two cold bottles of beer and brought them to the table. Denny handed the man some money and he walked away.

"So, what is this surprise you're telling me about?" Jack asked. Denny smiled but there was no warmth in his smile.

"As you probably know by now, tomorrow is my 30^th wedding anniversary," Denny said. "Imagine, a woman as fine as Sylvia hanging with me for 30 years. Who woulda thought?"

"I know what you mean," Jack said. Denny nodded his head in agreement.

"So tell me, Jack, what was it like fucking my wife's ass?" Denny asked. Jack looked shocked and started to say something but Denny cut him off. "Don't tell me. It was just a rhetorical question. I know what it's like to fuck her in the ass. Did it last weekend as a matter of fact. What, she didn't tell you? I thought you two discussed everything. After all, she IS your work wife, right? You're the reason she takes my rings off when she gets to work in the morning, aren't you?" Jack looked at his beer, feeling embarrassed.

"Denny, I..." Jack began, but Denny cut him off.

"So, you want her to take your last name at the office, don't you?" he asked. "Do you plan on putting her on your health insurance as well? She is 49, you know, old enough to be your mother. In fact, you seem to have a thing for older married women, don't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jack said.

"Don't play coy with me, Jack," Denny said. "I know all about you. Does the name Robin Harkness ring a bell? How about Janice Taylor? Or Brenda Smith? There's more, but they all have the same story. Older married women, some with lots of money. And strangely enough, you manage to get yourself named in their wills. How do you do that, Jack? Don't bother answering. I already know. So tell me, what is it with you and older women, anyway? Is it some kind of Oedipus complex or something? Had feelings for your mother as a kid and never outgrew them?"

"What's an 'edipus complex?'" Jack asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh I forgot," Denny said. "You're a product of modern education. Probably never even heard the term before." Jack was starting to get agitated. Who did this little man think he is, anyway?

"Look, Denny, I love your wife," he said.

"Wrong thing to say to an armed man whose wife you've been fucking for what, six months or more?" Denny said.

"Alright, so, what do you want from me?" Jack asked. Denny turned his laptop around so Jack could see the screen. "What's this?" Jack asked.

"What, you don't recognize your company's Outlook Web Access site?" Denny asked.

"I see that," Jack said. "But what's this on the screen?"

"That's your letter of resignation," Denny said. "Effective immediately. I've already included the email addresses of your superiors, your board of directors and your HR department. All you have to do is put in your electronic signature and hit send. Then when you've done that, you can leave."

"I've got a better idea," Jack said, his face turning red. "How about I kick your fucking ass then fuck your wife in your bed while you watch?" Denny chuckled at that.

"It's true, you're 20 years younger than I am. You're in pretty good shape and you don't have a bum leg to deal with, but you're forgetting a couple things," Denny said.

"Yeah? Like what?" Jack snarled.

"First off, I'm armed," Denny said. "Second, I've been in law enforcement longer than you've been alive. Along the way I've picked up a couple things. Like how to make an asshole like you disappear. Without a trace. And no one will ever find your body." Jack looked at Denny, shocked.

"You'd actually kill me?" Jack asked.

"In a New York minute, asshole," Denny said. "Your choice. We can do this the easy way," he said, pointing to the laptop. "Or we can go somewhere a bit less hospitable and do it the hard way. Either way, you're out of my life forever. Personally, I'm kinda hoping you choose the latter. It's been a while since I've killed someone and my trigger finger is feeling a bit itchy right about now."

"And you say all I have to do is sign and send this email?" Jack asked. "What then?"

"Then you leave my city tonight," Jack said. "And you never come back. Ever."

"But I have everything in my condo," he said.

"Already taken care of," Denny said, pulling a key out of his pocket. "These two gentlemen took your stuff to a storage facility about an hour and a half outside town. Here's a key to your shed. It's already paid up for the month." Jack looked and saw the two burly men sitting at a table next to them. They didn't look very friendly at all.

Jack looked over the resignation letter Denny had written. He had to admit, this guy had a way with words. After reading it, he affixed his electronic signature and hit "send." He turned the laptop back to Denny. A few seconds later, they heard Denny's phone buzz.

"I included my email in the 'bcc' field," Denny said. "Now, get out of my town. These two gentlemen will escort you to the state line. Don't try to contact me, and don't even think of trying to contact my wife." Defeated, Jack nodded his head and stood up to leave. Denny stood up as well, and walked around the table to face Jack. "God help you if we ever cross paths again, Jack," Denny told him.

"Alright," Jack said. "You win. No hard feelings?" he asked, extending a hand. Denny looked at the hand for a moment and grasped it. As he shook, he pulled Jack closer and kneed him in the groin with his good leg. Jack went down to the floor in pain. The bartender looked at them for a moment.

"He's alright, just slipped on a wet spot," Denny yelled out. The bartender nodded his head and went back to work. Denny grabbed Jack's hair and yanked, forcing the younger man to look up at him.

"I'm going to keep tabs on you, Jack," he said. "If I ever learn that you're screwing another man's wife, so help me God, I'll hunt you down like a dog and end your miserable fucking existence. You hear me, BOY?"

"Y...Yes...sir," Jack said. Denny released him and stood up, looking at the two men with him.

"Get this piece of crap out of my sight and out of my state," he told them.

"Right away, boss," one of the men said. They grabbed Jack by the arms and pulled him to his feet before walking him out of the bar. Denny watched them leave, then noticed something on the floor by one of the chairs.

Bending over, he saw it was Jack's phone. Apparently, it had fallen out of his pocket when he fell to the floor. He turned it on and saw it was locked. Out of curiosity, he entered "1234" and pressed "OK." Oddly enough, the phone opened right up to him. He shook his head in amazement. Talk about stupid, he thought. He turned the phone off and put it in his pocket before heading home.

...

Wednesday -- D-Day:

Sylvia woke up early and noticed that Denny's side of the bed was empty. She hoped he was still downstairs and rushed down after throwing on a robe. They had a long-running tradition of exchanging cards on the morning of their anniversary and she hoped to catch him before he left. She went to the kitchen counter and saw that the card she had bought for him was still there, unopened.

She hoped to see a card from him, but there wasn't one. Instead, there was a note: "Had to leave early to get some things done. See you at Mangiacotti's at 6:00. Happy anniversary. Jack." This was odd, she thought. He didn't say he loved her and he always has a card for her to open in the morning. Concerned, she went back upstairs and got ready for work.

When she got to the office, she went into Jack's office and saw he wasn't there. He was always there before her, she thought. She looked around, but there was no sign of him anywhere. His jacket wasn't hanging on the rack, and his coffee pot was still off. She pulled out her phone and tried calling him, but it went straight to voicemail.

"Jack, sweetheart, are you all right? Please call me. I'm worried. Love you," she said before ending the call. She turned around and saw Robert Jones, the CEO, standing in the door with a piece of paper in his hand.

"Good morning, Sylvia," he said as he came into the office. "I hate to tell you this, but Jack is gone."

"Gone?" she asked. "What do you mean, gone?"

"He resigned his position last night," Robert said. "Sent this out after he left the office." He handed her the piece of paper. She read it, tears falling down her face.

"To whom it may concern," the short letter began. "I regret to inform you that I am tendering my resignation from Murdock Holdings effective immediately. While I enjoy my work and the team I work with, I can no longer, in good conscience, continue working here knowing that I am destroying the marriage of a good man. I hope for the best for the company and will send my contact information once I have settled in my new location."