Holiday with Friends Pt. 03

This story started as a light entertaining piece with a few quips thrown in for good measure. It morphed into a darker saga as I went along.

Many have said it was unfinished, I did intend for the reader to make up their own conclusion on the ending, did he, didn't he?

But this works out well for Marty, for once.

I really would urge you read part 1 and 2 before you read on.

From Part 02

(The last thing I saw was Marie crumpled on the kitchen floor wailing as I walked out of the house.

So here I am sitting in a lukewarm bath in a strange house, my arm is trembling with a blade in my hand contemplating my life past and possible future.

My world has crashed. I love my kids I do not want to leave them. I still love my wife but is it enough.

I don't want a divorce, but I don't want to go back. I cannot see any possible way out of this.

I have been in this bath crying like a baby for two hours now. Am I brave enough to take the cowards way out?)

Part 03.

I was trembling, tears flooded my eyes and the water had become so cold it was uncomfortable. I had been in the bath hours now and the blade was still on the side. It seemed the cowards way out took far more courage than I had anticipated.

The picture of my children, staring at me balanced on the taps fell into the water hitting my feet. I quickly retrieved it from the icy bath before too much damage befell it.

As I reached for a towel to dry the glass a stupid thought struck me. Here I am trying to save a picture of my children while trying to kill myself, if I would never see them again, what was the point in saving a photo?

I stepped from the icy cold water, shivering. I wrapped myself in a warm towel and sat on my bed staring at the picture of happier times.

The phone that was sat beside me burst into life, it was Paul,

"Hi Martin mate, how are you coping? Sorry but I will need you out of the flat by Tuesday of next week ok. My boss has leased it, I will send in cleaners on Monday. Sorry I can't let you stay there longer but I promise, I will look for something, ok."

"Fuck!"

"I am sorry, but you knew it was only for a few days."

I could hear it in my weary voice, it was starting to crack on me. I had to finish the call quick before I became too emotional.

"I know, its, its, ok Paul. Thanks for helping out the way you have, I appreciate it really. I cannot go home right now though, I do need somewhere."

"I'll help if I can mate, ok."

I clicked the phone off and sat in silence, I sighed thinking what the fuck do I do now?

I scrolled through my phone to see happy times and pictures of my children with Marie, what on earth had gone wrong. Why had she looked elsewhere, I was a good man. I was not rich, but I provided what I could, and I loved her beyond words. As stupid as it sounds, even after what she has done to me and our family, I still do.

The pictures and the chat with Paul had bought me to my senses a little and I made a cup of tea, putting some bread in the toaster. I finished my toast, but I could feel a headache coming on. I went to the bathroom medicine cabinet, the cold bathwater looked so uninviting, and the blade was still sitting there waiting to be used. How stupid I had been to even think of doing it.

I pulled the plug and let out the water. I thought about what to do next, I was lost and felt completely drained.

I dossed about, cleaned up the flat a little until I decided to ring Jenny.

"Jen, its Martin. Can we meet?"

"Hi Martin, yes, where, when?"

"Say, in two hours? Mc Donald's in town. Suit you?"

"Yes, see you soon."

I was sitting in a booth as she entered, I stood and waved her over. I had pre ordered her a latte and it was sitting waiting for her.

"Do you want food Jen?"

"No, I'm fine thanks." She said, "What are you going to do, have you decided?"

I shrugged my shoulders,

"I have no idea at the minute, I hate what they have done to us. Call me pathetic but I still love her, and I can't lose my kids, I love my kids. Are you still going for divorce?"

"You bet your fucking life I am. How can you still love someone that has screwed you like she has? She has fucked him at every opportunity for over a year! Martin, come on love, get real!"

We drank our coffees exchanging notes about the last year. It transpired that Jen had found that they had been seeing each other while we were both at work. Usually in my house as the girls were at nursery school while I was at work doing long hours.

They met on Thursday evenings at the Gym, she then came home to me. Most Thursdays she would make love to me when she came home, was it from guilt, or was it a kinky perversion?

"Shit!" the thought struck me as Jen told me,

"Was she still full of him? Fuck! Fuck! I had gone down on her sometimes after her bingo nights!"

"Oh, shit Martin, I am sorry. Honesty you cannot still have feelings for her, can you?"

I sat there feeling sick, she had fed me lies for over a year, she had fed me false love for over a year. Now it looks like she had fed me semen from her lover for over a year too. I sat and rocked with my head in my hands, Jen reached over the table taking my hands in hers.

"Jen, put me in touch with your lawyer."

We left it at that for now and went our separate ways, I went back to my lonely flat. The emotions now were mainly anger, over the upset to my life that Marie had caused. My feelings of helplessness and distress were overcome by sheer disgust and hate towards her.

"Ping!" A text message from Jen, she gave the details of her solicitors and an invitation to go there tomorrow with her if I wanted to. I texted back yes; I would pick her up at 10am in the morning.

The solicitor was a help, but she gave me bad news. I would get 50% of the savings "If" I was lucky. I would have to pay for lawyers, the upkeep of the house, pay the mortgage, bills, etc. Basically, everything that I had been paying for all of our marriage.

I would need to find a place to live and pay for my own upkeep on top of this, I could hardly afford to pay for our lives while I lived there!

"What the fuck did I do to deserve this!"

I couldn't afford to divorce her.

Somehow Marie had gotten wind of me seeing a solicitor, I was bombarded with phone and text messages begging to talk. I ignored them, I really didn't want anything to do with her at that moment. I needed to figure a way out of the mess she had created for me.

The weekend came and went, Paul rang Sunday night asking if I could move out first thing Monday. I didn't want to, but I felt obligated to. I had to go to my parents, it was my last option.

My dad was sympathetic to my situation, but mum couldn't understand why I couldn't see my way to just talk with Marie. Mum saw her and the kids two or three times a week, after all they were her grandchildren. The problem was, Marie was giving mum what she wanted mum to know. This was causing me problems with my mum. she would not let things rest.

In the end I had to tell them the whole sordid truth of it, that she had carried on an affair for over a year. She had conned me into a holiday paid for by her lover. In their stupid minds they thought we would all get together on a sexy week away and their affair could come out into the open. It backfired big time.

It annoyed me that my own mum still took her side to a point and wanted me to see Marie. Her argument was Marie was a great mother to my children, she was sure we could work it out.

Over the next few weeks, it festered in me. I was starting to argue with her and in turn with my dad. I don't blame him for standing at his wife's side in these arguments, but it felt like the world had turned against me.

I got together with the only friendly face I knew for a coffee, Jenny.

She told me she thought Marie had moved her asshole husband in, into MY house, with MY kids. She had been spying on her husband and he had not been to their house in two days, she had seen him at 7am leaving my house. I sat in silence listening to her, I was getting myself more and more worked up.

"Martin, we need to document what they are doing, I know right now you want to kill him, but we need to keep our heads."

"Easy for you to say, he is not fucking your wife and with your kids is he!"

"I am not the enemy here Martin."

"I know, sorry, but I have to do something."

I texted Marie, I wanted to see my kids, but I could not stomach seeing her right now, so I had asked mum to be the go-between and pick them up.

Marie called me back, I didn't take the call and let it go to answer machine.

Marie said calmly, "You either see me, you talk to me, or no kids!"

The cunt was trying to blackmail me now. This was how low I had sunk; I was now calling my wife a cunt.

I went back home to chat with my dad, he didn't usually want to interfere in my business, but he did give good advice when he did.

"Son, what choice do you have? If you want to see the girls, right now Marie holds all the cards. Play along, be nice or it will go very nasty."

"Dad, he is still fucking her. In my fucking bed!"

"Marty, while you are under my roof, you do NOT curse at me or your mum, do you understand! I know you are angry. Hell, I am angry, but keep it civil ok."

I felt like a child again being chastised by a parent.

"Sorry."

"Son, I am on your side, I love you and I despise what Marie has done to you. Your mum is divided, and I hate it, she should be totally with you, but she thinks she might lose her babies, I can see that. She is in pain too, and sometimes wrongly, takes her pain out on you. I know that is wrong, but she is my wife."

He could see the pain I was in.

"You do need to talk with Marie though, your mum is right about that. You don't need to forgive her, but you do need to talk. For the sake of the kids, go to see her."

I went to bed; I was mentally worn out. I texted her before I slept asking when it would be ok to come to the house.

The reply was, "Tomorrow at 5pm, my mum will take the girls for the evening so we can talk without interruption."

I was seething, how dare she keep my kids from me. I took my dad's advice and kept quiet. I wanted ring back and scream every swearword I could think of down the phone at her, but all that would do was shut her down and make it harder for me.

The next morning, I rang my boss and met him in a local pub. I told him what had happened.

I had booked the week off following our holiday, so I was only missing from work a day or two anyway. He understood and told me to take as long as I needed. My dad rang while I was in the pub.

"Your brother is here son, come home and see him before you go to see Marie would you."

"Ok dad, I'll be home later."

Ian was there waiting for me on the swing by the front porch, he was three years older than me but seemed so much older.

"Marty, Marty, Marty."

He said with a sigh, shaking his head.

"What the fuck have you been doing mate?"

He stood opening his arms to me, I accepted his invitation and we hugged.

"She has fucked me mate, she has totally fucked me over."

"Are you sure you have all the facts; Marie is not like that?"

"Ian, she has been screwing my neighbour for over a fucking year!"

"Ok, calm down. Sit and tell me, tell me everything. I mean everything."

Over the next hour, we had tears, tantrums and finally exhaustion. I was spent, I was a broken man and Ian could see it.

"Go and see her later, find out her position. You know I have the hotel in Norfolk, a room is yours free whenever you need it ok."

Ian was a good businessman; he owned an electrical company with over a hundred in his workforce. He had invested wisely too, a finger in a lot of pies.

"Thank you, Ian, I appreciate that."

He was a good brother and friend, always there if I needed him.

I stood on my own doorstep for nearly a minute, not wanting to take the final step and ring the bell. Marie took that option from me, and the door opened. She stood there looking defiant but beautiful, she was dressed smartly with full makeup.

"Hello Marty."

She stepped away from the door and I stepped over the threshold, as I did, she reached for my cheek and leant in as if to kiss me. I walked straight past brushing her hand away. She looked shocked at my reaction.

"The kitchen or the lounge?" I asked coldly.

She looked at me lowering her head,

"The lounge." Came the softly spoken reply.

There was a pot of tea and two cups on the coffee table. I sat in my chair, I had missed my chair, I didn't realise just how much until I sat in it. Marie looked uncomfortable and fidgeted on the sofa across from me.

"The kids, Marie, I want access to my kids."

"Marty, I love you. I want you home."

I looked at her coldly, how could she be so blind to what she had done. It took all my willpower to not explode. I took a few deep breaths, my fists in balls beside me. She could see the hurt in my eyes and her manner changed.

"I am sorry Martin, it just happened. I am so, sorry."

"FUCK OFF! shut up. you don't get to say that. A year Marie, a fucking year!"

She jumped back a little at my sudden outburst, she was not expecting that.

I could see the fear in her eyes, I had never seen Marie afraid me, I had never given her cause to before. She picked up and hugged the pillow at her side taking comfort from it.

"You do not get to hold my kids as a ransom card. They are mine, not shit heads next door. He does not get to be the dad!"

"Marty, he will never be their dad, you are their dad. You always will be, we need you home, with us."

She had no idea at all what she had done to me, she had cut my heart out and had no idea at all. I could feel my leg shaking, I tried but couldn't stop it. I could feel my anger resurfacing. I grasped my hands together between my legs trying to calm myself.

As calmly as I could I said,

"He was here just two nights ago, and you say come home?"

The look of horror on her face as I spoke, was all I needed to see to know it was the truth. She shuffled the pillow trying to compose herself.

"No Marty, he wasn't. he stopped by before the kids were up to talk, that's all."

"Overnight?"

Again, she shuffled the pillow.

"Do not lie Marie, you have lied to me for over a year. You have fucked that cunt next door under my nose. You are a cunt in my eyes. Right now, I hate you. I want nothing from you, just my kids!"

She burst into tears holding onto that pillow for dear life. Once I started, I couldn't stop, I ripped into her with every ounce of fight I had in me. I screamed every obscenity at her I could think of.

I sank back into my chair, exhausted at the end of my tirade with dribble and spit on my chin, tears falling from my eyes.

Marie sat shocked in silence looking at me, I felt that was the moment she realised what she had done.

Between her own sobs she managed to get out,

"Leave Martin, leave now please. I will get in touch with your mum, you can see the girls........I am SO sorry."

I left the house leaving her sobbing on the sofa, it didn't make me feel as good as I thought it would be seeing her like that. I hated her guts, but I couldn't help it, inside I still loved her.

Ian greeted me at our parent's place,

"How did it go?"

"Bad, I lost it."

He put his hand on my shoulder trying to comfort me guiding me into the kitchen, he poured us both a coffee.

"Ok, now to business, who is this guy?"

"My neighbour, he is a nasty piece of work."

"Ok, he has to be a shit to do what he has done to you, what we need to do is work out how to hurt him."

I looked up from my coffee mug quizzically.

"Where does he work, what does he do?"

"He manages the local Gym; he is big into martial arts. He kicked my ass on holiday."

"Ha, ha, don't worry about how tough he is Marty. We will bring him down, no worries."

For the first time in days, I felt a bit brighter. Mum came home happy too, Marie had been in touch and the girls could come over after school tomorrow. Over the next few hours Ian and I hatched a plan.

Ian had friends in dark places, he had to have them by working in construction contracts. He asked two of them to join the Gym and suss it out.

Over the next month I had my kids 3-4 times, it was wonderful. It did break my heart that they didn't understand why I was not living at their house with them and mummy. It was hard letting them go back. I also found out that George was a visitor a few times a week.

The two heavies of Ian's had found out that the asshole was supplying steroids and hard drugs to members. That was our way in.

Ian took me to a pub in Essex and we had a sit down with them, they asked how far I wanted to go with George. I was a bit unprepared for just how nasty these blokes were. They freely talked in front of me because I was Ian's brother, to be honest they scared the crap out of me.

They were all for nearly killing him, hurting him for life. Ian would take care of the cost. I hated George for what he had done to me, but this? This was not me. Over that night we worked a plan to ruin him, physically and financially.

It was late Autumn, a Thursday night, eight months after my split from my wife. Marie and George no longer had to keep up the pretense of her going to the Gym, so he usually locked up early and went to my house to see her.

My job was to let them know when he had arrived at my house. As I saw Marie greet the asshole at the door, I made the call. I felt sick watching them kiss on the doorstep, I thought to myself maybe the life-changing injury idea was not so bad after all.

The next day I received a call from Ian,

"Ok, all is done." He said.

I smiled to myself contently as I ate my toast in the dining room of Ian's seaside hotel. Ian had come through for me, I loved my big brother. He had a 50-50 share of a lovely 32-bedroom hotel just outside Yarmouth, in Norfolk.

His partner Karen had taken a motherly shine to me. She was a gorgeous lady; she was fifteen years older than me. She made sure I was not lonely, especially at night times. I had long since come to terms with my split from Marie.

I was paying Marie enough to keep her off my back until the divorce came through.

Ian had set me up in a small workshop in the town, he paid me handsomely to do odd jobs around the hotel and was helping with a few contacts for building work. He had also loaned me a few thousand to help me get on my feet.

I got to have the kids every fourth weekend and took them to the amusement park in Yarmouth, they loved it. My mum had them at hers every Saturday, I made sure I made the journey down each week.

I received a call from Ian two days later.

"Fireworks start tomorrow."

Ian's acquaintances had broken into George's storeroom at the Gym Thursday night. The entire safe had been taken, inside was cash and the new stash of drugs that had been delivered that morning. It was now Sunday and George had to make payment to his supplier.

George had panicked and had taken flight. Ian told me that 50% of the drug stash with other substantial incriminating evidence had been handed over to a "sympathetic" D.I. from the Met Police Force. Enquiries were going to take place as of the following morning.

Patrons of the Gym were told in the nicest possible way to give evidence against George to the police or face the consequences.

Ian and I would split the cash from the safe 50-50, it totaled over £100.000. The other 50% of the drugs would go to the villains as payment.

I had a job, more cash than I had ever seen. A new life with hopefully a new woman. I still missed my kids tremendously, but my constant thoughts of Marie were slowly drifting from my mind when I got a call from her.

"What have you done Martin?"

"Sorry, what?"

"George has gone, what have you done?"