I was a Slut Pt. 02

Author's Note: Not long after finishing the original story, I got the idea for a different ending. It will help the reader to read the first installment. As always, I hope you enjoy.

As far as my written story being for therapeutic reasons, that ended with the part you have already read. Now I probably could have benefited from additional therapy, but I didn't see the need anymore, so I stopped writing. I didn't pick up my writing until nothing could happen to those I wanted to protect. The finishing of the story is for my kids to finally get the answers to what happened.

I kept up my new role as ex-wife and shared-parent with as positive an attitude as possible. I savored every crumb Rob dropped my way whether he intentioned it or not. I'm not sure what made the difference: Rob's poor cooking, cleaning, and laundry skills; the boys getting better of playing one parent against the other, or the lack (I hoped) of sex as good as his ex-wife once provided. Probably, it was an accumulation of all of those. I don't care. The point was he changed.

After one of the dinners at my house, Rob asked to speak to me alone. The boys had homework, video games, and Facebook to occupy their time. All were done with headphone/ear plug things that insured they did not hear us even if we were screaming.

Rob said, "Susan, I want to propose a change in our relationship." My heartbeat doubled. "I would like you to move into the house with us. I don't want a split family anymore. If you are willing to do that, I would like to discuss how we could make it work."

I was having trouble repressing my happiness. "Rob, I think that's a good idea. It would make things easier on the boys. I know it would make things easier on me. I assume you've thought a lot about it. How do you see it working?" I thought I handled that really well. Of course, this was one of several rehearsed speeches I had in case a scenario like this were to appear.

"I see you and the boys moving your stuff over here gradually, no rush. We keep the old house until we are sure the new arrangement is working or not. After we're sure one way or the other, we go from there. No promises."

There was the one point I was willing to risk the whole idea on: "Rob, there are only three bedrooms in the house, I don't see making the boys share a bedroom again." I immediately started praying.

"Well, I kind of hoped you would be willing to share a bedroom with me."

My mind was yelling, "Yes, yes, yes!" but my brain kept me calm. "I would like that too." I smiled, trying to keep the corners of my mouth from reaching each ear.

The boys were thrilled, especially since we chose the house with a swimming pool. Of course, the no rush pronouncement went out the window. They started moving things that night. Rob and I forgave them for staying up late on a school night. I only packed an overnight bag. When I got to our bedroom, I noticed that exactly half of the closet, drawer space, and bathroom vanity were clear. Rob was always a little OCD.

I bet you want to know how our first night in the bed was. None of your business! Just kidding. It was like a second honeymoon. Some of it was familiar and some of it was new and exciting. We did not fuck, we made love. We both cried. When he started to apologize for waiting so long, I kissed his mouth closed. I did not want apologies for the past. I wanted to make memories for our new future. And we did.

Just as the home front was improving, the job front got rough. The editor had called us into the office when he found out about the incident and Hal's beating. Our office did not have a non-fraternization policy. Other editors had fooled around in the past and were not punished. We were told that we would not be punished unless there was a problem at work. Hal and I both said we were sure we could continue to work together professionally. We both lied.

The job situation became more and more toxic as the months went on. Hal's wife had divorced him taking half his assets and moving with their kids to where her parents and other relatives lived. Visitation with his kids was very difficult. Hal still suffered physically from the beating Rob gave him. Although Hal said nothing had changed as far as his working with me, he started picking nits with my work. I knew he was going overboard. We went back to the editor. Both of us made our case. The editor separated us from working together instead of believing one of us over the other.

Things calmed down until it was obvious Rob and I had gotten back together. I did not tell Hal, but the usual office gossip took care of that. I didn't think Hal could give me any dirtier looks than he had been. I was wrong. I began to be afraid for my physical well-being.

I debated what to tell Rob, if anything. He asked periodically how things were at the office. I always answered, "It's tense but manageable." I think what I learned in therapy helped me at this point. I had almost totally ruined my life before by not bringing issues I considered problems to Rob's attention. I couldn't do that again.

"Rob, Hal and I have been re-assigned so that we never work together on a book. He holds his divorce and the loss of money and his kids on us. Of course, he probably is reminded every day of your beating. I'm starting to be afraid for my own safety."

"Do you think he would do anything at the office?"

"I feel pretty safe at the office. I don't want to be alone anywhere else though."

"Make sure you are not alone then. The boys are big enough to deal with him if he shows up at home. I can't believe he would risk another beating from me. He's not that stupid."

"He's not stupid. He is pissed at what has happened to his life. That could be worse than stupid." Rob nodded agreement.

Then one day, my editor gave me another quick deadline assignment. It was on a Wednesday which was the night Rob met with some of his old MP buddies at a local bar. The boys would order food on those nights, so I had no reason not to be available to work. There was a security guard on the ground floor who was alerted to me being there alone. I did not feel comfortable however until I saw Hal leave for the day.

I finished my work around 7:40 and I was about to make my way down to the first floor when I felt the need to call Rob. "I'm just leaving work . . . Yes, I'll be careful. . . . No, you don't have to come. I'll have the security guard escort me to the car. . I love you too."

The security guard walked me out to my car. There were no other cars in the lot. He waited until I started the car and locked all the doors before hurrying back to his station. I thanked him and began making my way around the parking lot to the gate. Just as I got to the gate, the sliding gate closed. Before I knew it, a tire iron shattered my window and a dark clad figure cut my seat belt and pulled me out of my car.

Rob had taught me some self-defense techniques and I did some damage to my assailant. It made him angrier more than it prevented him from controlling me. He hit me on the jaw enough to stun me. He opened the back door to my car. While I was standing, he took off all my clothes -- every stitch. He pushed me onto the back seat and hovered over me. Then he took off his mask, it was Hal as I figured.

"I just wanted to know who it was that was going to fuck you. After what you and your fucking husband did to me, I figure I have a few more fucks from you to make things even. Since your clothes aren't damaged, I can just claim you seduced me again. If you scream . . . " He put his knife at my throat. I got the message. With no foreplay or lubrication, he raped me. Luckily, he ejaculated quickly. I didn't cry even though it hurt because I was so dry.

Hal stood up and calmly pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "I enjoy a good smoke when I'm drinking and just after sex or, like tonight, both." He stood there smiling as he smoked. Before he finished the cigarette, his demeanor changed. "Now I intend to get even with Rob for his beating." He flicked the ash off his cigarette until the burning end was red. "Every time he sees you naked, he will remember you have been fucked by me." Hal grabbed my left breast and burned a hole on the top near the areola. I screamed in spite of his previous threat.

As Hal gloated over me, he suddenly was propelled backwards. Two large men had grabbed him and quickly put him in a hold where he didn't move and probably experienced a great deal of pain. Rob rushed to me and saw the burn. He reached over the seat to get the first aid kit he made me keep in the car. He put antibiotic ointment on the burn. Next, he helped me get dressed. He apologized over and over for not having got here sooner. Thank God he ignored my statement that he didn't need to come.

Rob moved towards Hal and two additional men held him back. I recognized Amy's former boyfriend, so I assumed the men were his MP comrades. "Don't do it Rob. Let us. You're going to be a suspect. Don't leave any DNA on him. Let him experience 'military justice.'"

Rob calmed down, said okay, and swiftly kicked Hal in the balls. "Sorry, guys. I had to do that for my self-respect. What are we going to do with him?"

"Look, we have to think this thru. My wife is an ER nurse. Joe, you take Susan in her car to my wife for treatment. After that meet us back at the bar as soon as possible. We'll meet you and Rob there after we take care of this piece of shit."

I was taken to Annie who didn't question why she was asked to help. I tried to explain but she wouldn't let me. "It's best I don't know. It makes it easier to lie if I am questioned." She provided more antibiotic cream and a bandage. Most importantly, she gave me a pain killer. I think it was Kentucky bourbon. Whatever it was, it worked, and I liked it.

Rob told me that the guys met again at the bar. The others besides him and Joe refused to say what happened. Whatever they did worked. Hal's body was never found. One guy asked what about security cameras. Rob said they were okay as far as the parking lot went. He had tried to sell the building owners on a first-class system. They were too cheap. He knew the parking lot was not on camera. Just to be sure, he went by the next morning. Next was their alibi. On a Wednesday night, there were few customers. All were regulars. The bartender was the MPs' top sergeant. They had bar bills that were time stamped. So far, they only had their beginning time, they hadn't paid yet so the end time was not on it yet. Finally, Rob asked about the bar's security system that he himself had installed.

"I keep meaning to replace the last DVD I had. I haven't recorded anything for a week."

It was about four days before my editor called the police about Hal's absence at work. That gave Rob and the crew the time to replace the broken window and cut seat belt in my car with identical items from junked cars. In addition, they policed up the broken glass in the parking lot. Then we waited.

A week passed after my editor's call to the police before they got around to questioning me. They had learned from the other staff that Hal and I had an affair after which my husband had beaten Hal up. My story was that Rob was arrested, served his time and that was the end of it. They asked about the last night anyone had seen Hal. I told them I worked late by myself. I had the security guard take me to my car. He waited until I drove away. I went home after getting some fast food to take home. My sons could vouch for what time I got home. Of course, they didn't remember exactly.

The security guard backed up my story. There were no security cameras in the parking lot or any footage from any other buildings that showed anything unusual. Next, they questioned my husband. He said they told him they were sure he did something with Hal. Rob swore he hadn't seen Hal in a long time and had no idea where he might be. He didn't want to risk being away from his family again. He had an alibi. Several of his old MP buddies and he were at Harrigan's bar and grille for most of the evening. When the police interviewed the former MPs, they found out that all but one was in law enforcement. One was a deputy commissioner of police in a nearby city and one was a fellow detective in their own police department. All gave the same story with the good sense to make slight variations so as not to sound rehearsed. The bar tender backed up their story. The regular customers said they didn't know anything about any night except the current night and a few more beers would change even that. The bar bills backed up their story as far as time. There was only a slight gap in time between when Hal signed out of the building and when the first bar bill was logged in the computer. It was still daylight then, so a snatch and grab would probably have been noticed.

Rob's lawyer finally had to threaten to sue the police for harassment. The police had no body or any evidence that a crime had been committed. They had evidence that Hal was not happy on the job and resentful his wife had cleaned him out. Rob had motive for foul play, but he also had an alibi that the DA didn't want to try to break. It became a cold case.

The next few years were among the best in our marriage. We got to see the boys graduate from high school and college, then get married. One daughter-in-law was one of those giggling girls I used to watch from across the street. She still has a nice body. We almost never talked of Hal or what happened to him. I can't say I felt anymore than 1% guilty. That 1% vanished when one day I asked Rob about an undesignated automatic payment for $500 every month. He told me that it was for the 'widow's fund.' It took me a few minutes to figure that one out. It was only appropriate that Hal's wife not suffer too badly. Several other of the guy's contributed until she remarried, and her children were out of the house.

Rob just died at age 79: husband, father of two, grandfather of five, and great-grandfather of one. Two of his MP buddies were still alive and attended the visitation and funeral. As we were leaving the grave, Joe gave me a small box. He asked me not to open it until I was alone.

When the boys and their extended families left, I poured a glass of the Kentucky bourbon I had grown to love. I sipped a long sip and opened the box. I found a DVD dated the date of Hal's disappearance. I put it in the DVD player and got to see what happened to Hal. I almost threw up. Let's say that his punishment was thorough, very thorough. I went to put the DVD back in the box before putting it in the fireplace. I noticed there was one more thing in the box: a cigarette butt. I have to admit it started me crying. Bad memories flooded my mind.

I burned the DVD. I kept the cigarette butt. Any time a flicker of guilt came to mind, I looked at the cigarette butt and the burn on my breast. My message to anyone who thinks Hal was treated too harshly: CONSUME FECES AND PASS AWAY.