Independence Day - She objected

Independence Day was written by BigGuy33. At the end of the story they gave permission for other authors to take a different take on the story. I did ask BIgGuy33 if they wanted to see the story first, but they did not come back to me. So I hope they like my take on their plot.

This story starts at the family meeting on 4th July. Just for clarity Ray had a heart attack and he has been left with erectile disfunction and his wife, Josie, has taken a lover to take care of that part of her life.

Thank you as always to my editor Kenjo, they really do know how to make my stories flow.

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Ray knew an intervention when he saw one. "What's this?"

His daughter, Kristine, was apparently the spokesperson for the group. "We wanted to talk to you about mom?"

Ray looked at his wife, but her expression was flat. He hoped against hope that this wasn't about what he thought it was about. He looked back at his daughter. "What about mom?"

"Mom told us about Luke."

"She did, did she?" Ray asked, the incredulity evident in his voice.

"Yes. And about...your 'issues'."

Ray just stared at his wife, shocked that she would share information so personal with anyone, let alone their children and grandchildren. "My issues, and really this whole thing, are none of your business."

"But mom's happiness is our business."

"Mom's happiness is your business? I'm assuming that means my happiness is irrelevant and I have to give up everything I hold dear?"

Kristine let out a sigh, and said, "But mom has needs and you can't satisfy them, if you had needs that she could not satisfy, do you think she would stop you?"

For the first time since this started, Josie flinched and she suddenly found a spot on the dining room table that interested her. As she did this, she said, "Kristine, stop."

Everyone looked at her, then back to me, as I started to laugh. "Oh Kristine, I think you have just made the biggest screw up." I asked, "Would you like to hear an interesting story?"

Josie sat up and shouted, "Ray, don't do this!" but I laughed and replied, "This is your mess, you have to deal with it. Now, where shall I begin?

"Kristine, when you were born, your mother went off sex. For nearly three years, she could not satisfy my needs. She even sent me a letter about it, which I just happen to have here. Let me quote from it."

I made a theatrical flourish as I pulled the letter from my top pocket. I had kept it in my sock drawer all these years as it made me feel good that I had given up a part of my life for my wife's love and happiness. Now, I wanted to see my wife squirm at the hypocrisy of her own words as I quoted directly from her written word.

"Ray, I know you have needs and I just can't meet them right now. It would be so easy for you to go and find a woman who could, but if you did, the pain you would cause me would be immense and our marriage would not survive. I ask, no I beg, please do not go outside our marriage, I need you to put your needs on hold while this depression dissipates. I don't know how long it will be but I hope it is soon. Please, please stay faithfully to me as I will also be faithful to you if the roles were reversed.

"So for nearly three years we didn't have sex. We had sex once at the end of the three years and Leo was the result. It took a further four years of infrequent sex, and I mean once every other month if I was lucky before our sex life started to return to normal. So Kristine, your mother and I went for nearly seven years with very no sex or very little and I didn't look outside our marriage; was I a devoted husband or a schmuck?"

The question hung in the air like a bad smell. Josie's face was red, partly from humiliation, but also anger. I knew quoting her own words back at her would not please her because she always felt I had to give her more than she gave me.

Kristine was off balance but she rallied, "Dad, that was a long time ago and you might never recover, so mom might never experience this again." My laugh filled the room. I looked at Eric and said, "I understand Kristine is going through a similar dry spell. If I were you, I would get out there and shag everything that moves, because in twenty years she will be hanging the horns on you as well."

Kristine flushed red, and said, "Who told you that?"

I simply said, "Your mother told me a few weeks ago when she said you were having the same issue she had. I'm assuming you will have no issue with Eric getting his needs seen to?"

As Kristine stammered and fumed, I looked at Rebecca, and said, "How's your sex life, should Leo be out getting the ground work done to play the field when you have a dry spell?"

I was looking at a lot of angry faces, and I smiled, saying, "It appears you are all happy to be the ones getting taken care of, but are very unhappy about being the one in my position."

Kristine walked up to me and said, "This is totally different, mom needs this and you can't do it, suck it up."

I looked at them all and said, "Goodbye." I turned on my heels and headed for the door.

Julie and Alison shouted after me, "What about the fireworks?"

I replied," There have been enough fireworks in here for me today. You go and enjoy them. I suspect my presence will ruin everyone's enjoyment."

I walked to, and got into the car. As I reversed out of the driveway, Josie was standing in the doorway, but she made no effort to stop me.

I drove around for a while, not knowing what to do. After all, today was the Fourth of July and everything was closed. My phone rang once with Rebecca's number. She left a voicemail, which said she was sorry for the ambush and that she and Leo agreed it was wrong, but Kristine basically badgered them into agreeing with her.

After about thirty minutes, I found myself near the office, so I drove in, parked and went inside. If nothing else, I would get a real cup of coffee. Josie had me on decaf and I hated it. As I sat at my desk, I decided to write out a list of my options. Without thinking, the first word on the list was 'divorce'. I don't know why; it was just there, in front of me. I sat back and savoured the coffee and thought about the word, and I realised I had no choice if I was going to be true to myself. I had given up my needs for her, but when the roles were reversed, she refused. No matter how secretive she was, everyone would know, and I just could not live that life. No, divorce it was. So what next? The words 'somewhere to live' and 'divorce attorney' appeared on the page, as if by magic.

I opened the computer and Googled 'divorce attorney'. Pages upon pages of results came up. At the top of the second page was a name I recognised, 'Lindsey Logan'. She had handled the divorce of one of my golfing buddies and I knew her in passing from a charity we both supported. She was young, attractive (but that only made the meetings easier) and was like a bull in a china shop when the situation called for it.

I went onto her web page and filled out the form asking for a meeting. An automated reply came up in my email, telling me I would get a call back within twenty-four hours, offering me an appointment.

Now, where to live. I could not live by myself. I couldn't cook, clean nor wash my clothes, but I didn't want to go into a nursing home. As I thought about it, an advert I had seen came to mind. It was for an assisted-living facility on the far side of town. It catered to people who recently divorced and needed exactly what I needed, a housekeeper. Each person had their own apartment. It had a front door to a parking lot, and a back door into the facility where a small restaurant provided meals, washing, cleaning and ironing for clothes, and a domestic for cleaning the apartment.

A few Google searches later, I had a telephone number for the facility. I rang, forgetting what the day was, and was surprised that it was answered. Apparently, a manager or assistant manager was on the premises twenty-four hours a day and they would be happy to show me around anytime. I asked if I could come now, and the reply was, "Sure, why not?"

It took about forty-five minutes to get from the office to the facility, mostly due to road closures to facilitate the fireworks display. The manager showed me around the facility and an apartment that was up for rent. Much to my surprise, I knew two of the residents and was invited to watch a game with them in the main room. I had a great time with some old buddies and some new ones; I even managed to have a beer.

After the game, Sam, who I used to go fishing with before we both got married and lost touch, asked me why I was here.

I said, "The wife decided she needed a younger model and is having difficulty understanding why I'm not pleased."

Sam looked at me, and said, "Josie was always a selfish bitch, but that is colder than I thought she would be."

I looked surprised, and said, "You knew her?"

Sam pulled a strange face and said, "Of course, I was a friend of her brother, dated her for when we were, like twelve, when six weeks was a lifetime, and lived in the same neighbourhood until we were fifteen."

I was surprised, saying, "I didn't know that; you lived over in Hill View when we went fishing."

"Yes," replied Sam, "My parents moved there just before we met, then we sort of lost touch when you dated Josie. I think she didn't want you around me and kept you away from me. If you remember, there were always weekends away for you two when the boys were going out and things like that. You lost touch with all the boys. How many of your friends now, were your friends before you met Josie, and how many were Josie's friends when you met?"

It was an interesting question and one I knew the answer to straightaway, NONE. It was a shock, and it wasn't. I had always done things to make her happy, and if there was conflict between her happiness and mine, she always won. This Luke thing was just the ultimate extension of that selfishness.

I went to the manager's office and said I would take the apartment. We did the paperwork and I took a card out to pay the deposit. The manager looked at it, and said, "I think you should open a new account before paying me. You don't want the future ex-wife knowing where you are."

I hadn't even started to think about banking, phones, etc.

He suggested I go to a new bank and open an account tomorrow. He looked at my phone, and said, "Update that brick as well. You will need a smartphone for your banking and social apps."

My face was a picture when he laughed, saying, "Don't worry, one week in here and you will think of your smartphone as an old friend."

I drove home to an empty house. The fireworks were finished so I knew they would do the stalls and be home around ten-thirty PM. That gave me forty-five minutes. I went to the office and pulled together all the financial information the attorney asked for in the automated email. I kept everything filed so it was easy to copy everything. I put it all in the car and sat down, as the others burst through the door.

Everyone stopped and looked at me as if I had just burst the party balloons. Kristine turned and said, "Everyone go home. Mom and I are going to finish this with dad." The others couldn't wait to get out of the house, leaving Josie and Kristine standing in the doorway looking at me, while I sat on my recliner staring at them.

Josie started on me with, "Why did you bring up everyone's personal problems. Those were private and that letter was written from my heart. I am devastated you would use it against me."

Kristine followed up with, "You ruined what should have been a perfect day with your crap, then stormed off like a petulant child."

I didn't move nor speak, just stared at them.

Josie eventually shouted, "Well say something, we need an apology, then I expect you to phone Luke to say the body bag line was over the top."

I started at Josie, then announced, "Your affair is over. If he is ever in this house again, we will be divorced. Now get that excuse-of-a-daughter out of this house before I say something she will regret."

Kristine looked at me with disgust in her eyes, and said, "There will be no divorce, now work out a way to deal with your bruised ego, and if I hear you lay a finger on Luke, you will never see your grandchildren again."

I stood up, and strode over to Kristine, in a way that was intended to intimidate her. It was clear that the look on my face scared her, as my anger boiled over and she took a couple of steps back. Josie stepped between us and said, "Kristine, leave now and I will deal with your father."

As Kristine left the house, at speed, Josie said, "How dare you threaten your daughter like that."

I turned up the stairs and said, "I am moving to the spare room; being in the same room with you makes me sick. Sleeping in the same bed is out of the question."

I moved some of my stuff into the spare room and closed the door. Josie used the spare key to unlock it, but I stood at the door, and said, "I will push you out of this room if you do not leave. I have no interest in being with you."

She had a look of surprise and shock on her face, but stepped back from the door, which I promptly closed in her face.

I slept reasonably well, all things considered, and I got up the next morning and left before Josie got up. My first stop was the office to ask for a few days off. I explained to my boss what had happened, and he said to take the week off without dipping into my holiday entitlement.

At nine the next morning, the attorney's office called and gave me an appointment time of three-thirty that afternoon. I accepted the time, then went to the bank to open a new account. The bank officer showed me how the banking app worked, and I found it to be very easy. Everything was set up to transfer half the funds into my new account.

I then went to the mall and purchased a new cell phone and contract. I went back to the bank and they set up the mobile banking app. After that, I went to the assisted-living facility and used the banking app to pay a deposit.

From there, I went to a furniture shop and ordered a new bed, furniture, TV, etc. for my new apartment, and asked for them to be delivered to the apartment by Wednesday. I also purchased two large suitcases from the shop next door.

At three-thirty, I was sitting outside my soon-to-be attorney's office. The receptionist told me to go through and as I walked into her office, I got a shock. I always remembered Lindsey as attractive, but she was a vision sitting in front of me. She looked up, and smiled.

I said, "You have changed since we last spoke."

The smile burst into a laugh. "I was what, age fifteen. I hope I have changed and I hope it is for the better."

I just could not keep the smile off my face when I said, "You bet!" She obviously didn't remember me from the charity events, which she must have dressed down for.

After that, the meeting was all business. I told her what had happened and gave her all the financial information. The offer would be, she would keep the house, half the savings and have spousal support of five-hundred dollars a month for two years. I would keep my pension and she would have to keep working. The papers would be ready to serve next Friday, but I asked that they be served on Saturday morning.

I went home at the usual time and ignored Josie. I moved all my stuff into the spare room, then used the opportunity to pack my new suitcases without her noticing. The next morning, I carried both to the car and left before she was up. I left the suitcases in the apartment. I would empty them when the furniture arrived. All that was left in my old house was enough clothes for the week, plus anything that was dirty.

After checking a few things, I went to the office. The boss asked what I was doing there.

"Nothing better to do, so I might as well work." I actually had a really productive day and arrived home about an hour later than normal, having eaten in a health food shop near the office.

Josie looked at me and said, "I prepared lamb but it's ruined. Why are you late?"

I just looked at her, saying, "Oh well, never mind," and went to the spare room, locking the door.

I heard Josie knock the door. "We need to talk. We can't go on like this."

I opened the door, and said, "No shit, Sherlock. I can't live with you cheating on me every weekend. Until that ends, nothing will change."

Her face went beet red and she screamed, "Have you no respect for my feelings, needs, or happiness. You need to man up and work on this marriage, or it is history."

I started to laugh. "I think you need to look in the mirror and say that, because you certainly have no respect for my feelings, needs, or happiness. Now, please leave me alone."

The rest of the week continued in silence. On Thursday, I went after work to put away all my belongings as the new furniture had arrived. I also went out to buy new bed linen and other essentials. On Friday, I packed all the dirty clothes into a bag, and took them to be laundered in my new home.

On Saturday morning, I got up and packed the last of my belongings and my medication into the bag I took to golf. I then went downstairs.

Josie was sitting at the table, and said, "If your golf is rained out, don't come home until ten, so you don't see something you don't want to see."

"So that's it. You don't care how I feel, you are continuing with this Luke guy, and I am irrelevant to your plans."

She looked at me with a sad smile and said, "You are the most important thing, but you can't look after this part of my life, so I need someone to help."

I stood up. "Okay, you have made your choice, and I have made mine."

I walked for the door and she said, "What, no kiss?"

I turned and laughed at her. "Never again."

I drove to Lindsey's office, where I met her and the process server, and travelled back to my old house in the process server's car. We parked a few doors down from the house and waited. Sure enough, around half past eight, Luke pulled into the drive. At eight-forty-five, the process server went to the door.

It took a few minutes for Josie to answer, and it was clear from what she was wearing that they had not wasted any time. I saw the process server speak to her, she nodded, then he took the envelope out of his bag, and handed it to her. She refused to accept it and he spoke to her again, and this time she took the envelope. As he walked away, I could see Josie open the envelope, put her hand over her mouth, then slam the door.

Less than five minutes later, Luke came out of the house, and drove away.

The first call was from Kristine, and it came within ten minutes.

I answered the phone to a tirade, "What the fuck is this shit?! Divorcing Mom for what, being good to herself?!"

I let Kristine vent, until the phone went silent. I just sat for another thirty seconds, then said, "Are you finished?"

That started another stream of expletives, which I just let run.

Eventually, she stopped, and said, "Well?"

My response, "Well. What?" caused her to hang up.

Lindsey and I finished up the last of the paperwork, so it could be delivered to Josie's attorney. I also gave Lindsey a limited power of attorney and the authority to represent me in court, in the event I could not appear.

As I left, I saw Leo was parked outside Lindsey's office. He looked at me and said, "We are all out looking for your car. I am here to take you home so you can kill this nonsense."

I walked past him and went to get into my car, but as I reached for the door, he put his hand out, preventing me from opening it and said, "Get in my car, NOW!"

I didn't move, but said, "If you don't move your hand now ..."

At this point, Lindsey walked up behind Leo, placed a hand on his shoulder, and said, "My client wishes to leave and you are preventing him from doing so. If you do not get out of his way, I will see you spend thirty days in county waiting to be brought before a judge on charges of false imprisonment, and you won't like that as you are way too pretty to spend thirty days in county."