It Began With a Mole Mob

For Madeleine it meant a quantum leap upwards on the corporate ladder as she was promoted to a top job at the main office. Her new job included much traveling abroad and moving to an apartment near the main office in our capital city. Back in hometown she kept two rooms for own use in her house and rented out the remaining area to Rupert and her mother.

Kim couldn't stay any longer in my old house with Rupert when Madeleine was away why he shared a two room apartment with a co-worker until he found something better. Even he got new duties in the new organization what meant a lot of traveling visiting customers. Not many chances for Madeleine and him neither to see each other nor to be able continue to have shared custody of the children.

Elisabeth and I took over the whole custody for all children with fair visiting rights to Madeleine and Kim who even got right having them every second main holiday if they wanted.

Those new custody rules was very unexpected for both Elisabeth an me but we accepted it with great pleasure. Sometimes it was impossible for me not to think what might happened if Madeleine and I been married when she got the promotion to her dream job to travel all over the world. What had she chosen the job or the family? I didn't ask her about such matters but one day when Madeleine returned the kids after a week end visit she surprised me be saying,

"I'm happy after getting a real dream job, but had I understood what high price my cheating would cost me, I had never given it as much as a single thought."

What could I say? My simple reply was, "Done is done and can't be undone and the only thing we can do today is to look forward and enjoy what the future will give us."

Then Madeleine surprised me by asking "Are you happy now Robert?"

"Yes I am. "Thanks to Elisabeth I've got a fair life back. Please remember that you hit me down to the nine count at the hospital when I understood that you came straight from your lover's bed and you even kicked me hard again while I was still down from the first blow when I begged you to save our marriage and skip fucking Kim at the seminar. But you didn't gave as much as a rotten lingonberry for my feelings. But marriage is only part of life. Are you happy now Madeleine?" I asked her.

She replied with a low voice, "No and yes. Kim was a terrible mistake what I've regretted while crying during many sleepless nights. But I'm happy for Elisabeth and you taking good care of our children and I'm happy for my life in my new job."

Elisabeth and I married a week after both our divorces were final and she is pregnant with our very much-expected baby. It is an incredible love story. I could never believe that my positive feelings for Elisabeth when we first met for talking about our spouses cheating would lead to a happy marriage.

Elisabeth and Kim's old neighbors have refused to choose side in the divorces and invited both of them with new spouses to their annual barbeque. Kim arrived alone and when somebody asked about his girlfriend, he simply said that he thought she was in China for business reasons. Both Elisabeth and I got the same impression that he didn't look happy at all. Elisabeth and I had a good time during the whole evening what most of her old friends noted and congratulated her for getting happy with her pregnancy. A few drinks later in the evening when I met Kim in the bar tent he said, "Congratulations, you are the winner in our damn mess." I could only agree with him and responded sincerely "It is not my wish that you and Madeleine not be happy too."