Jordan - His Story

I knew the area that it was in and it was walking distance to her office. Very convenient for afternoon trysts with her lover or lovers. I knew that she was still seeing him/them, whatever. I suppose I would be hypocrite to object since I was still seeing Jacq. But that is where we were at.

I left the office in a bit of a daze. In the back of my mind I suppose that I should not have been surprised by what I learned. I had once heard from someone that an open-marriage is just a divorce that hasn't happened yet. This was now becoming more accurate as time went by.

A few months ago I bought a piece of land right next door to the cottage that my brother and his family have at the lake. Will originally bought it when it went up for sale and was holding it so that no-one would build on it without him knowing who they were. He offered it to me, and I jumped at the chance to get it. Eventually, I wanted to build a cottage on the lot. I would design it and make it a sanctuary that my family could enjoy for generations. It would be part of my legacy to be passed down in my family after I was long dead and gone.

But right now I had a much bigger problem to deal with.

That weekend I told Emily that we should go out for a bite to eat away from the kids. She quickly took me up on the offer and we ended up at a favourite Irish pub that has great food and you can get a pint of Guinness. We ate and after we got in my car to go home, but rather than go directly home I drove into the city and parked in front of the building where I knew Emily had bought a condo.

"Why are we stopping here Jordan?"

"I figured that there was something you needed to tell me Dear. Something about this place."

I paused for a few seconds. "So, what's going on?"

It was Emily's turn to pause before she spoke. "How long have you known about this place?"

"A couple of weeks now. I was waiting to see what you were going to do. I would like to know if you're going to be leaving me and the kids."

Emily started to tear-up. The tears were running down her face. I handed her my handkerchief.

I waited a few more minutes. "So, what is your plan? When are you moving out of the house?"

Emily was still looking not looking at me. She was looking out the passenger window. I'm not sure what she was seeing. "When were you going to tell me?"

After Margaret gave me the heads-up about Emily's condo purchase I started to take note of the subtle changes in her behaviour and things around the house. She was spending much more time 'at work' and I noticed that some of her clothing was missing from the closet. Emily has some very expensive clothing and I could tell that some of it was no longer there. The closet was not as full as it once was. The office space that she used at home was very uncluttered, compared to what it had been. Her home printer was missing from the space it normally occupied. I knew that she was in the process of untangling herself from her family. It was a gradual iterative process for her; that was the lawyer in her and her need to be in control.

There was silence to my question as we sat in the car.

"When are you going to tell the children?"

More tears. No words. I got out of the car. Emily got out of the car. I started to walk to the front door of the building.

"What are you doing Jordan?"

"Are you going to show me where you're going to be living? We're here now?"

She blew her nose, "Are you sure you want to see it?"

I nodded my head, "Yes."

We walked to the front door of the building and she used her key fob to get us in the building. We took the elevator up and when we go to the door she stopped. "Please don't be angry with me for this."

What was I supposed to say. She buys another place to live, behind my back, what am I supposed to think. I said nothing. Emily unlocked the door and we slowly walked in.

The apartment was partially decorated and most of the furniture was there. As I walked around the place, it was if there were landmines on the floor, I walked slowly placing my feet carefully, not getting too close to anything. I could see evidence of the presence of her lover. I didn't know who she was seeing and didn't really want to know.

I turned to my wife and told her, "I've seen enough. I'm going home. Are you coming with me or are you staying here?"

"I'm coming home Jordan."

We didn't speak again until we pulled in the driveway at home. "What are you going to tell the kids about why you are leaving?"

Emily's eyes were red, and she was blowing her nose. "They'll understand that I need some time by myself to work through some issues."

"Are you ever coming back to us?"

Again, there was no answer to my question and so, I knew what that meant.

I asked one last question before I got out of the car, "When are you leaving?'

"Next week, probably Monday while the girls are in school."

"Okay, I need to make some plans for them and Andrew, maybe hire a part-time nanny."

I got out of the car and went inside the house.

We didn't talk much more that weekend. Sunday night we said goodbye. We had sex one last time. I told her that I loved her and that I wanted her to stay. She closed her eyes as she orgasmed, and I came inside her. When I finished, I went to the bathroom to take a shower, it was almost as if somehow it made me feel dirty. Emily came into the shower with me and got on her knees and took my cock in her hand and started to slowly suck the head. As she took my cock deeper in her mouth I got hard again and even though it felt good I was torn between love and disgust. I wanted her but at the same time I hated her.

That night I held my wife in my arms, for what probably would be the last time.

I whispered in her ear, "If you are thinking that you are coming back to us at some point, I have to be honest and tell you that you need to do it sooner than later. I won't wait forever for you to come home. The kids won't wait forever for you to be their mother. Think about that. I do love you. Talk to me, please"

There was no sound from Emily other than her breathing. Please say something, because I'm giving up on you.

I went to sleep holding a woman that I didn't really know at all. My wife, and the mother of my children, was a stranger.

Jacq

Monday morning, I got a call from Jordan. He was going to be late coming to the office. When he did get there, he was quiet and withdrawn. He got a coffee and then retreated to his office and was on the phone for over an hour. His administrative assistant wasn't sure what he was doing and then he came out and left the building. I saw him only from a distance and couldn't talk to him but the look on his face said it all. I had never seen him look so hurt, not since the bus accident.

Margaret

I had an urgent call from Jordan before I got to my office. He needed to see me as soon as possible. Fortunately, I didn't have any early appointments scheduled so I could see him as soon as he could get here. He rolled-in and started right off telling me what was happening.

His words were short and his voice cold. "Emily is leaving me and the children. She's packing as we speak. I saw her apartment that she bought. Fuck!"

Okay, this was coming; I knew that, especially with the warning that Brenda had given me a while ago.

I switched into lawyer mode, "We have some work to do. But the first thing that I need to know is: do you want to start divorce proceedings?"

Jordan exhaled big, "No, not yet. I want to give her a chance to think about what she's doing. I know that deep-down she loves the children and she might miss them enough to reconsider what she's doing."

"What she probably is going to do is petition for custody, so if you want to keep the kids with you, we need to be prepared to...counter any actions that she might start. We have lots of ammo with her history of infidelity."

I let that sink in for a minute, then continued. "Her place is only two bedrooms. There isn't room for three kids there. I don't think she plans to try to get custody of the kids."

I said, "Okay, we have some business things to do, as well. What do you want to do about your finances?"

"She can have half of everything, I know that she's entitled to it. I want to keep the house; the kids need stability and our house is close to their school, so I want that. She probably makes as much or more than I do since I think she has been hiding some of her income from me."

I nodded, "I'll prepare a separation agreement that will require her to list all her income and assets. She'll have to show some proof of her income, including her bonuses, and I know that her firm won't be keen to falsify anything, so we can get a good idea of everything she has. You'll have to do the same but I have all your information so I can get started. Right now, after you leave here, go to your bank and separate out any accounts and investments that you have. Also cancel your current credit cards and get a new one. Are you going to change the locks on the house?"

"No, if she wants to come home, I want her to be able to get in. I want her to be able to see the kids anytime she wants to. "

I nodded again. "Okay, well I have a lot to do this morning and so do you. Call your bank now and then go there when you leave here. When Emily sees the separation agreement later this week, she'll start to understand the consequences of what she has done. Maybe she will rethink things and decide that she wants her family back. If she does change her mind, are you going to take her back? Don't answer that, yet. Think about it, though."

Jordan let out another big sigh and got up and left to head to his bank. I started making some notes and would have the separation agreement drafted and be ready to have it couriered to Emily on Thursday morning. I knew from the information that my investigator had gathered that she normally met with her lover on Thursday afternoons. So, I wanted the separation agreement to be in her hands that morning. Seeing her infidelity on paper might dampen the mood a bit that afternoon. I wasn't sure but I wanted to give it a try.

Jacq

Jordan got back to the office about 2PM and went to his office and closed the door. I left him alone, but I knew in the back of my mind that something had happened and if I were a gambling woman, I would put money on it having to do with Emily. I knew that I would find out eventually.

About 3:30 Jordan came out and apologized to some of the folks that were waiting to see him and said that he had some very important personal business that he had to take care of and he would ask everyone to email him with any urgent issues and he would get back to them later.

He went to his car and that is when I got a text message from him 'Need to see you later. Bring the kids for supper and we can talk then.' Okay, the mystery would be revealed soon enough.

After work, I got home, saw my girls and changed to get ready to go to Jordan's house. The girls were keen to play with the Kennedy kids. They always loved playing with different toys and playing in the big backyard. We took bathing suits to let the kids splash around in the pool if they wanted to.

When I got there, Jordan and all three kids, greeted us at the door and Sarah and Steph were whisked away to get down to fun.

I kissed Jordan on the lips, and he offered me a glass of wine. He had what looked like some bourbon in a glass with some ice.

We sat at the kitchen island counter so we could keep an eye on the kids in the backyard.

"So, what is going on? Where is Emily?"

Jordan hesitated for a few seconds, "Emily left us this morning. She's moved into an apartment downtown. It's a place she bought a few weeks ago."

Oh shit!

He continued, "I went to see Margaret, my lawyer, this morning, she is putting together a separation agreement, I want the kids with me. I don't think she's going to object, at least not yet. The place she bought is only a two-bedroom affair. I think she intends to share it with her current lover."

"What do you plan to do?"

He took a small sip of his drink, "She seems to have made her plan fairly clear, so I plan to get on with my life. Margaret is sorting out the formalities of the separation agreement, I need to get the kids used to the idea of their mother not being around so much and make sure that they are good. I need to be around for them even more than before. I need to hire some additional help, so I need a nanny for Andrew. Know where I can hire one?"

I helped Jordan make the supper and after we talked a bit more, then I needed to get the girls home and ready for bed. I thought about all that had gone on in my life since meeting Jordan six years ago. I had gone from new draftsperson to licensed architect, was now making four times what I was then, had moved out from a rented apartment to buying a house in a nice neighbourhood. I now had two daughters, one of which was Jordan's, and I had hired a nanny to help me look after my kids. My life was dramatically different than it was before meeting Jordan. I had him to thank for all the good things in my life. I loved the man and was in-love with him. There is a difference. I knew that Emily, his wife, loved him but wasn't in-love with him anymore.

Emily's love for her husband, and her children, was affected by her own issues. She was so immersed in her own foolishness that she was blind to her own family. No, she loved the thrill of sex with other men so much that she was willing to give up a wonderful husband and family. Her loss.

*********

One month later

Jordan

The last month has been a real challenge for me. The kids are not understanding why their mother isn't wanting to see them. Emily has been here twice this month to take the kids out to a fast-food place but then she brings them home and gives them a hug, gets in her car and disappears. Becca and Alex have had lots of talks with me about their mother; Andrew is still too young at the ripe old age of two to really know that Mum is not around so much. I have tried to explain it in ways that hide the reality of Emily's abandonment of her family, but the girls know that their mother is very different than she used to be.

Margaret had the separation agreement delivered to Emily at her office, just as she had planned to leave for the day to rendezvous with her lover. Margaret reported later that Emily was seen leaving much later in the afternoon than her normal Thursday time. Emily signed the agreement and returned it to Margaret. It would last for six months and then if there was no reconciliation or attempt to reconcile, we would move on to an actual divorce. She agreed that the kids would remain with me full-time.

This whole separation business was so unlike Emily that I was worried about her mental health. Was this what she really wanted or was her decision-making ability being affected by a mental breakdown of some sort. To help with that question I contacted Dr. Brenda and told her that I was very worried about Emily and wanted to talk to her as soon as possible. Brenda and Margaret showed up at my house. They conveniently waited until it was after the kids had gone to bed and then rang my doorbell.

After getting them some tea, they didn't want anything stronger, we sat in my family room to talk.

Brenda started. "Jordan, I know how worried you must be about Emily. To her credit she's still coming to see me once a week. I haven't been able to fully get to the bottom of her decision to leave you and your children, but I can tell you that it isn't something that you did; at least I don't think so."

I looked at my teacup, "Have I been too weak? Should I have dragged her home and forbid her to leave? She's so damned independent, she decides what she wants to do and when she wants to do it. She controls her body and who she invites to share it. Her decision to reject me and her family in favour of someone else is...well, not what I wanted and not what I expected."

I paused to take a drink of the tea. "Is she going to come back?"

Brenda looked very uncomfortable at my question. "I'm not sure what she's going to do. Her narcissism is deep seated; it's really her solid belief that she is not going to be controlled by anyone. She's not able to see the effect that her decisions are having on you or her children. I'm afraid that it's getting worse. I'm not sure what to predict. I honestly can't tell you what she will do."

I looked at Brenda, "Shit, I was hoping that she might come to her senses. The ones that are being hurt the most are her children. Becca and Alex don't understand why their mother doesn't want to see them. They're very confused by her leaving. I tried to explain that Emily was very busy with her work and that she loved them very much. But they're smart and know that their mother is not doing what she should be doing."

"This is not easy for them or for you, I know. Just keep doing what you're doing and that is all you can do. Maybe her family can help with talking to her?"

I grimaced, "She has a tense relationship with her mother for the last couple of years. They haven't spoken much in a while now. I'm not sure that I could begin to explain to her that Emily has been having sex outside our marriage for a long time. Her mother is very conservative, and I don't think she would understand this at all. If she does call me, I'll keep it simple and tell her that we're having some issues and decided to take a break to help Emily work through her concerns."

"Beyond that I don't have a plan right now. We have a few more months to go before we move on to a divorce phase so until then I'm going to live a day at a time."

Both Brenda and Margaret looked like they were at a loss of anything else to tell me. I thanked them for coming and we said goodnight.

Jacq

It's been three months since Emily abandoned her family. Jordan has been a single father to three children and has been a very tired man when he gets here. Emily is such a stupid woman. She traded a wonderful husband and father for a life with a man who spends some time with her when he isn't with his own wife and son. Emily has her head up her ass.

When the separation period runs out and Jordan moves on to the divorce, I'll be happy for him. He needs to finish what she started. He deserves better and I plan to give it to him.

His daughter, Stephanie, is growing and she needs her father. I need him too. He told me a couple of days ago that he had some big news coming, different from this Emily business. We get together a couple of times a week and on the weekends so that all the kids can play together.

The next few months are going to be long ones.

Emily

Jesus, I don't know why people are so concerned with my private life. I'm tired of justifying to anyone what I do and who I do it with. It's nobody's business but my own.

My mother called me yesterday. She called the house on the weekend to talk to me and Jordan told her then that I had left them. I didn't leave them. I just don't have time to be with them right now. And that ridiculous separation agreement. Jordan knew for a long time that I had been having sex with other men and he didn't say a word to me about it. Now he is upset that I bought a place to stay close to my office. It's not like it affects him or the kids. I see them every few days. I take my kids for food at their favourite fast-food place. So, what's the problem. I'll be home soon enough. And it's not like Jordan is suffering. I know he's screwing his girlfriend. She's waiting for me to announce that I'm not coming back. That's not going to happen.

That psychologist that I have been visiting every week is starting to become tedious and boring. She is not interested in seeing my perspective on anything and keeps coming back to the idea that I should give up my career and run back to Jordan. This week will be my last time with her. I have better things to do with my valuable time. Robert has been wonderful. He understands my needs. He understands that career comes first and he supports my decisions.