Justin, We Need to Talk

I want to thank Freda Kubas for helping fine tune the story and help with the editing. Editing is the hardest part of writing, and unfortunately, the least appreciated. I always find it amusing that some readers get so hung up if the story isn't perfect. To me, unless the story is totally unreadable, I'm way more interested in the content. Having said that, I still don't mind if others want to point out mistakes. I take all constructive criticism to heart. Angry denunciations make no impression on me at all. Still, I do try to get better. However, I can't promise that I'll get around to fixing all of my mistakes because of my two day jobs, but I try. Anyway, I truly appreciate everyone who reads my stories.

Justin Wilcox wearily pulled himself out of his car. It was Friday, and it had been a long and tiring week at work. Not only was had his job been froth with one problem after another, but his mind was constantly wandering to his problems at home. His wife, Lois, had been very distant of late. Hell, he told himself, she had been getting more and more distant for over a year. It all seemed to start when the company she worked for plucked her from her clerical job to make her the President's administrative assistant.

Lois and Justin had been married for seven years, and at least for Justin, it had been a pretty good marriage for almost six of those years. They had married as soon as he finished his MBA. The only negative for Justin about his marriage was that Lois had kept putting off having kids. However, even if Lois never wanted to have kids, Justin would still be satisfied. He was so deeply in love with his wife.

Justin was a Vice President for a small cybersecurity firm. He had left one of the major security firms, G4S, to help startup a new firm, Telco Security. Over the five years that Justin had been with the firm, they had managed to get several large contracts with the government and a fair number of contacts with some of the country's larger businesses. At present, they were stretched thin, handling all the work they had. The company was in the process of hiring ten new people in anticipation of seven new contracts that were coming their way.

When Justin had finished his MBA and a separate Master's degree in computer science, he had been snapped up by G4S, one of the largest security companies in the country. It was shortly after this that Justin and Lois had been married. Theirs had been an on-again-off-again relationship, which finally settled into the on-again status. In truth, Justin felt that Lois had settled for him and that bothered him. Yes, Lois was gorgeous, but Justin wasn't chopped liver either. He was six foot two, a hundred and ninety pounds, with blonde hair and blue eyes. If there was one thing that Justin knew he didn't have on Lois's ideal husband list, if was that he wasn't rich. Finally, Lois seemed to settle into the marriage, and she became the loving wife that Justin wanted. That was until Augustus Grant entered their lives.

Two years after their wedding, over Lois' strenuous objections, Justin took the job at Telco. The initial friction over his job change eventually faded as Lois realized that their lifestyle hadn't suffered at all. And, they even tentatively talked about having children.

But almost thirteen months ago, Lois began to work for August Grant, the President and CEO of Triplex Financial. It was a hedge fund that engaged in risky investments that were gear to make enormous amounts of money regardless of what the stock market was doing.

Justin knew that successful hedge funds could make obscene amounts of money but they were also risky. Before Lois took the job, Justin did a little digging on his own. The idea behind this part of the financial industry was to design investments that would make large amounts of money. Still, if they began to fail, supposedly, the hedge firms had an exit strategy. Of course, in an up market like they had now, almost every investment instrument was working. However, if the market should suddenly begin to correct, things could go to hell quickly.

Justin was surprised to learn that Triplex hired almost as many scientists and accountants as they did brokers. They were there to design the investment products to provide the maximum profit and still offer a reasonable expectation of exiting the investment with the minimum amount of loss should it start to go south. Justin also learned that Triplex was well thought of in the industry. With that knowledge, Justin was satisfied that Lois was working for a quality company.

August Grant was a fifty-one-year-old man who had worked his way up the corporate ladder. Justin had met him once at a Triplex company function and found the man to be overbearing but not without considerable charm. Justin was, however, uncomfortable with the overly familiar way that Lois and her boss interacted. However, when he commented on it, Lois had made fun of his jealousy. As she pointed out, August was twenty-two years older than her. Still, Justin was uneasy.

As time went on, Lois began to distance herself from her husband. She became more critical of things that Justin did and spent more time at work. Their sex life began to diminish, and they quarreled more frequently. It was soul-crushing to watch day by day as his wife pulled away from him. And the only one he felt comfortable talking to was his administrative assistant, Jennifer. She would listen and not judge him.

Even though his whole body shuddered at the thought of a confrontation, the atmosphere in his home had become oppressive. Regardless of the consequences, Justin knew that he had to bring the matter to a head. The subject of Augustus Grant and his inappropriate relationship with his wife had to be addressed.

Wearily, Justin trudged up the front steps and into his house. He found his wife sitting at the kitchen table, sipping a glass of wine.

"Justin, sit down. We need to talk," his wife said coldly.

The "we need to talk" came like an icy stab to his chest. Those were the words that sent total fear into the heart of any spouse who heard them. Even though Justin dreaded this confrontation, he had felt sure it was coming and had prepared himself as best he could.

"Yes, this conversation is long overdue," Justin said softly. "I've been thinking long and hard about the fact that we've been drifting apart. I think that I have let this situation go on far too long, and we need to address it head-on."

Justin paused for just a second and then continued. "Lois, I wanted you to know that I loved you from the very first moment I met you. I thought we had a really good marriage until you started working for Augustus Grant."

Lois cut him off with a wave of her hand. "Let me talk first. I don't want to get into a discussion with you, Justin, I want a divorce."

Well, there it was; the end of his marriage. Everything that Justin had done to try and save it had failed. A sense of failure settled over him. A sense of sadness for what had been but was now gone seemed to hollow out his stomach. His wife's demand wasn't a surprise. He had been expecting something like this for months now. But now that it had been spoken out loud, it staggered him more than he thought possible. His shoulders sagged, and he sat back in his chair. With a sigh, Justin asked the obvious question. "Why?"

The look on Lois' face was one of hardness, lacking in any compassion. She squared her shoulders and offered a thin nasty smile. "I've fallen in love with Augustus, and he has asked me to marry him. I can truly say that I love him as I have never loved you. And he's much better in bed than you are. Besides, he's rich, and he can provide me with a much better life than you ever could."

The last statement caused Justin to stiffened. But if Lois noticed the impact of her nasty and insensitive words, she never showed any indication. It was painful to realize that this woman had absolutely no feeling left for him. It also confirmed what he had suspected for some time. Lois had been cheating on him for months. After all the loving years together, how could this woman be so cold-blooded?

After wondering for months, there was no longer any doubt about the relationship between Lois and Augustus. He knew his wife had always been a "keeping up with Jones" kind of person. Yet it hurt him that Lois didn't think his efforts on her behalf had been enough. He had never denied her anything. If she wanted new clothes, Justin let her get them. When she wanted a Jaguar, he leased one for her even though he thought the car was a piece of shit. When she wanted the bigger house, they went house-hunting in the country club estates. Justin let Lois pick out the house she wanted, and even though the mortgage was way more than Justin wanted, he bought it. That none of this was enough was painful for Justin, but he held his tongue. Instead, he pointed out the obvious.

"He's just divorced his third wife. Why do you think he'll keep you around?"

"Oh Justin, don't be an ass. I know this is hard for you, but you're just going to have to accept that our marriage is over. I hope you're not going to be difficult." Lois then pulled an envelope from her purse.

"I think that you will see that the terms of the divorce are quite favorable for you," Lois said as she unfolded the paperwork and slid it over to her husband. "If I wanted to, I could make your life very difficult and costly. Instead, I decided to be generous. I'm giving up any interest in this house. However, I am taking half of our checking and savings accounts, and I also want half of our investment portfolio. August will pay off the lease on the Jaguar. He says it's a terrible car, and he's going to buy me a brand-new Porsche."

Justin looked up into the eyes of his wife and saw the cold indifference that radiated toward him. Lois was looking at him like he was a bug. Justin decided not to tell her that in his opinion a Porsche an overpriced piece of metal and plastic. Instead, he pointed down at the divorce document before him. "What else is in this?"

"There are a few pieces of furniture that I want, and I want to keep all of my jewelry and clothes. Also, I'm not asking for any alimony, and I won't ask for any of your 401-K."

"Lois, why are you doing this?" Justin asked as he lifted the divorce papers in front of him. "This house has at least two hundred thousand dollars of equity. The investment and all of our savings aren't worth half that much."

"My reason is very simple," Lois said as her eyes narrowed. "I want a quick divorce. It was Augustus' suggestion. He said that if I played hardball, you could tie up the divorce for a year or more. We both want to get married as soon as my divorce is final. However, what's spelled out in those divorce papers is contingent on your agreeing to it and speeding the divorce along. If you fight me on this, I'll go for it all, and August assures me that I'll get everything I ask for."

Justin's shoulders drooped lower, and he sighed. "Well, I guess there isn't anything else to discuss. I've been avoiding facing up to the cracks in our marriage. But as God is my witness, I have tried to no avail. Now, it's obvious that our marriage has been over for some time. I'll show these papers to my attorney tomorrow, and if he says it's alright, I'll sign them. But Lois, I truly think you should reconsider this. I don't think this divorce is in your best interest."

"Justin, I don't want to argue with you about it. My mind is made up, and I want this divorce. And I want it to go as quickly as possible."

Justin shrugged his shoulders, and a tear slid down his cheek. Even though he had known for many months that his marriage was dying, it was heartbreaking to realize that the woman he had loved so much no longer had any feelings for him. It was so sad that this part of his life was now dead.

"Okay, Lois, I won't fight."

"I also want this to be a clean break," Lois said with her eyes narrowing even more. "I don't want you mooning over me. I don't want emails or texts. I don't want cards or flowers or anything. We will be divorced, and I'll be moving with a different social circle. I don't want to be embarrassed by you."

Justin just nodded and stood. Lois also got to her feet and started for the door. "Just remember," she called over her shoulder, "if my attorney doesn't get the signed papers within a week, it is going to get ugly."

Once Lois was gone, Justin took out his cellphone and called his assistant, Jennifer. She had been with him since he started with Telco, and she had been a rock. Jennifer was not only an excellent assistant, but she had helped him cope as his marriage crumbled. Justin felt that he could always talk to her about anything, business or personal.

As Justin waited for Jennifer to answer, a comparison of the two women flashed through his mind. Lois was drop-dead gorgeous with a flawless figure. Jennifer, on the other hand, was just above average pretty and a few pounds overweight. Lois could be loving and affectionate, or she could be cold and bitchy. Jennifer was the eternal optimist. Aside from being an extremely efficient secretary, she was able to lift Justin's spirits just by listening to him pour out his soul. And he needed to talk to her now about the final collapse of his marriage.

When Jennifer answered, Justin said with a sigh, "Lois just left."

"Did you give her the papers?" Jennifer asked immediately.

"No, I never got a chance to do anything," Justin responded defensively.

"But Justin, you promised that you were going to give her the divorce papers today."

"I know, but Lois gave me her divorce papers first, and the settlement she offered is a lot better than the one I was willing to give her."

"You're kidding?" Jennifer was totally surprised. "How is it better?"

"I was prepared to give her half the equity in the house, but she doesn't want any of it. I would have given her half of the checking, savings, and investment portfolio, plus pay off the lease on her Jaguar. All she wants is half of the money, and she said that August would pay off the lease on the Jaguar. Lois also wants a few pieces of furniture from the house and all of her jewelry and clothes."

"What about alimony and your partnership in Telco?"

"You know I was prepared to pay her alimony of three thousand dollars a month for five years. However, Lois said she didn't want any. But in reality, if she is going to marry Augustus right away, that's a moot point. But the thing that stunned me was that I was willing to pay her five million dollars for half of my share in the company, but Lois didn't even raise that issue. In truth, I don't think she is aware that I own a third of the Telco. Lois was so pissed when I left G4S that she never paid any attention to what I was doing at the new company. And when she discovered that her lifestyle wasn't going to change, she didn't care."

"But why is she being so generous?" Jennifer asked with some bafflement.

"According to Lois, it's Grant's idea. Both he and Lois want a quick divorce so they can get married."

"Oh Justin, I can't begin to tell you how happy that makes me," Jennifer gushed. "That means we'll be able to get married before our baby is born."

Epilog:

One year after the divorce was final, Lois was waiting for Augustus in the country club's front lobby when Justin walked in. He spotted her and smiled.

"Hey Lois, how are you doing?" he said with a wave.

"What are you doing here?" Lois hissed. "I told you that when we divorced, you were to stay away from me."

Before Justin could say anything, the front door opened, and Augustus entered. He immediately spotted Justin, and his eyes narrowed. "Mr. Wilcox, this is a private club. You need to leave immediately. Your presence is not welcome."

Just as Justin was about to respond, the club secretary came out of his office and smiled at Justin. "Mr. Wilcox, welcome to Tequesta Country Club. Here are your membership cards, your equity certificate, the rules and regulations, plus a schedule of upcoming events. I also want you to know there is a dance this coming Friday and we'll have a seven-piece band. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me."

"Oh, Mr. and Mrs. Grant, I'd like to introduce you to Justin Wilcox. He and his family are our newest members."

Augustus' face turned scarlet, and Lois' mouth dropped open. Then the two of them turned and stormed away. Moments later, the door opened again and Jennifer began pushing a stroller in with a baby boy looking around.

Justin rushed to hold the door, then kissed his wife and son before turning back to the club secretary. "I think we're going to be very happy here."

Four years after that incident, Justin and Jennifer were sitting at a table of their friends during another club dance. Jennifer had arranged a babysitter and booked a room at the nearby Hilton. She had promised Justin that she was going to rock his world tonight with no chance of any interruptions.

As they were sitting there, Jennifer suddenly tapped Justin's shoulder.

"Isn't that Lois?" she asked pointing at a woman and a man who had just entered.

Justin looked closely, and recognition came slowly. He didn't recognize the man at all, but the woman was Lois. However, she was much thinner and older looking. She was still a very attractive woman, but Justin wasn't sure if he would have recognized her had they passed on the street.

"She looks so thin; I wonder if she's been sick? Also, who is that guy she is with?" Justin asked his wife.

"No, she hasn't been sick," Jennifer said, "but Lois has had a hard time of it recently. And the man she's sitting with is her new husband, Guy Hampton."

"What happened to Augustus? Did he kick her to the curb?"

"No, he didn't because he died of a heart attack while he was in bed with his new administrative assistant. That happened two days before their fifth anniversary."

"How come I didn't know that?" Justin said, puzzlement in his voice.

"I sure you heard about his death because it was on the news," Jennifer said patiently. "However, you probably didn't make the connection because they used his real first name, Mortimer. His true name is Mortimer Augustus Grant."

"Oh, that explains it," Justin said as he smiled at his wife. "But if Lois wasn't sick, how come she is so thin."

"She's had a rough two years since her husband's death. Lois only got two hundred thousand dollars from Augustus' will after he died. The rest of his money went to his children by his first wife and charities. Poor Lois was stuck with the prenuptial she signed just before they were married. It said that if they were married less than five years, Lois only got fifty thousand dollars for each year. If she had been married for five years, she would have gotten at least two million dollars and their condo by the beach."

"That still doesn't explain why she's so thin," Justin asked as he studied his ex-wife.

"She tried to keep up appearances, but you know how expensive it is to live in this area and be a member of the country club. She quickly ran out of money, and her friends abandoned her. For a while, she was on food stamps and living in a rat trap in the city's Alhambra section. Lois finally married Guy, and they bought a house on the golf course. Guy is a partner in an accounting firm. He makes pretty good money but nowhere near what Augustus made."

Justin turned back to have another look at his ex-wife while Jennifer continued to explain Lois' plight. When he looked back across the dance floor to where Lois sat, their eyes met. She smiled at him and then got up. Justin was startled when he realized that she was heading straight for him.

"I think she's coming over here," he said to Jennifer in a slightly panicky voice.