Local Wives LLC

Our final statements to each other determined our future relationship.

"I...I...well...I...love you, John," Jane stammered as she looked at her hands, unable to make eye contact with me.

I knew then that I had to tell her the truth too. With my right hand I tilted her head up slightly so that her reddened face was even with mine, and with my left hand I squeezed both of hers. "I love you too, Jane," I smiled.

Five minutes later we were in the throes of passion, and ten minutes after that our climaxes were higher than Mt. Everest.

By the time that Jane got home from our resort trip, we had come up with a plan. She would immediately resign from Local Wives LLC, and I would get information from her about her husband Drew's accident to see if I could figure out how he could get just compensation for his injuries. Most importantly, we would work out a way - with or without Jane divorcing Drew - for us to be together on a virtually full-time basis.

The resignation from Local Wives went without a hitch, and the basic information I got about Drew Smith's injury looked promising. I put Susan Price, one of the associates in Edward Samson's firm, on it. She was optimistic that we could file a worthwhile suit before the three year statute of limitations was up. Things went very smoothly until there was a fly in the ointment.

The fly in the ointment came when Jane and I were together reviewing the first draft complaint that Susan had prepared. The plaintiff was listed as Charles Andrew Smith. I gulped hard.

"I thought that you said that your husband's name was Drew Smith," I spluttered.

"That's what everyone calls him. His parents always called him 'Chuck,' but he hated that name and when they passed away in a car accident he wanted to be called Drew from then on, the nickname for his middle name," she smiled. "Why do you look a little shaken?"

During a long pause I thought about the ramifications; while my need for revenge against my dipshit younger brother had decreased over the years it was still there, and the thought of being able to steal his wife excited me even more than I was already excited. After the pause I said "Before I answer I need to see a photo of Drew."

Jane rustled through the papers she had and came up with a 5 x 7 glossy of Drew in his wheelchair.

I smiled inwardly. I decided that I needed to tell Jane the truth. "Actually, I think that Drew, as you call him, is my brother Chuck, who's full given name is Charles Andrew Smith, the same name as on the complaint."

Jane was gobsmacked, but finally replied "That can't be. Both he and his parents, before they died, told me that he was an only child."

"That's only because they disowned me when I was seventeen - a long story. I assure you though that he is my biological brother," I responded. "Can't you tell that we look alike?"

Jane compared the photo to my visage. "Your faces both have a resemblance to your mother's," she replied after careful comparison. "I need to have a DNA test done, though."

I held Jane in my arms. "I don't care if he is my brother, that's only a minor complication. I can't live without you; I'm truly, truly in love for the only time in my life and I need you to be mine alone."

Jane pushed me away slightly. "I love you too, more than I ever loved Drew. Still, we both have issues to consider. Let's start by me getting a cheek swab from you."

#####

Surprise, surprise; Drew, as he is now called, and I are only half-brothers. After the DNA tests came back I did as deep a dive into my family's history as I could, including employing a genealogist. I found out that my mother was pregnant by another man when she married my "father." No wonder Chuck/Drew was always the fair-haired boy and I was just a reminder to my mother of her wanton mistake before her religious conversion, and a reminder to my father of my mother's earlier sluttiness. At that point the animosity that I had held for my parents and brother came back with full force.

Even before the DNA test came back, Edward Samson and Susan Price had filed a contingency-fee lawsuit against the company where Drew had been injured, a mere two weeks before the statute of limitations had expired. Both Edward and Susan told me that Drew's case was a good one. With a hot shot like Edward Samson representing Drew, the defendant caved after the first round of discovery and offered a settlement of three million dollars. Drew would get two million, tax free, the other million to Samson's firm.

By then my relationship with Jane had progressed to the extent that both of us could not see life worth living without the other. The only question was exactly how to go about it. We came up with a plan. While Drew wasn't silly enough to think that his high-libido wife was going to forgo sex for the rest of her life, he didn't actually know about me; and specifically did not know that Jane was in love with his half-brother. We decided to keep it that way - at least for the time being.

When the settlement had been proposed by the defendant I got Edward to agree that Jane would present the settlement offer to Drew. While Edward didn't know it, it would be in the form of both an option and an ultimatum. I got Jane to agree to wear a listening device so that I could hear her discussion with Drew.

"Drew, honey; I just got a communication from Mr. Samson regarding a settlement offer."

"Great, Jane; what is it?"

"First I have to preface it with some important information. There is someone who was your champion and got Mr. Samson involved. Without that you never would get any but your piss-poor disability that would barely be enough for you to get by with the rest of your life."

"I thought that you were the one to get Mr. Samson involved, Jane."

"No; it was someone else; his name is John. Anyway, you know how sexually frustrated I've been since your accident; I've almost been climbing the walls."

"I know honey, and I'm grateful that you've stood by me."

"The problem is that I can't remain celibate the rest of my life; and I've developed an attraction to this John guy. I simply can't live my life as a nun anymore, so here's the skinny..."

"But, but..."

"No buts Drew; listen. The settlement offer, which Mr. Samson says that you'd be a fool to reject, nets you $2,000,000 tax free. That's enough to give you a good life; but it's not going to be with me. I'm going to divorce you, but if you cooperate I'm not going to ask for any of the settlement money - you get to keep it all. I hope that you'd rather have the two million than me, but even if you wouldn't you don't have the choice. It's either two million without a fight, or one million after a fight and I'm still gone."

Some sobbing and pleading followed - but much less than I would have thought; maybe Drew was just being realistic, or maybe he didn't love Jane like I did. If it had been me I would have fought like hell to keep Jane - she was worth a hell of a lot more than a million, or two million, dollars. In any event, by the next day Drew was resigned to the situation, and within a week seemed to be happy with it.

With his two million dollars in hand Drew was content to give Jane a quickie divorce, and she was even happier to take it.

#####

As soon as Jane's divorce was final we got married. We honeymooned in Paris, and fell even more in love in the city for lovers. At the present time my relationship with Jane has lasted longer than all of my previous relationships combined, and I swear that I like her and love her more every month. Plus, the sex remains other-worldly. Except for roughly one month before and two months after the delivery of each of our two children Jane and I have had sex of one form or another virtually every day that we have been in the same city.

One final thing; Jane got tired of being one of 3,654 Jane Smiths in the U S, and I had long tired of being one of 47,973 John Smiths. Neither of us had any attachment to the Smith name whatsoever. Therefore we had our names legally changed. Jane is now one of only three Jane Vanvleets in the U. S., I am one of only thirty John Vanvleets, our son is the only Trent Vanvleet and our daughter the only Alicia Vanvleet.

I couldn't resist doing what I could to get a modicum of vengeance on Drew without involving Jane and without being stupid. After Alicia was born I sent Drew an 8 x 10 glossy photo of the four of us with an attached note "Hey half-brother Chuck; thanks for Jane, and through her my wonderful kids, Fuck you, John!"