More Than Just Business

"Please, Mrs. Hawkins, call me Jon," I said, shaking her hand.

"And you can call me Lisa," she said. "I read the report Mr. Michaels sent over to me. I'm sorry this has happened to you. I see this sort of thing a lot, but it never ceases to bother me. How are you holding up?"

"Not too well, I'm afraid," I said.

"I can understand that," she said. "Have you said anything to her yet?"

"Not yet, but I was pretty short with her last night," I said.

"I suggest you try to be a bit more civil with her. I know it'll be hard, given what you've learned, but you don't want to let on that you know. At least, not yet. Let her carry on as though nothing's changed. She'll get her wake-up call when she's served. Can you do that?"

"You're right. It'll be hard. Very hard," I said. "But I'll give it my best effort."

"Good," Lisa said. "Now, what is it you want out of this divorce?"

"As much as I can get," I said. "I definitely want custody of the children, provided they're actually mine."

"You do know that mothers usually end up with custody, right?" she asked.

"I've been their primary caretakers for the last ten years," I said. "And you heard her on the video say I'm a much better parent than her. I would think the fact that she'd rather be with her lover than with her daughter on her birthday would mean something."

"It does, and we may be able to use that," Lisa said. She looked over the financial information I brought with me, making notes as she read. "It looks like your wife got quite a windfall from the sale of the company she worked for. The dividend checks she's getting every month seem to be on par with your salary. This will certainly be in our favor."

"So, that means no alimony?" I asked.

"Or very little," Lisa said. "She's still relatively young, so there's no reason she can't work. In fact, if we can get you custody, we might be able to get child support from her."

"What about the house?" I asked.

"If we can get you custody, you would be able to stay in the house and we can ask that she pay half the mortgage. Of course, there's a chance the court will give her custody, in which case, you would have to pay half the mortgage plus child support," she said. "The only other option would be to sell the house and the two of you split the proceeds."

"What about our retirement and bank accounts?" I asked.

"We can sweeten the deal by taking retirement accounts out of the equation. You each keep your 401K. The rest, we'll split 50-50. That's pretty much what a judge here would order anyway," she said.

"What about Grant Jacobs? Can I sue him for Alienation of Affection?" I asked.

"Not in this state," she said. "But we will definitely name him in the divorce. There might be cause to sue for intentional infliction of emotional distress, but I honestly don't see that going very far. Not in this state, anyway."

"And his sister, Natalie? She knew about it the whole time. Might've even facilitated it," I said.

"Pretty much the same thing with her. We can file if you want, though," Lisa said.

"Yes, please do. When can you get all of this filed?" I asked.

"I think we can get it done by Friday," she said. "Why?"

"I'd like to have her served late Saturday afternoon. She'll be spending the weekend with Grant," I said.

"I see. A little shock and awe. I think we can arrange that," she said. "But it'll cost a bit extra to have the process server go out on Saturday."

"That's fine," I said. "Do it."

"Okay, Jon," she said. We wrapped up the meeting with a handshake. She gave me the obligatory warning not to do anything stupid before taking my retainer check. I left her office feeling a bit more in control of things.

I got home and was somewhat surprised to see Linda's car in the garage. I expected her to be "at the office" since this was Wednesday. I felt the hood of her car, and it was a bit warm, meaning she had driven it not too long ago. I went inside and instantly smelled a pot roast.

"Hi sweetheart," Linda said, walking out of the kitchen. "You're home a bit early. Everything okay?"

"Yeah," I said.

"I hope you're in a better mood than you were yesterday," she said.

"A bit better. I'm getting things under control," I said.

"That's good. Are you up to eating dinner tonight?" she asked. "I made pot roast -- your favorite."

"I'll have a bit," I said. "It does smell good. Did you go into the office today?"

"Yeah, for a couple hours," she said. "Getting things ready for the weekend."

"Did you talk to Sophie?" I asked.

"Yeah. She's not too happy, but she's young. She'll get over it," Linda said.

"Where are the kids now?" I asked.

"In their rooms, doing homework," she said.

"So you're still going on this trip with Grant?" I asked.

"Yes. I told you, it's just business," she said firmly.

"Just business. When do you plan to actually retire?" I asked her.

"I'm retired now," she said. "They just need my specialized expertise for a while. I really don't know how much longer they'll need my help."

"Seems to me you might as well go back full time. You're almost doing that now. But, I guess you just gotta do whatever it is you gotta do," I told her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"With all the hours you're putting in for them, you might as well be drawing a paycheck," I said.

"Why?" she asked. "I'm bringing home more now with my retirement." I put my briefcase in my office, then changed into more casual clothes. I complimented her on the pot roast -- she had always been an excellent cook, and I would miss that when we split.

After spending some time with the kids, I went into my office and locked the door. Linda tried opening the door, then knocked when she realized it was locked. I opened the door just enough to see her face on the other side.

"Jon?" she asked. "Are you staying in here tonight?"

"I think so," I said. "I still have a lot to go over and I am feeling a bit under the weather. I don't want to risk you getting sick right before your trip, so I'll rack out on the futon in here tonight."

"Oh. Okay," she said. "Get well, Jon. Please. I love you."

"Yeah. Me too," I said, closing the door. I heard her walk away, then went to my computer, where I conducted a search. When I found what I was looking for, I filled out a form, then checked my email for confirmation. I noted the phone number and put a reminder on my cell to call the next day to confirm that everything would go as I requested.

The next day, Thursday, was pretty much a repeat of Wednesday, except Linda tried to entice me into bed with a sheer sexy nightgown that hid absolutely nothing. I always loved looking at her and being with her, but now that I knew what she had been doing with Grant behind my back, her body held no allure for me whatsoever.

"I'm sorry, Linda, but I feel a horrible migraine coming," I said quietly. "I'm going to take something and sleep here in the office tonight." A tear slid down her cheek as she turned and walked away, but I didn't care. She called me at noon the next day to let me know she was leaving.

"I hope you're feeling better, Jon," she said. "Maybe we can reconnect when I get back Monday. My parents will pick the kids up from school today and bring them home tomorrow afternoon for Sophie's party."

"Thank you for letting me know," I said.

"I do love you, Jon," she said. "I hope you believe me."

"Yeah," I said. "Have a safe trip. See you later. Goodbye, Linda." I ended the call and dialed Lisa's number.

"I'm filing all the paperwork now, Jon," she said. "They'll be served at 5:30 tomorrow afternoon at Grant's house, just as you asked. Natalie will be served on Monday."

"Thank you, Lisa," I said, ending the call. I told my personal assistant I was leaving for the day, locked up my office, and went home. I had a lot to do before the movers got there later that afternoon. I had a pile of boxes in the garage I had collected just for this afternoon's work.

I had just finished boxing everything up when the movers arrived with their truck at 5:00 pm. They put everything in the back of the truck as I finished my alterations on Linda's wedding gown. When I finished that, I put the ashes in a paper bag, folded down the top of the bag, and stapled an envelope to it.

Inside the envelope were a short note, my wedding ring, and our marriage certificate, which I had torn into four pieces. I handed the paper bag to one of the movers and asked that it be hand-delivered to Linda when they arrived at Grant's house at 5:30 pm the next day. I also included two $50 bills as tips for the two men.

"I'll take care of this personally, Mr. Walker," the young man said as he took the bag.

"Thank you," I said. I warmed up some leftover pot roast and watched television as I ate in the living room. I slept soundly that night in the master bed.

It was noon the next day when Linda's parents arrived with the children. I had already been up for a while, getting everything ready in the backyard for Sophie's birthday party, which started at about 3:00 pm. Linda had ordered a cake, which I picked up earlier that morning and placed in the refrigerator.

"My, you've been busy," Rhonda, Linda's mother, said when she walked in.

"I really didn't have much choice," I said. "I just hope everything goes well."

"I'm sure the kids will have a great time," she said.

"Sophie tell you Linda won't be here?" I asked.

"Yes, she did," Rhonda said. "I can't believe she wouldn't even be here for her daughter's birthday." She looked at me funny before continuing. "Is everything alright between you two?" I sent the kids upstairs to prepare for the party before turning to Rhonda and her husband, George.

"No, it's not," I said. "I really hate to tell you this, but you're going to find out soon enough anyway. I'm divorcing Linda."

"What?" George asked. "Why?"

"I learned earlier this week that she's been sleeping with her boss for the last 12 years," I said. "In fact, that's what she's doing right now."

"Oh my God," Rhonda said. "Are you absolutely certain of that?"

"Yes, I am. I've had my suspicions for a while, but I knew something was wrong after she supposedly 'retired.' I hired an investigator about a month ago to look into it. I have his detailed report, pictures, and plenty of video if you're interested in seeing it," I said.

"No, that's quite alright," she said. "And you're sure you can't forgive her?"

"I'm absolutely sure," I said. "Not after all this time."

"I'd like to see that report," George said. "I can't believe she'd do something that stupid."

"While you're doing that, I'll finish getting things ready for Sophie's party," Rhonda said.

I thanked Rhonda and motioned for George to follow me into my home office. I handed him my copy of the written report. His eyes grew wide as he read the details of his daughter's activities with Grant. He shook his head when he finished reading.

"That stupid bitch," he said, handing the report back. "I'm sorry, Jon. I know she's my daughter, but I'm having a very hard time dealing with this."

"Now you know a bit how I feel," I said.

"What are you going to do about this Grant asshole?" he asked me.

"I've filed a lawsuit against him and his sister for intentional infliction of emotional distress," I said. He snorted at that.

"Is that all?" he asked. "The man steals your wife, screws her for 12 years and you're just going to sue him? You know how far that lawsuit will go?"

"I understand, George," I said. "I'd like to take a tire iron to his balls, but all that'll do is get me thrown in jail. I have two kids to think about, George. I can't be much of a parent if I'm in prison." George nodded his head.

"I suppose you're right," he said. "Still, according to that report, Grant seems to like getting it on with married women. I bet you a dollar to a doughnut hole Linda's not the first he's done this to."

"Probably not," I said.

"Tell you what, Jon," George said. "Why don't you let me deal with this fuckwad?"

"He's not worth you going to jail over," I said.

"Don't worry, son," he said. "No one's going to jail." Being a roughneck, George was a big man. I had met some of the guys he worked with, and they were also quite big -- and strong. And they all looked out for one another.

"What are you going to do?" I asked.

"The less you know, the better," George said with a wink and a smile.

"Okay. If you say so," I told him. He smiled and slapped me on the shoulder.

"C'mon, Jon, let's go have some fun with the kids," he said. We went out back and saw that Rhonda had finished putting everything together for the party. When Sophie came downstairs, her eyes grew wide, and she gasped when she saw the decorations.

"Thank you, Daddy," she said, wrapping her arms around my neck. "This is so wonderful. I wish Mom were here to see this."

"Me too," I said. "We can take pictures for her to look at later, okay?"

"Okay," she said. I started cooking up hamburgers and hot dogs for everyone on the grill. About 4:30 pm, the doorbell rang, and I knew this was the start... Over the next half hour, over a dozen parents showed up at the door with their kids in tow. All of them were Sophie's friends from school, and they were all having a great time out back.

One of the last to show was Natalie and her husband, Ralph, with their daughter, Denise. I invited them inside and showed Denise the way to the back yard where the party was in full swing. I offered Natalie and Ralph something to drink, and they graciously accepted.

"I'm surprised to see you here, Natalie. I thought you guys had an all-important business trip this weekend," I said.

"That's Grant and Linda's job," she said. "I'm just their support person in the office."

"Uh huh," I said.

"Jon, is everything alright?" Natalie asked. "Between you and Linda, that is."

"Why do you ask?" I asked in response.

"You're not wearing your wedding ring," she said. I looked at my finger and saw the indent where my ring had been.

"I gave it back to her," I said. "Maybe Grant will have better luck keeping her faithful than I have."

"What's that's supposed to mean?" Natalie asked.

"Oh please, Natalie," I said. "Spare me the bullshit. I know your brother's been fucking Linda for the last 12 years. I'll admit, you guys did a good job of pulling the wool over my eyes all that time."

"Jon, please, Linda still loves you," Natalie said.

"Yes, so much that she lied and deceived me for more than a decade. I can't begin to tell you how loved I feel right about now," I said sarcastically.

"So what are you going to do?" Natalie asked.

"What do you think? I'm divorcing the bitch. She and Grant will be served pretty soon," I said, looking at my watch.

"Served?" Natalie asked.

"Yes. Linda will be served divorce papers, and I'm suing Grant. You'll be served on Monday," I said.

"Me? Why are you suing me? I haven't done anything," Natalie said.

"Precisely," I said. "For more than a decade, you knew what they were doing. In fact, my PI said you may have even facilitated it. And the whole time, you acted like you were my friend. You could've said or done something. But you didn't.

"How often have you sat in my house, eaten my food at my table? How often have you taken advantage of my hospitality, all the while knowing what Linda was doing with your brother? Did you get a kick out of making me a fool and a cuckold?

"Now my marriage and my family are destroyed. And you're partly to blame for that. Thanks to the three of you, I will never be able to love or trust another woman as long as I live. And my children have lost their mother. I hope you're happy."

"Jon, I'm not happy at all," she said. "I'm... sorry."

"Sorry just doesn't cut it, Natalie," I said. "For twelve years, the three of you conspired to destroy my family. You didn't give a damn what it would do to me or my children. Now you've succeeded."

"It's not like that at all," Natalie said.

"Oh really? What... Was it 'just business' between the three of you?"

"Initially, yes," she said. "It was actually Grant's idea in the beginning. She wanted the job, so she went along with it, but she wasn't happy about it. As time went on, things changed."

"And after you sold your company and supposedly retired?" I asked.

"That was all on her," Natalie said. "I thought it would've ended, but Linda chose to continue the relationship."

"Then she chose... poorly," I said. "But you still played a role."

"I'm really sorry about that, Jon," she said. "None of us wanted to hurt you."

"But you did," I said. "In the worst way imaginable. I think it would be best if you collected your family and leave my house, Natalie." She nodded her head.

"I understand, Jon," she said quietly before turning to leave.

"And Natalie," I called out. She turned to look at me. "Don't ever come back." She wiped a tear from her face, then left to get Denise and Ralph.

...

Linda and Grant were naked in his bed when her phone buzzed, letting her know she had just received a message. Thinking it was Jon sending her pictures from Sophie's party, she grabbed the phone from the nightstand and read the text from Natalie: "He knows -- everything."

"Oh, shit," she exclaimed.

"What is it?" Grant asked.

"That was Natalie. She said Jon knows everything," Linda said. "I'd better get cleaned up and go home."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Grant said.

"Yes," Linda said. She got out of bed and threw on a bathrobe. Just then, they heard the doorbell.

"Who the hell could that be?" Grant asked. He climbed out of bed and looked out the window. "What the hell?" he asked when he saw a sedan and a moving truck in his circular driveway. He threw on his trousers and a robe and went downstairs, and Linda followed him. When he opened his door, he saw a man in a light jacket.

"What can I do for you?" Grant asked.

"Are you Grant Jacobs?" the man asked.

"Yes," Grant said.

"And is Linda Walker here as well?"

"That's me," Linda said, stepping out from behind Grant.

"I'll need to see some identification, please," the man said.

"What for?" Grant asked as he grabbed his wallet. The man said nothing as he looked at Grant's license. Then he handed an envelope to Grant.

"You've been served," the man said. "Ms. Walker? I need to see some identification, please."

"Of course," Linda said as she grabbed her wallet from her purse. The man looked at her license, then handed her an envelope.

"You've been served," he said. "You should also know there's a restraining order included with the papers I've just given you. You are both ordered to remain at least 500 feet from Mr. Jon Walker, his residence, his place of business, and his two children. That includes their school. Failure to obey that order could get you arrested. Good day." As the man turned and left, Linda and Grant looked at each other, shocked.

"Excuse me, is one of you Linda Walker?" another man wearing jeans and a t-shirt asked.

"Yes, that's me," Linda said. The man handed her a paper sack with an envelope stapled to it, and she looked at it, confused.

"I was asked to hand-deliver this to you, ma'am. I have several other boxes here as well," the man said. "Where should I put them?" Grant and Linda looked at each other before either of them spoke.

"Uh, just put them in the front room for now," Grant said.

"Thank you, sir," the man said before returning to the truck. As the two lovers watched, the men brought in several boxes and stacked them in the front room as Grant indicated. While they were doing that, Linda opened the envelope. Inside was a man's wedding ring, a note, and her marriage license, torn into four pieces. Linda began to cry as she read the note.

"Linda," the typewritten note began. "I have done nothing but love and support you the whole time we have been married. Imagine my surprise to learn that you have been screwing Grant Jacobs for the last 12 years. So, this is how you repaid my love for you -- by lying and cheating on me.