More Than Just Business

"All this time, you said it was 'just business,' but I now know it was more -- much more -- than 'business.' I hope it was all worth it.

"I suggest you see an attorney at your earliest convenience. The sooner, the better. I have already split our finances per the divorce papers, and I have already changed the locks on the doors.

"Since I have been the primary caretaker of the children since you started your relationship with Grant 12 years ago, I am asking for full custody. However, I will not deny you visitation. Please have your attorney contact mine to make arrangements.

"Also, since Grant said you could stay with him, I have sent all your belongings to his house. If there is anything else you would like from the house, have your attorney contact mine, and we can arrange for you to take whatever you feel is yours.

"I have no desire to see your face or hear any more of your lies. Please do not contact the children or me. I promise I will have the restraining order enforced if you try to contact me.

"Please do not fight the terms of the divorce. I do not want this to get any uglier than necessary for the children's sake, but I will if you decide to contest it. For your information, I have pictures, several videos, and a comprehensive report by a private investigator who has been looking into your activities for the last month.

"I have not yet told the children the reason for the divorce, but I will when I feel the time is right. Your parents have read the report, but they have not seen the pictures or the video -- yet. For once in your life, do the right thing and end this sham of a marriage.

"As of now, Linda, you are dead to me.

"Goodbye." The note was signed, "Jon." Tears falling down her face, she opened the paper sack and saw the ashes that used to be a wedding gown -- the same gown she wore when she married Jon. She collapsed on the floor, sobbing. Grant took her in his arms and read the letter.

"That son of a bitch," he said. "I'll kick his ass for this."

"No, Grant, please don't. I don't want to see you in jail. This is all on me," she said. "What did you get?"

"He's suing me for intentional infliction of emotional distress," Grant said. "He's asking for five million dollars. I'll call my lawyer and see what can be done about all this."

"I wonder if he's going after Natalie as well," Linda said.

"Let's find out," Grant said, picking up his phone. "If he is, we need to meet and discuss this. See if we can mitigate the damage."

...

When the birthday party ended, I thanked everyone for coming and thanked them all for the gifts. I turned and saw the messy house and knew I would be busy for some time. Sophie came to me with tears in her eyes.

"What's the matter, sweetheart?" I asked as I took her in my arms.

"I wish Mom could've been here," she said. "I missed her."

"Yeah, me too," I said. "Unfortunately, your mother had something else going on." Sophie looked at me sadly.

"Are you divorcing her?" she asked as tears fell down her face. I didn't want to ruin her day, but I knew I would have to tell her sometime soon.

"We'll talk about that later, okay?"

"It's that Grant guy, isn't it?" Aaron asked.

"What makes you ask that?" I asked him.

"I've heard Mom talking to him on the phone a few times," he said. Interesting, I thought. I decided not to push it any further, at least for now.

"We'll talk tomorrow," I said firmly. "Today is Sophie's birthday. Right now, I need you to help me clean the place up, okay?"

"Okay, Dad," Aaron said. I gave Sophie another hug and kissed her on the cheek.

"It'll be alright," I told her, wiping a tear from her face. "I love you."

"I love you too, Daddy," she said. Rhonda and George stuck around and helped us clean the place up.

"Are you going to be alright, Jon?" Rhonda asked before they left.

"I'll be okay," I said. "Thanks for coming over and helping."

"You're welcome," she said. "If you need anything -- anything at all, feel free to ask."

"I appreciate that," I told her. Rhonda hugged me, and George shook my hand.

"Take care, son," he said. I closed and locked the door after they drove off. Exhausted, I went upstairs and fell asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.

...

The next day, I got up and did my usual Sunday chores after making breakfast for the three of us. I mowed the lawn while Aaron used the edger to trim the yard. When we finished, we cleaned everything up and put it all away. It was time for lunch, so I went inside, showered, and was mildly surprised when I saw Sophie making sandwiches for us.

We ate at the table, then put our plates away. Sophie looked at me when we finished.

"Alright, Dad," she said. "You need to tell us what's going on." I dreaded this, but I knew it would have to happen, so I brought the kids into the living room and had them take a seat.

"There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just put it out there," I said. "I'm divorcing your mother." The kids took my announcement quietly, with no outbursts. I had thought they would be upset, but they seemed to be okay with it.

"She's been cheating on you with that Grant guy, hasn't she?" Aaron asked.

"Yeah," I said quietly, nodding my head.

"I thought so," Aaron said. "I'll bet it's been going on for a while, hasn't it?"

"What makes you ask that?" I asked him.

"Just the way she talks to him," he said. "I've heard her talk to him on the phone. She talks to him the same way she talks to you, Dad." I nodded my head. Why hadn't I caught that myself? I already knew the reason -- until recently, I always trusted her and respected her privacy. I didn't feel a need to listen in while she talked to Grant, or anyone else, on the phone.

"So, how long has it been going on, Dad?" Sophie asked.

"As near as I can tell, 12 years, sweetheart," I said. She gasped at that.

"That means she started shortly after I was born," she said.

"Pretty much," I said.

"Damn her," Sophie said. "Sorry, Dad," she quickly added. I understood how she felt, so I let it go this time. "Can I stay with you?" she asked.

"Of course you can, if that's what you want," I said.

"Me too, Dad," Aaron said. "You've always been here for us."

"Thank you, guys. That means more to me than you know. Fact is, I asked for custody of you guys," I said. I held my arms open, and both of them came to me, wrapping their arms around me. We engaged in a group hug, and I was overcome with joy that my children wanted to stay with me. After sharing a tearful hug, we went about the rest of the day with no incident, but there was a lot of sadness in the house.

The next couple of days also went without incident. George and Rhonda agreed to pick the kids up after school and stayed at my place until I got home from work. I hated to impose on them like this, but they understood and happily chipped in to help. Rhonda even cooked up our evening meal, which was a great help.

On Tuesday, I got a call from my attorney, Lisa. Linda had consulted with an attorney and wanted to visit with the children. I didn't want her at the house, and I was concerned she might do something stupid, like take off with them.

"What about the restraining order?" I asked.

"If you agree, we can set that aside for a period of time, say from 9:00 pm Friday night to 9 am Sunday morning," Lisa said. "I know this will be hard, but the last thing you want to do is appear unreasonable."

"I understand. What if she visits with the kids at her parents' house on Saturday?" I suggested. "I can let the kids stay there Friday after school, and come pick them up either Saturday night or Sunday."

"I'll suggest that and see what her lawyer says," Lisa said.

"Under no circumstances is Grant or Natalie to be there with her," I added. "And there's a chance the kids may not want to see her. They're not too happy with her right now."

"I'll pass that on," Lisa said.

"Is there anything else?" I asked.

"Yes. Her lawyer wants to see the full PI report," Lisa said. "I put together a copy and sent it out. She should have it by Thursday at the latest."

"So she's retained a lawyer?" I asked.

"Yes, she retained Beth Sawyer on Monday," Lisa said. "I'm surprised Beth took the case since she hates cheaters about as much as I do. I suspect it's because she works in the same firm as the lawyer Grant uses. At any rate, I'll talk to Beth and see what happens. I'll be in touch."

I heard back from Lisa the next day. Linda and her attorney agreed with my conditions, providing I set the restraining order aside for 36 hours -- from midnight Saturday morning to noon Sunday. And it would only apply to Linda, not Grant or Natalie.

They also agreed that Linda would visit with the children at her parents' house, and she would not take them anywhere. If the children were okay with the situation, Linda would stay there with them overnight. I accepted those conditions, not wanting to appear unreasonable to the court.

At first, the children weren't too pleased, but I was able to talk them into giving it a try. George and Rhonda agreed to pick them up after school on Friday. They would bring them back to the house Sunday afternoon after their visitation. I had my reservations, but I trusted George and Rhonda. George even offered to take me to a bar to watch some sports over a beer Saturday night.

That Friday morning, I made sure the children had everything they would need for the weekend. We hugged and kissed before I drove them to school, and I reminded them to call me if Grant or Natalie showed up or if their mother tried to take them somewhere. I left for work after I knew they were safely inside the building.

The next evening, at about 5:30, George picked me up at the house, and we went to The Flatstick Pub, a popular sports bar in the downtown area. We ordered a burger and a beer and watched the events on the large monitors all over the walls. George brought me up to date in between bites.

"Linda came over about 9:00 this morning," he said. "It was a bit tense at first, but things settled down a little. The kids aren't too happy with her, and they let her know in no uncertain terms. She came clean, though. Kinda surprised me."

"Surprises me, too," I said.

"She says she still loves you. I get the feeling she's going to try for reconciliation," George said. "Is that something you're willing to consider?"

"I'm afraid not, George," I said. "Not after 12 years of lies and deceit."

"I can understand that. Did you really burn her wedding dress? That thing cost me over $2,000.00 when you kids got married," George said.

"Seemed like the thing to do at the time," I said.

"She told us her lawyer has gone through the PI report and read her the riot act," George said. "I think she's starting to see things from your point of view."

"Too little, too late," I said. George nodded his head and took a drink from his beer. We heard a commotion from behind me, and as I turned, I felt something slam into my head, and I saw stars. I fell to the floor and saw a foot coming for my head. I was dazed but managed to avoid the foot.

"I'm gonna fucking KILL you, you son of a bitch," I heard Grant yell. I looked up and saw how he was standing over me and figured it was now or never. Remembering the moves my father had taught me years ago, I brought up a foot and kicked Grant as hard as possible in the groin.

He yelled and fell back, his head hitting the corner of a table next to us. He hit the floor, and I was on him as fast as possible. I kneed him in the crotch a few more times, then I started pummeling his face with my fists -- right, left, then right again. Lather, rinse, repeat.

There was no technique or fancy martial arts stuff involved. It was blind, seething rage and a desire to kill the asshole who destroyed my marriage and happy family. Grant didn't move as I pounded on his face, and it never dawned on me that he was already unconscious.

I felt two pairs of hands try to lift me off of Grant and realized they belonged to George and another man. I remember howling something before I passed out. Although it seemed like forever, the actual encounter lasted less than a minute, from what I later learned.

I woke up in a hospital bed and saw a doctor examining me, flashing a light in my eyes. My right hand was bandaged up, while my left hand and forearm were in a cast. I also saw an IV in my arm. My head hurt so bad it throbbed.

"I think he's going to be alright," the doctor said. "He'll have a pretty good headache for a while, but I don't see any signs of a concussion. We'll give him something to ease the pain and let him rest for a while before we send him home."

"Thank you, doctor," I heard George say. Confused, I looked at him. He smiled as he looked at me. "Hear that, son? You're gonna live. I know you're hurting, but you oughta see the other guy. I hear he's gonna lose a testicle. Lost some teeth and nearly lost an eyeball. It seems you busted a knuckle on his jaw. I take it that was Grant?"

"Yeah," I croaked. "How long have I been here?"

"Overnight. It's now 8:30 Sunday morning," George said. "By the way, there's a couple of very large policemen out there who wanna talk to you. You up for that?"

"Yeah, might as well get it over with," I said. George waved to the officers, and they came into the room.

"Mr. Walker, I'm Sergeant Smith and this is Officer Jones. We're the ones who responded to your altercation at the Flatstick Pub last night. How are you feeling this morning, sir?" he asked.

"Like I've been smacked up-side the head," I told him. Smith smiled and consulted his notes.

"What can you tell us about last night?" he asked.

"Not much," I said. "I was having a burger and a beer with my father-in-law here, and the next thing I know, I'm getting hit in the head. The guy threatened to kill me, so I defended myself." Smith nodded his head.

"That's pretty much what the witnesses said," Smith stated, looking at his notes. "And the surveillance video backs that up. Do you know the man who attacked you?"

"Yes, Sergeant. His name is Grant Jacobs. I have a lawsuit against him and he's been named in my divorce," I said.

"Divorce?" the Sergeant asked.

"Yes," I said.

"Okay," he said as he wrote in his notebook. "I assume you want to press charges."

"Yes, I do," I told him. "There's also a restraining order against him."

"Alright," he said. "We'll check into that. We'll take it from here, Mr. Walker. Someone may want to talk to you later, so I'm going to ask that you not leave town for a while."

"No problem there, Sergeant," I said, raising my hands. He smiled as he nodded his head. Then they left my room. After they left, Rhonda, Linda, and the kids came into the room. "What is she doing here?" I asked, looking at Linda.

"My restraining order doesn't go back into effect until noon," Linda said.

"I figured you'd be with your boyfriend," I said. She looked down at the floor, embarrassed.

"I wanted to see you first," she said. "Besides, Natalie's with him, and he's still in recovery." I nodded my head, and the kids came to either side of me. Sophie had tears in her eyes.

"Are you gonna be alright, Daddy?" she asked.

"I'll be fine, sweetheart," I said.

"I heard you really kicked Grant's ass last night," Aaron said with a smile.

"That's what I heard, too," I said, looking at George. "But it's nothing to be proud of. You hear what I'm telling you?"

"I hear ya, Dad," Aaron said.

"Are you going to be alright, Jon?" Linda asked.

"Yes, he's going to be just fine," Sophie told her mother. "We'll take good care of him, won't we, Aaron?"

"Yeah, we will," my son said. Linda looked at our two teenage children before speaking.

"If you guys don't mind, I'd like to talk to your father for a few minutes. Alone," she said. They looked at her for a bit before nodding their heads.

"Alright," Sophie said. "But we'll be right outside the door. C'mon, Aaron," she added, reaching out for her brother. They left the room, followed by George and Rhonda.

"Jon," Linda began after they left. "I can't tell you how sorry I am about everything."

"Well, like I told Natalie last Saturday, sorry doesn't even begin to cover it," I said. "You lied to me and cheated on me for what, 12 years? And you think 'sorry' is supposed to make it all go away or something? Was I that bad of a husband to you? All I ever did was love you and support you. I don't get it."

"You were -- are -- the best husband and father a woman could ever want," she said sadly.

"But even that wasn't good enough for you, was it?"

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

"Really? That's what it looks like to me," I said.

"You don't understand," she said.

"Try to make me understand, then," I said.

"At first, it was just a way to get my job," she said. "Grant said that having sex with me was one of the conditions for getting that position."

"That's sexual harassment," I said. "That's against the law. Why didn't you come to me first? We could've done something about it. Oh, I get it. You really wanted that job. So much that you thought screwing Grant was a small price to pay. Even if it destroyed our family."

"Basically, I made a deal with the devil," she said.

"So now you're going to blame the devil?" I asked. "Give me a break. The truth is, you wanted that job so bad you were willing to fuck him for it. Even if it cost you everything. What was it you used to say? It's just business? Tell me, Linda. Where does the destruction of our family fit in your profit and loss sheet? Huh? What I'd like to know is why did you keep on doing it after you supposedly retired?"

"That was... on me," she said. "I guess I got to the point that I thought I could have my cake and eat it too."

"You have feelings for him, don't you? That's why you kept on doing it. How long were you planning to keep it up? The rest of your life? Did you honestly think I would never, ever find out? Or did you think that when I found out, I would just roll over and let you carry on? And remember, I know a lot more than you think," I said.

"Yeah, I developed feelings for him," she said. "It was kinda hard not to, after all those years. I figured you loved me enough that you'd let me have this. I did my best not to let it take anything away from you."

"Are you kidding?" I asked, incredulous. "Every second you spent in bed with him was a second taken away from us. Surely you remember the definition of the term, 'opportunity cost.' The loss of potential gain from other alternatives when one alternative is chosen. You chose him over your family. As a result, you lost your family."

"But I still love you," she said. "I never stopped loving you."

"But you lost respect for me," I said. She looked at me, shocked.

"No, never," she said.

"Yes, you did," I said. "That's why you told him you'd fuck him for the rest of your life and said you would threaten to rape me in a divorce." Her eyes grew wide.

"You heard that?" she asked.

"Yes, and more," I said. "For example, you told Grant you'd rather spend time with him than with your own daughter on her birthday. What kind of a mother does that? What kind of message do you think that sends to an impressionable young teenager? Did you even think about her? Or of Aaron when you missed his birthday last year?" She recoiled at that.

"I guess I just suck as a wife and a mother," she said quietly.

"Your words, not mine. But if the shoe fits," I said, shrugging my shoulder. "By the way, I'm sure your fuck buddy will be relieved to know I can't come after him for child support. Yes, I had DNA tests done, and the kids are mine." She looked at me, shocked.

"Oh, my God! You actually thought I would do that to you?" she asked.

"Well, you lied to me for 12 years," I said. "You plotted and deceived me all that time and hid your affair from me. What would you think? You might also be relieved to hear that I haven't caught anything from the two of you. You may not know it, but Grant likes to play the field. You're not the only one he's screwing."