Neal Learned About Cheating

"Come on Neal, answer your damn phone." I screamed at my mobile, as it rang before going to voicemail. I left another message, before trying again hoping this time he would pick up.

Just then another contraction gripped me as I heard his phone again go to voicemail.

Checking the clock on my phone, I timed the contractions at about fifteen minutes. There was no time to wait for him. I phoned Mom.

"Mom, can you come and pick me up. My waters broke, and contractions are about fifteen minutes apart."

"Oh my god, yes sweetheart. I'm on my way. What about Neal?"

"I can't reach him. His damn phone goes straight to voicemail."

"Oh dear, first. Calm down okay. I'll be there as soon as I can. Love you."

"Love you too, Mom."

Calm down, damn that was easy for her to say. I walked outside to get my bag. I had all my clothes and new baby stuff already packed.

The moment I stuck my head out the door I swore. "Damn you, Neal." He had taken my car. The bag was in the trunk.

I phoned him again but no response. He was photographing some house for sale over on 5^th street.

When Mom turned up, I was waiting. She ran over and helped me into her car. As she backed out she asked, "Where's your bag, sweetheart?"

"In the trunk of my car. Neal took it this morning. Can we go via Fifth st. It's on the way."

She gave me a quick glance. "Contractions?" I could see the concern.

"Still fifteen minutes apart, although they seem strong."

She smiled conspiratorially. "Honey, they all seem strong when it's your first. Do you know the address?"

"No, but I can track his phone, plus my car will be parked out front."

"Sweetheart, I could get the bag later. I think we should go straight to hospital."

"No, Mom, I want him there. We talked about this and he was so enthusiastic." I didn't want to sound whiny or needy, but I heard it in my voice.

"Okay, sweetheart, relax. We can stop in and see him."

I turned on my phone as Mom turned into Fifth st. I didn't need to track his phone. My car was parked on the curb outside a big posh house.

We pulled up behind it my car and Mom said. "You stay here, sweetheart. I will go in and get him."

"Thanks, Mom."

I watched as she ran full tilt into the house. She didn't even knock, she just barged straight in. Moments later she came barging back out. He face streaming tears. She ran straight to her door, climbed in and started the engine.

Anxious, and confused, I snapped. "Mom, what's going on? What about Neal?"

"Forget Neal, he's busy."She pulled out and hit the gas.

"Mom, stop, you're acting like a crazy woman. The contractions are still at fifteen minutes. We can wait a while."

"Like hell we will. Look, just relax and I'll get you to the hospital."

"Mom, stop." I screamed. "You're being ridiculous. I want Neal to be there."

The tears streamed down her face so fiercely she couldn't keep up. As I glanced at her, she grabbed my hand. I knew then something happened inside.

"What happened, Mom?"

"I don't want to talk about it. We can talk later."

"No, tell me, I need to know."

"Okay, you want to know. He was in bed with another woman, they were naked."

"Oh Jesus... No, Mom." Now I was crying, and the tears wouldn't stop.

My phone rang, it was Neal. "You cheating bastard." I screamed at him. "You stay away from me do you hear? You piece of shit." I ended the call straight away and turned it off. Mom grabbed my hand and squeezed. "It'll be okay, sweetheart. The baby is important now, so try to relax, breathe deep."

I tried, I knew she was right. I closed my eyes as a contraction bit hard. "Breathe deep, baby, breathe deep. Nice and slow.

"Why, Mom, why would he do that?"

"I don't know, sweetheart. He will have to answer that question." She kissed my hand and then a dark expression covered her face. "Oh hell, if your daddy finds out he is gonna kill that son of a bitch."

I snickered, the pain easing. "Yeah, he's gonna want to stay outa Dad's way for a while."

She nodded. "Hell yeah. Honey, I'm not going to tell him just yet, all right?"

I nodded as we pulled into the hospital.

The birth went well, I now had a beautiful baby daughter. I named her Eileen, after my Grandmother.

Mom and Dad came into the room to meet their new granddaughter. "Where the hell is Neal?" Dad asked.

Mom gave him a scathing glare, he frowned, not catching the importance of that look. "Well, where the hell is he?" Dad repeated.

Mom gave me a questioning look, I nodded my acceptance and she retold the story. I saw the look of horror and disgust etch deeply into his face. I saw his hands ball into fists. My dad was a strong man. He worked his whole life running his little construction business. He was a carpenter by trade. He built his little company from the ground up, and second only to Mom and me, he was damn proud of it.

It was almost dinner time when Neal walked in looking dejected and apologetic. The moment Dad saw him, he stood up, letting Mom's hand drop. Dad didn't beat about the bush, he snarled quietly. "You dirty cheating piece of shit. Get your sorry ass out of here before I kick it where you stand."

Neal was never a fighter; he wasn't big, either. Dad towered over him. He might have been twenty five years older than Neal, but there was no doubt in my mind, Dad would follow through.

Neal stood at the end of the bed as I nursed little Eileen. He fidgeted guiltily, handing a large bunch of flowers to Mom. "Look, I know this ain't the right place to talk about this, but I'm sorry, Zoey. I made a mistake. It didn't mean nothing."

I couldn't hold back the tears as they streamed down my flushed cheeks. "Did the birth go okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, no thanks to you, you piece of shit," Dad hissed. By comparison, a rattler would seem friendly.

Neal stared nervously at Dad and muttered. "Sorry, Pop, but, this is between me and my wife."

"Don't call me Pop, you snivelling piece of shit. I'd appreciate if you left right now, and never came back."

Trying to ignore Dad, Neal asked. "Is the baby okay?"

"Neal, you're right. This isn't the time. I would prefer if you left. We can talk at home."

He glanced around our tight little group and nodded. "Okay, but don't y'all get the wrong impression. I want to see my baby girl."

He walked off and Mom and Dad gathered closer. "What do you want me to do with these flowers, sweetheart? Shall I go and get a vase?"

Wiping away a little tear I snapped. "Thrown them in the damned rubbish, or give them to someone else. It seems that's what he does, anyways."

Mom walked out and I heard her talking to a nurse.

Mom and Dad left when my dinner was delivered. I was actually glad to get some time to think. Lying cheating dirt bag. I wondered how long the affair had been going on. How many others there were. I was so damn angry.

Okay, the pregnancy hadn't been easy, and we hadn't had sex for over six months, but I suffered as well. I liked sex as much as him, damn it. Why the hell did he have to do it? Couldn't he wait six lousy months?

The deeper in thought I sank, the angrier I became. Damn it, I had carried his sorry ass for the last twelve months so he could take up this damn photography business. His life's dream, he said. Something he always wanted to do. Yeah, well, he can't have wanted it that damn much because he couldn't make it happen without me supporting his sorry ass. I paid all the damn bills. Even when he did make something, he just brought new cameras, or some new shitty lens that he just had to have.

Christ, even through my pregnancy I worked. The doctors said I shouldn't, but he refused to go back to work. He was committed, apparently.

"Fucking loser," I snorted under my breath.

I opened up my internet banking app, and decided, fuck him. I transferred all but five hundred bucks into my old personal account. When we got married, it was his idea to open a joint account, and hadn't he made the most of that. The bastard. Well it ended here. Thankfully, I kept my old personal account open.

I had only used it to save money for birthdays and stuff. Now I was determined it would become mine. As I watched the transfer go through, I realized that was my decision, that action was me making the decision. I didn't want him back. There was nothing he could say that would change that decision. I phoned the credit card company and reported my card stolen. Because it was a joint card, it meant his was cancelled, as well.

Soon as I could get out and get a damn lawyer, his ass was grass, and fuck it, at the moment, I was a pretty big lawnmower.

Mom and Dad picked me up the next day and drove me home. Neal was there when we arrived. He waited with his arms open to hold the baby. I walked straight past him. Mom and Dad followed me in and stood beside me as I made my announcement. "Neal, I want you to leave."

"What, don't be stupid Zoey. Let's just calm the hell down and talk. Y'all need to just calm the fuck down."

Dad stepped forward and snarled, his voice loud and clear. "Listen here, sonny boy. My daughter said get, and I think that's just what you should do. I'll give you ten minutes to pack a bag, and then you better get your sorry ass outa here. Got it."

"No, damn it. This is my home as well." Neal retorted.

"You gave up that right when you decided to bang some slutty piece of ass and cheat on my daughter. Now you only got eight minutes, so I warn you, dip-shit. Get your ass in gear."

I think Neal at that time saw the real anger and hurt in Dad's eyes. He turned and scampered into the bedroom to pack.

Mom did as she always did and went into the kitchen to make us something to eat and drink.

Neal walked back out carrying a couple of suitcases. "This ain't over, Zoey. I'll give you a couple of days to calm down. But then I'll be back."

He left and we sat down to eat our lunch. Dad asked, "So what are you going to do, Honey?"

"Last night I made a decision. I don't want him back. I'm filing for divorce, the moment I can move around properly."

Mom, always the moderator, asked, "What about counselling sweetheart. There may be a chance."

"No, Mom, I realized last night. There's not a damned thing he could say that would change my decision."

"But honey, what about Eileen? Do you want her to grow up without a father?"

"I'd rather that, than grow up with him as her father. I'm gonna do everything in my power to make sure he sees as little of her as possible."

There was more conversation, but I think they both recognized how hurt I was.

Neal called in an angry foul mood the next day. There was no hello, nothing, he was straight into it. "What the hell have you done? I just tried to use my card and it got swallowed by the machine?"

"That's because I cancelled it?"

"You did what!"

"I cancelled it, dumb ass. You think I was leaving money in there for you to spend on other women. Hell no."

"Now listen, Zoey, this has gone far enough. I'm coming home. We need to sort this shit out. I said I'm sorry. I made a mistake is all."

"Oh, you made a damn mistake all right. Don't bother coming home. I'm filing for divorce, asshole. You better find somewhere to live, because you ain't coming back here."

"The hell I ain't," he snapped. "I'm coming right now. We are going to talk this through."

August can be hot in Chicago, and this one was no different. To save money on air-conditioning, I had all the doors and windows open, trying to make the most of the gentle south-easterly breeze.

Neal barged in and it was obvious he wasn't really in a conciliatory mood. He blustered in prepared for a fight. "Zoey, we gotta talk, babe. I'm sorry for what happened. It was just, god damn it. We ain't had sex in six months. Damn it, I was horny. I know it were wrong, but Christ, babe. It was only one time."

"One time my ass. You're a lying piece of shit. I can see it on your face. That was the first time you got caught is all."

"Zoey, come on, babe. I love you, you know that. Okay, I messed up. But come on, babe, be reasonable."

"No, it's over, Neal. You want sex, well now you can have as much as you want."

"I don't want sex, I want you, babe. Give me a chance. I'll make it up to you."

"You had your chance. I want you to pack up and get out. This is no longer your home."

"The hell it ain't. You can't kick me outa my own home. Now we're gonna talk this through. You gotta see my point of view, babe. I fucked up. I can see that, but jeez, babe. Give me a fucking chance."

"I said get out, Neal, and I meant it. You're always going on about how you care about feminist rights, well I think you're just a sexist pig. You couldn't wait six months. You had to go out and fuck some sleazy slut."

He shook his head. "You're angry, I get that. But we can get past this, babe. We can work it out. Just give it time. I promise, it didn't mean nothing. It was just sex."

"Fuck you, Neal. I mean it get out." I screamed. I had been keeping my voice quiet, but now I let him have it. "Pack up your shit and get out."

He stumbled back a bit under my tirade. "Jesus, babe. Settle fucking down."

"Stop it, help, god help me, help." I screeched. "Help, please Neal, don't hit me again. Think of the baby."

Confused he stepped back. "What the hell are you talking about. I never hit you!"

"Help me, please somebody help me. No Neal, please stop, you're hurting me."

"What the fuck." He screamed. Seeing I wasn't going to shut up, he raced towards me, I sat down on the floor and screamed as loud as I could as he stood over me. "No, please Neal, I'm begging you stop."

He was reaching down for me, as I cowered in a ball on the ground. A young guy I had seen around the neighbourhood burst in sending the front door slamming against the wall. He saw Neal standing over me and rushed over. "Hey, dude, move back. Get away from her."

Neal snapped, "Fuck off, idiot. I never touched her. She just hysterical." He reached out his hand towards me and I cowered. "No, please Neal, not again. Don't hit me again." I bit my tongue, wiping the blood across my face, smearing it bright red.

The young guy sprung forward, he pushed Neal away. "I said move it, asshole."

Neal, now worked up, strode towards him as a woman walked in through the front door, she arrived just in time to see Neal punch the young guy, sending him flying.

The woman screamed. "What the hell's going on?"

"Call the police," I yelled. "He beat me up, and now he's going to hurt that guy."

The young guy stood up, and now he was mad, as well. He dived at Neal, who saw him coming and punched him, again and again."

I heard the woman yelling into her phone. Neal turned back to me and snarled. "You fucking bitch. You're going to pay for that."

"No, don't hit me again. Haven't you done enough?"

The women held out her phone. "I'm filming this you low-life animal."

The young guy, stood up, he staggered around and snarled. "Dude, you better get your ass outa here. Jesus, you dirt bag. Beating up a woman. I hate you fuckers."

By then, Eileen was screaming, I got up quickly and picked her up from her bassinet in the bedroom.

The sound of sirens echoed loudly as Neal barked. "Oh, you fucking bitch. You dirty fucking bitch. I'm going to fucking get you for this."

The cops burst in, a male and female officer. The woman saw me holding the baby with blood smeared all over my face. The woman who came in last yelled. "I got it all on camera. That bastard beat her up and then when this other guy came into help, he beat him up as well."

The female cop gave Neal the dirtiest look. "Okay, buster, outside, now!"

Neal his rage built up said. "Don't be ridiculous. This is all a set up. I didn't do anything."

The male officer helped the young guy to a chair and told him to sit. He glanced at me. "Are you the owner here?"

I nodded, "Yes."

"Good then tell me what happened."

"Well, Neal, my husband and I were arguing because my mother caught him cheating on me. We just had a baby and he started ranting about how I only got pregnant to trap him. He said he was going to kill me and the baby."

"Like fuck I did." Neal said as he went to move towards me. The female officer stepped into his path. "You stay right there, buddy boy."

"You can't believe her. She's making it up. It's a pack of lies."

The male cop turned to the young guy and asked. "So who're you?"

"I live up the road. I was walking by when I heard her screaming. When I walked in he was beating on her. She was on the ground and he was going to hit her again, so I dived on him."

"Oh fuck off, you lying fucking fucker." Neal hollered as he went to move towards the young guy. "You don't know shit, you fucking loser."

The female officer acted quickly. She drew out her tazer and gave Neal a warning. "Stand still, sir, or I will use this."

Neal, who was now beyond apoplectic screamed. "Fuck you, you black bitch." That was it. She shot him with the tazer and he fell to the floor, clutching his chest.

Paramedics arrived. The young guy, who I found out lived only a few doors up the street was named Chad. He sat in his chair, and he was quite badly beaten. I walked over and hugged him tightly. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

The other woman, whose name was June, came over and gave me a hug, which I returned with interest.

Statements were taken, and Neal was arrested and taken away screaming.

The female officer came over and gave me her card. "Honey, if you need anything, just call me. Jesus, I hate these bastards. They think they're so tough."

Mom and Dad arrived not long after, and I filled them in on the details. They were as shocked as everybody. Neal didn't seem the type, they all said. Yeah, well fuck him.

He stood trial for assault and battery, resisting arrest and making terroristic threats. The court case was short and sweet. The moment I walked into the dock and started to relate my story he tried to shake off the handcuffs and jump over the rail screaming. "I'll fucking get you, bitch. You lying fucking bitch, I'll fucking kill you."

That was it. He was sentenced to six months imprisonment. He was also issued a restraining order.

I stopped making the payments on his car, so that was repossessed. All his camera gear I sold. I did write him a formal letter asking him to have it picked up. Legally, I had to notify him. Amazing how easy it was to sell. Top of the line cameras don't usually go for fifty bucks. All his other gear I donated to charity. I was glad to just clear it out.

It turns out, Chad was a really nice guy. Okay, he was a few years younger than me, but he was a determined young guy. He chased me for a couple of months before I let him catch me. It meant I didn't have to renew the lease on my house. He wanted me to move in with him. Watching him play with Eileen was such a pleasure, and he and my folks got on great. Once my divorce is final, well we are gonna get married.

Neal, well, he found out he might really be gay. He enjoyed giving blowjobs so much inside, he was now looking for a boyfriend who would look after him.

The end.