Remembered Acceptance: A Sequel

"That's not what worries me," he said. "I didn't teach you all that stuff so you could kick someone's ass for screwing your wife. I taught you that stuff for self-defense."

"You also taught me to stand up for myself," I said.

"Yes, I did," he told me.

"So, it's either I do this at the gym, or I do this on the street. At least you can help keep things under control in the gym," I told him.

"I don't like this," he said after a few moments. "I hope you're not going to make a habit out of this."

"No problem there," I said.

"Alright, I'll schedule it. As an exhibition. Limited audience. If I see it get out of hand, I'm stopping it. You got me?"

"I got it," I said. We said our goodbyes and I called my father to let him know what was going on. He was flabbergasted when I told him what Julie wanted.

"What the hell got into her?" he asked.

"I've got a pretty good idea," I told him, relaying what Jackson had told me.

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

"I've got no choice but to divorce Julie. I'll deal with Jackson on Saturday," I said, telling him about our scheduled match.

"You're going to face him in the ring? Are you sure that's wise, son?" he asked.

"It's either the ring or on the street," I said. "At least in the ring, there'll be witnesses and Abe can keep things under control."

"I'm not a big fan of this idea of yours," he said. "I understand your desire for revenge and reclaiming your manhood. But are you sure this is the right thing to do?"

"It'll keep me out of jail, Dad," I said. "If we were on the street, I don't think I could stop myself."

"Alright, son," he said. "Take a few days and do what you need to get done. Just try not to do anything stupid. I don't want want to have to bail you out of jail. I'll give Rusty a call and give him a heads-up." Rusty Hawkins was our family attorney and the senior partner of his own firm. Dad had been a client of his for years.

"Thanks, Dad," I said. "I appreciate that."

"What's family for?" he asked. We said our goodbyes and I grabbed some food out of the refrigerator. It had been a hell of a day, and I hadn't even had a chance to eat dinner. I had barely finished when my phone rang. I looked and saw it was Julie's parents, so I answered. It was Barry.

"What's up, Pops?" I sked.

"Julie is a mess," he said. "She damn near didn't make it here. Almost ran off the road, she said."

"I'm sorry to hear that," I said. "But this is a mess of her own making."

"I know, son, but I hate seeing her like this. Do you think you could come over to talk to her?"

"Maybe tomorrow, Pops," I said.

"Okay, that'll do. We'll keep an eye on her for you."

"Thanks," I said. I sat in the front room and tried to watch some television, but couldn't get into it. Frustrated and tired, I went to bed, but didn't get very much sleep. The next morning, I called Rusty and explained the situation to him.

"Damn, Tom, I'm so sorry to hear that," he said. "Your father told me to expect your call, but I wasn't expecting all this. Listen, hang on a second and see if Robyn will be available this afternoon. She's my family law specialist."

"Sure, that would be fine," I said. I waited a few minutes as he put me on hold. He came back with good news.

"Robyn said she's got an opening at 3:00 this afternoon," he said. "Will that work for you?"

"That works for me," I said.

"Alright," he said. "I still have a copy of your prenuptial agreement here, so I'll make sure she has that. Bring your most recent financial statements so she can take a look at them. I'm really very sorry to hear about this."

"Thanks, Rusty. By the way, are you familiar with a fellow named George Jackson? I hear he's a semi-retired family law attorney," I said.

"Jackson? Big fella? Touch of gray at the temples?"

"Yeah, that sounds like him. You know him?" I asked.

"I know the bastard. And he's not semi-retired. His license was suspended pending an investigation. Seems he liked to engage in inappropriate relationships with his clients," Rusty said. "Is that who Julie is involved with?"

"Yeah, it is," I said.

"Interesting," he said. "Has he been giving her legal advice?"

"I believe so," I said.

So, he's been acting as an attorney even though his license has been suspended. This could get complicated for him. Let me make some inquiries. Stop by and see me this afternoon after my sister gets done with you, okay?"

"Sure," I said. We ended the call and I decided to go to the gym and work out some of my frustrations. When I got there, Abe greeted me with his trademark smile and manly bear hug.

"How's it hanging?" the big black man asked.

"It's been better," I told him. He nodded his head.

"I hear that," he said. "C'mon, let's go work it out," he added, walking me over to one of his large hanging bags. We worked out for a couple hours before calling it a day. He walked with me to the locker room and stopped me before I went inside.

"This match on Saturday," he said. "Are you really sure this is what you want to do?"

"I need to do this, Abe," I said. "This guy and my wife basically cut my nuts off in my own home. I have to do this for my own peace of mind."

"I get it. You need to reclaim your manhood and hurt him in the process. I understand that. Believe me, I get where you're coming from," he said. "I just don't want to see you go over the edge. You catch my drift?"

"I hear ya, Abe," I said. "I really do. But you weren't there when he said he would mop the floor with my face then fuck Julie right there in front of me. You weren't there when my wife of 22 years had me shake the man's hand right after he screwed her in my own home. I've always respected what you've taught me, but every man has his limit. She crossed mine."

"Yeah, I see that, Tom," he said. "Just don't let this eat you up. You've never killed a man with your bare hands before. I have. And believe me, the guilt never goes away." I remembered that fight more than 20 years ago. If it hadn't been for that fight, Abe could've gone on to be a serious contender for the world heavyweight championship. He was never quite the same after that match.

"I understand, Abe," I told him. "You really think I could actually do that? Kill him with my bare hands?"

"I can see it in your eyes," he said. "You're this close to breaking him in two," he added, holding up a thumb and forefinger. "I care about you. And I don't want to see you carry that burden. I know what that feels like."

"Thank you for all your help and support. And your friendship. It means more to me than you know."

"I'll always have your back, Tom," he said. "Just remember what I taught you. You'll do just fine."

"Thanks," I said. He smiled and slapped me on the back.

"Now, get in there and take a shower, willya? You're starting to get a bit ripe," he said, causing me to laugh for the first time since all this crap began.

"I may stink, but at least I still have my good looks," I said jokingly. This time, it was his turn to laugh. I showered, dressed and headed out for a late lunch. From there, I went to see Robyn. Her receptionist brought me a cup of coffee as she went over my prenuptial and financial statements.

"Well, this looks pretty cut and dried," she finally said. "Except the infidelity clause seems pretty harsh. Your trust fund, the house and your business assets are clearly protected, but divorce laws have changed a lot since this was first signed. There's a good chance the court will order some level of support, especially given that she's been out of the work force for over 20 years. Does she have any education?"

"Well, she was about three quarters of the way to her bachelor's degree when we got married. She wanted to be a teacher. She dropped out of college shortly after we got married," I said.

"If she went back to college, it could take her another two years or more to get her teaching certificate," Robyn said. "And then she'd have to find a job. At her age, that may not be very easy. I think you should consider sweetening the pot just a bit."

I thought for a few moments before telling her what I had in mind. She listened to my idea, thought about it and nodded her head.

"I think that could work," she said. "And it would be a very nice gesture that goes above and beyond the agreement. When were you wanting her served?"

"Saturday," I said. "Is that possible?"

"Well, I can get this written up and filed by Friday morning. I think we can do that. Where would you like her served?" I gave her the address to Abe's gym and asked for the process server to be there that evening at 8:30. "That is an odd request, but I see no reason why we can't do that. Consider it done."

"Thank you," I told her. We shook hands and I left, paying a hefty retainer on the way out of her suite. From there, I went down the hall to see Rusty. He looked up as I knocked on his door.

"Come on in, Tom," he said, standing up behind his desk. I entered his office and shook his hand in greeting. "I took the liberty of reaching out to some of my contacts about your George Jackson," he added after we sat down.

"What did you find out?" I asked.

"According to the complaints against him, and yes, there are multiple complaints, he allegedly targeted women married to rich husbands so he could get his hands on their money," Rusty said. "He's supposedly been doing this for the last few years and from what I've heard, he's accumulated quite a bit of money. It sounds like you were his most recent target."

"What's going to happen to him?" I asked.

"I spoke with a contact at the State Bar, and from what I hear, the SBI is building a case against him. If all goes well, he could find himself behind bars for a very long time." He said nothing for a few moments as he regarded me. "Your father tells me you intend to face him in the ring this Saturday. Is that correct?"

"Yes, it is," I said. "It's being billed as an amateur exhibition."

"So there'll be no tickets, no bets, nothing like that?"

"No, nothing like that," I said.

"Uh huh," Rusty said as he looked at me closely. "Just be careful, Tom. From what I've heard, this guy is a snake."

"It's under control," I said.

"I hope so, Tom," he said. "I really do. For your sake."

"I understand, Rusty," I said. "When are they going to move against him?"

"No idea, but I've been led to believe it'll be pretty soon," he told me. We talked for a bit longer, then said our goodbyes. I went home, ate, showered and called Julie's parents to let them know I was on my way over. Her mother told me that Julie would love to see me. We ended the call and I headed out.

Julie's mother, Alice, opened the door when I arrived and invited me inside. I walked in to see Julie sobbing on the couch. Barry came into the room and we shook hands.

"She's been like this ever since she got here," he said quietly. "I afraid she may try to kill herself." I nodded my head as I took in what he said.

"Well, maybe it's time she had a 'come to Jesus' moment about her boyfriend," I said. Julie looked at me through teary eyes when I said that. I directed my next comment at her. "You really don't know very much about George Jackson, do you? Maybe it's time you learn what you wanted to get involved with." I pulled out my phone and queued up the video from my visit to his house. "Take a look at this," I said, handing her the phone.

Her eyes grew wide as she watched the interaction between George and myself. Her parents were shocked when they heard him refer to her as just a piece of ass to be fucked. They were all even more shocked to learn that he targeted her specifically to get at me and my money.

"I don't understand something," Barry said. "How could he get your money by going after her?"

"It's an old scam of his," I said. "He specifically targets wives of rich men, convinces them to give him large sums of cash to represent them in their divorces, then pockets the money. Sometimes, he takes a percentage of what he gets the husbands to pay out to get him off their backs. Julie was just his latest victim. And you heard him admit to using drugs against her the first three times she was with him. It's part of what he does. That's one reason why his license to practice law was suspended and why the SBI is investigating him."

"So, what's this I hear about a fight on Saturday? Do you honestly expect to just hand Julie over to him if he wins the fight?" Barry asked. I shook my head.

"Of course not," I said. "For one thing, I intend to win."

"What about the divorce?" Barry asked. "Are you still going through with it?"

"I'm afraid so," I said, causing Julie to break down sobbing again.

"Why?" Julie asked through her tears. "You heard him say he used drugs against me."

"Yes, he did. But you should never have gone with him in the first place," I said. "I might have been able to overlook one indiscretion, but you made things worse by going to him two more times. Then you lied to me and finally, you had him in MY house. The house where we raised our children, and where I had hoped to retire and grow old with you.

"And to top that off, you actually expected me to be okay with you continuing to cuckold me with him and other men," I added. "I can't -- won't -- live like that. You destroyed me when you did that. So yes, I'm going through with the divorce. There's just one thing."

"What's that?" Julie asked.

"You need to be at the gym Saturday night at 8:30," I told her. "Please don't ask me why. I have my reasons."

"We'll be there, Tom," Barry said.

"Thanks, Pops," I told him. I left and went back to the house, ate, watched television and went to bed. The next couple days were pretty much the same, although I did put in some time at work, if for no other reason than to keep my mind occupied with something other than thoughts of Julie's betrayal.

Finally, Saturday rolled around. I dressed in casual clothes and put my things in my workout bag before leaving for the gym. I got there about an hour before the scheduled match and met with Abe briefly before getting changed.

"You ready for this?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think so," I told him. He brought me up short and fast.

"No," he exclaimed, getting right into my face. "Either you're ready for this or you're not. There is no 'I think so.' This isn't a friendly spar. This is the real deal and you need to wrap your head around that. Now, are you ready?"

"I'm ready," I said, nodding my head.

"Nah... ARE YOU READY?" he asked, his voice louder and more commanding than I had ever heard him talk before.

"I'm ready," I repeated, with conviction. He nodded his head.

"You'd better be," he said. "Now, go get changed." I left for the locker room and put my gear on. I spent time in the locker room psyching myself up. This was something I had never done before. Oh sure, I had sparred with Abe and a number of his other students, but this was a whole different ball game. This time, I was fighting for my honor. And I was determined to win. After some time, Abe came into the locker room.

"He's here," he told me. I looked at him.

"Jackson? He's here?" I asked.

"Yeah. Just finished signing the insurance disclaimer forms."

"What's your impression of him?" I asked.

"He claims he did some Golden Gloves boxing when he was younger," Abe said. "He balked when I told him there would be no gloves. Personally, I don't think he'll last two minutes in the ring with you. He's bigger than you, but he has no balance, and moves like a giant ox. My advice to you is to take him down hard and fast. Hurt him if you have to, but not too much."

"Sounds good to me," I said. "Anyone else here?"

"Yeah. Julie and her father and another man. Says he's a process server. Jackson brought someone with him as well. Now, are you ready to do this?" he asked.

"I'm ready. Let's get this done," I told him. I grabbed a folder I had brought with me and we walked into the main part of the gym. Jackson was already in the ring, waiting for me. I saw Julie sitting in a row of chairs next to the ring with her father. I said nothing to her and put the folder down in my chair, then entered the ring.

Jackson swaggered into the middle of the ring, a smirk on his face. Abe made sure I had my mouthguard in place and brought the two of us together.

"I'm gonna fuck you up, cuck boy," Jackson snarled. "Then I'm gonna fuck your wife."

"Give it your best shot, asshole," I snarled back, staring into his eyes. For a moment, I saw fear. Apparently, he wasn't expecting this. Abe interjected.

"Alright, you two. This fight will last no longer than three rounds of three minutes each. If I feel one of you is hurt too badly, I'll end it myself and declare a winner. No sucker punches. Got it?"

"Got it," I said.

"Yeah, whatever," Jackson growled.

"Alright," Abe said. "Give each other a fist bump and go to your corner. Wait for my signal to begin." Jackson and I touched fists and backed into our corners, eyeing each other warily. I wasn't about to turn my back on this creep. When we got to our corners, Abe dinged the bell.

Jackson lumbered into the middle of the ring. I could tell he had done some boxing by the way he moved, but it was equally clear he had become rusty over the years. I moved in, but stayed just far enough back so he couldn't reach me.

"Come on, cuck boy, you really want a piece of this?" Jackson said, pounding his chest. There was certainly no lack of confidence. He swung out at me a few times, but I was easily able to dodge his blows. Then, much to my surprise, he took his attention off of me and glanced over at Julie.

"When I'm done with yer husband, I'm gonna fuck your brains out," he said, laughing. I took that as my cue and moved in, slamming my fist into the side of his face. Stunned, he looked at me, and I took another shot, this time to his nose.

He staggered back a bit, his face covered with blood. I wasted no time and took a third shot, this one to his throat. My next punch went to his solar plexus. His arms flailed as he continued to stagger, trying to recover from my punches.

I dropped down and swept his legs with mine, sending him to the mat. He fell back, reminding me of a tree that had just been cut down. He fell -- hard -- and tried to catch his breath. I noticed his legs were spread, his feet flat on the mat.

I took a few fast steps and gave him a solid kick to his exposed groin. He foolishly wasn't wearing a cup to protect his family jewels and screamed in pain.

"That's one," I said as I prepared to strike again. I kicked him in the balls three more times, as hard as I could, causing him to scream out. Abe ran into the ring and pulled me back just as I was about to drop my knee on Jackson's throat. Julie and her father ran to the side of the ring.

"That's enough, Tom," Abe said. "He's down. You won." Jackson rolled on the mat a bit as he groaned in pain. He motioned to the man who accompanied him. Seeing the gesture, the man came forward with a briefcase. He set it down on a chair and opened it up. I saw him pull out a folder and a pen. Then I realized what was about to happen. I walked to Jackson, who looked up at me in pain.

"You win," Jackson said. "I'll sign everything over to you now."

"I don't want your house, your car, or anything of yours," I told him.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"I want you to turn yourself in to the SBI and throw yourself at the mercy of the court for everything you've done," I said.

"You... know?" he asked, shocked.

"Yes, I do," I said. Just then, Julie came up next to me, Barry close behind her. She stared at Jackson, her face a mask of anger.

"You son of a bitch," she said. "You destroyed my marriage, my life and my reputation just so you could fuck me and rob my husband. I fucking hate you, and I hope you rot in Hell, you slimy piece of shit," she screamed before kicking him in the nuts as hard as she could. Jackson screamed out in pain again and rolled onto his side.