Resolving My Marriage Pt. 02

Zelda and Stan both had tears in their eyes and broad smiles. Zelda came over and pinched my cheeks and gave me a hug. Zelda said that the work that would have gone into the document was significant. I went into the kitchen to make them some tea. I thought about the contract. I realised that I had all these women who were just playing with my head. When I brought back their tea and some water for me, I said that to Zelda.

She said to me, "For heavens sake don't be ridiculous. Can't you see we all adore you and try and help you despite yourself?

"Let me read you the prenuptial agreement.

She opened another file with a black bow which she laboriously untied.

She said this classic. The covering letter said it was a challenge to write it all in English to be sufficiently obscure but they believe they achieved it without recourse to Latin phrases. She said it took Delia two weeks with an expert in English from the middle ages to be sure of the contract.

It says that you are directed to read the section on what are the fundamental issues but they are only an example of how they could screw you in a pre-nup. In that section written in plain English you are told that if you leave the marriage you will get nothing as you come in with nothing but debts. In addition you will be liable for all costs of any actions and have to pay Carol alimony and all costs of future children. This is not waived for any reasons. If either has affairs only yours will be held against you as you are aware Carol has other relationships. You can only have other relationships with her documented written approval. These penalties are written so they seem evenly balanced but essentially are seriously prejudiced against you.

"However in the document itself it says all that stuff does not apply and is only what is standard and is only an example. It says that Carol and her father recognise you have made her happier than she has ever been and the only protection you will ever need is from hurt from her. From the trust they settle 2% of the trust on you. You can both screw around as much as you want.

If you survive 5 years in the marriage you are awarded 7% of the trust. It says for getting to the stage of translating the document the marriage must be in trouble and you are awarded all costs in translation. However Zelda and her firm are locked into providing advice to the trust and cannot ever advise and take sides in a divorce. She can only mediate and all fees are paid. Zelda and her firm are the only ones likely to be asked to translate this document and are continued in the long term administration of the trust. Your role in the trust was never revealed to the firm administering the trust. The trust percentages and related income have been reinvested for you as specified in the trust.

"Zelda said that as far as she knows Carol does not know or understand the terms of this agreement but clearly participated in the preparation of the first agreement.

She then said that Carol had phoned her early that morning and obtained permission to settle and unspecified amount on me as she was 'worried that Dan has no pocket money of his own and might need a few bucks to spend on the mother of his child". This money was to be transferred directly to Amanda to administer on your behalf.

I then told Zelda of my financial worries and that I knew my salary would not stretch far enough as Amanda only worked at the office part time and seemed to spend a lot of time at home. Rob might not pay her alimony in view of her being pregnant with my child. I told her of the apartments in our building being rather expensive and Amanda seemed to live well. There would be lots of expenses when the baby came along. I knew that Carol's father had been wealthy but I could see a few percentage points in the trust would help but the income was reinvested and I had no real access to any money.

Stan seemed to be choking and laughing and held his hand in front of his mouth. He broke into hysterical laughter. I had never heard him laugh never mind seen him laughing like this. Zelda looked at him crossly.

"Come Stan she said before you put your foot in your mouth. You are laughing like a pregnant hyena. She then started to giggle."

"Dan," she said "I think its time you spent a bit of time on your financial affairs." I turned my eyes upwards. I had had this lecture from her and Carol for years. Claude who managed my stuff with Carol said when the time was right I would discuss them with him. It seemed now was the time. I phoned him and I caught him in Japan. He suggested that I talk to Amanda about my concerns as she was critical to the first part of my worries and he would talk to me when he got back.

"Why Amanda?" I asked but Claude was gone.

Chapter 10

Amanda

Carol and Amanda arrived back from their shopping expedition and Carol announced that I was to celebrate that night and stay overnight with Amanda. They had huge amounts of stuff they had bought. The girly and baby talk was not for me so I excused myself.

I went to my work room. My father and I are sort of inventors. Dad was like me not interested much in money but we like thinking of and making things. Mum managed the money and we always lived modestly. Mum was supportive of Dad's and my "fiddling" as she called it. We are both also quite artistic. Dad loved ceramics and ceramic theory and in the latter years got into plastics. He and I spent lots of time making high temperature tolerant plastics and making shapes with them.

We made quite a lot of fun stuff. Some of the ceramics and some of the plastics were great in the kitchen. Mum often helped us document the processes in detail. She spent time asking us for possible uses for these things. She then used to ask Dad if she could try and patent some of it. Dad used to laugh and say if she wanted to waste her time. Mum thought lots of our stuff was very useful and she had it all over our house as did Zelda and Harriet. Mum used to also send some of our stuff to dealers and set up a few exhibitions of our artistic work. Mum used to spend a lot of time with Zelda and patents and with Claude about our work. They would both ask us some questions but in general did not bother us much. Mum said we were quite successful with one or two processes. The business side of it was a bit of a bore. Mum said Claude managed the licences and the investments for us for their super and a trust for me.

When they died they left me a bit of cash which I gave Carol for furniture and a trust which Claude managed. About the trust Claude said I would ask when I needed to and not before. Carol nagged me incessantly to a least look at my affairs.

Carol took over from mum with regard to documenting the processes and spending time with Claude and Zelda.

Her father had a bigger interest in the medical stuff I began to work on with plastics and titanium. I was working on ceramics, plastic and titanium for a wide range of what I thought could be good in medicine. They also talked patents and business which left me stone cold.

Carol was like mum, very supportive of my hobby. I spent many happy hours too with her father who helped Carol with some of my medical stuff. He said he even got some of it into production. It was for plastic lenses for the eye and corneal substitutes. It calmed me and I felt that I was doing good work for mankind. Carol said that she had reasonable success in patenting some more of my processes.

Amanda was also quite artistic and we sometimes had spent time making a few pots together and firing them. We had probably only done it twice together in the year due to time constraints and her family obligations.

Carol had put in a couple of kilns and all the equipment I needed in the week after my father died and then when we moved into the apartment had had it all rebuilt.

I now began to worry about what had happened to the patents and if they had been taken from me. I recalled signing lots of documents after my father's death and even more after Carol's father's death but as Zelda was handling them I didn't worry. However Carol and Zelda had got awfully close and perhaps I had lot all dad's work. Then I thought it couldn't have been worth much as we had lived modestly. Carol was just trying to be a good wife and take over for what mum did and indulge the eccentric males.

Dad had always worked days at some sort of government facility. It seemed dull work from what dad spoke about in electronic research for the military. It mustn't have paid much.

The time passed quickly. Carol called me for dinner and said Amanda had gone home to cook for the children. Tonight she said it was meet the children and talk with them and Amanda. She said she had packed my bag. She was seeing Rob.

I felt the same nausea and anxiety when she said that. It was like a punch in the stomach.

I was increasingly convinced that Rob was better than she had made him out to be and she wanted him and was handing me over to Amanda and really was in love with him, was pregnant with him and somehow she planned to clear herself of me.

She would not divorce me because she might have bigger claims on her trust. She would keep me in limbo and on a string while she had children also with Rob. She had not wanted children with me because I was her starter husband and she wanted to move to Rob her definitive man. All this niceness and loving me was to keep me from threatening the trust though I was sure that I could do nothing.

This family trust of hers I was sure was designed to keep me powerless. There was not much in it and Carol's assets were hidden. The fact that I had no obligation to them for money was a great relief but a puzzle. I knew there was a trap somewhere in all of this.

In tears I left for Amanda not saying anything to Carol. I did not let her see me cry. I began to wonder if Claude was involved in some way. He had been a partner of Carol's father. Could he know more about all of this and was part of this group keeping me from getting more from the trust.

I knew Claude loved me as did Harriet so it didn't make complete sense. However I thought there could be enough money involved to bend Claude.

I thought even more deeply. I could see I was the sucker all along. Carol selected me as a guy not interested in money. She paid me attention never letting me have children with her while she looked for her ideal husband. That was what all the interviews were with the guys she slept with. I was never enough for her. It was fine to humour me and keep me busy with medicine, and my plastics and ceramics. It was a small price to have a convenient male around while Carol screwed all and sundry. I was the consistent dummy to go to the social events and provide a consistent face while cuckolded constantly. Hester was used unwittingly to keep me pacified and contented. Zelda was there also to keep me in my place. Some of it made better sense than others. I had the feeling that I couldn't quite put my finger on all the issues.

Now the question arose of Amanda. Was the child Rob's. She and Carol seem unusually easy about this whole thing and then Carol gives me some money but gives it to Amanda to manage. My paranoia was running rampant at this stage.

Positively however I didn't have any debts. These were forgiven by Carol's father. Boy that was an odd contract. He must have thought that I was the ideal sucker for Carol. Forgiving me a few debts while setting up a prenuptial agreement that allowed Carol to have all her men to find the right one left me in real trouble. The money in the trust was held for me and reinvested. I had no control of my destiny and could be ruined in an instant.

By the time I reached Amanda's door I was a wreck.

She ushered me into the lounge and said its meet the children time. She smiled and looked friendly. She kissed me lightly on the cheek and said

"Ready my love?"

The boys were on the couch and Amanda and I sat facing them in separate chairs.

Amanda began "I wanted to talk to you guys about what is happening with me and Dan and explain what is happening with your Dad and me in more detail.

"Dad has been having affairs for years. You know he was married before and has 2 children with his ex wife. He met me 2 months after she threw him out.

A year ago he took up with Carol and now I have thrown him out and have taken Dan as my boyfriend. I am pregnant with his baby."

The questions came hard and fast.

"Will we see dad?"

"Yes of course he can see you as much as he wants"

"Will you and dad get divorced and will you marry Dan?"

"I am in the process of divorcing your father, but Dan will have to decide about divorce from Carol, it is not a big issue for me"

"You were still sharing the bedroom with dad till 2 weeks ago with dad?"

"Yes"

"How do you know the baby is Dan's?"

This kid was sharp I could see. I was very keen to know that answer too for obvious reasons.

"Your father had a vasectomy years ago."

I could see lots of my theories bite the dust.

But of course vasectomies could be reversed.

"Also" Amanda said "he was almost sterile before the vasectomy due to having been treated for a cancer. We were concerned about abnormal children as he had chemo and radiotherapy"

Some parts of my theory bit the dust.

That was why Carol was not concerned about condoms. How could Carol be pregnant?

"Dan, how do you feel about mum?"

"I love her"

"Are you going to divorce Carol and marry mum?"

"I am investigating this."

"What does that mean?"

"I am caught in very complicated legal arrangements with Carol that unless she wants to divorce me which she doesn't I will have massive legal battles for many years. I don't have the ability to fight such battles as I don't think I have much to fight with"

Amanda arched her eyebrows at me. She grinned giggled and then said

"Carol said you had no idea of your finances. Claude told me too. I now know for myself. Claude phoned me to explain this evening.

Right, off to bed boys. Dan you read to one and I'll do the other."

We put them to bed and met in the lounge for a drink.

Amanda asked me what I knew of my financial situation?

I explained about Dad and me working on his inventions but we had not much money. I told her about the patents that mum got involved with and later Carol and her father.

I told her how I could not ask my parents for money when dad was sick as I did not want to make them feel that they should give me money. They would have sold the shirts off their backs to give me money and they could ill afford it. Mum was a good money manager but had never worked outside the home. Dad only had a government job that I thought was low level.

Amanda sat there with her mouth open mumbling "Oh my God, Oh my God, how can this be?"

That was how I landed up living with Carol and entering the contract with her. Had she not helped me I was sure that I would never have managed to afford medical school.

Amanda asked if I had ever spoken to mum about their financial situation.

Well I hadn't. I did ask if I could give mum some money every month to help her a few years ago when I started earning some money but she said she was managing. I hadn't wanted to upset mum as she loved dad so much and missed him after his death and pined after him.

I explained how dad had left me $10 000 in his will as well as a share in the family trust that Claude managed. I understood this was mum and dad's pension fund and wanted nothing to do with it. I encouraged mum to use all of it for herself as I didn't need to be left anything. Mum had wanted to explain the trust to me on a number of occasions and even told me about it once but I was thinking of something else at the time and only recall that some royalties went into the trust fund. I never knew how much. It couldn't have been much as they lived so modestly and never had anything luxurious. Mum preferred to eat in and said restaurant food was for "occasions."

Amanda asked about Carol and mum.

I told her that mum was relieved when she met Carol. She said Carol had the necessary brain power to take over her duties with the trust and royalties and getting processes defined. After dad's death she handed it to Carol and she continued to indulge me in my inventions and humour me in my processes. Carol's father used to get involved as well in helping frame my concepts and ideas.

I got quite upset then and Amanda wanted to know why.

I explained my suspicions about being Carol's starter husband and that I was powerless in the situation. Carol had even given money directly to Amanda to manage. I explained that while I appreciated that it was done and relieved my anxiety I still had no idea about what was going on.

I was convinced that Carol was getting rid of me with Amanda and would reverse Rob's vasectomy or get a sperm by direct injection form a testicle and fertilise one of her eggs. I was being got rid of.

I explained how desperately worried I was about being able to be a man and at least help support her and my baby. I knew she only worked part time and Rob might become vicious.

Amanda listened to this diatribe with a calm face and at the end began to laugh hysterically. I knew now I had grasped the major issues and she realised it. I sat back pleased with my analysis but with nagging worries about my finances.

"Heavens above" she finally managed to get out, "I have never heard such an incredible theory". "When Hester, Claude, Stan, Carol and Zelda hear all this I don't know what they will say."

"Let me think. Go upstairs and fetch your stuff, you forgot it. I am sure Carol packed your bag. Come back here and we can go through what I know."

I walked into our apartment and headed for our bedroom to get my case.

I heard Carol screaming out

"Oohh I love it fuck meee..........."

I sounded like a crashing orgasm.

Then " that was lovely Rob I do love you. "

I put my hand around the door got my bag and fled in tears.

I thought I cannot tolerate this for a much longer I must get a lawyer.

When I got back to Amanda I was beside myself.

She said she didn't understand what Carol was up to. She said Carol saw right through Rob and still was with him and behaving like this.

This was the first time they had had sex in our bedroom. They could have chosen 5 other rooms. I told Amanda this. She said that she thought the arsehole might have insisted.

I asked if I could stay with her for awhile. She said she would love me to stay but I had to resolve stuff with Carol.

I thought trust or whatever I had to get a divorce.

I got a call from the hospital and had to go in. So we never discussed Amanda's take on the financials.

I got back at 3 am. I knew Claude had got back that evening.

I phoned mum and told her what was happening. She told me she loved Carol but if I had to see a lawyer she had another friend who had a daughter Lettie .Lettie was the daughter of one of her many friends from Lithuania. I remembered Lettie as a child as a plain girl with dirty blond hair braces and plaits. All her friends and their children had such odd names.

Mum said she never understood what Carol was doing. It hurt her but she felt Carol was a wonderful person and was very good for me. She thought I should try and work it out.

She was very excited to hear she was to be a grandmother. She came alive for the first time since dad's death. She wanted to meet Amanda.

Mum said can't you keep them both like Claude. So now I knew. Work it out she said.

One woman at a time was hard enough. I am a one-woman man. Carol was driving me nuts. I needed to simplify things.

Lettie saw me after 5:30. I didn't recognise the lovely young woman who came to meet me. She hugged me and said I am so sorry and took me to her office.