She Stopped Speaking to Me

"Is there nothing we can say to change your mind?"

"I don't think so. Over these past few months I have built a new life with new friends, some of them female. Two of those female friends impressed on me the importance of closure. That is why I had my lawyer contact her."

"You've been great in-laws. If you knew things earlier, maybe you could have convinced her to talk with me before I left. Anyway, give her my regards and best of luck in her future. I'll always have some love for her, but not enough and not the kind that would make me want to live with her."

"We're so sorry that it has come to this. We'll give her your message. Take care, drop us a note from time to time, let us know how you are doing."

Another 2 months passed when my lawyer contacted me. My wife agreed to a divorce on condition that we meet face to face. I didn't want to sit in the same room as her. It wasn't that I hated her, or even that I didn't like her. It was that even if I still had some feelings for her, she was not the person I originally married. I did not want to have any relationship with her.

I agreed to meet face to face and iron out the final details of the divorce. My only condition was that I would be on Skype, Zoom, or other video platform. I didn't want to spend the time, energy and costs to drive back to the place we had hoped to build a home for both of us.

After a series of messaging back and forth, she finally agreed.

I took a Wednesday off from work and prepared my home computer for the meeting with my wife and the lawyers.

It took several tries to get the communications working the way I want. I could see both lawyers and my wife. My wife looked good, real good. It was such a shame that whatever was bothering her, whatever her reasons were, she couldn't talk to me, then.

"OK, you are looking beautiful as always," I said to Jane. "You wanted this face to face meeting, so I guess you should start."

"First I want to say that I am sorry we got to this point. I only stopped speaking to you so that your guilt would force you to confess that you cheated on me. I thought that if I didn't say anything you would eventually understand that I knew what you did. You told my parents that you never cheated, but I have it from a reliable source that you did."

"I know," I said, "that you don't have any real proof, because I didn't do anything. Whatever you think you know is word of mouth. If you have pictures, ask the lawyers nearby, if those pictures show cheating of any kind. I think you took someone's word after he or she worked their way into your confidence. I also think that when our divorce is finalized he or she will take advantage of you. I don't know who or how, but he or she will pressure you into doing things you'll later regret."

"If I accept that you are telling me the truth, is there any chance of us getting together?" Jane asked.

"Our relationship, or lack of it, has gone too far. We can't go back to what we had before you stopped speaking to me or believing something about me from someone else. I've met some other ladies that are more interesting to me than you are."

"Are you seeing them?"

"It is really none of your business at this point. But yes, and they talk to me about everything, even about whether I was still seeing or desired you. They believe me when I say no."

"So there is no hope?" she asked as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"No. Anything else before we let the lawyers do their thing?"

"I want you to know I never stopped loving you. I cry each night when I get into bed and look at the side you slept on. Whatever you do and wherever you are, remember, I will always love you."

"And the sex?" I asked.

"I have only you to compare. I guess I'll find out in the future."

"Remember what I said. Whoever put those thoughts in your mind has an ulterior motive. Be careful. They've already made you do things you would never have normally thought of. They may have you doing things you would never have dreamt about. I love you, take care,"

We gave final directions to our lawyers, then I signed off.

Because I refused to travel back to the city Jane lived in, it took 6 months for the divorce to be finalized. After it was finalized, I thought I was living with a clean slate, but it was not to be.

I was divorced, more than a year after Jane stopped speaking to me. That's when I started getting phone calls with no one at the other end.

"Hello, hello, hellooo. Is anyone there?" No answer.

When it started happening on a regular basis, I became concerned.