Sweetest of Hearts - Melissa

As soon as he left, I closed the door and leaned back against it. I had no idea what was going on with me but I liked it. You read stories about men and women who inexplicably fall for someone. There was no missing he was handsome and a good man, but I had a feeling it was our shared experience that was bringing us closer. I wondered if he felt the same connection.

He turned up with Bill on Friday afternoon to discuss the agreements. Bill took one look at the 'soft' agreement and almost threw it back in my face, his face one of thunder. "Fuck that shit, Mel," he stated angrily, "Fuck that shit. The bitch deserves nothing."

Even Mark seemed surprised by the reaction. "Damn, how bad was it?" he wondered.

So I passed across the 'normal' agreement. Bill raised his eyebrows and looked interested. I kept my face blank and he slowly started to grin. "Come on, Mel. You're holding out on me here. I know you well enough. We have this bitch over a barrel and all we need to do is turn the screws. Give Mark what he really wants."

I passed over the final agreement, the one that was going to tear her apart if she didn't play ball with us. Bill looked it over and his eyes lit up. He passed it to Mark, who probably didn't understand a lot of the legal speak, but enough of it was simple to figure out. His eyes met mine and his eyebrows raised, perhaps expecting an explanation.

So that's what I did. I let him know what we'd do to Claire first before we stuck the agreement under her nose and pretty much force her to sign, otherwise we'd destroy her life. That's what I wanted his allies for. I had a list of people we could call upon and he promised to have it all organised by the Wednesday night, when he'd serve her the papers.

"Damn, Mel, remind me to never get on your bad side," Bill stated, chuckling to himself.

"Will she sign this?" Mark asked, hearing him sound hopeful for the first time throughout this entire process.

"She will, Mark. If she doesn't, we'll destroy her in court because we'll go after her job, her lover, and destroy her reputation."

"There's still that part of me that just wants her gone. But, I'll admit, there's part of me that hopes she turns this down and I see the bitch pay for what she'd done to me." He sipped at his coffee. "It's the hate, Melissa. That's what has kept me going for now. I loved that woman with all my heart, and all she's done is rip it out and stomp on it while laughing away with her lover. I've often said the opposite of love is indifference, because you go from caring to not caring. No, I hate her because I do still care. I've simply turned the love I had from her to hate. Once she's gone from the house, I'll simply stop thinking about her and I can let go of the hate."

"I'll come see you tomorrow at the party, Mark. I want to see this woman for myself, and I'd love to meet your daughters too."

He smiled as he said that he'd love to see me, and to bring something to swim in if I was interested. "Granted, it's a pool party with a bunch of fourteen-year-old girls..."

"Yeah, I'm not allowed to drink at this thing," Bill muttered.

"I'm not sure what you'd think of me in a swimming costume, Mark."

Again, he looked ready to say something, and I was left believing that he was attracted to me, but he wouldn't act on it while he was still married. I smiled inwardly as it told me everything I needed to know about the man. Despite the fact his wife was cheating on him, he wouldn't stoop to her level. He'd do the right thing before moving on.

Driving to his house the next afternoon, I couldn't help be impressed. It was a lovely house. The front lawn was like a billiard table, smooth and well maintained, a labour of love. The garden was lovingly tended to and colourful. Two cars were in the driveway, assuming one was his, the other belonging to his wife. Pressing the doorbell, he opened the door and immediately grinned. He was wearing a tight t-shirt, shorts and a pair of flip-flops on his feet. A series of very rude thoughts crossed my mind very quickly.

"Come in, Melissa. Claire is out the back so I'll take you to my office first then I'll get Bill. You can see everything through the window from there."

I followed him through a well-decorated house, the screeches, squealing and laughter telling me that a gaggle of girls were having a lot of fun outside, the splashes also suggesting they were leaping into the pool from time to time. Following him into an office, which was quite clearly his, as it was what I'd describe as rather masculine, considering the photos on the wall and the little figures on the desk, he walked to the window, standing next to him.

"Those two are my daughters, the obvious pair of twins."

That simple sentence had so much love and pride in it, I would fight by his side against the world to ensure he was awarded custody of them. "They're very pretty, Mark."

"I know. I sometimes wonder how my wife gave birth to two such beautiful young women. At least they didn't get her personality." He chuckled to himself as I could sense he was starting to relax, knowing it would soon be over. "I'll get Bill..."

"We don't need Bill for this, Mark."

He glanced my way again and I smiled at him. When he smiled back, my heart didn't just flutter, I could feel it beating so much faster, I was left wondering what the hell was wrong with me. Then he took my hand in his, interlacing our fingers together. It was such a simple gesture but I had to shuffle closer to him. "That's my soon to be ex-wife there," he said softly, pointing with his free hand, "At one time, a while ago, I'd have stood here and gazed at her, feeling nothing but love for her. Nowadays? I feel nothing. Yeah, there's lingering hate, but I just want this over, Melissa. I want to be a free man and get on with my life."

"Who will be with you when we sit her down on Wednesday night?"

"You, Bill, and the girls. Before you say anything, the girls want to be there. And if they want to say something, I'm not going to stop them. They'll support their daddy."

"What are the chances of her signing?"

"Once certain people let her know just how well you've planned this, and yes, I know it verges on blackmail, she'll sign. She won't want to lose her career, because then she'll lose him."

"What do you know about him?"

"He's fucking my wife, that's all I need to know." He sighed and all I wanted to do was hug him at that moment. I understood how he felt, knowing his life was falling apart and that the next few months would not be easy. "I know a lot more, obviously, but it doesn't matter. I know he isn't married, so she can go live with him."

"Never looked at the pictures or video?"

"Ignorance is bliss. I ensure I don't hate fuck her for three days after one of her trips. Not that I do it often anyway. Just sleeping next to her most nights pisses me off."

"How are you really feeling, Mark?" I asked softly, turning so he met my eyes.

"I just want this over, Melissa. Three years I've had to put up with this shit because, as a man, I know there's a better than great chance I'll be fucked over in court if I was the one to leave because I'm married to a cheating slut. All I want is her gone and my girls in my custody. I say my girls as, apart from giving birth, she's barely done fuck all for them for fourteen years."

"Trust me, that's exactly what you're going to get. I promise."

We did sit down to go over the agreement one last time so he could ask any last minute questions. But he was happy with what he could understand, and with my help of explaining the legalese, he told me that he trusted me to do the right thing by him. I felt myself blush when he told me that. Bill seemed to sense I was there as he soon wandered in to find us in deep discussion.

"I reckon Claire is getting suspicious," he stated, "She keeps probing me about divorces."

"Well, her suspicions will end come Wednesday night," Mark stated, "Fuck her."

I didn't outstay my welcome as I didn't want to cause Mark any issues. What made me smile is that he disappeared for a few seconds, returning with his two daughters, then the fact they walked me outside to my car. Opening my car door, I felt the urge to hug him again, but I resisted.

"Melissa, these are my daughters, Hannah and Katie. Girls, this is Melissa Bonny, the lady I told you about who has been helping daddy with everything."

They both smiled shyly but what I didn't expect was for them both to hug me. "Thank you for helping daddy," Hannah whispered.

"If you need us to do anything, just tell us. We want to help," Katie added.

I knew in that moment, his daughters practically revered their father and would do anything they could to remain with him. That spoke volumes of the family dynamic and I knew I could use that to my advantage if necessary. Watching him hug his daughters, kissing both of them on the cheek, I could see the love the three of them shared. It suddenly made my heart hurt, the fact I was a lonely, thirty-something woman. I'd dearly wanted children with my ex-husband... Instead, my bitch of an ex-best friend ended up having those children instead.

"Thanks for everything, Melissa," he stated once we were alone, "I won't say I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday, but I know that, at the end of our meeting, the paperwork will be signed and, in the end, I'll have what I really want."

I hugged him, and when I felt those strong arms surround me, I suddenly remembered how it felt to be loved. I knew he didn't love me, that he was simply thanking me for helping, but I couldn't help think and wonder if maybe, just maybe, he'd be interested in someone broken like myself after his divorce.

Returning to my apartment, I suddenly felt very lonely. After my divorce, I realised that most of my friends had been his friends, and losing my best friend affected the trust I had in any other friends. My apartment was beautifully decorated, and I'd spent plenty of money on the best things I could buy, but it meant nothing if I had no-one to share it with. But after what my ex-husband had done, it had simply left me incapable of even contemplating being involved with someone else again.

So that's why my attraction to Mark left me so confused. I had certainly never felt like this with any client before, but it had been just as long since I'd even felt an attraction for a man. I wasn't a lesbian or bisexual, I had no attraction to women, I'd always been attracted to men, but I'd verged on being asexual since the night I'd discovered my ex-husband and best friend in bed.

Pouring myself a glass of wine, I switched on the stereo and put on a record. Sitting back on my comfortable couch, I gave my life some thought and I returned to that feeling of loneliness. Humans are social creatures. Even single people feel the urge to be around others. The only close relationships I had were with my parents, my siblings and a few people at the office. If I thought about it, losing my ex-husband had hurt, but it was the betrayal of my best friend, who I'd known since we were five years old, which had broken me completely.

I finished the bottle of wine, the music eventually making me cry. "Fuck it," I murmured to myself, though I'd lost track of why I thought that. I somehow managed to drag myself towards my bedroom, stripping naked and, for the first time that week, I masturbated. My libido had been pretty much dead for years, but as I fondled myself, I thought of that handsome man with the brilliant blue eyes, utterly gorgeous smile and strong arms that felt simply wonderful wrapped around me.

I'm sure my colleagues at work were wondering what had me smiling when I walked into the office on Monday. I couldn't admit that I'd masturbated on Saturday night, thinking about a client, then spent half of Sunday doing the same thing but stone cold sober, feeling hornier than I had in years. In fact, it did me the world of good as, when I found myself thinking about him the first two days that week, I smiled and felt good about my life.

Leaving the office a little earlier than normal on Wednesday, I drove across the city to Mark's house. He greeted me at the door, shaking my hand but I had to hug him. Feeling his arms wrap around me again, I couldn't help sigh, resting my head against his chest. He released me as I leaned back and I could read his eyes.

He was just as attracted to me as I was to him. "Come on in," he said softly, "Bill's here already and you can meet the girls properly. I'm just wrapping up dinner so we can eat before she gets home."

His daughters, Hannah and Katie, were absolutely gorgeous and never stopped smiling. What was obvious to me was how much they obviously loved and adored their father. As he prepared dinner, they were helping him out and were practically his shadows. He was in his element and it was the first time I saw the real man at heart and not the shadow that appeared in my office.

Placing my case on the floor next to my chair, I sat down once dinner was ready. It was a simple meal and conversation flowed easily. Mark probed his daughters with questions about school and other activities. There were obviously no secrets between the three of them. The two girls were practically identical, only able to tell them apart due to hair length. If I was to take a guess, Hannah was utterly devoted to her father, wearing her heart on her sleeve.

When the front door opened, he cleared his throat and whispered, "Show time."

Claire clearly didn't have a clue what was about to hit her, walking into the kitchen cheerfully. Asking about dinner, I watched Mark turn to his wife and I almost wished I could see his eyes. The tone he used as he told her to sit down almost made me shudder. It was the tone of a man barely keeping his anger under control. After placing her handbag on the table, she sat down and glanced around inquisitively. She knew Bill but I was a stranger.

I had three folders in my briefcase. When Mark asked for the first, I passed it to him, and he placed it in front of her. When she opened it, I watched her face, the jaw drop, as she picked up a few of the photos. She looked up, glancing around the table. She would have known, in that instant, she had no friends present. She was the one alone.

"I know, Claire," Mark stated, practically growling, "I know everything. I've known for three years."

Then he pulled out his first trump card. A woman named Tanya, who worked for the same company as his wife. This was the first part of our blackmail. It was insinuated that, if Claire refused to co-operate, the evidence would be used to ensure her and lover boy would quickly find themselves dismissed for gross misconduct and various other financial irregularities. They'd been spending much of their affair on company time. Good chance the company would ensure they were charged and it was possible they'd even see jail time.

The second file I passed across was financial. Mark had proved himself to be rather good with computers and had figured out that Claire had been sneaky. He explained what he'd discovered, the use of her account in one place when claiming to be in another. That's when Hannah called her mother a slut.

"Hannah!" he barked, "We will show respect for the time being."

"Sorry, Daddy." She glanced at me and was trying to hold back the grin. She wasn't sorry at all.

"I'm not angry at you, sweetheart. Keeping a lid on my own emotions is rather difficult at the moment."

"Mark, wait..."

"Quiet, Claire. Now is not your time for talking. Melissa, the final folder, please." I happily passed it down, knowing what it contained. If Claire was smart, she'd sign it and just leave. But if she chose to fight it, I was going to tear her apart. "This is the divorce settlement. You have one hour to discuss it with your lawyer. I know who it is. He's waiting for your call. Putting it very simply, Claire. You will leave this house tonight with one bag of your things. You will return Saturday morning, as we know your 'business trip' is bullshit, to collect anything else you wish to take. You will not fight anything within the agreement. This house? Mine. You will not sleep here another night, though you will continue paying towards the mortgage for x amount of years, yet to be decided. The kids? I will have sole custody. Lift that sheet of paper there."

What rested underneath was my trump card, the final knife to the gut. "You can't..." she stated, glancing around the table before finally looking at me. I grinned at her, ensuring it wasn't pleasant. I'll admit, this was part of the job I did take pleasure in. Adulterers finally getting their comeuppance.

"He can," I replied, "For three years of abuse, whether it be psychological, physical or financial, of your husband and his children, the court order will be in effect from six pm on Saturday until your divorce is settled and visitation is approved. Your children will take the stand against you if you fight it."

Mark was doing his best to keep a lid on his temper but it finally started to erupt. "Three years, Claire. Three years I've swallowed all the hate I feel for you. Not a day longer. The children are now old enough that they will easily be able to sit up in a court and state who they wish to remain with." I glanced at them as he asked, "Who would you want to stay with, girls?"

"Daddy," they replied in unison, smiling at their father. My god, they loved him so much, it actually made my heart hurt to think they'd ever be taken away from him.

"Who has been your primary caregiver for at least the past decade?"

"Daddy," they replied again. And I knew they were not lying.

"I expect no money from you except child support, Claire. The court will decide how much that will be. Myself? I don't want your fucking money. All I want is you out of my life from tomorrow onwards. The only time I want to see you again is when you're sitting opposite me in a court to confirm we are no longer husband and wife."

"Mark... You can't..."

"Hold out your left hand. I'm taking back my rings."

She held her hands to her chest, shaking her head in disbelief. I knew she was struggling to deal with everything that just hit her, but I had absolutely no sympathy. "No! You can't... I'm your wife..."

"In name only. You haven't lived up to your vows for a very long time. Part of me wants to ask why? What did I do wrong? But you know what? I don't care anymore. I stopped loving you a long time ago."

"But... But we still had sex..."

He laughed at her and it wasn't a pleasant sound. "Yes, exactly. Sex. A purely physical act between two people. You think what we do is intimate? When was the last time I actually kissed you passionately? When was the last time you could say we made love? All I've done is fuck my wife since the day I found out because it was better than jerking off. A simple vessel for me to cum in. I'm surprised you never wondered why I preferred nailing you from behind. It was so I didn't have to see your face." He paused as he looked across the table at his daughters. "Sorry, girls. Too much information."

"We learn all about that in sex education at school, Daddy," Hannah replied.

"Either give me the rings or I'll rip them off your fucking finger, Claire." It must have been something in his tone, perhaps the first time she'd seen him this angry, as she even looked at me for a few seconds, perhaps hoping that as a fellow woman that I'd intervene, gazing into my eyes, before she rather easily slid them off.

"I have a feeling you've been doing that quite often as they slid off far too easily," I suggested, Mark grunting his agreement.

After that, it was all rather anti-climactic. Bill led her out to the living room where I heard her on the phone to her lawyer. Mark sat there with his daughters. They could both see how angry and upset he was, walking around the table to hug him. I smiled as I knew their support would get him through the divorce and then the period afterwards.