The Camp Ch. 01: Mike and Sandy

"Do it," Mike said. "When can I start the class?" Mike asked.

"We have an opening for the class starting at the first of the month, just 10 days away," the counselor said. "Are you interested?"

"Sign me up," Mike said.

"What if my boss tries to bully me out of it?" Mike asked.

"State law forbids it," the counselor said. "We'll provide the paperwork for your HR department. If they try to bully you out of it, you'll have cause for legal action." Mike signed the paperwork and gave the counselor an extra house key for the investigators. It took a while to get everything else finished up and by the time he was done, it was about 4:00 pm. He went back to the office and headed for the HR department.

Melissa Jenkins, the HR head, wasn't too pleased, but processed the forms for a paid temporary leave of absence anyway.

"You know Greg's not going to like this," she said.

"I don't give a damn what Greg likes or doesn't like anymore," Mike said. "He's the one who drove me to this." Melissa looked at him sadly. She understood far more than Mike did. She had seen Sandy and Greg together more than once.

"Listen, Mike," she said. "You have plenty of comp time coming, why don't you take the next ten days off as well."

"I'll need some time to get someone up to speed on my accounts first," he said.

"Okay," she said. "Don't worry about Greg, though. There's nothing he can do, legally. He can't stop you from taking the time off."

That didn't stop Greg from blowing a gasket, though.

"What the fuck do you mean, you're going to be on paid leave of absence?" he thundered. "Who's taking care of your accounts?"

"I already spoke to Steve, he's got them all under control," Mike said.

"What about your wife?" Greg asked. "Who's going to do the cooking and the cleaning?"

"I guess she'll have to fend for herself," Mike told him. "Oh, one last thing." Mike pulled out another sheet of paper and put it on Greg's desk. Greg's face turned red when he read the paperwork.

"What the fuck is this shit?" he asked.

"It's a restraining order," Mike said. "Against you. If you read carefully, you'll notice that it orders you to stay 500 feet away from me and my house outside of work."

"I'm warning you, Sanders," Greg said. "This isn't going to end well for you."

"What are you going to do?" Mike asked. "Hide in the bushes and beat me the first chance you get? Maybe tie me up and fuck my wife again? Kill me the way you've threatened so many times?"

"I just might do that," he said. Mike pulled out a digital audio recorder and played Greg's words back to him. Greg's face went white.

"Please," Mike said. "Give me an excuse to have you thrown in jail." After tossing the paperwork on Greg's desk, he left and went back to his house, where he packed enough clothing to last until he left for the camp. If the counselor he spoke to was right, the house would already have been wired for audio and video. He took one last look around the house before closing the door.

...

The next few days at camp flew for Mike. The schedule now included psychological counseling along with intense physical workouts. Physically, he felt better than he had in years and he actually looked forward to the workouts. He also saw the marked difference when he looked in the mirror.

Feeling better physically also seemed to help him deal with the emotional issues surrounding his wife's infidelity. One good thing about Camp Rollins - his jam-packed schedule didn't give him a lot of time to dwell on his wife, which he came to see as a good thing.

But there were times he wondered how she was coping with the separation.

...

At that moment, Sandy sat in the front room, wondering if she should write her husband. His leaving shocked her - she never thought he had it in him to take such drastic and decisive action. She remembered the first day she came home to find him gone. There was no note, no warning, nothing. The only clue was the clothes missing from what was now his room.

She waited for him to come home, but he never did. She tried calling his cell, but her calls went straight into voicemail. She called Greg and was confused when he said something about a restraining order and a temporary leave of absence. What was that about, she wondered.

She tried to get Greg to come by the house so they could "talk," but he refused, telling her that no pussy was worth going to jail over. She called his secretary, but was told that Mike would be gone for an extended period of time. No one would tell her what was going on.

She went to Mike's company over the next two days, hoping to catch him at work, but he was never there. She went to Greg's office, hoping to get some information.

"You mean, he's not at home?" Greg asked.

"No," she said. "He hasn't been home for a couple days now. He hasn't called, either. I'm worried."

"No need to be worried," Greg said. "He's probably off somewhere sucking his thumb or licking his wounds."

"Maybe we pushed him too hard," she said. "Maybe he's gone for good."

"Is that such a bad thing?" Greg asked.

"Yes," she said. "I need him. I can't take care of everything the way he does."

"Interesting," Greg said. "You never said that you love him."

"Well, I do," she said. "Just not like I used to."

"You know if your husband had any balls, he'd kick your ass out of the house," Greg said. "I would, if you were my wife."

"Really?" Sandy asked, shocked. "You'd kick me out?"

"Hell yes," Greg said. "In a heartbeat. You married a wimp, though. I'll bet he comes crawling back in a few days begging for mercy." She shook her head.

"I hope you're right," she said.

Mike, meanwhile, was taking care of details for his upcoming three-month absence. He never called Sandy and refused to take any calls from her. The evening before he left, however, he showed up at the house. Sandy answered shortly after he rang the bell.

"You don't have to ring the bell," she said. "You live here, too," He looked around, nervous.

"Are you alone?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "Please come in." Mike walked in the house, but kept looking around. "It's okay, Mike. No one else is here. Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"No," he said. "I won't be here that long. I just need to give you something and let you know what's going to happen."

"What do you mean?" she asked. He pulled a piece of paper from his briefcase and handed it to her. Her eyes grew wide as she read it. "What the hell is this?" she asked.

"A temporary separation," he said. "I'll be gone for three months. We'll see about a divorce when I get back."

"A divorce?" she asked. "I don't want a divorce. You need to stay here and take care of me."

"You mean, you want me to stay here so you and Greg can humiliate me even further," he said. "I can't do that anymore. The two of you are killing me and I have to get away for a while. Don't worry, I've set up all the bills so they'll automatically get paid out of my account. I've also arranged for you to get a small stipend every week to keep you in groceries and gas. You'll need to take care of the rest out of what you make. Your name has been taken off the joint account, your ATM card has been deactivated and your joint credit card has been canceled."

"But who will cook and clean and do all the things you normally do around here?" she asked.

"You're going to have to fend for yourself for a while," he said. "I'll send you a letter when I get there so you can write me if you want to. I won't have access to a phone or to email while I'm gone, but I'll make sure you have an emergency number to call if need be." He took off his ring and placed it on the table.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Giving you something to think about while I'm gone," he said. "If you stay true to me over the next three months, and can show some love and respect when I get back, then maybe we can work through this. If not, then the separation will become a divorce. That means no Greg, and no one else. And yes, I'll know if you've been fucking around."

"Mike, this is silly," she said. "I love you. There's no need for you to go. I need you here with me." He shook his head.

"I don't believe you," he said. "No one who claims to love their spouse could ever do what you and Greg have done to me. I know you two think I'm a wimp, and maybe I am, but I have feelings, too. I've never been the big uncaring, physical type and maybe that's why you feel you can do this to me. I intend to fix that. So it's up to you. I've gotta go now. Bye, Sandy."

He turned and walked out the door before she could respond. She watched him drive off, tears in her eyes. She realized he was right. No one who claims to love another could ever do what she and Greg did to him. He was also right about something else. She lost all respect for him as a man.

She received the card from him saying he had arrived. That's all the card said. He didn't even say that he loved her or missed her. There was an emergency 800 number to call, but he warned her that the number was only to be used in a life-or-death emergency. He gave her a post office box in Idaho if she wanted to write him back.

She never did. And he never wrote her. Maybe, she thought, he was waiting to hear from her before he wrote back. She was so used to email and instant messaging that the idea of writing an actual letter was foreign to her. She started writing several letters, but ended up throwing them away. She had no idea what to say to her husband.

Greg stayed away from the house for a couple weeks, but they kept in touch with each other and met at a small motel on the edge of town. Neither her nor Greg ever saw the man taking video of their encounters. It didn't take long for Greg to start visiting Sandy at the house. Those meetings were also recorded. The meetings, along with pictures and thumb drives with videos, were included in the reports Mike received every week.

About a week into the second month, Greg suggested they go to Las Vegas for a weekend of "fun," which meant lots of sex. At first Sandy was reluctant, but Greg told her there was no way Mike would ever find out. Finally, he wore her down and she agreed to go. After all, she reasoned, if her husband couldn't even be bothered to write her, then to hell with him and his precious feelings.

...

Mike's class, meanwhile, continued with the physical workouts and the psychological counseling. By now, the instructors had started teaching them hand-to-hand combat. Mike found that he enjoyed the training and put everything he had into it.

The counseling was also going well. Mike was told by the counselor that his reluctance to engage anyone physically was due, in part, to his lack of a true father-figure. His father died early in his life and he had been raised by his mother and grandmother. While his mother had taken several boyfriends over the years, she had never remarried.

They were both good to him, but he never had a male role model growing up. While other boys were out hunting or fishing or playing ball with their fathers, he was kept in the house, either studying or helping with housework. As a result, the counselor said, he never learned how to stand up for himself, learning instead to mindlessly obey the edicts of the women in his life.

That, he was told, carried over into his marriage. And that was supposedly why he went along with whatever Sandy wanted him to do. He didn't know how much of this was psychobabble, but it made sense to him as he thought back to his childhood.

As a young boy, his mother and grandmother coddled him and refused to let him participate in any sports or other physical activity, saying there was too much of a chance he could get hurt. His friends invited him to go hunting or fishing, but his mother refused out of concern for his safety.

He remembered the taunts and the bullying he took from his classmates, who called him a "mommy's boy." It got worse when his mother would drive him to school and escort him into the school. He stayed to himself for the most part, but the taunts and jeers continued all the way through high school.

When he got older, he wanted to buy a motorcycle, but was denied. Instead, his mother coaxed him into a safer, smaller, more economical car. This carried over into his college years, when he was strongly encouraged to attend a local college so his mother and grandmother could watch over him and keep him out of any trouble.

Of course, they loved Sandy and spent a lot of time with her, coaching her on the best way to handle him and keep him in line. All that, he now believed, led him to this.

Every week, he anxiously waited for the mail to come, hoping that Sandy would write him, but she never did. Instead, he received packages from the investigators reporting on her activities. The packages included photos which made him even angrier. There was no doubt - divorce was inevitable. And the cheaters would pay - big time.

He threw himself into the physical training even harder, even imagining Greg's face as he pummeled the 100-lb punching bag in the gym.

The following week, he got a package and a report from the investigator that angered him to the point that he had to spend extra time with his counselor. The report said Sandy and Greg had gone to Las Vegas for the weekend. But that wasn't all. According to the report, she had engaged in sex with Greg along with a number of other men.

The pictures almost caused him to fly into a rage. For starters, none of the men were using any protection whatsoever. Several photos showed Sandy being made "airtight" by three men, including Greg. Another showed Sandy with two men's cocks inside her pussy at the same time.

The next two weeks flew by for Mike as he threw himself into the training with a passion he had never felt before.

...

Sandy, meanwhile, was enjoying the attention of the three men in her bed. Greg was fun, she thought, but no one - not even Greg - could satisfy her the way multiple men could. After their trip to Las Vegas, Sandy developed a taste for gangbangs and anal sex, something Mike never wanted. The only thing she regretted was that her husband wasn't there to clean her up. Apparently, she thought, he'd rather play in the woods in Idaho than lick other men's cum from her well-fucked pussy and ass.

Oh sure, Greg was a nice distraction, when she just wanted one cock. But nothing compared to having three at the same time. And she loved the feeling of two big dicks in her pussy at the same time. There was no way Mike's little dick could ever satisfy her again, she thought.

Oh, well, she thought. That's his loss.

Of course, she had no clue that her nocturnal activities were all being recorded and would eventually become her undoing.

...

Mike's class moved into the final phase, which now included advanced hand-to-hand combat, even more psychological counseling, physical training and legal counseling. The camp's attorneys looked over all the information Mike provided them and came up with a plan of action. The attorney looked at the man standing at attention in front of his desk and motioned for him to take a seat.

"We've had a chance to look over all the evidence you've given us, Mr. Sanders," the attorney said. "And we're in agreement that you have enough to nail your wife for adultery as well as cruelty. Normally, divorces in your state are no-fault, however, the law takes extreme circumstances into account, especially when it comes to the distribution of marital assets. What I'd like to know is this. What do you want out of this?"

"Everything. I want to nail the bitch to the wall," Mike said. "And I want to nail that bastard Greg Morton."

"You mean, your boss, right?" the attorney asked.

"Yes, sir," Mike said.

"Well, forget about alienation of affection," the attorney said. "However, we can sue him for intentional affliction of emotional distress. And we can take action against the company, especially since they have a morals clause. In all likelihood, the company will simply fire him, but I think we can get a healthy settlement out of them."

"Do it," Mike said.

"What about the house?" the lawyer asked. "Do you want to sell it and split the proceeds?"

"That's fine," Mike said. "Other than my personal stuff, there's nothing in that house I want."

"And counseling?" the suit asked.

"Forget it," Mike said. "There's no way this can be fixed. You've seen the pictures and videos."

"I have," the lawyer said. "And I believe that since your wife makes about the same amount as you do, there'll be no support ordered. So we'll get the paperwork put together for your approval and we'll start the action regarding your boss."

"When can we serve my wife?" Mike asked. "I'd like to be there."

"We can have it done the day you get home if you want," the lawyer said.

"Perfect," Mike said. "Thanks!"

Two weeks later, Mike was called to the lawyer's office. A man wearing an expensive suit stood up when he entered and offered his hand.

"Mr. Sanders," he said. "My name is Lincoln Steele from corporate legal. A pleasure to meet you."

"And you," Mike said.

"You look nothing like your corporate photo," Lincoln said. Mike smiled.

"I've gotten some help and I feel better than I have in my entire life," Mike said.

"Well, we got your case and we'd like to offer you a settlement if you're open to it," Lincoln said. Mike looked at his lawyer.

"Listen to what the man has to say, Mike," the lawyer said. Mike looked at Lincoln.

"Okay," he said. "What are you offering?"

"The company has authorized me to write you a check for $1.5 million, after taxes," Lincoln said. "In addition, we agree that Mr. Morton should be terminated with prejudice."

"And in return?" Mike asked.

"We have some conditions that we hope will be acceptable to you," Lincoln said. "First, you agree to drop the lawsuit and not disclose the amount of the settlement. Second, the company thinks you'd be a good replacement for Mr. Morton's position. If you agree to take it, that is." Mike looked at his lawyer, who nodded his head.

"I'd take it, if I were you, Mike," he said. Mike nodded his head. He looked at Lincoln.

"I'm curious, Mr. Steele," he said. "Why are you offering me this settlement?"

"That's a fair question, Mike," he said. "We've gotten a lot of complaints about Mr. Morton and frankly, he's a sexual harassment suit waiting to happen. What he did to you not only violated our morals clause, but was highly illegal and could expose the company to a lot of very bad press."

"I understand," Mike said. "I'll accept your offer. I have a week or so here but I'll be more than happy to step up." Lincoln smiled.

"Good man," he said. "We've heard a lot of good things about you, by the way, and we think this promotion was way overdue. Please accept our apologies for what happened to your marriage." Mike nodded his head and shook Lincoln's hand.

"Thank you," Mike said when Lincoln handed him a check and a payment stub showing the full amount with the taxes deducted.

"I look forward to seeing you back at work," Lincoln said before he left. Mike let loose with a whoop after Lincoln left and gave the attorney a high five.

"Thanks for everything," he said, shaking the lawyer's hand.

"I'd hold off on cashing that check for a while," the lawyer said. "Wait until the divorce has gone through."

"I will," Mike said.

A few days later, the sergeant formed the class outside the barracks after dinner. A straw figure lay on the ground in front of a pole that had a pile of wood around it.

"Alright, gang," he said. "Tonight we're going to 'burn the bitch.' When I give the command, take one photo of your spouse and pin it to the figure. Ready? Move!"

All 15 men pulled out their photos and pinned them to the straw figure. Mike growled as he pushed the pin through the picture of Sandy's face, securing it to the straw figure.