The Letter of Destruction

Your affair has hurt me beyond comprehension, and I am perplexed that you would think I would accept this, and allow you to have an affair and betray your wedding vows. You've shattered my entire world in that one letter, and it will take a long time for me to get over the love I've lost. I went from being the happiest man in the world with a plan for all of us to be even closer, to a broken, defeated man, in a matter of minutes. The woman I loved has turned me into an unwilling cuckold, humiliated me beyond my wildest nightmares, and expected me to welcome her home. I'm sad, and just want to cry, but you know me, and I won't dwell on the past. I'll let you know when we are coming back. - Jonathan

XXX ZOE

WITH TEARS FALLING uncontrollably, I sat there completely shocked and devastated. Oh God, no, he can't do this. He can't leave me. This is all wrong, and not the way he was supposed to react. He always told me he loved me and wanted me to be happy. How can he be this upset? I have to explain this better. Obviously, he didn't understand what I wrote, and took everything the wrong way. I need to call Jamie; he'll know what to do.

"Hello Jamie, it's me. He left me and took the girls. What do I do? He was supposed to talk to me and understand our relationship meant nothing but sex. He said he's leaving me, and I don't know what to do," I said, crying into the phone.

"Zoe, stop crying. He's upset, but he'll get over it in a few days. It's not like you're leaving him or dating me, it's just a few hours of sex that we share when he's at work. He won't want to leave you over that. He will also think about the cost of leaving you, and that will help him realize he needs to accept the new normal. Did you tell him how much you love him?"

"Yes, of course. I explained it all in the letter and I meant every word. He's the most important thing in my life, and I'll die without him. How can he be so selfish and not understand? I needed hm to be happy for me. What can I do here? I'm hurting so much."

"Just get some sleep and try calling him tomorrow after he has some time to digest what's happened and how things will be from now on. I'll be home by noon tomorrow. Why don't you come over and we can talk about it then? Get some sleep, Zoe."

There was very little sleep that night and when I finally gave up trying the next morning a little after noon, I immediately dialed Jonathan's number, but it rang once and then cut off. That meant he'd blocked my number. Now I had no way to get through to him.

I'll call the girls, they'll put their dad on the phone.

Cassie answered the phone and was happy to hear from me, which made me feel good. "Hi, Mommy."

"Hi, Sweetheart, is your daddy there? I need to speak with him."

"Mom, Daddy said he doesn't want to speak with you and won't take the phone if you call. What's going on, Mom? Dad seems really upset and different."

"It's nothing. Moms and dads have arguments sometimes. Your dad misunderstood something I did, got angry, and left. I need to explain it, so he won't be angry anymore."

"I'll ask him to talk to you again, Mom, hold on." I heard her speaking to him and didn't like his reply.

"Mom, he said he'll call you when he's ready to talk. Will you be okay, Mom?"

"Yes, don't worry, baby. Your dad and I will be fine. Just behave and call me, Okay? Give your dad a kiss for me and put your sister on the phone."

XXX Jonathan

JENNIFER, THIRTEEN, AND Cassie fifteen, looked at me after the call with curiosity. Cassie, being the eldest, had a sorrowful edge to her gaze. "Has Mom been cheating on you, Daddy?"

My heart broke when I heard her question. Holding back tears, I just shook my head and told them to get dressed for lunch. This was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, but I knew with love and support they would make it through the trouble ahead.

Earlier that morning before the girls got up, I called my family attorney, who was on the east coast and already at his desk. I've known George for twenty years, and we've been through a lot together so it was without preamble that I told him the story and what I wanted to happen.

"George, I need to know what a divorce will look like and how bad it will be. I want custody of the children, no matter the cost. There is no reconciliation, counseling, or forgiveness. I want this over as fast as possible."

For a long moment there was silence on the other end of the phone. I understood and gave him a chance to absorb the news. He was probably as surprised at my words as I'd been when I read Zoe's letter.

"Jonathan, I'm so sorry this has happened. Kate and I always thought you two were the perfect couple, and I can't understand how she could do this, but I understand what you're asking. Do you remember when you started the company with Roger and he demanded a prenup be in place before he agreed to go into business with you? Do you remember how adamant he was because of what had happened to his last business, and how his wife screwed him? Well, your prenup is in place and up to date, and if she is, in fact, having an affair, she gives up her rights to the children and any financial gain from the marriage.

"Over the years, while your company grew, I kept the pre-nuptial current, worked with your corporate attorneys, and put most of your possessions under a trust, with you as the benefactor. The house, cars, bank accounts, and investments all fall under this trust, that cannot be touched. What that means is if she has broken the prenup, she leaves the marriage with what she came into it with and forfeits any rights to the children. I know we didn't put this together for this purpose, but it sure looks like it will work out in your favor."

"George, you're right. I never in a million years would have thought she would cheat on me, and I forgot all about the prenup. But, George, all I have is the letter confessing her affair. What else do we need?"

"Well, her confessing on video or tape would help, along with some photos or a confession from her lover."

"George, can you take charge of that while I'm out here in California with the girls? Money is no object and I want proof as fast as possible; I don't want this to drag on. There's a name that my girls brought up, a guy named Jamie. The only Jamie I know is the tennis instructor at our country club. Can you set things up with a PI and suggest he start there? I'm sure she will contact her lover while I'm gone."

XXX The PI Report

SURE ENOUGH JAMIE, the tennis instructor, was my nemesis. They were careless, which made it simple for the PI firm to complete their investigation. With my permission, they put a tracker on Zoe's car, audio recording devices inside the car, and video cameras in our home. All the evidence from these devices were legal due to the fact my company had control via the trust.

Over the next week, they had enough audio and video, along with her written confession, to move things forward. I never looked or listened to any of the evidence as I didn't want those images haunting me for the rest of my life.

Of course, Jamie turned out to be a player and had to leave his last two jobs because of bedding other married women. He was much younger, in great shape, and all the ladies at the club were enamored with him. Zoe was just one of the many wives he was having an affair with at the club. Apparently, middle-aged married woman are easy targets for this club pro.

George called me five days after our first conversation to update me on the investigation. "Jonathan, we have all the evidence we need. What do you want us to do? Are you still of a mind to divorce Zoe?"

With no hesitation, I answered, "Have divorce papers drawn up with maximum pain. I want Zoe to feel some of the hurt she has caused me and understand how badly she screwed up. I would like them served on Tuesday at 10:00 a.m., at our country club. At 10:00 a.m. every Tuesday she has a tennis lesson with Jamie. Can we come up with something to serve him with as well? I don't care what it is. I don't care if it's nothing more than a nuisance suit. Think of something because I want him named in the lawsuit."

"We can arrange that, and I'll work on the tennis pro angle and get back to you. We might be able to include the club for hiring a known predator. It probably won't go anywhere, but everyone will know about the affair, which I suppose is what you want. When are you coming back?"

"I plan to be home waiting for her after she's served on Tuesday. I'll arrange to be at the house before she returns home."

"Are you certain you're going to divorce her, Jonathan?"

"As we speak now, definitely. However, I have to consider the girls and have a conversation with her before I sign the papers. This is hard, George, and I hope you never have to go through anything like this. I loved that woman with all my heart, and I just can't stop the love. I also hate what she's done to me and the girls, and I can never forgive that."

"Whatever you decide, I'm here to help, Jonathan. Stay in touch and we will let you know the moment she is served."

We arrived at the house Tuesday morning, before 9:00 a.m. and the girls were happy to be back home. I told them that after their mom returned from her tennis lesson, I wanted them to stay in their rooms while their mom and I worked things out. I could tell they were upset and worried, and I tried my best to make them understand everything would work out.

XXXX Tuesday - Zoe

IT WAS A warm summer day, and the tennis dress I wore was short and sexy. It showed off my toned legs and Jamie smiled when he saw his sexy concubine step into his den. After we exchanged a warm hug and were about to start the lesson, a girl in short cut-off jeans and cropped shirt came bouncing onto the court.

"Hi, can we help you?" Jamie asked, smiling at the cute girl.

"Yes, are you Jamie Conners?"

"I am. Who are you?"

"Well, today, I'm your worst nightmare. You've been served," she said, handing him an envelope. He opened it as I came over to see what it was.

He looked at it and said, "Shit, I'm named in a lawsuit against the club for sexual misconduct. What the fuck? Who did this?"

The young girl was still standing next to Jamie when she asked me, "Excuse me, Miss. Are you Zoe King?"

"Yes," I answered, surprised.

"This is for you. You've been served."

When I saw the Divorce Decree, I fell to my knees and cried. "This can't be happening. He's divorcing me. He didn't even give me a chance to explain. How can he do this to me after all these years? My god, he knows how much I love him, so why would he do this?"

As I knelt sobbing on the hard clay court, I felt the curious looks from the other members. This is horrible. I can only imagine what they're thinking. How could all this have gone so wrong?

I could tell Jamie was angry as he paced back and forth on the court, glaring at the legal documents, when he looked at me and said, "Zoe, you need to go home, and I need to go to the club to see if they were served as well. I need to straighten this out, and you need to go home and contact your husband. See if you can stop him from ruining our lives. Please go!"

Brushing the tears from my cheeks, I rose and ran to my car and tried to gain control of my emotions but, once I was inside and away from prying eyes, the tears returned and I sobbed uncontrollably. I drove back to the house, scared and upset. When I got there, the girls ran out to greet me, which made me forget my problems for the moment.

"Where's your dad?"

"He's inside."

I ran into the house, and the second I saw him, I tried to run into his arms. All I wanted to do was hug him and tell him how much I loved him, but he wanted nothing to do with me. He put his arm out preventing me from getting close. His rejection gutted me, and for the second time in the last hour, I fell to my knees as the tears returned.

"Honey, please don't do this. You know how much I love you and I need you. I've missed you so much. Please don't push me away."

"Zoe, I see you have the divorce papers. We're no longer a couple and will soon be divorced. You should have realized it was over the moment you shared yourself with Jamie. Zoe, I don't share.

This is all on you, so please be an adult and take responsibility for your actions. If you read the divorce agreement, you already know that you will need to move out and find a place to stay. The girls will stay with me, and you will have unlimited visitation rights, unless you piss me off.

The moment I read your letter and found out how treacherous you've been, I took drastic action. Since you violated the prenup you signed before we were married, you have given up the rights to the children and any financial assistance."

"Jonathan, you've done all of this without even giving me a chance to explain, and that's not fair. Obviously, I didn't explain it correctly in the letter and I'm so sorry about that, but give me a chance, please!"

"Okay. Go ahead, please explain it so I can understand what you did."

"Honey, in the letter, I wanted you to know how much I love you and would never leave you. You and the girls mean more to me than anything else in the world, and I'd never do anything to hurt any of you. I wanted you to know I would die for you and want to be with you for the rest of my life. Your love for me is amazing, and I appreciate you more than you'll ever know. So, you can't just kick me out and divorce me, you need to understand that this was just something physical that I needed. You've always given me whatever I wanted or needed, why does this have to be any different?"

"Well, I do understand that you believe you love me, and want us to stay together. You say you'd never do anything to hurt me and yet you brought another man into our marriage. How could that do anything but hurt me? There is no room for a third person in my married life. I have zero tolerance for infidelity and that's what you have done, you've become an unfaithful wife, committed adultery on me and our marriage. Broken our wedding vows, our marital contract, and humiliated me and your children. And for that, I will never forgive you. You chose to have sex with a man outside our marriage, and for that you will face the consequences. There are always consequences for our choices, and I believe you chose poorly this time."

"Why aren't you listing to me? I don't love him! You're the man I love. Can't you understand that? Why are you being like this?" She yelled at him in frustration. His expression didn't change and so I repeated myself, "It's you I love, not him!"

"What the hell is wrong with you, Zoe? You made me an unwilling cuckold and humiliated me. That's not love, that's contempt. You have given up your marriage and children for a man who is a known womanizer, and who is currently sleeping with Barbara Weiss, Chloe Thomas, and two other women at the club. You stupid slut, did you really think you were his only girl?

Furthermore, have you considered your future after he's done with you in a few months? Everyone will know you're a cheating slut, and the only men that will want you are looking for sex. And at your age, you're no longer marriage material. I see a long, lonely future for you, Zoe. You really didn't think this through.

Someday you may understand what you've done and the life you have chosen. Now, you need to leave. I'll have my driver take you where you want to go, but you are no longer welcome in my home."

"You want me to just leave? This is my house too. I want to stay here, honey. I'll stop seeing him, it was a mistake. We can get just forget this and get things back to normal if you'll just give me a chance, but don't kick me out."

"Well, it's not your home. The house is in a trust, and you are not part of the trust. The car is also part of the trust, and that stays here as well. You have $3,000 in your checking account, which is what you had when we married, nothing more. And no, we can't go back to where we were unless you can figure out a way to un-fuck yourself. I will never touch you again after you defiled yourself with that asshole.

Part of the divorce agreement demands you to take your maiden name back and not use mine any longer. You will have unlimited access to the girls, but they will live here with me. You gave everything up the moment you started fucking your boy-toy. How's that working out for you now, Zoe? Was that special chemistry and sexual satisfaction worth losing everything over? I hope knowing what you've lost keeps you up every night, and that you experience the pain you've caused me, and it stays with you for many years. Yes, I loved you more than life itself, but I will not live with a cheating wife. You can spin your story anyway you like, but the bottom line is that you took a lover outside of our marriage, and that was the end of our sixteen wonderful years."

Zoe, still on the floor, was despondent. Her world was crashing to pieces around her and until that moment she had always gotten everything she wanted and never expected Jonathan to react the way he had. She actually thought he would understand and give her this brief liaison if it made her happy. Zoe realized that she had completely misread her husband, took terrible advice from that predator, Jamie, lost her family, and destroyed her wonderful marriage of sixteen years.

Jonathan looked at Zoe, holding back tears for the loss of his happy life and the love he carried in his heart. His love was replaced with loss and sorrow because of her selfishness and actions. He knew the pain and sadness that overwhelmed him would last a long time, but he also knew there was no way back from her infidelity and contempt.

XXX The Aftermath

SIX MONTHS LATER, the divorce was final. Since Zoe was still the mother of my two girls, I paid for the first three months on a small 2-bedroom furnished apartment that was near our home and the club. I also purchased a 3-year-old Toyota Camry for her to drive. I knew I didn't have to give her anything, but I needed my kids to be able to see their mom whenever they wanted. Yes, the Lamborghini and the rich lifestyle were now all gone. She gave everything up for some loser tennis pro that she'll never see again. Being the nice guy I am, I even got her a job at the country club. Yes, the country club was happy to help once I dropped my lawsuit. They agreed to get rid of Jamie and help Zoe with employment if I would stop the lawsuit.

Zoe is no longer a member of the country club but is now one of the servers at the club, which helps her pay her bills. Since she had no experience or training for any other job, her only option was taking the waitress job at the club. I'm sure she felt humiliated when she went from being one of the well-known members at the club, to being one of their servers.

There were no more expensive shopping trips or weekends away with the girls. Whatever money she earned from the club had to go to her rent, insurance, and food. For her entire life she'd never had to worry about bills, or budgets, but suddenly she was now on her own. The realization of what she had done and given up hit her like a ton of bricks. I didn't need her to admit it, I saw it on her face every time I saw her.

Of course, Jamie ditched Zoe once the lawsuit started in an attempt to save his job, so now she had nobody to come home to. The girls told me their mom cried every night for the love and lifestyle she gave up to satisfy some selfish needs. It took all of this for her to understand what she had done and how stupid she was to think her husband would accept her selfish desires.

I was sad how things turned out and told the girls that I still loved their mom and that they should love and forgive her. They remained close and saw their mom on her days off. Later that year, while she was picking up the girls, we had our first friendly conversation. She told me she finally realized what she had done and begged me to forgive her for her actions.