The Malicious Prank

Just as the Jenny was about to leave, I called to her. "Jenny, come here for just a minute please." The nurse stopped pushing my chair and my wife approached me, waiting for what I wanted to say.

"Jen...Honey...I need you to do something tonight before you go to bed. Please...just do this for me. Get my box of year books out from the closet. Get my senior year book addition. Look through it carefully. Read all of the comments written by others, particularly the comments written by Steve Hansen." I motioned for the nurse to go ahead and push my wheel chair again. Jenny stood there staring at me as I was wheeled away. She didn't say anything, but the look in her eyes told me that she was curious as to what was going on, especially with the mention of Steve Hansen, the man who had told Jenny that I had an affair with his wife.

The nurse helped me into the bed and made sure I had what I needed. "Try to get some sleep, someone will be waking you early tomorrow for your surgery. If you experience a lot of pain, you can press the button on the end of this controller. It will give you a dose of morphine but it will not let you get too much per hour. By the way, it's none of my business, but I really hope you and your wife are OK." She patted my chest and smiled.

I made no comment back to her and watched as she left my room.

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I woke to hear voices and felt some movement of my bed. I was groggy and not able to pay much attention but I was aware of being wheeled down a hallway. The lights above me seemed to bother my eyes, so I tried to keep them shut. I heard a few different voices and the last thing I could make out was a voice telling me to relax.

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The next thing I was aware of was waking up to a nurse saying my name as she softly tapped against my cheek. It was hard to wake up and I kept closing my eyes again, growing a bit annoyed that the nurse was trying to keep me awake. "Try to stay awake Mr. Williams, you've been in recovery for a while now. Your wife is in the waiting room and anxious to see you. The doctor will be in here in a few minutes to give you some instructions." She then slid a tray near my useable arm and told me I needed to drink some juice and eat a few crackers. With that, she left my area, closing the curtain.

My throat felt rough and dry and I licked my lips trying to moisten them. I felt like shit and was in a lot of pain. I tried to turn my head a little so I could see my shoulder. I was wrapped up in something around the shoulder and chest and clearly had a restrictive sling holding my arm completely immobile. I reached for the cup and took a drink, allowing my thoughts to drift to my wife, to us, and to what had been happening lately. I could not help but contemplate what might happen between Jenny and me, and what might now happen with our marriage.

I was pulled out of my thoughts as I heard the curtain being pulled open. "Hi Mr. Williams, I'm Doctor Rogers. The surgery was quite successful even though you had significant damage. From what I've been told and the notes I read on your admittance chart, it is clear that you went a bit too far with whatever you and your wife were doing. Is there anything you want me to know, or do you need us to file any legal paperwork on your behalf?" He paused and waited for a response, to which I shook my head. He had a slight smirk on his face and merely shook his head. "We see stuff like this from time to time, but not usually with injuries to this extent."

He then told me what I could and could not do for a while, telling me to take it easy for at least six weeks of no lifting, no strain and to leave the sling in place all the time except for bathing or showering. After a few more instructions, he signaled for the nurse to wheel me out to my wife and let me go home.

Someone must have told Jenny to go bring the car around to the entrance because the nurse wheeled me right outside as we saw my wife drive up. Jenny looked like she had gotten little or no sleep and she was still wearing the same clothes she had on the night before. She and the nurse helped me to get in the car and fasten my seat belt. Jenny got in and began driving toward home. She looked over at me. I knew she was worried and the look in her eyes gave me a view of concern and sadness. Even as we made eye contact, she began to cry, still trying to watch the road. She opened her mouth to say something but I shook my head. She paused for a moment, waiting for me to say something. "Let's just get home...I know you want to talk and find out why I had you look through my year book. Maybe we'll finally have a conversation and listen to each other. We'll get to it at home, no need to try talking about stuff while you're driving."

When we arrived home, Jenny and I went inside. Everything was quiet, neither of us said anything. Jenny left the living room and headed to the bathroom. While she was in there, I went to the kitchen to get a drink, pouring myself some Jack Daniels. I drank the shot and poured it again. I then walked back to the living room to sit down. Waiting for Jenny, staring toward the coffee table, I saw the box of condoms from yesterday. It was unopened. My thoughts raced while contemplating whether Jenny may have had unprotected sex. My heart dropped as my thoughts returned to the mess that we were in. I decided to go get into a pair of shorts so I could relax a bit better.

On the way up the hall to the bedroom, I noticed the bed in the guest bedroom was neat and made up. Pausing for a moment, I realized it had not been disturbed or used. Now my curiosity was peaked, as I entered our bedroom. The bed was still a bit of a mess from when I was retrained on it and it did not appear that Jenny had slept in it. At that moment, Jenny came out of the bathroom and I could hear the toilet running from being flushed. "Dan...would you mind if I take a few minutes to shower? I haven't slept and just need to freshen up, and then we can talk, if you want to."

"That's fine, I just want to get a bit more comfortable anyway." With that, I drank the shot of Jack Daniels I had been holding. Jenny seemed nervous and timid as she undressed and disappeared into the bathroom. She truly did look worn out and tired, and I wondered if she had just sat up awake all night.

Still seeing her in my mind's eye, I could see the stress on her face. My attention was again brought back to the condoms that had not been opened, and the guest bed that had not been disturbed. I kept trying to mull over what had happened with her yesterday and if she'd had sex without a condom. Did she maybe have sex in a different room, I wondered. Then it dawned on me that I could review any videos that would have been recorded. With the events of all night, I had completely spaced that off and forgotten that I had the system up and running.

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Sitting at my computer, I brought up the program. There were too many separate clips to go through them all right now, so I looked at the index and started with the ones that were labeled with the time of day nearest to the emotionally painful 9:00pm. I queued the first video and it was a lengthy one in our bedroom. I fast forwarded through it, seeing it was the whole ordeal in our bedroom with me being tied to the bed. I started another video that was time-stamped next. It showed Jenny in the hall and then in the living room. The camera lost her for a moment but still ran as she came into view again near the front door. She then opened the door and stepped aside as the guy she called Dale came into view. They walked the hall and entered our room. I didn't really need to see any more of that particular video, and closed it.

I started the next video and it was Jenny and Dale leaving our bedroom and walking back into the living room. At that point, I was shocked, but also relieved at what I saw and heard. Jenny had walked Dale to the door. "Thanks for the help, Dale. I know it put you in a terribly awkward position, but I do appreciate it. I also appreciate that you and Karen have been so willing to help me deal with this. I could never cheat on Dan, even though he cheated on me. I am hurting so bad and feel like my marriage is at an end, but even at that, I can't cheat. My breaking our marriage vows would not fix anything. I'm so angry at my husband, and I am hoping that all of this will genuinely make him feel the pain of how it hurts when he thinks I would have had sex with you." Jenny then gave Dale a quick hug and he left the house. As he walked away, Jenny called out, "Tell Karen hi for me, and thanks for letting me use you. I'll call her later if I can."

Jenny closed the door, walked to the couch and sat down. She leaned forward and set the box of condoms on the coffee table. I felt humbled and grateful. I loved her so much and at that moment, she meant more to me than ever. She truly thought that I had cheated on her, yet she was still loyal to our vows. Jenny sat there with her head in her hands, crying. The video continued and Jenny never left the couch. I used fast forward to get through it a bit faster. Toward the end of the video, Jenny stood up, removed her robe, her stockings and her shoes. She then put the robe back on, left it untied, gathered her items, and walked up the hall. That's when the next clip showed she had entered the bedroom, put her clothes and robe on the floor and went into the shower.

I had seen enough for now, and I knew with every fiber of my being that maybe we would be alright. I was humbled, walking back into the bedroom, I sat on the bed and began to sob. I was racked with emotion. I was still in a lot of pain, and I was emotionally drained from everything we had both been through, but I could see there may possibly be light and hope for us.

I was still sitting on the bed when Jenny came out of the bathroom. She could see I had been crying as I was trying to wipe away the tears. She was wearing that pink robe again, and seeing it, I smiled a bit. I patted the bed with my good arm. "Jenny dear, please come and sit by me. I want so much to give you a hug and talk to you about a few things. I know that we can begin to heal and find great relief if you will give me a few minutes to talk about the year book." With that, she slowly walked to the bed, her eyes never leaving mine. She did not say anything and she still seemed a bit on edge, but I could sense that she wanted to know what was going on. Sitting next to me, I leaned over and hugged her briefly with my sore but good arm.

Jenny leaned toward me and gave me a kiss on the cheek, running her hand through my hair. Her gaze went to my bandaged shoulder and arm, as tears welled up in her eyes. Looking back to my face, she seemed to have a pleading look, as she trembled. "How did all of this happen with that guy, Steve? After reading what he wrote, I am guardedly curious, but not wanting to get my hopes up for what you might tell me. Did you have an affair with his wife, Beth, or is there something else going on?" A tear ran down Jenny's cheek as I took her hand.

I gave her hand a squeeze. It was something we did a lot over the years. It had become a silent communication between each other that things were Ok, that we were OK. I had my own tears as I began to talk. "Jenny...first...I need you to listen to me, look into my eyes, and feel what I want to communicate with you. Let your heart speak to you while you hear me, while you listen and hear the man you fell in love with." Our eyes were still locked as Jenny returned the hand squeeze.

"Jenny, I love you with all my heart. You are everything to me, you always have been. I have never cheated on you, ever. I would never even consider it. We used to talk things out so well, and so it is difficult for me to understand why you didn't talk to me. I know what you told me yesterday, about wanting me to confess on my own. Jenny, the reason I did not confess anything, and could not confess anything, is because I never did anything wrong." She still held my hand as I looked into her eyes.

Leaning over, I kissed her softly on the lips, and then leaned back again. I had a hard time talking, breaking down with emotions. "When you had me tied to the bed, restrained and gagged, I was unable to speak, unable to stop you from what you wanted to do. I was unable to tell you I had never cheated. You never gave me a clue as to what was bothering you until I was gagged and unable to defend my honor. Imagine what I was thinking. I could not speak, to get you to stop. As soon as you mentioned Steve Hansen, I knew it was a cruel prank." She listened intently, beginning to believe in me again. I saw it in her gaze, on her face. Her heart was telling her that I spoke the truth.

I gave her hand another squeeze and then let go long enough to put my hand up against her cheek, caressing her smooth skin, wiping away a few of her tears. "Steve Hansen used to be one of my good friends back in high school. We hung around a lot, even on camping trips and slumber party sleep-overs. We had gym class together for several years growing up. Steve knew what my dick looked like. He knew about my tattoo. All of what he did to you and I over the last few weeks was a very cruel prank. He knew how to play on your emotions, giving you the details about me, as if it had come from Beth. By the way, Beth was his girlfriend in high school, but they broke up. He never married her, she's not his wife, never has been. Jenny...there was no affair."

I went on to tell her all about the pranks in high school and how Steve had blamed me for losing his girlfriend. I told her all about how Steve had seen me in Seattle and how we had talked for a while. As I shared all of this with her, I could see and sense great relief on her face. She openly cried tears of regret and moved closer to me, hugging me tightly with both arms. I winced in pain as she accidentally hugged my injured shoulder too tightly. She quickly let loose, apologizing over and over.

I felt for her. I loved her, I loved that she now knew the truth, that I was loyal, that I had never strayed. Jenny dipped her head down, not wanting to look me in the eyes, perhaps with the realization of all the physical and emotional pain she had put me through. I could sense it. Yes, I was in a lot of pain, hell, even my nuts still hurt with a deep painful ache. Yet, I had great relief that maybe we were going to be alright, everything could begin to heal now.

I put my hand under Jenny's chin, raising her head to see her eyes. She started to speak, her voice shaky. "I am so sorry for what I did to you. I can't believe how wrapped up in the lie I was, that I could not give you a chance to defend yourself. As I look back on it, I see how terribly selfish it was of me to believe a complete stranger, but not have enough faith in you to talk it out. I know I can never make it up to you, but I promise that I will never again shut you out. I feel so ashamed. If you'll let me, I'll spend the rest of my life working to make it up to you."

I pulled her close to me so I could discuss something else. "Jenny, let's put that behind us. I don't want you to feel ashamed. I find you so honorable, so loyal, that I am humbled. I know you didn't have sex with Dale yesterday." Those words brought her attention up to me and she pulled back a bit with some surprise on her face. Somewhat shocked that I knew, she lowered her head to my neck and began crying all over again. I held her, patting her back.

"Sweetheart, I know...I found the unopened box of condoms. I saw the guest bed was undisturbed. I now know you kept your vows and your loyalty. I am so grateful for that and it means we can put all of this behind us and move on. I feel somewhat speechless, but ever so relieved that you did not actually have sex for revenge."

"I couldn't, I just couldn't. As hurt and angry as I was, I was so conflicted, but I knew deep inside that I could not do it to you. For a while, I hated you so much, but loved you enough not to hurt our marriage any more than what it had been. At least that's what I thought at the time." She cleared her throat, getting ready to tell me more. I loved how her eyes sparkled. I could see the Jenny returning that I knew over the years.

"Dan...I want to tell you who Dale is. I don't want you to think there is anything there. You know my friend, Karen. Well...I knew you had never met her husband. Karen knew of what I was going through. I'm so sorry that I felt OK talking about all of this with a friend, but not you. Again, I can't apologize enough. I had told Karen that I would never cheat on you for revenge, but that I wanted you to feel the hurt, the pain of thinking I would take another man.

That is when we talked about it and Karen actually had to beg her husband to help with the deception. He really did not want to get in the middle of it but Karen somehow convinced him to help. That's it, that's all there is to the friendship. I promise. Even after I let Dale out the door and had succeeded in my plan, I felt terrible. I felt like I had actually cheated on you. To be honest, I am so relieved that you know, that this is over."

Our time together, sitting on the bed, was well used as we talked, sincerely talked. We spent that time clearing the air, renewing our trust, and we genuinely began the healing process. We held each other for quite a while but I was actually uncomfortable. I was in pain and wanted to take more pain medicine, but it was not time yet. I felt slimy and had sweat quite a bit since the last time I showered. "Jen, I really need to shower in the worst way. Will you help me? I don't quite know how to go about it with all of this wrapping and sling that I am wearing." I looked at her as I asked for the help. I felt like a little kid, unable to do for myself, needing help.

"The nurse told me all about what to do and how to help you with cleaning up, re-wrapping you, and also how to move your arm slowly to help you put on a loose tee shirt. We'll figure it out together, and I think I have something for you that I can give you in the shower, too." As she spoke, she smiled her cute sexy grin that I knew she had, but had missed lately. My heart skipped a beat and I could feel my cock jerk, knowing what my wife meant.

Jenny helped me to get ready for a shower. The problem was, with the wrapping and sling taken off, it was too painful to relax and let my arm hang free. We ended up putting the sling back on, but without the wrapping. The stiches and incision were enflamed and tender, but I resolved to get my cleansing shower. I waited while she got the shower running and adjusted just right.

Standing in the warm water felt so relaxing. Had I not been standing, I would have gladly fallen asleep. I finally felt like I could decompress and let go. With the water cascading over my face, Jenny could not see that I was crying. I knew everything would be alright, but I still held some emotional pain. I hated that I was still conflicted about everything that had happened. Yet, part of the tears were also because of the relief that we had somehow made it through all of this without either of us actually violating our marriage vows.

Jenny had stepped into the shower, standing directly behind me. I felt her arms as she pulled herself to my back, reaching around to hold me steady. We held that position, feeling grateful. My wife began to gently wash me, to caress me with soap. I did what I could to relax as she moved her hands all over my body, cleaning me, caring for me. Her touch was soft and tender, loving and humble. Other than the running water, there was silence, neither of us said anything.