The Telecast

She just sat there crying, knowing that what I said was the truth.

In the end she just signed both sets of papers.

I told her that I would be moving out and that she could stay as long as she needed to find a place to live. I didn't think she would be able to afford the house and I didn't want to live in the house so our agreement said that it would be sold and the net gain split evenly just like everything else. There would just be too many memories in that house anyway.

I took the papers and the bags I had packed the day before and left the house. I drove to my broker's office and dropped those papers off and then to a hotel for the night.

The next morning I had an appointment with my attorney. We discussed the divorce papers and he agreed to file them with the Superior Court of our county yet that day.

We also sat and talked about the trouble I was in at the station and with the FCC. He explained to me that the FCC has authority to issue civil monetary penalties, revoke a license or deny a renewal application. In addition, violators of the law, if convicted in a federal district court, are subject to criminal fines and/or imprisonment for not more than two years.

Frankly it was no surprise to me because I had been in the business for twenty two years and I knew the rules. He said given the circumstances he felt I would probably not see jail time but there would be pretty hefty fines and my career as I knew it would be over. I would have to find a new line of work.

Within a few days all of the fallout had hit. I was served by the FCC and would be spending a number of days in court defending myself. I won't bore you with the details of the case but it suffices to say that the fine amounted to about a year's salary for me; so much for my savings account.

Worse than that my broadcast license was revoked and I would be unable to work in my profession for two years.

The good news however is that TT had watched MNF too and even though what I did was illegal and very vindictive he had compassion on me and gave me a job with responsibilities that met the restrictions imposed on me by the FCC. Apparently his ex wife (Henry's daughter and Peter's sister) had raked him over the coals pretty good in their recent divorce. I guess I did have that one thing to like HJ for.

Bastard Bob confronted me one time at Frankie's. He was going to try to punch out my lights but somehow I ended up standing on his chest with one foot while holding one of his arms tightly.

"Now Bastard Bob, I don't ever expect to hear from you again, do I make myself clear?" I said.

He said, "Fuck you!"

I guess I needed to kick him in the ribs one more time.

I said, "Bastard Bob, I have an audio tape of you threatening to kill me. I believe if I take that to the police I will be within my rights to file a restraining order on you and perhaps even file assault charges against you. I think with the evidence I have you will do some prison time. Is that what you want?"

He shook his head no.

As I kicked him one more time for good measure I said, "Well then, I guess this is the last time we will talk."

Of course he is no longer a pastor even though he is still a bastard. He lost his job with the church and the denomination withdrew his license and voided his ordination. Last I heard he was working for a travel agency in the city. He was a charismatic bastard I will give him that, so he is probably doing alright.

He will need to be because his wife sued him for divorce on the grounds of adultery and she won a huge settlement from him. It seems my tape was pretty damning even if not legally obtained.

I am moving on with my life. I won't say things are perfect but I am finding ways to be happy. I have dated a few women over the past several months but have not gotten serious with any of them. I have not had sex with any woman either. I believe in sex within marriage and I will not change my values even if many would say I have every right to be sexually active.

When the right woman comes along I will marry her and then we will both enjoy sex as it was meant to be. I know it is just a matter of time and I am willing to spend the time to find the right person for me.

I do see Sharon from time to time. We both attended Stephanie's graduation from college and we both attended the baptism of Melanie's first baby. I was civil to her but I did make it perfectly clear that I wasn't there for her. I was not interested in being friends or buddies or anything else for that matter.

It was obvious to me that she was not happy. I could see that she was suffering emotionally from our split up and that she regretted what she had done. Again, that was not the issue. What was the issue is that she had betrayed me and our marriage. She had allowed herself to become the slut whore of another man and nothing would ever change that.

If I were a different man maybe I could have forgiven her for that but my value system is pretty rigid and there was not that much room for me to bend.

She will just have to go through the rest of her life knowing that what she gave up for her sex with Bastard Bob was me and the rest of her life with me. I was a mere man who loved her with all my heart but she threw it away. Yes, she gave up me.

Unfortunately for her, she also gave up any semblance of respectability because everyone who saw her performance in the infamous Monday Night Football halftime show knows that she is a slut.

Rumor has it that she has lots of calls for dates. To her credit, she has not accepted any. It must be hell knowing that most men who call really only want to make her their slut. Not a very good way to go through life. But, I didn't do it to her, she did it to herself.