What!

"As you know I moved out last night. This morning I have taken the kids to my parents. I'll leave your phone and keys here. The kids will stay with Mom and Dad for a few days unless you decide to go get them. If the two of you decide to date, fuck, whatever, just don't do it in this house, in my former bed or ever in front of our kids."

"You need to think long and hard about the future. I'm going upstairs to get the rest of my things and I'll be out of your hair. I'm finished and as soon as you have your say I'll be leaving. I'll stop by Mom and Dad's and tell them what's happened. I'll tell them to take your calls and that you'll let them know when you're ready to pick up the kids. I'll explain things to them. I can't bear to hurt them any further than I already have when I lost my temper last night. I'll carry that with me for the rest of my life. Again, I'm sorry for doing that to them and to you."

Amber cried uncontrollably for several minutes before collecting herself to speak. "Alex, I want to say I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry for hurting the kids and hurting you. I'm sorry for not talking with you instead of at you, sorry that I gave you an ultimatum and backed you into a corner and I'm sorry for being a hurtful, narcissistic idiot. I'm extremely sorry that I cheated on you in anyway, you do deserve better, especially from me. I love you and I don't want you to leave! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!"

"Amber, I love you with every fiber of my being. If I didn't, it wouldn't hurt so much. However, it's not that simple. I can't wrap my head around any of this. As I said, you need to make some hard decisions. If you cut bait with that asshole perhaps there's a chance that with counseling you can understand why you did this to us and only then can we work on our problems, work toward repairing our relationship and eventually forgiveness. You have my number."

I got up and went up the stairs grabbed and filled my garment bag and another suitcase. When I came back down the stairs Amber was crying hysterically. It broke my heart that I couldn't muster up the courage to console her in her time of need but the hurt was too great. Walking out the door was one of the most difficult moments of my life and something I would forever regret.

On Monday I checked with asshole's two former employers and it seems he left under a cloud of suspicion both times for inappropriate behavior with female subordinates and colleagues. I scheduled a meeting with Don Gordon, Amber's boss and when I went to my appointment, I found out that Amber called in sick. I also learned that the asshole was in the office.

I laid out everything I had. The lunches everything. "Alex what do you see happening here?" Don asked looking concerned.

"Don, this isn't your fault or the companies and I'm not looking to cause a problem with some bullshit lawsuit or will I ask Amber to file a sexual harassment suit either. They' re two consenting adults although Winters has a track record of suspicious behavior in that regard. I don't want his family hurt by virtue of him losing his job either."

"Don, all I want is the two of us to have a "come to Jesus" moment with Winters. I want either him or Amber reassigned to a different department and have it explicitly stated that they are not to have any contact during business hours or ever work together again. However, I think that he should have to bear the brunt of this professionally. Is that doable?

"Alex, that is most assuredly doable. Simone, have Jonathan Winters in my office now!"

"Yes Mr. Gordon, right away!"

It took Winters about five minutes to arrive and Simone announced his arrival. Don told her to, "Send him in!"

When Winters saw me sitting there his jaw hit the floor. "You wanted to see me Mr. Gordon?"

Don replied, saying, "Winters sit your ass down and listen up. Mr. Evans has brought me up to speed with the events of this weekend past. You're new here so let me spell out for you how things work around here. You stay away from married women in the workplace and you don't harass the single women here either. Are we clear?"

"Yes sir!" he said sheepishly.

"Good! You can thank Mr. Evans that your ass isn't completely out the door. He has shown your wife and children far more concern and respect than you have with your actions. It is on his recommendation that you remain employed here."

"Effective immediately you will transfer to the West Avenue office and begin training with the sales team. You will remain at your current salary for the two-week training period and then it will be adjusted to base plus commissions. So, I suggest you put that silver tongue of yours to work toward earning a living for you and your family! Any questions? No, good! Alex, anything to add?"

"Thanks Don. Winters if you adhere to the rules laid out by Don, I'll forgive the events of this past weekend and the lunches where you actively seduced my wife. I have one question; did you have any and I mean ANY physical contact with my wife? That includes hugs, kisses, touches, fondling, oral, anal, or vaginal intercourse."

"Alex, I mean Mr. Evans, I held her hand as we walked and during lunch. I touched her arm and cheek and gave her a quick peck on the cheek after our lunches and on the lips after lunch the last two times we went."

"Winters listen and listen to me good. If you ever go near or speak to my wife ever again, your wife finds out about what happened here and in your last two places of employment. I'll give her enough evidence to bury your ass forever. My friend Don will fire you as fast as a cruise missile and forget about getting another job in the field. Picnics, Christmas parties, just stay far away, are we crystal clear?"

"Think long and hard about your actions and what the consequences your family may suffer as a result. You need to come to the realization of how badly you will hurt them if you continue with your pandering ways. That is the only reason I haven't called your wife and the only reason you still work here. However, if I find that you engaged my wife in any way I will be forced to destroy you and your family to save mine, understand?"

"Yes Mr. Evans."

"Winters, Don added, report to H.R. immediately, complete your paperwork and clean out your office and report to the sales department before noon. That's all."

"Yes sir." As he slinked out tail tucked Don and I had a good laugh at his expense.

"Thanks Don!"

"No problem. Tell Amber to take the week off with pay and it's not charged to her vacation. Take my godson and his sister to Disney as planned! I'll give Dan a call. He and I golf weekends at the club. I'll see to it you get the same deal as Amber so you can spend the week getting your collective lives in order."

"I'll suggest that we both sponsor you for membership at the club and the dues be included in your benefits as a perk of your new office. See I know you're getting that promotion to vice president, Dan told me yesterday. But don't let on I told you and spoil the surprise. I'm sure he will be impressed with the way you've handled this situation."

"It demonstrates to me that you have the negotiation skills and patience necessary for the job as well as compassion, aplomb, and leadership qualities. Hell, if Dan doesn't treat you right, I may poach you and I'll let him know that too. Now get out I've work to do!" he said with a wink and chuckle as I got up and went out the door.

I didn't even know I was being considered for the position little lone getting it. It's a shock to say the least. I left his office with a better grasp of things. Now I just need to find out where Amber's head is at. After I got into my car, I called her. Amber, can we talk?"

"Oh please Alex, come home. I'll never see him ever again. I've got an appointment to see a counselor Wednesday."

I told her that, "I spoke with Don and you have the week off with pay. I'll tell you all about it when I get there." She was crying softly as I told her I'm on my way.

Epilogue

I moved home that afternoon mostly to reassure the kids that we were still a family. When I arrived at the house, I picked up Amber and we went to get the kids and took them out for pizza. After we put the kids to bed, I told her of my meeting with Don and Winters and what resulted from it. I told her I forgave her but inside I still held onto some resentment for what she did and tried to do to us.

It took a year of individual and couples counseling to get our lives back on track. I went back to sleeping in our bed and I held her every night and comforted her during times where her emotions got the better of her.

We made love but I still had some uncertainty as to whether she secretly held resentment toward me for interfering in her relationship with that asshole or if she wondered what she had missed when she made love to me.

Our counselor, a psychiatrist, Dr. Karen Ruland was an excellent clinician and helped us both tremendously. She was recommended by our first therapist because she correctly recognized Amber's depression and would need medication to treat it.

She admitted to Dr. Ruland that she was depressed at the time Winters started flirting with her. She was honestly trying to be a good co-worker by befriending him and it was therapeutic for her when they talked over lunch.

His charm and personality made her feel better and she bought into his line of B.S. She couldn't identify anything within our relationship that caused her to be that vulnerable. She came to realize he was looking to start a sexual relationship with her but didn't see it as such at the time she befriended him.

She admitted that it was possible that she may have been charmed into sex but she was adamant that it wasn't planned and she believed that she would have resisted any such overtures of that nature. She also admitted that she was wrong to agree to going out with him in the first place. This was done in her one-on-one sessions.

Dr. Ruland helped me to understand the intricacies of depression. She also explained that it was a convolution of circumstance that led Amber to make the choices she made and that Jonathan Winters happened along at a most vulnerable period and exploited it to his own gain. She taught me the warning signs to look out for in case the depression returned. She also prescribed Amber anti-depressants and kept her on as a patient and adjusted her medications from time to time.

In our joint sessions we ashamedly admitted our roles in causing our children and each other so much pain and how sorry we were despite their resilience and quick return to normalcy. Dr. Roland gave us credit for recognizing this early on and admonished us to never let that happen again. Despite Dr. Roland's reassurances that we did no lasting hurt or damage to the children, I carried my guilt for quite a while. I don't know how Amber feels or felt about that aspect.

I also told Amber of my guilt for failing to overcome my pain and comfort her when she was in so much pain that long-ago Saturday. She told me that she didn't remember that only that she knew she hurt me and didn't want me to leave her.

She did tell me that she held no fleeting thoughts about her relationship with Jonathan Winters. In her mind she was just trying to be a good co-worker and friend and felt used. She never wanted to see him ever again. It took a while but I eventually believed her and my resentment and doubt slowly but completely evaporated.

Eventually, with a great deal of compassionate therapy we made it all the way back. Something I never envisioned when it happened.

Many of you may wonder why I didn't go for the jugular with Jonathan Winters or burn my wife at the stake. Had I done so, I'd subjected his wife and their children to the searing pain I felt at the time, something I wouldn't wish on any innocent parties. If he lost his income or they knew about his philandering would do just that. Also, how would he explain losing his job so quickly without his wife asking a lot of questions?

As for Amber, I love her with all that I have. I felt that in the end the loss of our family and the pain and suffering of our children would be more than enough. She is and always would be the mother of my children and for their sake, I couldn't in good conscience cause them, Amber's family, or anyone else more than the bare minimum amount of pain than was necessary. Call me a wimp if you will, that's how I thought about it, felt, and thus I acted in accordance with those beliefs. I'm comfortable with my decision to work to save my marriage and most of my decisions made that weekend except for hurting my kids and putting them in a painful situation.

Our love is stronger and our bond is now tighter than it was before. I'm always on the lookout for complacency creeping in and we work on communicating every day. I love my wife and my life. I appreciated what I nearly lost, and, I'm thankful for having it every single day.