Chapter 1

Driving back home from the golf course, Matt though it was better to play it safe and not be sorry. He had earlier come to a conclusion that it would be best if he didn't golf today. He had left work early to play golf but on the driving range in warming up something didn't feel quite right in his lower back. There was a twinge there that worried him so he decided not to play. Once before he had felt that type of pain and ignored it and played golf. That was a bad mistake on his part and it had resulted in his not being able to golf for three months due to sever lower back pain.

"Oh well," he thought, Lisa his wife would be surprised to see him come home this early. Lisa was a high school teacher and on Wednesday she was home by two o'clock. When Matt golfed he usually didn't make it home till six.

He was stopped at a red light waiting for the light to change. Matt became aware that Lisa was in her car also stopped at the light across the intersection from him signaling to make a left turn. Matt wondered what was she doing here or better yet where was she going? When the light changed and the cars turning left were given a green arrow, Lisa turned in front of him. On a whim Matt thought he would surprise her and made a right turn to follow her. There were a few cars between them but traffic wasn't that heavy so it was easy to keep Lisa's car in sight. After about one mile Lisa's right turn signal came on and she turned into a motel parking lot. Matt was now wondering what was going on especially when he glanced at the motel's sign that advertised 'Four Hour Naps.'

Instead of turning into the motel parking lot Matt continued to drive on past and noticed that Lisa was parking her car. Matt made a u-turn and came back and turned into a McDonald's that was across the street from the motel's parking lot. Matt parked his car and went into the restaurant. He purchased a soda and sat in a booth which afforded him a view of across the street at the motel and Lisa's automobile. He could only see the she was no longer in her vehicle but he didn't know where she had gone.

While he was watching her car he started thinking about what was going on and why she was at a motel? He didn't like the thoughts he was having. They had been married for 26 years. It had been a good marriage or so Matt thought but now he wondered if it had been that good for her. They had two children, twins, one boy and one girl who were now in their senior year at the University of Illinois at Champaign. There was no indication that Lisa was dissatisfied with their marriage although Matt had noticed for the last couple of years that they only made love when he initiated it. Lisa seemed to enjoy their intimate relations but in retrospect it seemed like she didn't care if they did or didn't have sex.

Matt loved Lisa. She was intelligent, beautiful, and a classy woman who had raised two fine kids. Initially after their marriage they had held off having children but when they decided it was time, they were blessed with twins. Before the twins were born Lisa had continued to go to school and obtained her master's degree. After the twins started elementary school Lisa was hired to teach at a local high school. She was a determined person but Matt could only wonder what had now happened that would cause her to drive to a motel on a Wednesday afternoon. These thoughts were starting to churn Matt's stomach.

While Lisa had become successful, Matt was no slouch in providing for his family. Matt's undergrad degree was in civil engineering. He had been hired by Kanza Engineering which was a growing firm that specialized in building dams and other large civil engineering projects. When Matt observed that most of the other engineers that worked there weren't that much older than him, he wondered what he could do to get ahead with the firm. He concluded that besides the engineering degree he had, he needed to get a MBA degree. He enrolled in the executive MBA program at the University of Chicago whose classes were held primarily on weekends.

After two years he had his MBA degree and as some of his fellow employees liked to say, "The MBA degree put the rocket up his ass." He advanced rapidly in the management ranks at the firm. He now was hearing hints that he was being considered for the CEO's position which was going to be available shortly due to a retirement.

After about an hour and a half in the restaurant looking across the street, Matt saw a motel door open and Lisa and a tall man exit from a room. They were holding hands and appeared to be saying something to each other as they walked to their cars. At the cars Lisa gave the man a kiss on the lips and then entered her car and exited the parking lot. The man she was with did the same and Matt was able to catch the license plate number on the car he was driving.

Matt was in no mood to go home and confront Lisa. He drove back to the country club and had a few drinks while he thought about what he was going to do. He planned on coming home at his normal time with a little alcohol on his breath so that Lisa would not be suspicious.

At home, one wouldn't know that Lisa had been in the arms of her lover only a few hours ago. She greeted Matt happily with a kiss and asked how he golfed.

"Not bad. If it wasn't for an eight on that par five I would have broken 90. How was your day?"

"The usual, nothing out of the ordinary, just helping the kids study for their final exams."

Nothing else was said and after dinner they watched television and Lisa graded some papers.

It wasn't a good night's sleep for Matt. He tossed and turned thinking about what he had seen and what he was going to do. He knew that he couldn't forgive Lisa for what she had done. He just didn't have it in him to forgive her. The marriage was over as was his love for her. What had he done or hadn't done to cause her to do this? Her affair was a slap in his face and one that he couldn't take. He would always think about and remember what he saw at the motel.

The next morning he phoned Tom Callahan the company's attorney. After some chit chat and teasing about their individual golf games, Matt asked Tom who he could recommend that handles divorces.

"What's going on Matt? What is the problem? I thought you and Lisa were the ideal couple."

"I thought we were too until I saw her exiting a motel room yesterday with some fellow."

"This is something you should talk over with her and not just flush those years down the drain."

"Lisa did the flushing, not me. Do you have someone you could recommend?"

"Marty Booker who you have met and has golfed with us specializes in divorces and I hear he is good. His office in the Stanton Building and he is listed in the book."

Matt thanked Tom and phoned Marty. Matt told him what he had witnessed. He wanted Marty to handle the divorce. Marty told Matt not to be to hasty.

"Let me put one of my investigators on this and get some proof to put us in a strong position should the divorce get nasty. Now where was this motel and what is that license plate number? Just act normal at home and I will get back to you when I have something."

Matt did try to act normal but it was difficult since the marriage now was a sham. Lisa seemed to act the as if nothing was out of the ordinary.