Chapter 4

Bill hadn't walked more than a couple of blocks when his feelings of sorrow at the loss of his marriage, and his anger with his wife, began to transform into more of a cold rage and the desire to find a way to exact some needed revenge.

It hadn't taken long for him to accept that there was really very little he could do except to confront Linda, and then tell her that he was going to seek a divorce. He began to realize that this was what would eventually happen, but he also began to accept that jumping into a divorce action immediately might work against his own best interests, and would certainly diminish the opportunities to plan for some payback.

He decided it would probably be better to explore his options and make a decision based on facts and logical thought instead of a rush to the lawyer's office for a quick divorce. Then there were the health tests for STDs that he knew would have to be arranged.

As he walked he began to think more clearly, and he quickly decided that the last thing he wanted to do was push for a divorce when he didn't know what his rights and responsibilities were. He knew he was going to have to talk to a lawyer, and soon.

He had walked about half an hour when he came to a small children's park, complete with swings and open grassy areas in which to play. It was almost deserted, and he noticed that there was a paved path that wandered through it, with benches placed under the shade of some of the scattered trees. It didn't take him long to decide to find a bench to sit on, a place were he could sit and think.

He began by reviewing in his mind the shocking events his surveillance system had recorded, and realized that at some point he was going to have to fully watch everything that was recorded, maybe even more than once. In some of the scenes he had already witnessed he was finding it difficult to accept that his wife was even included in them. During this time, as he replayed the details in his mind, another emotion continued to build in him; the desire, no, the primal need, for some payback.

Once he began to consider that trying to get even might restore some of his lost pride and self confidence, he was able to calm himself down a bit. He immediately began thinking of ways that he could punish his wife for what she had done to their marriage, but it wasn't long before he realized that she wasn't the only one at fault. He would have to consider her friend Denise Grady, and how to make her pay for what was obviously something she had played a very big part in.

The two men who had starred in the videos that he had watched also deserved some of his retribution, but that might present a problem considering he didn't know their names or where they lived. Then there was the bar that provided a venue for his wife to so easily hook up with someone to cheat on him with. It seemed logical to him that they should pay part of the price as well. The next half hour was spent trying to imagine what might be suitable forms for his revenge to take.

By the time Bill had spent well over an hour and a half on the bench in the park, enjoying the warm weather and the solitude, he had made some decisions. Although seeking payback wasn't going to do anything about salvaging the almost 10 lost years he had spent in his marriage, he was already starting to feel a little better since having made the decision to get a little of his own back. There must be some reason people would say that revenge was sweet, and he decided to see if it was true.

Time was passing quickly, and a check of his watch showed him that he had been gone from home for almost 3 hours. It was obvious to him that he couldn't stay away for much longer than this without really arousing his wife's concerns, something he had already decided he was going to have to avoid. He had made some tentative plans, but there were a lot of things he hadn't decided, and even more thinking was necessary, with more decisions that he would have to make.

Finally he decided that he was as ready as he was likely ever going to be to return home and face Linda. Bill knew he was going to have to do a remarkable acting job, and he was really unsure if he was going to be able to pull it off. There weren't any other options though, except to try hiding what he knew, or to immediately confront her. With the decision made, he got up and began to walk purposefully back home.

When he arrived home Bill was lucky that his wife was busy making supper. She did ask him why he had gone for such a long walk, but his answer must have satisfied her curiosity, because she didn't ask him any more about it. He was able to maintain his calm outward appearance even though he was seething inside, angry with her for doing the things he had seen on the surveillance video.

He did find that whenever his anger and hurt threatened to take over his feelings, reminding himself that he needed to be calm and not give away the fact that he knew what had been going on was crucial, if he intended to try and set up a situation that he could be in control of. There wasn't just a matter of getting some revenge; there was also the need for self preservation, a need to protect his rights, finances and other best interests in the divorce.

The evening went by quickly, considering the images and thoughts that were flashing through Bill's mind. Just after nine o'clock he told Linda that he was feeling quite tired, and that maybe the fresh air and exercise in the afternoon had caught up to him.

It seemed rather ironic that she was playing the mother hen part with him now, worrying about whether he was coming down with something, and insisting on taking his temperature before letting him go to bed. It was too bad she hadn't been so concerned about him on Thursday night.

Just after noon on Sunday, Bill and Linda Phillips pulled away from their home for a pleasant drive to her parents' home near Franklin. They were invited for an afternoon get-together with family and friends in the backyard, and then a quiet supper with Jim and Patricia Baker, Linda's parents.

Bill was pleased that he was able to maintain the façade of a loving and happy husband. He was sure that Linda didn't suspect anything about what he now knew about her, and her slutty ways. He had even been able to kiss her lovingly, and interact with her physically in a way that he felt was pretty close to his normal way, even though he did find it very difficult.

Not that they had had sex yet; he was very concerned about how that would go when the time arrived, and how he could avoid it, but the little things like caressing her ass, or grabbing her from behind and cupping her breasts while he kissed her neck, had been small bridges he had successfully crossed.

Having sex with her was the very last thing he wanted to do, now that he knew she'd cuckolded him, maybe for years, but it could possibly become necessary. He had to somehow buy some time to let his plans come together.

"I hope my parents are happy with the crystal set I got them. I know it's something that my mom has often said she wanted, and I'm sure my dad will go along with whatever she likes." She grinned at her husband and continued, "Men usually go along with what their wives want, don't they dear."

Bill considered what she had said and answered, "I think there are probably a few things that a husband won't agree with his wife on. Some things just cross a line that no husband can accept."

Linda didn't seem to put any importance on his answer, at least none that he could notice. Their conversation during the rest of the drive was pretty mundane, without any opportunities for him to subtly make a point to his wife, a point that would by design try to go over her head. He knew he had to be careful, and not give her cause to panic about what he might know.

It was later in the day, after the four of them had enjoyed a nice meal and were sitting around the dining room table with glasses of liqueur, that the conversation turned to an area that Bill felt was tailor-made for him.

It began when Linda asked, "What can you and dad tell Bill and I about the secrets for having such a long and happy marriage?"

When Patricia answered her daughter's question she said, "You must always have respect for each other, and for your partner's ideas. Without mutual respect, I don't think a marriage can survive."

Her mother's answer didn't seem to make Linda think of her own actions, and the disrespect they showed for her husband, so Bill quickly said, "I guess that kind of respect would include things like respecting your marriage vows, you know like 'in sickness and in health', or even the 'forsaking all others' part."

Bill's mother-in-law immediately pointed at him with her index finger and reply, "That's exactly the kind of thing I mean, Bill. You have to be there for your spouse when they're sick or hurt, and even if you don't agree with their opinions on things like politics and religion, you have to be respectful of their beliefs."

Bill glanced at Linda and could see that she had lost the smile that had been on her face. Before anyone else could speak to the subject he turned to his father-in-law and asked, "What do you think, Jim? Surely over your 45 years together the two of you must have faced some bumps in the road."

His father-in-law was a rather reserved man, one who thought about things before speaking, but he finally answered with, "I have to agree with Patricia. When you look around at younger couples these days, you see a lot of disrespect between the partners; things like the constant 'me, me, me' attitude, and all of the divorces that seems to be happening. Patricia and I never had those problems."

Bill couldn't have hoped for a better answer from his father-in-law if he'd handed him a script. He quickly took advantage of it by saying, "I was thinking of things like that, too. I'm not quite as old as you, but I think we may share some of the same values."

He continued, "What do you think is causing all of these divorces? I read the other day that close to 50% of all marriages are ending in divorce now."

His mother-in-law had been listening and quickly said, "I think a lot of it is the fact the younger generation has no patience, and they don't try to work out life's little problems. Of course, there's a lot more drug addiction, and now with casinos all over the place, there's problem gambling as well."

Bill quickly added, "And then there's sex addiction, like that golfer with all the girlfriends."

His mother-in-law obviously didn't agree with that addiction very much as she waved her hand dismissively and said, "That's nothing more than good old-fashioned adultery, and as far as divorces go, that's probably the main reason, by far. With so many Internet dating sites, and even special sites for people who want to cheat on their spouses, it's no wonder it's getting so common and ending so many marriages."

Bill thought it was time to bring Linda back into the conversation and said, "What do you think about what your mom just said, Linda? I think she probably has a good point, don't you?"

Linda had the 'deer in the headlights' look, but quickly recovered and said, "I'm sure she's right, dear." It was obvious she had become uncomfortable with the topic, and she managed to change the subject almost immediately.

At just before 10 o'clock on Monday morning, Jason Shields walked into Bill's office. He was smiling as he entered, but after taking one look at Bill's face, his own smile disappeared.

"Hello, Bill. I was going to ask you how your surveillance system worked out when you went out of town, but the look on your face suggests it didn't work out too well."

Bill had looked up when his friend entered and replied, "Is it that obvious? I thought I was doing a pretty good job of hiding my feelings from, and about, my wife."

Jason sat down in the chair that Bill had pointed out as he spoke before he said, "Maybe it was because it was me that came through the door, and you knew what I was here to ask you, or maybe you're just better at hiding your emotions when you're at home."

"You have a haunted look, one that I'm familiar with all too well, considering I went through the situation you were worried about. Maybe it takes one to know one." He could see that Bill had sat back in his chair and relaxed a bit while he was speaking, and now Jason waited for Bill to speak.

Bill had a look of resignation on his face as he started with, "I would never have believed it could have been so bad, Jason. At midnight on Thursday she and her girlfriend, a woman that I've told her repeatedly I didn't care for, came into our home with two young university guys. I still haven't been able to bring myself to watch everything on those videos."

He continued, "It took all of my willpower not to have a confrontation with her, and so far I don't think she's aware that I know all about her ... cheating. I realized that I needed to get my ducks in a row before I confront her about it. I've decided to get what revenge I can against her and her friend, maybe even the bar, The Puma's Den, and I'm not sure who else."

Jason had begun to look worried as Bill spoke about his plan to get some revenge and quickly said, "What do you mean by revenge, Bill? I hope you're not planning on anything physical or illegal, as it would get you fired at least, if it ever came out. You might have a real problem getting a job in this field anywhere, if you had some sort of record."

Bill gave a quiet chuckle and said, "I don't have plans, at least I don't have them yet, to do anything illegal or violent, if that's what you're thinking. I made an appointment already this morning with a lawyer, a good friend of mine, for next week; he's tied up in court right now. There are some other things I'm looking into as well."

"I have some ideas on how I can exact a bit of payback, although the years I've lost with her can never be made up for. I'm going in for STD testing, you know, blood tests, on my way home on Wednesday, but if she has one I'll have it by now. I'm certain the two of them have done this before; maybe even for years. It appears she's adamant that her partners use condoms, but that's no guarantee she's not infected with something."

"Nothing I can do to her will probably ever make up for the hurt and pain she's causing me. All I can hope to do is make it as hard on her as possible. Letting her think she's putting one over on me is the start. I ... I want her to think I'm still madly in love with her, so when I ... drop the hammer she won't be expecting it, and hopefully she'll feel it more."

Jason smiled and said, "I sort of did the same thing. I had all the legal stuff done, and then I had her served with divorce papers where she worked. It seemed to get maximum shock value, anyway."

Bill nodded slowly before saying, "I haven't thought ahead quite that far, but I'll have to consider that idea myself. All I know right now is that she has stepped so far over the line I can't see any other solution. It's not just the cheating, it's the disrespect, the lying ... the fact that it was all planned out in advance."

Jason sighed and said, "It's like they don't even consider the consequences, or that they'll be caught."

"That's for sure. I think if Linda knew about the video I have, she would just pack her things and leave."

Bill's face got serious as he thought about the videos once again, but suddenly it brightened and he asked, "That's enough about my problems; it's going to take me a while to solve them. I want to hear how your dinner date with your old friend Heidi worked out. Did it turn out well?"

The serious expression on Jason's face lifted immediately, changing into a broad smile as he answered, "It couldn't have gone better! We got along just fine, and spent a really wonderful evening together. We still have a lot in common, and I think she enjoyed spending some time with me. At least it sure seemed that way."

"That's great, Jason. Do you have any plans to go out with her again?"

Jason's smile got even broader. "We have plans to go to a play Friday night, after we have dinner. I may stay in Cincinnati overnight, because we discussed the possibility of going to a Reds game on Saturday afternoon."

"Sounds pretty interesting, Jason. Do you have plans to stay with Heidi that night?"

Jason quickly answered, "No, no, nothing like that. I already booked a room at the Super 8. I think we both want to take it slow. After what my wife did, I want to be very sure of things before I get involved in a relationship with another woman."