Chapter 1

Renee hated it when I had to leave home for any time without her. I took the occasional consulting jobs every once in a while just to stay up to date on issues that might come up with modern software programming. We didn’t need the money since we had sold the company to the employees, and for other reasons, but I needed the mental stimulation. This trip was supposed to be for two weeks to fix an issue with the robotics at a car plant in Tennessee. Renee was a bit more worried about this trip than before.

“Sweetheart, it’s for two weeks, I will call you every night and probably a couple of times a day. I miss you when I do this stuff and I wish I could take you and the kids with me. I will get this thing clean and, in the bag, as soon as I can, and I will rush back into your arms at light speed.”

Renee took me to the airport and kissed me goodbye, but there was something in her demeanor that was out of whack, like she wanted to tell me something. I got on the plane and pulled out the reports of the problem I was supposed to fix.

I called home each evening and talked to Renee and the kids. Everything seemed good. I called Renee three times while I was at lunch and she seemed good as well. Once she was grocery shopping and twice, she was on her way to my mom’s house to have the kids have some Grams time.

The job was crazy, and it stretched my brain, but in the end, I figured the problem and once that was done the solution was a snap. With the job well in hand, I thanked my employer and collected my pay, not that I needed it, and took off for the airport and home. I spent the return flight thinking of how to spend the money for something fun for Renee and the kids.

I stopped to pick up some flowers and a little stuffed bunny for Renee. She loves bunnies. I pulled into the driveway and opened the garage to find it empty. Renee’s car was gone. This time of night, I figured that she was at my mom’s house with the kids. I parked, closed the garage door and walked into the house. It looked like it had the day we moved in after buying the software company from Renee’s ex-husband and current ward of the State, Stan.

I took my bag up to the bedroom to find that the bed had not been made and there, in the middle of our king-sized bed, was the remains of a large, slightly brown, wet spot. Next to the bed, on the nightstand was a small zippered bag full of rubbers and lubricant. From the look and smell of the bed, someone had been having anal sex.

This didn’t make a hell of a lot of sense, considering the shit Renee and I had gone through a few years back when Stan and my ex, Helen, screwed each other and my life. I put my clothes into the laundry and started the washing machine. Once it was going, I went to the kitchen and got a beer and pulled out my phone and called her.

“Mick! Hi honey.”

“Hi Renee. How are you doing?”

“I’m good. Just sitting in the living room watching a movie with the kids.”

“Really?” I stood in the empty living room and looked around. “Can I talk to them please?”

“Honey, I am going to ask you not to. They get so wound up when you are gone, and it is going to be really hard to get them to bed.”

“I understand. They do get wound up. I just wanted to tell you that I had a really hard day. The team I came to work with has been thrown for a loop. It seems that two of the married members of the team found out that their wives were sleeping with other people and when it came out they quit their jobs on the spot and left town. The guys took their kids and disappeared. No divorce, they just disappeared. Looks like the wives are going to lose their houses because with no income they can’t pay for anything. I may have to go back next month.”

“That sounds horrible.” Renee said convincingly.

“Yup, so I called to talk to you because I love you and I am so happy that our marriage is strong. In all of the road trips I have had to take, I have never even had a thought about being with another woman. I wanted to say I love you and I am proud to be your husband.”

“Baby, you know that I feel the same way. I would still take a bullet for you and the kids.”

Did I detect a crack in her voice?

“Well walk over and give the kids a kiss for me and I will see you in a couple of days. I love you.”

“I’ll see you in a couple of days. Bye.”

Well that told me a lot. First, she lied about being home with our kids. Second, she never once said ‘I love you’ to me. I was pissed, and I called my mom.

“Hi mom.”

“Hi Mick. How are you?”

“I’m ok mom. Just working for a living. Are the kids there with you?”

“Yes. Renee brought them over yesterday and asked me to take them for the weekend. But you should know that.”

My mom sounded concerned.

“I should?”

“Renee said that she was going to surprise you on your trip. She should have been there yesterday.”

Well it made me feel better that Mom didn’t know what was going on, not that she ever would cover up something like this.

“She wasn’t, and I am home now, and she is not here. There are signs that she is cheating on me. Please keep the kids. I will come by tomorrow and pick them up. If you talk to Renee, please don’t tell her I am here. Ok?”

“Of course, son. Jack and Jill, MJ, Rachel and James love it here and I will keep an eye on them for as long as you need. I love you, son.”

“I love you too, mom. Bye.”

I took the chance that Renee was not going to be coming home tonight and took pictures of the bed. I began to collect all of Renee’s clothes and put them in trash bags. I went out and changed the code on the garage door opener and on my opener.

I got out a pillow and blanket and slept on the couch. Renee didn’t come home, and in the morning, I called a locksmith to change the locks and I called the new President of my company.

“Hi Mac, sorry to bother you at home, but I have a personal problem and am going to need some time off from consulting and travel and everything.”

“Anything I can help with?”

“No Mac, unless you know a good divorce lawyer. The one I used way back when, has passed away.”

“Oh no. Mick, I am so sorry. I can give you the number of the lawyer I used. Her name is Sally Hawk. She is a nice lady but is a hard ass when it comes to cheaters.”

“That’s what I want.”

After he gave me the number, I thanked him and called Sally Hawk. I left a number and a short explanation and asked her to call me as soon as possible. I spent the next few hours finishing up packing Renee’s stuff. I finished the wash and folded the clothes and put my stuff away and then put Renee’s in the bags.

That evening I called Renee’s phone again.

“Hi Renee.”

“Hi honey. How are you? Has today been any better?”

“Nope. Matter of fact it has gotten really bad. We may have to close down the office. All because two sluts couldn’t keep their legs together. I don’t understand how two women who are supposed to love their husbands could do that. They both had kids and now their families are destroyed and the families of the men they cheated with are too. They are the scum of the earth.”

“I understand how you feel.” She sounded sad.

“But back to happier things. I love you and when I get home, I want to take you out for a romantic dinner and maybe a little parking and necking.”

“Mick! We are too old to park and neck.”

“How are the kids?”

“They are good. I took them to your mom’s today and went to do some shopping. I just got home so when I hang up, I will go and get them.”

“Ok. I should be home at about 4:30 tomorrow afternoon. Get ready to have a great night out. I love you.”

“I will be ready for you. Bye.”

Again, she didn’t say ‘I love you’ and she lied about being home. By this time of the night a pretty hard summer rainstorm had started. I walked outside with Renee’s belongings and dumped them on the front lawn, in the rain. The wind had picked up and it was amusing to watch a couple pairs of her panties and a couple of her bras blowing down the street.

Then I walked back into the house to answer the phone.

“Mr. O’Dell? This is Sally Hawk. I got your message. Please tell me the whole story.”

I told her everything that had happened and that I had changed the locks and when I told her that I had thrown her clothes out.

“Don’t do that! Get it all back in the house. It will make you look bad in court. Next you need to take half of your money out of your savings and checking accounts and set up your own accounts in a different bank. If you have credit cards, I would close all but one.”

I took down all of the things she said and then we talked about the cost and I agreed. She had me make a statement on the phone that she recorded that I agreed to the costs that Sally had outlined. I hung up and ran out trying to gather all of the clothes I could find and left what I could find on the garage floor, however, some of our neighbors, down the street, were going to find women’s underwear in their yards.

Then I got on the computer and did my banking business. I logged on to the credit card companies site and closed out three cards and paid them off out of our joint account. Then I opened another checking and savings account and moved half of my money into them. As I carried out these tasks my anger grew and grew.

I slept on the couch again and in the morning, I decided what I was going to do. I called my mom.

“Hi mom. Have you heard from Renee?”

“No son.”

“Ok, please get the kids ready to go and I will be there to pick them up in an hour. I love you.”

“Son, what is going on?” She sounded both worried and curious.

“Mom, I will tell you everything in a couple of days.”

“Ok, son. Please take care of yourself.”

“I am, mom, I am. Bye.”

“Bye, son, I love you.”

When I hung up, I went to the kid’s rooms and packed a lot of their clothes and put them in my SUV. I packed some of their favorite personal items, stuffed bears and bunnies and such. I packed their toothbrushes and other hygiene stuff. When everything was packed, I picked up the phone and called my wife.

“Honey?”

“Hi Renee. I had a break, so I thought I would call to tell you my plans for the day.”

“Ok, right now?”

“Yup. Are you busy doing something?”

“No. I’m just sitting here in the living room.”

“That is the first thing I want to talk to you about. You see, I have been home for two days and I have been sleeping on the couch because of the mess you and your lover left in the bed.”

There was dead silence on the phone.

“Did you hear me?”

“Yes.”

“Now, you have 15 minutes to get home. If you are not here in 15 minutes, then I will take the next steps in my plan. Your time starts right now.”

“Mick, I can’t be there in...”

I hung up and looked at the clock on the wall.

After 15 minutes, there was no sign of Renee, so I walked out and got into my big SUV and drove to my mom’s house, walked to the door and rang the bell.

“Son! You don’t have to ring the bell.”

She looked worried when she opened the door.

“Sorry Mom. Things are all shot to hell. I need to take the kids with me, and I’ll call you later.”

“Kids, your daddy is here.”

Two small seven-year-old tornadoes came spinning through the living room like the Tasmanian Devil, followed by six-year-old MJ and five-year-old Rachel. James was hanging onto Grams. My twins ran straight into me, collided into me actually. We kissed and hugged.

“Daddy, I missed you.”

My son, Jack, looked sad.

“Me too, daddy.”

Jack’s twin sister, Jill, was crying. MJ, Rachel and James were acting sad, even though all they really knew was the good life and being at my mom’s house.

“What is wrong kids?” I asked the group.

“Mom left us here again, Daddy. We love Grams, but we want our mom.” Jill said.

“Mom? What is going on?”

“Mick, I thought that you knew that Renee was dropping the kids off here almost every day for almost the past two weeks. She told me that she had a job and that she was doing it to surprise you.”

“Mom, she never said anything to me about a job. But I guess if it was a surprise, she wouldn’t. I need get to the bottom of this.”