Edited by Barney R. messed with by me. All errors are mine.

The next morning after the party I left for New York

After I got in the cab to go to the airport for the flight back to my house, I thought about what had happened to put me here. CC and my ex-sister both heaped what I felt was a public humiliation on me. My thoughts went back over the past few months.

CC was pleased when I bought an out of business gallery and had it reconfigured into a studio for her to create in. I was practically killed with love for a couple of months and then things slowly changed. CC spent more time at her gallery than at home. Our lovemaking disappeared and it became a mercy fuck occasionally. Then about three weeks ago she hired a male model for one of my book covers. He was a Fabio ‘wannabe’ 6’ 3” and chiseled. He also had an ego bigger than ‘The Donald’.

Once she started using him, I was ignored. On top of that, where she usually spent three to five days to complete a book cover Jerrod Clousen had been in town for almost three weeks. I asked about the cover, and every time I got “Still working on it.”

Then this past weekend I was hosting a Saturday night barbeque for friends, family, and professional associates, including my publisher and my literary agent. I was asked by my loving wife if Jerrod was invited. I said, “No, not only no, but hell no.”

Then I politely asked my ‘loving wife’ and my ‘supportive sister’ to not have any alcohol at the party. They ignored me and proceeded to get wasted and loud. Then came the exchange the devastated me.

My sister Jane loudly said “That man is such a hunk. If you can keep my naïve idiot of a brother from finding out, I say fuck the hunk and have a good time.” Then she started giggling

CC, also loudly, said; “I’m so tempted if I knew that John would never find out I would be naked and spread in a heartbeat.” Then they both were giggling.

I left the party, I went into my office and realized that I was crying. I sat at my desk for what must have been an hour and realized that all that time I had been twirling my wedding ring. I finally decided that screaming at them in front of guests, or in the morning would not solve anything. So I did what I do best, I wrote,

I wrote a letter to my sister

...
My dear ‘Loving Sister’

This letter is to inform you that your employment is terminated effective immediately. The reason is this drunken statement you loudly made to my wife at the party last night.

“That man is such a hunk. If you can keep my naïve idiot of a brother from finding out, I say fuck the hunk and have a good time.”

Because of that statement, you have shown me you no longer have your employer’s best interest as your primary concern. I will not be disrespected, and when a sibling plots against another sibling, they are no longer related.

You are hereby notified that you have ten days to leave this rent-free house. You are to take only your personal possessions. You may not remove any item, written or electronically stored that pertains to my copyrights. That includes books, manuscripts, movie scripts, and written outlines.

This is also to inform you that as you are a backstabbing bitch, I no longer consider you my sister.

I am sending a copy of this letter to my mother, and also including it in your personnel file and to my lawyer.

Sincerely

Your Ex-brother

John Carmody

...

I printed three copies, signed them and placed one under Jane’s bedroom door, and drove to a mailbox and dropped the others addressed to my mother and lawyer in it. I then drove around for a couple of hours.

I got back to the house, and the ‘ladies’ had apparently decided to look for me. My office door was open, and so was the bedroom door and the ‘ladies were both fully clothed sleeping on the bed.

The letter to my wife was just as nasty.

...

Carolina Catherine Dolman-Carmody;

You had quite a party last night. I specifically asked you and Jane not to serve any alcohol at the party. You did anyway. After overhearing two drunken women talking loudly, I left the party.

In case you did not notice, last night I did not sleep in the marriage bed. I will not be sleeping in that bed again. In case you don’t remember the conversation, it was about Jerrod, your Fabio ‘wannabe’. You two were discussing how you wanted to have sex with him and Jane was encouraging you.

Your exact words were; “I’m so tempted if I knew that John would never find out I would be naked and spread in a heartbeat.”

Well, this letter and the enclosed wedding ring are your permission to ‘explore’. As Jimmy Carter noted, lust in the heart is still cheating.

All I ask is that you have the decency to move out before you explore and drop the Carmody from your name.

First thing Monday, I am filing for divorce. You will have to move anyway, as the house is mine. You might want to talk to my ex-sister about living arrangements as she is unemployed and has lost her residence. I will also be strictly enforcing the prenuptial agreement.

I will not be disrespected by you, my ex-sister, or that asshole of a model who knows you are married to me.

I am going to go to New York Sunday morning, and on Monday I will have your contracts for my book covers to end with those books that have not gone to press yet.

I do not know when you stopped respecting me, but it hurt me more than you can understand. Not only were you plotting to cheat on me, but you were also doing it loudly, in my house, in front of neighbors, in front of friends, and people important to my profession, and with my ex-sister.

Maybe I am, as my ex-sister put it, naïve and an idiot, but I am a person. One who stated in front of god and community to ‘Forsake all others’ do you perhaps not remember that you said the same thing in front of the same audience.

I must try to get some sleep as I need to leave as soon as I can tomorrow. You will not communicate with me except through my attorney until the divorce is final.

I really did, and probably still do love you, but all the hurt you caused last night will not let me let it go by. I do hope you can find a life that makes you happy. I was obviously not the one and not the one enough.

Your soon to be Ex-husband

John Carmody.

PS; Enclosed is the wedding ring you placed on my finger, it may be a little bent and have some cracks, but it must have been a good quality one because I could not break it. I don’t need it anymore.

...

I took a hammer to the ring and placed it and the letter in an envelope then I placed the envelope on CC’s toothbrush holder.

I then went to sleep on the office fold-out bed.

I woke up early and got some coffee and went out on the deck to think. I needed to call the airline, and the hotel chain I use when I have to go to New York, I booked a round trip first class with an open-ended return and booked a suite with the same provisions. I thought that I would be in the city at least until Wednesday, and possibly until the weekend.

On the flight, I realized that my publisher and agent had been at the house last night, and I was flying to meet them in the city. They either would not be there or probably would not be in their offices until Tuesday.

When the plane landed and I was in the terminal I called my agent and told him that I would not insist that he drop CC as a client, that it was his decision. Then I told him, “She will no longer do any future covers for me. But the rest of her work is up to her and you.”

Then I called my publisher, Adrienne Nomara, I told her that any cover that CC had submitted for books gone to press were to be used, but if the book has not gone to press, I needed a new artist. I told Adrienne that if she had to pay CC for her complete contract, to bill me for it.

When I accomplished that, I had no real desire to stay in New York so I called the hotel and canceled my reservations. Then I went to the airline ticket counter and switched my return to a trip from New York to Portland OR to end back at my home.

On the flight to Oregon, I contemplated what I would do for the rest of my life. The two women closest to me betrayed me, at least to my way of thinking about it. I would, of course, continue writing. A writer only stops writing when he dies, even if he never puts it on paper. Anything else was not on my radar at the time.

The plane landed, and I went to my room in the airport hotel. It was near dinner time on the coast, so I ordered a steak and a Coors.

I woke up the next morning and decided to just drive around Portland. I hadn’t been there for many years. I went along the Columbia Gorge Highway, saw a bunch of windsurfers having a good time, watched a good-sized ship pass through one of the locks, and in general I just played tourist.

That night I had dinner at the Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood. The food was excellent and the ambiance took my mind off my troubles for a brief period.

Tuesday morning, I got a call from Jerrod Clousen, the Fabio ‘wannabe’. He wanted to know what happened to have his contract terminated. When I explained that I did not have anything to do with his contract, but that CC was probably trying to ‘cover her ass’ he should talk to her.

Later that day, I received two e-mails from CC. I read them.

...

To: Jerrod.Clousen@xxxxxxxmail, com

Jerrod; I regret to inform you that because I have had my contract for Elizabeth Jester’s book covers terminated; I must end your employment.

I will, of course, pay all monies due to you. I will also pay any housing costs through Saturday at 5:00 PM.

If in the future I have a need for someone that you would meet the requirements, I will contact your agent.

Sincerely

Carolina Catherine Dolman-Carmody

CC: John.Carmody@xxxxxmail.net

Elizabeth.Jester@pridehousepub.com

...

That explained the call from Jerrod. The next was to all of our invitees to the barbeque.

...

Dear Friends;

This letter is to try to apologize to you for the stupidity that I showed at the barbeque last Saturday evening.

If you did not make the party, this is an apology for the hurt I caused my husband and his relationship with you.

What I did and said caused immense hurt to my husband.

I have no excuse, being drunk is not an excuse or a cause.

What I said, and even getting drunk were insults to my dear husband. He has decided to take some actions to stop the insult and hurt.

Should John and I somehow separate, I wish you all will support John. He did not deserve it, and he should not lose your friendship because of what I did.

Again, I apologize for any embarrassment that I caused.

Sincerely;

Carolina Catherine Dolman-Carmody

CC: John.Carmody@xxxxxmail.net

...

The apology sounded sincere, but I was still hurt. I called my business lawyer, Gary Chambers, and asked him to recommend a divorce attorney. The name he gave me was Sally Winston, and I called her office and had a consult on the phone. I mentioned the prenup, and that I was willing to do better if she did not fight it.