Edited by Barney R. Messed with by me.

My name is Carl Anderson Thompson, and when I was sitting in that living room thinking about how my life had fallen in the crapper. I was 39. I was and am the properties manager for my family’s rental property real estate company. I either do all of the repairs myself or make sure they get done for any of our vacant properties or for any of our tenants. We are not slumlords. Most of our clients are Fortune 1000 companies that bring their key personnel in to town to solve a problem. Most of them rent on a yearly basis but generally only use the places for six to eight weeks at a time two or three times a year.

On Saturday the week before, my wife of 15 years, Connie, decided that she no longer loved me and wanted a divorce. She said I was too much of an ‘Old Fashioned Romantic’ and she wanted more ‘excitement’ so she was going to start playing the field. She told me that I needed to move out because she and the kids would need the house until they left school.

That turned out to be a non-starter because we were leasing the house from my parent’s company. My dad served her an eviction notice the Monday after I moved out. She got some of her excitement when she saw that he meant it.

The house I was staying in is my Grandfather’s, and my dad is the conservator of his holdings as he is in a rest home suffering from dementia. I have been here since the Sunday after she confronted me. I was almost fine until yesterday. It would have been our anniversary. It was also my oldest child’s birthday.

That day my kids Jack 13, and Sarah 11, both called me at the house to say they missed me and asked when I was coming home. Sarah started crying and Jack took the phone.

I asked Jack where his mother was and why did she let them call me.

Jack said, “Grandpa Baker let us call. Mom told us you didn’t want to live with us anymore and so she was going out looking for a new daddy for us.”

I told Jack, “I will come and get you and Sarah in the morning. Where are you living now?”

“We are at Grampa Baker’s for tonight, but he told momma that because she is a ‘stupid bitch who threw away a good man’ that we had to move out by next week.”

“I need to speak to Grandpa, please let him have the phone.”

“OK. I love you daddy.”

“I love you both, I see you soon.”

Connie’s dad, George, came to the phone. “Carl, Connie told me that she kicked you out and you put your dad up to kick them out. Did you?”

“George, I was told by your daughter that I was not exciting enough, and she no longer loved me. Then she told me that I had to move out. I did, and because I work for my dad, I needed to get permission to live in the family house until I find something permanent. That is all I told him. The eviction notice was written in the original lease. If I no longer was in residence and still alive, the lease was void. I had nothing to do with it. If your bitch of a daughter had just left, I would still be there with the kids.”

I then asked, “Did you know she told my kids that I abandoned them because I no longer wanted to live with them? She kicked me out, lost the house, and then lies to the kids. Please when she gets back from her date, tell her I am going to countersue for adultery when I get served the divorce papers. I haven’t been served yet, so if she gets fucked on her dates, she is cheating.

“I know I am sounding off on you, and you didn’t do anything to cause this, so before I get totally pissed off, just remember you are my kids loving Grandfather, and that will never change regardless of what happens between Connie and I. I better go now, but I will pick the kids up in the morning and they can live here with me.

“I know we call it a house, but it is an off the grid 2500 sq. ft. cottage with all the amenities. I will also come back to the old house to get whatever of my stuff she hasn’t thrown out or destroyed. There may also be some of the kid’s things there. Good night, I will see you tomorrow. Again, I am sorry for going off on you like that, you did not deserve it.”

Well, I got an earful when I picked the kids up. Connie was there and wanted to fight.

“Listen up, asshole.” She said; “You are an asshole and you are really good for nothing. I hope you die motherfucker. And just to let you know, I can and will fuck anyone I want to so eat shit.”

I didn’t say anything to her, I just walked past her and told the kids to pack their stuff and we were going to the old house to get the rest of their things. Then I went in the kitchen and grabbed a cup of coffee. I still had not said anything to Connie.

She followed me in to the kitchen and started to rant again when George stopped her and with some anger said to her, “You better start getting your shit ready to go, because after Carl and the kids leave you need to go too. I told you that you fucked up when you threw your loving and good husband out. Now you want to blame him for your fucked up life. You have six hours to get out of here.”

Connie started crying and ran out of the kitchen.

“Thank you for having my back George, but you were a little harsh don’t you think? I mean Connie is still your daughter.”

“She is not my daughter.” He explained; “Her mother decided to fuck around and got pregnant before we were married. I never adopted her. I do love her as if she was mine, but she has her mother’s stubborn stupidity.”

“Does she know that?”

“Yes she does and she throws “You’re not my father” in my face every time I tell her to do something that she doesn’t want to do. Well this time it is coming back to bite her in the ass.”

The kids came out then and I loaded them in the car. We went to the old house, and there was a note from my father on the counter. The kids went to gather anything they left behind, and I sat down to read the note.

...

I just stared at the note and the pictires. I had no idea. I knew that Connie was spending a lot of time with her ‘committees’ and was out of the house two and sometimes three nights during the week.

The kids packed their stuff in the car and I had put the note in my pocket so they couldn’t see it. I went in and all of my stuff was ripped up and the room was trashed. All of the furniture was broken and there was a pile of crap in the middle of the mattress. I took pictures to add to the pile of stuff that dad had. Then we left to go to the family cottage.

The kids had been to Grandpa’s house before, so they ran to their rooms and started to put stuff away. After they were finished I called them into the family room and sat them down to talk.

“I don’t know exactly what your mother told you about why I left, but I did not abandon you. She told me to leave. I did not have her evicted, my father’s company did. We did not and do not own that house. We leased it at a reduced rate as part of my pay for working for the family business.