Bonnie Lipton was all smiles as she merged her BMW onto the interstate in Atlanta. She knew she’d arrive home a couple of hours later than planned, but she’d simply blame it on the famous Atlanta traffic. Nick had made the delay in leaving well worth the time she lost. He was almost ten years younger than Bonnie and was an excellent lover. He was good looking, smart, a great conversationalist, as well as young enough to recharge quickly.

Bonnie’s thoughts then turned to her husband, Ron. He had just turned 44 and lacked Nick’s stamina. He relied on his experience and knowledge of Bonnie’s body to make their sex life very satisfying. It was always nice to go home and sleep in his arms after spending time with Nick. She realized that she had the best of both worlds and her smile became even wider.

The farther she traveled away from Atlanta, the less thought she gave to Nick. He was fun, but Ron and her daughter, Casey, were the people she loved. Bonnie wanted to spend time with them now that her libido had been well and truly satisfied. She understood her moods. She’d be patient and loving to Ron when she arrived home. He was a fine man and an exceptional husband.

Casey was athletic and smart. She had quite a few friends from her sports and school activities. It wasn’t unusual to have two or three of her girlfriends hanging around the house on weekends. Bonnie enjoyed her interactions with the young women and they seemed to look up to her as a role model.

Bonnie made certain she was always well dressed. She held an excellent position with an architectural firm and was well respected in the community. She and Ron were well known individually, and as a couple. Ron now ran his family’s successful construction company. He was never so busy that he couldn’t show up for all of Casey’s events at school. Bonnie always enjoyed sitting next to Ron as they watched their daughter play or perform. She knew more than a few of the other fathers enjoyed glancing at her surreptitiously, but she also noticed how many of the mothers gazed at Ron like they were vultures and he was road kill. Even with Bonnie sitting next to him, women often took time to chat and flirt with him. Her handsome husband never seemed to notice it, but it was all very apparent to Bonnie.

After hours on the road, Bonnie pulled into her garage to find her husband’s pickup was gone. That was unusual and unexpected. Bonnie felt her mood begin to swing. The least her husband could do was to be home to greet her after a grueling business conference and the long drive home. The house was empty when Bonnie walked through to the master bedroom.

She couldn’t quite place what caused it, but a queasy feeling began to take root deep in her gut. It was almost dinnertime and no one was home. The next day was Thursday, which meant Ron had work and Casey had school. That indicated they should be home soon, so Bonnie unpacked her bag before taking a shower.

As she wondered about Ron and Casey’s unexplained absence, Bonnie remembered that her phone was turned off. It had been off since dinner the previous evening. She had been lost in thought on the drive home and never considered why she wasn’t getting any calls. Ron might be pissed because she never called to thank him for the string of pearls. She had forgotten all about him the previous evening as Nick stoked her fires. As she toweled her hair dry, she switched her phone on.

Ron had once again congratulated himself on his simple but brilliant plan to please and surprise his wife. He had known of her scheduled conference in Atlanta for months. Bonnie attended them twice a year.

As fate would have it, this conference was scheduled to fall on his twentieth wedding anniversary. A few weeks earlier, Ron had been approached about building a large vacation home for a family from Atlanta. Once the business part of his meeting was complete and Ron felt comfortable with the client, Boyd Drake, he brought up an idea which had just recently formed in his head.

“Boyd, my wife will be attending a conference in downtown Atlanta on the tenth of next month, which is our anniversary. I’d like to surprise her and her coworker with a nice dinner at a good restaurant somewhere close to her hotel. To top it off, I bought a pearl necklace which I’d like to see delivered to her at the table as she eats dinner.”

“My daughter’s the one to set that up for you,” stated Boyd. “She’s in college now and knows all the good places in the city. She could make sure the necklace made it into your wife’s hands. It sounds like you plan on getting lucky when your wife gets back home. Why don’t you just drive up to Atlanta with her and deliver it yourself?”

“I’ve offered in the past, but Bonnie insists she’s too busy to spend time with me. She’ll have a late dinner and get back to her hotel as soon as she can so she’s rested for the next day. I have obligations here, and driving that far just to be ignored seems a bit foolish,” reasoned Ron.

“I just had another idea,” added Ron. “Suppose I buy your daughter and a friend of her choosing dinner if she’d be willing to sit at a the table close to Bonnie’s and send me real time-video on Facebook? I’d love to see Bonnie’s surprised look when she opens the box with the necklace.”

“I’ll give you my daughter’s number and you can call or text her and set it up,” replied Boyd. “I’m sure she’d be happy to help pull this off.”

Ron had several pizzas delivered to his house for the party he was throwing in honor of his twentieth anniversary. He had invited his parents, Bonnie’s parents his brother and sister-in-law, along with Bonnie’s younger divorced sister. They were all expecting to watch Bonnie in real time as he surprised her with the anniversary gift. Ron’s 16-year-old daughter, Casey, was also there with a couple of her girl friends. Ron had everything set so they could view the video on the large screen TV.

“Boyd’s daughter is going to sit as close to Bonnie as she can without making her suspicious. She’ll be sending video to me on Facebook Live. She’s paid a server to deliver the wrapped gift after Bonnie and her coworker, Sue, order their meals. We’ll see Bonnie’s reaction in real time. This is going to be the best anniversary possible, considering we’re so far apart,” explained Ron with a happy smile. “I have things set so we won’t transmit any audio, so feel free to make comments, including what a great idea I had.”

“Who’s the guy with Mom?” asked Casey as Bonnie came into view, holding hands with a good-looking younger man. “Didn’t you say she’d be with Sue?”

“I don’t know who he is,” admitted Ron. “He appears to be a pretty good friend.”

Bonnie’s father simply made an ‘harrumph’ sound and scowled at Ron’s statement.

As the couple took their seats, everyone who had gathered around Ron’s TV easily heard the conversation.

“It sure was nice of your husband to buy our dinner tonight,” observed the unknown man with a chuckle. “I’ll do my best to make this anniversary a memorable one ... at least for you. It’ll be even better than your honeymoon.”

“You’d better order the steak,” replied Bonnie with a grin. “You’re going to need your strength. My honeymoon was epic.”

“Really?” asked the man. “Did you have a lover in the wings back then or did your husband actually manage to ring your chimes?”

“Ron did an excellent job, thank you for asking,” quipped Bonnie. “You’re the only lover I’ve had in the last twenty years, except for Ron, of course.”

“Lucky for me he started slowing down,” responded the man with a chuckle. “The good news is this. Tonight you’ll have a far better twentieth anniversary than most women have. I’ll make certain of that.”

“Maybe we’ve seen enough,” offered Bonnie’s sister nervously. “This isn’t really fair. Bonnie has no idea we’re watching and listening. Why don’t you turn it off, Ron?”

“We don’t want to miss Bonnie’s reaction when she gets her necklace, do we?” asked a determined but very red-faced Ron. “We’ll watch this train wreck a little longer.”

As the couple ordered, everyone heard Bonnie refer to her companion as ‘Nick’. When the server left with the menus, another server appeared with a beautifully wrapped package.

“Look! Ron must have had an anniversary gift delivered here to the restaurant!” exclaimed Bonnie in delight as she began tearing the wrapping from the package.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” asked Bonnie as she beamed at the string of pearls. “Would you hook it for me?”

“Sure. Just lean back toward me,” directed Nick as he carefully attached the necklace. Once he completed his task, he ran his hands quickly over Bonnie’s breasts.

“Your husband is so romantic. You’re lucky to have such a handsome man,” pointed out an older woman sitting at a nearby table.

“Right on both points,” agreed Nick with a smile. “She has a romantic husband and a good looking boyfriend.”

Bonnie glared at Nick, but the older women simply laughed at his comment.

“I gave you a pearl necklace last night, which I personally think looked much better on you than this one,” joked Nick as he leaned in and kissed Bonnie on the lips.

“That’s the difference between a husband and a lover,” stated Bonnie with a sexy grin. “Husbands give us jewelry while lovers give us orgasms.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do this anymore!” whispered a pretty red haired girl who had to be Boyd’s daughter, as she pulled her phone around. “I should have stopped sooner, but I was so stunned I was in shock. I’m so sorry it turned out like this. I’ll make sure to erase everything off my phone. I have to go now!”

The TV went blank as everyone sat in stunned silence. One of Casey’s friends was the first to speak.

“It’s getting late. We’d better leave now. We’ll see you tomorrow at school.”

“If I even go,” replied a teary eyed Casey. “Would it be okay if I went home with my friends, Dad? I feel like I need to be with them right now.”

“Sure, Sweetheart. I understand. We’ll talk tomorrow. Drive carefully, girls,” Ron had to practically whisper, his throat was so dry.

“I don’t know what to say,” began Bonnie’s mother. “I think we must have gotten the wrong impression about things. Bonnie loves you, Ron, and she would give her life for Casey. Don’t so anything rash.”

Ron’s other guests pretty much reiterated those sentiments as they quietly discussed the situation. After a few more minutes of quiet discussion, Ron made a decision.

“I have a lot to think about, everyone. Please find your way out and allow me some time to be alone and go over my options.”

Once everyone left, Ron dug out his luggage and began packing.

Bonnie was surprised at the number of messages she had received and the calls she had missed since turning off her phone the previous evening. As she scanned her text messages, her heart sank.

Her sister and mother demanded to know who ‘Nick’ was and why she was so chummy with him. They insisted she had broken Ron’s heart and Casey was extremely upset, as well. Her mother and sister had sent her no fewer than a dozen texts each. Bonnie scanned her messages to see if she had anything from Ron, and discovered she did not.

How did her family find out about Nick and how much did they actually know? Where were Ron and Casey? How could she dig herself out of the hole she found herself in? She needed to find out exactly what Ron knew, as well as what he merely suspected. Bonnie realized she had to speak to her family members to determine just how bad her situation was.

“Mom? It’s me. I forgot I had turned my phone off last night,” began Bonnie as calmly as she could. “I see you’ve been trying to reach me. Is anything wrong?”

“Only if you think losing your husband, alienating and embarrassing your daughter, shaming your parents and acting like a complete slut might create some problems down the road. I suppose it doesn’t bother you very much or you wouldn’t have been enjoying a damn pearl necklace from your boyfriend,” ranted her mother.

“Ron gave me a string of pearls for our anniversary,” reasoned Bonnie. “Why would that upset you?”

“Your father and I have seen enough old porn movies to know what your young man meant when he referred to you wearing his pearl necklace,” revealed Bonnie’s not-so straight laced mother.

“Mom! What made you think I’d do anything like that? Why do you think I have a boyfriend?” asked Bonnie as fear caused a knot to form in her gut.

“Don’t play games with me. I’m not stupid!” snarled her mother. “Ron had a bunch of us over to watch you open his twentieth anniversary gift at the restaurant, He made a reservation for you and a coworker. I think her name was supposed to be Sue. We saw the whole sordid thing. Your husband treats you like a queen and you disrespect him. ‘Husbands give jewelry while lovers give orgasms’ pretty well summed everything up.”

“You heard me say that?” asked a shocked Bonnie. “How is that possible?”

“Ron had some friend’s daughter do some kind of live broadcast with her phone. He wanted us to see how happy you would be with his gift. Then we were all going to call and wish you a happy anniversary,” related her mother sadly. “It looks like it may be your last anniversary, at least with Ron. Maybe you and lover-boy will get together again after everything settles down.”

“Mom! You know I love Ron. That other guy doesn’t mean anything to me. It was just something to pass the time. Those conferences get boring,” insisted Bonnie.

“Oh, that makes all the difference,” stated her mother sarcastically. “Ron’s going to feel so much better knowing his wife isn’t a round-heeled slut. She was just bored. I guess you have left your crossword puzzle home.”

“Calling me names isn’t helpful, Mom. How am I going to convince Ron he’s the only man I love?”

“You haven’t even convinced me, so I’d say you have your work cut out for you,” replied her mother. “Watching you with that man was the worst thing I’ve ever seen. I really doubt Ron found it any better.”

Bonnie considered her situation after speaking to her mother. Her entire family had seen and heard everything she and Nick had discussed at dinner the night before. As she recalled her conversation with Nick at dinner, Bonnie realized how bad her situation was. She decided to call Casey.

“Casey, where are you?” asked Bonnie when Casey answered her phone.

“I’m with Morgan. She’s been trying to console me over my family breaking up,” responded Bonnie’s daughter.

“We’re not breaking up. Please come home now and we’ll talk about it. Where’s your father?” asked Bonnie tentatively.

“He moved up to the lake cottage,” replied Casey. “I don’t think he wants to see you. He was so happy last night when he asked everyone over to watch you open your gift. You pretty much ripped his heart out when you showed up with a lover instead of Sue.”

“Please come home now,” repeated Bonnie as she tried to think of something she could say to Ron to gain his forgiveness.

Once she ended her conversation with Casey, Bonnie began to look around the house. She noticed Ron’s laptop and some file cabinets were gone from the study. His bedroom closet had been completely emptied. It was as bare as Mother Hubbard’s cupboard. Bonnie fought back tears as she wandered aimlessly around the house, noticing what items were missing. Ron had not taken any pictures with her in them. That fact seemed especially damning.

Looking for something to take her mind off her faltering marriage, Bonnie began preparing dinner for Casey. By the time Casey came through the door, she had managed to conjure up a small meal.

Casey was sullen and only spoke to Bonnie when she was asked a direct question. Even then, Casey kept her response as brief as possible. Bonnie admitted to herself that her daughter had good reason to be pissed at her, but she hoped the animosity would at least diminish over time, if not disappear totally.

The next morning at sunup, Bonnie walked into their lake cabin to find Ron uncomfortably hunched up and passed out on the small sofa. Numerous empty beer cans were scattered around the floor.

“Ron? Honey, we need to talk. Can you wake up, please?”

Ron slowly opened his eyes and groaned. He gradually stood and proceeded to the bathroom without saying a word. Bonnie decided to make some coffee while she waited for her husband to return. A few minutes later, a freshly showered Ron came back into the kitchen as Bonnie placed a mug in front of him.

Bonnie hoped Ron would begin the difficult conversation, but that hope soon died. It was apparent he had no intention of starting the discussion.

“Ron, I’m so sorry about what happened. I love the pearls. It was a wonderful gift which I’ll always cherish. I wish I had known you were broadcasting everything to the family. It would have been nice if you had told me about that.”

“Fuck you,” was all Ron managed in the way of reply as he fumed over Bonnie’s effort to cast him as the offender.

Bonnie was surprised and hurt by Ron’s response. In all of their years together, he had never spoken to her in a disrespectful manner. It was a clear indication of the pain she had caused him.

“That’s not helpful,” responded Bonnie calmly. “Tell me what I need to do to make this right. You’re the only man I’ve ever loved. That hasn’t changed. We can work through this together.”

“Help me out here. What exactly is the problem you want to work through?” asked Ron calmly. “Is the problem that I surprised you with an anniversary gift in a nice restaurant where I made reservations for you and a friend? Is the problem I had a client’s daughter agree to send a real time video of your reaction? Is the problem that I mistakenly thought it was a gift you’d appreciate? Explain to me what the problem is so I know just what the fuck you’re talking about.”

“You know what the problem is,” insisted Bonnie. “You saw me with Nick last night at the restaurant.”

“I know you have dinner with other people now and then. Why do you think that’s a problem,” questioned Ron.

“You know damn well why it’s a problem. I told you I was going to dinner with Sue but actually went with Nick. You overheard our conversation and found out we’ve been sleeping together. That’s the problem we need to work on!”

“Just to be clear, is the problem that I, along with your entire family, overheard your conversation, or is the problem that you’ve been spreading your legs for other men?”

“My behavior is the problem,” admitted a red-faced Bonnie as she realized going on the offensive wouldn’t work in her current situation. “You were just trying to be nice to me on our anniversary. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Okay, we’re making progress. Now tell me why you’ve been fucking around on me, how long you’ve been fucking around, and with how many men you’ve been fucking around,” demanded Ron. “Is Casey my biological daughter? Is there a chance the mailman fathered her?”

“There’s no need to be vulgar, or insulting,” stated an emotionally stunned Bonnie. “Of course Casey is your daughter. Nick is the only lover I’ve had since before we started dating. Your comment about how many men have I had and the mailman being Casey’s father was just plain cruel.”

“I’m having some trouble following your logic here,” countered Ron. “You admit you’re a cheating slut, but insist a line be drawn as to how big a slut you are? You want me to be polite and understanding, not to mention gullible, when you tell me you’re a one man slut. You’re proud of the fact you haven’t cheated on me very often.

“By the way, how long have you been fucking Slick Nick, and how often? You neglected to mention those pertinent facts while you were rejecting the title of town bicycle.”

“This was the third conference we’ve slept together,” admitted a teary eyed Bonnie as she finally began to sense the depth of Ron’s anger and humiliation. “Other than you, he’s the only man I’ve been with since we got married twenty years ago.”

“That would be two nights together for each of the three conferences,” stated Ron. “Did you ever fuck him anywhere else?”

“No!” proclaimed Bonnie. “It was a total of six times and I deeply regret it. I owe you an apology.”

“You’re telling me a young stud like Nick was only able to get it up once a night with a fox like you?” questioned Ron. “He never fucked you more than once in a night?”

“What difference does that make?” asked a bewildered Bonnie. “We probably did it three times each night.”

“Now for the big question,” announced Ron. “Why did you fuck another man? Was sex with me so unrewarding, so mundane, so pathetic you needed to find a younger better hung lover?”

“Of course not! I was bored and he pursued me relentlessly. I was weak. It was never about you, or our sex life. It was about my vanity, maybe a midlife crisis. He means nothing to me. I swear it!”

“I see. You had sex with a man who met nothing to you,” repeated Ron. “Have you fucked Mr. Jenkins?”

“The guy who lives down the street and wears those ridiculous shirts?” asked a very confused Bonnie. “Of course not. I hardly know him, but I find him repulsive.”

“So he means nothing to you?” continued Ron. “You just told me you fuck men you don’t love and who mean nothing to you. Jenkins fits that description, so why don’t you spread your legs for him?”

“I didn’t say I sleep with every man who means nothing to me!” explained a distraught Bonnie. “I slept with Nick because he was good looking, suave, and successful. He pursued me.”

“You’re telling me you’ll only spread your legs for good looking successful men who chase after you? Other than a few guys like that, you’re a faithful wife. If you don’t love the men you fuck, doesn’t it follow that you don’t love me?”

“No! I’m telling you I made a horrible mistake and it’ll never happen again,” stated Bonnie with emotion. “I love you, but not Nick.”

“How do I know that?” asked Ron gently. “You promised to be faithful to me at our wedding and a few other times over the years. You’re a beautiful woman. Good looking, successful men will always be pursuing you. I can’t trust you. I can’t even give you the great sex you seem to enjoy so much.”

“Don’t ever think that, Ron! I love sex with you. It’s special and it makes me feel loved,” replied Bonnie.

“What did Nick make you feel that you kept going back to him?” asked Ron softly.

“Dirty. Used. Different than a mother, or a wife. It was the wrongness that sucked me in. It wasn’t love.”

“Did you suck his cock? Did he fuck you in the ass?” asked a subdued Ron.

“Why does that matter? It’s you I love!” protested Bonnie in obvious embarrassment before adding. “You know I wouldn’t let anyone have my ass, not even you.”

“I have a lot to consider. You’re standing there telling me you love me and not him, yet you suck his cock, but haven’t given him your ass ... yet. It’s hard for me to accept you’d do so much more for a man who means nothing to you than for a man you love,” reasoned Ron.

“You haven’t indicated you wanted oral sex in a long time. I wasn’t against it so much as I thought you’d lost interest,” protested Bonnie, even as she realized how pathetic she must have sounded.

“Yeah, what married guy wants a blowjob from his wife, especially when she hands them out like candy? You told me on our honeymoon I would be the only man you loved,” recalled Ron. “You and Slick must have had quite a few laughs at my expense.”

“It wasn’t like that. He never talked about you. I would have never allowed it,” insisted Bonnie.

“You seem to forget I heard a few minutes of your conversation. The asshole badmouthed me several times and you went along with it. Remember how I’m slowing down? He gave you a better twentieth anniversary than most wives ever get. You never disagreed, did you?

“Why are we even wasting our time here?” demanded Ron suddenly. “You found someone new. I accept that. It seems like you should as well. Why pretend you want to stay married? It’s pretty damn obvious you didn’t like being my wife, and we won’t even talk about the bad sex. You’re beautiful, successful and intelligent, while I bring nothing to the table. It was only a matter of time before you looked for something better. Congratulations on finding it! Don’t let the door hit you on the ass on the way out.”

“Ron, we can’t let this discussion end so badly. We have to talk it out and find a way back,” Bonnie pleaded tearfully.

“You can have your lawyer speak to my lawyer. We’re done, Bonnie. I’m going to divorce you. You’ve left me no choice.”

Bonnie went to work that day only to have an irate Sue corner her by the break room. “Why was Ron asking me about going with you to Atlanta for that conference? You know full well I stopped going to those after you decided to spend nights with that Romeo from the Chicago office. I don’t want you using me as a cover for your cheating.”

“Ron called you? What did you tell him?” questioned Bonnie dejectedly.

“The truth. I haven’t gone to the last two conferences. I got the impression you told him we were sharing a room and spending time at the conference together,” complained Sue. “I don’t appreciate being used like that.”

“It won’t be a problem again, Ron found out this trip. I think he’s going to divorce me,” confessed Bonnie.

“What other outcome could you possibly expect?” demanded Sue. “No decent man can accept that level of disrespect.”

“I was too fucking stupid and self-centered to even think about Ron finding out,” answered Bonnie candidly. “He’s moved out.”

“Don’t you think you made your choice when you slept with the slimy bastard from Chicago?” asked Sue a little more gently. “I’m sorry you lost Ron, but I warned you it would happen if you kept it up. I wasn’t the one who told him, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“I know that, Sue. I owe you an apology. I abused your friendship. I wish I had listened to you, but I was so damn smart and entitled. I don’t deserve a man like Ron.”

Ron had taken the day off from work after learning Bonnie was cheating on him. He was determined to move all of his belongings to his lake house before Bonnie made it home. He had no interest in listening to her reasons or excuses for cheating. He was sickened when he considered life without Bonnie, but he knew he could never forgive her cold-hearted disregard for his feelings, as well as her ambivalence toward fidelity and respect.

Her surprise visit the next morning had simply exposed the huge emotional gap that separated them. She had said nothing that could help him forgive her cheating. He made an appointment with a lawyer for the next afternoon.

He was preparing to leave the office for his meeting with a divorce lawyer the next day when he was notified of a new email. It was from Bonnie. He considered whether he should read or simply delete it. After an internal discussion, he opened the email. In her typical fashion, Bonnie had addressed the problem head on. He felt nothing but despair as he read her missive.

“Ron, I know I really screwed up this time. I was stupid enough to think you’d never find out, so my actions would never hurt you. I was wrong. Lying and cheating will destroy a marriage, even if one partner is unaware that it’s happening. You deserve so much better. I have never wanted anything as much in my life as I want you to forgive me, but I will not dispute any action you take regarding our marriage. I forfeited the right to be involved in your decision. I love you and wish you the very best. You are a fine man, husband and father. This is entirely on me. I accept that truth, although I hate that I did this to us. You may not believe it, but I love you, and I always will. Bonnie”

Ron fought back the tears as he read Bonnie’s admission and plea for forgiveness. It was like her to accept the blame for her actions once she had time to consider the situation. She was a strong woman who demanded the best from others, as well as herself. He felt empty and could see no reason to respond to the email. He had nothing left to say.

After the morning Bonnie went to see him at the lake cabin, Casey was her only source of information regarding Ron. That Friday afternoon, Casey called Bonnie to tell her she would be going to her father’s cabin for the weekend. Ron would bring her back home Sunday evening. Bonnie realized that was how her life was going to be moving forward.

She spent a miserable weekend thinking about how badly she had messed up her life. She had no idea how she could fix her mistake, or even if it was possible to fix. Had she totally destroyed her once happy marriage?

Casey looked quite glum when she came home Sunday evening. “Dad’s decided to get a divorce. He can’t live with someone who’s lost all respect for him. I saw him cry a few times this weekend. I’d never seen that before in my whole life. Do you have any idea how much you hurt him? I guess your boyfriend must be a lot better than Dad.”

“He’s not my boyfriend and he can’t hold a candle to your father,” replied a shaken Bonnie. “It was a huge mistake and I deeply regret it. Your father is the best man I’ve ever known.”