Mike Gallagher watched from his second-story bedroom window as his wife eagerly embraced Jake Williams, a man who claimed to be his best friend. This was their fifth date together, and as Mike watched and listened, he learned of their plan to further humiliate him.

He told Kristy in no uncertain terms he wanted to spend a whole week with her, but she put him off.

“Not a whole week, Jake,” she said. “Maybe a weekend, but only on one condition.”

“What’s that?” he asked.

“You get Mike to pay for it,” she said. He laughed.

“That’s silly,” he said. “I’m a lot richer than he is. I’ll pay for it.”

“No, no,” she said. “You’re forgetting the most important part of all this.”

“And that is?” he asked.

“Humiliating Mike,” she said. “C’mon, admit it, you get off on humiliating him, don’t you? Pushing him around, making him feel like shit?”

“Well,” he started. “He is my best friend, you know.”

“Bullshit,” she said. “You love humiliating him almost as much as I do.”

“Look, Kristy, let’s end this charade,” he pleaded. “Come with me and dump that loser. I want to marry you and spend the rest of my life with you.” She laughed.

“Tell you what, stud,” she said. “Let me get him to foot the bill for a hot dirty weekend, and we’ll see, okay?” Jake sighed, exasperated.

“Oh, it’ll be dirty alright,” he said, getting back in his car. “I’ll talk to you soon, but don’t keep me waiting for too long. You’re already giving me blue balls.”

She watched as he left, then turned to the house she shared with her husband, Mike. Walking in, she began undressing as she made her way up the stairs. She saw Mike in the bedroom when she walked in, dropping her dress on the floor. She was naked underneath. She made her way into the bathroom and inspected herself, leaving the door open.

“You probably heard what we were talking about,” she said. “I’m leaving you for Jake. We’re going on a dirty weekend somewhere and you’re paying for it. Soon, I’ll be leaving you to marry him.”

“I’ve been paying ever since I married you three years ago,” Mike said sadly. “I thought we were good. I’ve done nothing but love you. Don’t you love me?” She snorted.

“How could I possibly stay in love with you?” she asked sarcastically. “You’re nothing but a wimp who lets your best friend date your wife.” She saw him sniffling on the bed. “Oh, grow up,” she said.

“Is that why you’ve been disrespecting me these last few months?” he asked weakly.

“Why do you think?” she asked. She saw him look at her with lust in his eyes. Snorting, she shook her head. “Don’t even think of it, wimp,” she said. “There’s no way I’m letting you touch me with that pathetic little pee-pee of yours. I’m calling a real man to come over and fuck me good and proper. You can sit in the chair and watch if you want. Maybe take notes. Maybe I’ll let you suck his cum out of me if you promise to be good.”

“Damn you, bitch,” Mike said, getting off the bed. She watched as he went down the stairs. She followed him down and saw him reach for the door.

“Where are you going? Off to pout somewhere? Maybe cry on your mama’s shoulder like a baby?” she asked sarcastically. He looked at her with sadness in his eyes. He had taken all he could from her, and swore he would take no more.

“Goodbye, Kristy,” he said, slamming the door. She heard his car door open, then slam shut. A few seconds later, she watched as he drove off. Where was he going, she wondered. She shrugged her shoulders. Fuck him, she thought. Good riddance to bad trash. She grabbed her phone and dialed a number.

“Hey, lover,” she cooed. “Wimpy is gone, so why don’t you come over and fill me up?”

...

Three days later, Michael pulled into the driveway. Opening the garage door from inside his car, he pulled in and closed the big door. He grabbed his briefcase and strode purposefully into the house. Kristy was sitting at the kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee. He said nothing to her as he went into his home office.

Curious, Kristy went to his office door and tried to enter. The door was locked. Odd, she thought. He never locked this door. She knocked on the heavy wooden door and turned the knob when she heard the lock disengage.

Opening the door, she saw him at his desk, looking at a map of something on his computer. She knew he was in the process of designing a housing tract along one of the area’s many lakes and figured that’s what he was looking at.

“What do you want?” he asked curtly. For a moment, she was taken back. He had never been abrupt with her before. But then again, she realized, she had been rather disrespectful of him recently.

“I was concerned,” she said. “You left three days ago and I never heard from you. I tried calling your cell, but you never answered.”

“I’m sure you were,” he said sarcastically. Kristy stopped for a moment. Was this really her Mike? He looked like Mike, sounded like Mike, but there was something ... slightly different about him. Maybe she had pushed him too far. She tried reaching out to him but he managed to avoid her advance.

“Don’t you want to give your wife a kiss?” she asked. “It’s been three days since I last saw you.” He looked at her for a moment as though she was an insect being examined under a microscope. He shook his head.

“No,” he said, turning back to his computer. “Please close the door on your way out.” Kristy was really confused by now. Her husband never refused her advances and always kissed her whenever he could. This man was ... cold. She closed the door to his office and went to the master bedroom to grab her phone. She dialed a number, and a man answered on the first ring.

“Jake, he’s back,” Kristy said. “But something’s wrong. It’s like he’s a different person. He wouldn’t even kiss me when he came in the house.”

“Don’t worry about it, sweetie,” Jake said. “He’s probably just realized that you’re leaving him and there’s nothing he can do to stop it. I’ll be over tonight and we’ll get it all taken care of. Just let me talk to him for a few minutes.”

“Okay,” Kristy said. “You’d better be right.” Michael heard her half of the conversation and smiled, turning back to his computer.

That night, Jake pulled into the driveway. Kristy opened the door and let him in, giving him a sloppy kiss as he entered.

“Where is he?” Jake asked. She pointed to the office door.

“He’s been in there all day,” she said.

“Let me have a few words with him alone,” Jake said as he walked to the office door. He knocked on the door after finding it locked. “Mike, it’s me, Jake, your friend. Can we talk for a few minutes?” The door lock disengaged and Jake entered.

“Close the door behind you,” Michael said as Jake entered. “Sit,” he commanded, pointing to an empty chair. Jake sat down as Michael poured himself a drink.

“Aren’t you going to offer your friend a drink?” Jake asked. Michael looked at him for a moment.

“Friend? Are you really my friend?” Michael asked. Jake looked confused. Kristy was right. This was not the weak, beta-male he was used to dealing with.

“Of course,” Jake said. “I’m your best friend, remember?” Michael chuckled.

“Best friend,” he said. “Tell me, what kind of a friend steals his friend’s wife? Hmm?”

“Mike, I’m sorry,” Jake began before Michael cut him off.

“You want Kristy, right?” Michael asked. Jake nodded his head. “How much is she worth to you?”

“I don’t know what you mean, Mike,” Jake said.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Jake,” Michael said. “You’re a savvy business man. You know there’s always a price to be paid in any negotiation. How much?”

“I don’t know,” Jake said. “What do you have in mind?”

“I really like that new Bentley of yours,” Michael said. “How much did you pay for that thing?”

“I paid over $500,000 for it,” Jake said.

“I take it that it’s paid for, right?” Michael asked.

“Of course,” Jake said.

“That would be a good start,” Michael said.

“What?” Jake asked. “You want me to hand over my Bentley in exchange for Kristy?” Michael smiled.

“Along with 25 percent of your net worth,” Michael said. Jake’s eyes widened.

“That’s over $50 million,” Jake said. “You can’t be serious.”

“It’s exactly $52,450,389.25, according to my research,” Michael said. “And I am serious. Very serious.”

“You want my car and 25 percent of my net worth in exchange for Kristy?” Jake asked. Kristy was right. This wasn’t the man he was used to pushing around. “Why should I even consider it? I already have your wife.” Michael pulled up a document on his computer and printed it out. He handed it to Jake.

“Yes, but what do you think will happen once your board of directors and your shareholders get this? Hmm? Think you’ll still be rich and powerful once this hits the media? I doubt it,” Michael said.

“This is blackmail,” Jake said, reading the letter that detailed everything he and Kristy had done to Mike.

“Perhaps. My offer is good until noon tomorrow,” Michael said. “After 12:00, it goes up to 50 percent, plus controlling shares of your company. You want Kristy, that’s my price.”

“That’s highway robbery,” Jake said. “You’ll never get away with it.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Michael said, sipping his drink. “You want her, although God only knows why, and that’s my price. I tell you what. You agree to my offer, without condition, and I’ll make sure the two of you spend the rest of your lives together. Isn’t that what you want?”

“Well, yeah, I would love to spend the rest of my life with Kristy,” Jake said. Michael smiled.

“Agree to this and I’ll even make the two of you a celebratory dinner,” Michael said. “What do you say?”

“I’ll need some time to think it over,” Jake said. Michael nodded his head.

“I’ll give you until noon tomorrow,” he said. “Now please, close the door on your way out,” he added, indicating the meeting was over. Jake got up, confused, and left the office. He watched through the curtains as Jake and Kristy left. He smiled and made a few calls.