It seems that the worse thing a woman can do to the man she claims to love is betray that love by cheating on him. Mark Hurley thought about that as he sat in the dark, alone. Just a few hours ago, he thought he had it all – a great job with a good company that paid well, a nice house and a loving wife. He still had the first two, but the third was another matter.

He thought about his life with Allison, his wife of nearly five years. He met her shortly after she joined the company where he works, The Marcus Financial Group, a company that helps small businesses with their finances.

Like so many others, she started in the Administrative Support section, taking care of all the niggling clerical things that have to be done in their business dealings. From there, she became an Executive Assistant to Jake Marcus, his boss, about seven months ago. It’s no coincidence that Jake’s last name is Marcus – his grandfather started the company decades ago and handed it off to his son, Allen, the current CEO.

Allen brought his son, Jake, into the business after he finished college a couple years ago, and started him off like everyone else so he could learn the ropes. He did, and was quickly promoted to his current position as the Regional Manager, reporting only to Allen and the Board of Directors. Of course, at some point, Jake would become the CEO, but that was years off.

Mark liked and respected Allen. Allen was something of a father figure to him and helped him transition back into civilian life after being wounded in Iraq. They had met while Mark was undergoing physical therapy. Allen had just finished a meeting with the board of the facility and stopped to watch the Marine veteran as he worked out.

Allen saw something in Mark and bought him lunch that day. They discussed many things during that lunch meeting, and Allen was surprised to learn that Mark had finished his four-year business degree just days before being shipped off to Iraq. Allen was impressed with the young Marine and offered him a job, right on the spot. Surprised, Mark accepted the offer and went to work for Allen the next Monday.

That was almost eight years ago. Mark finished his therapy and focused on his work, taking night classes to get his MBA. Then Allison came along. He was smitten with her the day they first met. After verifying there would be no repercussions from HR, he asked her on a date. They dated for a few months, fell in love and eventually married. Allen surprised Mark by paying for their honeymoon to Hawaii.

Three years after they married, Allen brought Jake on board. Mark had hoped something of the old man had rubbed off on Jake, but he learned early on that wasn’t quite the case. Jake liked to drop dimes, letting others around him know who his father was and that one day, he would be the one in the big corner office on the top floor. Jake managed to somehow alienate pretty much everyone around him.

One day, Allen spoke to Mark about his son, and expressed the same concern Mark had heard from others.

“You know, I’m going to have to make him the Regional Manager at some point, Mark,” Allen said.

“I know,” Mark said.

“I’m counting on you to lead by example, maybe you can help Jake transition into the job a bit,” Allen said. “Think you can do that?”

“I think so, Allen,” Mark said. “It won’t be easy, though.”

“What’s your honest appraisal of him, Mark?” Allen asked. “Don’t bullshit me. Forget he’s my son. Tell it to me straight.”

“Okay, I will,” Mark said. “He’s too full of himself to be effective, in my opinion. He refuses to listen to others, spends far too much time flirting with the girls and likes to throw his name around. Allison tells me he’s pretty much a sexual harassment lawsuit waiting to happen. He not only likes to chase the women, he likes to brag about it as well.” Allen shook his head.

“I was afraid of that,” he said. “His mother doted on him from the time he was born. Let him get away with darn near everything. I had hoped bringing him on board might help him mature a bit. I’ll have a talk with him.”

“So when is Bill going to retire?” I asked. Bill Collins, the current Regional Manager, had been with the company for years and everyone like him. He had been talking retirement for a while and bought a place up in north Idaho so he and his wife could retire in the country while he was still young enough to enjoy himself.

“Sometime in the next six months or so,” Allen said. “He’s dead set on it. Personally, I don’t blame him.” Allen left the office with a promise to stay in touch. Mark knew he would make good on that promise. There were other things Mark saw in Jake that he didn’t tell the old man. Thinking back on it, he realized he probably should have.

Bill retired a few months after that discussion and Allen moved Jake into his position. It didn’t take long for Jake to make changes. Some of them were good, but Mark wasn’t so certain about others. He continued to do his job, though, and tried not to let Jake trouble him too much.

Jake did change as he grew into the position, but Mark didn’t like what he saw. Jake tended to micromanage things, often times to the irritation of the more experienced members of the team. He also liked to move people around a lot – sometimes into positions that pretty much set them up for failure.

One day, a little more than seven months ago, Jake came into Mark’s office. He plopped himself into the chair across from Mark as he was on the phone with a client. When Mark hung up, he looked up to see Jake smirking at him.

“What can I do for you, Jake?” Mark asked.

“I’ve been thinking about hiring in a new EA,” he said. “And I think Allison would fit that role quite nicely.”

“My wife?” Mark asked. “That Allison?” Jake nodded his head, the smirk never leaving his face.

“One and the same,” Jake said.

“What’s wrong with Gretchen?” Mark asked. Gretchen Wilson had served for years as Bill’s EA.

“Nothing,” Jake said. “It’s just that she’s looking to retire in a bit and the office could use some new blood.” Uh, huh, Mark thought to himself. More like new eye candy for Jake.

“Have you talked to Allison about it?” Mark asked.

“Not yet,” he said. “I wanted to get with you, first.”

“Oh?” Mark asked. “I appreciate that, but why?”

“I wanted to know what she’s like,” Jake said. “After all, you live with her. You sleep with her every night. I mean, is she bitchy and demanding, or is she always the happy, bubbly type? Is she playful or serious? I wanna know what I’m in for if I bring her in.” Mark didn’t like the way this discussion was going – at all.

“Well, Jake,” Mark said. “First of all, Allison and I are very happily married and yes, she’s always a joy to be around. Second of all, she’s married. To me. Third, she’s a professional. If you think she’s qualified for the job, then offer it to her. Whether she accepts or not is up to her. But the most important thing to remember is this. She’s married. To me.” Mark deliberately repeated himself to make sure Jake understood his position.

“I get it,” Jake said. “You’ve probably heard the gossip and you’re concerned. I would be too if I was married to someone as beautiful as Allison. If she takes the job, it would mean travel, sometimes overnight. Are you okay with that?”

“I trust my wife,” Mark said. “If she accepts the job, knowing that’s part of it, then she knows the boundaries. And I expect you to respect those boundaries. And my marriage.”

“Of course, Mark, old buddy,” Jake said, the smirk never leaving his face. “I know you and my old man are tight. He respects you and so do I. Believe me, I’d never do anything to get between you and Allison.”

“I hope not,” Mark said.

“Who knows,” Jake said. “There might even be a promotion in it for you as well.” That night, Mark spoke with Allison.

“Did you speak with Jake today?” he asked as she put the finishing touches on their dinner.

“Yeah,” she said. “He mentioned something about wanting me to be his new EA.”

“And what do you think about that?” Mark asked.

“Well, it would mean some travel and probably some late hours, but it would also mean a nice raise,” she said. “We could certainly use the extra money, especially if we’re going to have children someday. Why? Are you concerned about something?”

“I just remember you telling me that he was a sexual harassment lawsuit waiting to happen,” Mark said. “Do you still feel the same way?”

“I’d be lying to you if I said I wasn’t concerned,” she said. “I do hear all the rumors, you know. Do you trust me?” He looked at her before answering.

“Of course, I trust you,” he said. “But I trust him about as far as I can throw him. He came by my office today and asked how you are at home. I thought it was a bit impertinent, personally.”

“That’s just the way he is,” she said. “What did you tell him?” she asked, her eyebrows raised.

“I told him you’re a joy to be around, and I meant it,” Mark said. “I also let it be known that you and I are happily married and I would expect him to respect that.”

“I would expect nothing less myself,” she said.

“Good,” Mark said. “So, are you going to take the job?”

“I think so,” she responded. We went to bed that night and made love before falling asleep.

She took the job, and as predicted, was gone at least once every two weeks for up to two days at a time. She also ended up working late at least three nights a week. Mark dealt with it as best he could, and did all he could to support Allison in her new role. He kept an eye out, but saw nothing that suggested she was anything but professional in her new job.

Then the unthinkable happened a little more than three months ago. Allen suffered a massive stroke one day in his office. Paramedics were called and he was rushed to the hospital, but he didn’t last the night. He passed away, having never regained consciousness. Everyone in the company was devastated by the news and attended his funeral. Mark and Allison were surprised at how many people were there.

Jake thought his father’s untimely death meant he would immediately move into Allen’s office and take over as CEO. But the board of directors thought otherwise, saying Jake was far too inexperienced for that role. Over Jake’s vehement objections, the board brought on David Matheson to serve as an interim CEO until such time that a suitable replacement could be named.

Jake became a changed man after that, and set out to prove he was ready for the helm. He had Allison working almost every night until late, and made her accompany him nearly every weekend on trips out of town. It didn’t matter if Mark and Allison had plans or not. The schedule was taking its toll on both of them and their marriage suffered as a result.

For starters, their sex life almost disappeared completely. He also noticed changes in Allison’s wardrobe. Where she had normally worn business and professional attire, she was now wearing clothes that were a bit more revealing.

On top of that, her attitude toward him had changed somewhat. She had always been outgoing, friendly, bubbly and respectful. But now, she was a bit more demanding, short-tempered and had started tossing little digs at him. He thought that perhaps it was simply from the stress of her job.

Finally, one Sunday when Allison returned from a weekend trip to New York, he sat her down for a talk.

“Allison,” he said. “We need to talk.”

“About what?” she said with an edge in her voice.

“About us,” he said. “I rarely ever see you anymore. This schedule Jake has you on is not just killing you, it’s killing us. We need to take some time off and re-connect.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “Jake has a lot going on right now. Things are crazy. I can’t help it.”

“Tell Jake you’re taking a week’s vacation,” he said. “You have the time. We need to do this if we’re going to survive.” Allison said nothing for a few moments as she collected her thoughts. He could tell this was bothering her as well. Finally, she nodded her head.

“You’re right, Mark,” she said. “I could use a break. Jake’s been running my ass ragged these last three months. I’ll talk to him tomorrow, promise.”

“Please do,” Mark said.

The next day, Allison came home happier than he had seen her in a long time.

“What happened?” Mark asked.

“I talked to Jake like I told you, and he agreed we need to take a breather,” she said. “He said we could both take next week off if we want, so long as we attend a party at his place Friday night.”

“Party?” Mark asked. “What kind of party?”

“It’s just a little get-together with him and some of his friends,” she said. Mark didn’t feel comfortable with this partly he really didn’t care for the little twerp, but also because he didn’t feel it appropriate to be partying with his boss. As the saying goes, familiarity breeds contempt. Plus, he didn’t know who else would be at this get-together.

“Do you know any of these people?” Mark asked.

“I’ve met some of them,” she said. “They’re mostly friends of his from college, but one or two of them work for clients. I don’t know who else is coming, though.”

“I see,” Mark said. “Well, alright, but only if you can get home at a normal hour this week. Can you do that?”

“I think so,” she said. “We do have to work on the Henderson account on Wednesday, though. Jake is having a dinner meeting with them and he wants me to be there.” He was aware of the Henderson Manufacturing account. It had become something of a priority since it was something Allen started handling before his stroke.

“Okay,” Mark said. “Wednesday night, but the rest of the week, I want you home at a normal hour. Deal?” She smiled and wrapped her arms around him.

“Deal,” she whispered, kissing him on the lips.

The next afternoon, Jake showed up at Mark’s office and as usual, sat down in the chair in front of the desk, across from Mark. As usual, he had that never-ending smirk on his face.

“What can I do for you, Jake?” Mark asked.

“Allie tells me you guys are on for Friday night,” Jake said. “Allie?” Mark wondered. Where did that come from? He called her that once and she let him know in no uncertain terms that she hated that name.

“Yes, we discussed it briefly last night,” Mark said. “Provided she gets home at a decent hour the rest of the week and we get next week off to re-connect.”

“Of course,” Jake said. “We do have that dinner meeting with the folks from Henderson on Wednesday, but I promise, no late nights the rest of the week.”

“What kind of a party is this?” Mark asked. “And who all is going to be there?”

“It’s just a casual get together,” Jake said. “A few of my old college buddies will be there. One of them works for a client, but it’s nothing fancy. Come casual. You don’t need to bring anything. Except Allie, of course.” Mark took that in and nodded his head. Jake wasn’t finished.

“By the way, Mark, old buddy,” Jake said, causing Mark to wince inside. “You were right. Allie IS a joy to be with. I appreciate you letting her take the time she needs to do her job without giving her a lot of crap. She’s quite good at what she does. Frankly, I’d be lost without her.” Mark didn’t quite know how to take that.

“I’m glad you’re satisfied with her work, Jake,” he said. “One thing, though.”

“What’s that?” Jake asked.

“Do you call her ‘Allie’ to her face?” Mark asked.

“Of course,” he said. “Why?”

“Just curious,” Mark said. “That’s all.” That night, he mentioned it to Allison while they were eating.

“Do you always let Jake call you ‘Allie’?” he asked. “I’m just curious, cause you never let me call you that.”

“I figure he’s my boss and he can call me whatever he wants,” Allison said. Mark dropped it, but it still ate at him. The rest of the week went pretty well, and except for Wednesday night, she was home right on time and they made love every chance they got.

That Friday, after Mark threw on a pair of jeans and a casual shirt, he watched Allison get ready for the party and noticed the dress she chose to wear. He had never seen this dress before and wondered when she got it. It was much shorter than her other dresses and seemed to show off a lot of skin.

He also noticed the thong she put on to cover her shaved pussy. She had always kept it shaved, which he liked, but he had never seen this thong before. Then she threw on the dress, not bothering to wear a bra. This was definitely something different. After she had the dress on, he took it all in. It was shorter on one side than the other and had slits up the sides from her waist to her arms.

He could see why she chose not to wear a bra. The front exposed a lot of flesh, and the back was open to a point right above her ass, almost revealing her thong. He could see her B-cup breasts swell against the material and her nipples threatened to poke through the thin fabric.

“Wow,” Mark said. “You look good enough to eat. Maybe we should stay home and play.” She smiled.

“No, no,” she said. “After we get home.”

“By the way, where did you get that dress?” Mark asked. “I’ve never seen it before. It sure doesn’t look casual to me.”

“I got it the last time we were in New York,” she said. “Jake asked me to wear it tonight.” Of course, he thought.

“Better be careful,” Mark said. “Someone might get the wrong idea.” She chuckled at that.

“I don’t think so,” she said. “Everyone knows their boundaries.”

“They’d better,” Mark said, giving his wife a hug. He started to kiss her, but she waved him off.

“Later,” she said. “I don’t want my makeup messed up.” They drove to Jake’s two-story townhouse, located in a fairly ritzy part of town and rang the doorbell. Jake opened the door and invited them inside. Mark detected the faint odor of marijuana and had a sinking feeling.

Three other young men about Jake’s age came into the front room and Jake introduced them to Mark.

“Guys, this is the man of the hour, Mark Hurley,” Jake said with a big shit-eating grin on his face. “Mark, this is John Whitehead, George Franklin and Alan Jenkins. Alan, by the way, works for Henderson.” Mark shook hands with all three of the men and wondered what Jake meant by calling him the “man of the hour.” He also wondered why Jake didn’t introduce Allison to them. Did she already know them? Jake turned his attention to Allison.

“My God, Allie, you look so fucking hot in that dress,” he said. “I knew you would. Doesn’t she look fucking hot, guys?” he asked, turning to the other three men. They all nodded their heads, their tongues nearly dragging on the floor. Allison smiled and turned around as if modeling the dress for them. They whistled their appreciation. Mark had to admit, she did look good, but he didn’t care too much for Jake’s reaction.

“Where are my manners?” Jake asked. “Here, let me get you two something to drink. Allie, I know you like white wine. What about you, Mark?”

“That’s fine for me as well,” Mark said. “I really don’t drink much these days – very low tolerance to alcohol.” Mark really didn’t have a low tolerance to alcohol. The truth was that he could probably drink these bozos under the table. He all but quit drinking years ago, while he was in the Marines. In reality, he was a mean drunk, and nearly killed a much bigger man with his bare hands the last time he got drunk. After that, he swore it would never happen again.

“No problem,” Jake said. “I’ll be right back.” Jake came back with two glasses and handed them to Mark and Allison. Allison took a big swig from hers while Mark took very small sips. Mark’s internal red flag was waving and he swore to remain as sober as possible. Something about all this didn’t sit right with him.

Jake invited everyone to take a seat in his living room, so Mark followed Allison and noticed that she sat on a love seat. He started to sit next to her, but Jake beat him to the punch. Instead, he took a seat on a couch that faced the love seat and watched his wife carefully. Jake looked at him for a moment.

“Sorry, old buddy,” he said. “Force of habit. I’m used to sitting on this side of the love seat.”

“No problem,” Mark said, looking at his wife. She looked back, but couldn’t read his face. They sat for a while, engaging in small talk. Jake looked at Mark before he spoke up.

“My dad told me you were in the Marines,” he said. “Is that right?” Mark nodded his head.

“Yeah, I served five years before I got a medical discharge,” he said. John looked at Mark.

“Marines, huh?” he asked. “I hear they’re real bad-asses. You ever see any combat? Ever kill anyone?” Mark slowly nodded his head. He hated it when people asked that.

“Yeah,” he said quietly.

“What? See combat or kill anyone?” John asked.

“Both,” Mark said. Allison looked at him, surprised. He never told her any of this before. He spent the last several years trying to forget about all that.

“You never told me that,” she said.

“It’s not something I like to talk about,” he said. George pulled out a large plastic bag. Mark recognized it as marijuana. It was legal to purchase in this state, but he never cared for it much, having tried it once while in high school.

“Hey,” George said. “I scored some really good shit. You guys wanna try some?”

“Yeah, sure,” Jake said. The others, including Allison agreed. Mark had never known her to smoke anything, especially marijuana. George rolled a large joint and lit it up. He passed it around, and the others took a hit off of it. Mark held up his hand and shook his head when Alan offered it to him.

“Thanks, but no,” he said. “I never really cared for it.” Alan nodded his head and passed it to Jake. Jake took a hit and looked at Mark.

“Aww, c’mon, Mark,” he said. “Lighten up a bit.”

“You go ahead,” Mark said. “I’d like to keep a clear head tonight.”

“Your loss, man,” he said. “Besides, this is a party. If you get too fucked up, you can always stay here. Hell, you’re gonna be off next week anyway.” He turned to Allison. “Shotgun?” he asked. Mark was surprised when she smiled and eagerly nodded her head.

“Sure,” she said. Jake put the lit end of the joint in his mouth and Allison opened her mouth as he blew a huge amount of smoke into her. She inhaled it all, coughing just a bit. She patted her chest as she inhaled. “That is some good shit,” she said. Mark was stunned and wondered who this woman was. Jake handed the joint back to George.

“You know,” Jake said, pointing a finger at Mark, “this man is without question the best business analyst in the company. Hell, he’s saved us millions of dollars in lost revenue. Not only that, but if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have this lovely creature as my assistant.” Allison smiled at him, and Mark noticed it wasn’t just the kind of smile one gives in response to a compliment. There was something else. He also noticed the way she seemed to hang on his every utterance.

“In fact,” Jake said, looking at Mark. “I like to think of her as my work wife.” He patted Allison’s bare thigh and Mark thought he saw Jake’s hand start to inch under her short dress. Mark saw Allison’s face flush for just a moment before Jake pulled his hand back. “Truth is, I’d be lost without her,” Jake added.

“So would I,” Mark said, watching Jake’s reaction. He couldn’t help but notice that Allison looked down at the floor for just a moment. “If you’ll excuse me for just a bit, I need to use the restroom,” Mark added, breaking the silence in the room.

“Sure,” Jake said. “Just go down the hall, first door on the left.” Mark got up and walked into the bathroom. Locking the door behind him, he looked in the mirror for a moment, a million thoughts running through his head. Prime among them was the idea that Allison was cheating on him with Jake.

Jake was right about one thing – Mark was a damn good analyst, but that was because he paid attention to detail. It was something Allen taught him when he first started.

“Remember, son, it’s not just numbers. In any business dealing, the devil’s always hiding in the details,” the old man told him. “Pay attention to the details, trust your gut and you’ll never go wrong.” Mark took the old man’s words to heart and they always served him well. Now, he had other details to think about.

First, there was Allison’s dress – or lack thereof. Second, there was the interaction between her and Jake. Third, her drug use – he had never known her to use drugs, and they had never even experimented with them before. But here she was, eagerly accepting what Jake gave her. Then there was her reaction to Jake’s touch and Jake’s own words. What was it he called her? His work wife? What the hell was that all about? Then there were all the little niggling things he had noticed over the last three months.

Added together, it all spelled trouble, and if he was right, it also meant the end of his marriage. He sensed that something was going to happen, and knew he had to get out of there with something tangible he could use as proof. He considered simply taking Allison and leaving, but he had a feeling it would only cause a fight and delay the inevitable. He saw his cell phone in his shirt pocket and noticed the camera lens peeked out over the top of the pocket. That’s it, he thought.

He pulled the phone out and started a video recording before placing it back in his pocket. After he did his business, he flushed the toilet and washed his hands. He steeled himself before he opened the door.

As he walked into the front room, he noticed Allison suddenly sit up after leaning over the coffee table. He saw a few specks of white powder on her nose and realized she had probably sniffed a line of cocaine. Jake also had a bit of white powder on his nose as did the other three men. He sat down and saw the guilty look on her face.

He picked up his glass and took a small sip when he spotted undissolved granules of some kind of powder in the bottom of his glass. What the hell? He quickly set the glass back down on the table and noticed everyone looking at him. He started to say something but suddenly found himself very tired and unable to say anything coherent.

“Are you okay?” he heard Allison ask. He looked at her, confused, unable to speak. Jake and the three men stood up. Allison stood up with them and grabbed Jake’s arm. He looked at them all, wondering what they were going to do next. He tried to stand, but was unable to.

“Why don’t you just take a little nap for a while, Mark, old buddy?” Jake asked as the other men put his feet up on the couch. Mark was unable to do or say anything as Allison removed his shoes. He wanted to get up, grab her and run out as fast as he could. He looked around, trying to find anything he could to support himself and saw her thong on the love seat where she and Jake were sitting. The bitch, he thought.

Allison came over to him and covered him with an afghan. He wanted to grab her by the throat but couldn’t move his arms. She leaned down and kissed him on the forehead.

“I’m sorry, Mark,” she whispered in his ear. “I really do love you.” Unable to keep his eyes open, he fell into a deep sleep.

...

The whole place was dark when he awoke. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and looked around. It seemed no one was awake. He listened and heard nothing but the sound of snoring coming from upstairs. Glancing at his phone, he realized he had been out for a little more than three hours. He stopped the video recording and put the phone back in his pocket.

He crept upstairs and glanced in the master suite, making sure he stayed in the shadows. He saw Allison, nude, on Jake’s bed, her arm over his chest and one leg over his. He could see cum dripping out of her and was disgusted. One of the three men was also naked and laying next to Allison on the large bed. The other two men were also asleep – one on a couch under the window and the other positioned precariously in an overstuffed recliner sitting in one corner.

He crept quietly back downstairs. He wanted to find out what it was they had dosed him with, so he rummaged around in Jake’s kitchen until he found a Tupperware container with a screw-on lid. He poured the drink in the container and sealed it up tight.

Going back in the front room, he pulled Allison’s key chain from her purse and noticed a key he never saw before. It looked like a house key, but it wasn’t one of theirs. Acting on a hunch, he pulled the key off and stuffed it in his pocket.

Then he had another thought and grabbed Allison’s phone, putting it in his pants pocket. He planned on going through it later on. Pulling his wedding ring off, he set it carefully on the top of her purse so she would easily see it. He put his shoes back on and crept to the door.

“Details,” he thought to himself. He looked around but didn’t see a security system or a console anywhere near the door. Opening the front door, he tried the key he took off Allison’s ring. It fit perfectly, just as he thought it might. He quietly closed the door behind him, locking it with her key. He got in his car, closing the door as quietly as he could. He backed out of the driveway and left, not turning his lights on until he was on the street.