The following is a sequel to a story posted on another site called “It’s Just Business,” written with that author’s permission.

“I’m truly sorry, Mr. Walker. I really hate giving guys like you bad news,” John Michaels said when he handed me the envelope that contained a full written report of my wife’s activities with her former boss, Grant Jacobs. The envelope also contained several photographs and a DVD.

I had seen the photos, but I had not yet looked at the DVD. A part of me didn’t want to look at it, but I knew it would be necessary for me to come to grips with what John found.

“Do you have any idea how long this has been going on?” I asked. John consulted his original report before answering.

“From what we’ve been able to determine from the transcripts, at least ten years,” John said. “Perhaps as long as twelve years. It appears to have started about the time your wife was being considered for the top job.” That was about a year after our daughter Sophie was born. Still, I decided I would need to have DNA tests run to see if the kids were mine.

Then I thought of something else. What about sexually-transmitted diseases? The report showed Grant has a stable of married women he screws in addition to Linda. I know for sure we have been intimate since she “retired,” but what might she have infected me with in all that time? I would need to get tested, and soon.

Scanning the report again, I scoffed without humor at Aaron’s conclusion that Linda appeared to be blissfully ignorant of what the asshole does to occupy himself when he’s not screwing her.

“If it’s any consolation, Mr. Walker, your wife’s lover stated that he never had any intention to break up your marriage. All he wanted was, well, her body,” John said. “And they never did anything at your house.” I had let John wire our house with cameras and microphones when I first hired him. At least my marital bed hadn’t been violated with Grant’s bodily emissions, I thought.

“No, it’s not any consolation, Mr. Michaels,” I said. “But thank you for letting me know.” I had met Grant Jacobs several times, and I really wasn’t too fond of him. He was what the women would call handsome, but he was also a conceited, arrogant, brash asshole with a smirk that put me off. I had to fight the urge to smack that smirk right off his face more than once. Now, I knew the real reason behind his smirk.

“There’s more, Mr. Walker,” John said. “From what we saw and heard, Jacobs’ sister, Natalie, has been aware of the relationship from the beginning. In fact, it appears she may have helped facilitate it.” That saddened me somewhat, as I always thought Natalie was a nice woman – the complete opposite of her brother.

“Damn,” I said softly.

“So, have you spoken with an attorney yet?” John asked.

“Not yet,” I said. “I wanted to find out the truth first.”

“Well, I do a lot of work for Lisa Hawkins. She’s the best in the business, in my opinion. Hates cheaters with a passion. If you want, I can forward this to her office and give her a heads-up that you’ll be coming in to see her,” John said.

“That would be nice,” I said. “Thanks. I’ll call her office and arrange for an appointment.” John gave me a business card, and I put it in my pocket.

“May I offer a suggestion?” John asked.

“Of course,” I said.

“Let Lisa take care of this. I know you’re hurting right now and you may be tempted to lash out. Don’t. It’s not worth going to jail over. This isn’t some story on the Internet. It’s real life. You have two children to think about,” he said.

“I understand,” I said. “Thanks.” I paid my bill and left his office, feeling like my entire married life had been a lie. I knew John was right, but it still hurt like hell. I got in my car and cried my eyes out for about 15 minutes.

After I collected myself, I pulled out the card he gave me and called the Law Offices of Lisa Hawkins and arranged for an appointment the following afternoon. Lisa gave me a list of things to bring – primarily financial statements.

On the way home, I stopped at a convenience store and bought a pack of cigarettes – something I hadn’t done since college. Then I went to a bar and tried drowning my sorrows in a beer. I’m not much of a drinker, but I felt I deserved it this one time.

“You okay, buddy?” the bartender asked as I took a drag off a cigarette. I looked up at him before answering.

“Is it that obvious?” I asked in response.

“‘Fraid so,” he said with a slight smile. “Don’t tell me, let me guess. You just found out your wife’s been cheating on ya.”

“Yeah, pretty much,” I said. “For the last twelve years, if you can believe that.”

“I can believe it,” he said. “I’ve seen and heard just about everything since I started working here.”

“I’ll bet you have,” I said. He chuckled at that.

“Mind if I tell ya something my grandpa once tol’ me?” he asked.

“Not at all,” I said.

“He used to say, ‘I felt sorry for myself because I had no shoes. Then I met a feller who had no feet.’ I know you’re hurtin’ right now. Been there myself. But it does get better. And believe me, there are a lot of fellers who have had it a lot worse than you,” he said.

“Your grandfather sounds like a very wise man,” I said.

“That he was,” the bartender said. “Finish yer beer, then go on home, son. Take care of business. Do what you gotta do. You ain’t gonna find any answers in the bottom of that glass. Trust me on that.” I smiled at that and nodded my head. Deep inside, I knew this grizzled old bartender was right.

I thought about things as I sipped on my beer. I never would have believed that Linda would actually cheat on me. Over the years, there were little things that couldn’t be seen as absolute proof of an affair by themselves. But when I put it all together, it made perfect sense, at least to me.

For example, after our second child, Sophie was born, I had a vasectomy. Linda went back on birth control, and I thought that odd and asked her about it. After all, why would she need birth control if I had gotten snipped? She gave me a song and dance about being extra careful and said the pills would help regulate her period. Not being an expert in such matters, I bought her explanation.

Then when she got that position and started traveling with Grant, I noticed that some of her clothes weren’t exactly what you would call “business attire.” She indicated that “entertaining” would probably become a “big part” of her new job when I asked her about it. Now I knew that it was Grant she was entertaining. It apparently was a significant part of her new position – pun intended.

I would often call to talk with her in the evenings when she was gone. I was impressed that she was always in her room when I called, but there were a few times I thought I heard a man’s voice close by. Other times, I heard Linda’s voice crack as she spoke. I couldn’t explain it at the time. But if Grant was fondling her breasts or screwing her as she talked to me on the phone, that would certainly explain it.

And there were times when I detected the slight odor of Grant’s aftershave on Linda’s clothes when she came home. I knew it was his because I smelled it on him every time I met him, and it nearly made me sick. I could only see that happening if she was in intimate contact with him. Then there were the Friday afternoons she was supposedly asked to work after she “retired.”

“My special skills are still needed, so my services have been retained for one afternoon a week, although I might be required to travel occasionally,” she told me when I asked her about it. “It’s just business,” she added. Now I know her “special skills” involved using her mouth and pussy. And it was much more than “just business.”

And if that wasn’t bad enough, her one afternoon a week turned into two or sometimes three afternoons, and she usually wouldn’t get home before 9 or 10:00 pm. And her “occasional” trips evolved from one a month to two or three and almost always included the entire weekend. So much for “retirement.” All of this happened just in the last four months.

The thing is, Linda’s attitude toward me hadn’t changed one bit. She was just as sweet and loving to me now as when we first married. She seemed to enjoy being at home with the kids and me, and we enjoyed having her at home. It was a welcome change since I had become the children’s primary caretaker due to her crazy schedule.

This has been weighing heavily on me for quite some time, so I hired John’s investigative firm to look into her activities. And now, my worst fears have been confirmed. The only question left to answer now is how to split everything up.

If it had just been a drunken “one-off,” I probably could’ve gotten past it. Yes, I would’ve been pissed, but it wouldn’t have been a deal-breaker. This, however, was a cold, calculated, and deliberate betrayal that had gone on for more than a decade. And now, it was time for someone to pay. I ground out my cigarette, finished my beer, and headed out, giving the bartender a wave and a nice tip for his time.

I got home and saw her car in the garage. Frankly, I was a bit surprised to see her there. I closed the garage door and went inside. I took off my jacket and headed for my home office. Linda intercepted me on the way and instantly smelled the cigarettes and beer.

“You’ve been smoking,” she said, her brows furrowed. “And I smell beer. Is everything alright, Jon?”

“No, frankly, it’s not. In fact, today has been the worst day of my life,” I said.

“What happened? Did someone die or something?” she asked. She seemed genuinely concerned, but I wondered if it was just an act.

“Something,” I said. “I’m going into my office for the evening. I’m afraid I won’t be very good company tonight.”

“Is there something I can do, sweetheart?” she asked. Yeah, I thought. Unfuck yourself.

“I’m afraid there’s nothing you can do,” I said.

“By the way, Jon, I’m going to be gone this weekend, starting Friday,” she said. This was only Tuesday, and she’s telling me she’s going to be gone for another weekend ... again.

“What? Again? Didn’t you just go out on a weekend trip?” I asked.

“Yes, but I’m afraid something’s come up,” she said. “It’s just business, you know.”

“I’ll bet,” I said sarcastically. “What about Sophie’s birthday party? That’s this Saturday.”

“I know,” she said. “But it just can’t be avoided. Would you be a dear and explain to her why I can’t be there? Please?”

“No,” I said. “I’m not covering for you anymore. You missed Aaron’s birthday last year and our anniversary. You can tell our daughter why it is that you’d rather be on a trip with Grant than here celebrating her birthday.” Linda wasn’t too happy about this and sighed heavily before responding.

“Jon, please, you’re being unreasonable,” she said.

“No, Linda,” I said. “You supposedly retired months ago after your company was sold. But you’ve been gone so much I can’t help but wonder what is really going on. Is there something you’d like to tell me?”

“What are you saying? Are you accusing me of having an affair?” she asked defensively.

“What would you think if the situation was reversed?” I asked. She backed off a bit after that.

“I ... see your point,” she said. “But believe me, it’s just business.”

“So you’ve said,” I told her. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have things to do. Please don’t interrupt me. You’re going to have to look after the kids tonight.” I went into my home office, closed and locked the door. I heard Linda try to open the door.

“Jon?” she asked. “Please, Jon, talk to me.”

“Leave. Me. Alone, Linda,” I said through gritted teeth. “I’m busy.” I heard her shuffle off and began putting together all the information Lisa said she would need. Then I turned to the evidence John provided. I read the report and found it hard to believe this was the woman I had loved and supported over the last twelve years. Then I put my headphones on and started the DVD.

Unless you’ve been me and been there, you simply can’t understand the range of emotions seeing the woman you love more than anything else willingly give herself to another man. I didn’t know how John got these videos, and I didn’t care.

All I know is that whatever love I once felt for Linda was now gone. As I watched her fuck Grant and suck his cock in his bed, I swore I would never touch her again. I took time to listen to their pillow talk.

“Are we still on for this weekend?” Grant asked as he held her.

“Of course,” Linda said with a smile. “You know I can’t go very long without this huge cock inside me.”

“What about your daughter’s birthday party? That’s this weekend, isn’t it?” he asked.

“Yes, but Jon will be there,” she said. “He’s much better at handling the kids than I am. Besides, if given a choice between chasing after a bunch of bratty girls or being here with you, I’d much rather be with you.”

“You know I love having you here, Linda, but I’m concerned that he might be starting to get a bit suspicious,” Grant said. “You are supposed to be retired, after all.”

“I told you before, Grant. Retired or not, I’m going to continue fucking you. Yes, I love my family and I love Jon, but there’s no way I’m giving this up,” she said, stroking his cock. “You are part of my life now, and what we’ve shared these last twelve years means more to me than you will ever know.”

“I’m happy to hear you say that,” Grant said. “You remember when we first started this, you said that if given a choice, you’d stay with Jon and your kids. Do you still feel that way?”

“I honestly don’t know,” she said. “It’s never come up.”

“I don’t know how you’ve managed to keep him in the dark all these years,” Grant said. “You know, if he ever does figure it out, there’ll be hell to pay.”

“Well, it wasn’t easy at first. But I learned to separate my business life from my home life,” she said. “I’ve never denied him anything and I always try to treat him right. I’m not worried about him finding out. If he does, I’ll just threaten to rape him in a divorce.”

“I don’t think it’ll be that easy,” Grant said. “If anything does happen, though, you can stay here if you want. I like having you around.”

“Thank you, Grant. I appreciate that. But nothing’s gonna happen. He hasn’t figured it out in 12 years, and I don’t think he ever will.”

“How long do you intend to keep this up?”

“As long as possible. For the rest of my life if I can,” she said before taking his cock into her mouth. You just might get your wish, I thought as I shut down the video. I took the DVD out and locked it back into my briefcase. I heard Linda knock on the office door.

“What?” I asked.

“The children are going to bed,” she said. “Would you at least come out and tell them good night?”

“Yeah, just a minute,” I said. I turned my computer off and went upstairs, ignoring Linda. I tried to put on a happy face as I tucked the children in. Sophie looked at me funny.

“Are you alright, Daddy?” she asked.

“Yeah,” I said, giving her a smile. “I’m fine. Go to sleep now, sweetheart. I love you.”

“I love you too,” she said, kissing me. I left her room, went downstairs, and grabbed a cup of coffee.

“I kept a plate warmed up for you, Jon,” Linda said.

“I’m not hungry,” I said as I stepped out back. I sat down in one of the deck chairs on the back patio and lit a cigarette. Linda came out a couple minutes later. She tried to kiss me, but I turned my head, and she kissed my cheek. No way was I ever going to touch the lips that had been on Grant Jacobs’ cock. She looked at me, shocked.

“Talk to me, Jon. Please. What’s bothering you?” she asked, a concerned look on her face. “I’ve never seen you like this. And you know I don’t like you smoking. You haven’t smoked since college.”

“Yeah, well, we don’t always get what we want, do we?” I asked.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked. I shook my head and said nothing. “Jon, please, talk to me. I love you. You know you can tell me anything.” I looked at her through the swirls of smoke and shook my head.

“Too late for that, I’m afraid,” I said.

“Too late for what? I don’t understand,” she said.

“You’re a smart businesswoman,” I said. “You figure it out. Now please, leave me alone. I have some things I need to figure out.”

“But maybe I can help if you’d just tell me what’s going on,” she pleaded.

“Linda, please, for the last time. Just leave. Me. Alone,” I said, my anger showing in my voice. I realized that my attitude right then might give things away, so I toned it down a bit. “Sorry for being so short. This work thing is pretty bad, and it’s really getting to me. Maybe in a couple of days.” I didn’t like lying to her, but figured, what the hell. It’s alright to lie to a liar. Isn’t it?

“Okay,” she said quietly. She backed away from me, tears falling down her face. Then she turned and fled into the house. I smoked two more cigarettes and went inside.

I took a shower to get the cigarette smell off of me, put on a pair of pajamas, which I rarely used, and climbed into bed. Linda was on her side and turned to me after getting under the covers. She reached for my cock, but I brushed her hand away. It was the first time I had ever refused her overture for sex in our marriage.

“Jon,” she began. I turned my back to her, not bothering to give her a good night kiss.

“Good night, Linda,” I said. She turned away, sobbing. At this point, I didn’t care. She could go straight to Hell as far as I was concerned.

...

I woke up the next day, showered, dressed, and gathered my things for work. I spent time with the kids before they left for school, then walked out of the house without giving Linda so much as the time of day. She looked at me funny as I headed for the door.

“Don’t I get a kiss from you anymore?” she asked as I opened the door.

“Sorry,” I said, blowing her a kiss.

“I love you,” she said.

“Yeah. Me too,” I said as I walked out the door. I got to the office and managed to get some work done, but it wasn’t easy. I told my boss what was going on, and he seemed to understand, having recently gone through a divorce himself.

“Do what you gotta do,” he said. “If you need to take some vacation, let me know.” I thanked him and went back to work, leaving early for my appointment with Lisa.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Walker,” she said when I was ushered into her office. Lisa Hawkins seemed to be about my age – that is, in her mid-30s – with long, blonde hair that cascaded over her shoulders. I saw the rings on her finger and figured she was married.

“Please, Mrs. Hawkins, call me Jon,” I said, shaking her hand.

“And you can call me Lisa,” she said. “I read the report Mr. Michaels sent over to me. I’m sorry this has happened to you. I see this sort of thing a lot, but it never ceases to bother me. How are you holding up?”

“Not too well, I’m afraid,” I said.

“I can understand that,” she said. “Have you said anything to her yet?”

“Not yet, but I was pretty short with her last night,” I said.

“I suggest you try to be a bit more civil with her. I know it’ll be hard, given what you’ve learned, but you don’t want to let on that you know. At least, not yet. Let her carry on as though nothing’s changed. She’ll get her wake-up call when she’s served. Can you do that?”

“You’re right. It’ll be hard. Very hard,” I said. “But I’ll give it my best effort.”

“Good,” Lisa said. “Now, what is it you want out of this divorce?”

“As much as I can get,” I said. “I definitely want custody of the children, provided they’re actually mine.”

“You do know that mothers usually end up with custody, right?” she asked.

“I’ve been their primary caretakers for the last ten years,” I said. “And you heard her on the video say I’m a much better parent than her. I would think the fact that she’d rather be with her lover than with her daughter on her birthday would mean something.”

“It does, and we may be able to use that,” Lisa said. She looked over the financial information I brought with me, making notes as she read. “It looks like your wife got quite a windfall from the sale of the company she worked for. The dividend checks she’s getting every month seem to be on par with your salary. This will certainly be in our favor.”

“So, that means no alimony?” I asked.

“Or very little,” Lisa said. “She’s still relatively young, so there’s no reason she can’t work. In fact, if we can get you custody, we might be able to get child support from her.”

“What about the house?” I asked.

“If we can get you custody, you would be able to stay in the house and we can ask that she pay half the mortgage. Of course, there’s a chance the court will give her custody, in which case, you would have to pay half the mortgage plus child support,” she said. “The only other option would be to sell the house and the two of you split the proceeds.”

“What about our retirement and bank accounts?” I asked.

“We can sweeten the deal by taking retirement accounts out of the equation. You each keep your 401K. The rest, we’ll split 50-50. That’s pretty much what a judge here would order anyway,” she said.

“What about Grant Jacobs? Can I sue him for Alienation of Affection?” I asked.

“Not in this state,” she said. “But we will definitely name him in the divorce. There might be cause to sue for intentional infliction of emotional distress, but I honestly don’t see that going very far. Not in this state, anyway.”

“And his sister, Natalie? She knew about it the whole time. Might’ve even facilitated it,” I said.

“Pretty much the same thing with her. We can file if you want, though,” Lisa said.

“Yes, please do. When can you get all of this filed?” I asked.

“I think we can get it done by Friday,” she said. “Why?”

“I’d like to have her served late Saturday afternoon. She’ll be spending the weekend with Grant,” I said.

“I see. A little shock and awe. I think we can arrange that,” she said. “But it’ll cost a bit extra to have the process server go out on Saturday.”

“That’s fine,” I said. “Do it.”

“Okay, Jon,” she said. We wrapped up the meeting with a handshake. She gave me the obligatory warning not to do anything stupid before taking my retainer check. I left her office feeling a bit more in control of things.

I got home and was somewhat surprised to see Linda’s car in the garage. I expected her to be “at the office” since this was Wednesday. I felt the hood of her car, and it was a bit warm, meaning she had driven it not too long ago. I went inside and instantly smelled a pot roast.

“Hi sweetheart,” Linda said, walking out of the kitchen. “You’re home a bit early. Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” I said.

“I hope you’re in a better mood than you were yesterday,” she said.

“A bit better. I’m getting things under control,” I said.

“That’s good. Are you up to eating dinner tonight?” she asked. “I made pot roast – your favorite.”

“I’ll have a bit,” I said. “It does smell good. Did you go into the office today?”

“Yeah, for a couple hours,” she said. “Getting things ready for the weekend.”

“Did you talk to Sophie?” I asked.

“Yeah. She’s not too happy, but she’s young. She’ll get over it,” Linda said.

“Where are the kids now?” I asked.

“In their rooms, doing homework,” she said.

“So you’re still going on this trip with Grant?” I asked.

“Yes. I told you, it’s just business,” she said firmly.

“Just business. When do you plan to actually retire?” I asked her.

“I’m retired now,” she said. “They just need my specialized expertise for a while. I really don’t know how much longer they’ll need my help.”

“Seems to me you might as well go back full time. You’re almost doing that now. But, I guess you just gotta do whatever it is you gotta do,” I told her.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked.

“With all the hours you’re putting in for them, you might as well be drawing a paycheck,” I said.

“Why?” she asked. “I’m bringing home more now with my retirement.” I put my briefcase in my office, then changed into more casual clothes. I complimented her on the pot roast – she had always been an excellent cook, and I would miss that when we split.

After spending some time with the kids, I went into my office and locked the door. Linda tried opening the door, then knocked when she realized it was locked. I opened the door just enough to see her face on the other side.

“Jon?” she asked. “Are you staying in here tonight?”

“I think so,” I said. “I still have a lot to go over and I am feeling a bit under the weather. I don’t want to risk you getting sick right before your trip, so I’ll rack out on the futon in here tonight.”

“Oh. Okay,” she said. “Get well, Jon. Please. I love you.”

“Yeah. Me too,” I said, closing the door. I heard her walk away, then went to my computer, where I conducted a search. When I found what I was looking for, I filled out a form, then checked my email for confirmation. I noted the phone number and put a reminder on my cell to call the next day to confirm that everything would go as I requested.

The next day, Thursday, was pretty much a repeat of Wednesday, except Linda tried to entice me into bed with a sheer sexy nightgown that hid absolutely nothing. I always loved looking at her and being with her, but now that I knew what she had been doing with Grant behind my back, her body held no allure for me whatsoever.

“I’m sorry, Linda, but I feel a horrible migraine coming,” I said quietly. “I’m going to take something and sleep here in the office tonight.” A tear slid down her cheek as she turned and walked away, but I didn’t care. She called me at noon the next day to let me know she was leaving.

“I hope you’re feeling better, Jon,” she said. “Maybe we can reconnect when I get back Monday. My parents will pick the kids up from school today and bring them home tomorrow afternoon for Sophie’s party.”

“Thank you for letting me know,” I said.

“I do love you, Jon,” she said. “I hope you believe me.”

“Yeah,” I said. “Have a safe trip. See you later. Goodbye, Linda.” I ended the call and dialed Lisa’s number.

“I’m filing all the paperwork now, Jon,” she said. “They’ll be served at 5:30 tomorrow afternoon at Grant’s house, just as you asked. Natalie will be served on Monday.”

“Thank you, Lisa,” I said, ending the call. I told my personal assistant I was leaving for the day, locked up my office, and went home. I had a lot to do before the movers got there later that afternoon. I had a pile of boxes in the garage I had collected just for this afternoon’s work.

I had just finished boxing everything up when the movers arrived with their truck at 5:00 pm. They put everything in the back of the truck as I finished my alterations on Linda’s wedding gown. When I finished that, I put the ashes in a paper bag, folded down the top of the bag, and stapled an envelope to it.

Inside the envelope were a short note, my wedding ring, and our marriage certificate, which I had torn into four pieces. I handed the paper bag to one of the movers and asked that it be hand-delivered to Linda when they arrived at Grant’s house at 5:30 pm the next day. I also included two $50 bills as tips for the two men.

“I’ll take care of this personally, Mr. Walker,” the young man said as he took the bag.

“Thank you,” I said. I warmed up some leftover pot roast and watched television as I ate in the living room. I slept soundly that night in the master bed.

It was noon the next day when Linda’s parents arrived with the children. I had already been up for a while, getting everything ready in the backyard for Sophie’s birthday party, which started at about 3:00 pm. Linda had ordered a cake, which I picked up earlier that morning and placed in the refrigerator.

“My, you’ve been busy,” Rhonda, Linda’s mother, said when she walked in.

“I really didn’t have much choice,” I said. “I just hope everything goes well.”

“I’m sure the kids will have a great time,” she said.

“Sophie tell you Linda won’t be here?” I asked.

“Yes, she did,” Rhonda said. “I can’t believe she wouldn’t even be here for her daughter’s birthday.” She looked at me funny before continuing. “Is everything alright between you two?” I sent the kids upstairs to prepare for the party before turning to Rhonda and her husband, George.

“No, it’s not,” I said. “I really hate to tell you this, but you’re going to find out soon enough anyway. I’m divorcing Linda.”

“What?” George asked. “Why?”

“I learned earlier this week that she’s been sleeping with her boss for the last 12 years,” I said. “In fact, that’s what she’s doing right now.”

“Oh my God,” Rhonda said. “Are you absolutely certain of that?”

“Yes, I am. I’ve had my suspicions for a while, but I knew something was wrong after she supposedly ‘retired.’ I hired an investigator about a month ago to look into it. I have his detailed report, pictures, and plenty of video if you’re interested in seeing it,” I said.