What’s that old saying? When life hands you lemons, make lemonade? Right ... As I pulled in front of the building that housed the one-bedroom apartment I shared with my wife, Kelli, I wondered what was happening to our marriage. Was it turning into a basket of rotten lemons, or was I just imagining things?

I got out of the car and grabbed the mail out of our box. More bills, ads and junk, most of which was addressed to “occupant.” I was beat, as normal. That’s what working 16 hours a day four days a week will do to a man after a while. Plus the one day I didn’t work at the fast food place not too far from the apartment.

The reason I was working so much was simple. We had bills to pay and wanted to save money to buy a house someday. Plus, I wanted to do something special for Kelli on our fifth anniversary, which was coming up in a few days.

It’s not like she doesn’t contribute to things – she does. In addition to taking care of the place, she works at a travel agency. She doesn’t make great money, but it certainly helps. As for me, I work 40 hours a week for a company that handles customer service for all of its customers, which means I’m on the phone all day long, either listening to people gripe about one thing or another or taking orders for the many products our clients offer. It can get old after a while, believe me.

But the money’s not too bad and we have a terrific benefit package. I make $18 an hour, plus we get a commission check every month for the orders we take and a bonus check every six months that’s based on how well the company does as a whole. Most of the time, my commission checks are slightly more than what I had earned with my hourly wage.

On top of that, I work part time at the fast food place, taking people’s orders and their money. It sounds boring, and it sometimes is, but it’s a far cry from what I put up with every day. I’d been working like this for nearly two years now, and it was taking its toll on me.

On the up side, I had managed to get our finances on track, while at the same time saving a good chunk for a down payment on a house. Between the two jobs, I was making north of $7,000 a month before taxes. My plan was to quit the second job once I felt we were in good enough shape to do so financially. After the cruise, I intended to take a hard look at our finances. Because of my schedule, Kelli had been taking care of the bills for the last year and so far, she seemed to have had a handle on things.

Through her work, Kelli had been able to get us tickets for a five-day Caribbean cruise at a significant discount. Because of that, I splurged and paid extra for a suite that had a balcony and a nice ocean view. I was so looking forward to spending that time alone with her, out on the open water. Both of us had arranged to take vacation the same time and we were set to take off after work tomorrow, which happened to be Friday.

I trudged up the stairs to our apartment and opened the door. The place was dark and I couldn’t hear anything except the cuckoo clock on the wall. Strange, I thought. Kelli didn’t say anything about not being home. I put the mail on the table by the door and flipped the light switch. The place was clean and tidy, as always, but something was off.

“Kelli, I’m home,” I called out. Nothing. I went into the kitchen but didn’t see anything prepared. She generally leaves me a covered plate in the refrigerator on the days I get home late, but there was nothing. I went into the bedroom, and saw the bed was made up, but no sign of Kelli. I pulled out my phone and tried calling, but it went straight to voicemail.

“Kelli, this is Sam,” I said. That’s me, by the way – Sam Carmichael. “Where are you? I’m at the apartment. Please call me.” I hung up and tried sending her a text: “Where RU?” I got no response. I went into the closet and saw several items missing from the rack on her side. Where did she go? I wondered? Did she leave me?

Opening her dresser drawers, I noticed that some of her things were missing. I went into the bathroom and found that most of her toiletries were also gone. Then I saw it – an envelope, sitting on the bathroom counter between the two sinks, addressed to me in her handwriting. Shaky, I grabbed the envelope and opened it.

I went into the front room, sat down and read her letter. “Sam,” it began. Not “Dear Sam.” Just, “Sam.” This didn’t look good at all. I continued reading.

“I know this is going to be hard for you to understand, and I know you’re going to be very mad at me. Please let me explain. I’ve been having an affair for the last several months. I’m with him now, and I’m going to spend the next week with him on the cruise you and I had planned for our anniversary.

“I know you and I had talked about having children but the truth is, I don’t want to have children with you. I know you’re a hard worker and a good provider, and will make a wonderful father to whatever children I have.

“Just so you know, I’ve been off the pill for the last three weeks at my lover’s request. That’s one of the reasons we haven’t had sex for the last month. I wanted to make sure he was the only one who got me pregnant.

“I know this all sounds cold, and I’m sorry for that. You’d really like him, Sam. He’s a good man. In more ways than one. LOL. He’s also got a much bigger dick than you and he really knows how to bring me off with his tongue.

“It’s not that you don’t get me off – you do, sometimes. But he can give me an orgasm just by talking to me. And he makes me want to be a slut for him. I love sucking his huge dick and swallowing his cum. I know I’ve never done that for you, but frankly, until I met him, I found the idea disgusting.

“Just so you know, his name is Jake, and he works at the agency with me. And yes, everyone there knows about our relationship and they think it’s wonderful that he and I are going away for a while. They also agree that you would be a terrific Dad to the children Jake and I have together.

“I know you’re wondering if I’ve fallen in love with him, and I have to say yes. It’s not that I don’t love you. I do, but it’s more like a sister might love a brother. Or the love that close friends might share. Truth is, Sam, since I met Jake, I don’t love you the way a wife should love her husband. Not any more. I’m sorry if that hurts you, but that’s the truth.

“That doesn’t mean I want a divorce. I don’t. Like I said, you’re a hard worker and a good provider. Jake agrees that it would be best if we stayed married. That way our combined insurances can cover my pregnancies and you can raise his children. He admits he probably wouldn’t be a very good dad.

“There’s also going to be a few changes when we get back. I’ll be spending some nights at his place and he’ll be spending a few nights at our place. When he does, you can either sleep on the couch or go somewhere for the night. Maybe you can get a third job so you’ll be out making money while Jake and I are screwing. That will be a big help when the children start to come.

“And just so you know, Sam, I won’t be having sex with you anymore. Jake says he refuses to share and frankly, your little dicklet just doesn’t excite me anymore. Maybe after a while, I’ll let you clean his cum out of my pussy or something. And don’t even think of finding a girl friend. That would be totally unacceptable.

“I know you’re probably very angry right now and are thinking of a divorce. Jake says that if you do, I’ll rape you in the court system. I’ll get your retirement along with half of your paycheck. He also says you’ll have to pay me child support as well. So forget about a divorce.

“I know this hurts, but a part of me is hurting as well. So, Jake and I are taking the tickets you paid for and we’re going on the cruise. Don’t bother trying to call or text me, because I’ve already blocked your number. We’ll send you some pictures or video to give you an idea of what you’re missing and to let you know I’m safe.

“I’ve got to go now, the taxi is here and I’m meeting Jake at the airport. We decided to get a day head start so we won’t be so tired when the ship leaves. I’ll call or something when we’re back and you can pick me up. Again, I’m sorry, but this is the way it will have to be from now on.

“Your friend, Kelli.” I sat, stunned, as the letter fell from my hand. “Friend?” What the hell was that all about? With a “friend” like Kelli, who the hell needed enemies, I wondered.

Yeah, things had been a bit off these last few months, but I thought it was only because of my schedule. That’s why I paid for that damn cruise. The more I thought about that letter, the angrier I got.

I pulled the ring off my finger and threw it across the room. To hell with her and her stupid ideas. If she thought I would just sit here and take this, she was out of her ever-loving mind. I looked at the clock – 3:00 am. I had to be at my day job in five hours and knew I would only get a few hours of sleep.

I thought about sleeping in the bed, but all I could think of was her with this Jake asshole, whoever he was. I grabbed a pillow and an afghan and laid down on the couch. I fell asleep because I was frankly too exhausted to stay awake.

The next day, I awoke, wondering why I was on the couch. Then I remembered what happened the previous night. I looked at my phone, hoping that perhaps I got a message saying it was all a joke. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. I dragged myself into the bathroom, took a shower, dressed, then grabbed a quick cup of coffee for the road.

I tried to set my personal problems aside while I worked, but it was hard listening to these people complain and bitch about some perceived issue. I did what I could, but it seemed others noticed there was something else on my mind. After lunch, my supervisor, Wanda, called me into her office. I knew there was an issue when she asked me to close the door.

“Is everything okay, Sam?” she asked, genuinely concerned. “You seemed out of sorts this morning. Everything okay at home? I know you’re working two jobs. Maybe you should consider quitting the fast food place.” I thought about it for a moment before answering.

“No, Wanda, everything’s not okay at home,” I said. She had always been up front with me in the past, and I felt she had a right to know what’s going on.

“Can you tell me about it?” she asked. I reached in my pocket and pulled out the letter Kelli left for me last night.

“I came home to this last night,” I said, handing her the letter. She took it, opened it up and read what Kelli wrote. When she finished reading, she handed it back to me, shaking her head.

“Look, Sam, we need you to have your head completely in the game here,” she said. “I’ve heard from some of the others and they tell me you’ve been short-tempered and snippy all morning. After reading that, I understand completely. Look, you were scheduled to be on vacation all next week, so why don’t you take the rest of the day off. I’ll give you the comp time. Hell, you’ve earned it. And here, let me refer you to someone,” she added, writing something on a piece of paper. When she finished, she handed it to me.

“That’s the name and number of the attorney I used in my divorce,” she said. “I’ve been right where you are now. Well, maybe not exactly, but close enough. Give her a call, tell her I recommended her.”

“Thanks, Wanda,” I said. “I appreciate that.”

“No problem, Sam,” she said. “Take the next week, get things straightened out and come back with your head screwed on right, okay? And remember, there’s lots of fish out there.” I chuckled at that.

“I hear you, Wanda,” I said. “Thanks again.” She dismissed me, so I went to my desk and shut down, telling my cube mate I’d see him in a week or so. He waved as I left. When I got to my car, I pulled out the note Wanda gave me and called the number.

“Law offices of Hawkins and Bledsoe, how may I direct your call?” the receptionist said when she answered.

“I’d like to speak with Linda Hawkins, please,” I said. “Wanda Greene gave me her number and recommended her to me.”

“One moment, sir,” the receptionist said. I was put on hold and listened to the elevator music as I waited. A couple minutes later, the receptionist came back on the line.

“Sir, Ms. Hawkins is scheduled to be in court this afternoon, but she does have a slot open at 4:00 pm,” she said. “Will that work for you?”

“That will be perfect,” I said. “I’ll be there. Where are you located?” She gave me the address and I wrote it down on the slip of paper. She took my name and confirmed the appointment. I thanked her and ended the call.

I looked at the time, and realized I had enough time to head over to the travel agency where Kelli worked. Maybe I could catch her in time to put a stop to this insanity. I also wanted something else – my money back.

I got to the agency, parked the car and went inside. There were four other women in the main office and they all looked up when I came in. The looks they gave me indicated they knew what was going on. I went to the front desk, where Julie, the receptionist sat. I had met them all before at gatherings with Kelli.

“Hello, Sam,” Julie said.

“I’m here to see Kelli,” I said. She looked around before answering.

“She’s not here today,” Julie told me. She opened a desk drawer and pulled out a large envelope and handed it to me. “She told us you knew and asked that I give you this if you came in.” There were smirks on the faces of the other women and I wondered how much they knew. I opened the envelope and immediately recoiled when my nose was assailed with Kelli’s odor, mixed with urine and something else.

I looked inside and saw a pair of Kelli’s panties folded up inside. They were soaking wet. I refused to touch them, and as I shook the envelope, I noticed something else. I picked up a long pencil off Julie’s desk and used it to move the wet cloth to get a better look. Kelli had tucked her rings inside the gusset of the panties, and were covered with a white, gooey substance that could only have been Jake’s semen. There was also a USB drive at the bottom of the envelope.

Disgusted, I looked at Julie, who was smirking. I looked around and saw all the other women were doing the same.

“You think this is funny?” I asked. Julie had the good sense to look away, embarrassed. “What’s on the thumb drive?”

“We had a bon voyage party for her and Jake yesterday afternoon,” Julie said. “That’s got some pictures and video she said you’d enjoy.”

An older woman came into the front office from the back and was leaning against the wall, watching me.

“She’s not here, Sam,” the older woman said. “Her and Jake have already left. And yes, we all knew about the two of them.”

“And you approved of it?” I asked. She shrugged her shoulders.

“What do you want, Sam?” she asked.

“I want my money back,” I said. “I paid for that cruise. I don’t have the tickets, so I want my money back.”

“Can’t do that, Sam,” she said. “Those tickets were non-refundable. But I do have to say I think it was very nice of you to let Kelli put one in Jake’s name.”

“I did no such thing,” I told her. “I worked my ass off to pay for those tickets. I don’t have them. What Kelli did was fraudulent, and you went along with it. I want my money back, right now.”

“Sorry, Sam,” she said. “Not gonna happen.”

“Then we’ll see what the court says,” I told her. “I’ll be suing this agency and every single one of you over this.” I turned to walk out but Julie stopped me. “What do you want?” I asked.

“Sam, I’m sorry about this,” she said. “Kelli was so excited about the cruise, and she led us to believe that you approved of what she was doing. Just let her have this, okay? There’ll be other cruises.”

“Are you married?” I asked her. She shook her head.

“No, I’m not,” she said.

“Then you have no idea what it’s like to be stabbed in the back by someone who claims to love you,” I said. “Maybe one day, you’ll come home to find your significant other gone. There’ll be no cruises with her and no more anniversaries. If you hear from the bitch, tell her I hate her fucking guts and never want to see her slimy face again as long as I live. You tell her that, you hear me?”

“Sam, you can’t mean that,” she said.

“I do mean it,” I said. “Tell her I hope she and fuckwad rots and dies of fucking AIDS.” Julie looked at me, shocked. The others looked shocked as well. I looked around the office before speaking again. “I guess I’ll see you all in court. Goodbye.” I turned and left before anyone could say anything else.

I still had a couple hours before I had to be at Linda’s office, so I pulled into a park, found a shady spot and took a nap in my car after setting the clock on my phone. Is there no justice in the world, I asked myself as I put my seat back.

The nap helped, but not much. My neck was stiff and sore when I sat up in the driver’s seat. I took a sip of lukewarm coffee and started the car. When I got to the building where Linda’s office was located, I checked myself in the mirror. I looked like hell. I combed my hair as best I could, grabbed Kelli’s letter and the envelope Julie gave me and headed inside.

When I got to the office, a pretty blonde receptionist took my name and asked that I be seated. She offered a cup of fresh coffee, which I graciously accepted. A few minutes later, she came out and escorted me to Linda’s office, closing the door after I was inside.

Linda Hawkins was older than me, but still quite attractive. She stood up and offered her hand, which I accepted.

“It’s good to meet you, Mr. Carmichael,” she said. “Please have a seat.”

“Thank you, Ms. Hawkins,” I said, sitting down. “Please call me Sam.”

“I will, Sam,” she said with a slight smile. “And feel free to call me Linda. What can we do for you today?”

“I’d like to see about getting a divorce,” I told her.

“And why would you want to do that, Sam?” she asked.

“My wife is cheating on me, and there’s more,” I said, handing her the letter Kelli left me. Linda took the letter from me and read it, frowning as she did so. When she was finished, she handed it back to me.

“And what’s in the envelope?” she asked. I handed it to her.

“Kelli left it for me. She had one of her colleagues at work give it to me. Be careful opening it,” I said. “It’s pretty gross.” She opened the envelope and her face screwed up as the odor hit. She closed it back up and handed it back to me.

“I don’t blame you for wanting a divorce,” she said. “What are you looking to get out of it?”

“Basically, everything,” I said. “To tell you the truth, I want her to burn for what she did. Not only is she cheating on me, she and the agency she works for defrauded me out of more than $2,000.”

“I see,” she said. “Sam, what do you know of the divorce laws in this state?”

“I don’t know anything about them,” I said. “That’s why I came to you. My boss recommended you.”

“Well, I’m glad she did,” Linda said. “Let me be blunt, Sam. The family court system isn’t about justice. It doesn’t really matter who does what to whom, at least not in this state. It’s all about economics – money. Do you have any children?”

“No,” I said. She nodded her head.

“That’s actually a good thing,” she said. “Divorce is always hardest on the children. What about property? Are you buying a house?”

“No, we’re renting a one-bedroom apartment,” I said. “I’ve been working extra to help save up for a down payment.”

“I see,” she said. “So that’s one less thing we have to deal with. And you say she works?”

“Yes,” I said. “She works for AA Travel Agency.”

“And how much does she make?” Linda asked.

“About the same as my base pay, about $18.00 an hour,” I told her.

“Okay,” Linda said. “Well, the court may order you to give her some support for a couple years unless she gets married, and you’ll probably be required to split all your assets, including any retirement plans you may have set up, but it looks like it’s pretty straightforward.”

“What about her adultery?” I asked.

“This is a no-fault state,” she said. “We can’t even mention that in the papers, but we might be able to use that in whatever negotiations take place. What about counseling? Have you considered that?”

“No,” I told her. “There’s no way I can get past this, and no amount of counseling can fix it.”

“The court may order it anyway,” she said. “It’s not uncommon.”

“What about her threat to bring her lover into the apartment,” I said. “Can she do that?”

“Is her name on the lease?” Linda asked.

“Yes, it is,” I said.

“Well, technically, unless she or her boyfriend have threatened you with harm, there’s nothing you can do to stop her from inviting people into the apartment. She lives there, too,” Linda said.

“This sucks,” I said, shaking my head.

“Yes, divorce sucks,” Linda said. “You could say it’s the fucking you get for the fucking you got.” I chuckled at that. “Look, Sam, it’s possible she could have a change of heart by the time she gets back. Maybe she’ll realize the mistake she’s made and decide to give the marriage a second chance. I’ve represented a lot of people in divorces and I can tell you, it’s not an easy process. Maybe you should consider a legal separation, give yourself a cooling-down period. After that, if you still want a divorce, we can proceed. I’d also suggest quitting the second job. The more money you bring in, the more she’ll want from you. Besides, it looks to me like you’ve been burning the candle at both ends for quite a while now.”

“What the hell,” I said. “Okay. What about getting my money back for the cruise?”

“I think we can do something about that,” she said. We discussed the particulars and Linda made notes as we talked. When we finished, she handed me a checklist of things to do, most of it dealing with the bank. I shook her hand and left, stopping at the front desk to leave a retainer on my way out.

I still felt like crap about the whole situation, but at least I was doing something about it. I considered quitting the second job. It was wearing me out anyway, so I decided to go in and talk to the manager tomorrow and give my notice. On the way home, I stopped at the bank and made the changes Linda suggested.

I paid off the joint credit card Kelli had and canceled it. Then I emptied out half of all our joint accounts and put it into the separate account I had already set up for the bonuses and commissions. Kelli didn’t have access to that account anyway, so I figured it would be safe. I had planned to use that money for a house, but those plans were out the window.

I got home, grabbed the mail out of the mailbox, then ate some leftover meatloaf Kelli had made a few days earlier. She had a habit of cooking large dishes, then freezing what we didn’t eat for later. It took a while to thaw, but that was okay by me.

I sat down with my dinner and looked through the mail. Mostly junk, crap, and advertisements addressed to “occupant” or “resident.” Except for one piece that looked like a hand-written invitation with detailed calligraphy, addressed to me personally from something called “Rhamnousia Gallery.” I never heard of it, and nearly tossed it as well, but I felt compelled to open it.

What I found was an invitation to a private art showing. I wasn’t sure if this was something Kelli signed me up for or not. She had always tried to get me interested in the arts but I frankly just didn’t have much time with my work schedule.

The invitation said I should be there at 9:30 am, sharp. As I looked at the invitation, I felt as though this was something I needed to do. Don’t ask me to explain it. I put the invitation on the refrigerator door with a magnet and decided to go. If nothing else, it might take my mind off my problems for a bit.

I put on a pair of latex gloves and opened the envelope Julie had given me earlier. After I got past the smell from what was inside, I pulled out the panties and noticed the ring was sitting right in the wettest part. I pulled out a plastic sandwich bag and put them inside, then sealed the bag back up. I took out the USB drive and wiped it down with alcohol. I didn’t know if that would do any good, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt given what was enclosed with it.

I pulled out my laptop and inserted the drive. I had a feeling I wouldn’t like what was on the thing, and I was right. There was one folder dedicated to pictures – pictures of Kelli next to a man I assumed was Jake – drinking with their friends from the office and having a good time. I couldn’t help but notice the skirt – if you can call it that – was so short, you could nearly see the bottom of her ass.

Jake’s hands were all over her ass in the photos and the other girls were all smiles. Other photos showed her pulling her top down to reveal her B-cup breasts or lifting her skirt to show off her tiny panties – the same panties that were in the envelope Julie gave me. As I looked, I saw a steady progression. Kelli topless, then Kelli naked. Finally, Kelli sucking Jake off and swallowing his cum while looking at the camera.

More photos showed Jake fucking her with her legs spread wide as the other girls, even the older woman I knew was their supervisor, stood around and watched. One picture showed Jake pulling out of her with cum running into the crack of her ass.

The next to last picture showed her straddling a toilet bowl naked as two girls held her panties underneath. One of them was Julie. In the middle of the panties were her rings, the ones I had put on her finger nearly five years ago. I looked and could see a stream of urine drenching the undergarment and the gold rings.

The final picture showed Kelli still naked over the toilet with the drenched panties and rings under her. She looked straight into the camera and smiled widely as she waved. The others stood around her, all smiling and waving with her. I never felt so humiliated in my life. Then after a while, I felt something else. Hatred. At that moment, I hated her with every fiber of my being.

I got out of that folder and went into another, where I found several video files. I previewed them, not really wanting to see her fuck this clown. I was more intent on hearing what she and the others had to say. I went to the final video, wondering what the deal was with her pissing on her rings.

When I started it, I saw her adjust herself over the bowl as the others brought the panties in. Kelli took her rings off as Julie and another girl stretched her panties underneath. She handed her rings to the older woman, who carefully placed them on the garment so they wouldn’t fall into the toilet.

“Ready now?” I heard Jake ask.

“Yeah,” Kelli said. “I gotta pee so fucking bad.” She looked straight into the camera. “This is just so you know what I really think of you and our marriage, Sam. Enjoy. I know I’ve wanted to do this for a while.”

As I watched, she let loose with a stream of urine that splattered off the rings. The others laughed and applauded as she did this. When she finished, Jake walked to her, cock in hand. He started masturbating over the soaked rings, but she took his hard pecker in her hands and began stroking. As she did, he moaned in delight.

“Oh yeah, that feels so good,” he said. “I’m getting ready to cum again.” She pointed his cock head at the rings and stroked him harder.

“Do it,” she said. “I wanna see you drench those rings with your cum.” A few seconds later, he jerked and cum flew out and onto the rings. Everyone applauded as the degradation was completed. When he finished, she kissed him and let loose of his dick.

“Alright, get the envelope,” she said. One of the girls brought the envelope in and they carefully folded the drenched panties with the rings and put them inside the envelope. “Make sure you include the photos and video,” she told them. “If Sam comes by tomorrow, and I suspect he will, give that to him, okay, Julie?”

“Sure, Kelli,” she said. “I’ll be happy to do that for you.”

“All right,” Kelli said. “Give Sam one last wave. Bye, Sam! Hope you have a good weekend,” she said while waving. The others stood around and waved with her. After they were finished, Jake turned to the camera.

“Don’t worry, cuck,” he said. “I’ll make sure she gets fucked good and proper while we’re gone. Maybe she’ll even get pregnant and give you the first kid to take care of. And thanks for paying for all this. You’re not half bad, no matter what Kelli says,” he added with a sneer. The video ended and I felt like throwing up. I wasn’t normally a violent man, but at that moment, I wanted to kill the lot of them with my bare hands and feed the pieces to the dogs.

I put my head in my hands for a bit. I was too shaken and angry to cry. All I wanted to do was lash out and hurt someone, something. Anything would do. I couldn’t for the life of me understand why she would do this to me. I had never cheated on her, never hurt her in any way. All I ever did was work so that we could have a good life together. All she had to do was tell me I was working too many hours and I would’ve cut back. But she didn’t.

I had a thought and pulled up the agency’s website. I found it was part of a much larger organization based out of New York and had offices across the country, so I looked and found an email address of the CEO and the Chairman of the Board. I wrote an email threatening a lawsuit and attached copies of the video, then sent it off.