Dave Pearson smiled with contentment as he looked out his office door. It was late Friday afternoon, and the happy work family of Pearson Systems bustled with excitement as the weekend fast approached. He was proud of all thirty-three of his employees at his suburban Philadelphia company.

His wife, Linda, was among the group that day. She performed the duties of bookkeeper working mostly from home, but often came in on Fridays to hand out paychecks and stay connected to the team. The company’s primary salesperson, Dave’s brother Rich, was also there now that his sales calls were finished for the week. Dave smiled with pride at the way his family and employees blended into a powerful team making his company a well-oiled machine.

Dave was, indeed, blessed. It was a shame his euphoria would not last.

Dave’s office manager, Hannah Kemp, interrupted his pleasant reflections with a knock on his door.

“Boss, I’m wrapping up and getting ready to head home. I wanted to see if I could bring anything to the pig roast tomorrow?”

“Hey, Hannah. What’s this ‘boss’ crap? You really run this place.”

“Damn right I do. So, can I bring something?”

“I think Linda has it all under control.”

Spotting his wife nearby, Dave calls out loudly to her. “Sweetie, do you have a minute?”

Pretending to scan the room with a painted surprised smile, Linda sassed back. “Sweetie? Oh, you mean me?”

“Who else would I mean, smart ass!”

The three shared a laugh as Linda joined them. Dave took the opportunity to keep things light.

“Hannah and I were just discussing who the real boss is around here.”

“Everyone knows that Hannah runs this place,” Linda said with a smirk.

“And,” Hannah added, “everyone knows Linda wears the pants at home. Right, Dave?”

“I refuse to answer on the grounds that I’m sure I’ll get in trouble.”

“Smart move, Baby. Besides, Hannah, our relationship is best when neither one of us has pants on.”

“Whoa, guys. TMI,” Linda responded. “The way you two walk around holding hands, giving little smooches, and making googly eyes is bad enough.”

Linda blushed as Dave responded. “I’m proud that we’re still on our honeymoon after being married seventeen years. I really lucked out in the love department.”

Linda teared up and her lips quivered with emotion as a cute, crooked smile formed. “Isn’t he sweet?”

“Yeah, he is,” Hannah agreed. “Before you two decide to get a room, I just wanted to know if I can bring anything tomorrow?”

“Oh,” Linda said as she snapped out of her love-haze. “Thanks for offering, but we have it all covered. Do we know for sure how many from the company will be there tomorrow?”

Hannah looked at the tablet she was carrying. “It looks like 28 employees, 26 significant others, and 31 kids.”

Linda did a quick mental calculation. “Okay, that’s 85 plus our family. The caterer is preparing food for 120, so we’ll have plenty. Speaking of significant others, Miss Hannah, are you bringing someone?”

Hannah clearly forced a smile before responding. “No, I’m on my own.”

“Come on, girl! You’re young and smoking hot. We have a friend from church who would be great for you.”

“Linda, don’t be doing that to me. Okay?”

Linda started to respond when Dave interrupted her. “Sweetie, leave Hannah alone. She’s a big girl.”

“I know, but...”

“Linda!” Dave’s face sent a stronger message than his words.

“Okay. I’m sorry, Hannah. You know it comes from love, don’t you?”

“Yeah. I know,” she responded.

There was so much more Hannah wanted to say, but those secret words could never leave her lips.

Walking hand in hand in the parking lot, Dave and Linda looked forward to one of their favorite traditions and the busy weekend that was to follow. Dave asked an obvious question.

“Did you call in the order?”

“Yes, of course. Mongolian Beef for you, General Tso’s Chicken for Allie, and I’m trying the Happy Family seafood dish.”

“Great. I could have guessed Allie’s order. She always gets that.”

“Look who’s talking! I wouldn’t be surprised if you turned into a Mongolian.”

“Very funny. Did you get an assortment of appetizers too?”

“Absolutely.”

They got in the car and started their drive home. A few minutes passed when Linda noticed that her normally talkative husband suddenly seemed quiet and had a far-off look on his face. “Something wrong, Baby?”

Startled out of his thoughts, Dave stumbled to respond. “Um ... ah ... well, not really.”

“What’s going on, Dave? Come on Sweetie, we share everything, don’t we?”

“Of course, it’s just...”

“You’re worrying me.”

“Oh,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s just ... well, a little while ago I was just reflecting on how great everything is in my life, and I started thinking about tonight.”

“You mean our regular Chinese movie night?”

“Yeah. Friday nights are the highlight of my week with my favorite food, then snuggling with my two favorite girls on the couch watching some movie. Allie is fifteen now. It feels like she’s growing so fast that it won’t be long before our little family will just be the two of us.”

“What do you mean just the two of us? She’ll still be our little girl.”

“She’ll always be our sweet daughter, for sure. But little? In a year or two, our Friday night tradition will be date night for her. Then college, and soon she’ll be on her own. It will just be the two of us.”

“That’s the curse of parenting, Babe. Kids grow up.”

“I know, but I don’t have to like it.”

“Well, look at it this way. When it’s just the two of us, it can become naked Chinese movie night!”

“Oooh. I hadn’t thought of that!”

With smiles prominently displayed and as much as their surroundings allowed, they playful fondled each other’s naughty bits the rest of the way home. Without a doubt. bedtime would be wild and crazy.

Dave and Linda walked through the front door to a joyful, shrieking Allie who tackled her father with a bear hug. Their dog, Banjo, barked happily at the excitement in the air, then ran to investigate the food bags that hit the floor from Allie’s exuberant greeting.

“I did it! I did it, Daddy! An A plus on my geometry test!”

“I told you it would be okay, didn’t I?

“I didn’t believe you, but you were right.”

She kissed her dad on the cheek as her mother looked on with pride in her eyes. Linda knew that Allie was daddy’s girl, and she was fine with that. She remembered having the same kind of relationship with her late father and she would never deny either of them that blessing in life.

Dinner was filled with high energy conversation, flailing chopsticks, and food orgasms after every bite. When they finished and the table was cleared, they retired to the family room for the best part of Dave’s week.

Dave asked, “Who’s turn is it to pick tonight?”

“Mine,” Allie responded. “I picked an old comedy you guys talked about that I haven’t seen.”

Dave laughed. “Old? What, from 2015? I thought you’d pick the next John Wick movie after my choice last week.”

“Oh, Lord, no,” Linda exclaimed. “No body-count movies tonight.”

Dave wouldn’t let the subject drop. “Allie, what was the count last week?”

“Uh, Dad, I lost count after 100. Anyway, this week we’re watching ‘Robin Hood, Men in Tights.’ That sound okay?”

They sat on the couch, Dave in the middle with the two women he loved resting on each shoulder. The word ‘woman’ stuck in his mind. Allie was only fifteen, but she was a young woman now. He was struggling to enjoy the night, but the thought of a future without her under his roof kept monopolizing his brain. That was something he dreaded more than anything else he could think of.

Dave’s brother, Rich, and his wife, Sonia, arrived early the next morning to help get ready for the big gathering. Their large property and pool had lots of things for the guests to do, all of which required cleaning and preparation.

Sonia and Allie worked inside while Linda, Rich, and Dave worked together in the outdoor space. Dave was cleaning leaves out of the pool when he felt a familiar rumbling and decided he needed to deal with it.

“Hey, Sweetie, I need to head inside for my morning constitutional.”

“Okay,” she shouted. “Just don’t stink up the guest powder room. Allie just cleaned it and she’ll be super pissed.”

Dave entered the house and started to head up to the master suite, but then thought better of it. The unfinished basement had its own toilet room and there’d be no risk of contaminating the public spaces with his legendary stench.

He entered the tiny room, and the musty basement odor attacked his nostrils. He opened the small, high casement window for ventilation. He had a habit of leaving the room dark for his morning routine because he liked to close his eyes and let his mind wander wherever it wanted to go. Thus, his morning ritual often took fifteen minutes or more.

Dave sat to take care of business, closed his eyes, and noticed the fresh scents of spring filling the room. He started to let his mind drift when he heard shuffling and whispering voices through the window. The window was on the side of the house and foundation plantings hid it from view. He strained to hear what was going on.

“Rich, Dave could catch us!” Dave easily identified Linda’s voice, and he started to feel a different grumbling in his gut.

“No, he won’t. He’ll be at least ten minutes.”

“What’s so damn urgent?”

“Listen. The boys brought home forms from the school asking for our permission to have their DNA tested. Has Allie’s school done that?”

“Not that I know of. Oh ... shit!”

“Yeah. Oh shit! Did you ever figure out if I’m Allie’s father?”

Dave felt like a cannonball just hit him in the stomach. He fought the urge to vomit and struggled not to react.

“No, I really hoped to avoid that. I’ll check with the school to see if they’re doing any DNA stuff. It’s a different district, so maybe we’re safe.”

“I hope so. Hey, we haven’t met up in a while. What do you think?”

“Don’t you think we should stop this? It’s way too risky.

“We’ve been getting away with it for years. Besides, I don’t wanna stop and I’m sure you don’t want Dave to find out, do you?”

“Would you really tell him? It would ruin you, too.”

“Do you wanna take that chance? I can always start fresh somewhere.”

“You’re a real bastard, ya know?”

“Yeah? So what? Pick a day this week.”

“Damn you! Shit!”

“Well?”

“Dave and Allie have their monthly date night this Tuesday. They won’t be home before 10:00. How about Valley View at 6:00?”

“Yeah, good. We better get back. Let me know what the school says.”

After hearing them leave, Dave stood and closed the window just in time to allow him to lose his breakfast in the toilet. He managed to sit before passing out as silent tears poured out of him.

He quietly kept repeating, “What do I do, what do I do?” His mind was spinning with thoughts in all directions. He never experienced pain like this as his chest tightened. He felt like his guts were being ripped out. “Oh, God. Am I having a heart attack?” Quickly enough he dismissed that fear, but the pain continued.

After a few minutes he was feeling a little stronger. He cleaned up as best he could while fighting the horrible thoughts that continued to swirl within him. “Allie! Oh, Lord, Allie. Is she mine?” The terror of the idea started to cause panic until he realized she was his little girl no matter who planted the seed. But should the proof identify Rich as the seed donor, his brother will feel the pain until he wishes he had never been born.

“Who the hell is Linda? I can’t believe...”

He struggled to gain control. He needed time to think and process. He knew he couldn’t confront them now. Soon a hundred people would be there, and he had to find a way to act normally. The problem was, he was a terrible actor and far too transparent with his thoughts.

Having been in the basement for almost twenty minutes, he knew he had to come out of hiding. “What can I do?” His mind wouldn’t calm.

“Ice,” he whispered aloud to no one. He realized by getting out of the house to buy ice would give him precious time to gain control. He splashed water on his face and tried to hide the evidence of his destruction, then went upstairs to begin a heart-driven attempt at an Emmy-worthy performance.

He spotted Sonia as he exited the basement. “Sonia, if you see Linda, tell her I’m running out for the ice.”

“Sure thing,” she cheerfully responded with no clue that her world was about to explode, too.

Dave parked in front of the store and decided to just walk and think for a few minutes. Pacing always helped him think. He felt tears starting to gather in his eyes and angrily shouted, “STOP IT!” He had never been the crying, emotional type and it pissed him off that he couldn’t control himself. He had to be in charge and think clearly. He needed a plan of action, plus he had to find a way to get through the party and the days that followed without his family suspecting there was a problem.

The walking calmed his emotions and his thoughts started to be productive as the framework of a strategy took shape. Realizing he’d been away from the house too long, he went into the store, bought eight large bags of ice, then headed home to start the first act of the tragedy in which he begrudgingly found himself.

To his relief, Allie was the first to see him. She took one look at him, and Dave realized his acting skills were already failing him.

“Dad! What’s wrong? You look terrible.”

“My stomach. I had to stop on the side of the road to toss my cookies. Can you move the ice from my car to the big freezer downstairs? I need to go lie down.”

“Sure. I’ll tell Mom you’re not feeling well.”

“Thanks, Sweetie.”

Dave hoped isolating himself for a few hours would give him the time to pull himself together. There was no better cover story than an upset stomach. He heard someone coming up the stairs, so he quickly jumped onto the bed. A worried Linda opened the door to find him curled up into a ball on the bed.

“Baby, Allie said you were sick! What’s going on?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think I have a fever, but I’m having stomach cramps and I already threw up twice.”

“Oh, sweetie. I’m so sorry. Listen, we have things under control for the party so just stay in bed for a while. If you feel better, come on down, but even if you miss the party, I’m sure our guests will understand.”

“I don’t want to miss it, but thanks for understanding.”

She kissed him on the forehead, and not-so-subtly checked for any sign of a temperature. Then, to his relief, she quietly left the room.

He got up to pace now that he was alone. Dave’s logical mind started to envision the outline of a strategy, then he started to fill in the details along with possible contingencies. Divorce was a given. Without a doubt, Rich and Linda would be fired. He thought through financial details. He struggled to envision ways to protect the innocent bystanders. Concern for Sonia and her boys as well as Dave’s parents weighed heavily on his conscience.

But Allie? Whether she was his or not, all of this would shatter her world. He thought she would want to stay with him, but he couldn’t be sure. He was already losing his wife and best friend and he could not bear the thought of damaging his relationship with his little girl. Those fears threatened to generate fresh tears, but he silently chastised himself to fight them off.

As if she could sense he was thinking about her, Allie chose that moment to visit him. He heard her bound up the steps, so he quickly laid down. He pretended to sleep, but once again his acting failed him. Her hand gently brushed his hair over his ear. He couldn’t look at her or his act would disintegrate.

“Daddy, you okay?”

“I don’t know, Baby. I want to try to sleep for a few hours before people get here.”

Banjo jumped up on the bed and affectionately licked his master’s face. Dave allowed him, not just because he loved his dog’s attention but because it effectively cleared away any fugitive tears.

“I brought you a concerned friend. Is that all right?”

“Sure! Hey, buddy,” he said, greeting his furry companion while hugging him.

“I love you, Dad. I hope you feel better, okay?”

“Thanks, Baby. I love you, too.”

Because he was facing away from her to hide his face, she had to lean over from behind him as she kissed his forehead. Feeling her love, goosebumps pleasantly attacked his body as if to physically reaffirm how much he loved his little girl. Right then he knew he was making the right decision regarding the dilemma he’d been struggling with. Allie needed to know the whole story before any confrontation. He couldn’t protect her from the truth, so the proper path was to prepare her. He knew when and how to do it, but he hated that it was necessary.

“What were Linda and Rich thinking?” he thought to himself. Understanding their cruel betrayal seemed beyond his grasp. Now, it was up to him to explode the bomb on his family by exposing their treason. The very blessings he had basked in less than 24 hours before were now painful memories of a perfect life that could no longer exist.

With the sour taste of treason in his mouth, he quietly vented his anger. “Damn them! Damn their sorry asses!”

Dave managed to be sociable with his guests and was fortunate that Linda and Rich were too busy to interact with him. Hannah kept giving him curious glances as if she knew something was wrong, but she didn’t say anything.

He kept Allie close by so he could dote on her and, in a very real way, lean on her for strength. She was aware of his reliance on her, but assumed it had to do with him feeling ill. Her watchful eye gave him the comfort he needed to keep his act from being exposed.

He helped with the cleanup, then announced that he was going to bed early. His choice to use the guest room was justifiable, and Linda bought the excuse. He was pleased with himself that his plans for the first night were successful.

The following morning, the family attended church. In the middle of the morning message, Dave pretended he felt his phone vibrate, and looked at the text screen while feigning a look of disgust. Linda gave him a questioning glance, to which he mouthed “Later.”

As soon as the service ended, she asked, “What was that text?”

“The owner of Gupta Water Equipment needs me there tomorrow to meet a big client of his. He wants me there through dinner, so I’ll be back Tuesday.”

“Where are they?”

“Pittsburgh. I’ll need to drive out this afternoon.”

“Are you feeling well enough? You really looked green yesterday.”

“I’m fine. I should leave after lunch. I want to have enough time to get a good night’s sleep.”

“So, we’re still going to your parents for lunch?”

“Yeah. I’ll drive separately so you and Allie can stay.”

Dave was pleased with himself. Nights two and three were safely covered.

At his parents’ home during Sunday brunch, he stayed as far away from Rich as he could. Linda was busy enough helping with the food and chatting with Sonia, so she didn’t notice his distant attitude. He left as soon as lunch was over, stopped at home to get all the documents he needed, then drove to the Marriott Courtyard about five miles on the other side of their business.

Once checked in and settled, he called his lawyer who, fortunately, was also a good friend who wouldn’t object to a Sunday call.

“Hey, Dave. To what do I owe a Sunday call from my favorite client?”

“Bill, I apologize for exploiting our friendship by calling you today, but I’ve got a serious problem.”

“Damn, I’m sorry, my friend. Do you want to come over and talk? I’ve got several bottles of Yuengling Lager here with your name on them.”

“You’re okay with that?”

“Sure. I won’t even bill you for the hours or the beer,” he said with a chuckle. “Come right over, if you want.”

“Man, thanks. You’re a good friend and I really need one now.”

Dave met with his lawyer, Bill Hardwick, and laid bare his dilemma. Bill had been through a divorce himself for similar reasons, so he truly was a sympathetic ear. As they got into the details of Dave’s plan, Bill understood why his services would be needed even though he didn’t practice family law.

“Smart move combining business law with family law on this problem,” Bill noted. “Are you okay with using my friend who handled my divorce? She’s a real shark.”

“I was hoping you had a recommendation. How soon can we call her?”

“Let me give her a buzz now and see what she can do to fit us into her schedule.”

Bill walked off for privacy and called Angela Hall. She hated cheaters with passion, and Bill knew she’d treat Dave right. After talking for a few moments, he disconnected the call and walked back to his friend.

“Good news! She’s coming over and will join us for dinner. Is that okay?”

“Wow. I feel special getting this kind of Sunday service.”

“Look, my friend. Hearing what your wife and brother did really hurts my soul. We gotta make this right. I have to say, though, that you and Linda are the last people I expected to find in this situation.”

“Yeah. You and me both.”

“Well, don’t start feelin’ too special. You’re buying dinner. We’ll order from Kelly’s Steakhouse when Angela gets here. They deliver and know my place well since I can’t cook worth crap.”

Angela was a lovely woman, and Dave could see that she and Bill were more than friends. Bill quickly confirmed his suspicions.

“Yes, my friend, this lovely lady is single. Don’t start thinking you have a chance, though. She’s spoken for since we’re getting hitched in a month.”

“Wow. That’s great. I can think of all sorts of snarky comments, but my mood has my filters outta whack and I don’t want to come off nasty.”

“Relax, Dave. I already know I don’t deserve this beautiful, marvelous woman.”

The three spent the afternoon and evening reviewing strategy and plotting their actions. Angela took Dave’s financial paperwork and set an appointment for Monday after lunch to finalize the details. Everything pointed towards being ready for Dave to serve Linda that Friday.

At one point they took a break so Dave could pretend to be in Pittsburgh when he called home.

Linda answered. “Hi, Honey. I guess you arrived okay. How are you feeling?”

“A little tired, but okay. I grabbed a quick burger and I’m heading to bed. Is Allie there?”

“Yep. Right next to me watching TV.”

“Can you put us on speaker?”

“Sure!” A moment passed while she handed her daughter the phone.

“Hi Daddy. I miss you already.”

“Miss you, too, Sweetie. I just wanted to let you know I’ll be home in plenty of time for our date night on Tuesday.”

“Oh, good! I was wondering if you were going to stand me up.”

“Never, Baby. A fancy dinner, and a movie it will be. Pick a movie you want to see that starts somewhere around 7:30. Okay?”

“You bet.”

“Okay, guys. I’m heading off to bed. Love you both.”

After a chorus of “love you’s,” the call disconnected. Linda was a little put off that they didn’t get to talk more, but she suspected Dave’s five-to-six-hour drive sapped his energy.

Dave opened the window by his hotel bed hoping fresh air would soothe his soul. Instead, strong odors from the garbage dumpster below invaded his room. “Fitting,” he thought as he pondered the stinking mess his life was becoming. He slammed the window shut, flopped onto the bed, and spent the night being haunted by the nightmare he was living.

The next day, Dave’s meeting with Bill and Angela went well, and his evening call home was short and sweet when he claimed the clients were waiting for him to join them for dinner. In reality, Dave sat in his local hotel room eating a room service burger while planning the strategy for the next day when he had to bring Allie into the loop. It was the day he had to watch his little girl quickly grow up while learning the darker sides of life. It was the day he dreaded with all his heart and soul.

Tuesday morning, Dave finalized a few more pieces of his strategy, then met with his attorney one more time to finalize the company issues he planned as part of his pending divorce and the severance package he envisioned for Linda and his former brother. He arrived at his office just after lunch to make it appear as if he just drove in from Pittsburgh.

The sight of Hannah started to bring to the surface all the emotions he thought he had in check. Instead of bringing her directly into his office, he greeted her with an uncomfortable smile, and closed his office door behind him.

“Get a hold of yourself,” he softly uttered to himself. Having the list of actions in front of him was a crutch to help him maintain composure. Taking out his notepad, he looked over the itinerary, took a deep breath, and called in his friend and trusted office manager.

“Hey, Dave,” she said with her normal smile, which quickly faded when she saw his face. A few silent tears trickled down his cheeks. Not only could he not control them, but he found he didn’t want to. “My God! What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

She abandoned all office etiquette, and rushed to embrace the man she cared about who was clearly in pain.

“Dave, what’s wrong? Are you ill or something? Please, talk to me.”

“No,” he replied with a trembling voice. “I’m not sick. No one is sick.”

Hannah pulled a chair next to him and held his hand while stroking his arm as she sat next to him.

“We’re ... shit!” He grabbed a tissue as composure started to return. “We’re gonna need to make some changes here. I think they’ll be good, but the reason they’re needed really ... really sucks.”

“What? What happened?”

He looked at her with the saddest eyes she had ever seen. Puffy and red, they gave away the degree of pain her boss was in. It hit her that only one thing could shake him that deeply.

“Linda? Something with Linda?”

He nodded, struggling to answer. He lowered his head and diverted his eyes, then choked out a single word. “Affair.”

“Oh, my Lord! Linda?” She embraced him again seeing that he was losing composure. “I can’t believe it. Are you sure? Do you know who?”

Dave nodded his head and was clearly struggling to name the culprit. Hannah knew she had to be patient.

He looked up at her as his face changed from overwhelming sorrow to burning anger. “Rich. My own damn brother.”

Completely shocked, Hannah stood suddenly and started pacing. “That son of a bitch,” she spit while trying to avoid being overheard. “That stupid, selfish bastard!” She continued to pace and rant as her mind processed her boss’s suffering.

After a few moments, she calmed herself and resumed her embrace of the broken man. She sat up suddenly as a realization hit her and looked into his eyes. “You found out just before the party, didn’t you?”

“How’d you know?”

“I could tell something was really wrong, and I wasn’t buying the touchy stomach story.”

“I overheard their conversation, and I did immediately puke, so, the touchy stomach story was a partial truth.”

“And I’m guessing you really weren’t in Pittsburgh yesterday, were you?”

“No. Lawyers.”

“There’s no chance you’ll stay with her?”

“I prayed to find a way, but they’ve been seeing each other for sixteen years or more. I can’t get past that. I’ll never see her as the same woman I loved.”

Hannah went to Dave’s office fridge, took out a Coke, then got two glasses and a bottle of rum from the cupboard. “I think we both need a rum and Coke. What do you think?”

“I think that’s a great idea.”

Hannah handed him his glass and she slumped into the chair across from him as she drew a large gulp. They briefly sat in silence, looked at each other, then launched into business issues. Dave started the conversation.

“Obviously, after Friday they are both fired.”

“Obviously.”

“Rich’s wife, Sonia, has a business degree. I want to see if she can handle Linda’s job. We won’t pursue that until next week, so I may need you to find a way to cover Linda’s duties in the short term.”

“Can do. I know her job and can cover it.”

“Hopefully not for too long. I don’t want to overload you.”

“No problem. I’ve got big shoulders. What about sales?”

“Well, a little while back, Debbie Gleason said she wanted to get into sales. She’s done really well as Rich’s inside support person and I think she’d be great.”

“I agree. The hard part will be backfilling Debbie’s job.”

“Tammy Fields. She’s been designing systems and helping with procurement. Plus, she’s had a lot of business courses. I think she could slide in easily.”

“Okay. That sounds good. What’s the timing?”

“This Friday, just before they are ready to leave, tell them you and I have been talking about expanding sales and see if they are interested. Let them know it is imperative they not tell anyone yet, but that you and I want to meet with them first thing on Monday morning to offer them promotions.”