Part 1: Her Secrets: Gary's Story

A mutual friend introduced Gary to Alicia while they attended The University of Tennessee. It took several weeks for Gary to convince Alicia to go out with him... just once. But within a few weeks after that first date, they became an exclusive couple as their relationship became serious. She was in her junior year of undergraduate studies; he was in his first year of Grad school.

Alicia's soft, silky, shoulder length, straight dark brown hair was only intensified by her dark brown, almost black, round doe-shaped eyes. She was cute, but not stunningly beautiful, still, something about her just clicked with Gary, mesmerizing him. Her finely toned legs and the cutest little peach shaped butt had caught his attention. It had taken all of his self-control not to reach over and just squeeze those cheeks. Not until they had been dating for a few weeks had she told him how impressed she had been by his behavior. No stale pick up line and most guys tried to pinch her butt.

It was nice to finally date a girl who was tall enough to kiss him without his having to pick her up or go to his knees. Alicia was tall but was still half a head shorter than Gary. She had an athletic build, slim hips, well toned body and a very attractive bust line. She carried a few extra pounds but because of her height it wasn't noticeable.

Gary, on the other hand. could have passed for Abe Lincoln's younger brother, albeit with much lighter hair. His 34-inch waistline and 35-inch inseam made it difficult to find clothes. His kid brother used to tease him about having gorilla arms. He was actually thrilled when he finally began to put on some weight the end of his senior year of college.

Two years after they met Gary popped the question. In July after Alicia's graduation, they had the complete wedding scene... including a honeymoon in Cancun, Mexico.

They settled in a quiet neighborhood in a small suburb east of Knoxville. Alicia quickly got a job part time as a Photo Journalist for a Reuters News Service affiliate in Knoxville. She really didn't want to work full time because it would take her away from her husband too often. Her photos soon gained her considerable recognition, both locally and nationally, for her work in both scientific and conservation circles.

Gary finished his Graduate studies and started work with a multi-dimensional architectural firm located in a small community northeast of Knoxville. The firm was beginning to make a name for itself in the design industry. His demonstrated exceptional skills and abilities put him on the fast track with his company. Gary was the recipient of numerous accolades from clients(raving about his work, which lead to a number of successive promotions, culminating with the offer of full partnership in the company just three weeks shy of his thirtieth birthday.

Gary and Alicia could not have been more thrilled.

Their seven years of marriage had been good for them. Blessed with two wonderful children, their daughter Emily was three and a half, and son Shawn was just turning two. They settled into a normal routine of parenthood, developed close friendships, and had the advantage of family living close by. They seemed to be the perfect family.

It had been like a dream really; at least it was a dream up until about three months ago.

Gary repeatedly mulled over the events of the last few weeks in his mind questioning Alicia's behavior that gave him cause to believe she was in the midst of an affair. He noticed she was acting oddly. She ran for the phone every time it rang, which was strange because she used to just let it ring until one of them wandered over to it. There was the sudden increase in the number of prank hang up's when he answered, as many as four or five in a day. What had really made him curious was her sudden desire to be alone after she answered certain phone calls. She took the phone into another room or walked around all over the house talking or giggling in hushed tones as if she didn't want to be overheard.

Alicia became very moody and argumentative about little things, things that made absolutely no sense to Gary. Totally out of character for her. She became particularly antagonistic and challenging when his work schedule impinged on her weekly ' Monday, mom's night out.' She usually just rearranged her schedule to the next night if something came up, or blew it off completely. Over the last eight weeks, she had also started to go out with the girls on Thursday's. God help him if he was late on her nights out, she was like a firecracker ready to launch! On those days he needed to be home before she left at five, there was no room for deviation, as if it was carved in stone. She usually arrived home about eight-thirty in an almost giddy mood.

Suddenly she began telling him where she had been, who she had been with, what they had done. Before she never told him anything unless he asked.

Three weeks ago Gary was at Target walking towards the toy section to do some shopping with the kids on a Thursday night when Charlene, one of Alicia's friends, a) stopped him to chat. She told him she had just gotten back in town that morning after being gone for almost five months to take care of her dad and mom before and after her dad had passed on. She wanted to get together with Alicia soon so they could catch up on things and continued for several minutes chatting in her normal empty-headed twitter that Gary found so annoying. While pretending, to listen to her chatter and nodding his head in acknowledgement, he was really mulling over the fact that Alicia told him she was going out with Charlene on her nights out. He smiled and assured her that Alicia would be talking with her soon.

The same night Gary had run into Charlene, Alicia was over an hour and a half later than usual in coming home. She burst through the door in an almost manic like state and quickly told how Charlene had gotten sick and had thrown up on the side of her own car just after she and her two friends left the restaurant. The girls had taken her home and that's why she was so late.

Gary had never felt the kind of pain he felt that night, it didn't strike him until that moment, at least not with full force.

She's cheating on me, Alicia's cheating on me, he thought.

There was no anger, no desire for revenge, or even justice. Just a deep sense of loss, coupled with the most intense emotional pain, he had ever experienced. It was as if someone or something was scraping the inside of his heart raw. Suddenly he needed to sit down as the room started to spin in circles. For the first time in his life, he felt the color drain out of his face. He wanted to scream or throw up, something... anything to allow him to relieve the pain and pressure that engulfed him.

Numb with shock and temporarily unable to move or speak he just sat watching as Alicia went upstairs and showered, as she did every night after she came home from being out

Coming out of his stupor he angrily muttered to himself as he lifted his head, eyes wide, "You idiot," he spat at himself as he lifted his head, eyes wide. "This was why she never wanted him to touch her on those nights. She was always too tired, too aloof for any kind of physical contact. Then there is the little matter of the evening showers. She's always been a morning shower person. Why only on her nights out does she suddenly need to shower at night?" Sitting there, he shook his head in disbelief; amazed he hadn't seen the signs before. Her signals had been like lighthouse beacons.

Hearing the shower turn off he thought, 'she'll dry off and put on the frumpiest jammies she owns then come downstairs complaining loudly that her back and legs hurt then say she is going to read and go to bed.'

Amazed Gary he sat watching his wife over the next fifteen minutes. It was as if he had choreographed her words and movements. She all but ignored him and soon went to their bedroom.

His heart breaking, he forced himself to act as normal as he could as he moved towards the bedroom, knowing the woman he loved had betrayed him that night, as she probably had a number of times before.

He went though the motions of his nightly routine then finally laid down next to her in the dark. She adjusted the covers as she rolled over away from him causing his pain and sorrow to intensify. He watched as her actions mirrored exactly how she seemed to be interacting towards him on these nights. She didn't seem to want to touch him, or for the most part, even look at him.

Gary lay in his bed looking up at the ceiling. For the first time since he was a small boy he quietly cried himself to sleep. After a restless sleep and getting up multiple times during the early morning hours, he finally got up at 5AM. He showered, dressed and left the house before Alicia got up to get the children ready for daycare then got ready for work herself.

That morning his thoughts kept returning to his suspicions. He couldn't accept the thoughts that kept running through his mind. Divorce... separation... living without her... without the kids... This just couldn't be happening to him, to them. They had always had a depth of trust and commitment that manifested itself in their relationship in so many ways. Especially when it came to the intimacy of their sex life, varied, intense, and passionate. They both felt free to explore many fantasies within the confines of their marriage, and were content to do so.

The next few weeks seemed almost surreal. Dipping into his retirement funds

Gary hired a private detective to follow her. He honestly hoped the investigator wouldn't find anything, but deep in his heart of hearts, he knew it was a false hope.

It didn't take the PI long to hit pay dirt thus verifying Gary's fears. He handed over the pictures of Alicia with a tall blond man whose hands seemed to be all over her. He apologized that he could not get any of them in the act. Truthfully, Gary didn't want any photos of that depth of her betrayal. His wife's disheveled hair and clothing upon exiting her boyfriend's home coupled with the intimate way they acted with each other in public and the few pictures the PI snapped at lover boy's house left little to no doubts as to what their activities had truly entailed.

The detective had managed to get three or four shots through the front window of lover boy's house. As Gary studied the pictures he noticed Alicia was wearing other clothes than she had worn on leaving their house. When did she change clothes? She wasn't wearing those clothes when she left the house or when she came back afterwards.

As he slowly sifted through the photos, there were several photos of Alicia letting the jerk check out how deep the inside of her mouth was with his tongue, while mauling her ass or her boobs with his hands. In one photo, he noticed she had something in her right hand. Studying the picture a little closer he realized it was her sexy bra and panty set clutched tightly in her hand. Gary had given the set to her as a surprise anniversary gift last year. Although she didn't openly display the intimate apparel, he knew by the vibrant blue and black color scheme accented by the black lace what it was. He had taken them off her body many times in the past. He shivered at the thought that he might never get to accomplish that again.

In the weeks that followed, Gary began making excuses whenever Alicia showed signs of wanting intimacy. He didn't need any STD problems her lover might possibly have passed on to her. He could see she was confused about his lack of desire towards her, she didn't press the issue or question why.

The detective more than earned his money when he gave Gary all the vital statistics about Alicia's secret friend. What caught Gary's interest the most was the fact the other guy was a twenty-four year old Air Force first lieutenant, Rory Benefield. It seemed he had been bragging to a whole lot of people that he was tapping a hot little married piece. Boy would that tid-bit of information fire up Alicia. She didn't like it when her husband referred to having sex with her to their friends, feeling it was a private matter for just the two of them to enjoy.

'Well, well, well', he thought. 'If this guy's superiors didn't want to fix his stupid butt, the press would have a field day with that fact'.

For the first time in weeks, Gary had a smile on his face as he walked down to his boss's office to arrange for the rest of the day off.

It was 2:30 on Thursday afternoon; Gary headed home from work early, early for him that is. His stomach seemed to be working overtime in a marvelous attempt to produce more acid than it could contain. Damn, he wished he still had that roll of TUMS in the glove box of the car. He had been through a tense upsetting morning when he received the last set of pictures. It promised to be an even more upsetting and tension filled afternoon and evening.

Driving home Gary continually ruminated in his head on his battle plan for approaching Alicia. Parking in the driveway he waited for a few minutes to allow his stomach to settle down. Grabbing his coat and removing the keys from the ignition he made certain to pick up the large manila envelope lying on the passenger seat. It contained the duplicate copies of all his evidence. Taking a deep breath he prepared himself to face his wife. He wasn't quite sure if she would be his wife after today, but for the next few hours, she still belonged to him... at least in name.

Silently entering through the front door he quietly shut it. Then he began looking for Alicia. He didn't have far to search far before he found her in the Master bath room tub, bubbles up to her chin, soaking in her favorite bath oils and humming to her self. She was engrossed in a different world and didn't hear Gary enter their bedroom, or notice him peek inside the bathroom.

Before telling he was home, Gary looked over at the bed. A flash of color had caught his attention when he walked in the room and he turned to investigate it. Quietly moving away from the bathroom door, he moved over to her side of their bed. Laid out on the bed was a sexy little red dress that he hadn't seen her wear in ages, along with her blue and black lace undies neatly folded next to it. He wondered how she was planning to get out of the house in that outfit. He noticed an old faded yellow frozen food bag lying on the floor next to the bed. Walking over he picked it up and looked inside. His stomach flipped over. He hadn't been able to figure out how she kept her "special outfits" from him. Her little spaghetti strap sandals were already inside the bag; they were the ones she always wore with the red dress she had laid out. Buried below her sandals was a large zip lock plastic bag with a plain white bra and pair of white cotton panties, folded and sealed inside for her to wear when she came home.