Chapter 1

What does it mean to forsake all others? Is there something, somewhere that qualifies that promise in the wedding vows? I didn't think so, but others apparently think differently.

I was at work that day when Charley Hughes came back to work. He'd been out sick with the flu for a couple of days and I guess he found out it can get pretty boring sitting around the house by yourself. His wife worked and his kids were in school so he had no one to talk to. Anyway, Charley was moaning about an Oprah show he'd watched the previous afternoon where she'd had several married women on the show extolling the excitement of having a lesbian affair behind their husbands' backs. Charley thought that this was a despicable thing to present on national TV to women who were easily impressed by Oprah's sophistication and wealth. He wondered very vocally about the wimpy husbands of those women going on national TV and what it would do to their marriages and also what would happen to the divorce rate if more women were encouraged to try it after watching the show?

I guess I had to agree with Charley and when I got home that night I guess I let off a little steam with my wife, Grace, about it. She listened to my ranting about it with a funny look on her face and I guess I should have recognized something was wrong but it didn't click with me right away. When I was finished she simply turned away and shrugged her shoulders as though to dismiss my concern.

"Don't get all steamed up about it. I'm sure most women would not consider such a thing and if they did, wouldn't act on it."

"What if they did?"

"It isn't as though she was really cheating on her husband doing it with another woman." she responded all the while not looking at me.

"I don't see it that way. Our wedding vows say, "forsaking ALL others, not just persons of the opposite sex. To my way of thinking that's being just as unfaithful as giving your body to another man. Would you like to see me with another man?"

"I guess you're right, but it isn't like you'd be sharing love between two people. You'd save that for the person you're married to."

"Intimate sex should only be shared with the person you love and are married. As a man and a faithful husband, my marriage is based on love, trust and respect. If those three things aren't there, then it isn't a marriage as far as I'm concerned."

She was quiet as she stood looking out the kitchen window. I think I began to suspect something then. Her attitude and behavior were telling me that she was hiding something and it had to do with the subject at hand. You don't live with someone for 23 years without learning their moods and not know when something is bothering them. Something was definitely bothering her.

"Do you have something you want to talk about, Grace?"

I guess I'd better give you a little background on our situation. My wife, Grace, and I had been married for 23 years. We had a son, Mark, who had just graduated from MIT with an engineering degree and was away living in Nashville working for a firm of consulting engineers. At 44 Grace was still a very attractive woman and kept herself in shape at a local health spa. Standing 5'6'' in her bare feet her svelte 135 lbs were blended into a nice feminine body with 34C breasts, blond hair cut fashionably short. She was a teacher at our local high school and was active in school activities, especially related to girl's education, sport and social activities. I loved her with a passion and was awed by her love for me, her intelligence and her dedication to her family and her job.

I'm Jim, a laid back guy, 6'1'' and 182 lbs. My looks are average I guess. The ladies didn't swoon when they saw me coming anyway, but I'd been hit on a couple of occasions so maybe I'm not a total loss. Anyway, I ran to keep myself in shape and was comfortable with my health and condition at 45.

With our son gone and the expense associated with supporting and educating him finished, we were free to enjoy our lives. We were putting away quite a bit of money every year as we wanted to retire in about 10 years and travel and enjoy life in our maturity. Our sex was still good, at least twice a week. Not as active as when we were younger, but not bad. I thought we had everything going for us.

Turning from the window to look at me, I saw her face and I knew something was wrong.

"What's the problem, honey?" I asked with a feeling of dread coming over me.

The look on her face was one of intense anguish and I knew then what the problem was and it related to what I'd been ranting about when I got home from work., However, I wanted her to tell me about it. For the last several months, she and a single, fellow teacher; younger than herself, had been working together on a school project to develop curriculum for a new class on girl's health issues. This required, she had told me, that they spend an evening or two each week at the other woman's apartment. I now remembered when she had come back from those evenings that she immediately went and had a shower before coming to bed but was never interested in sex on those nights. I had never suspected anything at the time. Her attitude to me hadn't changed nor had she been less caring or loving. Maybe, she had been more solicitous if anything. With a sob, she suddenly turned from me and hurried back to our bedroom and shut the door.

"Grace?" I hollered before she got the door shut but got no response.

I was stunned. What the hell had she done? Collapsing in a kitchen chair I put my head in my hands as tears began to slide down my cheeks. I couldn't believe what I was thinking but it had to be true or she would never have reacted like that. She was having an affair with that other female teacher. Sitting there I thought about the 23 years we had been married and the wonderful life we'd had. I'd always wanted a daughter but she'd been unable to have more children after our son's birth. The good times, the love, even the sex were fond memories that seemed to be fill our lives up to now. Now what? I'd have to wait until she told me for sure. I'd give her an hour in the bedroom to compose herself and then we would have to talk. I wiped my eyes and went into the den and got into my recliner. Closing my eyes I prepared to wait. I knew it was not a good thing but I could feel my rage building as I waited.

It was about 45 minutes later I heard the bedroom door open and she appeared at the doorway. As I sat up in the recliner, I gestured to the sofa across from me.

"Sit down Grace. I'm here to listen to what you have to say. Is it about you and Clara?"

She looked like hell. Her eyes were red and watery as though she'd been crying, her hair was mussed and she looked defeated. I hadn't seen her like this since her mother died.

"Yes, and I'm so sorry, Jim. I'd convinced myself that it wasn't such a bad thing. It was just sex with Clara and I never suspected how you would feel about it."

"If you thought it was alright and I would be OK with it, why didn't you tell me about it and not hide it Grace? It was just sex? I can't believe you. You knew it was not right yet you went ahead and did it behind my back. Was the sex exciting or was it the fact that you thought you could hide it from me that it was exciting? Just like those women on the Oprah show. All excited because they were having illicit sex with another woman. Well, you can just go live with your lover Grace, because you're out of here. Go pack a bag and move out. You broke our wedding vows and as far as I'm concerned and we don't have a marriage anymore. So you can go live with your lover and not have to hide anything."

"Please Jim, please. We can get around this. We can go to counseling. Our marriage doesn't have to end because of a misunderstanding."

"MISUNDERSTANDING?" I hollered back in my rage. "Don't you get it? It wasn't a misunderstanding. It was out and out deceit, lying and unfaithfulness. It was not a misunderstanding. I'm giving you 10 minutes to pack a bag and get out of here. If you're not out of here by then I'm throwing your cheating ass out the front door."

"Please Jim, can't we talk about this calmly? This is my home too."

"If you want to argue about who gets to stay and who's going, see a lawyer, but you're out of here because I can't guarantee your safety if you stay. You have 9 minutes left."

Crying, she left the room and went back to our bedroom where I heard her get a suitcase out of her walk-in closet and then the sliding of bureau drawers opening and closing. I was surprised but she had a bag packed with some business clothing on hangers in less than 10 minutes.

Her eyes were still red and tearful as she headed to the door out to the garage.

"I'll be at my sisters. Please call me when you think I can come home." she told me as she went by. I just stared at her and didn't respond.

A few seconds later I heard the garage door go up and her car start, then she was gone and I was alone. I was glad she hadn't gone to Carla's.

After she left I just sat there and thought about what I was going to do, but couldn't reach any conclusion. Eventually, I got up and made myself a sandwich to get something in my stomach. Grace had already started dinner but I didn't feel like a heavy meal. My stomach was in a turmoil as I tried to reason my way through my emotions. What did I want to do? Divorce? Counseling? Get back together? Could I trust her again? Did I want to get back together again? All these things were flashing through my mind in a jumble and I couldn't put the pieces into any order of logic.

I was sitting back in the den in front of the TV but wasn't really watching it when the phone rang. Reaching over I picked it up and heard, Betty, Grace's younger sister.