"Justin? Whatever is the matter? You look like you lost your best friend. Come on. It's a Christmas party." I jumped and looked up into a magnificent cleavage as Melanie, my best friend's wife bent toward me, looking at me in deep concern.

"Oh, hi Melanie", I said. "Sorry. I'm just not in the party mood tonight I guess. Too much on my mind." As I said that, I thought about how much I really, really didn't want to hurt this woman and considered how badly I was going to do just that.

As I was thinking that, Melanie pulled a chair from the table and sat beside me. "Come on, cheer up", she said as she reached for my hand. "Tell Aunt Mel all about it."

"No, just thinking about some things I have to do next week that I'm not looking forward to getting into."

"Well, come dance with me. Darren (Her husband) and Jennifer (My wife) are sure having fun dancing. Why don't you come dance with me? Maybe we can get as many lustful stares from the crowd as they are hummm? Then after I have you all tired out you can buy me a drink and we can talk. I have something I need to ask you." I finally let her persuade me to dance. When we moved onto the floor Melanie just melted into my arms. It was like it had been when we were in high school and dancing with each other at the sock hop.

Unfortunately I couldn't give Melanie my full attention. All the time I was dancing I was watching Darren and Jennifer. While we danced, I was going over the painful discoveries that had led us to this moment. I once again reviewed the plans I had made to rectify the situation and get the revenge I so desperately needed.

When we married Jennifer and I were deeply in love and lust just like most couples. Unlike most, it had continued for years, and until our last Fourth of July party I had assumed it would continue until one of us died. Well, at least the children were through college and settled in good careers. What was about to happen would hurt them but since they were adults they could better handle it.

Like most men who discover their wives were cheating, I never saw it coming. I wondered if I would still be happily ignorant of the problem if I hadn't overheard my Sister in Law and one of her and Jennifer's friend's gossip at the Independence Day party. We had the party at our home on our small acreage because we had a small stream running close to the house. There was a nice swimming hole about 150 feet from the house. I kept the yard mowed up to it and had built a shelter and BBQ grill beside it. Many happy days were spent there until "the day".

Almost all our friends and many of the neighbors were in attendance. We had way more guests than I had anticipated so I had gone back to the house for supplies. I was standing in the pantry when I overheard the two women talking outside the hallway bathroom. I still get almost sick at my stomach thinking about what I heard that day and what I had seen later. Sharon, Jennifer's sister, laughed and told Paula "No. Justin is so dumb he never suspects a thing. Jen can tell him anything and he believes her. We have an agreement that I am with her or she is with me if either of our men asks."

She laughed again and continued, "Of course most of the time we're with one of our friends not each other. What our doofuses don't know won't hurt them now will it? Just look at how much time Jen spends with Darren at these parties and neither of them even suspects a thing. They dance and play around and Justin and Melanie just ignore it! Jen says Darren is soooo much better than Stan was. She really dreads having to move on when Justin or Melanie start getting suspicious and she has to quit seeing Darren."

I still remember the shock of overhearing that conversation. I spent the rest of the evening watching Jennifer and Darren. I was trying to convince myself that what they were doing WAS innocent. I began adding things up in my mind, seeing their actions in a different light. I mean Darren and I had been best friends since before beginning grade school. He and I, Melanie and Jennifer grew up together. Surely he wouldn't screw me this way! Then I had the irreverent thought. He wasn't screwing me, just my wife. He was just shafting me, his best friend. Sure we had grown apart a little while I was away from our small town in the military. I had spent 26 years in the Army before retiring and moving back home two years ago.

Darren, on the other hand had gone away to college, and then returned home to open his own business. He was now a very big duck in our small 5000 plus population 'puddle' of a town. Well, that was soon to change. I had called in some favors from some of my military friends. I also put to use some of the skills I had thought I would never use after retiring. We were getting a little surprise ready for my loving wife Jennifer and her "friend" Darren.

Like most men in this situation, after I had accepted the hurt and gotten partially over the sickness of the betrayal I began planning for the end. Like a lot of men, I didn't immediately confront the perpetrators of this adultery. I gathered evidence, planned my attack and prepared for as many foreseeable outcomes and counter attacks as I could. I had enlisted the aid of one of my retired military friends-now a powerful attorney in a town not far from where we lived-early on. I carefully followed all his legal advice as I began planning my moves against Darren and Jen. Of course he was the divorce attorney too and we planned well for that also.

While I was remembering what started my slide into this dismaying mental state, I quit paying so much attention to my dance partner. I was glaring so hard at Jen and Darren I stumbled. Melanie looked up into my face and I saw her start. She then followed my gaze and a troubled look came over her face.

"Justin?" She stopped dancing and took my hand, looking into my face. "Oh, my god! You know don't you. How long have you known?" she asked as she led me toward the door to the balcony.

I followed her in a trance and as we neared the edge of the balcony she turned to me. I could see the tears in her eyes. "I have suspected for some time but I only got the proof on them last week." Melanie said. "What about you? When did you find out and why didn't you tell me? I was going to tell you what I knew tonight. What are you going to do now?"

I felt my chest tighten and I had trouble speaking. "Melanie. Melanie, I am so sorry." I said. "I ... I am going to ruin him and dump that fucking cunt just as soon as I finish planning my attack. I have been waiting, trying to set things up so you didn't get hurt too badly by collateral damage. I just wasn't sure how to proceed without hurting you too much."

Melanie's hand came out to caress my face. "Oh, Justin. Honey, just do what you have to do. I know you wouldn't hurt me for the world. I've known since grade school. I just wish..." she stopped and ran back into the hotel crying. I stood there with my mouth hanging open, then almost doubled up as a pain tore through my gut. I had remembered the scene I witnessed the Fourth of July after I pretended to get so drunk I had to go to bed early.

I was leaning over the railing throwing up when Jennifer came looking for me. She thought I was drunk and began giving me hell for embarrassing her in front of our friends. I looked at her in disgust and went around the side of the hotel, hearing her voice fading into the distance. I walked around a few minutes, and then went in the front door. I found our hostess and told her I was ill and had to go home. I asked if she could see Jennifer got home. I was pretty sure Darren would bring her home when he was finished with her but it never hurts to be positive! Oh, wait, I think Melanie left and took his car when she left. Oh shucks!

I stepped out under the Hotel Portico and let my mind once again remember some of the painful things my friends and I had discovered over the last six months. I stood there thinking about the videos some friends had obtained from surreptitiously placed spy cameras. I also remembered some pictures I had taken on the day I discovered Jennifer's infidelity. I had given Jennifer every chance to prove me wrong and what did she do? As soon as she could get alone with Darren after she was sure I had "safely" passed out from drink that July 4th, she had let him fuck her. She could hardly get up and walk after their session.

I could hear them in the guest room that day. As soon as they were well into their cheating, I had slowly cracked open the door. My wonderful Jen was flat on her back with my ex buddy slamming his cock into her glistening cunt. I could still hear her moaning and grunting while he pounded her. Her orgasmic scream was engraved on my brain. I remember his yell when he slammed into her one final time and held himself tightly against her straining crotch. I watched his balls and ass muscles contract then release over and over, pumping his sperm into my wife.

After he had drained into her he leaned forward and tenderly kissed her, then withdrew his softening cock. I watched a huge glob of sperm follow it out and run down Jennifer's slit, across her ass cheek and drop onto the bed. It was all I could do not to rush into the room and tear him apart. The main reason I didn't was because I wanted an even more painful revenge. I just finished taking the pictures, then slowly and softly closed the door and returned to bed.

After pretending to sleep for a few minutes that day, I had staggered back to the party and looked up my wife and Darren. I moved between them and hugged Jen. "Hey baby. I love you. Why don't we go somewhere for a few minutes and have some fun?"

I was laughing inside as I watched Jennifer blush and get her furious look. "Justin. You've had way too much Scotch tonight. Now just behave yourself and maybe you'll get lucky tomorrow."

"Well, gee Jen. You look like you could really use some good sex. I just didn't want you to have to settle for Darren so I thought I would make the offer." After I said that, Jennifer blanched, and then said "Ohhh YOU!" She turned and walked away.

Needless to say, even if I had wanted to touch the cheating bitch, I wouldn't have gotten to that night!

July 5th, I began planning and contacting my friends. We had a steady stream of visitors during the summer and each of them made a contribution in time and expertise. Some of them also made investments in a new company I had formed.

One of the first things my friends and I began doing was buying shares of Darren's computer consulting company. It was a closely held entity and I had known for several years that some of the initial investors wanted to get rid of their shares. It seems Darren had figured out how to make the profits disappear into his bank account (legally as far as I could see). He paid himself and some of his friends he had on the payroll exorbitant salaries.

My friends and I had signed a contract (now, I know this wasn't completely legal) where they would each purchase enough shares to stay just under the legal reporting rules for "majority" ownership in a publicly traded company. The transactions were reported but since Darren didn't recognize their names he just assumed nothing was amiss. My friends dutifully gave Darren a Proxy to vote at the annual meeting when he requested it. Of course they then executed another proxy after that date and gave it to me. The end result was that by years end, we owned or had proxies for almost 73% of Darren's company. Just before the end of the year they all placed their shares in the small holding company I had formed and took company stock in return. The only shares I didn't own or control the voting right to were those Darren, Melanie or his children owned.

Darren's annual meeting of shareholders was January 10th and that would be his last day of employment and his last day of being respected in our town.

My mind was dragged back to the present when I saw Melanie enter the hotel lobby from the direction of the rest rooms. Something twisted inside of me. At first I felt so damn sad, then I knew I had to talk to her again. I reentered the hotel and followed her through the lobby, down the hallway beside the conference rooms and out the side door. I watched her run toward the parking lot. Without thinking I ran to follow her. By the time I reached the parking lot her car was leaving. I quickly entered my car and went in pursuit. Thankfully in a small town there isn't much traffic late in the evening and I could keep her in sight. She was going to her home as I halfway expected her to do so I slowed down and followed at a more sedate pace.

I followed Melanie into her house and stood watching when she collapsed onto the bed sobbing her heart out. I had always had a soft spot for my dear Mel. She might have been my wife if Darren hadn't talked her into marrying him while I was off taking basic training so many years ago. We had been grade school friends and even dated some in high school. She had dated Darren also and after I had left became serious about him. I sat on the edge of the bed and gently gathered her into my arms. She looked up at me, wrapped her arms around me and sobbed into my chest.

I just held Melanie, gently stroking her, giving what comfort I could as she finally cried herself out. I felt her push herself away from me and she said, "Oh, GOD. I'm so sorry Justin. You're hurting so and all I can do is force my sorrow onto you! Oh, what are we going to do?"

I stood and reached out for her hand, pulling her up from the bed. "Well, first, you're going to make us a pot of coffee, then while we drink it I suppose I had better fill you in on the attack that is going to take place in a few days!"

"WHAT? Oh, Justin. Don't do anything like that. You just think you know Darren. He'll have you in jail. He has so many of the movers and shakers here in his pocket he will ruin you if you attack him. I couldn't stand to have anything happen to you!" Melanie said.

"No, Mel. I don't mean a physical attack. As much as I would love to do that my friends and I had considered and discarded that option in August. In fact, I believe my attack will be much more painful and devastating to my friend Darren than any physical pain I could inflict."

"August? My god. You've known since August? How did you keep everything so normal for that long? And why didn't you tell me? Damn you, I had only suspected since Thanksgiving!"