Not a bad way to live:

"All rise. Divorce court 132 Williams versus Williams is now in session, the Honorable Judge Terrance Bolt presiding. Please be seated." the bailiff said.

Don Speaks:

So here I was, the one place I never thought that I would ever be, separated from my wife of 10 years by a walkway divided by two long tables. My lawyer sat on one side and hers on the other, neither of them really giving a damn that a once loving family is on the verge of being destroyed by the procedure that is about to take place. I think back to a few short months ago. We seemed so happy then. Our 10th wedding anniversary was coming up and I, being the romantic type, was planning a surprise party where we would be renewing our vows in front of family and friends. I guess I was the one who ended up being surprised after all. Before you ask, no, I did not find her cheating on me, although it would have probably been easier to handle if I had. That statement alone should give you some idea of just how bad things really are. Before I get into all of that, let me give you a bit of background information.

I met my wife at work, of all places. I was an electronics engineer helping to create a system of communication equipment which could be used as an instant translator for virtual meetings around the globe. This project was going to revolutionize the industry by making it possible for people who spoke multiple languages to be able to stage boardroom chats. The beauty of this system was that a person only had to speak a sentence once for it to be translated into many different languages. All that was required was to log on and chose your desired language. After that any sentence that you spoke into the microphone was analyzed for its content and then restructured so that it made sense, before it was transmitted to the recipient in his or her own native tongue.

Kim Lee was a multilingual translator my company brought in to help solve a few of our technical issues pertaining to the perception of various accents. During our first meeting I was immediately struck by her captivating beauty. She had long black hair which hung down to just above her gorgeous behind. Her big brown eyes and flawless skin just seemed to accentuate her natural Asian characteristics. If it isn't obvious by now, I was smitten.

Although I tried to be as friendly as possible, Kim seemed to be quite standoffish with me, always refusing any invitation I extended to get together after work. Even my suggestions for a quick cup of coffee or meeting to discuss business during lunch were turned down. I eventually got the message that she just wasn't interested in me personally, and I reluctantly gave up trying to speak to her unless it was absolutely necessary. It was a few months later when she actually came looking for me.

"Don, can I ask you a question?" she wanted to know.

I came back with my standard answer that technically she already had. Snickering at my dry sense of humor she asked me why I seemed to be avoiding her. I thought about lying and saying that I didn't realize that is what I had been doing, but I believe in being honest with people whenever possible. I know, it's not exactly a trait that will take you far in the business world, but that is just the way I am wired.

"Kim, when you first started here I made every effort to be friendly but you just didn't seem interested. I have since revised my contact with you to one of a strictly business basis." I explained.

"I'm sorry, that was my fault. Why don't we try again? How about meeting me for lunch so we can get to know each other a little better?" she suggested.

So that's what we did. I took her to a small Chinese restaurant I knew of where the food was very authentic. She later told me that it reminded her of a place she used to frequent back home. That made me smile.

To say we had a good time during lunch would have been a gross understatement. We laughed and joked throughout most of the meal. The only exception was when she was explaining about having been through a bad breakup with her ex-boyfriend just before coming to work for us. Kim mentioned that was the reason she had shot down all of my previous attempts to befriend her, and like the gullible fool that I am I believed her.

Lunch together became a fairly regular affair after that. We sometimes just ate in the employee break room, but often we would sneak away to our now favorite place to get a little taste of Asian cuisine and ambiance. It was during this timeframe when I finally worked up the courage to ask her out on a real date. Even though we seemed to be getting along rather well, I was still somewhat amazed when she accepted my invitation.

I was so nervous on the night we went out that my hands actually shook. I took her to a nice steakhouse and a movie of her choosing. I was surprised when she picked a romance flick, and even more so when she reached for my hand and held it throughout most of the movie. Our first kiss came when I walked Kim back to her apartment that evening, and I can still remember the sensuous taste of her burning lips as they pressed lightly against my own.

After that night our relationship really seemed to take off. People at work were surprised that someone as beautiful and refined as Kim would go for a socially inept, clumsy nerd like me, but, hey, they say opposites attract right? I know in my mind that I was very attracted to Kim, and she was giving every indication that the feeling was totally mutual. That itself should have been my warning sign.

When she started inviting me inside for coffee after our dates, neither one of us being heavy drinkers, our simple kisses soon turned to pretty heavy make out sessions on her couch. Kim always stopped the party before it got too intense, much to my own frustration, and what I assumed at the time to be hers as well.

One evening I arrived at Kim's apartment to pick her up, and instead of being dressed and ready to go she met me at the door in an old ratty bathrobe and informed me that we couldn't see each other anymore. She tried to just shut the door again, but I blocked it with my shoulder and demanded a better explanation. She allowed me to come in and immediately I could tell she had been crying. Looking back on that evening I have to wonder if she wasn't sniffing onions to accomplish this task.

Supposedly too worked up to speak, she simply handed me a letter she'd received from the immigration department. It seems that since our project was nearly complete, her work visa was about to expire and she would be forced to return to China by the end of next month.

"Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?" I questioned.

"We were just so happy together that I didn't want to spoil things. I knew from the beginning that my time in this country was limited. That's the real reason that I didn't want to make too many friends while I was here. The more I got to know you, the harder that decision became to live by. Eventually I just had to give in. Now I'm wishing that I had stuck to my original plan. I am going to miss you so much, Don." she bawled.

"We have other projects that could use someone of your skills. Isn't there some way you can get an extension on your visa?" I asked.

"I've already looked into that. Unfortunately the government has recently tightened the rules regulating visa extensions. I will just have to comply with their wishes and leave by the end of next month." she sadly explained.

After wiping her eyes, Kim turned to me and asked if I would please just leave her alone from now on. She explained that we were far too close to each other as it was, and if we would continue seeing one another it would make it that much harder when she finally had to leave.

"Baby, why don't we just get married, then you'll be able to get a green card and stay here forever?" I suggested.

"Don, please understand I appreciate the offer, but I need to get married for love, not just so that I can remain in this country." she said through her tears.

"Kim, can you honestly look me in the eye and not be able to see that I am madly in love with you?" I asked.

"Oh, Don, I love you too!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around me and burying her head in my shoulder. "I know that a lot of American men will say or do anything just to get a woman into bed. I should have known that you were different." she said while smothering my mouth with kisses.

I gently pulled away from her, and getting down on one knee, asked Kim if she would do me the honor of becoming my wife.

"Do you really mean it?" she asked, wiping her eyes.

"Honey, I have never been more serious about anything in my entire life." I replied, staring directly into her eyes.

"Then my answer is yes, Don. I will marry you." she said.

Kim didn't put a stop to our make out session this time, as we made love for the first time that night. To me our coupling was the most sensual and romantic evening of my entire life. I would come to discover much later that Kim didn't exactly feel the same way.

Neither of us were virgins that night, but I might as well have been. The only time prior that I had experienced sexual intercourse was at a frat house party that one of the jocks had reluctantly invited me to, as payment for helping him with his studies. I didn't realize that someone had spiked the punch with vodka, and I ended up pretty wasted that night. One of the sluts that was just as intoxicated as I was decided to bet her sorority sister that she could seduce me. She ended up winning, though in reality it really wasn't much of a challenge to begin with. I was so drunk and horny at the time that I would have found the bride of Frankenstein appealing. The next day, of course, the bitch didn't want anything to do with me. Kim had never bothered to share with me the details of her prior sexual encounters, and being your typical insecure male, I have never wanted to ask her about them to begin with.

A person could probably run for President and have to deal with less red tape than it takes to get a green card these days. Kim and I did everything short of jumping on the immigration officer's desk and having sex right there in his office to prove that we were in love and not just faking it so that she could stay in this country. To me answering their questions seemed quite easy, as I was truly in love with Kim. I'm not sure how her evaluation went, but she must have been convincing enough, because we were eventually given permission to marry just three days shy of her scheduled return date. Boy, talk about cutting it close.

Of course the entire office knew that we had a date at city hall to tie the knot two days later. While fighting with immigration, we had already had our blood test done and submitted all of the paperwork in hopes of winning the appeal. A few of the ladies insisted on throwing Kim a wedding shower. A couple of the guys got together and took me out on the town for a makeshift bachelor party on the same evening. Despite their vigorous protests I made sure not to drink too much that night, as I wanted to be sharp and fully alert for my wedding the following afternoon.

A couple of people at work stood up for us as we recited our vows to one another, before catching a plane to Hawaii for a two week honeymoon. To me it was the greatest time of my life. Kim seemed happy as well, though looking back it probably had more to do with getting her green card than actually being married to me.

I had always wanted children, and Kim seemed to as well. After trying for over a year with no results I suggested that we both get tested. Kim agreed to this, but wanted to do it separately. We both had different doctors before we were married, and she wanted to keep it that way. My sperm count tested fine, but Kim told me that her doctor discovered that a childhood illness she encountered in China made it difficult for her to conceive. I suggested that we get a second opinion but Kim wouldn't hear of it. She did say that her doctor said that pregnancy was still possible, though the odds of it happening weren't that great. Thankfully we kept on trying.

It was about five years into our marriage that a miracle seemed to happen, and Kim found herself carrying our first child. Sonya was born nine months later, with all of the beautiful features of her Asian mother and my deep blue eyes. She was joined 18 months later by her younger brother, Jon. We seemed so incredibly happy during that time, that I still have trouble convincing myself that it was all for show. I had asked her doctor how Kim could have gotten pregnant so fast a second time, after we had been trying for years with no success. Her doctor sort of gave me a funny look and said that sometimes these matters have a way of correcting themselves.

Although I know I should have questioned him further about the subject, I was just too damn happy to care at that moment. I was the proud papa of not one but two beautiful children, and short of getting myself fired from work, my new family was going to be getting all the attention that I could possibly spare.

Kim became a stay-at-home mom, and although we had occasional arguments, as I am sure that every other family in America did, I was grateful everyday for my loving wife and two wonderful children.

The years seemed to have passed by rather quickly, and I was truly under the impression that Kim and I were still deeply in love. Our 10th year wedding anniversary was rapidly approaching, and I wanted to do something really special. My plan was to throw a surprise party for my wife where we would be repeating our vows in front of everyone. I rented a large hall and enlisted the help of some of our friends to get everything ready without letting Kim know what was going on. Being the romantic nerd that I still was, I wanted to make a video documentary of our life together. I started gathering all of the pictures and video clips that we had ever made during our vacations, holidays, special events, or just shots of us with the kids. I even asked our friends if they had any footage from my bachelor party or her wedding shower still lying around somewhere. My plan was to get something slightly embarrassing that we all could have a good laugh over now.

I had gone through most of the footage and had picked out what I thought was the best of the bunch. My intention was to put some of it to music, while other snippets had sound clips of what was being said at the time. So far I had everything I needed, except something embarrassing. I searched through the video that was made at my bachelor party, and because I hadn't let myself become intoxicated nothing really seemed to fit the angle I was going for in my documentary. While going over some of her wedding shower footage I picked out a few blips that could be used, but then I noticed something odd.

The woman shooting the video had set the camera down to go help one of the other ladies, but she left it recording the whole time. I could just barely make out the voices of Kim and her best friend Lin in the background. What I couldn't do is understand a word they were saying, as they were speaking in their native language. I imagined that they were probably sharing some girl talk. They say that curiosity killed the cat, and little did I know it was about to do the same to my marriage. I recorded their conversation to my computer, tweaked up the volume, and separated Kim and Lin's voices. Next I ran their sentences through my company's translator program and was stunned at what I heard.

"I still can't believe that you are actually going to marry Don Williams of all people." Lin said.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sick about it, too, but if I want to stay in this country I don't have any other choice." Kim replied.

"Why in the world did you choose him?" Lin asked.

"Oh, that's easy. I knew he had a crush on me from the way he would follow me around at work and ask me to lunch all the time. I always blew him off, until I found out that they probably weren't going to renew my work visa. After that there wasn't much time to find somebody decent, so I figured that he would have to do." Kim explained.

"So you are actually going through with it?" Lin asked.

"Yeah, I figure that we can stay married for a few years while I try to get my citizenship. After that I can dump him for someone better." Kim laughed.

"You could always have kids. That would keep you here." Lin suggested.

"Are you nuts? I'm not having children with him. I had my doctor put me on this new once a month birth control. I figure that by the time Don realizes that there is a problem I can come up with some excuse why I can't get pregnant." Kim said.

"So, how is he in bed?" Lin asked.

"Let's just say I'm glad I still have my toy collection." Kim replied as the two ladies burst out in laughter.

That pretty much ended their conversation, as the other women returned to the room.

I couldn't believe what I just heard. Our whole marriage, hell, our entire relationship, had been one big fat lie. I could only assume that Kim had gotten pregnant by mistake, and then decided to stay with me for the sake of the children. As you can probably imagine I was heartbroken. After having a good cry, I had to figure out what to do next. I ended up calling a lawyer friend who put me in contact with a good divorce attorney. After making an appointment that very afternoon, I copied all my files, including the ones I just discovered about Kim, to my laptop, went upstairs to pack my things and headed for the attorney's office. I left a copy of the video and its translation on a DVD, along with my wedding ring, on the kitchen table where Kim would be sure to see it. Luckily she had planned to be out all afternoon shopping with the kids, so I didn't have to face her that night.

My attorney suggested the usual splitting of the assets and canceling our joint credit cards. He did mention that what Kim did was illegal, and if I wanted to pursue it she could face jail time, or at the very least deportation. I said that I would not do that to the mother of my children. When he asked how I knew that the kids were really mine, I looked him straight in the face and warned him not to even go there. The subject of paternity was never mentioned again.

I used my parents as go between with my kids so I didn't have to face Kim. If she needed to talk to me she could do it through my attorney, or if it involved the kids, my parents could always reach me. Kim tried to contact me directly many times, but I was screening all of my calls and not accepting any, unless the caller ID showed they were from my parents, work, or my attorney.

Kim's attorney requested a face to face meeting between the two of us. I flat out refused, stating that I already had 10 years of lies, and I didn't need any more. With the evidence I had against her she really couldn't make too many demands. That pretty much takes us back to the beginning of this little saga. They say that there are two sides to every story. Now you know mine.

Kim's version:

I never really had a close personal relationship with my family, and so when the opportunity to attend college in the US came, I jumped on it. America was a lot different then what I was used to. China was very controlling, and if you had an opinion that wasn't shared by the powers that be, you had best keep it to yourself. It was so liberating to finally be able to speak your mind without having to worry about what was going to happen to you for doing so, that it didn't take long for me to decide that America is where I truly wanted to stay.

I got lucky after college and landed a job at the Bradford Corporation on a work visa. I was hired to help fix some syntax problems for a new translation software that they were developing. It was there that I met my husband Don.

I could tell right away that he had a crush on me, and although the guy seemed nice enough, he just wasn't my type. I avoided him like the plague, and after a while he finally got the message and pretty much left me alone. My life was going great until the immigration office caught up with me. My work visa was due to expire in three months, and no matter what I tried I couldn't persuade them to extend it. Not wanting to be forced to return to China, I had to come up with some other method of staying in this country. When I talked to my friend Lin about it, she suggested that I find some guy to marry me. Yeah, right! I hadn't dated seriously in over a year and a half. Who in the world could I find that would actually propose that quickly. Then I thought of Don.

I decided my most effective approach would be a gradual seduction. I didn't have a whole lot of time, but I just couldn't go and throw myself at the guy, either. That would have looked too suspicious. I figured the best thing to do is to put him on the defensive. I strolled up to his cubicle one day and asked him why he's been avoiding me. Naturally, his response was that he didn't think I was interested in him. I lied and said that I had just got out of a bad relationship when we met, but I was over that now. I asked him to lunch and of course he readily agreed.

I let him take me to some Chinese restaurant that he'd heard of, and I'll have to admit the food was pretty good. We talked about work, mostly. No one would ever accuse Don of being suave, but he wasn't exactly boring either. From that day on lunches became our thing. Sometimes we just stayed in the break room, but more often than not we went out. I wanted our co-workers to see us together, in case an immigration officer decided to ask them any questions about our relationship.

After about two weeks of eating lunch together Don finally got up the nerve to ask me for a real date. If the guy had waited any longer I would have probably had to ask him out instead. I guess maybe I over did it a bit when I was trying to get him to leave me alone? I would have to remember that American men have very fragile egos. He took me to a steakhouse, and then asked if I would pick out a movie for us to go see. I chose a romantic comedy in hopes of inspiring him to step it up a bit. Three months wasn't much time you know, and he had practically hee-hawed a third of it away already. The flick wasn't all that great, but I made sure to hold his hand practically the entire way through it. We ended up sharing our first kiss that evening. I personally didn't think it was anything to write home about, but he seemed happy, and that was the important thing.

Don really hadn't tried anything sexual with me yet, and I was beginning to think I had a virgin on my hands. If that were the case it would certainly make my job easier. I switched my strategy to the good girl seductress. I would get him all hot and bothered, and then send him home with a case of blue balls.

I did this for weeks, always letting him go a little further each time, but stopping our make out sessions before any real sexual acts could take place. We had a date set for Friday night, and I figured that this would be the perfect time to spring my big trap. Instead of being dressed when he arrived, I was in the rattiest looking robe that I owned. I spent half the day practicing what I was going to say and more importantly how I was going to say it.

I met him at the door with my eyes all red and puffy. It look like I'd been crying, but in reality it was just from rubbing my eyes really hard, and overfilling them with eye drops. No, I had not been sniffing onions, but the results were pretty much the same. I told him that we were through, and when he demanded an explanation, like I knew he would, I went into my story of how I was being deported. Looking back I am ashamed to say that this was probably the most honest that I'd ever been with Don up to that point. I explained how I was over here on a work visa, which I'm sure that he already knew. I told him that I had already been turned down for an extension, which was true. I next declared that we should stop seeing each other, as it would be too hard on me to get any closer to him if I had to leave. Well, back to lying again.

I could practically see the wheels of his mind turning at hyper speed, as he desperately tried to find some type of solution to my immigration problem. After I shot down all his other suggestions, he finally broached the subject of marriage. Of course I couldn't agree to this right away, as I had to let him convince me of the idea. After declaring our love for each other, another lie on my part, I eventually let him have me that night. I could tell that he wasn't very experienced, and although he had a decent size cock, I can't say that I enjoyed our first time together all that much. In the end I was thankful that I still had my toys.

Even though I pretty much knew what to expect after researching the subject, dealing with immigration was still a giant pain in the ass. If there were a world record for jumping through hoops, our names would have surly been in Guinness by the time it was over with. Evidentially we must have passed their little test, because just days before my visa were about to expire, we finally got permission to marry. With no time to plan a wedding, we were just going to get hitched at the courthouse then go on a two week honeymoon to Hawaii.

My co-workers wanted to throw me a wedding shower. I personally would have rather declined, but they had all been pretty nice to me, and I did still have to keep up appearances, so I graciously accepted. Don's friends were taking him out the same night for a makeshift bachelor party. I had a bit too much to drink that night, and didn't even think about the camera being on when I was talking to Lin.

We had a fun time in Hawaii, and Don was definitely improving in his bedroom performance. I was beginning to think that maybe I wouldn't need to use my toys that much after all. Don wanted children, and I agreed with him to keep the peace. We both had separate doctors before we were married, and I insisted on keeping it that way. I had my physician prescribe the once a month birth control. It seemed to be my best option, as there wouldn't be pills laying around the house for Don to accidentally find.

We had been married about a year when Don began to question why we hadn't conceived. After we both supposedly went to be tested, I explained to him that I contracted a childhood disease that made it harder for me to become pregnant. I didn't want to tell him that it was impossible for me to carry a child, in case an accident occurred. I also knew that he really wanted children, and couldn't take the chance on him divorcing me before I obtained citizenship. Don was of course disappointed and wanted to peruse other options. I begged off, stating that I wanted to try the natural approach a little while longer before going down that route.

Don and I were getting along pretty well, all things considered, until one day when I suddenly became very ill. The doctor said that my strep throat had turned into pneumonia. I couldn't remember ever being so sick. Don was wonderful. He stayed home and took care of me. He made homemade soup, and gave me sponge baths with a cool cloth. The man was beside himself with worry. I have never experienced anyone caring for me as much as he did. I felt guilty for using him the way that I had. I also began to develop feelings of my own towards the man. By the time I was better, I had decided to try and make our marriage work. I stopped taking birth control, and not long afterwards discovered I was pregnant. Don was elated. If I thought he took care of me while I was sick, it was nothing to how he treated me now. My feelings for him grew stronger with every passing day, and by the time little Sonya entered our lives we truly had become a couple deeply in love. I stayed off the birth control, and once again found myself pregnant just 18 months later. Don questioned why it suddenly seemed so easy to conceive when we had tried for years with no success. My doctor thankfully covered for me by claiming that sometimes matters like this clear up on their own. I know he was referring to the fact that I quit using birth control, but thankfully Don did not.

Our lives were going great as it was nearing our 10th wedding anniversary. I got wind that Don was planning something really special, but none of our friends would tell me exactly what it was. I knew better then to try and get the information from Don himself. That man has surprised me on numerous occasions throughout our life together. The kids and I had gone out shopping one Saturday afternoon, and when we got back I just had this eerie feeling that something was wrong. Don's car was not in the driveway, even though he should have been home hours ago. When I noticed his wedding ring sitting next to a DVD on the table I knew that there was a problem. The man never took it off. I told the kids to go play upstairs while I took the disc into the den to view it.

What I saw on the screen nearly made me sick to my stomach. I had no idea that my discussion with Lin got recorded that evening. Don had the English translation of our conversation on the disc as well, leaving no doubt as to the fact that he knew what we had said. I sat on the couch and bawled for an over hour. I knew my marriage was over. How could he possible ever believe anything I said to him now, after finding out our entire 10 years together was based on a lie? I of course tried calling him, but that was to no avail. To be honest, I have no idea what I would have said if he had taken my calls. How do you convince a man that you love him, after lying about it for so long?