Chapter 2

Sometime after 2:00am I must have fallen asleep as the alarm jolted me awake. I looked over, and Melissa was beside me curled into a ball on her side of the bed. It had been a long time since she had slept like that. When she was hurting from child birth, or when she had her hymen removed, she slept like that. She only sleeps like that when she is in pain. Perhaps mental pain does that to her as well as physical pain. Maybe she will come to her senses and stop whatever she is doing to ruin our marriage and our lives.

I rolled out of bed and went to the kitchen to put the coffee on. When I padded back to the bedroom, Melissa was gone from the bed, but I heard water running. I got my clothes for work laid out and waited while Melissa showered. Then I had a thought. Mary Ann and Jason had baths last night, so I would use the other bathroom. I gathered my clothes and headed there. Jason was just coming out after going pee.

I asked, "Jase, has your sister been in the bathroom already?"

"Yeah dad she always goes first. But why are you using our bathroom?"

"Your mom is using it right now, and I want to get ready too. Go get dressed and I'll be done before you're ready to eat."

"Okay Dad."

I did a quick shower and dressed; I could shave once Melissa was out of the bathroom and having breakfast.

I was quickly in and out of the shower and was dressed and making breakfast for the kids when Melissa came in the kitchen.

"You feeling better this morning, Melissa?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'm better. I guess it was something I ate yesterday didn't agree with me. I'll try to make it up to you tonight, okay?"

"Yeah, sure, tonight. I got to go shave. I laid out breakfast for the children. I'll be right back."

I left then almost in tears. I knew our life together was over now. I was numb. It was like a dark cloud was closing in around me. My legs felt all weak, and rubbery. Then I got all nervous and started to shake. I leaned against the hallway wall and could see my whole life flashing before my eyes, and I slumped down the wall and lay in a heap in the hallway to our once happy bedroom.

Sometime later, and I really couldn't tell you how long, I heard a scream and then someone shaking me. It was Mary Ann. She came from her side of the house and saw me crumpled on the floor. By now Jason and Melissa were surrounding me too. I looked up through my tears into Melissa's eyes, and I no longer saw the love I used to see there. Yes, there were tears in her eyes, but the love that had always resided there was gone. This time I saw betrayal, disappointment, and fear in her eyes. All the love that had been there for so long was gone.

I slowly got up and said that I had a dizzy spell and had fallen to the floor. I would be fine, the spell had passed, and they should all go back to the kitchen and eat breakfast. They reluctantly left me there as I staggered to the bathroom and wondered if I should just get my straight razor and slit my throat and end it all. But then I thought that I would only leave my precious children to that whore and her wicked ways. I couldn't do that to Mary Ann and Jason. They would die and be abused in a situation like that. I had to survive in order to protect my children. Yes my children, not ours anymore, she gave up that right when she whored herself out to whoever she has been with lately.

Somehow I made it through the day; it wasn't my best day, and Pam helped a lot. She kept me focused on work and not my disastrous home life. At least it worked until quitting time when I left to get my children. I knew I had to go on living for them, although my heart might be smashed to pieces, I had to carry on for them.

During the ride to the day care, I had an argument with myself regarding his situation. 'No Rob, she's gone; she doesn't exist. It's like she never happened. Put a box around her memory. Put the box in the back of your mind, and leave it. You can do that. Yes, you can. You don't have to think; you don't have to feel; you don't have to do anything except maybe eat, breathe, and care for your children. Those two babies are your only concern. You have to keep on going for them.'

'But she is a part of them, what will they think when she is no longer around. They will be lost without her; she is their mother; she gave birth to them. Doesn't she have any say about the love of them too?'

'No, she lost that right when she started this cheating. Now buck up for the sake of the children at least.'

I put on a joyful face going into the day care, and as soon as I saw Jason, he ran to me and the face I had to conjure up to be happy became much more than joyful, I was ecstatic, I truly was. Once I saw my children I no longer was trying to put a happy face on, I was extremely pleased with my life as long as they were in it. Mary Ann came to hug me too.

"Daddy, are you feeling better now? I was so worried about you today."

"Yes sweetheart, I am much better now that I'm with you two. Come on let's go home."

They were both happy and talked a mile a minute all the way home. Home, would it ever be a real home again, one with a mommy and a daddy and two lovely children bringing joy into the lives of all those around them. That is what I think of when I think of home. What we now experienced was not what we had in the past, but was simply a charade. It was as if I had to try to keep a merry face on so I didn't see the deadness inside that structure that used to be a happy home. What happened, what did I or the children do to make Melissa believe that we were no longer her anchor to happiness. Somehow she had slipped the bonds of our family and tied her anchor to another vessel. This one filled with hate, anger, and deceit. Only time would tell if she would or could come back.

When we pulled in, I saw Melissa's car in the drive. She had beaten us home; she never beats us home, what was going on? Did I tip her off with my dizzy spell this morning, or did she finally wake up to the reality of what she was doing in her other life had affected her home life? Well, I wouldn't find out sitting here in shock. The kids had already gotten out of their child seats and were halfway into the house by the time I shook my reverie and opened the door to get out. I tried and couldn't move until I realized that I had not undone the seat belt. God, I'm losing it.

I walked in the front door and smelled meat cooking. What the HELL? I can count on one hand the number of times in the last six months when Melissa has cooked a meal. Ninety-nine percent of the time I cook or she brings take-out home. You know subs, chicken, or sometimes even pizza, but cook a meal – no. This miracle I had to see for myself.

I followed my nose and found Melissa with an apron on, and she was checking a roast. Now a roast as brown and smelling like this one had to have been started by at least three in the afternoon to be like this at five. I could see potatoes, carrots, and those little pearl onions I like so much in that roasting pan as she checked the meat.

Melissa looked up to me as she closed the oven door, "Supper will be ready in about fifteen minutes. Everybody needs to get cleaned up to eat."

I just stood there with my mouth open catching flies. "That goes for you too Rob, now shoo."

This was so totally out of character for her that I just turned around and rounded up Mary Ann and Jason and told them to wash up for supper. I went into our bedroom, took my shoes off, and grabbed my slippers. I then washed my hands and came out to sit down at the dining table.

Melissa was just putting the roast on a platter on the table by me, and the veggies were in another bowl. There was gravy in a bowl. I didn't know she even knew how to make gravy. It had been so long since she had really cooked from scratch that I wasn't sure she knew how. Wow, she is trying to make up to us for all her high jinks here lately or ... It couldn't be, please, no. I believed that she just might be ready to say goodbye to me, take the children, and leave me all alone. I had to put on a brave face and hope for the best.

Supper was like it had been over a year ago, pleasant talk with all of us participating. When we were finished with the meal, Melissa said the children could play out back for a while, and then it would be bedtime. I helped to clean up the table and the dishes.

"Melissa, what is today all about? I mean why were you home so early that you had time to prepare a roast and everything. Don't get me wrong, it was really appreciated, but why?"

"Rob there was a fire on ninth floor, and we were all evacuated about ten this morning. I came home, and I noticed the roast in the freezer. So I thought that I would help out more than I have lately. I mean you do most of the meal preparing, so I thought it might be nice if I cooked today, since I had the time. You're not mad or something, are you?"

"No Baby, just a little surprised."

"Well you could get another surprise later after the kids go to bed."

"Oh boy, I like surprises after the kids go to bed." God I really hoped that I liked this one.

Melissa sidled up to me, wrapped her arms around my neck, and kissed me long and hard. Even her tongue came out to play, and I let mine out too. We hadn't kissed like this since before her miscarriage. It was more than nice to have my old wife back. However, there was an undertone of wonder in the back of my mind, was she really sorry about all the things since that bad time or was she just buttering me up to keep me off balance, or was there some other nefarious scheme being laid out for me to be trapped in. But I was not going to complain; it had been almost four months since we had been this close.

The kiss ended with me hard and her panting. I thought that chances were good that I would be getting some pussy tonight. We held hands for a minute after the kiss, and I felt the love and elation of being near my wife that I had a year ago. It was deja vu all over again.

We called the kids inside and watched some Disney channel, and then it was time for baths and bed. I took Jason to their bathroom, Melissa took Mary Ann to ours, and we got the children clean and fresh and tucked them in by nine. Now it was playtime for the grown-ups, or so I fervently hoped.

I went around the house locking up for the night and then came into the bedroom. Melissa jumped up from the bed wearing a pale yellow teddy and six-inch CFMs. She looked so beautiful that I had to say something besides drool. "You look fabulous, good enough to eat all night long. Is that new?"

"What, this o ... no, I got it today, just for you, Lover."

"Oh, give me a minute, and I'll be right back."

"Okay big boy, but no longer. I'm ready for you tonight."

I flew into the bathroom and stripped down and quickly washed my pits and crotch, so I wouldn't be sweaty for her and was out in less than a minute.

I went to my bride and kissed her, much like the one from earlier this evening. From there I picked her up, carried her to the bed, and proceeded to act just like our second wedding night. I slowly and sensuously removed her teddy while she kicked off her shoes. I tried again to lick and kiss every inch of her body, paying special attention to her nipples and her nether regions. Then we made love much like we had seven years ago when it was our first time. I was good for three times before we fell apart exhausted.

Afterwards, as we lay on the bed recuperating from our passionate exertions I noticed a couple of things. One was that I had never seen that teddy before, but I had it in my hand right now and noticed that the tag was worn some. This was not new. It didn't have that almost scratchy brand new feeling. This was soft and supple. The other thing was that her pussy seemed looser. Not from sloppy seconds, but more like stretched out some. I don't remember her as loose except right after the birth of our children. That is when I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was fucking someone with a much bigger dick than me. I kissed my betrayer on the forehead and rolled over to get away from the cheating skank. I promised myself two things as of that moment: one was that was the last time I touched the whore; and second I would need to get tested for STDs.

I cried myself to sleep, silently.

When the alarm went off the next morning, I was determined to find out who and where my wife was cheating on me. I suspected her boss, John Stenson, and her co-worker Jeremy Cook were in on this. Who else would remain to be seen, but I figured that at a minimum they would be involved. I dressed got the kids fed and ready and dropped them off at school. They would be out of school in a couple of weeks, so I needed to make sure I could keep them, or they and my cheating skank would surely disappear. Somehow deep in my gut I felt that to be true.

I was nice and lovey to my soon to be ex-wife at breakfast, but I was only putting on an act. I had to bury my true feelings very deep in order to keep from vomiting all over her cheating ass this morning.

I called Charlie as soon as I got to work and let him know what I had found out. He said that he knew. He had some phone calls, some audio, and possibly some video of her transgressions on Monday and Tuesday. He would know more, later in the day. I explained about last night and how I now felt, knowing that it was indeed true. He said I would have to act loving at least a couple more days, depending on what they got today. I thanked him and said I would try.

I poured myself into my work for the rest of the day. I finished off the Peterson building drawings, and sent them to Bob for approval. My next design jobs were for two custom homes where we had spoken to the clients a couple of weeks ago. One client wanted a custom version of our Mediterranean home. It was a 2,287 square-foot home built in the Mediterranean style of architecture. This was a standard 1,975 sq. ft. plan that we had, but they wanted to add a fourth bedroom and expand the master suite a little. That wouldn't be too much of a problem. The great room needed to expand and would also allow for a three-car garage with the added bedroom.

The second custom was a much changed Hacienda plan. This was a single story, 2,539 sq. ft. living space with a great room with a vaulted ceiling, four bedrooms, and two and a half baths with a two-car garage. There was a covered porch on three sides and a large open courtyard in back. The upgrade was mainly a better quality carpets, appliances, and woodwork. The big change was swapping two of the other bedrooms with the dining room and kitchen. A den or fourth bedroom would be next to the master suite and then the dining room and kitchen going from back to the front on that side of the house. This was a major change to our standard plans and would require a lot of work on my part. I was going to tackle that one first to keep my mind occupied during this depressing time for me. The tedious work would force me to concentrate on the plans and not my situation at home.

I got an e-mail from Bob that the plans were perfect for the Peterson building, and I e-mailed back that I was starting on the plan for the Wilson home. Bob came by about three and told me how much he appreciated my work, and that he had thought that I had worked too hard on everything and maybe I needed a vacation.

"Bob, can you please close my door?"

"Sure. What's up Rob? Is there something I should know about?"

"Yeah Bob there is." I then went into what I knew, and what I suspected. I also told him what I planned to do, and that I needed a good lawyer.

"Let me call a friend. I had a problem a while back, but I think my friend can help."