My Wife Demanded ‘Open Relationship’ So I Left Her A Brutal Gift!

I was returning home from an enjoyable Sunday afternoon of golf with my buddies. I’m a normal guy. I love my wife and kids without question. I’ve been married to Olivia for 22 years and have two great kids, twins, Jess and Mike, who are attending a local university and living together on campus.

I’ve been employed by the same company for over 20 years. I’m a respected and valued employee. Olivia and I have a great circle of friends. I thought I had my life under control. Sadly, I was becoming increasingly worried about my home life with Olivia. Over the past 2 years, but especially during the past 12 months since the departure of Jess and Mike, Olivia had changed.

Gone was the happy, vivacious, and loving woman that I had married. She had been replaced by an icy, secretive, and distracted person. While our social life continued to a degree, physical intimacy had largely ceased. Weekday mornings centered on preparations for work. Conversations, if any, were preunctery. My attempts at reigniting our marriage through date nights, flowers, weekend getaways, compliments, and the like, had been largely unsuccessful.

They were politely acknowledged, but not enthusiastically embraced. I arrived home and entered the house from the garage. The first worrying sign was that Olivia was sitting at the dining room table with nothing but a bottle of wine, two glasses, and a sheet of paper. We greeted one another and she asked if I had time for a quick chat.

I said that I’d get changed and return in a few minutes. I went to the bedroom, got out of my golf gear, changed into some casual clothes, turned on my phone’s recorder, and returned to my wife. She had poured me a glass of wine. I could see that Olivia’s level of anxiety was extreme. Olivia had rehearsed her speech over and over.

Her plan and the associated strategy had its genesis about a month ago, and since then it had been further developed and refined. She knew that I would not take her announcement well, but I was a trusting, simple, and loving man who had never denied her anything. Today’s discussion would test my commitment to her.

Olivia was confident that if she held her course, her future as a 21st century woman would be assured. She reminded herself that she will only get one shot at her life. An opportunity missed is an opportunity lost. For the past 25 years, Olivia had been a loving girlfriend, wife, and mother. Now with the children gone, it was time to embark on the next phase of her life.

she began. David, first, could I ask you to let me express myself before I answer any questions you may have? I’ve been developing this strategy for some months, and it has gone through a number of iterations. I need to apologize for being hard to be around for quite some time. It seems that over time, I’ve allowed myself to drift into a situation where I’ve become ambivalent about the important things in my life.

I’ve fallen short of the mark as a wife, a mother, and a person. I’ve been doing a great deal of soulsearching about my life and I’ve decided to make a number of significant changes that are designed to make me a more complete person. Some of the things might appear small and others might be difficult for you to accept.

I’m going to rejoin the gym and commence a structured fitness and dietary program. Next, I’m going to take up yoga. I feel that the fundamental tenets of yoga are consistent with the direction in which I’d like my life to evolve. I’ve looked closely at my job to determine if it’s an impediment to the new me.

On balance, even though I have let my performance slide with their patience and support, I am confident that I will be able to return to the performance levels that I demonstrated a couple of years ago and which they valued. Importantly, however, I want to set a clear delineation between my work and private new life. I’m going to invest greater effort to improve my relationships with my family and friends.

I know I have a lot of work to do to reestablish the loving relationship that I treasured with the twins. I hope that you will be able to help me with this. I know that you have always been closer to them than I have been. My relationship with you has been the most challenging issue for me to consider. For me to be the person I need to become, our relationship must be a cornerstone of my new life.

We have drifted apart. Our partnership has become stale. I acknowledge that you have tried valiantly to resuscitate our marriage, but as they say, it takes two to tango. I need to relearn how to be a wife, a friend, and a lover. I want to better understand what I want from my life partner. I want to grow old with you. I want to cherish you.

I believe with all my heart that our marriage is strong and our love for one another cannot be questioned. I would like to promise to you that going forward, I will embrace your efforts to improve our relationship. I have decided, however, to broaden my experience to better understand what I need from you as a life partner.

In order to achieve this, I have decided to begin dating other men. This will enable me to experience the full range of emotional and physical feelings that I need to rebuild our life as husband and wife. I need to relearn how to give and receive emotional and physical stimuli. I understand that this will likely cause you some unhappiness, but please be assured that my intentions are just as I have expressed.

I want us to be the best couple we can be. David, I know that you are a black and white kind of person, but I beg you to see this, at least in part from my perspective. I need you to understand that between the black and white, there are shades of gray. I’ve decided to go on my first date on Friday night. I’ll return to you before lunch on Saturday.

I want to be as open with you as possible, so we can then talk about my date over lunch. I’m certain that with time and many discussions, you will agree that what I am doing is a good thing for all concerned. By now, Olivia was almost hyperventilating, but nonetheless, to her credit, she pressed on with a look akin to abject terror.

David, I understand that all this might be a little confronting for you. Maybe you’d like some time to digest this before we reconvene. After a while, I stood unsteadily and with no emotion said, “Olivia, I can see that you’ve given this a great deal of thought. I appreciate you giving me the chance to have a good think before I respond.

I’m going to head off for a while and gather my thoughts. Maybe we can discuss this later this evening or tomorrow.” “David, you know that I love you only,” she said with a trembling voice. Please keep an open mind about this. Please let me know when you’re ready. With that, I grabbed my coat and headed for the garage. As I drove away from the house, I growled in anger and repeatedly bashed the steering wheel.

I couldn’t imagine how things could have turned out worse. My wife wants to go on dates with other men in order to make our marriage better. What nonsense. She’s absolutely deluded. What is she thinking? As I enjoyed my burger and a second coffee, I decided that I had handled Olivia’s speech pretty well, even if I elected not to immediately engage her.

I was able to maintain an outward appearance of calmness. She had been preparing her ambush for weeks, if not months. I listened to the recording a couple of times before my next move materialized. I was going to consult with my closest confidants, the twins. I called my daughter Jess and asked her to set up one of her threesomes with her brother Mike.

Dad, they’re not called threesomes. They’re called conference calls. Threesomes are very different things. But don’t worry, Dad. The lazy turd is lying here on the lounge. Mark my words, it’s really true that uni students don’t have social lives. All of those stories about the wild days at university are just fantasy. Dad, am I destined to spend the rest of my life sitting on a nasty couch while my brother eats my Cheetos, drinks my beer, and makes a mess just like he does every damn night? Dad, I’m 19 years old.

I need a little romance. I’m ripe. She said this with a giggle. Okay, Jess, thanks for that educative discourse. I need to have a very important talk to you both. This is not a joke. I repeat, this is not a joke. We’re talking 911 here. Dad, you’re scaring me. Is everything okay? She said with a nervous glance towards her brother. No, baby.

Everything is far from okay, I said with a hint of panic in my voice. For the first time, Mike piped up and with his usual laid-back tone said, “What’s up, Dad?” “Is it okay if I come over?” “Sure, Dad. I’ll put some coffee on,” Jess answered. “I may need something a little stronger. I’ll see you in 30 minutes.

” Okay, Dad. Drive carefully. Bye. I arrived at my kid’s apartment and began. Look, guys. You know that your mom and I have been going through some tough times recently. I have a recording of a discussion that I’ve just had with her. Is it okay if I play it for you? Okay, Dad. It sounds serious.

We’re listening, Jess said with a concerned note in her voice. I played the recording. The silence was deafening until Jess finally exploded. That awful woman. Mike and I put up with her behavior for 12 months before we had to leave. And now she’s done this to you. Ignoring how she treated us, she’s been disrespecting you for years.

And now she’s hurting you deeply and expects you to roll over and enjoy it. How stupid does she think you are? Right now, sweet cheeks. I don’t know how stupid I’m supposed to be. As you would expect, you guys were my first call, my only call. Maybe we can kick this around a little and figure out what I should do. I need your help. Throughout these preliminaries, Mike didn’t say too much.

He’s always been the strong and silent type. He’s sharp as attack, and people tend to hang on his every word. Unlike his sister, who is breathtakingly volatile, Mike thinks twice and acts once. I was often amazed at how my twin children could be so utterly different but so wonderfully compatible. I loved them so much. Just now, and despite the absolute mess that my life was becoming, I couldn’t help but marvel at the type of people they were turning out to be.

I looked at them both and somehow felt a little calmer. I was brought back to the conversation by Jess, who by now was incandescent with rage. She was prowling back and forth across the lounge room like a panther. Her eyes were on fire. Dad, pay attention. We’re behind the game. We’re 15 points down in the first quarter. Darn.

Dad, we may be in the second quarter. We’ve got to catch up. It sounds like mom’s been planning this for weeks, if not months. She’s got some guy in the wings, and she’s trying to justify her actions with him if she isn’t already seeing him. Friday night is our go hard or go home moment. “Okay, okay, that’s why we’re talking,” I exclaimed defensively, my hands in the surrender position.

While Jess was recovering from her initial barrage, Mike quietly asked, “Dad, are you okay?” “No, Mike, no, I’m not. While I may have seen something like this coming for a while, it’s kind of surreal to see it arrive. I get the feeling that I’m losing her or I may have already lost her. Your mom wouldn’t have made her speech without considering the likely consequences.

“Have you had any thoughts about where to from here?” Mike asked. “Yeah, I’ve started to sketch it out, but you guys are a lot smarter than me. You’ve both got school smarts and street smarts.” Jess saw an opportunity to jump back in. Two, right, Daddyo? It’ll be three against one. We’re the three amigos.

She won’t stand a chance. She’ll never see it coming. Okay, Ninja Girl, I love you more than donuts, but you need to take a chill pill, I said. Jess jumped into my lap and gave me a big hug. Meanwhile, Mike calmly mused almost to himself. I think her entire speech was a smokeokc screen for the dating other men part, and there’s a lot that she’s not letting on. I agree with Jess.

She is definitely seeing some guy. She probably timed her announcement in order to limit the potential damage you can do. She wants to keep you on the back foot until DDay. We are a long way behind. We need intel. Mom probably won’t expect you to regroup and get on the front foot too quickly. She’ll pay a high price for underestimating you.

She’s obviously communicating with this guy, probably via text messages and maybe emails. Yeah, they probably work together. Do you have access to her phone? She rarely leaves it alone. And anyway, I don’t have her access code. Jess jumped in again. Dad, I know her code. When mom and I had lunch last week, she was going on and on about the need to improve her life and blah blah blah.

Well, it looked like the lunch was never going to end, and I needed to call my bestie Stella to tell her I’d be late for our study group. I asked mom for her phone. She grabbed it from her bag and keyed in her code while I pretended not to look. I’m pretty sure it’s 1919. Get it? Mike and I are both 19. It was easy to see on her keypad.

Excellent, sis. That might just be the break we need. With any luck, mom might even use the same code for her laptop. Mike mused. Dad, we can’t do all the work for you. You’ve got to get access to her phone and quick. I thought about it for a moment and then said, “She leaves her phone on the charger on her bedside table when she showers in the morning.

That might give me 15 minutes to do some investigating.” Mike then said, “I don’t know much about checking phones, so you might have to do it the old-fashioned way. When you get in, go straight to her text message app and look at the most recent messages. There will be one from a name you don’t recognize.

It will probably be an alias to throw you off the scent just in case you saw an incoming message. With any luck, the message trail will extend back weeks or months. I don’t know if it’s possible to export text messages, so you’ll have to photograph it screen by screen using your phone. When you’re done, cover your tracks and get the hell out of dodge.

Also, it might be a good idea to take some time off work. This week is going to be tough for you anyway, but you might also need some flexibility. Good advice, Mike. I then turned to my daughter. Jess, there’s one other thing I was going to ask for your help with. Your bestie, Stella’s dad, is a divorce lawyer, isn’t he? Yeah, Dad, but he calls himself a family law attorney.

Well, maybe you could use your influence to get me an appointment to see him as soon as possible. I just need to understand what I’m getting myself into and whether I need to put in place any measures to protect myself or you guys. Good idea, Dad. I’ll call Stella now and get the ball rolling.

I’ll give her your number. Thanks, babe. Mike’s mind was now going at full speed. I could see that my son had tuned in to the problem. Dad, when you get home, you might let mom know that you’re not willing to be in a marriage where she dates other men. She’ll be expecting push back from you and she’ll have a well-prepared defense.

Just listen to what she has to say. Don’t forget to record the conversation. Try and be calm and measured. Make strong eye contact. Try not to show emotion. If you want to send her a strong message, move into the guest bedroom. She won’t expect that. I was trying to write down each of my son’s suggestions. Don’t let her know that you’ve taken the week off.

Tomorrow morning after you’ve checked her phone, it might be good if you leave the house immediately. She’ll be expecting to see you for breakfast and will be keen to gauge how you’re taking her announcement. That might throw her off a little more. Go home after she leaves for work. You can sit down with a coffee and a piece of toast and look at the text messages.

Take your time. She’ll probably try and talk to Jess and me. I think we should ignore her. The lawyer will want a copy of the texts if there’s anything of interest. During the coming week, mom will want to be the perfect wife. She’s going to butter you up. It’s going to be a full court press. Just rebuff her.

Make it clear that her behavior is unacceptable. Things will get interesting when she realizes that her strategy is failing. Jess jumped in. Jesus, Mike, where do you get all this from? Are you basically a closet relationship counselor or just a sneaky person? That’s some serious mind game you’ve just laid out.

Dad, when you serve her with the divorce papers, can I be involved? I want to see the look in her eyes when she realizes how badly she’s messed up. We’ll see, kitten. It might not even get that far. It was getting late and I decided to return home. When I got there and with my recorder on, I found Olivia sitting on the lounge waiting.

Olivia smiled and said, “Hi, baby. Good to see you. Do you have any questions about our discussion?” Well, Olivia, it wasn’t a discussion. It was a declaration. I understand that you have developed a defense of your inappropriate proposal. I suppose in response, I should state unequivocally that I will not be part of a marriage where you date other men.

Do you understand me? Well, David, I hear what you’re saying. Maybe I haven’t explained myself properly. What I’m doing is for us. I want to be the best possible wife. And if I am to achieve this, there are certain things that I’m going to have to do. I understand that this may hurt you in the short term, but as soon as you see the benefits, I’m certain that you’ll come around.

Olivia, I can see that this discussion is not going to get us anywhere. Please acknowledge that I’m not going to be part of a marriage where you date other men. Fine. Okay. I acknowledge it, Olivia said with more than a hint of anger in her voice. Good, Olivia. Thanks. Now, for the foreseeable future, I’ll be sleeping in the guest bedroom, and I would appreciate your respect of my privacy.

This coming week is going to be very difficult for the both of us. It may be the last week we have as husband and wife. I’ll try to be civil, and I expect the same from you. Please let me know if you have changed your mind. It might not be too late to save our marriage. David, this is not a negotiation. My mind is made up. On Friday at 6:30, I’ll be leaving for my date.

I’ll return before lunch on Saturday. Would you throw away 22 years of marriage over this? Olivia stated defiantly. Olivia, you probably won’t be surprised to hear that it’s not me that’s throwing away 22 years of marriage. It is not me that’s breaking our wedding vows. It is not me that’s betraying our marriage. It’s not me that’s alienating her children.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get my clothes and toiletries and move into the guest bedroom. This discussion is over. With that, I left, leaving Olivia with a look of bewildered anger. She looked down at her clenched fists and thought, “Darn, darn, darn.” I woke early. I was showered and dressed before Olivia got up.

I was waiting to hear Olivia’s shower turn on. As soon as I heard it, I went to her bedroom and picked up her phone. And with fingers crossed, I keyed in the code. The phone came to life and I navigated to the text message app. The most recent message was from someone named Becky. I opened it and saw immediately that it was what I was looking for.

Resisting my desire to read them, I proceeded to photograph every message exchange. They appeared to go back about 2 months. When I was finished, I replaced the phone and left the house. Olivia had had a fitful sleep. She wasn’t used to sleeping without me, and she was worried about my reaction to her announcement. She was expecting a more compliant response.

She woke at the usual time and showered and dressed. She went to the kitchen expecting to see me waiting with a cup of coffee for her. I wasn’t there. My car was not in the garage. Damn, she thought. This isn’t going to plan. Why does he have to be such a single-minded person? She made herself some breakfast and left for work.

I was parked down the street and saw Olivia leave. I returned to the house and settled in to review the text messages. They commenced 2 months ago and they weren’t from Becky. They were from Wade. Wade Ericson is a guy who works with Olivia. He’s maybe 5 years younger than Olivia. He’s married to Peggy and they have two young kids.

The initial texts were flirtatious from both sides, but they quickly became more intimate. There was one text where Olivia was angry because they were almost caught at work being inappropriate. Wade, if this is to continue, we need to be more careful. We can’t jeopardize our jobs and marriages by being stupid. Wade was trying to get Olivia to agree to a lunchtime meeting at a motel.

It looked like they were encouraging each other. It was clear that Olivia was sorely tempted. She even sent a selfie that was inappropriate. It was clear that the photo was taken in our bedroom. WDE was laying it on thick and the two agreed to meet at the Se View Motel. The plan was for Wade to check in and text the room number to Olivia, who would then join him.

It seemed that the meeting had occurred because there were subsequent texts, excitedly discussing how much fun it was. Wade also mentioned that he had emailed a package of photos to Olivia’s Hotmail account. I didn’t know she had a Hotmail account. The meetings at the motel occurred on two subsequent occasions. There were also mentions of affectionate behavior in WDE’s office.

It was only a week ago when it became apparent that the pair had decided to further escalate their relationship by introducing overnight dates. Wade had convinced an uncertain Olivia that I would be angry at first about her seeing other men, but given time and appropriate attention, I would submit to the new normal.

I would submit to the line of least resistance. I would remain married. I would be able to live in my house. My relationship with my kids would be okay. Olivia and her companion would be discreet. My social life would not change. This then led to Olivia’s speech to me about dating other men.

The most recent texts concerned the arrangements for their date. WDE was going to reserve a suite at the Marriott on the other side of town and leave a key for Olivia at reception. Rather than risk a lastminute confrontation with me, Olivia planned to go directly to the Marriott from work. She’ll change into her date clothes and meet Wade downstairs in the bar for a drink before walking across the road to Solerno’s Italian restaurant.

After dinner, they’ll return to the Marriott either for a dance or to head straight to their room. In the final text, which occurred last night, Olivia told Wade about my reaction to her speech. She said that I was very calm and she couldn’t read my face. She told Wade about my statement that I would not remain in the marriage if she went on dates.

Finally, she said that I had moved out of their bedroom and she was worried that things were already getting out of control. It’s pretty much what I expected. Wade responded. He thinks you’re bluffing. Olivia, you need to stick with the plan. We expected it to be a tough week, but the end result will be well worth it. I promise you, you’ve got to love him to death for the remainder of the week.

Before you know it, he’ll be putty in your hands and your new life can begin in earnest. He’ll come around. I know his type. Mark my words. I then went to Olivia’s laptop. I entered the code and immediately found the Hotmail icon on the desktop. There weren’t too many emails, but I did find three that contained a dozen or so inappropriate photos of the two together.

There was also one email that had a video of the two. In it, Wade was holding his phone and was videoing their reflection in the motel room’s dresser mirror. The kids were right. There was more to her relationship with Wade than my wife had let on. I snooped around the laptop and found the photo directory.

Buried in the directory were five folders containing photos of Olivia with other men. Each directory was named after the companion. The dates on the directories indicated that this activity had continued over the past 2 years. The 50 or so photos depicted Olivia in various compromising positions and in various locations.

There were also several videos which included audio. I copied the directories onto a thumb drive. I looked for other information in the laptop’s trash bin, but found nothing. I then had a look at the Hotmail bin and found another trove of information. It looked like the 30 or so emails included names, dates, venues, and other interesting information about her companions.

I copied the emails and shut down the laptop. Just as I was digesting the news of my wife’s affairs, my phone rang. It was the executive assistant of Peter Ferris, Stella’s family law attorney dad. She asked if I was available at 4:30 to meet with Mr. Ferris. I readily agreed. She then asked for my email address so she could send me a list of financial and other information that I should bring.

Much of the rest of the day was taken up with compiling the requested information. I also included a copy of everything else that I had found. I then texted Jess and Mike offering an update. They phoned back quickly and I provided an overview of their mother’s multiple affairs. I mentioned the photos and videos. I thanked them both for their advice and said that accessing Olivia’s phone and laptop turned out to be simple.

I also mentioned that I was seeing Peter Ferris later that day. “So, what are you going to do, Dad?” Jess asked, obviously shocked and saddened by the news. “Well, Baby Cake. If I wasn’t going for a divorce before today, I sure as hell am now,” I replied. “I’m sorry, Dad. You deserve better,” she said with absolute compassion and more than a little restraint.

“Mike, I’m not even sure if it’s necessary to stay with our plan. I really don’t care if she goes with Wade on Friday. It’s not going to make any difference to the outcome. I’ve got more than enough evidence to finish things. So, why don’t I just move out while the divorce proceedings unfold?” “Yeah, Dad, you may be right.

Why don’t you see what the divorce lawyer has to say before deciding on that? Okay, guys. I’ll report back when I get a chance. I arrived at the lawyer’s office and was greeted by Peter Ferris and an associate of his, Dan Morton. Hi, David. Great to see you. I suspect this is not a social visit. I hope you don’t mind Dan joining us.

He’s the sharpest divorce lawyer we have. He reminds me of me 20 years ago when I had more hair and a smaller belly. Nowadays, I’m here just to make the place look good while Dan does the heavy lifting. Peter Ferris then turned to Dan and asked, “Dan, you think I’m a good-looking man, don’t you?” “Ah, yes, sir.

Among the finest,” Dan answered while trying to keep a straight face. “Good answer, boy. Good answer. So, David, what’s the deal?” Yesterday when I asked Jess to tea up this discussion, my wife Olivia told me that she intends to betray our marriage this coming Friday. During today, however, I’ve discovered evidence of her being with a total of at least six men over the past 2 years.

The evidence, which is in the form of emails, texts, photos, and videos, is included in the package I am leaving with you. I have also provided all of the financial and other information you requested. I recorded a few conversations with Olivia which I’ve included for the sake of completeness. Subject to your views, I’m fairly certain that I will divorce Olivia.

I’m happy to proceed with irreconcilable differences as the grounds for the petition. I’m seeking a 50/50 split of our assets. I would like things to proceed quickly. If Olivia tries to make things difficult for me, I want to respond strongly. If she tries to slow things down, we might be able to use some of the evidence of her indiscretions as leverage.

Furthermore, I’d be happy to change the basis of the petition to adultery should the need arise. I have the names of six of her companions, and I might even name them all as co-respondents if necessary. That should scare her. I then asked, “Peter, are you able to get me a little more information about the five companions other than Wade Ericson?” Peter looked at Dan, who shrugged and said, “It shouldn’t be a problem.

” I continued, “I’ve also heard that an alienation of affection suit can be persuasive. The threat of Olivia and her companion losing their jobs might provide some additional incentive to go quietly.” Peter looked closely at me. David, alienation of affection suits are a coin toss at best.

My advice would be not to do anything that might compromise her employment. I’m sure you want to pay as little alimony as possible. To this end, it would be good if Olivia retained a secure and well- paid job. I nodded and pressed on. Finally, I’d also like you to protect my assets to the maximum legal extent.

For example, if there’s any sense in transferring some of our investment money into trusts for the kids, I’m on board. I need your advice about strategies in this area. When were you hoping to have her served? Peter asked. Olivia will be dining with her companion at Solenos on Friday night. Their reservation is for 7:30. I’d like it to be done there, and the server should be loud about it.

Let’s hope that we can arrange some severe indigestion for her. Oh, yeah. One other thing, Jess. has asked to be involved. She’s pretty upset about her mother’s behavior. Maybe she can help identify Olivia for your server. Okay, David. All that seems broadly doable subject to Dan’s review of your package. Jess can be involved as long as she doesn’t impede the server.

As much as I like Jess, this is a legal process and we don’t want to mess it up. If Jess and Mike feel strongly enough about this, they can be witnesses to your divorce petition. That will send a clear message to your wife. We’ll be in touch if we have any questions. For the next 4 days, please try and keep things cool.

It’s easy for everything to go wrong if someone acts stupidly. David, you don’t want things to go wrong. Okay, I hear you. I’m not sure what I’m going to walk into when I go home now, but I promise you I’ll think twice and speak once. I’ll talk to Jess and Mike about being witnesses. We said our goodbyes and I left.

On the way home, I called Jess. Hi, Baby Cake. It’s your old dad. Hi, Dad. Are you okay? How did you go with Mr. Ferris? I’m okay. The meeting went as well as we could have expected. Peter seems to know his stuff. I provided a mountain of information to him, including evidence about your mother’s affairs. I asked that you be involved in serving the papers at Solenos on Friday.

He agreed as long as you don’t get in the way. He said that you and Mike could be formal witnesses on the divorce petition if you would like. That would really upset your mother. Why don’t you have a chat to Mike? You can also think about how you see the serving process unfolding on Friday. Maybe you could brief the server outside the restaurant. Okay, Dad.

I can assure you it will be memorable for everyone. Talk soon. When I arrived home, I was greeted by my wife wearing makeup and a nice dress. Hi honey, I’ve made your favorite. Would you like a glass of wine after you change? I barely acknowledged her. I went and changed into some casual clothes and returned to the kitchen.

Olivia, is this your way of saying that you apologize unreservedly and you’ve decided not to betray your wedding vows? No, David, absolutely not. I’ve told you that Friday is going to happen. Okay, I’m heading out for a burger. Don’t wait up. David, don’t be such a difficult person. It’s just one night. As I went to enter the garage, I turned and said, “No, Olivia, I suspect it’s not.

” The following couple of days were icy at best. I tried to limit our interactions. I kept the kids in the loop with developments. Jess was anxious to have a chat with her unfaithful mother, but as agreed, she was not returning her mother’s calls. She said that she and Mike thought it would be a great idea to be witnesses to the divorce petition.

I made a mental note never to cross Jess. The lawyers seemed to have everything under control. I arrived home on Thursday evening to be greeted by Olivia wearing revealing clothing. Without missing a beat, I said, “Does this mean that you have decided not to betray our marriage and alienate your children?” Olivia became angry and with a nasty sneer said, “David, it’s going to happen, but now I’m going to treat him extra well.

I’m just here to get changed. It’s coupon night at the pizza place. I’ll be home later. Please don’t try this degrading behavior again. It’s beneath even you. You disgust me. Damn you, David. It’s only one night. I’m just trying to show you what our lives can be like with the new me. Just get your head out of your stubbornness and get with the program for Christ’s sake.

Sure, Olivia, one night this week. But how many in the future? To be perfectly honest, I’d be much happier if I could have backed the beautiful, kind, and considerate woman I married and not the deceitful, dishonest person standing in front of me. Make sure you get tested for health issues after your actions.

I’m getting paternity tests done on the twins next week. Forget you, David. Mark my words, you’ll regret your childish behavior. This is our future you’re fooling with. I changed and went to a cafe for a snack before going to the movies. I arrived home to a dark house. On Friday morning, I was up early again to copy Olivia’s recent texts and head out the door before she was out of the shower.

Olivia entered the kitchen, not really expecting me to be there. She was becoming increasingly apprehensive about her plans. Nothing was going the way Wade had predicted. Even her children were not returning her calls. Things had turned to total chaos. It was clear that she had underestimated my determination. She reflected on our marriage of 22 years.

It was never her expectation that my intrigence would lead to terminal problems with our marriage. She had no option other than to proceed with WDE’s plan. She dressed for work and took her date night clothes with her. I returned home after I saw Olivia’s car leave. I made a cup of coffee and looked at Olivia’s most recent text message to Wade. She was almost frantic.

Oh no, Wade. The closer I get to tonight, the further down the drain my marriage goes. David warned me that there would be serious consequences for my actions. He made me acknowledge that he would not be part of a marriage that included me dating other men. He’s going to kick me to the curb. I know it.

I should never have let my private life and my family life become tangled. Things were fine the way they were. Darn. Darn. Darn. I don’t know what to do. Wade responded. Listen, babe. He’s just bluffing. He’s not being strong. I’m going to make tomorrow night memorable for you. I’m going to give you a taste of how good your life is going to be once he knuckles under.

So, just keep calm and stay strong. I phoned Jess. She walked me through her plans for serving the papers. I arranged for Mike and Jess to witness the divorce petition. I then gave the lawyers the final go-ahad. Friday was going to be busy for me, Jess and Mike. First, I arranged for the locks on the house to be changed. I reprogrammed the code for the garage remote door.

I then went online to book a storage locker for Olivia’s possessions. With the assistance of Jess and Mike, we packed up all of Olivia’s belongings. While that was occurring, I worked through the list of financial changes that my lawyer had recommended. Even with two cars, we still had to do two trips to the storage locker. I also needed to write a short note to Olivia explaining what I had done in preparation for the divorce.

The letter was to be included in the package to be given to her at the restaurant. After the last trip to the storage locker, I called past my lawyer’s office to drop in the letter and the key to the storage locker. After work, Olivia arrived at the hotel room and changed into her date clothes.

Despite her concerns about my stubbornness, she was excited and craving a night with her companion. Her previous meetings with Wade at the motel were enjoyable, but somewhat hurried and unromantic. This was to be the beginning of her new life. She had a little black dress that showed off her figure, which were almost jumping out.

Completing the outfit was a pair of elegant high heeled shoes. Olivia joined Wade in the bar downstairs, and they enjoyed a cocktail before heading arm- in-armm across the road to the restaurant. She felt somehow liberated at being able to walk arm- in-armm in public with her companion. They had been seated for about 10 minutes at a table near the center of the restaurant when Jess walked up to her mom.

“So, Mom, you’re really going to do it?” Jess demanded angrily. “Jess, what are you doing here?” Olivia asked nervously while looking at Wade and the other diners around her. “Is this the man that you are betraying Dad with?” As soon as Jess said this, guests at nearby tables had their phones out recording the action. This is my friend, Mr. Ericson.

He and I are enjoying an evening out. Mom, are you going to betray dad with him tonight? There was a collective gasp around the restaurant. Jess, this is a private matter between your father and me. I don’t think it’s appropriate to discuss it with you, particularly in public. Someone at a nearby tabled called out, unfaithful.

Mom, please don’t betray my dad and our family. We all love you and need you. Jess, it’s complicated. Your father knows what I am doing. Is this why you haven’t been returning my calls? Too right, Mom. I don’t want a disloyal person as a mother. Another series of gasps from the guests. A guy seated at a nearby table shouted to Jess, “You go, girl.

I don’t know what your father has been telling you, but I’m doing this for the betterment of our marriage.” “Nonsense.” Another guy shouted. Other guests laughed. Olivia could feel the eyes of the diners burning into her. A waitress with two plates of food needed to get past Jess. Excuse me, dear. Can I get past? Oh, sorry, ma’am. I’ll be going shortly.

The company here is decidedly unpleasant,” Jess replied respectfully. “Don’t worry, honey. You take your time. It looks like your mom is getting what she deserves, the waitress said with a warm smile. WDE Ericson was trying to disappear. You have a room booked at the hotel over the road, haven’t you? That’s where you intend to betray him, isn’t it? An older couple stood and left, their meals halfeaten.

Jessica, we can talk about this next week. I can see you’re upset now. It’s probably best if you leave now. With that, Jess signaled to the process server who was waiting at the reception desk. He approached the table and asked in an overly theatrical and loud voice, “Are you Mrs. Olivia Marson?” “Yes,” Olivia timidly replied.

He handed her an envelope and said, “Olivia Marson, you have been served.” There was a collective cheer from the restaurant guests. The server had body cam video of him performing his duty. He sent the video to me and my lawyer as soon as he was out of the restaurant. It seemed as if every set of eyes in the restaurant was on Olivia and her illicit companion.

The guests continued to record the action. Olivia wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it. Mom, in addition to the divorce papers, there’s an important letter from Dad in the envelope. You need to read it ASAP. Jess, this is not what it seems. Marriages can be complicated things. Can’t we can talk about this? No, Mom.

We’re done here. Jess turned and began to leave. Olivia tried to get out from the table to chase after her daughter. The heel of one of her elegant shoes caught in the carpet and she tumbled over. Her dress shifted inappropriately. A distinguished-looking gentleman approached the table and looking down at her with obvious disdain said, “Madam, I am the restaurant manager and I can assure you I will not permit inappropriate behavior on these premises.

” Olivia struggled to her feet while trying to adjust her dress. “I’m not behaving inappropriately,” she exclaimed indignantly. A customer sitting nearby said between mouthfuls of noy. Well, you’re dressed inappropriately and you’re not being modest. “I am being modest,” Olivia cried. “Madam, I must ask you to lower your voice and leave the premises immediately, and please take your companion with you.

” The restaurant erupted in another chorus of cheers. The restaurant manager turned and made a theatrical bow. Wade grabbed Olivia and after paying the bill, escorted her out. The restaurant guests stood and clapped as Olivia went through the door. She turned and in a final act of defiance told the diners to go away.

Within 5 minutes, the videos were being uploaded to YouTube with Olivia’s name included in the title, courtesy of the process servers announcement. Outside the restaurant, a frantic Olivia told Wade that she needed to go home to sort out this mess. She foolishly assumed that I would be waiting for her.

They went back to the hotel room where Olivia changed out of her dress and into her casual gear. The evening was ruined. The commencement of her new life was ruined. It had turned into a complete disaster because she had totally underestimated me. In reality, Olivia had no idea how much she had underestimated me. She arrived at home only to find the house dark and her key didn’t fit the lock.

She called my cell and I answered. David, what have you done? My keys don’t work. Olivia, Jess asked you to read the darned letter from me. I then hung up. Olivia sat on the front step and opened the envelope. Olivia, I told you time and time again that I would not be part of a marriage where you were dating other men.

You decided to proceed with your date and I am now divorcing you. You will see that I am citing irreconcilable differences as the basis for the petition. I am doing this out of respect for your parents who I love dearly. I’ve kept the kids in the loop with developments and I have tried to be factual with them. Jess has spoken to you tonight, so I guess you have a feel for how she has taken your betrayal of our family.

I recommend that you not talk to her for a while. As you will see, Jess and Mike have witnessed my signature on the divorce petition. This might also give you some idea about the strength of their feelings. I have visited your parents tonight and told them about your inappropriate behavior. I have taken the liberty of leaving with them.

Some of your clothes and personal items that you may need over the next few days. If you are not moving in with Mr. Ericson, his wife, and their children, you might need a bed at your parents house. I have also given them all of your jewelry for safekeeping. The twins and I have placed the remainder of your possessions in locker 264 at Jim’s hire and storage near your parents’ house.

A key to the locker is in this envelope. I have prepaid the locker for 60 days. In recognition of our 20 years of happy marriage, I have proposed a very fair 50/50 split of our assets. We’ll each keep our retirement accounts. As you are aware, the house belongs to my parents and will not be included in the asset division.

My lawyers have successfully petitioned the court to freeze all of our financial accounts. I’ve paid off and canceled our joint credit cards. Your personal accounts and cards remain active. All necessary house related payments will be made on a as required basis. I have changed the locks on the house. I recommend that you retain a lawyer to review the divorce proposal and sign it as soon as possible.

Olivia, failure to do so will result in serious consequences. I can be contacted through my lawyers, David. Having read the letter, Olivia ignored the contact me through my lawyer request and called me. David, we need to talk. Come home, please, she begged. Sorry, Olivia. I can’t just now. I’m over with Patty and her kids.

I’m just walking her through what’s been going on between you and her husband. We’ve just seen the video of you being served. She thought Wade was interstate at a weekend conference. To be perfectly honest, she’s pretty upset at you both. I’ve given her the name of my divorce lawyer. Maybe you should stay away from dark alleyways and consider getting a bodyguard.

By the way, the YouTube videos were an unexpected but entertaining surprise, and they seemed to be going viral. I honestly didn’t know that Jess had it in her. The restaurant manager was priceless. Oh, God, no. David, how could you do this to me? Olivia cried. No, Olivia, this is all down to you.

Are you happy now? How’s the new me working out? How’s the date night going? I hear that the ve is nice at Sernos. David, there will never be a divorce. Please, I love you. Goodness, Olivia, when last we spoke, you told me that you were going to treat Wade extra well tonight. If you’ve forgotten, I’ve got a recording.

I could only hear sobbing on the line. Now, please don’t try to contact me again. I don’t want things to get out of hand. The next four weeks were frustrating due to Olivia’s lawyer stalling the divorce wherever possible. Through my lawyer, Olivia was repeatedly asking for a face to face, which I declined. Eventually, Peter Ferris convinced me that I should agree to the meeting.

I, however, said that it should occur in Peter’s conference room. I also stipulated that the kids should attend and Olivia was not to be informed of this. 2 days later, Olivia entered the conference room. Jess, Mike, and I were seated on the opposite side of the table. Jess was holding my hand. Mike was glaring at his mother.

Looking nervously at the twins, Olivia said, “Hi, Jess. Hi, Mike. What are you doing here?” I responded on their behalf. You asked for a face to face. Well, here we are. David, there are private things that we need to discuss. Sorry, Olivia. While these kids have always provided me with their unconditional love, they’ve really stepped up over the past 2 months when I’ve needed them the most.

They’ve given me great advice and help. I wouldn’t be where I am now without their support. Please remember that Jess and Mike witnessed my signature on the divorce petition. If you are not able to speak with them here, we can end this now. David, I don’t want a divorce. I don’t want to give up on our 22 years of marriage.

Over the past couple of years, I’ll admit that I drifted from my family. I wasn’t the best wife or mother. I’ve been living my life in a fog. I lost sight of the important things. I made foolish decisions. I’ve commenced therapy and I’m hoping you can help me with that. I know you are a kind man and I’m asking for your forgiveness. Together we can repair our relationship and with time our marriage can prosper.

But I understand that I will need time to demonstrate my commitment to us. So if you persist with the divorce, I will have no option but to continue to put in place every roadblock my lawyer can think of. I will drag out this process until you realize that my place is beside you and our children.

I will not sign the divorce papers. Olivia, I know that you’ve given a great deal of thought to today’s meeting. You’re probably asking yourself, “How much does he know?” I know much more than you think. I’ll say this once and once only. Do not sit there and lie to me. Do not sit there and lie to your family. I told you that there would be serious consequences if you elected not to agree to the divorce.

Please remember that I’m seeking the divorce on the grounds of irreconcilable differences and the proposed 50/50 asset distribution could not be more fair. If you do not sign the papers here today, I’m going to withdraw the petition and resubmit a new petition based on adultery and I’ll name your companion WDE Ericson as a co-respondent.

I will be seeking a 7525 asset split. I will also commence an alienation of affection suit against your employer, citing your relationship with your work colleague, Mr. Ericson. David, you can’t do that. You know I didn’t betray you with Wade. Having me served at the restaurant put paid to that. I stood and slammed my fist angrily on the table, making everybody jump.

This was not the husband father that they knew and loved. I told you, Olivia, do not lie to us. I’m not lying to you, Olivia stated without conviction. Damn you, Olivia. Are you telling us that you haven’t been with Wade at the Se View Motel on at least three occasions? We have the room numbers if you need reminding. I nodded to Jess and she pushed across the table several inappropriate photos of Olivia and Wade together.

Olivia gasped and quickly realized that I was far better informed than she expected. Jess then produced a transcript of the text messages between her mother and Wade. Olivia scanned the document and sat humiliated in front of her family. I then nodded to Mike who pressed a button on his laptop and a large TV screen at the end of the room came to life showing a video of Wade with Olivia.

The audio was particularly inappropriate. Turn it off. Olivia screamed over the sound of the audio. Now, I’m no expert, but that looks and sounds pretty much like Wade betraying our marriage with you, I said. She had totally underestimated me. Olivia, the photos and the text transcript establish ironclad proof of your affair, and that part of the affair occurred on company premises.

Your text message confessions of inappropriate behavior in the office will not sit well with your employer. Put simply, if I commence the alienation of affection suit, your job is toast. Your professional and personal reputation will be in tatters. Although your performance on YouTube has probably already done that.

Jess, how many views have the various videos had about 1.3 million? Dad, mom’s beating the Pope, Jess responded excitedly. But Olivia, it isn’t all bad. Jess, Mike, and I don’t know how many affairs you’ve had over the past 22 years, but we are aware of six, including Wade. Initially, I was keen to name each of those companions as co-respondents in my adultery petition, but Mike talked me down on that.

We’ve got plenty of photos if you’re interested. We don’t understand why you’re so keen on having a photographic record of your actions, but you’ve certainly made things easier for us. Olivia stared down at the conference room table. Jess pushed across a one-pager providing details about each companion, including the names of their employers, wives, and children.

It seemed to Olivia that her family knew more about her companions than she did. Oh, and Olivia, this document is a little out of date. As you may be aware, Mr. Steven Stevie Buchanan, who you were seeing while on your business trips in Baltimore as recently as 4 months ago, was found beaten in a car park behind a club last week.

When his body was found, he was injured. Across his chest was written, “Stay away from married women. It seems that you were not the only object of Mr. Buchanan’s affections. You might like to get tested.” “Oh my god!” Olivia gasped. With perfect timing, Jess piped up and exclaimed to her brother, “Mike, did you see this one? It looks like mom with her boyfriend, Stevie, and they’re being inappropriate.

That’s pretty awful. Please, no. Don’t look at that.” Olivia pleaded with her children. She was completely defeated. Her lies and deceptions totally exposed. There was no defense. Just then, Mike played the next video that he had queued up. It was Olivia being inappropriate with a different companion.

“Turn it off!” Olivia screamed over the sound of the audio. After a moment, Mike looked at the pitiful visage that was his mother and said, “Mom, you disappoint me.” His tone was a mixture of anger and shame. I didn’t know who was more shocked at Mike’s piercing words, Olivia or Jess. “No more, please. No more,” Olivia begged. “Sign the papers, Olivia.

What I’ve proposed is very fair, maybe excessively so given your actions. Keep in mind that my proposal keeps many of the details of your inappropriate behavior away from our parents and friends. Sign the papers and retain some of your dignity, I said with an air of finality. Okay, I’ll sign. Olivia signed the papers and the divorce was made final 90 days later.

The asset split went smoothly. Jess, Mike, and I remained very close and were able to help each other through the difficult times. Olivia’s life was damaged. Her health was deteriorating. Her extrammarital relationships were no longer desirable. She was living a lonely life in a very modest apartment. Her job was hanging by a thread.

Her reputation was in shreds due in part to her being a YouTube sensation. She rarely saw the twins and me. Maybe with time that would change. Peggy took Wade to the cleaners in the divorce. He resigned from his job and moved interstate.