Cheating Wife Invited My Boss After I Left A Work Trip!

I’ve seen it said that the opposite of love is indifference. Right now, I would disagree. For me anyway, the opposite of love is hate. Blind, seething hatred. I used to love my wife with all my heart and soul. I would have done anything for her, even taken a bullet. But that’s not the case anymore.

She tore my heart out and destroyed my once happy life. And now it’s time for me to destroy hers. The house was dark as I slowly crept up the stairs, doing my best to keep from giving myself away. Of course, the two cheaters in what was once the master bedroom I used to share with my wife couldn’t hear me anyway, what with all the racket they were making.

I got to the door of the bedroom, which was only partially closed, and pushed it the rest of the way open with the 12 gauge pump shotgun I had with me. There they were, my soon-to-be ex-wife, Alice, and my boss, Jake Harmon. I pumped a round into the chamber and watched as the two stopped and stared at me, surprised.

There’s nothing quite like the sound of a round being pumped into the chamber of a shotgun to get someone’s attention. Jake got off Alice. “What are you doing here, wimp?” he asked. “You’re supposed to be in Jonesboro. Why are you here? You want to watch a real man with your wife? Is that it? Are you some kind of pervert or something? Alice giggled at that. Yeah, baby.

He wants to watch a real man give it to me good. Maybe he wants to clean you. Jake laughed as he stepped toward me. That’s when it began. I said nothing as I fired around at his crotch, blowing his private parts to kingdom come. He screamed in pain as he fell to the floor. Alice’s screams joined his almost in perfect harmony.

I pumped and fired again, this time taking off the top half of Jake’s head. Alice kept screaming, so I turned my attention to her. The first round silenced her screams as it removed most of her face. The next 15 rounds left her a bloody mess on the top of the bed. I wasn’t finished and kept firing, alternating between Jake and Alice.

At one point, I looked down and saw my feet were almost buried in a pile of spent shotgun shells. Damn, I wondered. How many rounds are in this thing? I kept pumping and firing round after round into the goo that was once Jake and Alice. I finally stopped, my rage now gone. The room rire of gunpowder and I could see smoke hanging in the air like a thick blanket.

I looked at the bloody mess before me and knew my life was over. Once the police arrived, they would probably shoot me dead. If they didn’t, I would probably end up on death row. No thanks. I checked and found I still had one round left. I put the muzzle of the shotgun under my chin, then reached down and pulled the trigger with my right hand.

I sat up in my bed, my body soaked with sweat. At first, I didn’t recognize my surroundings. Then it came back to me. I was at a day’s in in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and had been since Sunday. It was now early Thursday morning. I was here to take care of a customer upgrade at Jake’s direction. The job was finished on Wednesday, and I had wrapped up my paperwork before going to bed.

I had planned on driving back after checking out of the hotel after sunrise. As my head cleared from the remnants of the nightmare, I caught my breath and looked at the clock. It was only 3:30 a.m. Damn, I thought I’ll never be able to get back to sleep. I got up out of bed, washed my face, then made a cup of coffee.

I turned the television on and tried to calm myself down. This wasn’t the first time I had experienced a nightmare, and something told me it wouldn’t be the last. It had been like this almost every night for the last week since I first learned of Alice’s betrayal. Each nightmare had been quite similar with the only variation being my weapon of choice.

I remember one time I dreamed that I was carrying a minigun and had shredded both their bodies with thousands of rounds of ammunition. In another dream, I actually carried a rocket propelled grenade and blew them along with the bedroom into oblivion. Then there was the dream where I actually used a nuclear device and destroyed half the county along with the two cheaters.

Mind you, I’m not normally a violent man, and even though I spent four years in the Marine Corps, had never once fired a weapon in anger. Sure, I have a few guns, including a 12- gauge shotgun. Hell, everyone in these parts has a gun or two, but I never once considered using any of them against another human being until recently, that is.

Why the change, you ask? Let me tell you. My name is Thomas Jefferson Langley. My parents had a thing for history, so I was saddled with the name from birth. My sister and only sibling were named after Betsy Ross. I joined the Marines straight out of high school and was made a nuclear, biological, and chemical defense specialist. With the exception of a one-year tour to Okinawa, Japan, my time was spent stateside, mostly working as an instructor.

During my last 6 months in the service, I was one of the guys who ran the gas chamber at the base where I was stationed. I realized early on in my military service, there was little to no use for someone with my skills in the civilian world. So, I went to school and got a degree in networks and business. It took 3 years to finish my 2-year degree.

So, I got out at the end of my 4-year stint and went back to school using my benefits. When I graduated, I went to work as an account representative for Empire Tech Solutions, a nationwide IT company headquartered in my hometown in Missouri. I met Alice when I was doing a survey at the local newspaper. She worked as an editor and was one of the people who decided what photographs would work best with their articles.

We talked, dated, fell in love, and eventually got married. That was 5 years ago. The next 4 and 1/2 years were good ones. Alice and I got along quite well and enjoyed spending time together whenever we could. We made love several times a week and began to talk about having children. We made pretty good money, so we bought an old four-bedroom farmhouse in the country that sat on 4 acres.

It needed some work, but we both loved it. She liked the fact that it was a bit rustic, and I liked the separate shop that sat on the property. Both of us also liked the fact that the master bedroom had its own gas fireplace and there was plenty of room for children. Then the world went to doom, at least for me.

My boss, Bill Michaels, retired and the company began searching for his replacement. I thought this would be a golden opportunity for me, so I applied for the job. I didn’t get it, but I was told by John Carlson, the man in charge of the company’s service operations nationwide, that I was seriously considered. But the board selected someone else, Jake Harmon.

I looked up Harmon on the company internet and found that he was being moved here from Boston where he worked as the senior account representative for the northeast region of the country. He had a bit more seniority than me, but not that much. His uncle also happened to be one of the senior members of the board of directors. Naturally, he got the job.

I studied the picture of his face and took an instant dislike to him. There was something about that crooked smile of his that just screamed trouble. He came on board and made all the rounds. The women in the office took to him like a moth to a flame. He stood a few inches taller than me and was quite muscular.

He smiled that crooked smile as he shook my hand the first time we met. “Well, I finally get to meet my opposition,” he said. “I’m told you almost got my job. Don’t worry, I won’t let that interfere with our relationship.” “I’m glad to hear that,” I told him. He smiled and then left my office.

Something about him really set me off, but I wasn’t quite sure what it was. I told Alice about it one night after dinner. Why don’t you invite him over for dinner one night? Maybe you can break the ice with him. Is he married? I shook my head. I don’t think so. I didn’t see that in his online bio. Maybe he’s just a bit lonely, a single guy in a new town surrounded by strange faces.

It can’t be easy for him to adjust, especially after living in Boston. Maybe you’re right, I said. The next day, I invited him to dinner and he eagerly accepted my invitation. And feel free to bring the family if you want, I told him. There’s no family, he said. It’s just me, but I’d love to come have dinner with you and your wife.

Thanks for the invite. Should I bring anything? Just your appetite, I replied. Okay, I’ll be there. He arrived at the house on time, and we had a good evening overall. We got to know each other a bit and I thought we had established a bit of a rapport. Alice went all out making a pot roast with potatoes and vegetables.

She even put some in a Tupperware container for him to take home. “He doesn’t seem like such a bad guy,” Alice said after he left. “You two seem to get along okay.” “Yeah, I guess,” I said. Still, I had doubts niggling in the back of my mind. That was a wonderful pot roast, by the way. Let me help you with the dishes, then I’ll thank you properly upstairs, I added, giving her a swat on the rear end.

She giggled, then pranced into the dining room to start putting things away. The next day at work, Jake came by my office. I just wanted to thank you for dinner last night. That was some pot roast your wife made. You’re welcome. Yes, Alice is a very good cook. He smiled as he nodded his head. I couldn’t help but wonder what else he was thinking. Listen, Tom.

I’m going to need you to start making more trips out of town. I know my predecessor limited your time out of town, but I’m concerned we may see some business slip if we don’t get a bit more aggressive. What are we talking about? I asked. He was right. Bill made sure I took no more than one trip every 2 weeks at the most, concerned about the impact on my home life.

That was one of the things I really appreciated about him. I’m thinking maybe one trip a week. I know it may be rough on things with Alice, but I’ll make sure you get well compensated for your time away from home. When is this starting? I asked. Next week, he said. That wasn’t much advanced time given that today was already Friday.

In fact, I’d like you to go to St. Louis on Monday. Peters and Listram are talking about updating some of their servers in preparation for tax time and I’d like you to assess the situation and make some recommendations. Normally, this would be done remotely, but I’d like you to be a bit more handson. Peters and Lestramm was an accounting firm that we had done business with for years, and this was the first I had heard of an upgrade.

All right, how long are we talking about here? This shouldn’t take me more than a few hours at most, I asked. You forget they have satellite offices all over the city. You’ll need to visit them all. Crap, I thought. That could take 2 or 3 days, maybe even four. All right, I’ll let Alice know.

She’s not going to be happy, I answered. I think she’ll get over it when she sees your paycheck, Jake said before leaving my office. Alice wasn’t happy with me being gone potentially 4 days the next week, but I took her out to dinner and dancing that night, and we spent much of the weekend in bed. “Call me when you get settled in, and I’ll expect a call every day,” she said when I packed my bags in the car. “Fortunately, St.

Louis was close enough that I could drive there.” “And you’d better be on your best behavior.” “Aren’t I always?” I asked before giving her a kiss. I called her cell phone when I got settled into my room in St. Louis and later that evening after my first meeting with the client. I called the house phone every night and we enjoyed nice long discussions always ending on a happy note.

As it turned out, I was finished with the client early Thursday morning. So, I drove home planning to surprise my wife. We had a great reunion and I thought everything would be all right. The next couple of weeks weren’t too bad. I ended up being gone only one night during those weeks. After that, things started to change.

The trips got longer and for the next 4 weeks, I was gone 4 days and one trip lasted five full days. Jake was true to his word and I did see a hefty increase in my paychecks, but that hardly compensated for the time I was away from Alice. At first, Alice seemed to be able to deal with the absences, but I could tell they were starting to affect her after the fourth week.

After I got home that week, I thought I detected the odor of cigarettes. Both Alice and I smoked when we first met. After we got married, we decided to kick the habit together. It was hard at first, but we finally did it. We’ve been smoke free for about 2 years when all this started up. I asked Alice if she’d been smoking while I was gone.

Yes, I’m sorry. It’s just so hard when you’re not here. I understand. I told her. You do realize I have no choice. Jake’s the one sending me out all over the place. I understand. I just don’t like it, that’s all. I wish you were home more often, she replied. I do too. Maybe I’ll have a talk with Jake and see if he’ll let up just a bit.

I did talk to Jake about it, but he put me off and said it was part of the job. If I didn’t like it, he said, I was welcome to find another place to work. Like a good company man with bills to pay, I sucked it up and kept working, but I did put out some feelers. About a week later, I had just arrived home from a trip and was getting ready for bed when Alice asked me to turn on the fireplace.

We both enjoyed having it on as we made love. So, I went to turn it on. That’s when I noticed the pilot light was out. I wondered what could make that happen and couldn’t get it to stay lit. So, I turned off the gas to the unit and made a mental note to call in a technician. Because of my schedule, it took a couple of weeks before I could get anyone out to take a look at it.

After doing his diagnostics, the tech looked up at me and shook his head. I’m sorry, Mr. Langley, but that regulator’s shot. It’s probably been in there at least 60 years now. Can you replace it? I asked. He shook his head. Afraid not. They quit making those about 30 years ago. Frankly, I’m surprised it’s lasted as long as it has without causing problems.

You realize you could have had one hell of an explosion up here. If I were you, I’d replace that whole insert. I’m not sure when I’ll have the time to do that. My schedule’s pretty screwed up. He handed me a card. Well, when you get the time, come on down and take a look at what we’ve got. Hell, we’ve got units with remote controls and one you can control with your smartphone over the internet.

In the meantime, I’d keep the gas shut off to that thing, otherwise you could have a serious problem. Thanks, I said, taking his card. Unfortunately, I was never able to get around to replacing the insert, despite Alice’s constant reminders. Jake kept sending me out sometimes over the weekend. As a result, things got very frosty in the house.

Our intimate life all but disappeared and Alice started getting very short and snippy with me. I did my best to maintain some semblance of calm, but it wasn’t easy. As the trips continued, Alice got even worse. Jake didn’t seem to care, though, as he kept sending me out to one client or another.

Several times when I called the home phone, I got the answering machine, and when I called Alice’s cell, it would go straight to voicemail. When I asked her about it, all she would do was offer excuses. “Sorry, but I decided to go out for a drink with the girls, and I didn’t hear the phone ring,” she would say. Then, the worst possible thing that could happen did happen.

I finished a site visit a day early and decided to come home to surprise Alice. As it turned out, I was the one who got the surprise. As I pulled into our driveway, I saw Jake’s BMW sitting in front of our garage. I wondered what he was doing here. I got out and put my hand on the hood of his car.

It was fairly warm, so I knew he hadn’t been here very long. I went into the house and saw Alice sitting on the couch with Jake. I saw her quickly pulling her hands back as I opened the door. I also took note of what she was wearing. A short black dress that showed off a lot of leg and a lot of cleavage. The smell of cigarette smoke was also quite thick in the house.

Tom, you’re home?” she said, standing up. Jake also stood up and looked at me, a smirk on his face. “Yes, this is a surprise,” he said. “You were supposed to be gone until tomorrow.” “What happened?” “We finished the job a day early, so I thought I’d come home and spend some time with my wife.” “What’s going on here?” I asked.

“Jake was just going to take me out to dinner,” Alice said. Jake smirked as I nodded my head. I see, I said. I turned to Jake before speaking. Well, I’m home now, so if anyone is taking Alice out, it’ll be me, her husband. I think you should leave now. And if I don’t, he asked, “Then I’ll just have to kick you back out of my house.

You may be my boss at work, but not here in my home.” He chuckled and looked at Alice. “I’ll take care of this,” Alice said, looking at Jake. I think you should leave now. Jake said nothing for a few moments, then nodded his head and got ready to leave. I will be discussing this with John tomorrow, I said before Jake opened the door to leave.

I don’t think he’ll approve of you hanging in on an employes’s wife. You better not say anything to John. You forget my uncle is a senior member of the board. He’ll have your job as well as Jon’s. And don’t forget, you’re supposed to be in Jonesboro on Sunday, he turned to Alice. I’ll talk with you later, he added before closing the door.

I turned back to Alice. What the hell is going on here? Are you sleeping with him now? Alice said nothing but looked down, embarrassed. I had my answer. You are, aren’t you? How long has this stuff been going on? A while. Damn it, Tom. You’re never home, she said. Yeah, because that jerk you’re with keeps sending me out of town.

My god, Alice, how can you be so stupid? You knew he was the one sending me away. Surely you’re smart enough to figure out what he was doing. How many times have you been with him in our bed? I don’t know. I haven’t counted, she replied. Terrific. Have you fallen in love with him? I asked. A bit, I’m afraid. But I still love you.

I just wish you were home,” she answered. “You know what this means, don’t you?” I asked. “What?” she asked. “It means I’ll be getting a divorce as soon as I can. There’s no way I can put up with this.” “Please, Tom, don’t. I don’t want a divorce,” she pleaded. “So what? You think you can have Jake when he sends me away, then give me his sloppy seconds when I get home?” I asked.

I’ve never given you sloppy seconds, she replied. You haven’t given me anything in a couple of months or so. Damn it, Alice. How could you be so damn selfish? So, what are you going to do now? She asked. Do you still want to take me out to dinner? Are you kidding me? I’ll have to get a motel room for the night. There’s no way I’m sleeping in the bed again.

Not after you’ve been with him in it. And there’s no place else here for me to sleep. I’ll be damned if I’m going to try sleeping on the couch. Besides, the whole place reeks of cigarettes. Do you let him smoke in here, by the way? We both smoke in the house. I’m sorry. I stood up and looked at her before speaking, trying to control my rage.

Let me get one thing straight. I’m going to find a motel room for the night. I’ll come by tomorrow while you’re at work to get some of my stuff. If you bring that jerk into my house again before the divorce is final, you’ll both wish to God you’d never been born. Understand me? Yes, Alice said, tears falling down her face.

I couldn’t help but wonder why she was crying since she was the one who caused all the hurt. I stormed upstairs to grab a suitcase and some clothes and saw the ashtrays on both nightstands. They were both filled with ashes and cigarette butts. The room rire of stale cigarette smoke and intimacy. It was all I could do to keep from throwing up.

I packed enough things for a couple of days, then went back downstairs. Alice was still on the couch. I’m leaving now. Here, I added, taking off my wedding ring. I tossed it on the table in front of her. I won’t be needing that anymore. Remember what I said? Goodbye. I walked out of the house, got in my car, and left.

I don’t know what she did after I left, and I frankly didn’t care. All I know is that she didn’t pepper me with calls or texts after I left. I found a motel that rented rooms with kitchenetses by the week and paid for 2 weeks in advance. I had a feeling I would be there a bit longer than that, though, and I didn’t want to risk the room being taken when I got back from Jonesboro.

I got settled in, and that night was when the nightmares began. The next day, I got to work a bit early and turned in all my paperwork. Purposefully avoiding Jake, I went to see John Carlson, who was the next one up in my chain of command. Tom, you’re here early. How did everything go? He asked. Went well, John.

I’ve already turned in my paperwork. Listen, I have a personal problem I need to deal with before I leave for Jonesboro and wondered if I could take the rest of the day off. Have you spoken with Jake yet? He asked. Well, Jake is part of my problem, I said. He looked at me startled. Oh, you want to tell me about it? I spent the next few minutes telling him what transpired the previous evening and what Alice had told me.

So, I need to get more of my things and go see a divorce lawyer today. That’s why I came to you instead of going to Jake. I see. John said. All right. Go ahead and do what you need to. I’ll take care of Jake. And listen, if you need to talk to someone, feel free to call me anytime. I thanked him and left the building. Fortunately, I was able to avoid Jake.

I stopped at a coffee shop and grabbed a quick breakfast while searching the web for a divorce lawyer on my smartphone. I found one and made an appointment for that afternoon. After I finished my breakfast, I looked at the time and figured Alice would be gone to work, so I headed to what used to be our house.

Her car was nowhere to be found, so I parked and went inside. The place still rireed of cigarettes, but it wasn’t as bad as the previous night. I went upstairs and got some more of my things and carried them to my car. I grabbed some trash bags and filled them up with as much as I could carry and put those in the car as well.

I figured I would need a storage unit for all this crap and made a note to rent one that day. I went into my shop and took inventory of everything I had there. Naturally, I couldn’t stash all this in the car, and I knew I would have to come back for it. Then I found something. I forgot I had a small round container with about 10 old CS training tablets, the kind I used to use in the gas chamber.

For those who don’t know, CS or two chlorobenzelene melan nitrial is one of the most commonly used tear gases by the police and the military. Technically, it’s not really a gas like hydrogen or oxygen. It’s more like tiny particles that get into literally everything. Clothes, hair, eyes, you name it. We use these tablets to simulate a chemical attack when we held gas chamber training, and it’s extremely effective.

When I was in the service, we would typically take one or two of these tablets and place them on a metal plate. The plate would be heated, and the capsules would melt, releasing the gas. Two capsules were usually more than enough for a decent gas chamber exercise. A person exposed to CS would experience a burning sensation on exposed skin, tearing of the eyes, and a burning irritation of the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth, and throat.

This results in coughing, extreme nasal discharge, disorientation, and difficulty breathing. It’s not a pleasant sensation, but passes fairly quickly after a shower. I used to conduct impromptu field training by surreptitiously sprinkling some CS powder in ashtrays, usually when we went into the field. Since the chemical reacts with heat, anyone who used the ashtray would find themselves in their own personal little gas chamber.

I had a wicked thought and took the capsules into the house. I opened a capsule and sprinkled the powder in one ashtray, then did the same to the other. If Alice and Jake decided to enjoy a postcoidal cigarette, they would be in for a surprise. That’ll teach them to smoke in my house, I thought. I went through the house and did the same with a couple of other ashtrays I found that had been used. But I didn’t stop there.

I took a couple of capsules, opened them up, and sprinkled the powder on the bottom sheet of the bed and the two pillows. Then carefully replaced the top sheet and the bedspread. I thought about sprinkling a bit of CS on the stove, but decided against it. I only had four capsules left, and I wanted to have enough for a return trip.

I figured that what I had already done would be enough to cause a bit of Citus interruptus, at least for now. The last thing was to collect my guns, my personal laptop, and our tax forms for the last 2 years, which the lawyer said she wanted to see. I locked the guns in the trunk of my car, then locked up the house and left.

I headed for a storage facility, rented a small space, and stashed my stuff until I could find another place I could call home. When I finished unloading my car, I locked the storage unit up and noticed I had just enough time for a quick burger before my appointment with the lawyer. I arrived at the law office of Lisa Hawkins right on time and was ushered into her office.

She listened to my story, taking notes as I spoke. She didn’t say anything until after I had finished. Well, Mr. Langley, that’s quite a story. Do you see any way to put your marriage back together? No, none, I replied. All right. Well, for starters, Missouri is a limited no fault state. However, you can cite her adultery as that may affect the distribution of the marital assets.

You have no children, so there won’t be any issues with child support. I see from the tax forms you brought in that your wife made just a little less than you, but in my opinion, not enough to warrant any spousal maintenance. What about the house? Do you want to keep that? No, I can’t live there anymore. She can keep it if she wants, I replied.

Or you could sell it and split the proceeds, but I doubt you have very much equity in the place. I can suggest you sell it and see what she says in her response. That’s fine. Can I go after Jake for what he did? She shook her head. You mean for alienation of affection? She asked. I nodded my head. No, I’m afraid that’s not an option in Missouri. Hasn’t been since about 2003.

You say he’s your boss. Yes, I said. Well, then I would recommend you go over his head, maybe speak with his boss or your company’s HR department. You work for Empire Tech. Is that right? She asked. Yes, I said. Well, you’re in luck. I happen to know they don’t tolerate any behavior like that. Talk to them and let them know what’s going on.

I’m sure they’ll work with you. If they don’t, come back and we’ll discuss it. Okay, that sounds good. Thanks. All right, I’ll get the paperwork started. Where would you like her served at her place of work would be nice, I said. Lisa smiled at that. Okay, now don’t do anything stupid. That also means no dating.

The court won’t look at that very kindly at all. I would also recommend you see a counselor. She pulled out a card and handed it to me. I recognized the name. Dr. for Rose Carlson, John’s wife. “Got it, thanks,” I said. We wrapped up the meeting and I paid a retainer after she handed me a checklist of things to do that she said would help protect me financially.

We only had one joint credit card through our bank. So, I canceled the card, withdrew half of what we had in the bank, and opened a new account in my name only. From there, I grabbed a bite to eat and went back to the motel. I didn’t hear from Alice until later that evening. I recognized her number when it came up on my smartphone.

I decided to take the call. You son of a blip. What did you do to the house right then? I knew exactly what happened. I don’t know what you’re talking about. I lied. Yes, you do. You bastard. You put something in the ashtrays and there’s something in the bed. You mean besides you and Jake? I asked. Damn it. Tell me what you did.

We can’t even use the bedroom. We I asked. The next voice was that of my boss, and he wasn’t happy. God damn it, Tom. What did you do? The whole place is like a gas chamber or something. I’m going to kick your back. What are you doing in my bed with my wife, you jerk? If anyone deserves to get his back kicked, it’s you.

You’re going to pay for this, he threatened. I’ll make sure to pass your little thread on to John and my attorney. Bye now. Bye. I ended the call and started counting to 10. The phone rang again before I counted to seven. I ignored the call and let it go to voicemail. I couldn’t help but smile, thinking about what just happened in the bedroom.

Something told me they wouldn’t be using that bed tonight. I slept pretty well that night, except for the one nightmare where I dreamed about blowing the two cheaters away with a machine gun. I slept in the next day and didn’t roll out of bed until about 10:30. I drove to an IHOP for a late breakfast and was surprised when Alice sat at my table.

“What a surprise! How did you sleep last night?” I asked. “I think you know how I slept last night. I was driving by and saw your car, so I thought I would stop in and see you. What do you want, Alice? I’m trying to enjoy a good breakfast. I want to talk about us, she answered. There is no us anymore, Alice.

You made that happen when you decided to be with my boss. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was just lonely, she answered. And you think I wasn’t? You knew godamn good and well I was gone because your buddy sent me away. By the way, I saw an attorney yesterday. She’s working up divorce papers. You should get served sometime next week.

But I don’t want a divorce, she said quietly. And I don’t want a cheating woman for a wife. Don’t worry, I’m letting you keep the house unless you want to sell it. Either way is good for me. And your credit card no longer works. I know. I found out this morning when I tried to pay for gas, I had to use cash. So, tell me, what did you do to the house yesterday? I have no idea what you’re talking about.

I simply came by to get some more of my things, especially my guns and my computer. Tell me what happened. Well, Jake and I were enjoying a cigarette in the bedroom before going to bed. I know you don’t like smoking in the house, but we figured you weren’t coming back, so it wouldn’t make any difference. Right after we ground our cigarettes out, we both started feeling a burning sensation.

We started coughing and snot was hanging out of our noses. I knew you had done something, but I didn’t know what it was. Well, I guess you won’t be smoking in the bedroom anymore. So, what did you do? Go to Jake’s apartment? I asked. Yeah, we spent the night there. Nothing happened though. Neither one of us was up to it by then.

That’s just too bad, I told her sarcastically. So, what are you doing now? I’m going back to air out the place and clean up the bedroom. Look, I know things are over between us, but I was wondering, is there any way we can at least part as friends? I couldn’t believe the nerve of this woman. I set my fork down and looked at her before saying anything.

friends. You did the worst possible thing a woman can do to someone she claims to love. You betrayed my trust and broke my heart by sleeping with my boss in my house and in my bed. And you have the damn gall to ask if we can be friends. Let me tell you something right now. It’s taking everything I have to keep from killing you right here with my bare hands.

Her eyes grew wide as I spoke and her face turned white. Don’t you have any feelings for me at all? She asked, a tear streaming down her face. Yeah, I used to love you with all my heart. Not anymore. As much as I used to love you, that’s how much I hate you right now. You hate me? She sniffed. With every fiber of my being, and you’d better tell Jake if he messes with me, I’ll rip his toy off and feed it to the dogs. Alice recoiled as I spoke.

She had never seen this side of me before. She grabbed her purse and stood up. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to finish my breakfast in peace. Right now, the sight of you makes me sick to my stomach.” “I’m sorry, Tom,” she sobbed before she turned and left. I watched her get into her car and drive off.

“Good riddance to bad trash,” I thought to myself. I couldn’t help but smile, though, knowing they hadn’t encountered the CS I sprinkled on the bed. I spent the rest of the day doing pretty much nothing. I drove around, walked in the park, and then ended up watching a game in a bar while drinking a couple of beers. I thought about going to the house to get more of my stuff, but reconsidered, not knowing how I could handle being around Alice.

Afterward, I went back to the motel and got my stuff together for the trip to Jonesboro. I heard from Alice once on Tuesday after she was served divorce papers at work. She wasn’t very happy and felt humiliated when the process server said she was being served divorce papers for her adultery. “How could you humiliate me like that?” she asked.

“How could you humiliate me by being with my boss?” I snarled back at her before ending the call. I also got a threatening email from Jake which I forwarded to John. John wrote me back saying not to worry about Jake. If all goes well, he’ll be gone by the end of the week. John said, “Good.” I thought he can take the cheating woman with him.

And now I’m getting ready to head back. In a way, it’s probably good that I wasn’t in town to deal with the cheaters these last few days. There’s no telling what I might have done. Looking at the clock, I saw that it was nearing 5:00 a.m., so I decided to take a shower, grab some breakfast, and head back.

I was on the road heading home at about 6:30 on Thursday. I had a fairly lengthy drive ahead of me, so I used the time to unwind. As I approached my hometown, I turned on the radio to my favorite local station, hoping to hear the morning news. At least one person is reported dead and another in critical condition after firefighters responded to an incident on Old Mill Road, the announcer said.

Old Mill Road. That’s the road where my house is, I thought. I turned up the volume and listened further. According to reports, an explosion tore off the second story of an old farmhouse on Old Mill Road late Wednesday night. Firefighters responded but were unable to control the blaze. Two persons were pulled from the house.

One was pronounced dead at the scene. It’s not known what started the fire. I had a bad feeling about this and decided to swing by the house just in case. When I got there, I was shocked at what I saw. The house was completely destroyed. All that remained were smoking ruins and the brick fireplace.

I saw two vehicles by the shop. One was Alice’s and the other appeared to be Jake’s. The shop where all my tools were located appeared to be untouched. I pulled into the driveway and was stopped by a couple of firefighters. I’m sorry, sir, but you’re going to have to leave. One of them told me. I pulled out my license and showed it to them.

This is my house. I’ve been in Jonesboro since Sunday. What happened? Someone reported an explosion late last night. We got crews here as fast as we could, but it was too late. I heard on the radio that two people were pulled out. “My wife was here last night.” “What happened to her?” I asked. “Well, sir,” the firefighter said.

A woman was pulled out of the house. She was pretty badly injured and was taken to the burn center at the hospital in town. “I don’t know who she was, and I haven’t gotten any updates on her condition.” “And the other person?” I asked. The firefighter looked down before shaking his head. “I’m sorry, sir. He didn’t make it.

” the firefighter said. I nodded my head. “What caused this?” I asked, pointing at the remains of the house. The firefighter looked at the pile of burned rubble and shook his head. “Not sure just yet. We’re still investigating. You may want to contact your insurance company.” I nodded my head and pulled out.

I got to my motel and called John to tell him the news. “I’m sorry to hear that, Tom,” he told me. Just so you know, the board agreed to terminate Jake’s employment yesterday. He was going to be fired today. Why don’t you go by the hospital and check up on Alice, take the rest of the day off. Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow. I went to the hospital and found the ward where Alice had been taken.

I spoke briefly to the nurse on duty and gave her my insurance information. That’s when I learned she had second and third degree burns covering more than half of her body. She’s lucky to be alive, the nurse said. Can I see her? I asked. Not right now. We’ve got her on antibiotics and she’s been sedated. The doctor says she’s probably going to need skin grafts.

Let me know when I can see her, I said, giving the nurse my cell number. I went back to my room and cried. Don’t ask me why. Maybe it was grief for the years I had spent with Alice, but I don’t know. What I do know is that most of the hatred I felt for her was now gone. Before she hooked up with Jake, she was the love of my life. I went online and filed a claim with my insurance company.

According to the site, I would be informed of their intentions within 30 days. That night was the first time I slept without experiencing my nightmare. Over the next few days, I confirmed that Jake had died in the initial explosion. John also informed me that Jake’s job was now mine if I wanted it. What the hell, I thought.

I figured I might as well take it since it would mean more money and not much travel. I spent a couple of days looking for a decent apartment and found one. I moved my stuff in, set up the house, and spent a weekend pulling my tools from the old shop. While I was there, I walked through the ruins of our house, looking for anything that could possibly be salvaged.

Sadly, I found nothing useful. A few days later, I got a call from the hospital saying I could see and talk with Alice. I walked into her room and looked at her, most of her body covered in bandages. I walked to the side of her bed and looked down at her. She looked up at me with one eye and I could see the tears falling down her face. “Can you talk?” I asked.

She nodded her head slightly and mouthed, “Yes.” “What happened?” We went out Wednesday night, she said. When we got back, I asked Jake to turn on the fireplace in the bedroom. He got it lit on Monday, and we used it for two nights without any problem. What? Don’t you remember I told you to keep the gas to that thing shut off until the insert was replaced? “What were you thinking?” I asked.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “Go on,” I said. Well, Jake saw the pilot was out, so he checked to see if the gas was turned on. Then he lit a match to start the pilot, and that’s when it happened. I heard a loud boom. Then the next thing I know, I’m waking up here. That’s why I shut the gas off to that thing.

I told you it was too dangerous to turn on. I guess I forgot, she said. Well, Jake is dead now, I told her. Tears fell down her face. And the house is completely demolished just like our marriage. I really messed everything up, didn’t I? She asked. Yes, you did. So, what happens now? She asked. Well, they tell me you’re probably going to need skin grafts. It’s going to be very expensive.

I don’t know if your insurance will be able to cover it. What about us? She asked. I already told you there is no us anymore. You messed that up, too. The divorce will go on, I added as she sobbed. But I’ll keep you on my insurance until you get through this. Thank you for that. Do you still hate me? She asked.

Not as much as before, but I still don’t like you very much. I understand, Tom, she said. Anyway, I’ll get out of your hair for now. I just hope you’ve learned your lesson. What’s that? she asked. “If you play with fire, you’re going to get burned,” I said before walking out of the room.

Much to my surprise, the insurance company came through for me, and I got a check for the damage to the house. There wasn’t much left after the mortgage was paid off, and I had no intention of rebuilding. So, I talked with Alice, and we agreed to sell the property and split the proceeds. She remained in the hospital for quite some time.

The paper put her on an extended paid leave of absence while she recuperated. The divorce went through as my lawyer said it would, and in 60 days, I was a free man. In the meantime, I had started seeing Rose, and she was doing an excellent job of getting me through my anger issues. I kept my word to Alice and kept her on my insurance until she was healed enough to get out and about on her own.

The doctors had done a wonderful job on her, and the skin grafts seemed to take hold just fine. She wasn’t the beauty she was when we married, but she still looked pretty good, despite her scars. As a final gesture, I helped her get set up in a new apartment. I handed her the keys to the place after the furniture was moved in. I hope you like it.

I made sure to pick one that doesn’t have a fireplace. She laughed as she took the keys. Thank you, Tom,” she said, tears forming in her eyes. “I appreciate that. You’re a good man, Tom, and you deserve a good woman. I’m sorry I messed everything up for us.” I nodded my head. “Yeah, well, I guess that’s the way it goes,” I told her, giving her one last hug.

“You take care of yourself.” “I will,” she said before I walked out. “What now?” I asked myself. I pulled out my phone and scrolled through my contacts. I couldn’t believe so many women had given me their numbers these last few months. I found the number I was looking for and called. Hello, I heard a female voice say.

Yeah, this is Tom. You busy tonight? I was until you called? Nancy said. I met Nancy a couple of weeks ago at a club in town. She had the deepest blue eyes and legs that wouldn’t quit. You want some more of my lasagna? she asked. “You know it,” I said. “Well, come on over,” she said. “I’ll warm it up for you.

” “I’m on my way,” I said, ending the call. Yeah, sometimes playing with a little fire is just what the doctor ordered.