Cheating Wife Said, I Never Actually Loved U, Not Even At The Start At Vow Renewal; I Got Revenge

Seven if you count Vanessa, but she was paying in trade instead of cash. This changes everything. Janet stood up and started pacing. If Dererick’s running an extortion racket, Vanessa could be considered a victim instead of a co-conspirator. Or, I said slowly, she could be considered an accomplice. Look at the dates, Janet.

Vanessa started her affair 6 months ago. Dererick’s blackmail scheme started 5 months ago. She helped him identify targets. Eddie leaned over to look at the phone. Holy crap, Nick. Half these women are in Vanessa’s book club. Exactly. I put the phone away. My wife wasn’t just cheating on me. She was helping her boyfriend. and extort our friends and neighbors.

Janet sat back down, her expression grim. Nick, if this is true, we’re not talking about divorce court anymore. This is criminal conspiracy. Then I guess Vanessa should have thought of that before she decided to film herself getting screwed by a black mailer. The gym door opened again and Sophie walked in.

She looked like she hadn’t slept in days. Dad, mom wants to talk to you. She says it’s important. Tell your mother to talk to my lawyer. She’s in the hospital, Dad. That stopped me cold. What? She took pills last night. Not enough to, you know, but enough to scare everyone. Sophie’s voice was shaking. She keeps saying she’s sorry, that she never meant for any of this to happen.

I looked at Janet, then at Eddie, then back at my daughter. 23 years of marriage, and it had come to this. My wife in a hospital bed, our daughter crying, and me holding evidence that could send them both to prison. Which hospital? Milfield General, room 314. I grabbed my jacket. Eddie, watch the gym.

Janet, hold off on filing anything until I get back. Nick, Janet called as I reached the door. Be careful what you say. Anything could be used against you later. Story of my life, I said and walked out into the rain. Vanessa looked small in the hospital bed, hooked up to monitors and IV lines. Her sister Mona was sitting in the corner, redeyed and clutching a tissue.

They both looked up when I walked in. “Nick.” Vanessa’s voice was hoaro. “I didn’t think you’d come.” Sophie asked me to. I stayed near the door, not trusting myself to get closer. “How are you feeling?” “Like an idiot.” She tried to smile, but it came out broken. “The doctor says I can go home tomorrow if I promise to see a therapist.” “Good. You need help.

” “I know.” She looked down at her hands. Nick, I’m sorry for all of it. Derek, the video, the things I said about you. I was angry and stupid and and you helped him blackmail six other women. The words hit her like a physical blow. Mona gasped and dropped her tissue. What are you talking about? Vanessa’s voice was barely a whisper.

I pulled out my phone and showed her the screenshots. Dererick’s been running a blackmail operation for months. Photos, videos, threats to expose affairs unless the women paid him. and you helped him pick the targets. Vanessa stared at the phone, her face going white. I never I didn’t know he was didn’t know. Vanessa, look at the dates.

You introduced him to half these women. You vouched for him at book club, invited him to parties, made sure he had access to vulnerable, unhappy wives. I thought he was just being friendly. Bees, I put the phone away. You knew exactly what you were doing. You were his accomplice, his recruiter. And when he got bored with you, you would have been his victim,” Mona stood up abruptly.

“I think you should leave, Nick.” “Actually, I think you should leave, Mona. This is between me and my wife.” “Ex-wife,” Vanessa said quietly. “I signed the papers this morning.” “Did you?” I sat down in the chair Mona had vacated. “That’s interesting because according to my lawyer, you haven’t responded to our counter offer yet.

” “What counter offer?” I leaned back in the chair, enjoying the confusion on her face. The one where you confess to helping Derek extort money from six women, testify against him in court, and give me everything in the divorce. In exchange, I don’t turn this evidence over to the police. You can’t be serious. Dead serious. You have 24 hours to decide.

Cooperate with me or go to prison with your boyfriend. Vanessa started crying again. But these weren’t the manipulative tears she’d used during our marriage. These were the tears of someone who’d finally realized how deep a hole she’d dug for herself. He said he loved me, she whispered. He said we were going to be together.

Derek doesn’t love anyone but himself and money. Mostly money. I stood up. 24 hours. Vanessa. Choose wisely. I left her there crying in her hospital bed and walked back out into the rain. My phone was buzzing with text messages. Eddie, Janet, Sophie, even a few reporters who’d somehow gotten my number.

But the most interesting message was from Derek himself. We need to meet tonight. I have something you want. I texted back, “Flanigans, 10 p.m. Come alone.” His response was immediate. “Delete those screenshots and I’ll give you something better.” I smiled and put the phone away. Round three was about to begin.

Derek was already at Flanigans when I arrived, sitting in the same booth where I’d confronted Vanessa and her allies 3 days earlier. He looked different, nervous, sweaty, his usually perfect hair disheveled. The trust fund prince was finally showing some wear. “You look like heck,” I said, sliding into the seat across from him. “You’ve destroyed my life.

” His voice was shaking with rage. “My father cut me off. My business partners are demanding answers, and the police want to question me about some BS extortion charges.” “Bes?” I signaled Mickey for a beer. Derek, I have screenshots of you threatening to expose Maria Gonzalez unless she paid you $5,000. How is that BS? Those messages are taken out of context.

Really? What’s the context for? Pay me or your husband sees the photos. Derek reached into his jacket and pulled out a tablet, setting it on the table between us. I have something better than context. I have leverage. The tablet screen showed a video file. Nick Thompson boxing gym. Security footage. My blood ran cold. What is that? Security footage from my building.

Tuesday night when you broke into my car, Derek’s confidence was returning. slashing tires, dumping fish guts, urinating on the upholstery. That’s destruction of property, vandalism, and about six other charges. I kept my expression neutral, but inside I was calculating. He was right. The video would be damning in court.

Here’s the deal, Derek continued. You delete those screenshots, drop the blackmail accusations, and convince Vanessa to get back together with me. In exchange, this video disappears. And if I don’t, then you go to jail, lose your gym, and I still get your wife. He leaned back with a smug smile. Face it, Nick.

You’re out of your league here. I stared at the tablet for a long moment, then looked up at Dererick’s satisfied face. You know what your problem is, Derek? Enlighten me. You think everyone else is as stupid as you are? I pulled out my own phone and showed him the screen. See this little red dot? I’ve been recording our conversation for the last 5 minutes.

His face went white. You can’t I can’t what? Record someone who’s trying to blackmail me. Someone who just admitted to having me under surveillance. I stopped the recording and saved it. Derek, you just confessed to extortion on tape. That recording is illegal. Actually, it’s not.

Pennsylvania is a one party consent state. I can record any conversation I’m part of without telling you. I finished my beer and stood up. Thanks for the confession, by the way. My lawyer’s going to love this. Derek lunged across the table, grabbing for my phone. I stepped back and he crashed to the floor, taking the tablet with him. The screen cracked when it hit the concrete.

“Oops,” I said. “Looks like your leverage just got broken.” Dererick scrambled to his feet, his face twisted with rage. “You think you’ve won? You have no idea what I’m capable of.” “Actually, I do.” I pulled out a thick manila envelope and dropped it on the table. Bank records, Derek, yours and your daddy’s.

Turns out extorting married women isn’t your only source of income. He opened the envelope with shaking hands, his face going from white to green as he read through the documents. Embezzlement from your father’s company. Fraud charges in three different states. Outstanding warrants in Nevada and Florida. I sat back down enjoying the show.

Did you really think I’d come after you without doing my homework? How did you get these? I have friends, Derek. Friends in low places who know how to find information. friends who don’t like pretty boys who hurt working-class families. I lean forward. Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to leave town tonight. You’re going to stay away from my wife, my daughter, and anyone else I care about.

And if I ever see you again, these documents go straight to the FBI. And if I don’t, I smiled. And it wasn’t a nice smile. Then you find out what happens when you mess with a man who has nothing left to lose. Dererick stared at me for a long moment, then grabbed the broken tablet and headed for the door. He stopped at the threshold and turned back.

This isn’t over, Nick. Yes, it is. I raised my beer in a mock toast. Have a nice life, Derek. What’s left of it? He left without another word, and I sat alone in the booth, listening to the rain against the windows and thinking about 23 years of marriage that had ended in a dive bar with broken glass and empty threats.

My phone buzzed. A text from Vanessa. I’ll sign whatever you want. Just please don’t send me to prison. I typed back. Already done. Check your email. The divorce papers were generous. She kept her retirement account and half the house equity, just like Janet had originally suggested. But she also got something else. A clean slate.

I destroyed the evidence against her, deleted the screenshots, and buried Derrick’s blackmail operation so deep it would never see daylight. Because that’s what you do for someone you loved for 23 years. even after they’ve ripped your heart out and filmed themselves doing it.

I finished my beer and walked out into the rain, heading home to an empty house in an uncertain future. But for the first time in months, I felt like I could breathe again. 6 months later, I was training a new fighter when Eddie burst through the gym doors, waving a newspaper like he’d won the lottery. Nick, you got to see this. I left Jimmy working the heavy bag and walked over to see what had Eddie so excited. The headline made me smile.

Local tech entrepreneur arrested in multi-state fraud scheme. Dererick’s mugsh shot stared back at me from the front page. His perfect hair disheveled and his trust fund tan replaced by the pale complexion of someone who’d been running scared for months. Says here he was arrested in Miami trying to board a flight to the Cayman Islands.

Eddie read aloud. FBI found evidence of embezzlement, wire fraud, and extortion dating back 3 years. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy, I said. But inside I felt a deep satisfaction. Justice had a way of catching up to people even when you didn’t push it along. The gym door opened again and Sophie walked in.