Friendly Fire

Her lawyer was another matter, I took an instant dislike to him, he had no sooner been introduced to me and was shaking my hand when he said, "Right Jim, lets get this nonsense sorted out and get you two back together again."

I gave him a stern eye to eye look and gripped his hand firmly, "That is not going to happen Gibson -- using his surname -- I've never met you before, though I've heard about you hitting on my wife several times. Let's keep this formal, call me Mr. Wilson." I released my grip and he nodded.

My lawyer said, "Mrs Wilson, please tell us why you called this meeting, the terms of the divorce are fair, and your husband has no wish to reconcile with you after your treacherous adultery, this is as shocking a case of betrayal as I can remember?"

Gibson jumped in, "I'm sorry but that is a gross overstatement of the facts."

I jumped right in after him, "No Gibson, it was an accurate statement of the facts. Are you here to bullshit or help this meeting along?"

Finding her voice Kate said, "Please everyone, I can answer for myself. I asked for this meeting because I don't want a divorce, I love my husband despite what I've done, please Jim sit down and talk to me and let me try to explain myself."

I was about to bite her head off when James interjected, "Please Jim, just talk to her, the two of you alone, that is all I ask and I promise you Jim, I will never interfere again."

James had always treated me well, as had his wife Martha, I respected him so nodded yes to him and said, "OK James, but just one meeting and that is it, I won't change my mind, but I'll do this out of respect for you and Martha, I have absolutely no respect left for Kate."

My lawyer spoke up, "There is no problem if you two meet at any time, after all you are still married, however I advise we discuss any objections to the terms of the petition for divorce so that we all know where we stand if your discussion proves fruitless. Are there any objections to the terms of the divorce?"

"My client feels the terms are fair, however, she reserves the right to seek court appointed counselling."

"OK, duly noted, then our meeting is over if there are no objections to terms to discuss."

Leaving the office, Kate & her father approached me. James again thanked me, God I really liked him, you couldn't have a better father-in-law, every look he gave me was laced with apologies for his daughter's behaviour. I shook his hand again and invited Kate to call at 5pm the next day. I told her all the rest of her things were boxed and ready to go if she wanted to ask her father to bring her over.

Chapter 9 -- Closing Down Kate

At 5pm the doorbell rang. Kate stood there; her father sat in his car. Manners prompted me to invite him in and pour him a beer, but this was between Kate & me, it had to be sorted out with no interference from anyone else.

I suggested we use the dining table, the most formal setting the house provided, I wanted no misunderstanding, this was a business meeting.

Kate appeared nervous, she should have known nothing good would come of this, I'd been crystal clear that what she had done was unforgiveable I wouldn't change my stance on that.

A random stranger in a bar after too many drinks? Unlikely but that might just get her a second chance after a lot of humble pie, but fucking my best friend and business partner? Multiple times? She was insane if she thought that was even in then ballpark of forgiveness, but I had promised James I'd give her a hearing.

"What do you want to tell me Kate?"

"That I love you, that I was in a bad place, I hated work, I hated that bastard who is now my divorce lawyer, I hated that you worked so hard. I knew it was so we could get in a place to start a family, but I felt lost, I hardly ever saw you..."

I did what I had promised not to do. "So, it's all my fault and you just fell and landed on Matt's cock. Is that it Kate because that is bullshit that I'm not buying."

"No Jim, that is not what I'm saying. I am trying to tell you that I was depressed, I'd been to see Dr. Sharp and he'd given me antidepressants, but I couldn't bring myself to take them, I felt humiliated needing something like that when I had a good marriage with a great man and great life stretching out in front of me.

You know I wanted to start a family, you said we couldn't, and I saw nothing but that job I hate and no sign of us starting the family I was so desperate for. You know this Jim, we talked about it, you know how hard I was finding it, but you said we had to wait. I resented that so much."

Well, everything she said there was true, she had been desperate for a family, I wanted one too, but the time wasn't right.

She continued: "One evening Matt called, when I told him you were working late again, he was amazed, he said he rarely worked late and couldn't understand why you would be, that's why you employ guys he said.

I started to think were you just making up late jobs, were you seeing someone when you could have been home with me?

I already felt depressed, and this hit me hard, if your partner isn't working late, why were you? Jim I broke down in tears and Matt comforted me, just like the big brother he's always seemed to me. Then I suddenly reached for him and kissed him, it was me Jim, not Matt, I reacted to his kindness and got carried away. That's how it started, my fault.

I felt him get hard against me, I needed the affection, and it went on from there, not supposed to happen, we called it off twice both saying we couldn't do this to you, but I kept begging him, my depression was in charge, and I needed the comfort.

That Saturday you came home at lunchtime, we hadn't done anything, just talked and I cried, that was it, no more, we had to stop, we'd decided it had to be over...then you walked in, and everything turned to shit.

Jim, I know how badly Matt, and I have hurt you, but you need to know, we don't love each other, but both of us do love you. We can't undo what we did but we both beg you to think this over and please give both of us another chance."

I looked at her, I had no idea how well she thought her speech had played out with me, there was very little sign of hope in her eyes. Just as well, for what she had said held very little water for me. All it had taken to snap her out of her depression had been my best friend's cock. That in summary was what she was selling, I had no idea why she thought there was any way back for her.

"You have a very strange way of showing your love for me, Kate, none of that bullshit excuse makes me feel one bit better about either of you. Both of you are cheating scum, I want nothing to do with either of you. Now I've listened to you hoping you might have something to say that would make me feel you are worthwhile, but you are not, you are just cheating trash, I want nothing to do with you ever again."

Then the tears stared again, but I was past listening, past caring.

"Just sign the divorce papers Kate, then we can get on with our lives. I will never and I mean NEVER, forgive you, you don't seem to understand what cheating with my best friend means to me. It is the end, full stop, nowhere to go. Kate, I didn't think it was possible to fall out of love with you, but you have achieved that, I feel nothing but revulsion for you, pure unadulterated disgust, you make my skin crawl. I will never be able to think fondly of you again if I live to be 100."

I led her to the door, and she sobbed all the way, I caught her father's eye and just shook my head sadly towards him, he nodded his understanding and got out of the car. Wrapping his arms around her, he softly said, "Oh Kate what a mess" and put her in the car.

He came with me to retrieve the rest of Kate's things and we loaded the car whilst she sat sobbing, then he drove her out of my life. Again, James and I shook hands, now for the final time, in all honesty I had a greater lump in my throat saying a final goodbye to this decent man than I'd had dismissing his daughter. I respected his calm support for her but his acceptance of the inevitable, a good man who certainly had not raised his daughter to be a tramp.

Now to deal with Matt.

Chapter 10 - Revenge on Matt

Half-way through the 30-day notice period Matt called me, I really didn't want to talk to him but both he and I plus 6 decent men had skin in the game and the business had to be sorted out.

"Matt, what do you want? If it's not about selling the business I'm hanging up."

"Relax Jim, it's the business, I've spoken to the bank, how much are you looking for your share?"

"Two hundred grand."

"What? You only paid One hundred grand, be reasonable Jim, I can't pay that, I just don't have it, you know things are going well but cashflow is tight."

"Are you fucking stupid Matt, you can't buy it out of cashflow, you need to raise capital yourself, you are buying the business, it's not fucking buying itself. Shit you are a dumbass, I'll be doing you a favour selling to Coopers, you'll run it into the ground."

"Jim I've tried to tell you, I need you and so do the 5 guys who work for us, I'm sorry for what happened, I'm truly sorry but you have to help us, or we'll go under."

I laughed at him, "That is just what I'm hoping for my former best friend. 200 is what Coopers have offered me, if you beat it I won't go back to them for a counteroffer. Not for you, understand that, I hope to see you bankrupt, but for the futures of the rest of the guys."

I hung up.

A week later, he called me again, "I'm begging you Jim, the maximum I can raise is One hundred and eighty thousand, would you consider keeping a small share?"

I hung up.

As deadline day approached, Matt called again, "OK, I've got it, I'll give you the 200 grand."

I hung up.

"What the fuck man? I met your price, 200 grand, why did you hang up?"

"I told you that was Coopers bid, that you had to beat it, do it or I sell to Coopers."

"Jim, for fuck's sake tell me what I need to do, I can't raise any more."

"200,005, will buy it. You want it? That is the price."

"OK, OK, you got it."

I hung up.

On deadline day my lawyer Carl confirmed that the funds had been received. I was out, nothing to keep me here. I planned to tidy up my loose ends after the divorce and move on somewhere else. After all a good plumber is always in demand.

Chapter 11 -- Divorce

A few months had passed before I got a court date for the divorce hearing, I hoped it would be cleared up, then I'd leave town for a new life, leave this mess behind me.

Yeah, that was going to happen.

Everything started well, it was agreed that the terms were acceptable to both parties, then the spanner was thrown into the works.

Kate's slimeball lawyer said, "Mrs Wilson requests the court to order counselling."

I shouted, "You've got to be fucking kidding me, I told..."

The judge called for silence, "Mr Wilson, you will not use that language in my court, I will consider reasons for counselling."

I apologised and Karen King rose to speak on my behalf, "Your honour, counselling will achieve nothing, due to the egregious nature of the betrayal in this case, my client's wife having an affair over at least 2 months, my client has no intention of reconciliation with her.

He has made that abundantly clear to her, there is no prospect of forgiveness, never mind reconciliation, counselling would be a futile waste of time."

"Mr Gibson, to what end does your client want me to order counselling?"

Gibson stood, "Your honour, Mrs Wilson would like to address you herself if possible."

"So be it. Mrs Wilson, you may speak, what will counselling achieve?"

Kate rose, she looked frail, not at all well. I hadn't seen her in months, but she looked a shadow of the woman I once loved.

"Your honour, I did a terrible thing to my husband, I know that, and I'll regret it for the rest of my life no matter what happens here today, I know too that he thinks he hates me now, that is hard to live with, I feel I'm falling apart mentally and physically. I'm taking antidepressants and to me they are not helping. I just need one thing; I need my husband to love me again.

Without that I am lost, when I did what I did I was in a depression, wasn't thinking straight and was emotionally lower than I've ever been ... well, until now that is.

Now life is not worth living.

Your Honour, I need the chance to convince him that I love him and all I've ever wanted since I met him is to love him, to be the mother of his children and to live the rest of my life with him. Please your honour, give me that chance."

The judge considered her words, "Mrs Wilson, I hear a lot of words spoken in this court, it is my job to decide their value, I feel that I have just listened to very heartfelt, contrite words, you have my sympathy for your plight madam, but I have to decide of counselling would achieve anything positive for the marriage, Mrs Wilson, it takes two to tango, I see no evidence that your husband can be swayed."

"Mr Wilson, would you accept counselling?"

"Your honour I mean no disrespect but no, I have no interest in counselling or reconciliation with Kate, in fact if ordered I would reluctantly leave myself open to jail time rather than attend such meetings. Things have gone too far your honour, I am somewhat moved by what Jane has said today, but the betrayal was too complete, I cannot forgive it or forget it and I can't even consider living with her again."

"As I thought Mr Wilson, this is a sad case, I feel Mrs Wilson has a genuine love for her husband but that is not enough to force him into counselling. I am granting the divorce and no counselling is ordered."

And that was it... or should have been.

Chapter 12 -- Disaster Three Weeks Later

"Jim, it's James, can you get to the hospital?"

"What is happening James, why are you calling?"

"Jim, I'm sorry to ask, but it's Kate, she may not make it and she is asking to see you."

"I'll be there James."

I arrived at the hospital and asked where Kate was, I was asked if I was a relative and explained we were recently divorced but that she had asked for me and here I am.

James saw me and met me, "Jim, I don't know how to tell you, so I'll just spit it out. Jim she is pregnant, but she is in danger of losing the baby and her own life, she hasn't been eating right, she's the first pregnant woman I know that has lost weight during her pregnancy, I think she is dying Jim. She wants to talk to you, please Jim, talk to her."

I was taken to the emergency room, and she looked awful, barely conscious of what was happening around her, but when I took her hand she sadly said, "Sorry Jim, I can't keep our child alive, I'm trying but my body is useless, I haven't wanted to live, I didn't know I was pregnant when I decided to starve myself. I'm sorry, I'm killing our child I didn't mean to, just myself."

She could see the conflict in my eyes, she obviously knew I was thinking Matt's child, then she said, "The baby is yours Jim, I made him use a condom every time."

Then she lost consciousness.

I felt my cheeks wet with tears, I surprised myself that I obviously had not expunged all feelings for her, did this make things different? I supposed it did, but would either of them survive, if not it would make no difference at all.

The machines she was hooked up to had started to go into alarm mode when she lost consciousness, I was shooed out of the room as the medics went to work.

Outside sat James, he looked like a man who had aged 10 years since I'd seen him at the courthouse. One word to sum him up? Haggard.

"Well Jim, I'm sorry when I discovered she was pregnant, I just assumed that it was probably Matt's baby, but she was definite, that was not possible, she had cheated but she never wanted anyone's children but yours. I didn't feel I had the right to come to you about it, if I was wrong I'm sorry.

It's been tough trying to get her to take care of herself, Martha has surprised me and not in a good way. She felt so let down by what Kate did to you it seems like she isn't interested in her daughter, she seems to have given up on her. Jim I don't want your sympathy, I'm just trying to explain things, I'm feeling between a rock and a very hard place, I'm at my wit's end to tell you the truth. Now this."

I patted James arm, he was a good man in a bad place due to the actions of others, trying to do the right thing for others, even if he wasn't getting everything right, it came from a good place. I hurt for him.

We sat for three or four hours, then a doctor approached and asked who was the next of kin.

James said, "You can talk to both of us together, what is the situation?"

"Well, the immediate crisis is past and both mother and baby are hanging on and gentlemen I mean hanging on, neither are in good health. I fear for the mother but the baby I'm afraid may have health issues if it survives to full term. We will obviously be keeping her for the next number of days, we are going to work on getting her body back in some sort of better shape to support the pregnancy.

Gentlemen, I'm sorry but I have to ask, how has she become malnourished to this extent?"

James explained the situation of the break-up and divorce, Kate's lack of motivation to keep going and then, belatedly discovering that she was pregnant.

"OK, so you sir are the baby's father I assume?" looking at me.

"SoSo, it appears doctor but until a few hours ago, I knew nothing of it. If the child survives I'll want a DNA test and if it is my child, I'll step up to support it." I looked at James and added, "I'm sorry James, I'll support the child, but I cannot get back with Kate, there is just too much hurt."

The doctor looked at me seriously and said, "Sir, it may be none of my business, but I'll tell you this, so we are clear, it's really not my place as a doctor to say this but man to man, I'll tell you. Judging by the condition of your ex-wife and what her father has told me, it would not be a surprise to me if you became a single parent within a year."

I shrank into my seat, great, a fucking doctor trying to guilt trip me into taking her back. I said nothing for now.

It turned out she was six months pregnant and there was barely a suggestion of a baby bump, that poor kid must be having a hard time.

Was it my kid? Quite possibly, it seemed likely that Kate, in her depressed state had screwed up her birth control and certainly we were having a lot of sex.

Whether it was true or not that she had made Matt wear condoms, the number of times we had sex made me the likely father.

If it was my kid, could I walk away?

Would I want to walk away?

What sort of relationship could I stand to have with the mother of the child.

Life was becoming very complicated just when I thought I had extricated myself from my problems and was preparing to get out of town.

Chapter 13 -- Unlucky for Some

Amazingly mother and child survived under the specialist care they received, once her pregnancy and difficulties were understood. The baby was born a little over 4 pounds, very light but much lighter babies had survived and thrived, and the child, a boy, was surprisingly otherwise healthy.

Kate gained weight under supervision and came through relatively undamaged, though there was a question on what damage she may have wrought on herself and her future ability to conceive.

Unluckily from my viewpoint a DNA test confirmed that I was the father of the child, a complication I had dreaded for the last 3 months since becoming aware of the possibility.

I'd always thought fatherhood would have been one of the joys of my life, but the experience was seriously tainted. It appeared likely that this would mean a lifetime involvement with a woman I could no longer tolerate. Nothing had changed, I had no wish to ever see her again, much as I hadn't wished her dead when that was a real possibility.