Knife in the Back

She walked back into the living room and asked Liz her first question. "Liz, how long has it been since you and JJ made love?"

"I don't know a lot has been going on at work so I'm not sure."

"Would there be any reason you would need to charge a motel room?"

Her dad gave her a questioning look.

"Why would I do something like that mom where are you going with these questions?"

"If I told you JJ has recites for at least eight charges from a motel just down the street from your office what would you say then?"

Liz's eyes started to tear up again and she couldn't answer her. I came around the corner and told them that they didn't need to help her move her clothes as there was no way of me staying there not knowing if she had soiled our house also, so I would move out instead. I went upstairs and loaded two suitcases with as much as I could and took them out to my car. I went back in and grabbed my lap top and all of the charging cords and put that in the car. I came back for my third trip to get a few odds and ends when they stopped me to ask where I was planning on staying.

"I have no idea, maybe someplace close to my work."

"Why don't you use the apartment over our garage till you can find some thing better?"

"I don't want to put you out any, I had just better move on."

"JJ, wait outside please we won't be long."

I turned and walked out the door. A couple of minutes later they both came out, and again Liz's mom insisted I stay there.

"We asked her one last time to come clean and all she did was start bawling again. I'm afraid that every thing you said is true. I don't want to believe Liz committed adultery, but then to do it with a Blackman."

"I'm going to call in tomorrow and check into getting a lawyer to sort this mess out. How about we do the same deal as last time, I'll be out in three months."

With that settled I followed them back to their house. I moved my stuff in and then went to the store to buy some food to keep me going.

Monday when I called my boss he said to take how ever much time I needed, he had gone through a divorce a year ago and had been raked over the coals even though he wasn't at fault. After that I went to the bank and pulled out one half out of the checking and savings and opened up new accounts in a different bank where she would have no access. Because I had been paying an extra payment every other month we now only owed about 100 payments on the house and even though the market had slowed the area where we lived was still selling well.

I got an appointment with a lawyer for Tuesday and he asked me what I wanted to do.

"I just want out. I want a fifty, fifty cut with the house being sold. I don't want any of the furniture and as far as I'm concerned it should not even be counted in the split. I don't want to pay any alimony and we each keep our own 401k's. After that she can have what's left."

"Alright I'll get this all written up and give you a call when it is done."

I left and headed back to my temporary abode. When I got there Liz's mom came running up to me to tell me Liz was in the hospital, she had tried to kill her self. I went with her but didn't go in the room. I was approached by a nurse and asked if I was the husband as they needed to get the paperwork filled out for the insurance. I gave them every thing they wanted and sat down in the waiting room.

Liz finally confessed to her mom about what had been going on. Jill had built up how great her lovers were and Liz finally broke down and gave in. She admitted to the eight motel encounters and they had used various rooms at our house. Liz had paid for the motels which she shared with Jill and the three guys from the mailroom.

While she was under observation for attempted suicide, they gave her a pregnancy test and a full battery for STD's. Liz was three weeks pregnant and had two treatable STD's. Being devout Catholic she couldn't get an abortion. Her one month of listening to Jill and nine weeks of stupidity, she was now going to be forced to carry one of those SOB's baby. To add insult to injury she was going to have to do it alone.

I found out later that back at her work the investigation found that Jill had also convinced three other white secretaries that were married to join her little club. When all was said and done, eight people were now with out a job. I kept Liz on my insurance until after the child was born and put up for adoption.

The house sold before the divorce was final so Liz's parents let her move into the apartment after I moved out. They didn't charge her rent but made it perfectly clear she had better never have any male company in it or she would be in the street the next day.

Liz didn't look for another job until after she had the thing and was rid of it. She had to start back at the bottom and work her way up.

Jill, Marcus and the other two, I never found out their names, were in the middle of an air tight when some masked gunman bust through the door and put a bullet through each of their heads. With no suspect it ended up in the unsolved cases. (I guess it sometimes helps to have clients with unspeakable back grounds.)

I stayed at my job for another year and decided I no longer liked living in the city. My mom and dad were getting up in years so in the summer of 2014 I moved back to Blythe to run the family farm. There has to be something about good clean hard work to keep the body moving.

I got a call out of the blue from Liz. She wanted to ask me if I could come up for her parent's fortieth wedding anniversary as they would like to see me again. I told her I would try. When I got there I was surprised, Liz looked pretty much the same as when I first met her in college only now she was around 150 pounds. Working on the farm had buffed me up even more.

We talked for awhile and she told me that when I had made little work of Marcus she had gotten afraid of me as she didn't know I had that in me. Jill and Marcus had convinced her that since I was only a small little accountant I couldn't be an alpha male like him. When he went down so easily she had to reevaluate her thinking and that was what put her over the edge and caused her attempt at suicide.

"JJ, do you think you could ever give me a second chance?"

"Can I answer your question with a question?"

"Sure."

"If the roles had been reversed could you forgive me? Before you answer think about every thing you did, the lies the deceit and the ultimate betrayal you not only got pregnant because you didn't use safe sex knowing I couldn't have children you topped it off with two STD's. Liz I never stopped loving you I stopped trusting you and trust is the hardest thing to win back."

"JJ, I haven't been with another man since then, I cry every night for what I threw away. If I could find a time machine I would go back in time and bitch slap myself. I know all the wrongs I committed against you, my parents and God. All I am asking for is a bone to be thrown my way. Please just think about it."

I gave her Mom and Dad a kiss and the present from me and turned to drive the four hours back to Blythe. As I was driving a voice spoke and said "JJ to error is human and to forgive is divine. Everyone deserves a second chance. Didn't I give you a couple of those? Remember the four dead people that wronged you."

I pulled over at a gas station in Indio, I had to make a choice continue the two hour drive and never look back or turn around and drive the two hours back to Fullerton and take her home with me. It suddenly dawned on me that I need something to eat. There was a McDonalds just off the freeway so I pulled in the drive-thru got two cheese burgers, fries and a large coke. I pulled into a parking space and reflected on the last three years, was I better with her or with out her. In the ten years we had been married only the last half of the last year had been bad. The last three years for me had been hard as I asked myself every day, what did I do wrong?

I pulled out my cell phone and called Liz.

"Hello" said with a timid voice.

"Liz, what did you do with all our furniture after the divorce?"

"I got rid of everything linen included; I didn't want any remembrance of any of them coming into our home. I didn't even keep the dishes and silverware. Why?"

"I got as far as Indio and those questions popped into my head. I'm going to turn around and come back to Fullerton and get a room. I'll call you tomorrow so we can talk some more. See you then" and I hung up.

Sunday morning I called her and said I would pick her up at ten to talk. Liz was standing in the front yard as I pulled up. I got out and opened the door for her to get in. I drove over to Anaheim and into the Disneyland parking lot.

"Why are we here?"

"Well you have to have a first date somewhere, don't we?"