The Ending

I was sitting at my desk, not quite contemplating my naval, but thinking about where my life was heading. My home life was not what it was. My wife Sheena had become increasingly cold. We didn't argue but neither did we do much together. I had tried for weeks to get her to sit down and discuss where we were heading. Any such discussions were curtailed quickly. She never apologised. Indeed, she never thought her behaviour towards me was poor. She never laid into me that I was failing to do something. Our failing social and sex lives were temporary, just part of the ebb and flow of life.

She thought we were good. She did profess that I was, "The love of her life!" I certainly didn't see any evidence of that as she never moderated her cooling behaviour. She hadn't been open to any option I gave to try and rebuild what we had had.

I didn't see much of a future to be honest. I'd had enough. I reached the decision I could not ignore her behaviour any longer. It was Friday and I would make her speak over the weekend. There were only two options available: positive change or we part.

My phone went bringing me back to reality. It was one of the firm I worked for big bosses. Brian McDonald wanted me to come to his office straight away. He's always been a condescending, privileged bastard. His family and two others have been joint owners for almost seventy years. He likes to gloat about his lifestyle, the amazing holidays and cars. I did pity his wife at first but as I learned more I saw she was just as bad. They deserved each other. In the last few months, our relationship, such as it was had changed. The few times we had any interaction, he behaved like he knew as secret I wouldn't like. I often felt he just stopped short of laughing at me. I couldn't understand that but it set me looking for a new job.

When I arrived at his office, I was surprised to see Bert, the head of security outside McDonald's office. Bert was a friend and we bowled in a team together with some other friends. We said, "Hello" though he seemed nervous which was odd.

McDonald began by saying that over the last year, I had done a lot of good work. He was proposing to promote me to an assistant level which meant about five thousand more in salary. I was shocked. I'd never expected that. He looked around his grand room as though thinking of something else. I could tell from his body language that he wasn't finished. He finally came back to look at me. As his eyes looked at me dismissively, his face changed into a smiling smirk! I knew there was definitely something else coming which was going to rub my nose in it.

McDonald was almost salivating as he continued, "There is one proviso to this promotion. I've been fucking Sheena every couple of months for most of this year. It will become monthly with occasional other times as I require."

I was glad I was sitting. The words made my thoughts converge. I saw what had been staring me in the face! Why hadn't I realised why my marriage was so poor? My heart rate was rising as my anger grew. Now I knew why Bert was sitting outside his office. To stop me beating the bastard to pulp!

I glared at him. My anger very clear. He flinched as I jumped up out of my seat. With a look of utter revulsion at him, I stormed out of his office, slamming the door. Many looked up and were shocked at my expression.

Bert tried to speak, "I'm sorry Hugh."

I looked at him, my contempt clear to those around, as I screamed, "Fuck off Bert. You knew he was fucking Sheena and said nothing. Our friendship is over."

He had the decency to look away. The looks from those who heard me were of shock.

I made straight to HR to see what my notice period was. Dorothy was stunned at my demeanour, "Why? I heard he was promoting you."

I laughed angrily, my words shouted with venom, "Yes, as a sop for him fucking my wife!"

Dorothy looked totally astonished. She looked up my contract and entitlements. She said quietly, "I can't imagine the emotions this has unleashed in you. He's always been a bastard but that! You have to give one month defined as thirty days' notice. You have sixteen days annual leave to take up to that date. You can finish up on Thursday. Go off sick until then. Don't stay. If you lose it, I doubt they would find many witnesses. Be careful, find him where there will be no witnesses. That fucking bastard deserves all he'll get."

As I nodded, something else came to mind, "I need to change my dependants so if anything does happen to me, it won't go to Sheena." I completed the forms required. Dorothy made sure I took my copies.

I grabbed my personal belongings as I took her advice. I would be "sick" until I finished.

I could have grabbed the bus home but I decided to walk. It was only just over a mile and a half. It was a nice afternoon apart from the black clouds in me. My mind was busy organising my thoughts. They weren't good ones. As I was walking I bumped into a friend, Neil. He saw how upset I looked and asked the fateful question, "What's wrong?"

We were close to a nice café so I suggested we head there for a coffee.

Once we were seated, I started, "Neil, what I'm about to say will shock you."

His eyes showed his surprise at those words.

I continued, my voice not disguising my anger, "McDonald's been treating me like I was a piece of worthless shit for a while now. It's been so bad, I've been looking for a new job. Today, he called me into his office to offer me a substantial promotion. He explained it came with a caveat. He's been fucking Sheena every two months for a while. He needed me to agree to him fucking her every month and possibly more often. He knew what my reaction would be so he had Bert outside to stop me beating the bastard up. I stormed out, fucking furious!

"Bert stood quickly and apologised. He fucking knew and never told me. We're done as friends."

I stared at Neil, "Put it together Neil. Every second month, Sheena, your wife Melissa, Dave's wife Cindy and Fred's wife Annie head off for a girls weekend. I couldn't get Sheena to change any of those so we could go away. At best, they were covering for her."

I was a bit louder, "Or were they playing around themselves?

"I'm trying to get my head around this. All the lies Sheena's told me. I won't be friends with those who helped her be a whore!"

Neil looked astonished, "You can't be serious thinking they'd cover for each other." He was taking big breaths, "Fuck! I thought my marriage was good."

I said quietly, "If McDonald hadn't been so sneering and Bert so apologetic, I might have questioned everything but there's no doubt. He was almost laughing as he saw my reaction. He loved he was screwing with me. Knowing if I tried to beat him up Bert was there to stop it.

"There's no doubt, it's the fucking truth."

Neil said, "I would never have suspected Sheena of fucking around. No wonder you look like you're about to explode. Can you and her recover from this?"

I looked at him, "No fucking way. We are finished. I'll look to move away."

He asked, "What about the bowling league? We're three wins from winning it."

I shook my head, "I won't be playing again. Bert and the rest of you can finish it. I mean it, I can't be friends with those who knew. If you're with Melissa don't approach me. She and the others won't want to hear what I think of them."

We parted, both in our world of hurt. My only little bit of comfort was that I never said what my plans for McDonald were. Okay, I hadn't made any but I would. I didn't want anyone saying I had said I was going to get him.

I arrived home. Sheena wasn't home from her work. I suppose due to my abrupt resignation I was home very early. My brain shouted, "Look for proof!" I couldn't find anything on the computer or in her emails which gave any hint of her adultery. I checked her "files" but none were anything other than their titles.

I looked in our bedroom. I found a lot of expensive, sensual lingerie she'd never worn for me. She had left me in no doubt as to her feelings on the subject. I was a pervert asking her to wear such lingerie. I left it all lying out. It was me, helping her pack! Hidden in the spare bedroom wardrobe were some rather revealing dresses. Again, a no-no!

I found nothing else, like condoms. Well, she was on the pill anyway. The only bright spot was that she hadn't had sex in months "with the love of her life" so no sloppy seconds for me.

I was sat with my coffee on the patio, ruminating on the day's exposure, when Sheena came home. She was bubbly as usual. She shouted out, "Hi handsome. How's the love of my life?"

I shouted back, "I don't fucking care about McDonald!"

She stopped. Her eyes wide in shock. Her voice showed her anger, "What the fuck was that about?"

I looked contemptuously at her, "He called me into his office to explain he wanted more than fucking you every two months. It would be monthly and whenever he wanted you. Bert knew all about it and apologised. McDonald had him there so I wouldn't beat the fucker up.

"Weekends away with the girls were really with him, weren't they. I'll let all the men know what their sluts were up to."

Sheena spoke firmly, "Give me a minute to change. We need to talk."

She didn't change as she came down the stairs rushing, "Why the fuck is my lingerie lying scattered on the bed?"

I just smiled, "I thought I'd help you pack. The dresses in the spare room wardrobe. Seems you like a pervert - just not me."

She sat down, looking chastened, "What do you mean pack?"

I laughed, "You think I'm going to be cuckolded, let you keep on fucking around. I may have been gullible, stupid to let you evade telling me about the reasons behind how you treated me. How you prioritised your girls' weekends over us doing the same. Now I know why. Mr and Mrs Wilson will join the group of many divorcees in this town. I'll let Mrs McDonald in on his secret."

Sheena spoke softly, "You need to let me explain. I know it's shocked you but we can recover from this."

I looked at her, "How often have I tried to get you to speak about us, how you treat me? It didn't matter to you. You were having your fun and by demeaning me at every opportunity you added to your fun.

"Sheena, I loved you but you just stuck a knife through my heart. You'll be free to be the whore you want to be.

"I remember what Colin said about his divorce. Agree it together if possible. Any saving you think you may make by getting solicitors involved gets way more lost by multiples by their charges. I'll look through everything we have and divide it as per the guidelines.

"As for talking, not tonight. I'm far too angry to listen to anything you want to say. I need to call Dave and Fred. I met Neil in town earlier so he's not happy. Were you all covering for each other?"

Sheena gasped! Her eyes lit up in anger. She screamed, "You bastard! You'll destroy other peoples' happiness to appease your anger. You're so wrong."

She stormed off.

I called Dave and Fred. As I suspected they weren't happy. They'd be talking to their wives. Both tried to stop me leaving the bowling team. We'd never been so close to winning the league. I'd been playing well this season. My average was in the 160's. I'd a couple of 220's and even my highest ever a 255. I was the closer. The amount of turkeys I got on the final two frames to win the match was unreal.

They would let me know what their wives said.

I went out for a walk to try and calm my brain down. I grabbed a takeaway and ate it in the park. It was late when I return to the house. It was no longer a home.

Sheena wasn't present in the living room. I went to what had been our bedroom and she wasn't there. She'd picked up her lingerie I'd left strewn around. She wasn't in the house at all. I checked the suitcases and three were missing. Good, she'd taken my words to heart for a change.

I spent a restless night trying to sleep. I gave up at 5.30am. Over a coffee I checked out the divorce laws. I downloaded the forms and notes from which to complete the forms. After breakfast I went through each part, noting our assets and debts. I found Sheena had removed a lot of cash the night before. I based my deliberations and sharing of assets as prior to me finding out. I balanced them against what she'd taken.

I had to pay off our joint credit cards before I could cancel them.

Once I was happy, I filled in the form. Reason: irreconcilable differences citing adultery with McDonald. Dorothy had thoughtfully put his address in amongst the papers she had given me. I forwarded a copy to Sheena's email address along with an explanation of the proposed settlement.

The main question was the ownership of the house. I asked her, "Could she buy my share out and afford the mortgage or should the house be sold?" I wasn't staying in this town.

As the weather held fine, I began making sure the house had kerb appeal if it was to be sold. I cut the lawns, weeded the flowerbeds and cleaned the driveway. I hate cleaning the outside windows but I brought out my ladders and began to clean them.

It was after 7pm when I finished. The work gave me a focus for my anger. I headed to the fish and chip shop.

Once home, I ate it as I checked my emails. I'd no response from Sheena. I spent some time reading before heading to bed. The next day, I made a list, I always have lists, of what I needed to do in the house. Two rooms needed decorated and the main bathroom needed regrouted and new sealant. The bathroom took almost five hours but looked far better.

I'd have to look to see what to do with the two rooms. Painting seemed the easiest option, keeping to the same colours so I had the possibility to only need one coat. I headed to the DIY store and found paint which matched what was already there. As I suspected decorating them meant other areas looked dingy, especially the hallway and staircase. Over the next two weeks I actually decorated all the rooms. Not having to work meant I had all the time I needed. As well as Sheena not interfering, trying to direct me.

At no time did Sheena try to contact me. I never contacted her.

Between coats of paint drying, I updated my CV and sent it off to a number of firms. I began receiving replies. No one was looking to hire. I called one firm who had advertised several openings. They had tried to headhunt me previously but Sheena wouldn't move. I asked for the woman who had spoken with me. Her voice showed her nerves. I asked quietly, "Has McDonald spoken with your bosses and told them not to hire me? He offered me a promotion dependent on him fucking my wife. Is that someone you should take advice from?"

She answered quietly, "Your firm is making it clear not to employ you. I'll bring what you've said to the attention of my bosses." After exchanging pleasantries, we ended the call.

I was mad. This was the final straw. I emailed Sheena and said, "I have waited for you to speak, to give your explanation as to how "I've got this all wrong." You haven't deemed speaking with me necessary. No surprise there!

"McDonald has been instructing other companies not to employ me. He'll regret that now. I'll put the divorce forms in tomorrow unless you contact me. He can explain why he's named to his wife."

I was so pissed off at McDonald was going scorched earth on me, I decided he needed taken down. I retaliated with a letter to his wife with details of Sheena's weekends away. How he'd admitted to fucking her bi-monthly but wanted it to be monthly plus. His adultery was known to many. I added the names of potential witnesses for her.

Next day, I headed to the Sheriff Court and put the forms in. I was still mad when I returned home. I looked for something to do. There was one job outstanding, one I hated. I set about digging the vegetable patch, not that anything much grew other than weeds. I saw a vision of myself driving the spade through his neck or cock and balls. For the first time since that interview I had a smile on my face. Once I was done, the whole house looked ready for sale.

I looked at other vacancies, jobs where my skills would be transferable. I'd add a bit about why I'd left the firm to see if that made a difference.

I never heard from Neil, Dave or Fred so I assume their wives had some knowledge or their own marriages were heading up shit creek. If they did know, Neil was a far better actor than I ever imagined.

I made an appointment at the Jobcentre. I wasn't surprised when they said as I'd left willingly, I would not be entitled to any benefits. I asked if he'd be happy to accept a £5000 increase in salary with the proviso his boss would fuck his wife. Would he stay around? He wasn't a happy bunny.

I looked at potential other routes to employment. I could be a freelance consultant as I worked on project management schemes. I put out information to many companies who may be looking and I heard nothing.

I took a job, cash in hand, at a bar. I'd tended bar when at university. It turned out better than I could have imagined. I'd been working there for three weeks when during the day I was visited at home by the Police. It appears McDonald had been assaulted a couple of nights before. I'd an alibi. There were about fifteen customers who saw me in the bar the whole night. There was CCTV as well.

I had my suspicions but I wasn't going to share that with the Police. McDonald deserved it and more!

Eight weeks after I put the divorce forms in, I received an update from the court. It was not being opposed. I received an email from Sheena saying to sell the house. She'd sign her share over to me to allow that. She knew I'd send her the money from it.

I put the house up for sale. The flower beds were in bloom which made the house look great. I'd have bought it. There was some serious interest. There were two bids I had to seriously consider in the end. One I wanted to accept as it was a family and the kids were really nice. Their offer was £1000 lower than the other bid. It was from an arsehole who I didn't take to. His demeanour reminded me of McDonald. I let Sheena know, I'd accept the lower one but would add £500 to her share so she wouldn't lose out. She replied, "She liked the idea of a family having the house. She would accept her share from that buyer."

The owners of the bar wanted me to do some courses to enhance my skills. I'd move to a better bar, more opportunities. I turned it down. I was heading home. I know it sounds silly. My parents are gone and I have few friends left locally but since Sheena left, not one so-called friend from here has been in contact with me. The thought that many knew what she was up to and never told me kept my anger high!

I found a little cottage outside my home town. I had my furnishings moved. I told Sheena when I left the house so she could remove the last of hers. She'd come around when I wasn't there and had been slowly removing her belongings.

Six years we'd been together and yet we finished without breathing a word to the other.