Frank and Mary Beth

Mike and Alice showed up just after I had showered and changed. Mary Beth was hustling around trying to get us out of the house, but I told her to slow down. I told them that I needed them to come into the den so I could show them a funny video that I had gotten earlier in the day.

They came into the den and I told Mary Beth to hit the 'play' button on the VCR. The video was very clear and Mary Beth got very red in the face. Mike paled and Alice was stunned. I just stood there and watched. Alice recovered first and she hollered "You rotten son of a bitch" and kneed Mike in the balls and then said:

"You aren't riding in the car with me. You can walk home for all I care and don't be surprised if when you get there the doors are all locked."

She stormed out of the house and I took Mike by the shirt collar, pulled him to the front door and pushed him outside. Mary Beth had followed me and when I closed the door she said:

"I guess we need to talk. We can do it in the living room."

I sat in the easy chair across from Mary Beth who was sitting on the couch and I told her:

"I'm going for a divorce using adultery as grounds and I want you out of the house. You have until Monday to gather up your stuff and leave."

"I'm not going anywhere. Do you really want to divorce me?"

"Absolutely."

"You going to tell me that you don't love me?"

"No. I can't tell you that. I love you, but I can no longer live with you. Not after seeing what you did with Mike."

"Well I love you and you are stuck with me."

She uncrossed her legs, opened them wide to show me that she didn't have any panties on. She stuck a finger in her pussy and then licked it.

"Only a fool would give this up" she said as she stood up. "I'll be up in the bedroom waiting for you."

She walked over to the stairs, stopped and turned around and looked at me. She blew me a kiss and went up the stairs.

She was going to have a long wait. I slept on the couch and made my plans for moving her things out of the house and once all of her stuff was out she would be gone even if I had to pick her up and carry her out. As I nodded off I was thinking of Amber and wondering what an acceptable waiting period should be.

++++++++++++++++++++

In the morning I was in the kitchen making the coffee when Mary Beth came into the kitchen.

"You didn't come to bed last night."

"Slept on the couch."

"You aren't really going to divorce me over my having some recreational sex are you?"

"Of course I am."

"You aren't really thinking to clearly honey. This is a no-fault state and you know as well as I do that in a divorce I will get half of everything we have."

"We don't have anything Mary Beth. Everything we had in savings paid for the kid's college education. You will get your car, your clothes, half of the household goods and your horse. And if you look into it you will find that the three judges in this county have never, not once, given alimony to a cheating wife."

"You will have to sell the farm and given me half."

"I know your memory sucks Mary Beth. You forgot your wedding vows and you also apparently forgot the prenuptial agreement that you signed when we got married. It exempts the family farm from any and all legal actions that you might bring against it. You need to start figuring out where you are going to live Mary Beth because after that man, and I pointed out the window at the car that was coming up the drive, gets done you will be out of here."

"You bastard! You won't get away with this. I'll get a shark for an attorney and we will break that pre-nup."

"You are welcome to waste all the money you don't have on an attorney if you want to, but I'll tell you right now it won't do you any good."

"We will just have to see about that."

The doorbell rang and I went to answer it. I opened the door to Bill Neubert and said good morning to him. He walked over to Mary Beth, handed her an envelope and said:

"Sorry about this Mary Beth, but you have been served."

He turned and left and I said, "Want me to help you load your stuff in your car?"

"Fuck you Ralph! This isn't over. Not by a long shot."

"I'll take that as a no" I said and I walked away from her.

Mary Beth loaded her clothes in her car as I watched from the living room window. When she got in the car to leave she gave me the old one finger salute and then backed down the drive,

She hadn't been gone forty-five minutes when I received a visit from Mike's wife Alice. She wanted to know if she could get a copy of the tape I had of Mike and Mary Beth playing in the barn,

"I was going to try and work by it, but ten minutes ago Mary Beth called and he left to go meet her somewhere. I'm done with him."

"Come on in and have a cup of coffee while I make you a copy."

She came in and sat down and I poured her a cup. While she waited I went into the den and used my double VCR setup to make her a copy. When I gave it to her she asked me what I was going to do.

"All ready done it. I had her served and tossed her out of the house a little before you got here."

"No hope?"

"Nary a tad."

After Alice left I poured myself another cup of coffee and sat down to do the next disagreeable task. I needed to call the kids and let them know what was going on. Better that they got it from me than Mary Beth. I was almost positive that if I left it for her to do she would somehow make me the bad guy.

I managed to get in touch with Gloria and Melanie, but I had to leave a message to call me on Alex's answering machine. Once I had the calls out of the way I called Ryan at Acadia Locks and arranged for him to come out and change all the locks on the house. I didn't trust Mary Beth not to make visits to the house while I was at work and take whatever she wanted.

I'd done the bank and credit card thing the previous day knowing when Mary Beth was going to be served. I wasn't totally heartless. I'd left a thousand dollars in the checking account for her, but it wasn't going to last her long.

I went around the house and gathered up everything that was Mary Beth's and put it in boxes and bags and then moved it all down to the barn. By the time I'd finished that Alex had called and I gave him the run down on what was going on. He took it better than the girls had. They wanted to know why I wouldn't try to work things out so I could stay married to their mother, but Alex had been cheated on by a couple of girlfriends and he had an idea of how I was feeling.

After talking to Alex I went through the kitchen and made a list of what I needed from the store since I would be cooking for myself from then on and I usually ate differently when I cooked than when Mary Beth cooked.

Having nothing better to do I drove into town and did some grocery shopping. When I got back home Mike's truck was sitting beside the house and Mary Beth was trying to get in the front door. I got out of my pickup and walked up to the front porch.

"What are you doing here Mary Beth? You don't live here anymore."

"I came to get the rest of my things, but I can't get in the house."

"That's because I changed the locks to keep you out. The rest of your stuff is in bags and boxes down in the barn. And you need to move your horse. If she is still here a week from tomorrow I'll be charging you boarding fees. Now I would suggest that you get in shitheads truck, drive down to the barn, get your junk and then get off my property. And Mary Beth? Stay off."

I walked towards Mike's truck and when he saw me coming he rolled up his window and locked his door. I had to smile at that. I leaned down and said, loud enough for him to hear through the glass:

"Keep this truck off my property shit for brains. If you need to bring Mary Beth out here for some reason or other park out on the road."

Then I gave him a big smile and said, "The water hose won't reach that far."

I laughed when I saw the realization hit him and the anger wash over his face. I had to wonder about the boy's smarts. I mean how could he have not figured it out? His truck runs fine when he drives over here. He fucks Mary Beth and leaves and his truck stops running. He gets it fixed and he drives over her with no problem and fucks Mary Beth and when he leaves his truck stops running. Duh!!!

+++++++++++++++++

The next day at work I stopped in at the office and told Amber that I needed to change some of my paperwork. I dropped Mary Beth from my medical insurance and I changed the beneficiary on my company furnished life insurance from Mary Beth to the kids. Amber asked why and I told her that I was divorcing Mary Beth.

"You all ready separated?"

"Yep."

"I could use a partner for the dance at the VFW this Friday."

"Then I'm applying for the job."

"You really going to look at it as work?"

"It is something that I will definitely work hard at. I'm going to want to do a good enough job that you will want to do it with me again."

She smiled and said that she would look forward to it and I left her office in a pretty good mood.

I spent my lunch hour having fun. I'd spent some time the previous night making video captures from the tape I had of Mary Beth and Mike and I toured the town and paid a visit to every gas station and restaurant bathroom. I even paid a visit to both the men and women's bathrooms at the Wal-Mart. I taped a picture of Mary Beth with Mike buried in her ass on every empty stall I could find. On the picture I had printed "For a good time call Mary Beth at 555-555-5550" which was her cell number. Underneath that message I put "If you keep getting a busy signal call Mike at 555-555-4441 to schedule an appointment." Then, thoroughly pleased with myself I went back to work.

I hadn't been back in the office fifteen minutes when I got a call from Mary Beth.

"God damn you Ralph!! What the fuck is wrong with you?!!! So I wanted to try another dick after twenty-four years. So what? It didn't mean a goddamned thing. It was only some recreational sex for Christ's sake. It didn't cost you a fucking thing. You still got all you could handle. Hell; you got more. Mike got some pussy, but you got the love. How could you do this disgusting thing to me? I thought you loved me."

"Once upon a time Mary Beth; once upon a time. Have fun with your new freedom. Bye" and I hung up on her.

I was sitting there with a big smile on my face when Amber came into my office.

"That smile for me?"

"You betcha! Just thinking about our Friday night."

We made small talk for a couple of minutes and then she gave me some paperwork to sign after which we had to get back to work.

+++++++++++++++++++++

After work I stopped at the Drop Inn for a brew or two before going home to fix myself some dinner. I was on my second longneck when what I hoped would eventually happen happened.

Mike came in, saw me, and then headed straight for me.

"You rotten son of a bitch" he snarled and then he swung on me. I didn't try to block the punch. I steeled myself to take the hit and then I shook it off and beat the holy fuck out of Mike. He was on the floor and I had kicked him half a dozen times before some guys pulled me off of him. Probably a good thing because the way I was going I might have killed the asshole.

Phil, the owner and evening bartender asked, "What the fuck got into you Ralph? You guys have been best friends forever."

"I caught him fucking Mary Beth and he's pissed because I told his wife and let her see the pictures I took. Can you believe it? He fucks my wife and I'm the son of a bitch? It is his own fucking fault he is laying there on the floor. He came in here, attacked me and I defended myself. You saw it Phil. I was sitting there drinking my beer and minding my own business when he came up to me and hit me."

"Yeah. I did see that."

"Anyway; it's just his bad luck that I'm still full of anger over what he did and it kind of fueled my rage when I fought back."

"He really fucked Mary Beth?"

"Been in your bathrooms lately?"

"No. I clean them before I open, but I use the private one in the back of my office."

"Check out the stalls in the public restrooms."

I tossed a ten on the bar and left. Mike was still lying on the floor moaning when the door closed behind me. He wouldn't be doing Mary Beth any good for a while because I'd kicked him in the nuts a time or three. Needless to say I was smiling when I drove home.

Mike ended up in the ER at County General following 'our meeting' and I later heard that he was blaming Mary Beth for the loss of one of his testicles.

Alice tossed his ass out and used the copy of the tape I gave her to sue him for divorce using adultery as grounds.

I was feeling pretty proud of myself.

++++++++++++++++++++

I had a great time with Amber at the VFW dance and when I was taking her home she said:

"You do know that the only reason I haven't been chasing you is that you were a married man right?"

"No, I didn't know that. I do know that there have been times I've looked at you and wished that I wasn't married."

"Then let me ask you this. Is this separation a permanent thing or are you just going through a mad spell and will make up with Mary Beth later?"

"Not going to be any reconciliation. We are through and you can take that to the bank."

"Then maybe you can have dinner with me at my place tomorrow?"

"I'll bring the wine and the dessert."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

News travels fast in small towns and at two on Saturday afternoon I got a call from Mary Beth.

"I see that it didn't take long for you to replace me."

"You haven't been replaced yet Mary Beth."

"I hear that you were out with that slut Amber last night."

"That's a laugh. A slut like you calling Amber a slut."

"I am not a slut."

"Can't prove it by me. Not after watching you and Mike go at it in the barn."

"It was only the one time Ralph. I swear it meant nothing. It was just me being curious about what another man would be like. That's all it was."

"You are a poor liar Mary Beth. It wasn't only once. I saw it twice myself and I know that there were other times because I listened to you talk about it while you were in the barn with him. Why are you calling Mary Beth? What do you want?"

"You to stop this divorce nonsense so we can get back together."

"Not going to happen Mary Beth."

"Why? Because you are fucking Amber now?"

"I am not fucking Amber; at least not yet. I'm not going to do anything that will give you grounds to counter sue, but make no mistake about it Mary Beth; I fully intend to try and take Amber to bed as soon as I'm legally rid of you."

"That will be never Ralph. I'm going to fight the divorce."

"Good luck on that Mary Beth" and I hung up on her.

I had a delightful evening with Amber and a kiss goodbye when I left that curled my toes. I was looking forward to a sexual relationship with Amber, but I was serious when I told Mary Beth that I wasn't going to do anything that would give her grounds to counter my suit against her for adultery.

++++++++++++++++++++

The next two weeks went by and during that time period several things happened. I dated Amber several times, received four very nasty calls from Mary Beth over calls she had received asking her for a good time and one call from her telling me that she'd found an attorney to take her case.

"He know you have no money to pay him?"

"He wasn't worried. He says in cases like mine the court will no doubt rule that you will have to pay my legal expenses or I can pay him out of my settlement."

"If he told you that he sure isn't much of an attorney. Your settlement isn't going to be enough to get you into an apartment let alone pay attorney's fees."

"Bullshit Ralph. The farm is free and clear and at $1600 an acre the acreage alone is worth $1,200,00.00 and you will have to give me half the value of that."

"In your dreams Mary Beth. You keep forgetting the pre-nup."

"My attorney says he can get that overturned."

"This guy just out of law school? You don't have a prayer Mary Beth" and I hung up on her.

It was two weeks later when she and her attorney met with me and mine and the hidden landmine went off under her feet. That is when she found out that the farm didn't belong to me. It belonged to our kids.

I had learned some hard lessons from all the legal hoops I'd had to jump through to get the property after my parents had died and I had no intension of having that happen to my survivors if I died suddenly like my parents had. I'd formed a limited liability corporation and placed the farm in it. The corporation had four officers and three shareholders. I and the tree kids were the officers and the three kids were the shareholders.

I had sat down with the kids when the youngest turned fifteen and talked it over with them. I explained why I had excluded their mother and they understood my reasoning and agreed not to mention what we were doing to Mary Beth. My reasoning was that the intent from when great grandfather first started the farm was that it stay in the family. That was reinforced by great grandfather passing it on to my grandfather who passed it on to my father who had passed it to me in his will. If I died an untimely death Mary Beth would inherit and possibly still be young enough to remarry and at that point the farm could conceivably go out of the family. What I was doing was insuring that the farm stayed in the family. The decision to keep Mary Beth out of it was to keep peace in the family. She might have understood, but then again she might not have so why take the chance of having a frosty household.

There were all sorts of other legal documents put in effect at the same time like the one that said none of the share holders could sell his or her shares to anyone outside the family and that there be a provision in all their wills that would see to it that their shares stayed in the family. To be honest I didn't know if any of it would hold up after I died, but if I was dead I'd be out of it.

But the big thing that day in my lawyer's conference room was that Mary Beth and her attorney now knew that they were out of it also. Mary Beth actually fainted when she found that out.

When she was revived my attorney gave Mary Beth and "The shark" (her words, not mine) she had hired the rest of the bad news.

"Since the assets are pretty cut and dried I was able to fast track things. I've got us on the docket for the Tuesday after next for the preliminary hearing. We drew Judge Hienman."

If Mary Beth's attorney knew anything he would know that Hienman was the equivalent of a 'hanging judge' when it came to divorces where adultery played a part. If the offending party was a man he got raped to the extent that the law allowed in a no-fault state. If the guilty party was the woman she got the absolute least that Hienman could give. If kids were involved he had been known to give custody to the father and he would use any technicality he could find to give the woman no alimony. I was sure that Mary Beth's attorney knew that barring a miracle he was screwed as far as getting his fee from me was concerned.

I left my attorney's office and went back to work where I asked Amber if she wanted to celebrate with me after work and she said that she would love to.

+++++++++++++++++++++

The nine days until the preliminary hearing went by quickly. I received four calls from Mary Beth asking (more like begging) me to drop the divorce and work with her at putting us back together. During the fourth call I asked her if she could give me one good reason why I should do that and she said:

"Because you know that I love you Ralph."

"Not enough to keep Mike out of your pussy."

"It was a fling Ralph. It meant nothing. I was a virgin when I met you. I got curious and after twenty-four years of only you I wanted to see what another man would be like. I just wanted to try some strange. It was only a fling and it was all ready on its last legs when you found out. He was starting to get possessive and I was going to end it.