Two Different Realities

Revealing the difference between my wife and my world had just destroyed five marriages. My three sons in law told their wives not to bother coming home until they were ready to tell the total truth about everything. Even though the younger generation had different views on everything including morals principals and standards there were just some things that were a bridge too far. But this is California and its okay. Sadly, it had to take something like this for them to learn it.

--------

I drove until I felt tired. I pulled off at a motel six and parked where my truck could be seen from the office. After getting booked in I went back and got one of my suitcases taking it and the new cellphone into the room.

After a shower, I got ready for bed. Then I got ready to charge the phone. Curiosity caused me to turn it on to see if I had a message from the lady who had my number. I did. The text said home from the party call me. Carin my divorce lawyer answered before the third ring.

"Hi, darling," I said as soon as she answered. "how did your day go?"

"Better than we expected. Eric and I drove over to the house together at about three. There were about sixty there in total. Everybody was in a really good mood. For five hours the party went great. You were right when you said they would not expect a thing.' Carin said. "Your wife Kendra was thrilled being treated like she was the Queen Bee.

"Then just as things were winding down your daughters played your recorded video. As a result of what you revealed, I got three new clients for the firm thanks to you." Carin said as she paused to catch her breath.

"As soon as the video of your wife and daughters came on, they realized that they had forgotten to turn the internal security system off on that day. It was kind of funny to hear four women say, "shit we are fucked" at the same time." Carin paused to laugh.

"Everyone was stunned to hear the four women openly discuss their friends with benefits relationships behind their spouses back in such a casual and unconcerned way," Carin said. "Then the clip with our spouse's romantic adventure put it over the top. Everyone knew for sure that the first conversation they heard was true. As soon as I served our spouses as everybody ran for cover. It was like someone yelled fire at your house."

"Your three sons-in-law asked if I was a divorce lawyer. I said yes that's why I served them both. I got three retainer cheques on the spot. It now looks like your daughters' playmates' relationships may be headed to divorce too. I drove Eric's company car home and left him there." Carin explained joyfully

"Did they try to call me?" I asked.

"After the mad rush to get the hell out of there by most of your friends and extended family your wife did try to call you. We who were still there watched as she found your ringing cellphone in the garbage. That act of trashing your cell spoke volumes without saying a word. It was like you were telling your family you were done with them all" Carin explained. "My husband stood silent not knowing just what to say as he thought he was being so careful."

Smiling I responded, "the countdown is on. Six months from the day we filed our divorces it can be granted. I can't say I regret finding the conversation on the security systems because without it I would not have met you."

"Hopefully it will go faster than we figure. Maybe they will be willing to resolve it all quickly without a fight. Do you still want everything sold and turned to cash?" Carin asked.

"Yes, unless she can find a way to buy me out. With the exodus of people leaving California that might be a better option for me for if that's the way she wants to go." I said. "Tomorrow for her the panic will set in."

"Your right I would love to see her face when she finds out your no longer with your former employer. Carin said. "I will put my law practice up for sale tomorrow. I told my sister and her husband that you're on the way. He's looking forward to meeting you. He still believes it was your influence that got him his tractor dealership a few years back."

"This new reality that they have created for all of us has consequences that have just begun. I wonder if they still will be laughing about it all when we're done." I replied before saying goodbye.

---------

Kendra Waite was standing there holding her husband's cellphone in her hands. She needed to tell him that Eric Hopper meant nothing to her. She wanted him to know that his three daughters were his. Then it finally sunk in. He no longer cared what the truth was. This was his way of publicly letting everyone know that he was done with them all.

She and her ongoing lies were to blame. She had been so self-centered that she had never thought about the consequences of getting caught. It's hard to admit to one's self that the fun, the excitement, and sex she had gotten on the side. In the end, was not worth what it was going to cost.

From this, there was no going back. Lodi was still a small town in a lot of ways they may forgive but they will never forget. There would always be whispers behind her back.

Colin with what he had done had sent a message. He had just written them all out of his life at least until he got over his anger. Though it might take him a while he always had forgiven her bad conduct in the past. Perhaps he would again. That was when Kendra began to hold on to the belief that in time, she would able to get him to come back.

Kendra admitted to herself that she hadn't planned her lifestyle but had slowly evolved into it over the years. Being progressive-minded it was normal for her to accept no responsibility and blame someone else. She never could see anything wrong in what she was doing. After all, no one was getting hurt. Having gotten away with it once she soon found herself in a second. Eric Hopper was her third friends with benefits relationship.

Until today she had never believed she would be caught. Colin and she had been so busy with their careers than when they were home, they had always focused on each other and in their own way had left the world outside their front door. It had been her own stupidity that tipped him off.

Now because of her conduct, even her daughters were facing divorce. Kendra was having a hard time figuring out why Colin had done it this way instead of dealing with it privately like he always did. For him, this was so far beyond his character. Was what she has done in his eye's really that bad after all it did not hurt anyone.

-------

I thought back to when I had discovered the video of my wife and daughters talking about their extra activities six months ago. I never thought that it would lead to where I was now.

Carin and I had grown up less than twenty miles from each other but because of our age, we had never met. I was out of high school before she even started.

I had booked an appointment with her firm to start looking into the possibility of a divorce. By the luck of the draw, I had got assigned her. After retaining her services, I showed her the video clip. That was when she went into shock.

The man my wife was talking about having great sex with she believed might be her husband. It took her going into her personal facebook page for me to be able to identify for sure that we were talking about the same man.

We both realized that day our marriages were over. We were now bonded together because of our spouse's conduct. We decided that day after a long conversation about her ethics to join forces and work together.

As we investigated together our own relationship with each other had grown. At first, we kept our professional relationship just that, but we found ourselves helping each other in the healing process. In a matter of weeks, we had become friends.

Unless one has gone through it you can't even comprehend the betrayal, anger, hurt and hate you go through. We ended up having a lot of phone conversations working those emotional things out. That's how our relationship started. Out of our own mutual needs, we found ourselves supporting each other.

I don't know how it came out, about our roots but it helped to draw us together even more. We were both kindred spirits because of some of our life experiences. We both had memories of places we both knew. When you both laugh with each other about what you did way back when it draws you in. Those little things we talked about what we did when we were young lightened our mood at times.

Neither one of us was looking but somehow it happened. It had reached the point last week after dealing with her daughters that we were forced to admit to the other we had fallen in love. So far, our relationship had been strictly platonic. We planned to keep it that way until our divorces were granted because we wanted our divorces kept simple.

It had been twelve days ago just after I had said goodbye to Kendra when Carin called. She had just told her daughters about their father and they hadn't believed her. I asked her if her oldest daughter was still there with her; she had said yes. I asked her to put her daughter on.

I told her daughter that their mother was my lawyer and that I had things I could show them but because of our legal relationship, their mother couldn't disclose or discuss them.

I explained that I had no idea who your mother was when I hired her to handle my divorce. It wasn't until she first viewed what my evidenced showed I had that we learned we both had the same problem. I suggested that before they passed judgment upon what they both heard that they should be open enough to view what I had.

Both Carin's daughters showed up at my place about half an hour later. I showed the young ladies the house's security system and how it worked. You could turn the outside off before entering the house and if you forgot to turn the internal one-off it would automatically record any sound or movement. I had thought they needed to understand how the video itself was created before showing what was recorded.

I then had Amber and Meadow watch the discussion between my wife and our daughters. They were shocked. The fact that my wife was discussing her fathers' private parts had to be disturbing. Even worse for them was hearing her tell where he had put it.

"This is what your mother saw after I hired her. She because of her ethics could not disclose to you how she knew," I explained. "As we speak right now your father and my wife are in Vancouver British Columbia on their semi-annual phony business trip. I have investigators getting both your mother and me further proof. When Kendra my wife returns, she will be served with the petition for divorce."

It ended up that I had a long talk with the two teenage girls about vows and what they mean. I brought out the point that forgiveness was easy. The problem for all concerned will be getting over the issue of trust.

"My daughters," I said, "have learned that there are no consequences for the long term bad conduct of their mother. She is teaching them to do the same thing. I don't know if they have or haven't that will be for others to sort out."

"As you heard Kendra said she has been doing this for years. I don't blame your father as much but in the eyes of your mother, he has just as much quilt. Anyone in your mother and my situation must ask themselves were our spouses lying when they said their marriage vows to us years ago." I explained.

"It's forced us to look back on our whole marriage with a different understanding. Things now appear to be a lot different than we thought." I explained. "We were just to blind by life to see. Looking at what we have found out in these new eyes it appears that they were."

"Both your mother and I because of their conduct have had our whole existence torn apart. If it was not for our children every we knew about our life comes across as if it was nothing but a bunch of lies." I pointed out.

I was shocked when Meadow Carin's youngest said I see both my mothers and your situation has more problems than what we have discussed. If they had any respect for either one of you at all it should have stopped them from doing it in the first place.

I had never thought about that and I told her so. I said that I was surprised to see such insight coming from one so young.

As soon as they left, I phoned Carin to inform her how it went. I said I hoped it helped. It did.

As I later found out. Carin told me her daughters found me easy to talk to. Mom Amber said his manor is much like your father. He listens, then pauses before he speaks and when he does you can see his insights coming out. Like, granddad, he tries to bring out what he has to say in ways that make it easy for us to comprehend. He doesn't try to complicate things and makes the complicated seem simple.

That's because like me he's from back home Carin explained. There is still a lot of country in that man. He's decided to move back to restore his fathers' home and enjoy life instead of being caught up in this one anymore. Here everything is a rat race. It's always go go go. Colin is finally realizing like me the quality of the life we left behind as we grew up and we both want that kind of life back. As he says it, he's done 'keeping up with the jones.' He's going back to a simpler way of life.

-------

At six the next morning I was on my way. I got back on the interstate 80 east by tonight I hoped to be out of Nevada into the northern part of Utah near the Wyoming border. I was taking my time to take in some of the sights I had longed to see. Surprisingly all things considered I was at peace.

That night after checking into a suite I checked my new email account. I had a message to call my oldest son in law. Thankfully he had provided his phone number.

"Hi, David," I said first thing.

"Hi Dad, glad you called," he said. "I've got a lot to tell you. But first where in the hell are you?"

"I'm on the road licking my wounds," I said with a serious chuckle.

"I'll convey those words to the person who asked me to ask if I heard from you." David said. "it has been a crazy day. Kendra showed up at the office first thing this morning demanding to know where you had been sent to. She had decided to catch a plane and fly out to work things out with you. She still thought she could save the relationship." He said before continuing.

"When she was told you had retired, she asked for confirmation, so I got called to come down and talk to her. I told her you had taken early retirement and were in the process of moving. She had to ask where? I said I did not know. She called me a lair saying you know where the retirement cheques will be sent to or can find out she said. I said if I released that information I could be fired. It went downhill from there. I had to have security escort her out." He informed me.

I shouldn't have laughed but I did.

"Oh, it gets better dad, Kerri called and said that her mom got fired right after Eric Hopper got served with your five million dollar alienation of affection suit from some lawyer in Vancouver. She had to call a taxi to get home. Kendra went to a labor lawyer and gave him another one to deal with. Somehow they got him served about four this afternoon." David explained. "Kerri wants to come home and to see our son. I told her were doing nothing till I had confirmed my son is mine and if she doesn't like that she can take me to court. Kerri claims she hasn't slept with anyone since we were married. I responded that is not what your own words claim in the recorded chat."

"Well, at least they are not bothering me about it." I said with a chuckle." I'm taking the time to see some of the sights I have wanted to see." I said with glee in my voice. "This mini-vacation is turning around to be the best thing I have done in a while. The question is are you really going to divorce her David?"

"The twins were able to get their clothing and for now have moved in with Kendra," David said. "My wife is staying there too. All are finding no one wants anything to do with them. Right now, everyone's too raw to think straight. As for divorce, it boils down to what the DNA proves. If he's not my son there's no reason for us to stay together. Right now, it appears that like you, I got sold a package of goods based on what she felt I needed to see to be reeled in like a fish on a line."

"I have had about six months to work out my feelings. Believe me, it takes about that long to figure things out that you can live with. So, give it time and don't rush into anything" I said. "Time has allowed me to get on with my life and given me the chance to restart my life. It's now headed in a new direction and I'm actually excited about it."

"So, you're not coming back," David said.

"Only if one of my lawyers needs me for court," I said. "The place I am moving to because of the tax difference and the cost of living difference I will be way ahead financially. Besides, the CEO wants me to work as an advisor from time to time. I can do that from my new home with a secured line and my computer. So, I'll never be truly out of it. I told him I was willing as long as I didn't have to wear a monkey suit or a tie"

"Well Dad they are already saying that they wish you were here," David said. "I learned that most would throw their ideas at you and you would point out what would be good about it and what could be wrong. Is this your new cellphone number?"

"Yes, it is but for now keep it to yourself for now." I said. "last thought, the next time you talk to Kendra and she asks about me tell her I said she can always go back to one of her other friends for benefits, after all, they all had accepted her used goods before. If she argues about it just say well for the last ten years you have proven he was nothing but your back up plan."

I didn't know it, but David had recorded our conversation and sent it on to my wife and my three daughters. I would learn later that Kendra had not been impressed. She thought I had no right to advise my son in law in anything. After all, I was just a man.

My daughters were beginning to realize the cost of their following their mother's lifestyle choices. Each of their husbands wanted as little contact with them as possible. They were beginning to turn on their mother.

The next call was to Carin who was excited to hear from me. She and her staff had been swamped with another five wronged parties because of my wife's surprise birthday party. It seems that because of what happened one or two of Kendra's former partners had been discovered. She knew about Kendra termination and said it was an attempt by Eric to try to get her interested in reconciliation, but she wasn't going there.

He doesn't realize it but the board of directors of his company had already talked to her this evening explaining everything. Kendra would be hired back and elevated in her position and he would be demoted for using company assets for personal reasons. She was just that good at what she did.

Carin had broken the news to her daughters that she was moving back to South Dakota after her divorce was final. That if they wanted to stay in California, they would have to find their own place to live or move in with their dad. Carin said I've reached the age where I want a simpler life.

Meadow asked, "is it because you have fallen in love with Colin Waite?"

Carin said, "I told her that I had but neither of us had acted upon it. I had to explain to her how It had happened. I had to tell them our whole story from beginning to now."

Meadow said, "I hope it makes you feel young again."

Carin had said, "it did."

Then she told her daughters that they were both wanted in her life and were welcome to come with her when she moved back to be with me and her family.

Carin said, "I told them that you are old enough to decide for yourself what kind of person you will be and what kind of life you want. Learn from what I am dealing with."