CONSEQUENCES - BRIDGET by thecelt
-Tyson Sommers signed the last of the documents Jason gave him. They were necessary if Jason was to handle this particular portfolio. That portfolio was one of the biggest Ty was responsible for. It involved the holdings of Wilson Graves, a billionaire investor and entrepreneur. Wilson-Call me Willy-Graves loved nothing better than using his money to leverage other companies in a hostile takeover, buying up their stock and gaining control. Once he did, it was divest, divest, divest. In so doing, he would increase the value of his own investment and carry some other trusting souls along for the ride. Damn those who got hurt as long as Willy made his money. As his lawyer and legal advisor, Ty had managed to keep Wilson honest and out of trouble with the SEC and other federal regulators who kept an eye out for people like Graves, all the while allowing him to make even more money. And the more money Willy made, the more rolled into the coffers of Sommers, Reinhardt and Haines, Inc.
Jason also had made inroads into the portfolios of his other clients and within the two weeks that were left, he should have full control in his grasp. That would complete the three months that it had already taken to transfer all of Ty's clients. Other than his own special clients only Jason, Stacie Reinhardt and Clayton Haines knew that Ty was retiring. Ty told himself once again that it was time: time to let it all go and spend some time for himself. After all, he was one of the founding fathers of this firm and he, along with Stacie and Clay had built it from a small storefront law firm to one of the biggest and most influential in the city of Columbus, Ohio It had taken most of his time and, over the course of their twenty-year marriage, a toll on their personal lives; his and that of Bridget, his wife.
He and Bridget had been married twenty years last month and they had two children; nineteen year-old Jake and eighteen-year old Tessa, both now in college and doing well. During those years, Bridget was a good mother and wife and Ty had done all he could to make sure they had all he could give them. Their home was large and beautiful; the kids were in the most expensive schools and had all they needed to live accordingly; Bridget was still beautiful and stayed that way with the help of her spa and health club. She drove her Volvo convertible and loved the way her long blond hair streamed out in the wind and she played the radio as loud as any teenager.
Over the last year or two, the only thing Ty found wrong with their lives was that Bridget was no longer interested in making love. Ty's sex drive was low but still active and he was frustrated by Bridget's disinterest. He talked to her about it but all she said was that she was in that time when her libido was low and she would talk to her doctor about it when she had her next checkup. That had been almost a year ago and she had not mentioned it since. Their love life hadn't improved during that time and, if the truth were to be told, it had gone even more downhill. Ty had given up asking and now, let it go without further comment.
The other thing that bothered him were her trips back to her hometown of Mansfield, Ohio. She told him that it was because of her mother's declining health and that her sister, Bianca, needed help taking care of her. Both still lived in Mansfield and Bianca was divorced and alone. Bridget stayed with her when she went. She said that the least she could do was take over for Bianca from time to time and let her enjoy some free time. These trips had begun six months ago and now occurred every other week. Bridget would leave on Thursday morning and come home late Sunday night. She always called every evening at nine when she was gone and made sure her cell was on at all times but it meant three or four days every other week that Ty spent alone. He hated being alone now.
She left this morning on her latest trip which meant another evening alone. He was more disappointed in that then he let on after he had disclosed to Bridget that he was working on a big surprise for her and that it would be ready in just a couple of weeks. He even tried to rile her up when he told her that Stacey was helping him with it and she was almost done. Ty hoped that her curiosity, or even her jealousy over Stacey, would make her stay and try to find out what the secret was, but she didn't do more than a cursory question or two before she began packing for her trip. Ty wasn't surprised by her lack of curiosity now and let it go and just left her to her packing. They said their usual goodbyes and he left shortly after for work, knowing that she would be gone within the hour.
Much later that same day, Ty closed up his office, stopped to talk with Rachael, his secretary, and walked down the carpeted hall to Stacey's office to talk to her before heading home. He knocked once and pushed the door open, a habit he had with all the partners. They were used to his popping in at odd times unannounced.
"Hey, Stace! Ready to call it quits for the day? I'll buy if you want to grab a cold one. I'm in no hurry to get home to an empty house."
"Hi, Ty. I'd love to, but Roger's waiting for me tonight. We're going to a school play. Rog, Jr. is the lead in Pirates of Doom. Sounds terrible to me, but Rog says it's 'cool!'"
"OK, kid, it's your loss." But his smile belied the comment. "No, I don't blame you. I remember my kids and their plays. Bad as they were, they're still your kids and they can't be bad. We're prejudiced, but we're allowed. We don't know any better: we're parents!"
Stacey laughed and nodded. She was still a pretty woman at forty-six and she was happily married for the second time. This one had lasted for the past ten years. Ty knew her husband, Roger, and liked him.
"How are you coming on my project? Got everything you need? I can have Jason give you a hand if you need it."
She looked up and shook her head. "Everything's on track and on time. Should be no problem at all. Just give me the word and I'll take it from there. No need for Jason; he'll have his hands full with what you gave him, but as you promised, he's a real good worker and he's going to be an asset with you gone. You know, Ty, I really wish I could talk you out of this. Especially the retirement part.
"You know we're going to miss you around here. You were the main force behind our success. I just held onto your coattails in the early days and enjoyed the ride. I'm going to miss you the most. Are you sure you won't change your mind about retiring?"
"Not a chance, and don't sell yourself short, Stacey. You pulled your own weight then and still do. You and Clay will do just fine. And we have one hell of a crop of youngsters now. They really impress me with their willingness to dig in and work hard. Jason, and maybe that Alice Chambers could be offered a partnership within a year or two."
"Could be. I like both of them a lot and it's clear you completely trust Jason. Well, I'll see you tomorrow and I'll be at the party in two weeks. Rog wants to come as well."
"Bring him, by all means. OK, then, goodnight."
Ty drove to his estate home in the suburbs of Columbus. The house was on a five-acre lot and enclosed just over five thousand square feet. It boasted a hot tub that overflowed into a pool, a cabana, two tennis courts, and a large garden filled with flowers and flowering shrubs that had color all summer and into the fall. Bridget had let the cook and maid go when the kids left and now the place was empty most of the time. He had mentioned that it was really too big for the two of them and Bridget said that she agreed. She hadn't committed to it, but said she knew it was time to think about moving into something smaller. Maybe they should give the kids a couple of more years, she said.
Ty drove into the four-car garage and went inside to the kitchen where he popped a frozen dinner into the microwave while he went up to change into scruffs for the evening.
As he came back down the steps he heard the phone ring. It was the landline and hopefully that meant it was about one of his ads. It was way too early for Bridget to call. He answered it and was pleased to find that it was about his boat. A thirty-two foot powered sailboat that was moored at Lake Erie during the summer and fall. He stored it during the winter at a facility on the lake.
After a fruitful discussion with one of the people who had taken it out for a run with the marina owner who was covering it for Ty, the deal was struck and an agreement was made to send a cashier's check for the agreed upon price to a post office box number Ty provided. Once the check was received, the title to the boat would be available at the marina. The title had been reviewed by the purchaser when he took the boat out for a trial run. All was in place. Bridget would be pleased since she had never liked the thing. She hadn't been out with Ty in years.
Now that the boat was sold, and his Jaguar and Audi had been promised to the successful high bidders, there was little left to worry about. By this time two weeks from today, everything would be in place and his retirement could officially begin. The house may take some time to sell, but he and Bridget would be out of the house by then so the realtor could show it without worry. The new, smaller bungalow was now his and he had already moved some of the furniture into it. Whatever extra furniture was needed could be purchased at any time.
Ty ate the frozen dinner without tasting it and decided to just lay back and zone out on mindless TV and some snacks. He took a bottle of cold Miller Lite into the entertainment room and decided to watch a little porn. He had all the channels now that the kids were gone and he went to the adult channel and found some tale about a hotel where everyone there was only there to have sex with whomever they could find. For the women, that wasn't a problem. They all had DD tits and perfect asses. The guys were all six foot five, built like Arnold Schwarzenegger and hung like horses so they didn't have any trouble either. As the movie progressed, Ty began to wonder why they all did the same things in the same way, looking into the camera as they moved. No imagination, just titillation. He couldn't get worked up enough to take matters into his own hand.
At nine, Bridget called. Ty answered. "Hi, Bridget. Any problem getting there?"
"No trouble at all, honey. Easy trip. Mom's doing a little better but Bianca is stressed. I may stay an extra day if it's OK with you."
That comment did cause Ty's stomach to clinch, but he put the discomfort down and replied in a calm voice.
"Sure, whatever you think is best. I'll just stay at work a little longer since it's lonely here without you. But what about Monday? Do you need anything or do you have enough? Seems you don't take much with you."
"Oh, honey, that's because I have a lot of things here that I've left behind when I leave. I'll be just fine, so don't you worry. And by the way, how's that surprise coming? I can't wait to find out what it is."
"I didn't think you even cared. You weren't very interested this morning before I left for work. But since you asked, it's right on schedule. Stacey is almost done with her part and the rest is already in place. You'll really be surprised."
"I can't wait. OK, honey, I'll call you tomorrow night. Be good."
"You too. Just remember that I love you."
"Goodnight, honey."
Ty once again remarked to himself how anxious she seemed to be to get the calls over with and hang up. And she didn't return his 'I love you' with anything other than goodnight. Well, maybe she was busy with her mother. That thought made him smile: her mother was a real piece of work. She never cared for him and she didn't make a secret of it either. But then that was no problem since Ty didn't like her either. Her or her sister, Bianca; divorced by her husband for cheating. That whole family was dysfunctional at best.
So, the rest of my weekend alone continues, Ty thought to himself. To occupy himself, he called the kids, talked with them for an hour or more, reminding them of his summons for them to come down in two weeks, and then just let himself go. He fell asleep on the couch and woke during the middle of the night with a stiff neck. He went to bed and slept without dreams. That was unusual but Ty welcomed it. Lately his dreams had not been pleasant.
The next two weeks passed as normal, with Ty working to finish all his cases and make sure Jason was up to speed on all of them. He spent most of that second week calling his clients and letting them know of his pending retirement. They were for the most part happy for him and willing to work with Jason. A few wanted assurances from either Stacey or Clayton and he made sure they were contacted right away. Things were all in place by that final Thursday when Bridget left for Mansfield.
Ty had managed to keep his pending retirement secret from Bridget as planned. She rarely asked about his work anymore so it was not much of a problem. In addition, she had forgotten about the surprise and Ty didn't bring it up again before she left. He would mention it Sunday morning when she called to tell him she was about to leave, especially if she decided to stay an extra day again. Either way, Ty was prepared.
Friday was Ty's final day and it was a flurry of activity. He and Rachael worked together cleaning house and transferring the paper files to Jason. A few more phone calls and then he told Rachael to transfer all his new calls to Jason. As part of his plan, he had given Jason his own secretary and Rachael had worked with her.
The last thing he did that morning at work was to tell Stacey to put things into motion and she said she was ready. She left for the courthouse later that morning but promised to be back in time for the retirement party they were giving at the Radisson Hotel. Everyone knew that Bridget couldn't be there but that didn't postpone the proceedings. It promised to be a blast.
Ty left right after lunch to see about a number of things that had to happen and by three that afternoon, all was in place. The final papers had been signed on the house and the movers were already on their way. They promised to finish by late Saturday afternoon. As soon as the movers finished, the people he hired to clean the place top to bottom would be there and they had orders to be finished by that evening. They were promised a bonus if they finished on time. The realtors would have the For Sale sign planted in the front yard by late tomorrow and they told him that they already had a listing of people who wanted to see the property beginning the following Monday. To their delight, he had priced it to sell.
The last thing Ty needed to do was to make sure all of the financial arrangements were in place. Bridget and he had two separate accounts besides the joint ones and they each had their own credit card. It was at his insistence that they carried only one card each since Ty was not in favor of running a credit balance with anyone. She was very good about it and had never been frivolous with money. She managed their accounts with great skill, and other than Ty's private business accounts, managed by a firm hired by his company, she knew of all of their finances. She was not privy to Ty's accounts at the firm but she had never bothered to ask him about it and had forgotten it over the years.
Now that he was retiring, he closed all open accounts that carried both their names and rolled the retirement account over to a new brokerage. Ty intended on handling all of their joint affairs in cash for the near future, or at least until they had settled on everything. Since the new home would be located outside the states, the accounts would also be out of the US. There was no reason to maintain stateside bank accounts since he had no intention of coming back anytime soon. He had already opened an on-line account with an international bank that had outlets in Europe and South America. Ty was sure Bridget would have no trouble making the switch. She was very intelligent about money matters.
Finally, he made sure the tickets were in hand and the destination was confirmed. Ty thought about the two of them spending the next several months in a beautiful resort in Costa Rica. Sun, sand, swimming, sailing, horseback riding, you name it: they had it all. Ty had made one trip down to the resort by himself to convince him that the brochure was real and then told Rachael to book the trip and make the reservations. He wanted everything confirmed by the time he retired.
It might be worth noting that Tyson was very well-to-do and had amassed a great deal of money over the years. He took a lot of high-profile cases with rich clients and charged accordingly. Since he was very good at what he did, his clients recognized his value and retained him with sizable retainers. He had invested his earnings in high risk accounts and had done very well over the years. As a lawyer, Ty knew the law and had moved most of his money legally into offshore accounts with no agreements with the US. They were still intact. Again, Bridget knew nothing of those accounts and this was part of the surprise. If she had, she would be amazed at what they were worth. Of course, that money was outside the states and not subject to U.S. tax laws or the U.S. courts.
As the day ended, Ty drove to the Radisson and his retirement party. Bridget knew nothing of his retirement and thus this party since he had everyone in the firm promise to keep it quiet. She had been after him to consider retirement but had let it drop during that past year. His retirement should please her however, since she always complained about the time he spent at his job. He told all of them that it was to be a surprise to Bridget and that his plans were to announce everything to her Sunday night when she came home. Ty was sure she would be home Sunday because he intended to begin the surprise that morning when she called. This was his plan and so far, everything had gone perfectly.
The party was a lot of fun. Ty danced with all the women and talked to all the men and they shared war stories of their most interesting cases. Jason was there and he spent most of his time around Ty to be sure nothing of importance escaped his notice. Tyson really liked this kid. He was going to be a real asset to the firm. Stacey and Clay were there with their spouses and Ty talked with them for some time. Stacey and Jason were the only ones that knew all of his plans and they was sworn to secrecy as his attorneys of record. He knew she was secretly pleased at what he was doing but she didn't say it directly. He danced with her and they talked about the final steps.
"Are you sure everything is ready? She'll be home Sunday evening and I want to be sure she's surprised. Promise?"
"It's all ready to go, Ty. Just relax. I have the checks and the amounts clearly documented so she'll be surprised and you'll be satisfied, I'm sure. She's really going to love being surprised this way," she whispered sarcastically.
I laughed. "She sure will. I think it's going to be great. By the way, I got the tickets for the resort and we'll be leaving Sunday night for Costa Rica. It'll be a ball, with nothing to do but enjoy. And I fully intend to enjoy! I'll call you just as soon as I have a permanent number, but in the meantime, my new cell will be active. You and Roger should do something like it yourselves."
"Maybe some day. Right now, I enjoy what I'm doing too much to quit."
"Well, that's up to you. Be sure to tell Clay I'm sorry for not including him in all of our plans."
I stayed until almost midnight before I finally left. I had missed Bridget's call but she was sure to have left a message. I drove home, went inside and, sure enough, the message light was blinking. I pushed the right button and listened.
"Ty, where are you? You never miss my calls. Listen, I'm going over to mom's tonight so don't try to call me there. I don't want to wake her if she gets to sleep. She's so tired all the time and she needs her rest. I'll call tomorrow night, so please be home. Goodnight, baby."
Well, pretty much as Ty expected. She wouldn't call tonight now that she had left her message. He spent the rest of the evening packing his clothes and making sure he had all of Bridget's things packed as well. He wouldn't have much time between now and Sunday night and Ty didn't want to have to make any return trips before the movers arrived tomorrow. Since Bridget wasn't going to be home before all of the moving was done, he was very careful to pack her things carefully and neatly. She wouldn't have anything to complain about if he took his time and did it right. He intended on staying at the bungalow tonight and would make sure all calls were forwarded to his new cell starting tomorrow.
Once he had transferred everything to the bungalow, Ty finished up, made a phone call to make sure the last piece of the surprise was in place and then went to bed. He was pleasantly tired from the party and on edge with all that had to happen on such a tight schedule. He hoped nothing would go wrong as he fell asleep.
Saturday began the packing and moving of the furniture from their home. It was sort of sad but Ty shrugged his shoulders and left the movers to their work. He was going back to the bungalow to meet their kids. They were arriving right around noon and Ty needed to go over his plans with them so they wouldn't be too surprised. He had given them a hint of his retirement but not his plans for Costa Rica or anything else. Now was the time to bring them up to date. He had to do it with promises from them not to call Bridget and spoil his surprise. He thought they would be OK with that.
When they arrived, he welcomed them inside and sat them down to begin to fill them in. He made it short and to the point and when he was finished, he answered all their questions and gave them details when they asked for them. Neither Jake nor Tessa were happy with what he was doing but he assured them that their college tuition was taken care of and that they would always be welcome home, wherever that was. He assured them that his retirement was something that both he and Bridget had discussed and had agreed the time was right. They wanted to talk to Bridget but he made them promise to wait until Sunday night when she got home. They finally agreed.
They all went out to dinner that evening and kept quiet when Ty answered the nine o'clock call from Bridget. She kept it short as usual but didn't mention staying any longer so he still expected her Sunday night. After the call, the kids once again discussed his plans and wanted to be sure he still wanted to go ahead with it. He assured them he was fine and when they went to sleep in the spare room with the twin beds, he made a phone call to be sure the movers were done and the cleaning crew was scheduled. Both were affirmative and Ty was pleased. One final call and he was done for the night.
Sunday was a day when little had to be done and most all was ready. He checked the house and found all in place. The movers and cleaners had left the place spotless and ready to show. He drove back to the bungalow and waited for the call from Bridget telling him she was ready to leave. He expected her to call at her normal time of between ten and ten thirty. The kids had gone out to be with some of their friends from home so Ty was alone when she called. He answered after the first ring.
"Hi, Bridget? Are you ready to start home?" Ty waited for her answer with nerves just beginning.
"Well, yes and no, Ty. I'd really like to stay a few more days to give Bianca some more time to do some things. Would you really mind if I did that?" Her voice was strained as if she expected him to object. She had to know that he would not like her request.
Ty heard the words and for the first time, felt the anger that he had been holding in check for the past several months struggle to break free. She wanted to stay a few days longer? Why? Well, he knew now, didn't he? He had known for over three months now, long enough to begin planning his surprise. Now was the time to bring his surprise to the front. Now it was time to do what he had planned for the past three months, once he found out for sure. Now it was time!
As he made this decision, his anger finally came to the front. He had been holding it in for so long and now he could let it go. With the anger making it difficult to speak without shouting at her, he responded to her request.
"Well, Bridget my love, why would I mind? Just because you want to spend a few more nights with your lover, Kevin? Why should that bother me now, since you've been screwing him, and that other guy, what's his name? Oh, yes, Ben, that's it."
His voice was now rising in his anger and he had to stop himself from screaming at her.
"You've been doing it for the past six months! Or has it been longer? I just don't know for sure! But what the hell; it's been going on for some time now and I guess I was just supposed to pretend it was nothing?"
There was silence from the other end, followed by a sob and then the phone went dead. Ty just stared at the phone in his hand as if it were a snake about to strike. He realized that Bridget had hung up at her end and that was a surprise he wasn't expecting. He finally put the offending instrument down on the table, his hand trembling with his remaining anger. She hung up! That he hadn't expected and he had nowhere to vent his pent up anger.
As Ty fell into the chair beside the table, his phone rang sharply. He just stared at it uncomprehendingly as the sound rebounded from the walls. It continued to ring, the disposable phone he had purchased for this purpose not having voicemail. He finally picked it up and pushed the talk button.
"Yes?" That was all he could get out. His anger had burned out with the sudden end of it all. He had been primed for an argument or a shouting match. A screaming match between the cheating bitch and her scorned husband was what should have happened, but her abrupt termination caught him by surprise and doused his anger like a bucket of water on a flame. Now he was numb. Dead inside and numb with the pain that he had been holding back with his plan of action. Without the cathartic outlet for his anger and his hurt, he was suddenly helpless to stop the piercing pain that clutched at his heart.
Bianca's angry voice screamed at him out of the tiny speaker. "Ty! This is Bianca. Don't hang up! Bridget is a wreck and she is almost hysterical. She flew out of here and took off in her car. What did you say to her? What did you do, Ty? What damned thing did you do to cause her to react that way? What the hell did you do?"
Suddenly there was a new subject for his anger. And this one was a full partner in Bridget's betrayal. This one was as guilty as his cheating wife!
"Well, Bianca, my loving sister-in-law; I just told her to stay as long as she likes so she can spend the extra time screwing her lover, Kevin Clark. I know all about the two of you and your boyfriends: you and Bridget with Ben Stinson and Kevin. I know about the motel you always use and the nights you spend together, just the four of you. It must really get confusing with the lights out. How do you know whose cock is poking into you? Is one bigger than the other?"
"Oh, my God! Ty, don't! You have to let her explain! Ty, it isn't what you think. She doesn't love Kevin. It was just a stupid mistake and I'm as much at fault as she is. Ty, Bridget loves you and you alone. Don't do anything stupid now. You guys have too much to live for. Please, Ty. Please wait until Bridget can talk to you. Please?"
"Oh, there will be someone here when she arrives. There won't be much talking involved and I won't be the one waiting for her. But then, what the hell! She didn't much care anyway, since she wanted to stay longer so she could continue fucking Kevin. She sure as hell wasn't fucking me! Not since she found good old Kevin and his strange cock! Now, she'll have all the time she wants to fuck anyone she wants. So, the two of you should have a lot of fun in the future."
"Ty, no! Don't say that, Ty! Oh, God, no! Please, Ty. This is going to kill her. She loves you so much that this will kill her. Ty, you can't do this! You can't! What about the kids? What will Tessa and Jake say? Ty, you can't tell them!"
"Too late, Bianca; I've already told them. I gave them the complete story and let them know how the two of you threw us away like garbage. I told them what their mother was doing all those weekends when she told both of them that she was 'taking care of her mother and giving sis a break.'
"For your information, they took it very well. Stacey took it harder than Jake but they will probably forgive her since she was always a good mother, right up until the first time Kevin fucked her into forgetting about all of us."
"Ty, isn't there any hope for the two of you? Are you going to throw away twenty years of a wonderful marriage over this? Ty, please think about what you're doing. Please?"
"Oh, Bianca, you know better. You and Bridget threw me and our kids away. It's wasn't me who did that. Goodbye, Bianca, and say goodbye to your mother for me. She never did like me and now she must be laughing her skinny ass off."
Ty disconnected, then looked around the small bungalow for the last time. Bridget will love it, he thought to himself. Then he laughed at the thought. He turned off all the lights, put the spare keys on the table along with the letter to Bridget and went out the front door. He pulled the door shut, got into his rental car and drove to Rachael's apartment.
She was waiting in front of the building for him as he pulled up. He got out, loaded her three suitcases into the back of the car and then held the door as she climbed in. She smiled up at him as he shut the door of the car. He walked around to the driver's side and slid in.
"Well, Rachael, are you ready for this?"
She laughed and put her hand on his cheek. "You'd better believe it, lover. It's been hell seeing you every day at the firm but not being able to touch you or talk to you. If it wasn't for Bridget throwing you away for me to snap up, and then giving us those weekends, I don't think I could have stood it any longer. Thank goodness for cheating wives." She laughed again and they drove away.
Bridget's Story
When I called to ask Ty if he minded if I stayed a couple more days, I had a strange feeling that I shouldn't do it. I said as much to Bianca but she just laughed at me and asked me if I didn't want to spend a couple more nights with Kevin and Ben. I felt a twinge of guilt as I did whenever I thought of my time with both of them. But as in the past, that twinge failed to survive my own thoughts of lust. When I remembered the two of them pushing into me at the same time, I felt a thrill of wetness between my legs. I shuddered once and picked up the phone.
The conversation started as usual, Ty asking me if I was coming home. He sounded so normal, reminding me that this was a world that Ty knew nothing about and that gave me courage to do what I knew I wanted. I went for it, asking him if he minded if I stayed a couple of days. I looked at Bianca when I did and her grin reassured me that I was doing the right thing.
As I waited for his normal answer to do whatever made me happy, I thought once again to myself that Ty wouldn't mind and he would never know what I was really doing. I would never let him find out because it would hurt him too much. I loved Ty, that was real; but sex with him had lost its appeal to me and now I had found an outlet that allowed me to continue to love my husband but enjoy sex with someone else. With him, I had found a wild side to myself that I never expected. I was thoroughly caught up in the illicit pleasure he gave me.
I was pleased at myself, my own pleasure driving my lust to spend just one, or even two more nights with Kevin and Ben. I was already imagining our night together and I was becoming warm at the thought. That was until those words came out of the speaker and directly to my gut, destroying my world: "Well, Bridget my love, why would I mind? Just because you want to spend a few more nights with your lover, Kevin? Why should that bother me now, since you've been screwing him, and that other guy, what's his name? Oh, yes, Ben, that's it. You've been doing it for the past six months? Or has it been longer? I just don't know for sure. But what the hell; it's been going on for some time now and I guess I was just supposed to pretend it was nothing?"
I couldn't speak! I was frozen in fear and panic! I know I slammed the phone down and I let out a loud sob. Just one. That's all I was able to get out before it all became clear to me. Oh, God! He knew! My life was over and I was going to lose the only man I ever loved! I had to get home! I had to leave now, to catch him before he had time to do something terrible. I grabbed my car keys and ran out of Bianca's kitchen. I started my car and backed out of her drive. I turned and headed toward the interstate and home. I had to get home! I had to!
The drive usually took me three and a half to four hours to make but now I was pushing my car as fast as it would go. I was immune to any threat from the police who patrolled the interstate and I cared nothing for speed limits. I had to get home before Ty had time to leave me. I had to talk to him, tell him that I loved him and that I was a fool. I had done something stupid and selfish but it didn't mean anything to me. Kevin and Ben were already gone! I'd never see them or Bianca again as long as I lived. I would tell him that. I would give up everyone else if he would stay with me.
Over and over I rehearsed the words I would use to persuade him not to throw me away. I was seduced by Bianca and her lifestyle and the lack of my sex drive was a problem that she told me would disappear if I let myself go with someone who I didn't have to please or who I didn't care about. She convinced me that this would reawaken my sex drive and that Ty would benefit. I was just going to try to get my drive back. But then I was seduced by the lust and the thrill of doing something nasty. It would revive me and I would carry that back to my marriage bed with my husband.
I was pleased at that. It would work! Ty would listen! He had to! Then, a hundred miles later, I asked the question Ty would ask. Why didn't any of that lust carry over? Why had we not made love in those six months since I had begun my affair? That was a question I had no answer for. I had to think of one. I had to think!
I was still trying to find the words to answer that question when I pulled into the driveway of our home. I was surprised to see four cars sitting in our driveway. I recognized the two cars belonging to my children, and I was surprised to see them there, but almost as quickly, a feeling of dread crept over me at their presence. I drove around them onto the grass and slid to a stop and clambered out of my car to run toward the house. As I did, I saw someone get out of one of the strange cars and move to intercept me at the front door. I ignored this man and reached for my keys. He tried to stop me but I pushed him aside and slid my key into the lock. It didn't work! I tried again, over and over, but it wouldn't work! I threw it on the porch and held my face in my hands and began crying.
I turned to the door and began pounding on it with my fists. I pounded until the pain in my hands forced me to stop. I looked around to see the man who got out of the car still standing there. He asked me if I was Mrs. Tyson Sommers and I nodded my head, yes. He handed me an envelope and said in a low voice, "You are served, madam." He then took another smaller envelope and handed that to me. "These are the keys to your new residence. The address is inside and the property is yours without burden. You will find the deed and the necessary information inside."
I took both envelopes and just stared at him. My mind was numb with sadness and pain. He reached into his coat pocket and handed me a legal-sized white envelope. "This contains several checks amounting to the current savings and checking accounts which have been closed. This house has been listed for sale and the proceeds will go to you once the sale is completed. All of this is included in the divorce statements and the terms are spelled out very clearly."
The man closed his briefcase and prepared to leave. He reached into his jacket pocket and produced a business card. "In case you've forgotten, this is the name of your husband's attorney."
He moved away and got into his car. He spoke to the person sitting in the other car I didn't recognize before backing out and leaving. I was stunned, holding the envelopes that the man had given me. I glanced down at the business card and saw that it was Stacey Reinhardt. That name caused a bolt of anger to course down my back but it quickly died. Stacey was a problem only in my own head. I knew that but I had used it over the years as a wedge to make Ty feel guilty. Now, I knew better but it didn't help to look up and see her walking toward me.
"Hello, Bridget. You're not looking so well today. I just wanted to give you a head's-up. Ty asked me to handle things in his absence. In case you're wondering and have lots of questions, I can give you some answers. First, Ty retired effective Friday. We all had a party for him. It was a great party and lots of people came to see him off. Too bad you missed it, but then you had other things more important didn't you?
"Second, this house has been turned over to a realtor for sale. You signed your name to a power-of-attorney some time ago and Ty used it to transfer the title into his name. But don't worry; the proceeds are all for you. Ty left it to you in the divorce. He also bought you a nice bungalow, paid for and furnished. Your children can take you there.
"Finally, Ty gave me full power to act in his behalf in the divorce and all his affairs here in the states. Ty has left the country and I believe it is his intention not to return for some time."
She stood there, watching me as I digested the things she told me. It was as if each was a hammer that pounded the stake in my heart deeper and deeper. I was almost gasping for breath at the suddenness with which my life had collapsed in on me. I opened my mouth to ask questions, but nothing came out. I realized that I was beaten by a man who I had blindly betrayed and disrespected so easily. A man that I knew in my heart was the only man I could ever love. Now, I had lost his love and I had no idea what to do. Suddenly, I was more alone than I had been over the last twenty years. I had my children and my life but my anchor to all I cared about in this world had left me. I had never felt so alone in my life.
"I can't know why you did this to Tyson, Bridget. I know from working with him for the last fifteen years that he loved you and his children more than anything in this life. When he found out what you were doing, it almost killed him. Roger and I helped him through the crisis he was in and made sure he stayed calm enough to make plans to deal with you. We made sure he didn't do anything foolish. Just so you know, he considered suicide but we talked him out of it by reminding him of your children.
"He's with someone else now that also helped him through the crisis you caused by your actions. It's not important who she is, just that she is with him and will care for him as this slowly runs its course. Tyson will not agree to talk to you and he doesn't care if you fight the divorce. That will be in my hands, not his. So, do what you will. Just know that Tyson is out of your life and will never be back."
She turned and walked back to her car. Without looking back, she got into the passenger side of the car and it left. I walked slowly down the drive to my children who were standing together beside the cars. I had to face them and listen to their anger and condemnation, but I really didn't care any more. I had betrayed my husband, their father, and I had lost him and nothing else mattered. Their anger at me would not make any difference. Nothing they could say or do could hurt any more than the words I heard from Ty just that morning. God, how they hurt! And all he did was state the truth as he saw it.
As I stopped in front of Jake and Tessa, my grief brought me to my knees. Jake reached down and helped me to stand but there was no concern on his face as I looked at him. I saw anger, disgust, disappointment but no concern. That was painful to me and I began to sob. And instead of holding me, my daughter stood in front of me with her arms crossed over her chest and her face mirroring that of her brother. I had told myself that I couldn't hurt any worse after losing Ty and my marriage but the looks on the faces of my children told me in no uncertain terms exactly how they saw what I did. And it was even worse!
I cried for what I had lost as my children stood by and waited. They offered no comfort. I had lost them as well! I turned and looked once more at the home Ty and I had purchased to build our family. I loved that house and had always felt pride when I came home. Now it was gone. Everything was gone. My husband, my marriage, the love of my children and the home we shared.
What have I done! Why did I never think of the consequences of my actions? Why had I never considered that? I knew now!
Consequences are a bitch!
