Linda loses all round
This is my first dive into the LW category. Thanks to my editor and proof-reader who strives to make my work better. All comments are welcome, be gentle as this is my first attempt in the LW category. Any anonymous negative comments will be deleted. I hope you enjoy the story, please remember that it is just that, a story.
She fucked up, then she really fucked up!
I will never understand why people do the things they do, knowing it will piss off others. I have gone through life trying not to upset anyone along the way, I suppose it was too much for me to expect others to do the same.
I met my wife Linda when we were at school, from the age of sixteen we were exclusive and everyone else knew it. We married just after Linda’s 21st Birthday. My lifelong friend Alan Hunter was my best man, Linda’s sister Marie was her bridesmaid, along with her two nieces. If I was asked I would say Linda was beautiful and everything I wanted in a wife, we bought a nice house in a quiet street in a good neighbourhood.
Two years after we married Linda was pregnant with Nick our son, eighteen months later Linda gave birth to our daughter Gayle. As we only ever wanted two kids I got myself fixed after Gayle was born. I’m Don Simmonds by the way, I work as a production manager for a company that builds specialist lifting vehicles and cranes. I make good money so Linda being a stay at home Mum was never a problem. That was until there became a problem a few years later. Linda was still a very attractive woman. Her 34c breasts and cute arse still got me going, shame it did the same for someone else.
I thought life was perfect, or as perfect as it could be. The kids were well behaved and we enjoyed a good social life. Once a month my parents had the kids so Linda and I could have a date night. We usually went out to dinner and then on to a club for a few hours, yes when we got back home there was always some loving involved. Linda was quite loud when she climaxed, it was a good thing the kids were out of the house.
My so-called perfect life fell apart on a Wednesday afternoon. I had been to the dentist and decided to go straight home afterwards. It was quiet at work so they wouldn’t miss me for one afternoon. I walked indoors and stopped dead in my tracks, the noise I heard from upstairs told me Linda was either entertaining herself with a toy, or she had a man up there. I crept upstairs quietly, if she was alone I figured some afternoon sex wouldn’t go a miss. Seems Linda had the same idea.
I peered around our bedroom door to see my so called friend Alan Carter fucking her doggy style, I lost it and stormed into the room.
“YOU BASTARD!” I yelled. I threw a punch that caught Alan the arsehole on the jaw. He yelled out in pain and fell off the bed. Linda screamed and frantically covered herself.
“Don. What the hell are you doing at home?” she asked stupidly.
“I fucking live here, in case you have forgotten!” I replied as I turned my attention back to the arsehole. Grabbing his hair I dragged him up and punched him several times in the face and the guts, my parting shot was a kick in the nuts.
“Get the fuck out of my house you bastard!” As soon as he had some clothes on I marched him to the door and threw him out before I stormed back upstairs.
“How long?” I yelled at Linda. She cowered and said nothing. “How long have you and that cunt been fucking?” I asked again.
Linda stared at me with tears in her eyes. “About two months, I didn’t mean for it to happen Don. It just happened.”
“Yeah Right. Get yourself decent and get this place tidied up before the kids get home. I’m going out for a while and will be home at my normal time.” I sneered at Linda before walking downstairs and out of the house.
I parked the car at a local park and took a walk to think things over. Before today I was sure Linda loved me as much as I loved her. I had no idea she was fucking my so called best friend, things hadnt changed at home, there was nothing that made me suspicious. I reached the decision that I couldn’t let this pass. Some mistakes I could forgive, but not this. I decided not to say anything to Linda, other than I needed time to think.
That night she tried to apologise, I ignored her and slept on the sofa. The following day I called into work and took the rest of the week off, thankfully nobody questioned why.
My solicitor tried to talk me out of filing for a divorce, he said I wouldn’t come out of it that well. I told him that was my business and to serve Linda as soon as he could. My next trip was to the bank. I moved most of our savings out of Linda’s reach. As far as I was concerned she didn’t deserve to get any money from me.
When I returned home Linda tried to speak to me, I put my hand up to stop her. “I’m not bothered with your pathetic excuses Linda, just leave me alone.” Linda started to cry as she walked away. I locked myself in my home office to avoid her. When the kids arrived home from school I went downstairs to see them, both of them were pleased that I was home early.
Linda was talking on her mobile phone while I chatted with the kids. Gayle was nine and I don’t think she knew what was going on. Nick on the other hand was watching both myself and Linda, I could tell by his face that he knew something was wrong.
Seeing me watching her Linda cut the call and came to talk to the kids. There is never a good time to make an announcement like mine but I decided to do it now. I told the kids that mummy and daddy didn’t love each other anymore. I assured them I would still be close by and would see them as often as I could. Linda had a look of shock on her face. I think if the kids hadn’t been there it would have ended up as a screaming match.
Nick sat quietly looking at the floor, Gayle sat on my lap and cuddled into me as she cried her heart out. I stared at Linda with a look that said, “This is all your fault!” Linda turned and walked into the kitchen, I heard her crying quietly.
Later that night when the kids were asleep Linda Tried to talk to me. “Please Don. Can we discuss this?”
No we can’t!” I replied before heading off to my home office. I spent the night sleeping in my office chair just to avoid listening to Linda whine on.
When Linda took the kids to school the following morning she said she was going to see her parents, I didn’t care as I was going out to look for somewhere to live.
As luck would have it there was an apartment just over a mile or so from the house, I signed up for it and returned home to start packing. I had most of my clothes packed when Linda returned from her parents.
“So you are leaving then?”
“Yes! I told you I was and nothing you can say or do will change my mind.”
“Would it help if Alan talked to you and apologised?”
“No it wouldn’t. In fact you can tell that fucking snake to steer clear of me. If I see him again I am likely to finish the job I started the other day.” Linda turned away and started to cry. Fuck her crying all over the place, this is all her fault anyway.
As I was loading stuff into my car a man approached the house, he asked for Linda.
“Mrs Linda Simmonds?” he asked
“Yes I’m Linda Simmonds.”
“You have been served.” He passed Linda an envelope and turned walking quietly away.
“Please Don. Please don’t do this to our family?”
“I didn’t do this to our family Linda. You did!” I got in my car and drove away leaving Linda in tears at the door.
I had filed for a divorce citing adultery, Linda asked me to change it to irreconcilable differences. I refused to even consider it. At least people would know who was in the wrong.
Linda signed the papers and the divorce went through slowly, very slowly. On the first weekend I had the kids over to stay Nick asked me if I would ever be coming back home?
“No sorry son, I won’t be coming back.” I replied, holding back tears.
Over the next few months the kids stayed with me every other weekend and some days during the school holidays. The divorce was final and Linda never got any of our savings, although she did get the last laugh. My solicitor warned me I wouldn’t come out of it well, he should have said financially sound. I ended up paying half the mortgage and child support, I didn’t mind that but I got pissed at paying Linda spousal support. She had the support for five years or until she married again.
I found out from the kids one weekend that Alan had moved into the house, that didn’t really surprise me. What pissed me off was Linda telling them they had to call him Dad. There was no way I was standing for that.I took the kids back on Sunday and asked Linda if I could have a word with her. We stepped into the garden so the kids didn’t hear, Alan was sitting on the patio smoking a cigar.
“The kids tell me you have told them that they have to call this snake Dad. Is it true?”
“Yes it is. I decided they needed a father figure around, as Alan is here and you are not they can call him Dad.”
“Like fuck they can! They are my kids and I will not have them referring to this prick as Dad.” Alan stood up like he was going to make a scene. “Sit down dickhead, unless you want another fucking good hiding.” Linda stared at me with her arms folded in front of her.
“I mean it Linda. You are not to have the kids call this thing Dad. I will relent to them calling him Uncle Alan but that’s about it. Once they are old enough they can refer to him by any fucking name they choose. Just to put all this in perspective, now that you and this fuckwit are living here, I am cutting my mortgage payment to a third, he can make up the difference.” I walked away leaving the pair of them stunned into silence.
Things between Linda and I got so bad after that discussion that I never went into the house when I picked up or dropped off the kids at the weekend.
Work had picked up and I was promoted with a hefty pay increase. I never mentioned it to Linda or the kids, I was worried she might go after more money from me. As it turned out I needn’t have worried. The next time I took the kids back Linda asked if she could talk to me, I reluctantly agreed and we ended up in the garden again.
“Don, I thought you should know that Alan has asked me to marry him.” I didn’t reply I just shrugged my shoulders and walked away smiling, The dopey sods had clearly forgotten that if Linda married my spousal support stopped, I cancelled the direct debit the Monday after they got married. When Linda asked where her money was that month I replied “You got married Linda, that freed me from my obligation to make a payment every month.” I hung up the phone, smiling as I did so. I heard Linda mutter the word shit before I hung up.
In a way I was pissed off as I was still paying a third of the mortgage, although I agreed to that to give the kids a roof over their heads. With the pay increase and the money I saved not paying Linda I got a mortgage and bought myself a house. The kids loved the place, despite the fact it needed a lot of work. Nick was now fourteen and fully understood why Linda and I got divorced, I think Gayle knew as well but she didn’t talk about it.
With the kid’s help I got the gardens sorted out, the grass out the back was so long I expected to find an undiscovered tribe camped out in it. The kids had their own rooms which I let them choose the colours for, within reason of course. One weekend Linda asked me if I could have the kids for the next weekend as well, apparently her and Alan needed some time alone. I politely refused as I had plans for the weekend, I had no plans but I wasn’t about to help her out.
My new neighbours made me feel welcome and my kids became friends with the two kids next door. The only other single person in the street was a widow in her sixties. I hadn’t bothered dating as the kids were more important to me, that all changed when my neighbour Nicola introduced me to her sister, Judy. Judy had never married, that surprised me given how pretty she was. Judy stood about 5′ 4″ with what you would call a medium build, curves in the right places was my description for her.
After a few dates I introduced Judy to my kids. I don’t know if Judy was nervous, I sure as hell was. They all got on so well that by the end of the evening we were acting like a normal family. Gayle really took to Judy, she went to her several times for advice. I found out why several weeks later when I took them back home.
Linda and Alan were not getting along, I suppose marriage is different to being fuck buddies. Linda had started drinking heavily at home, while Alan was spending most nights out drinking in pubs and bars. Things got so bad that one evening Gayle phoned and asked if I could call round and help, Linda was drunk and in a bad way.
I helped Gayle get Linda upstairs, Gayle undressed her mother and put her to bed. All the while there was no sign of Alan. The three of us had just sat down when there was a knock at the door. I opened it to find two police officers standing there.
“Can I help you officers?”
“We are looking for Mrs Carter.”
“Sorry, she’s upstairs in bed. I doubt I will be able to wake her tonight. I’m her ex-husband, is there anything I can help with?”
After spending a few minutes explaining why I was there, with the kids confirming my story the officers told me they had bad news.
“Mr Alan Carter was killed earlier tonight. He crashed his car into a tree, I’m afraid he died instantly.”
I assured the officers I would stay and inform my ex-wife when she woke in the morning. The kids were quiet, but neither of them cried when the officers told us about Alan.
“This will destroy Mum.” Nick stated looking at Gayle. She in turn nodded in agreement. I told them to go to bed and we would deal with it in the morning.
As much as I despised Alan for what he did I wasn’t looking forward to informing Linda of his death, sure I didn’t like them for what they had done, but I was going to get no pleasure out of this.
Linda staggered downstairs the following morning, hungover and looking like shit. The drink was clearly having an effect on her looks. She stared at me and aggressively asked “What the fuck are you doing here?”
I explained I came over last night when Gayle called me for help.
“Well as you can see I am fine. You can go now.”
“Linda, you had better sit down and shut up.” I replied.
Linda looked at me then chose to sit. “Okay what is this all about Don? I don’t have time for playing games.
“No games Linda. While you were sleeping off the booze last night the police called to see you.”
“What do they want with me? I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“I’m sorry Linda, they called around about Alan. The police came to inform you that Alan died last night in a traffic accident. All we know is he crashed his car into a tree, they suspect he had been drinking.”
Linda sat staring at me for what seemed like ages. She put her head in her hands and burst out crying, the kids tried to console her but it was pointless. I stayed in case I was needed, after about an hour I made my excuses and left.
Like I said I despised Alan for what he and Linda did to break up our family, but I never wanted him dead. Out of respect and for the kids I did attend his funeral. Linda didn’t speak to me but her parents thanked me for being there to support her.
“I’m here for the kids and for no other reason. As far as I am concerned Linda bought all this on herself.”
Linda’s parents looked shocked then quietly turned and walked away. I stood with the kids while Linda had a moment alone at the graveside.
One evening about a month after the funeral I got a frantic call from Nick. “Dad, please get here quickly. Mum’s gone crazy. She has beaten Gayle up and is throwing stuff around like a lunatic.” I told Nick I was on my way. I sprinted out to my car and raced towards the house.
On the way I called the police and told them what Nick had told me, they said some officers were on their way. I arrived at the house just before the police, I ran inside and left the door open.
The house was like a war zone. Linda was blind drunk and throwing stuff about. “YOU BASTARD! THIS IS YOUR FUCKING FAULT!” she screamed at me as something flew past my head. Dodging whatever was being thrown I made my way over to where Gayle was laying out cold on the floor. Two police officers entered and immediately restrained Linda. She was still cursing and calling me all the names under the sun, she then turned on the officers calling them some vile names.
As the officers led Linda outside to a waiting police van the paramedics arrived, they tended to Gayle as I talked to an officer. I looked over and saw Nick coming downstairs holding a bloody towel on his head.
“I’m sorry Dad. I tried to stop Mum hitting Gayle. She turned on me and bashed my head with something heavy. That was when I called you.”
“Not to worry son, you did all you could.” I assured Nick. Gayle was starting to come around so one of the paramedics checked Nick over. “That’s a nasty cut you have, young man, I’m afraid it will probably need stitches.” Nick winced a little when the paramedic gave him the good news. The kids left to go and get checked over at the hospital, I assured them I would be along once I finished talking to the police.
At the hospital the doctor told me Gayle was shocked, apart from that she had no major injuries. Nick did need stitches on the cut. The doctor told them both to take it easy for a few days. I took them back to the house the next day so they could each pack a bag. I told them to pack enough stuff for at least a week. I had no idea what was going to happen to Linda, right now I didn’t really care either way.
Back at my house I told the kids to unpack then we would sort out something to eat, a take away seemed the best option as I wasn’t in the mood to prepare a meal. I sat down with a coffee as the kids put their stuff away, my peace was broken by a knock at the door. I opened the door to find Judy standing there.
“I came to see my sister and spotted your car outside. Is everything okay Don?”
“Not really Judy, you had better come in.” I sat and told Judy what had happened earlier.
“Oh my god, are the kids okay?”
“They are upstairs putting their stuff in their rooms. I said I would call for a takeaway when they are done.”
“No Don. No takeaway food. You go and see to the kids, I will start cooking a meal. If I cannot find anything I will ask where it is, or go and borrow it from the nice lady next door.” We both laughed at the joke.
When the kids came downstairs Gayle ran straight to Judy for a hug. It was all I could do not to cry when I realised that my daughter felt safer with someone she had only known for a few months, rather than her own mother.
Linda’s parent’s bailed her out, stupidly they took her back to the house instead of home with them. I learnt that Linda was being charged with assaulting the kids as well as a police officer. Apparently when they took the cuffs off at the station she lashed out and punched the officer who had arrested her.
When Linda left the house one morning I went inside and gathered the rest of the kid’s stuff, I hadn’t bothered applying for custody. I wasn’t leaving them with her anymore, fuck what the law said.
Linda got a two year suspended sentence for the assault charges, she was ordered to seek help for her drinking problem. Her parents finally woke up and realised how bad she was, so they took her home with them. Linda’s father suggested I sell the house as she would not be returning to it anytime soon.
I thought about moving back with the kids, they didn’t want to go back to what I considered to be their home. I sold the place quite quickly. Once all the costs were covered I put the rest in the bank. Legally I owed Linda half but she wasn’t getting it until her drink problem was sorted out.
Life carried on for myself and the kids, strangely it didn’t seem to bother them that Linda wasn’t around. Gayle had formed a bond with Judy that was as strong as any I had seen, Nick made new friends and seemed happy for the first time in ages. I didn’t keep track of how Linda was doing, her parent’s didn’t feel the need to keep me informed either.
I didn’t know it, but things were about to change. It started when the kids were in bed and Judy asked if we could talk. The dreaded we need to talk went through my mind.
“Okay sure Judy. What’s on your mind?”
“I want to talk about us. By us I mean me, you and the kids.” I just stared and nodded.
“I know things haven’t been easy for you lately. What with your divorce, then being a part-time father to the kids. What I am trying to say is I really admire you for being the strong person that you are, that admiration has turned into love. I love you Don, I just need to know that you feel something for me?”
Wow! That stunned me into total silence for a few moments, I could see Judy looking at me waiting for an answer.
“Judy, I do love you. I guess with everything that’s going on I just haven’t told you. You have been a great help these last few months, and I know I couldn’t have managed as well as I have without you. So yes I do love you, please don’t think that I am just saying that. I’m sorry if I haven’t shown you how much you mean to me, what with everything else I just never got around to saying anything.”
“Don, I knew you loved me. I just needed to hear you say it, you big oaf. Not telling me you love me is one of a few things you have missed around here just lately. Did you know Gayle has started her periods?”
“Jesus. No, I didn’t know that. When did that start?”
“She came to me a few weeks before the incident with Linda. Girls these days know more than I did when I was her age, all the same she was still worried. She actually called me Mum once, I don’t think she even realised she had done it.”
“That’s probably because you have been more like a mother to her recently.” I honestly didn’t know and hadn’t spotted anything different. It didn’t surprise me that Gayle went to Judy about her periods, it is hardly a thing a girl wants to discuss with her Dad. I sat back and smiled at Judy, she looked at me all confused.
“Judy, I am going to ask you something now and please be honest with me. If I were to ask you to marry me, would you want more kids in the future?”
Judy sat and smiled. “If you ask me to marry you I will say yes. As for more kids the answer is no, now it’s my turn to be honest. I have known for years that I cannot have children. That probably explains why I am still single. As soon as a guy finds out I cannot have kids, they find an excuse to dump me. I have grown to love your kids as if they were my own, they are great kids and a credit to you.”
Judy joined me on the sofa as we hugged and started to make out, it wasn’t long before we headed upstairs to bed. We both agreed not to say anything to the kids about our conversation, I told Judy I wanted to talk to them alone first. That was a little white lie.
The following day I left work early and paid a visit to a local jeweller. After explaining to the sales girl that I wanted a ring and roughly what size, I got down to picking one out. Not wanting to tip my hand I decided to go home at my normal time, as it happened due to traffic problems, I was actually ten minutes later than usual. Whereas I normally changed before dinner I sat down to dinner in my suit. When we had finished eating I stood up, Judy and the kids probably assumed I was going to get changed.
Judy was just about to stand up and start clearing the table when I got down on one knee, I held the open ring box in front of me. “Judy, would you do me the honour of marrying me?”
“Finally! Thank god for that, I never thought you would get around to it Dad.” Nick quipped with a smile.
Judy was still in shock as she looked at the ring and then back at me. “Yes. Yes I will.” She blurted out before starting to cry. Judy stood up and hugged me, she sniffed and dried her eyes before kissing me. The tears started again when Gayle hugged us both. “Does this mean I can call you Mum now?”
Judy and Gayle hugged each other, Nick shook my hand and man hugged me. It was then that I realised that neither of the kids mentioned their mother, or how she might react. Personally I wasn’t bothered, in my eyes it was none of her business.
EPILOGUE
When the kids visited Linda they let her know I was getting married again, all she did was shrug her shoulders and changed the subject of the conversation. Nick told me Linda was getting help for her drinking, she seemed a lot better than when they last saw her.
By now I had applied for and been legally granted custody of the kids. Linda was given ample visitation rights, for some reason known only to her she saw the kids once a month at best.
When I knew that Linda’s drinking wasn’t a problem I wrote her a check for her half of the house sale. She thanked me and said little else, her father thanked me for giving her the money. He said they hoped she would use it for a fresh start.
Shortly after Judy and I married the kids went to visit Linda, they came back saying she wasn’t there and her parents had no idea where she was. Judy said Linda was probably making a fresh start and would contact them when she was settled, that never happened.
Linda’s father called around one evening saying he had some bad news. We sat as he explained that Linda had moved away and settled down with a guy she met in rehab, It turns out the guy was a drug user. From what the police had said, Linda and this guy James had both died from a drug overdose. He started using again and Linda got into drugs as well.
Once Linda’s funeral was over and done with, the kids never mentioned her again. At least not in my presence. Gayle treated Judy like her mother, Nick had started calling her Mum since we had got married. I watched Judy and the kids interact with each other. I couldn’t help but think how Linda had fucked up her life, then really fucked up by getting into drugs and ending her life.