A Promise Made, A Vow Broken – Traci's Story

An adult stories – A Promise Made, A Vow Broken – Traci's Story by Topspot101,Topspot101 A Promise Made, A Vow Broken — Traci’s Story

Hooked1957 wrote a story called “A promise made, a vow broken”. It is a great story. It is written from the perspective of the husband. I recommend anyone who has not read it to go and read it now.

My story uses the same story ark and timeline, only I have written it from the wife’s perspective. Hooked1957 has given me permission to publish this story and use the dialogue between husband and wife at key parts of the story. Please read the original story first if you have not done so already..

I also need to thank my editor, Kinjisato. Without their patience and skill these stories would not work.

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Today is my sixty-seventh birthday. I retired from my job yesterday. I should be out having a party with my children and the love of my life, Bobby, but, instead, I sit here alone in my apartment wondering if anyone will even call. I know it is all my fault because having it all was not enough, and I screwed it up, royally. I am Traci Sprague. Well that is the name I use, as it is the name of my first husband and I just refuse to give it up. I wish I had been more careful with him when the ball was in my court to make the important choice.

I met Bobby Sprague in my last year of college. He was quiet, unassuming and had absolutely zero idea why women fell at his feet. I was out with the girls for drinks, when he and his buddies walked into the bar.

One of the girls said, “Would you look at him, god, I wouldn’t kick him out of bed.”

As I looked over, I had a shiver up my spine, he was going to be mine. To be honest, he never had a chance, that night I bumped into him at the bar, and said, “Well, if you are going to knock me over, you might as well take me on the dance floor.” I never let him out of my sight that night, much to my friends’ annoyance. That was our first ‘date’. Our second date was for a meal, two days later. I was always very careful about going to bed with dates; I had only had three partners before, and they took months to get me to bed– I was no slut. I dragged Bobby to bed on our second date, and made sure everyone knew we were exclusive from that minute on. A year later, we were engaged, and a year after that, we were married. I threw away my birth control pills a month before our wedding, and our first child, a girl we named Mellissa, was born thirteen months after we were married, and our son, Terry, two years after our daughter.

Bobby was a computer programmer, and he started to work in a government agency immediately after he graduated. It was a nine-to-five job; the pay was good. I did not have to work, the house was big enough for us, the kids wanted for nothing, we had good cars that were paid for, and anything I wanted for the house I got. But, I always felt he could do better, and that we could go to Maui on vacation (which was my dream), especially if he opened his own business. Bobby refused, saying we had a good lifestyle; he always was home for dinner and had weekends for the kids’ activities. This was the hook that I left open which led to my own destruction.

When our youngest was eleven and could look after himself, I decided I wanted to go back to work. I needed something to do, and the extra money would enable us to go on those Maui vacations. I was an art major, and I had been doing some valuation and evaluation work as a favour for a high-end art gallery in town. I asked Lou, the owner, if he knew of any jobs and he offered me a position at thirty hours a week. The basic salary was good, but I was offered a one-percent bonus on anything I sold. I loved the work, and the hours meant I was always home when the children got off the school bus.

One of my favourite parts of the job was the open viewings. One night a quarter, we opened the gallery to regular customers so they could socialise and browse. The smell of power in the room was intoxicating, and I often achieved a sale on the night by brushing the right ego. After those nights, I always felt a tingle of excitement hearing about someone’s new house, and when I came home to ours, I fell flat, thinking Bobby had the means to give us that lifestyle, but chose not to. The funk would only last a day or two, and usually went away when I looked at Bobby and realised how good a husband and father he was.

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The root of my problem started in early November, when Lou brought a new client into my office. His name was Jackson Aloysius Fairchild. He was a twenty-eight-year-old property developer, who had made a killing selling a family farm, which had just been rezoned for housing a few years back. He had moved to our town to open a development company, and was looking to spend a very large sum on art for his new apartment and lake house. Jackson (or Jay to his friends) gave me a look that sent a shiver down my spine. It was a friendly look, but it said ‘I want to eat you’ and I could smell power. Lou wanted me to work exclusively with him.

After the first meeting, Lou called me into his office. He said, “Traci, I need you to work closely with Jay, he is looking to spend between four and five million dollars, and if we play it right, he will spend it all here. I will guarantee you your one-percent commission.”

I was ecstatic. Even on the low end of expectations, I would earn enough to remodel the kitchen, and I could save the rest to take Bobby for a trip to Maui on his forty-fifth birthday in six years, when the kids would have left for college.

As I left Lou’s office, my co-worker Steff Taylor looked at me and said, “Did you see that guy. God, he looked great, but be careful. My friend Kim knows him, and he has a thing for married women. Likes to humiliate the husband, and he leaves carnage in his wake. Please be careful, I saw the look on his face when he first saw you, and I got the feeling you might be next on his list. I know he specifically asked Lou to assign only you to his account. Don’t let him seduce you, and don’t let him talk you into thinking Bobby will accept a hall pass.”

I brushed off her comments and threw myself into the assignment. We started off with a tour of the apartment and then the lake house, so I could get a feel for the locations. Jay also took me for lunch, so I could learn about him. This was critical information when advising someone on the art they might like. Lou was there all the time, and Jay was the perfect gentleman.

Our first encounter was at the Christmas Gala evening. Bobby and I were talking, when Jay came over. I introduced him to Bobby, but I could feel a little tension in Bobby. He took an instant dislike to Jay, and Jay clearly didn’t think much of Bobby. I quickly sent Bobby to get a drink and I circulated. It wasn’t long until I was in conversation with Jay and two others, about a new piece that had arrived that morning. I felt Jay’s hand lightly around my waist, but I was hoping to sell this piece to him, so I left it there as I tried to get two powerful and rich men to haggle over the sculpture. Just then, I felt Jay’s hand move from my waist and I saw Bobby standing beside me, moving the hand. I was annoyed, I had the sale in the bag and Bobby broke the moment. I hid my anger, but escaped Bobby’s presence as quickly as I could.

I circulated once again, and Jay quickly came up to me when out of Bobby’s sight.

Jay said, “He’s got quite the inferiority complex, hasn’t he?”

I didn’t respond to Jay’s statement, but just stood and looked at him.

Then he said, “Come out to see my new Jag, it’s got a killer sound system and we can negotiate a price on that statue. I think it would look fantastic in the lake house. Would you put it between the office and kitchen doors, or on the wall between the two large windows overlooking the lake?”

My mind wandered back to the lake house, and how it’s silence and beauty had captivated me. It was a place to make sweet love and the sculpture was perfect to sit between the two windows. As my mind wandered, I found myself in the parking lot and Jay was directing me into the back seat of a car, which was obviously stylish and expensive.

We sat in the car for about twenty minutes. We agreed on a price for the sculpture. I pitched it high and he accepted without negotiating, so we settled in, to listen to the stereo and I found myself snuggling into Jay.

He then asked a strange question. “Does your husband always feel threatened by an alpha?”

By this time, I was mellow. The big bonus and the smell of leather in a new car, had made me happy, and I replied, “No, he is happy with his job. I think he just lacks ambition and sometimes he feels a little insecure.”

We sat quietly for a further ten minutes. The stereo was playing the 1812 Overture and it was washing over me like a relaxing bath.

Jay said, “We better get back, or your husband will get angry. I don’t want any trouble with him.”

Just then, the car door flew open and Bobby said, “Time to go dear, NOW.”

I quickly stammered something about the stereo being great, but he frog marched me to his truck. I started to protest, that I couldn’t leave before it was over, but Bobby just said Lou could call him if he had a problem.

I said, “We were really listening to his car’s sound system. It’s amazing.” But the non-committal grunt, told me I was on sticky ground, and I needed to go with my husband.

Lou was ecstatic with the sale, and never mentioned me leaving the gala early the next day. Life at home was not so pleasant, and I had to work hard over Christmas to get Bobby to even utter more than one syllable to me at a time. Even Mellissa noticed the problem on Christmas Day, and my mum, Judy, asked if everything was okay.

Things slowly thawed around the house. I raped Bobby on New Year’s Eve because he had shown no interest in me since the gala. I made sure not to mention Jay by name in the house. Most importantly, I asked Jay not to attend the March Gala, saying I would give him a private showing before the event.

During January and February, I was at his apartment a lot. He purchased four new pieces for the apartment, and when I went to help install them, he flirted remorselessly with me. At first, I brushed it off, but soon I was enjoying it. He commented on my legs, hips, bust, and even suggested that he would like a naked picture of me for his private study. When he took his camara out and said, “Do you want to try out some of the poses now?” I got wet, but brushed it off and left the apartment as quickly as possible.

A few weeks later, we were in the lake house. Jay had built a plinth for the sculpture and I went up to place it, and ensure it was secure. After we had finished, Jay had prepared lunch. It was a warm April day and we sat outside. As we ate, the only sound was the water lapping against the beach. P

Jay looked at me with those hungry eyes, and said, “Do you think your husband is submissive?” P

It was a left-field statement, and I said, “What does that mean?”

After taking some more food and a long drink of wine, Jay went on, “A lot of men are what is called ‘betas’. It’s not insulting, it’s just that they let their wives drive their relationship. They don’t have a lot of ambition and they always want their wives to be happy. A remarkable number actually enjoy being slightly humiliated. Ever since the way Bobby acted at the Christmas Gala, I thought he was getting a kick out of it. I bet the sex has been amazing once he got over it?”

I had to admit it had; since I virtually raped him on New Year’s Eve, we had been like newlyweds.

“You do realise that you could take it up a level and really power your relationship forward.”

This was a strange conversation, so we sat quietly as we finished our food, and Jay made coffee. We sat looking at the sculpture, and another painting I had brought for his consideration, when I asked, “How could we step it up a level?”

Jay didn’t take his eyes off the painting and said, “You could cuckold him. What price did you say that picture was?”

I replied by saying, “Two-hundred-thousand dollars.” But my mind was a blur. What did he mean, ‘cuckold’ him? I had never heard that term.

Jay stood up and said, “I will pay one-hundred-eighty-thousand dollars for it. Deal?”

I stood and shook his hand. He had his phone out of his pocket, and was calling Lou to say he was buying the painting.

I said, “I need to leave to be home in time for dinner.”

He just waved at me and mouthed, “See you next week.”

I drove home with my mind all over the place. Jay had now spent nearly two-point-five-million dollars on art from the gallery, and I had opened a separate account for the commission. I called it ‘Maui Special’ and by the end of next month, it would have twenty-five-thousand dollars in it. But what else was he offering me? I stopped for gas on the way home, and Googled the word ‘cuckold’. I was shocked when it said that it was when a man allowed his wife to have sex with other men. Did Jay want to have sex with me? I felt a strange flutter. I was forty, he was twenty-eight; why would he want me when he could have anyone his own age?

It was the following Friday when Jay sent me a message, asking if I wanted to go to lunch that day. I was beginning to get worried about where this was going with him, but I also knew he was getting ready to put art in his new offices, and I was hoping to double my ‘Maui Special’. I agreed to meet, and he came to the office to collect me.

As I was leaving, Steff grabbed me and said, “You and him are getting way too close. I hope he isn’t laying some BS on you, about Bobby accepting a fling with him?” She looked deep into my eyes, and went, “Oh shit, he is, and you are buying it. I’m telling you, girl, Bobby will not accept it. Are you willing to lose everything for a meaningless fuck?”

I was so mad at Steff. She didn’t know Bobby, and how much he loved me. Was she just jealous that Kenny didn’t love her as deeply.

Over lunch, Jay showed me pictures of the office and its views. It was in a high-rise, with views over the river and out to the city and hills. The place was a blank canvas, and I couldn’t wait to get started on providing the artwork. Jay suggested we go to the office after lunch, to get a feel for the location. As we came in, Jay took his jacket off, then came to me. He took me in his arms and gave me a gentle kiss on the lips. Before I had recovered, he took my hand and started walking me around the office. It was like a blur, what happened, when and how. I just couldn’t think about anything other than the kiss. Eventually, we arrived in his office, where there was a couch. I sat, and he went to get a coffee. That gave me time to compose myself, but I was still on edge when he returned.

He handed me the coffee and said, “I want this place to reflect a certain sensual quality, something that you and I have between us.”

I was totally caught off guard and this just had me in a spin. He then changed tack and said, “Have you thought about Bobby being a beta?”

Again, the confusion rolled over me even further, as Jay put an arm around me, but didn’t pull me in close. Then, he leaned over and kissed me lightly behind the ear and said, “Has your sex life slowed down since he caught us at the Christmas Gala?”

The truth was, it hadn’t. We had been great in the bedroom, and I said, “Uh-uh,” not trusting myself with words.

He then said, “Like most married men, he gets off on the humiliation of his wife with a stronger man. It drives him to reclaim you after what has been done. I want to take it to the next step, I want to take you to bed and give him the ultimate satisfaction of cuckolding him.”

I jumped up from the seat, and said, “I don’t know if I could cheat on him and I really think he would divorce me if I did.”

Jay sat back and said, “If you told him what was happening, it wouldn’t be cheating on him. We could go up to the lake house and you could tell him you are spending the night with me. Then the next day, you go home and he will be able to reclaim you the next night.”

I was in shock.

But, Jay continued, “Most men see it as proving to their wife and lover, that they are a real man. Bobby showed at Christmas how being a cuckold will appeal to him”

I just looked at Jay and said, “I have to go.” With that, I turned to the door and walked out. My mind was all over the place, as I drove back to the gallery.

I sat at my desk. Steff looked at me, and said, “Don’t fall for the bullshit.”

I said, “What bullshit? He’s given me a new commission, and I am trying to visualise the scene; look, here are the pictures.”

Steff came over and looked, then said, “Yeah, you are staring past those pictures. Something has happened and you are crossing a line you will regret.” She then turned to leave the office, saying, “Bobby is no wimp, and if you treat him like one, you will lose him forever.”

The next two weeks were a blur. I was in and out of Jay’s office with different ideas, and he eventually settled on four pieces worth over one-point-five-million dollars. That was a further fifteen-thousand dollars for the account, and I was on cloud nine. He invited me to the apartment for lunch around the middle of June. He wanted me there when he paid for the office artwork, and he wanted a final piece for the apartment. It was a full floor-to-ceiling piece, and we had to measure it to fit. If he purchased it, I would have earned over fifty-thousand dollars in commission, and I would have achieved my ambition for the special account.

As we sat at lunch, Jay said, “I am holding a Fourth of July party at the lake house. Lou, his wife, and a couple of my friends are coming, would you and Bobby like to come?”

The air was pregnant with anticipation, but I couldn’t play around. He wasn’t asking me to a party; he was asking me to go to his bed.

I took the bull by the horns and said, “What will I do if Bobby threatens to divorce me?”

His reply was straight to the point. “I am asking you because I want to take you to bed, but you don’t have to make up your mind, until you are there. Lou and my friends will keep Bobby from causing trouble. If he threatens to divorce you, remember we live in a no-fault state. If he divorces you, he will have to give you the house while paying for it, he will have to pay child support and spousal support, and you can tell the kids he caused the divorce, turning them against him. It’s a slam dunk from there. He loves his kids, he won’t let that happen. Tell him what is going to happen, give him no choice, and by the time you get him in bed the next night, he will have moved on to the next phase of his life.”

I just said, “Let me think about it.”

Jay turned to the wall and said, “Do you think that painting will go there?”

Just like that, the conversation had moved on, and I was metaphorically running to catch up with Jay.

A week later, he messaged me saying, “I think I will take that picture”

I texted, “Great, I will tell Lou to call you to arrange logistics of delivery”

I was ecstatic. That night was the Summer Gala. Once again, Jay didn’t go and Bobby and I had a great night. Just before it ended, I felt my phone vibrate.

It was a message from Jay, asking, “Anything planned for 4th July?”

I was so excited, I replied, “Yes, see you at the lake house” The message was away before I had even thought about it, or its implications.

Jay replied with a dancing emoji.

I was now committed to going, but I sent back, “No decisions on other!”

The following Saturday, I told Bobby we were going to Jay’s lake house for a Fourth of July party. He was not happy about it, but I gave him no choice. That afternoon, I went out and bought a new bikini, which really did things for my body, and some sexy underwear.

On the drive up to the lake house, I was on edge, and so was Bobby. He didn’t say much and I was happy with that. My mind was in turmoil. I really wanted this, but I was afraid. I supposed if Bobby was determined to stop it, he would not have let me go, but he had. Did that make him a beta?

Years later, I have thought about that drive and realised Bobby had no idea what I was planning. I have now realised that it was at that moment, my cheating actually began, as I had made a subconscious decision to cheat on him, and that I had just not realised it yet.

The Friday night meal was fantastic, and so was the company. One of Jay’s friends told me about the condo he had bought for a couple near the beach. He was so generous. They said not to worry about Bobby, that they would make sure he was happy.

On the Saturday, we went out on the lake. Even if I do say so myself, I looked great and Jay could not keep his eyes off me. After another great meal, I mentioned for Lou to follow me into the house.

I said, “Lou, I need to talk to Jay, but him and Bobby have a bit of a macho thing going on; can you get him away for about thirty minutes to give me space.”

He replied, “Sure, I’ll take him for a walk around the lake. I’ll do it at about seven, when everyone is sitting down for drinks.”

At seven, Lou asked Bobby to go for a walk. As they disappeared, I went over to sit beside Jay, leaning my head on his chest, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He kissed the top of my head then gently stroked my hair. I must have lain there for nearly thirty minutes when I heard Lou and Bobby coming back.

Jay whispered in my ear, “If you want to do it, give me a thumbs up.”

Just then, Bobby came back into the pool area, and when he looked over at me lying on Jay’s chest, you could see the anger in his eyes. I slowly stood up and walked over to sit beside him, but I kept glancing over at Jay. A couple of times, one of his friends’ wives gave me a thumbs up, but I kept still. Then Bobby got up to go for a drink, and I stood up. And I felt my thumb more than anything, give Jay a thumbs-up sign. The die was now cast!

It was around midnight, and the other couples had gone to bed. Knowing what was happening, they had given me space, but Lou was ready to come for Bobby, if he started trouble. As we were going back into the house, I turned my head to Bobby and said quietly, “Come to the kitchen, I need to talk to you.”

He gave me a quizzical look, but walked into the kitchen. I took a deep breath, it was now or never. I had to do this quickly, get it out there so I came straight out with it.

“Jackson has asked me to sleep in his bed tonight. I accepted his proposal. This has nothing to do with love. This is purely about sex, Bobby. I’ve been completely faithful to you for seventeen years, you are the only man I love. But I want to have sex with Jackson. He excites me, and I want to see what a different man feels like. After tonight, I will go back to being your completely faithful wife for the rest of our lives, but I think you owe me one night.”

Bobby stood with his mouth open, looking at me like he didn’t understand. Then it dawned on him what I said. He was clearly angry as he swore at me, “Over my fucking dead body you’re going to sleep with him.”

Typical Bobby, trying to stop me having something for myself. I wasn’t taking this. This was my night, and he was just going to have to take it.

I spat back, “This is not a negotiation, Bobby. Accept it for what it is. Tonight, I’m his. Tomorrow, and for the rest of my life, I’ll be yours.”

“Don’t be too sure of that, babe,” he spluttered. “Remember, there are consequences to every action.”

“God damn it, Bobby!” I half-whispered. “Do you have to see everything so black and white? It’s one night, for God’s sake. One night and done. And you’re going to ruin everything for everybody. One night. We never thought you’d be so intractable. I probably should have just kept my mouth shut and gone behind your back… but I was afraid if you found out about that, we were definitely finished. So I figured if you knew and let me go, it wouldn’t be cheating.”

I decided that was it, no more debate. It was happening, so I just turned on my heels, walked out of the kitchen, and took Jay’s hand and kept walking up the stairs. I could hear Bobby coming out of the kitchen but I kept going. I hoped he wasn’t crying, but he had to deal with this.

The sex that night wasn’t great. Jay wasn’t into foreplay, but it didn’t really matter. I was so wet from anticipation, and he was bigger than Bobby, so I did get off before rolling over and going to sleep.

If that was the only sex we had, it really would not have been worth the aggravation with Bobby. But the next morning, I woke up to the sounds of everyone in the kitchen, and Jay licking my pussy. He had opened the bedroom door, and I could hear one of Jay’s friends talking to Bobby. As I heard Bobby’s voice, it caused an orgasm to wash over me, and I could even hear myself moan. With that, Jay rolled me into a doggy position, and entered me with one hard-and-fast stroke. My orgasm kept rolling over me, and I could not keep it down. I knew everyone could hear me and that Bobby would be humiliated. God, it was fantastic and the thought of Bobby pounding my pussy tonight as he reclaimed me, sent me over the edge.

After we were done, Jay got up and said, “Go take a shower then meet me in the kitchen, so we can go out together. Bobby will probably be so hard, he might want to take you in the boat when we are out on the lake this afternoon.”

Jay and I got bacon and eggs and came out to the deck. I felt wonderful, I had just had great sex and I felt refreshed and was ready to kill my man with sex. My first indication that all might not be well was Bobby’s face. There was no love in it and certainly no indication that he was turned on by what he had heard.

I sat and waited for the explosion. It didn’t come and that was worse.

Jay made a comment about going out on the boat, but Bobby quickly said that he wanted to go home and see the kids. I rolled my eyes at the others thinking, “What does he want to spend time with the kids for, he is with the kids every weekend.” Before I could say anything, he was up and gone. I hadn’t even finished breakfast, when he was back saying the truck was packed and dragged me out to the patio area with hardly a single goodbye.

I saw one of Jay’s friends, Marna, and her face had a look of despair on it. I wondered why.

The start of the ride home was in total silence. My pussy was sore from this morning, but it was also wet with anticipation. I had never had two men inside me in a single day and I couldn’t wait. I really hoped Bobby would be rough with me. I wanted to find it difficult to walk the next morning. I had never been a slut before, but tonight I was going to be the biggest slut I could be. I wanted everything Bobby could give and I wanted it hard and fast. This was going to be one of the best nights of our marriage.

I was shaken out of my thoughts by an angry question from Bobby.

“Was it worth it?”

I could see the humiliation on his face and hear it in his voice. My pussy got wetter and I knew it was going to drive him wild tonight, as he strove to reclaim every inch of my body. I dreamily replied, “Hmmm, yes. Yes it was. It was wonderful.” I knew this wasn’t true of the sex, but it was wonderful thinking what it had done for Bobby, and what I expected it would do for us.

Then, I got a bit of a bump into reality when Bobby spat out, “Seventeen years, two kids, everything we’ve built together, done in one night, then?”

I couldn’t believe what he was saying. We weren’t done. This was a gift to me and a driver for him. I was going to have to lay down the law, it was time to focus his mind. He had to know there were consequences, if he didn’t accept this weekend as a time separate from our marriage. I steeled myself. I had really hoped I would not have to deliver this bit, but it had to be done.

I said, “That’s up to you, Bobby. Like I promised you, this was a one-time thing only, and now I’ll be yours every bit as faithfully as I was before last night. It was an amazing night,” I exaggerated, for the effect it would have on his performance tonight, “and now it’s over. But, if you can lose your love for me that quickly, and break up our family; then you do what you need to do. But trust me, I’ll get the kids, and I’ll make sure they know you ruined our family.”

Bobby went silent as the impact of my message hit home. This was a done deal, and I was offering him a generous return for his gift, but I would not stand by and let him destroy our life.

Bobby was fussing around the children at my parents’ house. I just watched. It was clear he was still feeling the humiliation, and I was so looking forward to taking it away. I had never been so wet for so long; tonight was going to be unbelievable.

We got home, unpacked and had dinner. Bobby took the kids to bed and surprised me when he didn’t come down again. I expected him to come and snuggle up to me, the way we normally did after being away for the weekend. I switched everything off and went to our room. Bobby was already in bed, facing away from my side of the bed. I went into the bathroom, and cleaned my teeth. There would be no need for a nightie, probably for weeks to come. I got into bed beside Bobby, and reached around him, expecting to find him hard as my uncovered boobs touched his back. I was disappointed to find him soft. I started to stroke him, and was excited as he rolled onto his back. But then he delivered a devistating response.

“Not happening tonight,” he said. “There’s not a damn thing you can do that’s going to get me up for you. You’ll just have to be satisfied with what that asshole gave you last night and this morning.”

I was hurt and shocked. This was not what was supposed to happen, certainly the exact opposite of what I was hoping and expecting. I replied, “But don’t you want to reclaim my pussy as your own? Jackson says it’s almost like an automatic response for men in situations like this.”

His response was a gut punch. “Oh, did he now? So not only is he a real-estate genius, but he’s also a sex therapist, as well? Well, then he should have warned you that some men don’t take what you did as a sexual challenge. Some of us take it as a complete betrayal, and throwing up might fit the bill more than a fuck!”

Oh god, what had I done? I had totally misjudged Bobby’s response, and I had no idea what to do. My hand loosened on his cock and he rolled away. I turned away and I felt the tears rising. What would I do now? I hoped Bobby would cuddle me, but I knew he wouldn’t. He had never spoken to me like that; the anger and hurt was running very deep in him.

The following weekend, Steff came to our house to drop off some information. She took one look at Bobby then left. On the Monday morning when I arrived at work, she was sitting on my seat.

She looked at me, and said, “You stupid slut, you just had to do it.”

I looked at her and said, “What do you mean?”

She laughed, and said, “You know exactly what I mean. You slept with Jackson at his lake house, and you have screwed your marriage.”

I was taken aback, and said, “Yes, I did, but Bobby agreed to it.”

Steff’s laugh was cutting. Then she said, “No, he didn’t. You think you sold him some bullshit, but he didn’t buy it. Every time I have seen Bobby, he has been devoted to you. He had a big sign stencilled on his forehead saying ‘Only Traci’, but on Saturday, I saw a new sign; it said ‘Available’. And when he looked at you, there was no love in his eyes. I warned you not to fall for his bullshit, but you just didn’t listen. You need to work fast, girl; or he will be history. Do not let him out of your sight. If he goes to school events or Little League, be there. Those things are full of divorcees looking for a good many, and they will see what I saw in Bobby. If you aren’t careful, he will be out shagging every one of them because you opened your legs and your marriage. You also need to get him between your legs as fast as possible.”

I looked at her then dropped my head. Before I knew what was happening, I was on the floor at her knees in tears telling her the whole story from the Christmas Gala right up to Bobby’s refusal to touch me the night we came home, and telling her how cold the house has been since we came back.

She looked at me with sadness in her eyes, and said, “I told you Bobby would not accept that bullshit, but you fell for it. You are now in the fight for your life over your marriage, and that little speech on the way home has only made things worse. We need to plan. The first thing is not to force him into sex. You have got to let him get over this slowly. Very few men like to be cuckolded and Bobby certainly isn’t one of them. He is no ‘beta’, he’s a good man that looks after his family, and you have abused his good side. Wait until he is ready for you.

“Next you must not leave him alone with the school mums. Everyone will see what I saw and they will go after him. If you are not careful, he will be asking you for a hall pass.”

The thought made me sick; I could not bear the thought of Bobby being with another woman.

When I told Steff that, she laughed, and said, “Now, you know how he feels.”

It was at that moment, I realised the magnitude of my mistake. I had never once stopped to think how I would have felt, if the roles were reversed. If only I had never agreed to go to the lake house.

From that moment on, if Bobby did anything with the kids I was there. No matter how bored I was going to be, it was a good job I did. I literally had to fight off other women, who practically rubbed themselves against him. He was mine, and I was fighting for him.

The bedroom remained like an ice box. Bobby would go to bed and turn his back to me every night. I started wearing the least-sexy nightdress I had. The plan was to let him gradually come back to me. It was critical that he did, but he had to want to love me, not forced to fuck me.

Every night, I made a point of touching him, and saying “Goodnight, love you.” Most nights, he said, “Goodnight,” but on a couple of occasions, I felt him flinch at my touch. On those nights, I screwed my eyes tight, and did everything to stop from sobbing. A couple of times, I got up and went to the kitchen to ‘get a drink’ but I always sat on the kitchen floor and cried. How had I done this to us!

It was December, and things in the house were improving. We had gone from sitting in different seats, to both sitting on the couch, to actually sitting beside each other. He let me snuggle into him, but never initiated any contact. I did want to make love to him, not for me, but because I knew that if that part of our life did not restart, he would stray and I would lose him.

So one night, I laid on his chest and started to rub him; he moved his hand to stop me. I grabbed it and looked straight into his eyes, saying, “Bobby, we need to be intimate. I need you and I need physical love. If you don’t want me, tell me, and I will find someone who will give it to me. Please, Bobby. I want you, please take me back.”

I allowed myself to cry, then I stood up, and went to bed. It was over an hour, before he came up. I sat up, as he came into the bedroom.

He looked at me and said, “I booked a table in that Italian place on Oxford Street for Friday night,” I smiled, we were back to date night.

I was so excited to be going out with him, I felt giddy. We had a great meal, talking like we did before the lake house incident. I drank a little too much wine, but I knew I was going to throw myself at him, and I needed some courage, as I was afraid he might reject me. When we got home, he pulled me to the bedroom and we practically attacked each other. I was so excited, I orgasmed when I felt his cock touch my lips and I made sure he knew it. He then took me with a passion I had never felt from him before. When we were both spent, I lay on the bed with Bobby wrapped around me. I was in heaven and made sure he knew it.

On Monday, I came into the office feeling like a new woman. Steff looked at me and said, “Someone got lucky over the weekend.”

I just smiled a knowing smile, and said, “Bobby took me out for date night on Friday night.”

Steff smiled, and asked, “Was it good?”

My smile said it all, but I added, “It was the best, I have never known him to be so assertive.”

With that, Steff’s face went dark, and said, “Oh god, I hope you made love. If he just fucked you, then you are in big trouble.”

Steff was trying to put a dark mood on me getting my marriage back, and I snapped back, “I know when he is making love, and he made love to me.”

Steff turned, walked to the kitchen, and said, “I hope so, for your sake. Want coffee?”

Over the next few years, things were good. I knew Bobby had a document box in his home office, which he kept locked. Occasionally, I would see him sitting in the office or on the couch, brooding, and if I called his name, he would have a strange look; one I didn’t like for a fleeting moment, before he would snap out of it, and smile at me. I knew I had to be careful with his feelings, but generally, we were good and life was back to normal. Bobby stopped attending the office galas, and I never pushed him to go. I did not want him thinking about Lou, or what he remembered of that night. I always went alone, and made a point of leaving after two hours, not staying late.

Fourth of July holidays were particularly an issue. On the first July 4th after the lake house, I asked my parents to be around, and let Bobby grill. I made a point of making that holiday about family only, and gave Bobby everything he wanted, but asked for nothing in return.

It had been almost five years since that incident, and Terry was graduating from high school. He would be going to college in September, and we would be empty nesters. Bobby had organised a graduation party for all of Terry’s friends. Bobby was back to his normal self, and I stood at the kitchen window, watching him control the party. I had been looking at my ‘Maui Special’ account, and with interest added, it was over fifty-four-thousand dollars. I was going to put in the outside kitchen Bobby had talked about several years ago, but never followed through on. I had also been pricing holidays to Maui and we could go first class for a two-week all inclusive for twenty-thousand dollars. The travel agents advised October as the best time to go, and I would surprise him on his birthday in mid-October. Everything was coming together!

We took Terry to college in early September. It was a strange trip, Bobby and I stayed in a hotel for a week. I really got the feeling the empty nest was going to leave a big hole in Bobby’s life. At that moment, I would have had another baby for him just to fill the hole, but I was too old and Maui was going to blow his mind. The trip home, and the house was quiet for the next month, as I tried to rock his mind and his world.

I was in the office preparing for the Autumn Gala, which was due to be held the following evening, when my life imploded.

We were setting up a display for a vintage vase, which was to be the centerpiece for this event, when the door to the gallery opened. A man came in, carrying a briefcase, and asked, “Can I speak to Traci Sprague?”

I walked over to him holding out my hand, saying, “That’s me.”

He held his briefcase in one hand, so it was level, and opened it. He then took out an envelope and said, “Traci Sprague, you have been served.”

I looked at him, as if he had two heads, as he held out the envelope.

I didn’t move to take it.

He said, “Mrs. Sprague, you are legally required to take this envelope. Please take it from me.”

I reached out my hand, as if on auto-pilot, and felt the envelope slip into it. The feeling felt like death.

As he turned to walk out, I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Steff; she guided me into the office. Everyone was looking at me, and the look on Lou’s face was of sheer pain, but not shock, like he had been waiting for this moment to happen.

Steff sat me down, and in a quiet, calming voice said, “Let’s see what it is.” But again, her voice held only pain and no surprise.

We opened the envelope, and I pulled the documents part way out. But that was all I needed, as at the top of the first page the words ‘Dissolution of Marriage’ stood out like neon-flashing lights. My world collapsed and my first thought was anger. Why was he humiliating me like this? My anger rose, and I grabbed my coat and car keys. He was going to get a piece of my mind. I practically ran out of the office. I did not want to look at anyone, but I could hear Lou’s wife crying. I was going to kick Bobby into next week.

I got into the car, and literally tore up the tarmac getting out of the parking lot. I angrily pressed the call button, and when he answered, I screamed, “I’m on my way home now, you bastard, and when I get there I’m going to kick your balls all the way to next week.”

Bobby’s sarcastic response was a gut punch. “My money was on contrite and tearful. Just goes to show you what I know.” He then hung up. Surely, this was not serious!

I pulled into the garage, which was open, slammed the door, and entered the house as I normally do. I was expecting him in the family room, and that is where he was, sitting in silence. As I came in, I was ready to give him everything, both emotionally and physically.

He stood up, and took up a stance like a fighter.

I would normally have laughed at him, but that stance said he would actually hit me, if I tried to hit him, and the look on his face was one I had only seen fleetingly over the last few years, but now it was out in the open, and it had no love at all in it.

I started to cry and fell on the sofa, the words just flooded out of me like the tears and it hit me– this was all about Jay. He had never forgiven me.

“I thought we were good. I thought we were good,” I said through the sobs, meaning he could hardly hear. “You never said anything in all these years about divorcing me.”

“You were good, so you assumed we were good.” His voice was so icy, that I knew this had been planned.

“But I kept my promise to you. I haven’t slept with anyone since Jackson at the lake. And I wasn’t going to sleep with anyone else ever again.” And it was the truth.

“You did keep your promise. But sixteen years before that, you made me a vow, which you just tossed in the garbage can that night. I told you then, not to do it, but you were going to do it anyway, and threatened me with taking away my kids. I couldn’t let you do that.”

That was the final knife. He believed I would have taken his kids away from him and he didn’t trust me at all. Five years of hurt and anger were in that statement, and I hadn’t noticed any of it. How had I been so blind?

“And you had me served at the gallery, in front of Lou and all of my co-workers? Could you get any more cruel?” I was hoping to play on what was left of his love for me, and the good that was in him.

His reply was cold and left me destroyed. “I felt having Lou there, just completed the circle you started at the lake house six years ago,” he said. “And as far as cruel… your Sunday morning fucking, with all of us in the house, was the single-most-humiliating moment of my life. You bet I was getting my revenge!”

My sobs increased, as I watched him walk out of the house. I wanted to say so much more, I wanted to plead with him, but I knew it wouldn’t be enough, and the words just wouldn’t come out.

I lay there for an hour, then went up to our room as the crying eased. I knew what I would find, but when I opened his closet to find it empty, the tears flowed again.

I gradually got it together. I knew he still loved me, so I needed a plan. I needed to get everyone on my side. The first call was to the children. I called them on a group chat, and they both answered with, “Hallo, Mother.”

The words were hard, and then it dawned on me, Bobby had already spoken to them.

So I started, “Okay, you know what your father has done, now we need to start a program to get him to stop it as soon as possible.”

Melissa spoke up first, and her response was devastating. “Mother, dad told us what you did at the lake house. Neither Terry nor I are going to take sides. He has made up his mind, and to be honest, his anger is so great, there is no way he will change his mind. It would be easier on everyone if you signed the papers.”

Terry grunted his agreement, then added, “Mom, if you force us to take sides, I will side with dad. I don’t want to lose my relationship with either of you, so don’t force it because you were definitely in the wrong.”

I quickly hung up; this was not what I wanted, or expected. I phoned mum and dad next, and when mum answered the phone, I said, “Bobby is divorcing me!” and the tears began to flow again.

I don’t remember much else, until mum was standing at the end of the bed, comforting me. She must have come straight over. When I came down, dad had made coffee and we sat down. I explained that I had had sex with another man five years ago, but I had talked it through with Bobby, and that he had not objected. They said they would talk to him, but I said, “NO, I want him to come back on his own. Just be with me when I fight this.”

I took the Friday off, to get myself together, and I was sitting staring at the wall trying to work out what to do when the phone rang. I looked at the number, and it was Jay. I hadn’t heard from him in years, so I answered with, “Hallo, Jackson.”

He was no longer ‘Jay’ to me. His scheme of getting me into bed, and using the children to blackmail Bobby into staying with me, had blown up in my face. I saw him for what he was, and I blamed him for the mess I was now in. If he noticed my change of tone to him, he didn’t mention it, and he went straight to the point.

“Lou called me and told me what happened. I know a good divorce attorney to help you fight it. I’ll send you over his details, and he will keep the charges down. By the way, I got married six months ago.”

After we exchanged a few pleasantries, and I congratulated him on his marriage, he hung up. A few minutes later, he sent me the attorney’s details. I wasted no time and phoned him. He said he could see me over lunch, as a favour to Jackson. I was washed and dressed in record time, and I rushed out, hoping the attorney would be able to talk sense into Bobby.

The meeting didn’t really go well. The attorney explained we lived in a no-fault state. That meant that if one spouse wanted a divorce, there was nothing the other could do about it, but … “Do you think your husband will give up, if we put as many roadblocks in the way as we can?”

I thought about it. Bobby always deferred to me when the going got tough. “Yes, he would.”

“Great,” was his response. “Let’s get the fight underway.”

I gave him a rundown on the what had happened, sparing nothing of the details. He looked at the timeline, and said, “It has been over five years since your affair; we will make an application that your husband accepted it and therefore the divorce should be put on hold, while he give reasons for the delay. If we get lucky with the judge, we might even get him to delay the application, and order a period of reconciliation for at least as long as his delay. During that time, he will have to live in the house and any attempt to leave the marriage will be contempt of court. We can force marriage counselling for the full time of the delay. That assumes your husband did nothing at the time.”

I looked at him, while I thought back. “No, I don’t think Bobby did anything. There were no charges on our account for advice, and at the time he was angry, but would do nothing to lose the kids.”

We made an application to have the divorce papers rejected, and an enforced period of reconciliation of three years. Now that the kids were gone, we disclosed everything on my affair, and said my husband had accepted it, due to his delay in filing. My attorney was very confident of at least a twelve-month period, where Bobby would have to act as my husband.

My attorney presented the petition, focusing hard on the five years that had passed without any objection from Bobby. Then Bobby’s attorney, Marcus Rothstein, stood up and blew us out of the water.

He produced a letter dated 10th July, five days after we returned from the lake house. It detailed what had happened, what I had said about turning the kids against Bobby, the cost of a divorce with the kids in the house, and a recommendation that Bobby wait until Terry was eighteen, then issue proceedings. The shock that Bobby had taken advice on divorce at that time was overpowering, and I fled the courtroom in tears. My attorney explained later, that Bobby had also notified his attorney that I had threatened to take other lovers, if he didn’t perform his ‘marital duties’ Our petition was thrown out and the initial divorce hearing was set for thirty days later.

The first divorce hearing went well. My attorney asked for counselling, and the judge ordered three mandatory sessions, with more to be ordered if the counselor thought we were making progress. It was the best news I had had since the papers were served. The judge ordered us to use the counselor my attorney had on his books, who was known for pushing the husbands to forgive.

The first session was a single session with me. The counselor, a young woman in her late twenties, needed to put together a full file, and work on a strategy to get Bobby to forgive me. We decided on a strategy to get Bobby to explain why he was divorcing me was best. We could then pick holes in it, and force him to rethink.

I sat in the counselor’s room waiting for Bobby. I had only seen him at the first hearing, and when he walked into the room, my heart skipped a beat. Then I remembered why we were there, that he was trying to leave me, and that I needed to harden up if I was going to get him back. The counselor went straight in, demanded to know why he would not forgive me for just one indiscretion. He looked at her and asked if she was married. When she refused to answer, he just got up and said, “That is the wrong answer,” and walked out, leaving us both dumbfounded.

A couple of days later, my mum phoned and I knew by the tone of her voice, that it was not good.

She said, “Traci, why did you lie to us about what happened at the lake house? We spoke to Bobby, and we know you did not talk to him about going outside your marriage vows, and he certainly didn’t agree to it. Traci, we think you have blown it with Bobby, you need to let go and move on.”

Now, even my parents were on his side. I was devastated. How was I going to get him back, if there was no one to fight in my corner? The next piece of news was even worse. Bobby’s attorney had applied for the counselling to be cancelled, on the grounds that the counsellor was not acting as an honest broker. The judge looked at the notes, and agreed.

We fought on, but it was clear Bobby would not withdraw, and eight months after it was filed, the divorce was granted with the final decree issued ninety days after that ruling. That day was the worst of my life. Only Steff phoned to give me comfort. The attorney sent me his fee invoice. Even though he hadn’t charged me the full amount, it still cost me about half of my Maui Special account balance.

The absolute worst came when Steff took me out one night. She said that I needed to get out. We had a nice meal and went to a bar. I walked in, only to find Bobby dancing with another woman. I ran out crying, as soon as I saw him. I couldn’t bear the thought of him being close to someone else.

I still held out some hope, even though I knew Bobby was dating other women. When the children were home, I asked them how he was doing, but they avoided the subject. I knew he met my parents for dinner, but they always withheld information. I had not dated since we split, hoping beyond hope, that he would learn just how much I loved him.

But then, I got a phone call from my mother. She told me Bobby was engaged to someone called Angelique. I was beyond devastated, as I knew then, that Bobby was never coming back.

I met Ronny at the gallery about a week after I heard about Bobby’s engagement. He bought a number of pieces from me and asked me to dinner one night. I accepted and before I knew what was happening, we were lovers. Ronny could have passed for Bobby’s double, and three months after that dinner we were married. I knew the next day, I had made a mistake. He was nothing like Bobby, and we agreed to file for divorce before the honeymoon was over. Even though it was uncontested, it still cost me another chunk from my Maui Special account.

I met Angelique at Mellissa’s wedding. Bobby could hardly speak to me, but she was very nice, even pushing Bobby up to dance with me for the parents of the bride and parents of the groom dances. Neither Bobby nor I could dance, but we used to mould together on the dance floor. But for this dance, I could feel him being stiff and remote, and he held me at a distance. Even at this, I loved it, but he left me as soon as he could, and I never saw him the rest of the night.

About a month after the wedding, I was feeling terrible, and Steff took me out. That night, I met Robert (not Bobby). He swept me off my feet, and every mannerism was my Bobby to a tee. I tried to keep a level head, but one day he got down on one knee in the gallery and proposed. Despite my reservations, I said, “Yes.”

We were married six months before Terry was due to marry. Life was okay, but then we went to Terry’s wedding, and once again I danced with Bobby. Again, I felt the distance and when he left and kissed Angelique, I had to walk back to Robert. I realised I was with second best. The next morning, I found a divorce attorney and filed for divorce. It cost me the rest of my Maui Special account, but I had to do it. If I could not have the original, I didn’t want to be with anyone.

Since then, Angelique has kept in contact with me, phoning regularly and even going to lunch once in a while. I like her, but Bobby always keeps his distance, saying as little as possible to me. We meet at events for the grandchildren, but you would think we were strangers.

So here I am today on my sixty-seventh birthday. My parents died a few years ago, and the children live out of state. What is worse is Bobby and Angelique have gone to Maui to celebrate their fifteenth wedding anniversary. I had it all and I threw it away… for what? I don’t remember. Now, I am looking to go into a retirement home because I have nothing else to look forward to. The only thing that made me smile was finding out Jackson got divorced. Apparently his wife cuckolded him! Payback was a bitch.

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