hello and welcome to real cheating story be prepared was the motto of the Boy Scouts but the Scout Law was different it stated that a scout was trustworthy loyal helpful friendly courteous kind obedient cheerful Thrifty Brave clean and reverent also apparently naive foolish overly trusting Nick didn't have any other answers after reading the email on his wife's iPhone normally he wouldn't have looked at anything on her phone at all a fact she knew very well so she hadn't bothered with any extra security he had been a Boy Scout after all he followed the rules never
invading anyone's privacy but Nick's wife was going out of town in a few weeks and he was trying to recall the name of her hotel she had told him before but he hadn't really been paying attention and wanted to avoid the argument about why those arguments had been more frequent lately the trip was going to be their longest time apart since they got married 5 years earlier and Nick had been thinking of doing something romantic like sending flowers after all what better way to show the woman you loved just how much than sending flowers while
she was several thousand miles away in the city of love Paris it was indeed the city of love but he wasn't the one she was going to be loving no that would be Dwayne who was going on the trip too after entering his wife's phone pass code the date of their wedding Nick found himself reading an inappropriate Email exchange between his wife and Dwayne over the past several weeks they talked about strolling down the champ El at night and then taking a boat ride on the scene under the Moonlight almost a shocking as the affair
itself was the fact that Nick's wife Linda and her lover Dwayne had been using their work emails for their personal messages she should have known better Dwayne too like Nick Linda was a lawyer and Dwayne was a pargal at Linda's firm all three of them had done enough document review during large litigation cases where teams of lawyers and paralegals read hundreds of thousands of emails for Discovery purposes there was always a story about someone having an affair and how it could complicate a case and here it was happening to them the truth was Nick hadn't
been paying attention when Linda originally mentioned the trip in the hotel because something felt off his instincts honed by 5 years of listening to clients omit the truth and lawyers carefully skirt around it had picked up on it Linda had originally told them about the trip a very boring arbitration matter that was going to keep them so busy they wouldn't even have time to enjoy the sits she had said it while not looking at him and too casually she knew Paris was one of Nick's favorite cities and one they had always talked about visiting together
since Linda had never been there Nick found a response odd but hadn't imagined anything close to the worst case scenario he was now facing the email string he was looking at was like a dagger to the heart why don't you just ditch the Boy Scout so we can spend more time together without worrying Dwayne had written last night he makes me feel safe Linda replied so why are you betraying him at every opportunity Dwayne responded with a smirk adding a smiley face emoji Nick had no idea what he was going to do at the moment
other than print the email ex change on the Wi-Fi printer in the basement just in case as a seasoned litigator his first instinct was to preserve the evidence after printing the emails and placing them in his computer bag Nick thought carefully he certainly knew what he wanted to do in his mind he had two options one was to strike his wife in Anger an image that filled him with a disturbing sense of clarity the other was to pull her close as if to kiss her only to then force her into one of the trees in
the woods behind their house and when she started to scream in shock he imagined doing it again as for Dwayne Nick felt even less compassion but before he did anything rash he knew he had to think thinking was what made him a lawyer after all he got paid to use his brain not his fists and he had to think fast because Linda was out for a run and would be back soon but before the thinking could begin he had to finish his first task find finding the hotel it wouldn't be for sending flowers now he
wasn't sure why he needed the information but he knew he needed it perhaps as a Target there it was Hotel the elil near tracadero across the river from the Eiffel Tower about a 5minute walk from the international Chamber of Commerce where Linda and Dwayne would be working on their arbitration matter with the rest of the team at least when the two of them weren't sneaking off together hotel located Nick quickly did a search on Virg a divorce law he remembered some from the bar exam 5 years ago but it was always good to check adultery
was a ground for divorce and could affect issues like alimony and the division of property however there were defenses to a claim of adultery too one being condemnation if the wrong spouse found out about the affair but then voluntarily resumed the relationship and continued living together it could be used as a defense so Nick knew he had to get out of the house quickly there would be no confrontation yet he intended to hit her with a strategic blow when she least expected it keeping any potential surprises out of the equation he was determined to control
the end of this marriage with Precision which meant playing his cards carefully it was Churchill after all who said in Wartime truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of Lies Nick SES now would serve a higher purpose none of this involves sworn testimony any anyway he went upstairs to the master bedroom and started packing he finished quickly and placed the suitcases by the front door he was nearly done Gathering the critical documents he needed bank and credit card statements for 01k and Ira statements car titles pay stubs the mortgage
papers and Linda's most recent student loan balance sheet when she got back from a run he heard her in the kitchen when he came up from his basement office he decided to look harried and stressed she was drinking a Gatorade her shoulder length brown hair tied back in a ponytail she looked good but the love he once felt was dead guess what I'm going to Paris he said with a grim smile the color drained from Linda's face her blue eyes lost their brightness what Paris Virginia she stammered she quickly composed herself but Nick pressed on
SVN just called we're doing depositions in my insurance case and we have to prep the witness apparently we just lost a motion to compel the judge is upset and the whole Discovery schedule is in chaos I'm going to be on the road for weeks though I might have time to stop by now and again to do some laundry poor baby Linda said with a sympathetic look maybe your firm is hiring Nick said watching her concern creep back as she realized he was going to Paris too I'd much rather go to your Paris he added testing
her Linda smirked her composure returning send me a resume maybe you have the right pedigree for us to consider you she quipped referencing how her law school had a higher ranking than Nicks then perhaps out of guilt she moved as though to give him a hug but Nick turned away before she could close the gap the angry thoughts were returning and he wasn't sure he could control them when he came back upstairs Linda asked what do you want for dinner can't stay I'll grab something on the road Nick said grabbing his suitcases svn's losing his
mind and needs me their ASAP as he bustled through the kitchen Linda followed him to the door looking slightly concerned she puckered her lips for a goodbye kiss but nck dodged it sorry I think I might be coming down with a cold my throat's been feeling sore don't want you catching anything Linda followed him outside as he loaded his car when will you be back probably not until Friday we're going down to Rowan Oak after Paris and then next week we have to head to Baltimore he thought he saw her eyes Dart away as though
calculating how his absence would give her more freedom Nick backed out of the driveway waving goodbye hopefully she'd just assumed he was annoyed with work having been called in on a Saturday he suspected however that she was already making plans to invite Dwayne over Nick drove to a nearby strip mall with a coffee shop like most lawyers he thought better when he wrote things down as Nick sipped his coffee he began making a to-do list he paused for a moment to realize that the idea of reconciliation hadn't crossed his mind once it wasn't even an
option this was about retribution he just hadn't yet decided how far he'd take it his thoughts were interrupted by the ringtone of his phone and he didn't recognize the number yes he answered somewhat impatiently Mr Buford I'm Sam Granger I don't think we've met but I'll come straight to the point I got your number from some old property records I'm in the business of buying old houses tearing them down and building manions I know I know everyone hates what I do but they don't hate me so much when hand him the check Granger spoke quickly
and Nick didn't have time to react at first except to think that the house wasn't old it was cozy where did this guy get off talking about tearing it down then Nick's rational mind kicked in well I'd like to buy your house to tear it down I'd offer to build a new mansion for you but I can never guarantee the timing of new construction especially with County permits and all that I make my money by flipping them quickly but I think I can give you a very good price if you and your wife are motivated
to sell Nick had trouble suppressing a grin Linda had picked the house just before they got married it was an older ranch style home with a nice yard that backed onto a wooded area complete with a stream it was close to the major highways but secluded enough to be peaceful what had absolutely sold Linda was the treehouse in the yard visible from the master bedroom window she had loved how the house seemed ready for children Nick on the other hand had just liked the price and the fact that it was only a 20-minute drive to
a major Metro station the 30-minute train ride from their made is commute reasonable Mr Granger I'll be in and out of town with work for the next few days so I can't guarantee access to the property Nick said call me Sam I don't need to see inside Sam replied like I said it's a tear down I've already checked out the outside can you meet Sunday morning sure by the way I'll probably be doing the closing myself with a power of attorney for my wife she's very preoccupied with work these days no problem I'll give you
the form we use Nick noted the address and began to see the Contour of a plan Linda felt safe with her boy scout husband didn't she she had no idea that good old Lord benen Powell modeled scouting on Military strategy skills like stealth cunning in Ambush she'd never see what was coming until it was too late but first reconnaissance Nick tossed his empty coffee cup and went out to his car for some privacy he pulled up a number on his phone and dialed Frank he asked when the call was answered I need a favor and
I need it now Frank Barry was a private investigator during Nick's 5 years of corporate legal work he had made it a point to also take on pro bono cases helping people with legal issues who couldn't afford it it appealed to his sense of public service and provided valuable courtroom experience that his day job didn't often offer one of Nick's law school classmates had recommended Frank to help with a nasty divorce case where a stepfather had been abusing his stepdaughter Frank's evidence had put the guy away when the police had been slow to respond and
the divorce was processed quickly as a result Frank listened as Nick explained what he had learned you think your wife will have him in your bed tonight is she really that bold Frank asked she's one of the top students from her law school class arrogant enough to think she can't make a mistake Nick replied I'll do this one myself I owe you that much that Rivera divorce case got me great publicity the phone hasn't stopped ringing since thanks Frank by the way there's a treehouse in the backyard you might find it useful it looks right
into the master bedroom I'll keep that in mind you can get there through the woods just cross the stream after dark no fences no dogs there's a service road on the other side where you can park great Frank said if it's okay with you I'll also set up a camera outside the house to monitor who's coming and going fine by me and yes I'm using Harry for the divorce you assumed correctly good I know how Harry likes his affidavit and Report done if you're right we'll know soon enough Nick then called his divorce lawyer Harry
is this about the law school reunion Nick Harry joked I've already had five calls about contributing to their Capital fund no Harry I want to hire you Lind is cheating and I want to end this after Nick brought Harry up to speed Harry said come by tomorrow I know it's Sunday but I'll be in the office dealing with paperwork anyway we might as well get started on this it sounds like you've covered the part about not condoning the cheating Harry is handling the clear and convincing evidence aspect but the tricky part will be the fighting
over the financial settlement she's a big firm lawyer too so she'll have the resources to drag this out plus Folks at her firm will be giving her advice leave that to me said Nick I think we can settle this like civilized people then that means you are not going to burn the bridge okay we can see what you come up with his last call was more delicate hello Maggie it's Nick the silence on the other end was deafening Maggie you son of a nice to talk to you too honey after all this time what you
want after all this time I need your help I thought Linda was your helpmate it's about Linda she's cheating what a surprise can't help you emotionally or in that way these days I'm dating and I'm sure he's a lucky guy look I'm sorry we messed around and let it ruin our friendship I'm also sorry I let Linda kick you out of my life when I thought there was a chance we could get back to being friends but as a friend I really need your help now a-hole let stew what do you need he told her
and there was silence on the line then laughter I'm in she said after calming down but he could still hear the smile in her voice you always did make me laugh thanks Maggie when the dust settles you'll have to introduce me to Mr Lucky so I can congratulate him on his fine taste and take you both out to dinner it's a date she said he needed somewhere to hide out for a while and to plan so he found a long-term Stay Hotel out past the Beltway in Fairfax far enough from his and Linda's usual haunts
that he was not at risk of being seen after getting settled he went for something to eat he wasn't really hungry but he knew he needed something in his stomach to absorb the alcohol he planned on drinking a restaurant called El Mariachi was across the street from a hotel which would do the trick as the free chips and cheese would be easy to manage later as the hostess seated him in a booth he noticed the bartender looking at him he seemed vaguely familiar but Nick pushed it out of his mind he had enough to worry
about at the moment seeing pooa on the menu meant that the restaurant was a Central American Place pretending to be Mexican most Americans didn't know the difference he ordered some cheap tequila with the food knowing the hangover would be brutal the next day but considering the Pain part of the ride of Passage the waitress returned with a bottle of excellent topshelf tequila and highball glass when Nick looked up at the waitress she just pointed to the bartender who saluted him Nick acknowledged the salute and poured himself a generous drink when the bartender went back to
serving other customers it took a moment but Nick remembered who he was he recalled the bartender as one of the spectators who sat through the Rivera divorce hearings as well as the criminal proceedings Nick had attended he was always in the last row by himself no one ever sat next to him Nick's client Sonia's daughter hugged him once but when Nick asked Sonia who it was she got very quiet and said he was just a friend of the family Nick ate in silence making notes on a legal pad and drinking more tequila when the waitress
cleared his dirty plates he went to the restroom he felt like he was on a ship when he walked and needed to steady himself against the wall while he took care of business afterward he returned to the Booth taking extra care to Be steady only to find the bartender sitting on the opposite bench Senor Nick nice to see you he said reaching out to shake Nick's hand vigorously Nick sat down and waited I never thanked you for helping my cousin out with that scumbag she was married to Nick tried to protest insisting it was nothing
and that he was just doing what little he could but the bartender ignored him he got badly beaten up in prison did you know that really badly they don't think he'll walk again or eat solid food the bartender had a slight Smile as he told Nick a chill ran through Nick as he looked at him I hadn't heard that Nick said that's yesterday's news what brings you alone to El Mariachi on a Saturday night where's your lovely wife Nick looked the bartender straight in the eyes the bartender was still smiling not in a mocking way
but with a knowing look mitt couldn't understand why he would ask such a strange question how did the bartender even know he was married then it hit him Linda had surprised him by showing up at one of the hearings and kissed him afterward the bartender must have been in the courtroom she and I are having some problems Nick admitted seeing no reason to lie or hide the truth she's with someone else again with a knowing smile the bartender responded I'm not an attorney Don Nicholas but I do know that if you want to keep a
secret you shouldn't write it down and leave the paper out in the open he gestured to Nick's notepad which noted the elements of cheating and contain Doodles including one showing Dwayne getting stabbed it also had Linda's name circled with a slash through it and a to-do list that included the phrase burn the bridge Nick Shrugged bad operational security but at least I'm not betraying any client confidences any man in your situation has to ask ask himself what he wants what do you most want in the world sen your Nick not counting the money if you
could choose your revenge Nick didn't hesitate I want to confront her and let her know how much she's hurt me I want her to see the consequences of her actions the bartender smile broadened then he chuckled while shaking his head my friend you're not thinking rationally people who take violent revenge like that end up in prison you don't want to go to to prison unless it's to visit your clients and then leave right the bartender paused looking at Nick with sympathy Nick nodded but perhaps I can be of some assistance you helped my cousin with
her little problem she could have asked me for help but for various reasons she refused to do so you however stepped in and took care of her Nick tried to interrupt sure I got Frank to collect the evidence but he made the police do all the work it didn't hurt when I got one of the partners from my firm a former assistant us attorney to have a quiet chat with the Commonwealth's Attorney to make sure the criminal case was handled properly I only showed up with my client to ensure she received the respect she deserved
from the prosecutors her divorce was routine after her husband was convicted the bartender waved his protests away you have to understand that helping Forgotten people like my cousin is commendable in itself I am in your debt on behalf of my family and I repay my debts I think you could use some help Nick gazed at him I'm afraid I don't remember your name the bartender smile turned into a shark-like grin some call me El Diablo the devil he said nodding just the people who don't like me to my friends I am Jose Garcia now it
was Nick's turn to smile what do I have to do to get a favor from the Devil sell my soul the bartender smile vanished be serious you're a lawyer you have no soul his smile returned and Nick realized he was joking call it professional courtesy sen your Nick now just give me your address your wife's name and tell me about her daily routine what are you going to do I have some ideas but you know that phrase ignorance is bliss I think you need to be Bliss y ignorant for a while get yourself a burner
phone so we can keep in touch and leave the number here at the bar then don't come back here again it's better that way Nick explained about hiring a private investigator and his plans to be out of the house until Linda left for France El Diablo seemed to know the hotel in Paris but didn't say how just one question sen your Nick is there any chance of reconciliation forgiveness Mercy I don't want to hear about second thought later El Diablo looked him directly in the eyes his expression serious Nick returned his gaze taking a deep
breath and pausing to check his emotions the path was clear he was a simple guy trust and loyalty were his most important values but they were gone from his marriage Linda had flipped a switch in his brain love was replaced with resentment in time he might not care but that time was not now good don't worry about a thing the waitress came with the bill but El Diablo shoot her away allowing Nick to tip her generously he also let Nick take the tequila bottle but warned him to slow down he needed his wits for battle
somehow Nick woke up Sunday morning at a reasonable hour without much of a hangover he arrived at Harry's Law Office at 10:00 a.m. and found Frank already there sorry Nick Frank said she's definitely with someone else he was there 2 hours after you called me and was still there when I left this morning we got some very good quality video I made you a copy but you might not want to look at it Harry interrupted you're better off not looking I don't want you doing anything stupid and getting arrested don't worry Nick said taking the
DVD from Frank give me the summary I got up in that tree house just like you said and they were all over each other we got really clear shots of their faces honestly they didn't do much talking just physical interaction Nick felt a Sinking Feeling what did they do everything in all different positions they both had a lot of stamina thanks that makes me feel worse sorry anyway I know Linda personally from that party you had last year so I can identify her we ran the guy's license plate Dwayne Martin we know he works with
her but we don't know how long it's been going on it seems to be clear and convincing evidence to me oh and we've got a camera covering the driveway and garage so we can tell when they're coming and going I'll email you the remote link to the live stream on our secure server I talk to Harry and I'm going to write a report and supporting affidavit for him to file sorry again man Frank said as he shook hands with both Harry and Nick before leaving the office so what do you want to do Harry asked
file for divorce on the grounds of adultery but don't serve her Harry looked at Nick without expression trust me when I hear those words I start to feel uneasy I don't want you doing anything Reckless here I anticipate that everything will go more smoothly than you imagine Harry grimed look just file it on Monday afternoon right before the Office closes let me know the docket number I'll take care of the rest just remember Nick I don't do criminal law not well anyway if you need to get out of a jam I won't be able to
help you're going to be pleasantly surprised Nick said as he walked out the door Nick's Next Stop was a meeting with Sam Granger it turned out to be very productive as Nick learned they could sell the house for more than $100,000 over the mortgage all without real estate state agent commissions Linda would be thrilled if she knew Nick promised to get back with the proper paperwork as soon as possible to close the deal on the way out of Sam's office he checked his phone no messages or calls she must still be with Dwayne taking the
opportunity Nick called his boss svin to request two weeks off immediately or he would have to quit svin panicked knowing Nick was the only one who understood the intricacies of the case and agreed to his request fortunately they were in a slow period so SN could give Nick some leeway with the groundw work laid Nick returned to his hotel to finalize his work by Monday evening he was ready Linda had left voicemails Sunday and Monday night that he had not answered he was saving all his energy for Tuesday morning thanks to Frank's camera and front
of the house Nick knew that Dwayne had spent Monday night there based on Dwayne's stay from Sunday night to Monday morning he figured Dwayne would probably leave around 8:00 a.m. for work with Linda leaving shortly after around 8:30 a.m. at 700 a.m. Nick came through the front door calling out honey I'm home he heard footsteps upstairs and then Linda came down the stairs in a robe looking disheveled and shocked surprise she said trying to sound cheerful but barely holding it together clearly on the verge of panic I thought you were out until Friday you didn't
answer my calls I'm sorry Nick replied cheerfully you know how it gets on the road he pretended not to notice the wine glasses in the living room and headed straight to the dining room Linda stood in the doorway sizing up her next move worried he might go upstairs where Dwayne was obviously hiding a knock at the door startled her can you get that honey Nick asked busy setting papers on the dining room table Linda squared her shoulders and went to answer the door perhaps expecting a process server with divorce papers instead it was Maggie who
simply said hello as Linda opened the door hello Linda responded following Maggie to the dining room table where Maggie opened a case sorry hun Nick said but I don't know when I'll be able to come up for air again you know I can't think of you going on an overseas trip without updating the powers of attorney just in case we need to deal with Financial or medical emergencies oh and I got a lead on refinancing the mortgage to a really great rate since we're both traveling I thought this would be a good time to get
it done sorry for the short notice he tried to look apologetic who's this Linda asked pointing to Maggie her expression shifting as the tension in her Temple eased a bit I'm Maggie she introduced herself Nick explained Maggie is a notary Linda visibly relaxed though she still had a secret to hide things weren't entirely spiraling out of control yet That's My Boy Scout always prepared she said with a grin though her eyes remained alert just who I am Nick replied handing Linda a pen and pushing papers in front of her the arow flags tell you where
to sign take your time to read them if you like I trust you Linda said with a smile as she quickly signed the documents in front of her he hoped she wouldn't regret her haste as things could get complicated otherwise as the saying goes He Who Dares wins as Linda signed each document Nick arranged them and passed them to Maggie who lined them up and notorized them Mrs Buford do you have a form of photo identification Maggie asked Linda got up from the table to find her purse Nick and Maggie exchanged a glance quickly averting
their eyes to suppress laughter Linda returned with her driver's license which Maggie photographed and noted in her notarial log Linda offered coffee but both Nick and Maggie declined as Maggie finished noting the documents in her Ledger Nick rearranged everything into various folders Linda's gaze kept drifting upstairs calculating her next move to keep Nick from discovering Dwayne's presence after Maggie finished putting her tools away she gave Nick a smile when Linda wasn't looking to give Linda some space Nick announced that he had to do a teleconference and would head down to his basement office for it
Linda's shoulders relaxed knowing she now had time to get Dwayne out the door and clean up the evidence of his presence before Nick emerged from his basement office Nick went down to give her the illusion that she was still fooling him pretending not to hear the heavy footsteps as Dwayne escaped or the sound of the garage door opening for his car but when he heard the shower running in the master bathroom Nick everything he had and quietly left through the Cellar Door heading to his car without a word to his wife 2 hours later after
a Hardy Diner breakfast Nick was in Harry's office Harry looked Shell Shocked so you're telling me you got your wife to sign a c406 form accepting service of the divorce complaint and waving all future service of process and notice for any future proceedings yes the properly notorized form is right there Nick replied and you also got her signed a property settlement agreement in which she gives you all the proceeds from any sale of your house the cars and any jewelry she owns leaving you with complete discretion for the disposal of her personal effects plus you
both walk away with your retirement accounts without any alimony payments from you to her she makes more than I do anyway Nick pointed out according to these papers she's willing to walk away from the marriage with about $125,000 in retirement contributions and around2 $1,000 in undergraduate and law school debt correct correct she has always had a very generous nature Harry narrowed his eyes at Nick and returned to the papers on his desk and you also got her to sign an affidavit in which she admits to the adultery and even acknowledges that her lover was upstairs
in the marital bedroom at the time of the signing having been there all night after being with her the previous evening you're even telling me that her affidavit authenticates this email string where she talks about with her lover because he excites her Nick replied with an expressionless face the documents speak for themselves Harry looked over the documents then up at Nick starting to smile before stifling It screw it I'll file all this you're a respected member of the bar and a friend from law school how was I to know you made all this up it
looked good to me your honor I am deeply embarrassed I was completely taken in by my client's breach of trust if anyone should be disbarred it's Nicholas a Buford JD Esquire see where I'm going with this Harry asked yep if required this notary will testify that Linda signed all this yes she will nit confirmed will she testify that Linda reviewed the documents carefully I wouldn't want to influence anyone's testimony but as you said Linda is an experienced lawyer with AAL specialy in litigation so I'm sure she gave the documents the attention she thought they deserved
I am certain the notary will say she observed Linda Buford look at and sign each document I cannot otherwise render an opinion about her State of Mind regarding her understanding of the contents okay then said Harry I'll file all this today plus Frank's affidavit and Report which includes pictures in the DVD I'll see if I can keep it off the electronic docket for a while we don't want this popping up in the news just yet do we no Nick replied Linda is going on her trip to Paris in a bit over two weeks the longer
this stays lowkey the better do you know anyone at the Circuit Court remember Seth he was a day student the year after us he was having trouble getting a law firm job so he's clerking at the circuit court now trying to fluff up his resume he might be able to expedite things but if if a judge wants live testimony this could all collapse Linda will have to decide not to fight it for some reason related to fraud on the court when she figures out what's going on if this goes bad I'll probably have to withdraw
as your attorney fair enough someday you can tell me the full story but I don't want to hear it now for the next two weeks Nick managed to keep Linda at arms length he sent her text messages at Out hours telling her how busy he was but otherwise didn't answer her calls as the days passed her calls became less frequent you scared her Frank told him at the end of the week according to our video feed Dwayne hasn't been over to the house once since you surprised them on Tuesday morning I can't tell if they're
meeting at his place during the week or spending time together at the office but they aren't doing it in the house I'll keep you updated if anything changes the only thing that changed was that Nick had quietly returned to the house when he knew Linda was gone Gathering Financial papers he thought he might need he had also signed a home sale contract with Sam Granger the sale would close the first week Lindo was in France otherwise Nick went to the gym did some Leisure reading and wondered how he had reached 30 with such a mess
of a life he told SVN that he needed another several weeks off which she reluctantly granted she's with him in the house again Frank said on Saturday a week before Linda was due to leave for Paris thanks for the heads up mick replied he didn't really care but knew he would dispose of the sheets rather than sell them when he left the house by now Nick had reviewed the video Frank provided for the first time he could see the attraction Dwayne was a couple of years younger and Frank's investigation revealed that the guy was dedicated
to Fitness often preining in front of the mirror after his workouts other than that he was unremarkable Nick was in decent shape but certainly did not have a washboard stomach apparently Linda was looking for someone who fit a certain image something Nick could do without before Nick knew it Linda had departed on her long anticipated trip to Paris one of Frank's Associates tailed her to the airport and waited until the plane was in the air on its way to Europe once he got the word Nick returned to the house piled all of Linda's clothes in
the living room and packed everything he wanted to keep the movers came the next day boxed up his clothes and sent them to a storage facility they separately packed Nick's belongings and moved them to an apartment he had found thanks to Sam Granger the handy house flipper Nick was able to sell the furniture easily when the house was finally empty Nick took one last walk around before completing his final task he carefully gathered the wedding photos the album and Linda's bridal gown taking them down to the fire pit on the patio under the Treehouse he
placed the photos and album in the pit on top of the charcoal added the gown and some lighter fluid and lit the match after everything burned Nick was pleased to see that the video captured a lot of detail you could even see each photo clearly as it was added to the pit one day later Nick closed on the sale of his marital home using a power of attorney from his wife to sign as her attorney in fact she really should have read everything she signed he thought thanks to the separate Financial power of attorney he
was was able to deposit the home sale profit check into his personal account after endorsing it on behalf of his wife 3 days after that still within the first week of Linda's trip to France the construction crew leveled the house and cleared the debris the site preparation work began soon after but unfortunately the tree with the Treehouse that was perfect for children had to be removed for the new plans which included a gazebo at that point the entire area that had once been Nick and Linda's happy home was just a large square of dirt Construction
stopped when something went wrong with the permitting process Nick and his law school friend who worked in the County permitting office were certain the problem would resolve itself a couple of days after Linda got home from France as soon as the proper forms were received and approved during all this time Nick did not take any calls from Linda he stopped sending her text messages did not respond to emails and ignored her voicemails some of her friends and family called but Nick replied to Kurt that he was busy traveling hoping to prevent them from trying to
drive by the house to see him L Diablo contacted him on the burner phone and mentioned that Linda and Dwayne seemed to be under stress and that she was not looking so good maybe she suspects something is wrong L Diablo speculated Nick asked how he knew that El Diablo simply said he had friends and family all over even in Europe he asked Nick if he was interested in recovering Linda's engagement and wedding rings when Nick said no El Diablo inquired if he minded if someone else acquired them not at all Nick replied I might know
someone who would like them on a Wednesday just two days before Linda was due back from Paris Nick was in Harry's office I don't know how this happened but here's the divorce decree it's way faster than usual for this kind of case and Seth wouldn't tell me anything I didn't want to know I'm not asking so count your lucky stars congratulations on being single again here's a copy I'll send one to your ex-wife I'm sure she'll be thrilled as Nick got to his car outside Harry's office his phone rang he didn't recognized the number but
when he answered he recognized El Diablo's voice Nick you should take a vacation right now go to a place where there are lots of people who know you and can vouch for your whereabouts El Diablo h up and Nick realized it had been a while since he saw some college friends who lived in New York City fortunately their schedules were free over the next few days so he took an Amtrak train that same day he visited various shows and museums and went out to launch coffee and dinner with friends most of which he paid for
with his credit card he tipped generously at his hotel so that all the staff knew who he was while there he Express mailed a copy of the DVD showing him burning Linda's wedding dress an album to her parents house late on Sunday afternoon after enjoying coffee and cake in Little Italy Nick's phone rang it was his father-in-law Nick where are you Linda's going crazy she's in the hospital what's wrong with her this was getting interesting she got back from her trip on Friday but she and a cooworker were apparently kidnapped from the airport they were
both drugged and only got out this morning the coworker was beaten nearly to death and Linda her father's voice faltered Once Upon a Time Nick might have been sympathetic what happened to Linda she woke up to find herself covered head to toe when tattoos tattoos saying horrible things about her as soon as she woke up some guy in a mask came in and punched her in the nose breaking it and giving her two black eyes Nick thought about the situation he would have been satisfied with his realization that he had outsmarted her in court just
like she had outsmarted him in their marriage but this situation felt almost poetic in its irony sorry to hear that I'm out of town at the moment what would you like me to do Nick could tell there was surprise on the other end of the line you're her husband she's your wife sorry no we got divorced the order was issued last week she's been unfaithful with the guy she traveled with what part of that wasn't clear Nick knew he was being cruel but he didn't care I have video evidence if you want to see it
there was silence on the other end of the call Nick wonder if his father-in-law was having a heart attack she and I are done so you'll have to take her home she's not my problem anymore you did this his father-in-law screamed look I've been up in New York since Wednesday celebrating the divorce I know you're upset and I hope Linda gets better soon but I don't think we have anything more to say to each other he hung up the phone at that moment Nick realized the stress of city life was too intense lately he sent
an email to SVN saying that after all they could go screw themselves respectfully a quick internet search revealed an RI store in SoHo so Nick outfitted himself with brand new hiking and camping gear ly had never liked camping so this was a chance to reconnect with his scouting past the hotel was accommodating about storing his luggage for a while for a modest fee and before he knew it he was on his way up to the adarac mountains to bond with nature until things calmed down fortunately he had his passport in case he had time for
a side trip to Canada and it turned out he did for most of the next 8 weeks Nick turned his phone off at first it seemed that a crazy woman had stolen his ex-wife's phone because there were dozens if not hundreds of messages filled with frantic screaming and crying he listened to only one or two before deleting the rest there were also many bizarre emails her account must have been hacked how is he supposed to find time to read all that he hoped whoever this crazy woman was got the help she desperately needed so it
was that 8 weeks later Nick met Frank for a drink Harry was there too just so we're clear Harry said as they sat down I terminated our attorney client relationship just after I gave you the divorce decree I notified You by certified letter you might not have checked your mail yet not yet Nick admitted serious storm my friend Harry said more like a typhoon Frank added I like that lots of Destruction Harry down as Bourbon and immediately asked for another you start Frank said so Monday morning Mrs Buford accompanied by her parents went by the
Old Homestead they hadn't taken down the external camera yet and when she saw the vacant lot she broke down dropping to her knees and sobbing later that afternoon the work crew arrived with equipment and her emotional state flare up again she lost it for a third time when the construction workers noticed the tattoos on her face and began laughing the ink was clearly visible with phrases like 304 displayed prominently to add to her distress she had bruces from a recent altercation and was wearing a tape on her nose Harry picked up the story that afternoon
when she and a couple of attorneys from a large firm showed up at my office clearly upset they didn't have an appointment so I made them wait for 15 minutes ensuring I was prepared just in case when they finally entered they were all yelling about emergency motions and complaints against me I had to admit it was hard not to be distracted by the tattoos all over her face which were done in bold colors for everyone to see once I regained my focus I asked what the issue was I pointed out that they had agreed she
had committed infidelity so I queued up the video evidence of her actions in the marital bed they appeared embarrassed and when Linda exclaimed that I hadn't given her a chance to explain I reminded her that it didn't matter what her reasons were she had still acted against our agreement Linda then argued that she never agreed to the sale of the house and questioned my decision to burn her wedding dress and photos claiming those items were her personal property I showed her the powers of attorney that allowed the sale and the settlement agreement giving me the
right to dispose of her personal effects emphasizing that she was fortunate to still have her clothes when I asked that she denied signing the documents she didn't refute it but claimed she hadn't read them I pressed her to consider how a cross-examination would go if she challenged anything in court and she fell silent I also pointed out the affidavit she had signed admitting that her boyfriend was in the house at that very moment at that point She fainted while her attorneys attempted to revive her I called 911 she refused to go to the hospital but
then began screaming about her tattoos and her boyfriend being hurt I told them that as far as I was concerned it was unrelated to me and they could speak to the fair fact police if they had any criminal matters to discuss Harry added that they had continued discussing motions for reconsideration when I mentioned an anonymous email I had received it contained links to several videos of Linda and Dwayne in her bed with a warning that these videos would be shared with everyone Linda knew if she didn't let things go after I revealed this they quickly
left and I hadn't heard from them since Frank continued mentioning that detectives had come around wanting copies of the videos and filed a report Court however they lost interest when neither Lyndon nor Dwayne could provide Clarity on their situation only stating that they had taken a taxi from the airport and everything went dark for them after that Linda later woke up in a hotel nursing her injuries Nick then shared that the hotel manager confirmed that New York police had checked on his stay and his friends had vouched for his busy schedule in the city word
is Harry said that your ex is hiding in her parents basement while undergoing laser tattoo removal treatment the issue is that they charge by the square inch and she is covered from head to toe which must cost tens of thousands of dollars that's unfortunate Nick remarked Harry shot a glare at Nick while Frank kept his lips pursed to hold back laughter what happened to him Frank asked referring to her boyfriend Harry replied he's pretty messed up lots of physical therapy ahead he sustained some head injuries and mult multiple concussions so he'll probably have difficulty finding
another paralal job their firm let both of them go too it seems their relationship fell apart during the trip which affected the arbitration negatively stuff got missed exhibits weren't ready and there were issues with witness outlines they lost on the merits and the client wasn't happy the firm had to make significant concessions to keep the client for future work someday Nick you'll have to tell us how you managed all this Frank said managed what I'm a Boy Scout Nick replied grinning Maggie was waiting in the car when I left I'm a bit jealous no one
asked if I actually notorized the documents or if she read them before signing I was ready to say that I observed her review each one before signing but I couldn't estimate how much time she spent doing it we should discuss this over dinner I need to treat you and Maggie to thank you for your help in getting me my Freedom Nick suggested Maggie turned to him and looked over her sunglasses as he backed the car out of the parking lot there's no boyfriend you know she said half teasing nck breaked hard and looked at her
surprised really now shut up and take me home so you can begin a rather long and grueling process of apologizing to me Nick smiled but added I have to stop at the post office first why she asked I'm sending a postcard to a friend Nick said pulling it out of the glove compartment it featured the Boy Scout logo on the front I'm asking her if she feels safe now dear listeners please share your thoughts in the comment section below and don't forget to like share and subscribe
