When I Found My Cheating Wife’s Purse at My Best Friend's Hospital Bed, I Was Stunned by What the...

the phone call was supposed to disrupt the calm but I answered it out of responsibility it was Sherry the wife of my wife's boss Jack who was in a state of panic Jack had suffered a heart attack while working with Tracy my wife she had called an ambulance and Jack was taken to the hospital in critical condition Sherry asked if I could take Tracy home since she planned to stay with Jack I promised I'd go for her and wish Jack a speedy recovery Jack had been my wife's boss for 22 years Tracy started working at his company right after college and quickly became his indispensable assistant our family spent time together often and he always seemed like a pleasant person Tracy frequently praised him as a caring boss originally from France Jack was 10 years older than Tracy and me but he still maintained his energy and charm attracting attention wherever he went I parked the car at the ambulance Bay entered and inquired about Jack's condition I explained to the nurse that I was Tracy's husband and was looking for her as I waited I overheard a conversation between two doctors but I couldn't make sense of what they were saying a few minutes later Tracy came out with Sher and we embraced he's gone Rick Tracy whispered tears streaming down her face the doctor said it was a heart attack I was stunned standing in the hallway holding both women as they sobbed Sherry had lost her husband of 35 years and they had a daughter Amy who was 3 years older than my daughter Allison the two girls looked so alike that they could have been sisters Jack had always treasured Amy and I realized how hard this would be for her just then one one of the EMTs approached and asked if I was Tracy's husband I said yes and he handed me Tracy's purse explaining that she had left it in the ambulance when they arrived at the hospital I thanked him shook his hand and took the purse in my left hand wrapping the dangling strap around it to get it out of the way that's when I noticed something odd inside the compartment there was a bra it didn't make any sense so I took a second look sure enough there was a bra in Tracy's purse it was a strange moment and as the women left the room still crying I stood there in confusion I hadn't really seen Tracy before but I noticed she wasn't wearing a bra that seemed odd given she had just been with Jack at the office I thought to myself this is weird we stayed at the hospital for a little longer before Sherry decided to leave Amy was coming home from University the next day and Sherry felt she needed some rest I drove her back to her house then took Tracy and me to our own home Tracy didn't say a word to me as we walked through the door she headed straight for the bathroom and showered about 20 minutes later she joined me in the living room her eyes red and puffy from crying she sat down on the couch and I climbed out of my chair to join her pulling her into a tight hug her body was shaking with sobs I wanted to ask her about the bra and the purse but I didn't have the courage instead I held her for another 20 minutes until she said she was tired and wanted to go to bed it was already midnight so I decided to go to bed with her the next morning after showering and shaving I offered to take Tracy to the office to pick up her car she suddenly seemed as though she had been punched in the gut stuttering as she took a deep breath to calm herself instead she asked me to take her to Sherry's house so they could take a taxi to the office and pick up Jack's personal belongings Tracy then planned to take Sherry to the hospital to fill out paperwork and collect Jack's things I offered to help but Tracy quickly declined this worked out better for me I needed to find the EMTs who had worked the previous night to get some answers after dropping Tracy off at Sherry's I headed straight to the hospital I was able to find out the names of the emergency doctors and where to find them I eventually located the EMTs on the fire escape where they remembered me from the night before I looked at the person who handed me Tracy's purse his name tag reading Rob and asked him directly where did the race start what do you mean he asked looking at at me suspiciously did you pick them up somewhere other than soful I asked we picked them up at the West seed Hotel Rob answered I think they were together for about 15 minutes when the guy suddenly grabbed his chest and collapsed on top of your wife she actually had to push him off to reach the phone and call 911 she then gave him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation he was barely alive when we took him to the hospital I had the truth I didn't need more I thanked both of them and left feeling their pitying gazes on me as I walked out as I drove home my mind was spinning Tracy had been intimate with Jack when he had his heart attack how long had this been going on then it hit me like a thunderbolt Allison and Amy weren't just a coincidence they were sisters Tracy had been sleeping with Jack for at least 19 years how could I not have noticed this before what a gullible fool I had been she and Jack worked late together once a week sometimes twice and then there were the occasional business trips or parties had she really been sleeping with him all this time what about the business trips they took together how could Sherry not know I admit I can be naive but how could a woman be so blind especially when the girls looked so alike Sherry was in the office off and Tracy would pop in at any time just to say hello they seemed like good friends from the way it looked how could Tracy do this to Sherry when I got home Tracy's car was in the garage she was sitting in the living room sipping wine from a glass when I entered the look on my face told her I was unhappy what happened dear she asked I wanted to remain calm but my anger took over how long have you been sleeping with him with Jack I blurted out Venom dripping from my voice he's Alison's father isn't he Tracy dropped her wine glass leaping up from the couch how how could you say such terrible things she screamed practically attacking me she stopped just a foot away from me her eyes blazing like lasers if looks could kill I would have been dead I I wasn't going to back down I knew I was right I stood my ground staring into her eyes my voice lowered to a whisper as I hissed tell me to kiss your fifth place but don't you dare lie to me if you lie I'll Ram your teeth down your throat never before in 20 years of marriage or in our relationship before this had I yelled at my wife let alone threatened her to say she was shocked would be an understat her mouth opened as if she was about to lie but then realizing I was serious the LIE got stuck in her throat she quickly stepped away from me maybe it was the Flames coming out of my eyes you killed him you know I told her sitting back down on the sofa ignoring the spilled wine on the carpet the stress of the deception combined with the physical activity was probably too much for his heart I'm surprised this didn't happen sooner considering how long you two have been intimate from the stricken expression on her face I knew I had struck a nerve she looked down at her hands and fidgeted for what seemed like minutes but in reality it was probably only 10 seconds oh my god do you think I really killed him she asked quietly I wonder if Sherry thinks so too I replied my voice heavy with accusation why would she think that way unless she knew about you too she knew and approved of it almost from the very beginning Tracy said quietly sometimes she even joined us especially when she went on business trips with us she always told me that she thought it was right for me to enjoy Jack because I was such an important part of his business success she was glad I took care of him in the office while she took care of him at home it was my turn to sit down I felt dizzy and confused so I was the only one who didn't know what about Allison Allison has known about this for the last four years Tracy said she handles it well I stared at her in disbelief Allison knows and she's okay with this Amy Knew Too Tracy had revealed everything well I guess you've all had a good laugh at stupid old Rick expense many times even my daughter his daughter I suppose she knew and didn't tell me damn this is wonderful I ran out of the house feeling like I could hardly breathe I ended up in a local park where I just sat for hours staring into space Tracy called me a couple of times but I let the calls go to voicemail I just needed space to think I always thought of myself as a smart guy but when it came to tra Tracy I was a complete fool it never occurred to me that she could be cheating I trusted her so much and I probably missed a dozen signs that were right in front of me for years damn I was so blind I couldn't help but wonder if there was anyone else besides Jack a whirlwind of thoughts raged in my brain when it started getting dark I left the park and drove home as I entered the house through the garage I saw Tracy sitting in her usual spot sipping tea she offered me some but I declined instead I went straight to the wine cabinet and grabbed something stronger I poured myself a glass of whiskey and sank into the chair opposite her I couldn't even begin to explain the anger and confusion that bubbled up inside me I can't even tell you how sorry I am for hurting you Tracy said quietly looking down at her hands I need to know the whole story now I snapped irritation lacing my voice you have to tell me how could you do this to me while telling me you love me did you ever truly love me did you even respect me don't you dare doubt my love for you Tracy shouted urgently her voice trembling I've always loved you I still love you but I also love Jack some people think you can only love one person but I know that's not true true I have enough love for both of you I didn't know what to say but I pressed on continue I demanded she hesitated before speaking again her voice softening I joined the company about a year after it started like in many small businesses we worked long hours and became close it was an exciting time for me and I remember telling you about the challenges after a year of dating I joined the company full-time as the company grew I became Jack's right-hand woman he was a dynamic leader but I was the glue that held things together he came to depend on me like his other half she paused looking up at me at the same time things were heating up between us outside the office and between Jack and me inside the office our personal and work lives almost ran in parallel in front of the rest of the office office we were respectful but behind closed doors Jack and I grew closer we became more affectionate talking about everything from politics to personal matters Tracy's voice softened again he was 34 well-built with wavy brown hair and an old-fashioned politeness I was 24 beautiful with an athletic build and long blonde hair the first time we slept together it felt natural it was was in his office on a leather couch after a long day it wasn't lust it was love and it wasn't just physical it was a complete love affair different from the one I had with you but still love I felt the sting of her words but I stayed silent trying to keep my composure I never felt guilty she continued not even when we got married it wasn't about cheating I loved both of you you I didn't want to hurt you I wanted it to continue I couldn't believe what I was hearing but I remained still my anger Rising Jack eventually told Sherry about the affair when they realized it would last he wanted to be honest with her Sherry had just given birth to their first child but he still wanted to keep a piece of his heart for me Tracy paused her eyes distant Sherry invited me to spend the weekend with them she told me she understood and I gave them my blessing when I found out I was pregnant years later it was Sherry who took me in she decided how things would unfold whether the baby was Jack's or not Sherry and I both had the same blood type so that solved part of the mystery and since I was never around when they were together no one suspected anything if someone noticed the similarities between the girls we made sure to to make some witty remark diverting attention away from the truth Tracy's voice became almost wistful Sherry looked at me like a little sister and she was actually proud of Jack's second family but now sitting here I see the cost of it all I sat there speechless my mind reeling Tracy wasn't asking for forgiveness she was just recounting events almost like telling a story she paused then looked at me as if expecting me to say something at that moment all I could think to ask was whether Tracy and Jack took a break when we first got married and if it happened almost every day of the week she looked confused for a moment then glanced away before finally answering no it was such an exciting time in my life I had two handsome men loving me and wanting me I was incredibly horny all the time she paused then continued when Jack and I made love I always made sure to clean up just in case we had another night yes sometimes you had sloppy seconds but I tried to keep that to a minimum and I never let you touch me down there after Jack and I had sex very tactful of you huh I muttered feeling the sting of her words the funny thing is she added I never really compared the two of you you we were both good lovers kind and considerate about the same height it wasn't about lust with Jack it was just different because of who each of you is her confession wasn't easy to digest on one hand I was comforted by the fact that it wasn't just about lust with some random stranger but on the other hand hearing that she loved him as much as she loved me stung deeply I had always been raised to believe in one partner one soulmate and now the truth hit hard there was another man I had been unknowingly sharing her with Tracy set her tea down and looked at me her gaze trying to pierce through me I had no answer to her silent question no words of wisdom to offer I quietly put the bottle in the closet rinsed the glass and headed upstairs to bed I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep that night about 5 minutes later try came into the bed and curled up behind me I pretended to be asleep avoiding even saying good night the next morning I got up at my usual 500 a. m. went through my morning routine and left for work Tracy was still in bed which meant she had no plans to go to soful I guess she and Sherry would need to figure out what's next now that Jack was gone but that was their problem I had my own problems to deal with work had always been a source of Solace for me when things weren't going well in my life and I hoped that Trend would continue I work for mayoni pharmaceuticals as the Vice President of Sales even though I'm 45 I belong to a new breed in this industry I'm a chemist by training so unlike most salespeople in my field I actually know how products are made and what they do in fact I was involved in the creation of one of our products a pill that helped reduce female libido for those who are overly horny it's a great product and it made me a good profit Tracy's salary and mine have given us a very comfortable life an upscale house in a trendy area two nice cars and great vacations financially neither of us would suffer from a divorce that was when I started thinking about the dword it wasn't until now though that it truly sank in I hadn't considered divorce before mostly because my mind had been clouded ever since I found out about Tracy's infidelity but now with Allison in college and no real reason to stay together other than the fact that Tracy had ripped my heart out divorce seemed like the next step my boss Arnold Kramer and I had worked together for 18 years after 5 years as a chemist at another company I met arri at an industry convention we hit it off and he said suggested I try sales turned out to be a great move not only did we work well together but Ari's also a damn nice guy over the years we've developed a close friendship one I hope will last a lifetime Ari has been married to his wife Lauren for nearly 30 years they have two grown children and five grandchildren at 52 he has the energy of a man half his age he's Sharp smart and not afraid to hire people who know their stuff like me when I told Ari about Tracy's Affair and my decision to divorce her he seemed crushed he asked if I was sure and I confirmed I was he didn't press for details but he knew I would share them when I was ready without hesitation he reached into his file cabinet and pulled out a card from a law firm that represented the company Ari is fiercely loyal to people who do good work for him and he trusted the divorce lawyers at that firm he told me to take whatever time I needed but I assured him I wouldn't need much just a few hours here and there it should have been a simple matter I thought after all we lived in a no fault state we both wanted to do right by Allison and we each had our own retirement accounts that we could keep we could split the proceeds from the house but I missed this one by a mile when I got home from work that evening Tracy was dressed for the occasion dinner was on the table my favorite Supreme spaghetti and she had opened a nice bottle of Mero everything looked so perfect that I didn't have the heart to remind her that it was Jack who was the wine afficionado not me I liked my spirits distilled Under Pressure it's hard to remember everything about both of your husbands Tracy chatted away as if nothing had changed between between us her usual bubbly self I let it go for a while but after about 10 minutes I couldn't keep up the charade any longer we need to talk I said finally using those dreaded words no spouse ever wants to hear no we don't she practically snapped at me her tone shocked me I didn't expect that answer from her I took a breath and caught up with her I know about the affair I said quietly feeling the weight of the words you've been seeing Jack all this time how could you think I would just accept that Tracy met my gaze and for a moment she seemed lost she admitted it finally acknowledging that she had been in a yearslong affair with her boss she knew how I felt about infidelity and she knew how this would devastate me how could she think I would stay with her after this I was hoping we could talk like civilized adults before you served me papers I said trying to stay calm Tracy's response came quickly her voice tinged with irritation you can do whatever you want to serve me but I won't give you a divorce she said firmly you love me and I love you I won't let you go I'll fight this every step of the way you're being stupid and you're going to ruin the best thing you've ever had all because you're pride is hurt I started to respond but she cut me off did I ever give you any reason to doubt my love for you before you found out about Jack and me have I ever neglected you in any way you got as much intimacy as you wanted I took care of you physically mentally emotionally we were each other's best friends if you hadn't found out by accident you would have gone to your Grave Loving Me completely you would never have questioned anything I felt the anger Rising no I said firmly because I found out I know now that you didn't love me the way you said you gave yourself body and soul to another man you knew it was wrong so you hid it from me two decades of deception isn't love it's betrayal she shouted back at me you're wrong I loved you both Jack was man enough to understand this I spared you from knowing and now you're proving I was right to keep it from you I was trying to protect you was I not man enough for you because I wouldn't allow you to have a bed partner and a half husband on the side this is absolute crap couldn't hold back anymore it was all about what you wanted you made the decision for yourself and for yourself alone you got what you wanted and never once thought about what it would do to me if I had found out I would have lived my life thinking everything was perfect only to be a fool in the end you could just write this on my Tombstone here lies Rick Avendale the luckiest fool in the world he thought life was wonderful because he had no idea his wife had two husbands the service and funeral took place 3 days later on Monday I didn't attend I got up like any other morning went to work and went through the emotions when I came home that evening Tracy and Allison were in the kitchen still dressed in their funeral clothes I walked over to my daughter who was home from college and tried to hug her but when I reached out she recoiled from my touch she turned her back on me and walked away quietly crying Tracy put a hand on my forearm and gently shook her head under normal circumstances I would have taken the hint and backed off but these were no longer normal circumstances I couldn't take it anymore I growled in frustration grabbed a few clothes my toothbrush and toiletries and left the minute I stepped out Tracy began blowing up my phone I let all her calls go to voicemail but I had to give Allison some credit unlike her mother she didn't pretend everything was fine she decided I was the enemy now and she was going to make me pay well if she was going to rip my heart out she'd succeeded Not only was she not my biological child but now she'd made it clear that I was no longer part of her life it only seemed like a simple matter after all we lived in a no faal State we both wanted to do right by Allison and we each had our own retirement accounts that we could keep we could split the proceeds from the house but of course of course I had completely misjudged the situation on Tuesday I took advantage of my free time to visit the bank I separated all the bills into hers and mine closed our credit cards and opened a new one in my name only I also made an appointment with the law office that had been recommended to me they managed to squeeze me in on Thursday I hadn't slept in 3 days when I went to see my lawyer I swear to God his name was Mike squishy I hoped he was a much better lawyer than his name suggested I figured there wasn't much to discuss I explained everything in detail and told him I wanted to separate from my wife as soon as possible I also told him I wanted Jack's estate to be sued for alimony if Allison was no longer my child in any sense of the word then let her real father pay for her upbringing I'm tired of being a fool I told Mike Mike said he didn't see any problem with it but if Tracy was adamant about not divorcing the judge might order mandatory counseling which could take a while I told him to go ahead and file and the following Monday Tracy was served the papers at sofl I'm guessing she was served at 10:07 a.

m. because at 10:08 our receptionist said an Irate Tracy is online 993 for the next week I didn't answer any of Tracy's calls or messages I had the secretary send her calls directly to my voicemail I knew I couldn't avoid her forever so one day I told marleene our senior secretary to put her through to me when she called you're incredible I said hanging up as soon as she finished her first curse filled phone call phone number two came in 15 seconds later don't you dare hang up she screamed I hung up again wondering how long it would take her to realize that if she wanted to talk to me she had to be polite phone call number three took a little longer when I answered she practically whispered I'm trying so hard to control myself you won the first round we need to talk this is just wonderful I said as cheerfully as I could call my lawyer Mike squishy at the number I'll send you and make an appointment with us you may want to bring your own lawyer with you this could speed up the process the meeting was scheduled for 2 weeks later until then I continued to live in a nearby Motel stopping by the old house to cut the grass pick up mail and grab any belongings I left behind when Tracy first saw me drive up to the house she tried to greet me like I was her long lost husband she even started to hug me in the driveway way I physically pushed her away and walked into the house you didn't have to air our problems to the world right there in the driveway I said hey if I'm such a problem why don't you just divorce me she shot back the meeting with the lawyers took place on Friday afternoon at 300 p. m.