[Music] reflecting on high school now feels like looking back at a distant past I was just an ordinary teenager grappling with identity friendships and the intensity of first love my parents were supportive but often busy which gave me plenty of time to ponder life's uncertainties being introspective was both a blessing and a curse shaping my future in unexpected ways in those years I experienced my first deep crush fixating on someone who seemed to represent all my dreams I was infatuated with the head cheerleader believing our feelings were mutual and that we were destined to be
together we were inseparable until one night in May when I saw her with someone else shattering my world devastated I drove aimlessly even briefly contemplating crashing into a tree but I kept going hoping my parents could offer some guidance when I got home my parents were out and the loneliness hit hard in a moment of Despair I even tried to access my dad's weapon safe but it was locked now I realize how irrational my teenage mind was overwhelmed by something that seems trivial today I fell asleep waiting for my parents and woke up to a
beautiful spring day feeling a deep sense of shame we talked for an hour and I gained a new perspective on my worth I never spoke to the Girl Again ignoring her attempts to apologize I didn't even ask for the expensive necklace I had given her after a week she showed up at my door but my grandmother sent her away telling her to move on because I had prom came and went she went with the other guy I don't know how their night turned out but I suspect the sugar in his gas tank delayed their fun
that experience hardened me making me more guarded in relationships years later my wife Emma found a note in a used book I had bought online confused I explained it was the wrong man a book about the Sam Shepard trial but the note led to an unexpected confrontation Emma was upset pushing a piece of notebook paper under my nose the note was written in delicate feminine handwriting Jeff you need to divorce that witch you're married to before she drives you crazy enough to destroy her I'll wait for you but not forever your love Daddy P.S we
had fun one last time I expect to see those divorce papers signed soon I was shocked struggling to understand could it be a prank Emma was clearly angry I spent the next half hour explaining that I bought the book online and hadn't looked through it yet the note must have belonged to the previous own owner but what are the chances the owner's name was also Jeff the timing was terrible last year I made the mistake of getting too close to a female co-worker Sharon Roberts we flirted and it escalated to dinner Sharon even proposed to
me and I was tempted my marriage with Emma was struggling but I realized I loved Emma and needed to fix things at home that night I confessed to Emma that our marriage needed work admitting my near infidelity was a mistake but after some rough weeks I convinced her that she was the only one for me she seemed to believe me until she found that note adding to the tension I'd been working late for the past 3 months hoping for a promotion I wanted to prove myself especially since Emma's parents never thought I was good enough
for her but all that time away had become a sore Point Emma had also been spending more time with her mother who never liked me after a big fight about my work hours I foolishly called her mother a witch the same word used in the note things only got worse from there I know some of you might be thinking just give up you've been caught but I swear I'm innocent I ended up sleeping on the couch that night unable to convince Emma that the note wasn't mine she locked our bedroom door on Thursday I told
my boss I need to cut back on work hours he understood having gone through a divorce himself I brought Emma flowers and though she didn't throw them away the coldness between us remained by Friday night things were still tense Emma decided to spend the weekend at her parents house I asked her not to go but she said she needed time to think I bit my tongue knowing that her mother's influence wouldn't help I spent the weekend thinking about how to fix our marriage taking long walks with our dog Samson and reflecting on how much I
love Emma on Saturday night I texted her would you consider counseling her response was brief we'll talk when I get home Sunday night Sunday passed and that night I got another message drank too much at dinner we be home Monday my frustration grew I was innocent and I knew a weekend at her mom's was a bad idea on Monday morning Emma came home just as I was about to leave for work she gave me a half-hearted kiss and said we'll talk tonight before rushing upstairs to get ready for work I worked a full day but
made sure to pick up Chinese takeout and have it ready by the time she got home our dinner was quiet polite but not warm after dinner Emma broke the silence Jeff I don't trust you and that's not how I should feel about my husband mom thinks I should leave I cut in let's leave your mother out of this this is about us I need space and time to think I suggest you move into the spare bedroom until we figure things out I hated the idea how does sleeping in separate rooms help us solve our problems
what about counseling maybe but not right now right now I need time for myself I couldn't help asking does thinking for yourself include your mother my mom only wants what's best for me if I need to talk to her I will that was the end of our conversation I moved into the spare room and spent the night wide awake thinking back I met Emma while Consulting for an NGO where she was interning I had just graduated from whorton and was working at a top accounting firm I was assigned to the NGO to help with their
computer systems and everything went well the NGO got a new server and I met my future wife Emma was about to start her senior year at Princeton and we spent that summer dating she was smart confident and had the looks of a model despite her upper class background she treated everyone kindly from the clerks to the president physically we were a good match but socially we came from different worlds Emma was an only child from a wealthy family while I was one of four kids in a middle class home my mom was a second grade
teacher and my dad owned a mechanic shop I graduated from Kent State and later earned an MBA from Wharton I eventually took a job at tmg2 engineering Inc where I now work as a project manager in it leading a significant project to migrate our systems to the cloud Tuesday morning I woke up in the spare bedroom after getting my bearings I went downstairs to find coffee ready Emma was upstairs showering and though I briefly considered joining her I decided to give her the space she wanted I drank my coffee and then got ready for work
in the guest bathroom The Strain between us continued all week Emma was working long hours so I threw myself into my project which seemed to please my boss on Friday I texted Emma can I take you out to dinner tonight you picked the place 10 minutes later she replied replied going to my mom's spending the weekend frustrated I called her to reason with her how can we work on our marriage if you're not here I told you I needed time she replied calmly it's only been a week you need to respect that I tried to
convince her to stay but she wouldn't budge she finally agreed to consider counseling will I see you before you leave for Manhattan tonight no I'm already packed I'll probably be back Monday night I'll go straight to work from New York so it was another weekend alone with Samson two more days to figure out how to fix what was broken on Saturday I had an idea I called the used bookstore where I bought the wrong man and spoke to a salesperson hi I bought the wrong man from your store a few weeks ago and inside was
a romantic note from someone named Jeff my wife found it and thinks I'm having an affair I need to contact the original Jeff who owned the book the salesperson laughed man what are the odds a book called The Wrong Man owned by two guys named Jeff and with a love note inside look this isn't funny my wife needs proof that I'm not the Jeff who got that note can you check your system to see if the previous owner is registered we can track sellers if they have an account but I can't give out their info
could you at least contact him and ask him to call meure what's your name Jeff I replied as in the author he asked what author I was confused he laughed again T Jefferson Parker the mystery writer this conversation was ridiculous but I had to clarify I'm Jeffrey Parker not Jefferson and there's no te in my name I gave him my number and was surprised when my phone rang 20 minutes later my name is Jeff and I hear you found a note meant for me is this some kind of blackmail no not at all I bought
the wrong man and found a note from a woman named Terry I need you to tell my wife that the note was meant for you not me the note was in a book damn I've been looking for that note everywhere if my wife found it I'd be in big trouble I can't believe it ended up in that book Jeff I need you to help me out here no way I dodged that bullet and I'm not getting involved he hung up frustrated I took a few minutes to calm down and then called him back Jeff it's
Jeff I've changed my mind this is blackmail if you don't send me a notorized statement saying Terry wrote that note to you I'll send a copy to your wife how does that sound man that's cold not as cold as it's been in my house since my wife found that note okay okay I'll send the statement but you promise it's over after that absolutely just get it notorized and send it to me I gave him my address and waited Emma and I became physical engaged 5 weeks into dating while working at an NGO and by Summer's
end we were exclusive during her senior year I frequently drove 60 miles to Princeton to see her and we spent Thanksgiving at her parents New York apartment her mother was cold but I hoped to win her over Emma spent winter break with my family where she felt at home her parents likely thought our relationship was just a phase expecting it to fade like her previous ones by I proposed and she accepted living in Philadelphia close to her parents in Manhattan was ideal however after we got engaged her mother tried to break us up Emma resisted
but her mother continued to undermine our marriage subtly a problem I didn't fully grasp until much later her parents attitudes complicated my decisions should I focus on my career to impress them or spend more time with Emma it's a tough balance many young professionals face when Emma returned from her parents house on Monday she was still distant I decided to wait for an email from the other Jeff before talking to her continuing to sleep in the guest room desperate I did something I'd sworn off I read her emails while she showered I copied them to
an external drive reading them confirmed my fears her mother was trying to turn Emma against me she encouraged Emma to move to New York and transfer to her company's office there was also a message from a guy named Grant Martin about staying in touch despite our strain Rel relationship Emma's responses gave me hope she expressed love for me and a desire to save our marriage despite her mother's influence later that evening I received a notorized letter from the other Jeff confirming he was the one who wrote the note in the book when Emma came home
I had dinner ready after eating I handed her the letter and her expression softened she sat on my lap kissed me and said this makes me very happy Jeff almost as happy as having you back in my arms we talked about her feeling of being an accessory in her parents lives and she explained how her mother had recently tried to rebuild their relationship her mother even advised against starting a family fearing it would ruin Emma's career just as she believed it had ruined her own I was stunned Emma had wanted to start a family last
year but now her mother was driving a wedge between us when I questioned if there was someone else Emma assured me she would never cheat still concerned about her spending weekends in New York I suggested a getaway but Emma declined saying her mother had invited her to see The Merchant of Venice disappointed I agreed to postpone our trip by Thursday I took a risky step I sent fake emails to her mother and Grant Martin designed to infect their computers with viruses that would give me access to their emails it was a dangerous move but I
felt it was necessary looking back our wedding orchestrated by Lois Taylor felt more like a show than a celebration despite her disapproval she hosted a lavish Affair my family kept things simple while the tailor invited everyone they knew the whole felt like a farce the first few years of our marriage were good balanced between work and fun living in Philadelphia away from her parents gave us peace we even talked about starting a family beginning with getting a dog named Samson however just as we were ready for kids things began to unravel by Thursday night both
Grant and Lois had opened the fake emails and I gained access to their correspondence what I discovered was shocking Grant was having an affair with Emma's mother and they were planning to set him up with Emma despite this I decided to confront the situation directly after arranging for Samson to stay at a kennel I took the Amtrak to Manhattan determined to save my marriage by the time I arrived I had a plan I bought a Yankee cap a cheap camera and staked out her parents house while waiting a woman approached noticing my obvious surveillance she
offered to help revealing herself as a private investigator surprised by her offer I agreed to pay her for photos of Emma and Grant if they met what started as a simple Stakeout had turned into something far more complex her words stung but she continued this neighborhood is full of wealthy people with Shady morals I'm here all night watching the building next door waiting for a lawyer to sneak out with his mistress his wife hired me to get evidence she extended her hand i'm Karen withany as Karen talked I kept my eyes on Emma's building soon
Emma walked out with a man I assumed was Grant there they are Karen said Qui ly snapping photos before they got into a cab got them now what now I focus on the building next door let's sit for a minute it's still early we sat on a nearby bench first give me your email and I'll send the pictures that'll be $100 if you want more when they return it's another $100 sure if you give me the guy's name for $300 more I can dig up information we'll need a contract for that with your agency no
I'm a freelancer today I'm working as a contractor for the agency hired by the lawyer's wife and it's okay to hire you directly as long as it doesn't interfere with my contract work it's not a conflict I texted Karen my email and Grant's full name we chatted for a while and I ended up telling her the whole story of why I was trying to save my marriage Karen turned out to be a great listener curious I asked how did you become a private investigator she laughed I spent 15 years with the NYPD six in counterterrorism
after getting shot in the the leg and losing everything below the knee I went on disability she pulled up her pant leg to reveal a prosthetic now I use my skills to make money and set my own schedule it's working out so far I usually don't work weekends but I'm doing a favor for a friend as she spoke Karen snapped a few photos of a couple getting into a limo across the street are you going to follow them no it's too risky I'll grab a bite nearby and wait for them to return most just have
dinner and head back to a love Nest there's not much romance in these cases so what do Mistresses get besides dinner you'd be surprised some women earn as much as a good secretary they're willing to sell their soul no thanks what about the wives wives are half our business some poor guy working 60 hours a week finds out someone else is getting what should be his the worst is when DNA tests show the kids aren't his those cases end badly I had one client break into his ex-wife's house and lick liquidate himself on her bed
that must have hit her hard not really she was out of town the housekeeper found the body and by the time she got back from a spa and can the place was cleaned up and repainted there aren't many happy endings in this business we sat quietly for a moment I wasn't going to do anything drastic but I realized how much I'd miss my wife if we divorced if you're getting a snack can I join you she shook her head no Jeff go home I'm meeting my husband at the diner he'll be there in 10 minutes
she pointed to her wedding ring which I noticed for the first time what a detective I am missing that detail as we walked I realized I was limping too focused on my problems I tried to change the subject does this work affect your marriage it affects some of my co-workers but I'm lucky my husband Bill understands my job he makes sure I know I'm loved like tonight when he arranged for his mom to watch our boys so we could have dinner together as we neared the D I saw a tall fit man waiting he was
my height but more muscular Karen hugged him and he kissed her while keeping an eye on Me Bill this is Jeff my new client Jeff this is my husband Bill we shook hands both giving firm but not overpowering grips Bill smiled and asked tight end good guess did you play no I was a heavyweight wrestler at Penn State his smile grew wider as he hugged Karen hungry he asked me no thanks I'm heading to the train station Karen send me the contract when you can I'll sign it and return it with payment thanks for taking
my case Karen laughed is that the right word I shook Bill's hand again it was a pleasure meeting you Bill you're a lucky man but I think you both Lucky thanks for inviting me to dinner you both give me hope Bill glanced at Karen who whispered I'll explain I left with a smile Sunday morning I overslept catching up on missed sleep after brewing coffee I started my laptop and downloaded all of Grant's archived emails I also decided not to wait for Karen to call but to reach out to her later that morning to find out
what it happened Saturday night after I left with coffee and a bagel I began reading Grant Martin's emails it quickly became clear that Grant was a manipulative idiot Lois Taylor wasn't the only married woman he was involved with and one email in his outbox answered many of my questions the email read Dennis it's time to return the favor I've been entertaining a high society woman for the past 4 months months she's so snobbish she only gives me the time of day because of my so-called pedigree what she doesn't know is my father disowned me years
ago you're probably wondering why I'm bothering with her two reasons her daughter's a knockout and the old lady is trying to wreck her daughter's marriage so she can set me up with her once we're together she thinks we can keep seeing each other without anyone suspecting can you believe that I also work for her husband who's clueless she's pushing her daughter to leave her husband and I'm just waiting to swoop in but I'm not the marrying type oh and this woman is worth millions I'm sending you a burner phone when I call pretend to be
my father I need you to play along don't mess it up remember you owe me from last year your brother TK Grant reading that I almost felt sorry for Lois but only for a second this was way beyond what I could handle on my own and I hoped Karen could help me figure out the next steps while waiting for Karen's call I spent hours on my computer monitoring everything Grant did online I even managed to get his user ID and password for his bank by 2: p.m. I couldn't wait any longer and called Karen hi
Jeff I've been expecting your call sorry to bother you on a Sunday please apologize to your husband and kids but I need to know what happened last night after I left you'll be pleased to hear that your wife came back in a cab just after 10:00 Grant walked her to the door trying to convince her to let him in she refused he tried to kiss her but she turned away and he only got her cheek the doorman didn't let him in either Grant left clearly upset so your wife didn't give into his advances she got
home at a decent time and nothing inappropriate happened except for going on the date in the first place I was relieved Emma hadn't slept with Grant but still angry about our crumbling marriage remember what you told me last night her mother set her up it doesn't excuse everything but it explains a lot agreed but you should know this it seems Grant is also involved with your mother-in-law and Lois is trying to destroy your marriage to keep him around no kidding that's cold I've seen a lot in this business but people's cruelty still shocks me how
did you find this out if I tell you is there some sort of client detective confidentiality no Jeff if I'm subpoenaed I have to tell so if it's illegal you need to decide whether to share it I thought for a moment and then decided to tell her how I got the emails like many others she was stunned by what I had done I also also mentioned that I had Martin's user idid and password to his bank accounts you can really access this guy's computer and see his passwords yes maybe later this week you can teach
me how to protect myself from people like me but for now I'm going back to my family we're watching The Wizard of Oz and my kids are giving me the when are you getting off the phone look sorry Karen call me tomorrow when you dig up more on Martin's background and I'll fill you in on the rest with that we hung up and I continued to go through Grant and Lois emails by Sunday evening when Emma returned I had gathered a lot of information but had no idea how to use it all my belongings were
still in the guest room Emma burst into the kitchen where I was sitting with a beer Jeffrey where are your clothes I ignored her question how was your date last night her face showed a mix of guilt shock and confusion what are you talking about I didn't go on a date Emma said it with such conviction that I might have believed her if I hadn't seen her get into the cab with my own eyes what do you call going to a play with an unrelated man you might want to look up the definition there was
that look again were you following me not that it matters but I went into town yesterday I was planning to convince you and your mom that I should take you to the play I arrived just in time to see you getting into a cab with some guy who was it I lied but it sounded plausible and I didn't want Emma to know what I really knew Jeff my mom got sick at the last minute and a friend of my parents drove me nothing happened I pretended to be clueless and who is this kind friend does
he have a name Grant Martin he works for my father I decided to push her Emma this is ridiculous your parents are trying to split us up think about it I'll bet you $1,000 your mom miraculously recovered on Sunday this illness was staged how did Grant Martin just happen to be available at the last minute it's time to wake up and realize our marriage is on the brink Emma looked shocked as if she'd been slapped I didn't want the argument to escalate so I left the kitchen and went to the guest room it was a
restless night and I ended up leaving the house early arriving at the office before 7 at 8: I Got a notification on my phone Emma had sent two texts to Sharon Roberts I figured she had already talked to her mom and Lois was filling her head with more nonsense my marriage was circling the drain late Monday night Karen called me at work are you somewhere private I closed my office door yes what's up first remind me about Grant Martin's position at the bank I've been focusing on his non-work activities I glanced at my notes from
what I've seen he's a personal banker handling trust accounts and money management for wealthy clients yesterday I watched him set up wire transfers for two clients I'll confirm the transactions later when I'm home I don't want to use my work computer did any of those transfers go to foreign Banks one went to France for a rich kid's tuition and living expenses in Paris Karen paused before continuing I dug up some dirt on Grant he had serious issues in college enough that his family disowned him he moved to New York to escape his past I also
talked to a friend in the NYPD last year a college buddy of Grants Dennis Riley stayed with him for a weekend Riley picked up a girl at a bar brought her back to Grant's place and when she drank too much Riley refused to call her a cab and instead attacked her when she reported it Riley claimed it was consensual and Grant backed him up saying the girl even hit on him the da dropped the case because it was two against one so Riley got away with it because Grant lied for him exactly I read Karen
the first line of Grant's letter to Dennis she paused looks like Riley owes Grant big time for covering for him how do you feel about getting back at these two one's a rapist and the other is his enabler no question what's your plan you mentioned you could access Grant's computer how skilled are you could you use his identity to open foreign accounts and transfer his clent money I know how to access his computer but I'm not an expert in opening accounts and I'm not interested in stealing money if we do this right no one will
lose money but we need to discuss it in person can you meet tomorrow night I'd like to bring a friend Karen I have to ask why are you doing this without expecting more payment I agreed to pay you a few thousand for watching Emma and digging up dirt on Grant now we're talking about opening accounts and transferring money what's in it for you I can't afford to pay more and I certain certainly can't afford to get caught this is personal Jeff years ago someone pilled and attacked me I was too embarrassed to report it right
away and by the time I did there was no evidence left I filed a complaint but it went nowhere because it was just my word against his so I'm doing this for that girl Dennis Riley attacked she deserves to know not every prick gets away with it and Grant Martin is going down too for helping him they're both trash Karen's voice softened as she shared her story clearly still painful for her although I had only known Karen for a few days and spent a few hours with her I was already determined to help her take
down these Pricks as my grandmother used to say sometimes doing the right thing means taking risks even if it involves breaking the law before we ended the call Karen asked me to send her all the information I had gathered from Martin's computer bank accounts loans mortgages and so on I promised to get it to her that night we also arranged to meet on Tuesday night I made up an excuse to Emma about working late but it didn't matter much since we were talking and sleeping in separate rooms that Tuesday night I met Karen at a
quiet Pub she brought along a friend Hank who seemed like he had a background in intelligence probably from one of the agencies after I told Hank that I had access to Grant Martin's computer and his banking systems they laid out their plan first we buy a plane ticket to Dubai for Martin using his credit card next we open an account in Dubai under his name Dubai is a popular place for hiding illicit funds since Switzerland got into trouble with the US Treasury then we set up wire transfers of several million dollars to Dubai scheduled for
early in the day I interrupted wait no stealing Hank reassured me don't worry none of the money will actually leave the country we'll make a small mistake in the transfer instructions that delays it making it look like Martin tried to steal the money but messed up I thought for a moment and then agreed okay so what's next Martin has a line of credit with over $100,000 available and $60,000 in a brokerage account we'll transfer those funds to the Dubai account and those transfers will go through do you have a problem with that not if it's
his own money being transferred good with his funds drained he won't be able to afford a good lawyer which will help us go after his buddy Dennis Riley Karen added and the final step is to send a fake letter from Grant to Dennis here read this she handed me the letter Dennis forget about rich old women I've got bigger plans by tomorrow I'll have enough money to last a long time at at least until I find another Rich Target I'm leaving the country nothing here is worth sticking around for I got a call today from
an investigator asking about your little incident last year you should have learned your lesson at USC like I did make sure you get approval before you pull that stun again because I won't be around to cover for you I'll let you know where I end up I'm sure the feds will monitor this email after tomorrow so don't respond I'll delete this as soon as it's sent your brother TK Grant after reading I smiled you nailed his St style especially the misogynistic tone Karen replied I also found out why Martin's Family disowned him he and another
guy attacked a girl at USC she had a reputation and after the incident she eliminated herself the family paid off the girl's family to keep it quiet and cut ties with Grant this wasn't the first time they'd bailed him out Karen's Story Only strengthened my resolve to take down Martin and Riley okay I can handle all that with Hank's instructions but we need to make sure Grant is at home not at his computer when this goes down how do we do that don't worry Grant will be occupied we've got it covered can we do it
tomorrow night no problem what's the plan for Thursday Grant will be arrested early Thursday morning before he has a chance to act it'll look like he was about to flee the country it's a pleasure working with professionals Karen and Hank were indeed professionals with Hank's guidance everything went smoothly Grant opened a new account in Dubai his credit card was used to buy a first class ticket to Dubai and the line of credit and brokerage account were set up the wire transfers were ready for Thursday morning but the big transfer was intentionally botched so it never
went through to ensure Grant was in his apartment all night they used an expensive escort likely a tactic Hank learned in his former line of work the escort accidentally bumped into grant after work and convinced him to have a drink with her Grant being full of himself thought his charm had won her over and ended up taking her back to his apartment for another drink the woman experienced in deception told Grant she had been mistreated by a guy before and wouldn't let it happen again she demanded to see his ID Grant thinking with his little
head Shrugged and handed over his driver's license sensing she wanted more she then asked for his passport without questioning her logic Grant fetched it from his office she flipped through the pages making small talk about his trips then put the passport down grabbed his tie and led him to bed at 88: a.m. Thursday Grant Martin opened his door to find two detectives waiting despite his claims of Innocence he was quickly arrested especially after they noticed his passport lying on the table planning a trip Mr Martin one detective asked while handcuffing him Grant knew he had
been set up but didn't know by whom or how all traces of the viruses on his and Lois's computers had been erased I had sent a command to wipe his hard drive before the police arrived making it seem like Grant had done it to cover his tracks the police eventually retrieved copies of Grant's email including one confessing to giving a false statement and another outlining his plan to flee the country with stolen money thanks to Karen's contacts the police offered to drop the false statement charges if Grant testified against Dennis Riley true to his nature
Grant took the deal leading to Dennis's extradition once Dennis learned of Grant's betrayal the two turned on each other tearing each other apart in court Grant received no support from his family this time despite his protests he was found guilty of theft and related charges and sentenced to four years in prison Dennis with Grant's testimony against him got 10 years by the time Grant testified the two hated each other so much that Grant's testimony was especially damning while this unfolded I had personal matters to address the day after Grant's arrest I met with my father-in-law
Mr Taylor I have some things that could hurt Emma if she sees them but I think you should decide what to do with them I hired a private investigator to understand why my marriage was falling apart and I hope you're as shocked by this as I am I handed Jonathan a folder of Lois's emails to Grant avoiding any mention of how I got them Jonathan read the letter slowly pausing only to pour us both coffee I was impressed that he served it himself instead of calling for help when he finished he looked at me clearly
troubled I asked you not to hurt my daughter knowing her mother used her like this would devastate Emma I'm sorry then don't show her I promise I won't bring it up during the divorce so you plan to divorce Emma that would hurt her too that's not my choice your wife is determined to end your marriage and she's convincing Emma it's the right thing to do please call me Jack he said surprising me tell me more I don't understand how Lois became so controlling of Emma I explained Lois told Emma she gave up her career for
her that she was too young when she married and had Emma and that you stopped her from pursuing a career she's been laying guilt on Emma Jack listened and intently as I continued Emma feels she never had a real relationship with you or her mother seeing how my family interacts she realized something was missing when Lois finally started paying attention to her Emma jumped at the chance for a connection Jack was hard to read but he suddenly became more candid do you know what it's like to turn 60 and realize your life is a mess
no I don't I'm just venting Lois claims she gave up her career what a joke the only things she's pursued are manicures and spa treatments she always talked about being a professional tennis player but after years of lessons she still can't hit a decent backhand I've spent most of my life building this Bank working long hours to make it successful that's how I was raised we didn't expect to be best friends with our wives we focused on business I spent more time with my golf buddies than with my family because that's what Lois wanted but
until today I had no proof of her cheating I was blissfully ignorant his honesty caught me off guard and all I could say was I'm sorry I had to be the one to bring this to your attention no Jeff I'm grateful you brought this to me it's one thing to have an affair but it's another to sacrifice Emma's happiness to keep your lover around especially with one of my employees Grant was walking around the office smug knowing he was with my wife well he won't be for a while he was arrested this morning for stealing
from a client and providing false information in a criminal case if what we heard from the police is true grant Martin will be gone for a long time as for Lois she has her own trust fund worth millions which works in my favor during the divorce that she'll be lounging at the spa or on the tennis court shedding crocodile tears some new guy will pick her up and I'll be easily replaced she'll lose some social standing other wives will avoid her to protect their own marriages she'll also lose her relationship with Emma but from what
I've seen here Jack held up the folder she probably won't care much about that and Emma I wonder it's too late to rebuild a relationship with my daughter I do love her but I let Lois control our relationship that's another thing I owe Lois for somehow I'll make her pay for all the pain she's caused maybe not right away but I will in the meantime Jeff I need your help you say you love Emma do you think you can repair your marriage I Don't Know Jack logically it's not her fault she was manipulated by her
mother and it helps that she didn't sleep with Martin at least I don't think so but emotionally that's the hard part I'm not like you I just showed you proof of your wife's infidelity and you didn't shed a tear you were a little angry but you kept your cool when Emma walked out that second weekend I cried for the first time in my adult life I don't know how you do it Jonathan Taylor looked at me and made a decision because I've been bottling up my emotions for over 40 years let me tell you a
story not many people know right after college I enrolled in Navy flight school it it was tough but I passed OCS I was so proud the day those stripes appeared on my uniform in front of my parents but then my life turned into a nightmare I messed up and crashed broke both legs and my back worse my radar intercept officer Ted Andrews was eliminated I spent 6 weeks in the hospital when I could walk without crutches I went to apologize to Ted's parents I'll never forget the look on their faces seeing the man responsible for
their sons end of life I returned to the base a Broken Man I cried for days the Navy discharged me and I went home my parents were kind they didn't blame me they sent me to Harvard for my MBA hoping I could move on but not a week goes by that I don't think about what I could have done to prevent the accident it wasn't because I was drunk or hung over it was just a mistake that cost a man's life Ted's parents never wanted to hear from me again but I've dedicated part of my
life to his memory I donate $110,000 every year to the Uso and a fund for wounded soldiers after all that dealing with an Unfaithful wife seems like a small thing I listened in silence when he finished I saw a man carrying a heavy burden for far too long I realized there was something I could do to help lighten that load reflecting on my relationship with Emma I considered how much her recent Behavior had been out of character driven by a desire to finally connect with a mother who had never shown her love my thoughts drifted
back to the first time I met Emma 8 years ago during my work with the NGO I spotted her on a bench at Columbus Square looking like she could use a friend I approached her introduced myself and we started talking excuse me I've seen you at the office I'm Jeff Parker from it I extended my hand she recognized me but it was clear she had been crying instead of shying away she offered a faint smile yes I've seen you too I'm emit Taylor she shook my hand may I sit down or would you rather be
alone no please sit taking a chance I asked it's clear you've been crying do you want to talk about it Emma hesitated did you hear the news about the two girls in Sudan our NGO supported schools in Sudan and other parts of Africa and the Middle East the girls there were taught Reading Writing domestic skills and health education which didn't always sit well with the local population no I've been stuck in the server room all day I replied yesterday in Juba two sisters were dragged out of class by their grandparents upset that the girls parents
allowed them to be educated they accused the parents of turning the girls against Allah this morning we heard the sisters had been mutilated had their clitoris removed with the local imam's approval I was speechless I had heard of such practices but had never encountered it firsthand Emma continued I can't understand how people who claim to follow God can think it's right to destroy what God created she paused are we really helping or just making things worse I don't have the answers Emma but my my grandmother taught me something when I was a kid I was
visiting my grandparents on their Farm during a big storm we saw a funnel cloud and tried to Corral all the chickens into the barn we got most of them in when Grandpa told me to head to the basement I didn't understand why we were abandoning the rest but Grandma explained if you try to save everyone you might end up saving no one Emma looked at me with those beautiful eyes really listening I think you could apply your grandmother's wisdom to what your organization does save as many girls as you can from a hopeless life you
won't save them all but don't lose sight of the good you're doing your grandmother sounds wise but why do you say your organization don't you work for the NGO not exactly I'm with KPMG under contract to upgrade their systems when this is done I'll move on to another assignment that's the life of a consultant 2 months from now I could be in California or Virginia it must be hard to make friends living like that I can't imagine such a nomadic life I've only lived in two places here in Manhattan and at Princeton where I go
to school you're still in school yes I have one year left at Princeton I'm here as an unpaid summer intern that must be tough not really my father believes in community service he gives me an allowance and covers my tuition so money is not an issue when I graduate next spring I'll try living on my own for now I'm focused on my studies and helping out here that sounds nice I said realizing it might come off as sarcastic but Emma didn't take offense yeah I'm lucky I have friends who struggle to pay tuition and rent
having financial support makes being a student easier as Emma spoke I realized how different she was from the wealthy people I'd met at Wharton in our 30-minute conversation she expressed genuine concern for strangers in Sudan and her classmates I later learned that on the same day we met she had been hit by a cab on her way to work and had a large bruise on her thigh which she didn't mention until days later this was someone worth knowing but before I could say anything she surprised me again Jeff you mentioned it's hard to make friends
when you're always moving would you like to have dinner with me sometime of course I replied that was the start of our friendship which grew into a relationship now threatened by her mother's manipulation after leaving Jack's office I returned home Emma walked in to find dinner on the stove a bottle of Mero breathing and a dozen red roses on the table it took her a moment to notice the three place settings I see we're expecting guests who who your father my father what about my mother did something happen to her no nothing happened to your
mother your father and I just want to talk with you go wash up he'll be here any minute thank goodness Jack rang the bell right away I don't think I could have held Emma back much longer my plans for a quiet dinner were likely too optimistic the wine was poured and the pasta was on the plates but as soon as we sat down Emma demanded to know why her father was there without her mother Jack took the lead explaining what Lois had been up to over the past few months Emma became hysterical crying no no
no until Jack moved with her to the couch where she wept on his chest I cleaned up the kitchen took Samson for a walk and gave them some privacy when I returned half an hour later Emma met me at the door her eyes still red Jeff I'm so sorry please tell me you want to stay together I do Emma I never stopped loving you my biggest fear was that you had changed your mind and would leave me but I was wrong you were manipulated by your mother and now that's over and my father he wants
to mend our relationship but he's afraid I'll be wary after what happened with my mother he wants us to work on repairing our marriage first he's going on vacation soon and wants to take us to an island in the Bahamas to get to know us better that's wonderful we'll figure out the details later but for now that sounds great let's try to eat I reheated dinner so the pasta isn't perfect but it will do the three of us sat down to dinner again taking the first step toward healing though it took almost a year for
Jack to find the time for a two-e vacation with us on the island he spent most weekends with us reconnecting with Emma and getting to know the daughter he regretted not bonding with earlier like I did when I first met Emma he was pleasantly surprised by her kindness and selflessness having Jack involved in our lives helped Emma recover from her mother's betrayal over the next few months we worked on rebuilding our marriage it was easier knowing Emma had never cheated or lost her moral compass the night with Grant was purely platonic though Grant had tried
he had met the wrong woman we eventually spent a week with Jack and Emma on Cat Island in the Bahamas Emma stayed a few extra days with her father after I returned to work my project was completed on time and on budget and I was promoted to IT director with a nice bonus Emma also had to be convinced she could still wear a bikini on the island despite her new curves our son Paul Jonathan Parker named after both grandfathers was born a little over a year after that dinner our daughter Clare Emma Parker Clare after
my mother was born 2 years later Jack retired at 63 and now spoils his grandchildren even buying a small apartment nearby as a second home things didn't go as well for Lois Jack divorced her shortly after our meeting though it likely cost him a fortune in legal fees the evidence of her attempt to destroy her daughter's marriage along with her millions in trust funds allowed Jack to walk away without paying alimony and retaining enough assets for a comfortable retirement once Lois's scheming became public she became a pariah she first moved to Palm Beach but her
reputation followed her she was denied membership in local tennis clubs and spent nine months there without making a single friend she then moved to Palm Springs thinking distance would help but though she mingled with the wealthy she couldn't compete with younger women for attention like many aging women with low self-esteem she resorted to plastic surgery which unfortunately left her looking unnatural I only know about her failed facelift because 2 years after CLA was born Lois showed up at our door when I answered it took me a moment to recognize her I didn't even open the
screen door Lois what are you doing here I made no effort to hide my lack of warmth I want to see my daughter and grandchildren Lois you're not welcome here no one in this house wants to see you now go away it took everything I had not to shout you have no right to keep me from seeing Emma and the kids open the door you don't get it Lois Emma doesn't want to see you and we do everything to keep you from poisoning our kids with your bitterness I started to close the door but paused
what have you done to your face the words slipped out Lois looked stunned as I shut the door she didn't give up easily the next day while I was at work Lois called the house Emma later told me the conversation was brief Emma confirmed that Lois was Persona nrata in our home and around the kids Lois tried to bribe her offering 10 ,000 per visit for the kids college fund Emma refused Lois even showed up at the daycare which led us to get a restraining order when she tried to call Jack he laughed and hung
up last we heard Lois was back in Palm Springs with a jiggalo who had already taken a significant amount of money from her how sad sometimes bad things happen to bad people it reminded me of my final act against Grant Martin using an alias I sent him a letter a short eight- sentence poem your lawyer said you're Innocent but the jury thought otherwise for the crime that brought you down justice found its way I'm innocent you said again but karma had it say now you know a whole you messed with the wrong one [Music] [Applause]
[Music] [Applause] [Music]
