I was directed to a seat and got settled. My lawyer sat on one side of me, with one of the linebackers on the other side. I asked, “Ok, what is going on now?”
“These men are here to keep you out of jail. I know that, right about now, you probably want to kill that son-of-a-bitch. So, I hired these two men to keep you out of prison… Now, if you notice, Johnson isn’t smiling at all.”
It was only then that I became aware of Johnson’s facial expression. He wasn’t gloating at all.
I could see that my wife still wanted to approach me, and was glad no one would let her.
My lawyer finally got up and approached a podium at the front of the room. “Mrs. Paterson. You wanted this meeting. We’re here. Would you like to start?”
Anna’s lawyer approached the podium and began to speak. “I am Mrs. Paterson, Anna Belton’s lawyer. Thank you for coming, Mr. Belton. First, I would like to say this has been a nightmare to put together. The situation was quite complex, and I did all I could do, as quickly as possible. I am sorry for all the delays, but at least everything has been resolved.” She took a breath.
“Mrs. Day? Would you like to start?”
Another woman stood, approached the podium, then turned to me. “Mr. Belton, I am Mrs. Day, James Johnson’s lawyer. I apologize for the misery that my client has caused you. My client, as part of his plea agreement, will fully confess his role in the adultery committed with your wife. He has also agreed to pay all legal fees and expenses. He will pay, both you and Mrs. Belton, a sum of four million dollars each. Your lawyer has the certified check for you to cash at your convenience.”
“Mr. Belton, if I may advise you, based on my personal experience, to please keep an open mind while Mr. Johnson speaks. You will learn that this whole, sad episode was not entirely your wife’s fault.” She then looked at Johnson and nodded.
He nervously took the podium, then looked directly at me and spoke. “Roy, as part of my plea bargain with your attorneys and your wife, I have agreed to make this statement. I have also agreed to answer any questions you might have. However, if my attorneys tell me not to answer, then I won’t be able to answer a particular question.”
He looked at me as if he expected me to say something. All I wanted to do was to rush the son-of-a-bitch and kick his ass, or as much of him as I could, before the linebackers caught me.
I just stared at him.
Johnson cleared his throat. “This is the third time I have done this to a married couple. The husband of the first couple still works for me. My actions destroyed the relationship of the second couple, they left my employ, and are presently divorced.”
“You were actually the third couple I have hired and, well, used for my personal entertainment.” He looked down, and I could see he didn’t like doing this. He continued. “After I hired you, I paid you more than you deserved. I then proceeded with my plan to impoverish you. I encouraged you to take on debt; to buy new cars, a new motorcycle, a bigger home in a better location. All using my company’s finance. It was a debt that you could service at your present salary, but it would ruin you if I, or someone else, reduced your pay or if you lost your job.”
Johnson started to become very nervous. “I justified my actions by rationalizing that only a moron would acquire so much debt, without considering the consequences, but that was just horseshit. I put you in an impossible financial position, then I went to your wife and told her I was making a list of employees to be made redundant.”
I could see him turning a deep red, with shame and embarrassment, far removed from his normal look of superiority.
“I told your wife that there was only one way to keep you off that list.”
“Mr. Belton, it took her almost six weeks before she would agree to this. I was afraid I was going to have to lay you off after Atlanta.” He paused a long time before he continued.
“Mr. Belton, while you were in Atlanta, I took advantage of your wife. I told her that your employment would be terminated, without even severance pay, if she didn’t learn to take care of me. I forced her, using threats of financial ruin, to let me humiliate you. I didn’t expect you to leave the seminar so soon. I had hired two women to keep you occupied and, also, feeling guilty. I understand that they failed their task. Your wife should be proud of your loyalty, as I have never heard of a man staying faithful, under the pressure you were under.”
Finally, he looked at his attorney and she nodded. “Roy, this wasn’t your wife’s fault. This was entirely my fault. Please consider taking her back. She was only trying to protect your family and its financial stability.” He looked back at his lawyer. “I will answer any questions you have for me.”
I was in a state of disbelief at the sheer audacity of this asshole’s plan.
At first, I didn’t want to ask anything, but then I wanted to know, “When did you start fucking my wife?”
His answer was quick. “Not before you went to Atlanta.”
“How long has it been since, or do you remember when, you approached her for the first time?”
“It took almost three months before I convinced her that she didn’t have a choice.”
Ok, I thought, that would be about the time she started to play the cuckold game while we were in bed. I looked at Anna, for the first time seeing her eyes pleading with me.
“Why in our bed?” I finally asked. Though I was still looking at Anna.
“Power.”
“In our bed?” I asked again.
James noticed I wasn’t asking him. He looked at Anna.
“In our bed!!” I was looking at my wife. She didn’t have an answer.
I felt my heart pull, my chest tighten. I stood up and walked out the door. Once outside, I quickly found a secluded corner, hoping for some privacy. I curled into a ball and tried to hold my emotions back. I dug my nails into my palms, trying to ride through the feelings of pain, hurt and betrayal. I contained most of my sobs, but some small moans escaped.
I was still wrestling with my emotions when I felt a hand on me, then arms hugging me.
‘Fuck. Just fucking great,’ I thought. Now I have a linebacker trying to comfort me.
As the arms tightened around me, I thought, “He smells much better than he did.”
Then I thought, “He feels much better than he did before, too.”
I didn’t want to open my eyes, squeezing them tight to control the tears, but I couldn’t contain the tremors. Then I felt the linebacker’s cheek against mine.
Shocked, I backed off and opened my eyes. It wasn’t the linebacker.
I was looking at my wife’s angelic face.
“Why, in our bed?”