Chapter One

Talon

Iget home early from work to find the house empty. I don't think much of it because my wife Sandra's a very active, headstrong woman. She enjoys spending time with her friends and is in the process of looking for a new job. She's been pricklier than usual lately, but as long as she's otherwise occupied, that means she's not griping about one issue or another to me. The way I see it, getting a few hours to myself is a blessing.

I go to our ensuite bathroom to clean up. After a long, hard day of work, standing under a hot shower feels good on my aching muscles. My construction crew is halfway through a store renovation. I'll be glad when the job is finished for a variety of reasons, not least of which is because the client has decided they want everything finished in marble. By everything I mean floors, walls, and countertops. The job has only been going on for two weeks and I already feel like I've been lifting marble slabs for years.

When I get out of the shower, I notice the computer I bought Sandra hasn't been switched off. I get dressed and decide to use it to check my work e-mail. There's no use calling the whole crew in to work tomorrow, if our latest order of marble hasn't arrived yet.

I sit down and shake the mouse. When the computer comes out of sleep mode one of my wife's favorite social media sites is showing on the screen. It's not her profile, so at first, I assume it belongs to one of her friends because of the user name. Maybe she'd dropped by and used the PC? Just when I'm about to click out of it, I notice that a chat screen is up off to the side. The conversation is about me. Her friend appears to be saying disparaging things about me, as a man and a husband. I'm curious to find out which of her friends hates me so much, so I start scrolling. It becomes clear pretty damn fast that this account actually belongs to my wife. She's created a second profile under the user name of lovebunny27 and listed herself as single. There are a bunch of links to dating sites she uses and sexy half naked pictures of herself posted all over the account.

I'm numb with shock as I take screenshots of her chats and email them to myself, including the chat where she's calling me a worthless piece of shit who doesn't know anything about pleasuring a woman and a few other choice insults. She's also complimenting assorted men on their sexual prowess saying it's the best sex she's ever had. The more I read, the angrier I get. I know some of the club guys have said she's trouble, but I brushed it aside. Sandra is a flirt, and if I reacted like a caveman every time, she smiled at someone else then I'd be in jail by now.

I feel nauseated reading through all this information which pretty much confirms what's been said about her. Sandra and I have had a rough relationship. I've tolerated a lot of disrespect from her in the past because I knew she had a hard upbringing and had problems trusting men. I never thought in a million years she would be cheating with multiple men behind my back. And if her chat logs are any indication, this has been going on for the full seven years we've been married. I'm so disgusted I don't know what to think.

There's just so much information, it takes me close to an hour and a half to capture screenshots of it all. I try not to miss anything because if we end up divorcing, I don't want this woman taking half my business. Before shutting off the computer, I go to her login screen, open the fisheye, and make a note of her password for this account. I've got the evidence, I just don't know what I'm gonna do with it yet.

I start pacing back and forth, trying to get my head around the situation. Sometime in the last few years not only did I stop loving her, but my heart hardened against her because of all the verbal abuse, drama, and manipulation she'd put me through. At one point I even asked her for a divorce, but she begged me for another chance. Why did she do that if she'd been cheating the whole time? I knew the answer to that one, my healthy bank balance.

My phone buzzes in my hand and when I look at the screen, it's a text from my cheating wife.

I'm at Silvia's place. I'm styling her hair and am going to babysit the kids so she can go on her first date since Jim died. Might spend the night if she gets back late. Don't wait up.

Her sister's husband died two years ago. It's about time she got back in the saddle, I suppose. For a split second I forget Sandra already made plans to spend the night with one of the men she cheats with. Something about her texting me a lie, is just the icing on the cake.

I don't bother to answer her text. Instead, I stalk out of my house and get onto my bike, intending to pay her sister a little visit. The poor woman probably doesn't know my wife used her for an excuse to slip out with another man. I don't know why I'm so upset about this situation. I think it's knowing she was never faithful that's so hard to grasp. Even in the beginning when we were madly in love, she was sending nudes to other men and meeting up with them. I feel like this woman has wasted years of my life.

***

Sure enough, I pull into Silvia's house and my wife's car is nowhere to be seen. I go ahead and knock on her door because at this point, I have nothing to lose. Silvia answers right away with her youngest kid, Joey, on her hip.

"I'm looking for Sandra. Have you seen her today?"

Silvia has a certain deer in the headlights look, like she doesn't know how to answer that question. That tells me everything I need to know.

"Do you mind if I come in for a few minutes? I have something important to discuss with you."

"Of course not, Talon. You know you're always welcome in my home."

When she steps back, I move into her foyer and wait until she closes the door. Her little one reaches one hand out to me. "Hey there Tiger. You want to shake hands?"

He grabs my finger and I'm amazed at how strong his grasp reflex is. I tug gently and he gurgles a happy sound. When his mom turns around, his hand slides away. She smiles at me.

"My kids absolutely adore you. I hope you know that."

I follow her into the living room. "I think they're great too," I respond politely. The moment we sit down, side by side on the sofa, I roll right into the reason for my visit. "I was wondering if you've seen Sandra today."

There is a slight pause before she shakes her head. "I'm afraid not. I stepped out to go to the grocery store earlier. She might have stopped by while I was gone."

I hold up my phone for her to see the text message. I watch her eyes scan down the screen as she reads it. Rather than being upset, a strange expression flashes across her face and is gone so quickly that think I might have imagined it.

Her hand comes up to smooth back her clearly un-styled hair. "Obviously, she hasn't been here. I'm sorry. I don't know what to say." She glances around, looking conflicted, before her eyes come back to mine.

"She's cheating on me," I blurt out, unclear exactly why I'm in such a sharing mood.

"Maybe she's planning to stop by later and spend the night," Silvia suggests helpfully.

"I'm not asking if she's cheating. I'm stating a fact. I found her second social media account, the one she uses to send nudes to other men and set up dates."

"Well, maybe she's just flirting around online and doesn't follow through with those dates."

I sigh, unsure if she's just trying to cover for her sister or if she's actually this naive. "She follows through all right. I saw messages of her telling each of them how they're the best sex she's ever had, just like she does me." My voice isn't angry at this point. I'm just calmly stating facts.

Silvia opens her mouth and shuts it again.

"Did you know she's been cheating on me for the entire duration of our marriage?"

She has the good grace to look embarrassed and gives me a slight nod. A short silence spins out between us and then Silvia starts talking. "I told her a thousand times that you were a good man, and she should be grateful for what she has, instead of always wanting more."

I curse under my breath because seeing all that shit with my own eyes was bad but hearing her sister admit to it makes it all that much more real to me. Her free hand comes out to land on my leg, and she says, "I'm really sorry, Talon. I told her to stop. Even threatened to tell you, but she said she'd rather be dead than go back to living like a pauper."

"Well, then she should have stayed faithful, because I did not sign up for this shit."

I look down at her hand on my leg. She doesn't take it away. Instead, she gives my leg a little squeeze. "You know I wish we'd made different choices all those years ago. Sometimes, I dream that I married you, and Sandra married Jim."

My head comes up hard and fast and I stare at her, openmouthed. Before I can come up with a response, she continues, "If you think about it, it would have been better that way. You and I would have a good, strong marriage, filled with love and family. Sandra would have gotten what she wanted, freedom and Jim's inheritance so she never had to worry about being poor again.

Shock lances through my chest, and for a second, I don't know how to respond. Then Silvia sets Joey on the floor and moves closer to me.

"I know things have been cold between you and Sandra for years. Maybe now's not the time but I want you to know that I've always liked you, more than liked you really. Just remember that if things break down between you and my sister."

"I'll bear that in mind," I say as I come to my feet, wanting to get away from her as quickly as possible.

Just as I'm about to step away, she grabs my hand. "If you don't want to be alone tonight, you can stay."

I don't want to imagine what she's implying. I'm her sister's husband, at least for the moment. I shake her hand off and step around Joey, who even now is playing quietly with a plastic car.

"Thanks for the offer, Silvia. I need some time alone, I'm spending the night at the cabin with a bottle of Jack. Maybe this will look different in the morning."

She comes to her feet and walks me to the door. I turn to her once the door is open and say, "Thanks for being honest with me. I appreciate that more than you know."

She gives me a sad smile. "Don't take this too personally, Talon. Sandra has always been this way. She's never been faithful to any of her boyfriends."

"Yeah," I point out. "But she never made a vow of fidelity to any of them."

She nods, "You're right. Do you want me to call her and let her know the cat's out of the bag?"

"I don't care. I'll probably catch up with her in the morning, after I sober up and get some caffeine in me."

"This is going to get ugly, isn't it?"

I step onto her front porch and say, "No. I'm not gonna yell and scream at her. But my lawyers are going to make sure she doesn't end up with half of my business, that's for damn sure."