                                                  
Dear Reader,
This story doesn't contain sex or sexual things.  It's about a wife that loves (?) her husband, yet has a years long affair.  Eventually she dies, and leaves 'the letters' for her husband to find, as she knew he will. 

It is a 'wife-cheat' story only.  No sex.  Just the pain of the husband to has to cope with life after. It ends with 'possibilities'.






                                                  Cheated by Death




He sat there tears running down his cheeks.  The letters in his hands threatened to fall to the floor as his crumpled form huddled in front of the open closet doors.  Her clothes were all over the bed behind him as he had been cleaning out the closet.  His daughter had come over one day last week and gently forced him to see that it was time.

Placing all her clothes on their king sized bed he had next turned to getting all the miscellaneous items out of there too.  Shoes neatly in a rowso many that they had run over into his side of the closet.  He had never minded the invasion because Jo had always looked so perfect anywhere and everywhere they had gone.

Boxes on the shelf and over in one corner deep into her side of the closet floor would come out last.  It was there that his whole life had unraveled.  It was there that he had found out an ugly terrible truth.  His wife had not been who he thought she had been.

The first boxes from the shelf had just been old hats and scarves that Jo had worn at one time but had fallen out of fashion or she had just tired of.  Then, in the back of the shelf he had come across this old shoebox. Jos favorite black heels had come in this box, and that had been over ten years before.  Dave had always loved to see Jo in those heels because it meant that she was feeling sexy and he would be in for some great sex. 

Removing the lid Dave had been unsure of what she would have kept in there.  The letters had been the last thing Dave would ever have expected and what they revealed was far more damaging than anything had ever been in their entire marriage.  As he read the first one his head had swam as if he was twenty feet under water and drowning.

After seeing what was said in it, he had skimmed most of the other letters and the more he read the worse it got.  Jo had been unfaithful.  Not only unfaithful, but unfaithful for years.  YEARS.  How could he have not seen it or even gotten a hint that she had been cheating on him confused Dave leaving him out of breath.  He had more fallen to the floor than sat. 

Why?  Why Jo why?

His cries into the room were left unanswered.  Twenty years and then some all gone.  How long had she been cheating on him.  Had this Mike person been the only one?  Why would Jo have done this to him?  To their marriage?  Had he been lacking in someway?  Had he not been inventive enough?  Was it a size thing?  WHY?

Dave got up and went to the bathroom.  Splashing cold water on his face in an attempt to calm himself down before he threw up he stood there in front of the mirror for a long time.  With the cold water wetting his shirt front now, he finally realized that he needed to do something other than try to drown himself bit by bit in the bathroom sink.

Drying off, he grabbed his jacket and left the house.  Walking aimlessly around the neighborhood, he thought over the years theyd been together.  He remembered all the good times and the bad too.  In all of it he was searching his memory for any time that she could have slipped up and exposed something about her affair.  He kept coming up blank.

It was late now, and Dave had been walking around for hours.  The car came up behind him and stopped, with the motor running. He heard running steps and then his daughter calling out.

Dadwhat are you doing?  Weve been looking all over for you.  We saw all of moms stuff on the bed and you werent around.  We were worried that something had happened.  Whats wrong?  Dad?  You look terrible.  Come with me.  Ill get you home.  I need to call John.  Hes out looking in the other direction.
Dave said nothing on the ride home.  His daughter kept looking at him, deep concern written all over her face.  The silence in the car shouted at her that her father was more upset than hed ever been.  Trish hadnt seen the box with the letters in it, so she had no idea of what was going on in her fathers head.  All she knew is that she had never in her life seen her father so upset and so withdrawn.  Not even when they had first learned of her mothers death.

Arriving home, John opened the passenger side door for his father-in-law.  He was shaken by the look in Daves eyes.  Knowing Dave for quite a few years now, hed never seen him looking so lost and empty.

Here Dave, lets get you inside and a nice good drink inside you.  Looks like you could use one.  Then after that, well talk. Hows that sound?

Im not really thirsty John.  I think Id rather just go lay down.

Trish could sense that something was not quite right with her father, and finding him like she had, had shaken her up although she didnt show it on the outside.  She knew that something had happened, and it must have been while he had been cleaning out the closet.

Ill go clear off your bed daddy.

Ill just lay down in the guest bedroom honey.

Its no problem daddy.  It will only take a moment and youll have your bedjust like you like it.

NO.  I SAID Id sleep in the guest bedroom and THATS where Ill sleep.

Shocked, Trish just stood there in front of her father.  He had never raised his voice to her like this. Matter of fact, Trishs friends in high school had often commented on how quiet her father was and how nice too.  Here, tonight, her father had changed fundamentally and she was clueless as to why.  Trish was also scared.  Her father had never acted like this before, and she wondered what had happened.

Daddy, whats wrong?

Nothing.  Im justIm justtiredthats all.  Im tired.  Sorry sweety.

Dad, somethings bothering youits plain as day.  What is it?  Whats wrong dad?

Nothing I want to talk about right now Trish.  Will you lock the front door when you head out?

His dismissal drove to the heart of his daughter.  She knew that something terrible had to have happened tonight, but she was at a loss as to what.  The only clues were the boxes all around and the closet being emptied.  Spying the shoebox on the floor next to the bed she began to get a hint of an idea.

Okay daddy.  You go ahead and go lay down.  Im going to take a look around the house and check the doors, and then well leave.  Okay?

Good night Trish, John.  Thank you.

As Dave went into the guest bedroom, Trish picked up the small shoebox and opened it.  Seeing the letters with the strange address on them, she realized that something involving her late mother had just surfaced.  She also was pretty sure that the letters in this box had a lot to do with that.

Honey, put that down and lets go.  Your father wont like you snooping through your moms things.

Honey, I think that these letters are why dad is so upset.

Hell notice them if they go missing dear.  Leave them for now.  Okay?

Not wanting to, but knowing that her husband was right, she covered the box with its lid and left it on the floor.  One thing she had indelibly etched on her mind was that return address in the corner of the top letter.  She knew that address now, and she would find out about it.  All, about it and the person who lived there.  She also slipped one letter into her jacket pocket without her husband seeing.

It had taken a while but she was able to locate the person in the return address.  This day was one that had nearly cost her marriage, but in the end her husband had agreed, although reluctantly. It took all the courage she had to be there and when he opened the door she nearly ran anyway.  Their talk was disjointed at first, but bit by bit it all came out.

We met around four to six times a year.  Whenever I could manage an overnighter and Dave wasnt in town.  She loved him you know.  I tried to get her to leave Dave, but she always refused.  She said that he was the love of her life and she would rather die than give him up.  Ill miss her that much I know.

You and my mother had this affair for years?

Yeah.  It started with an accident, and went from there.  We had all been to a company party.  Your father had to leave part way through it, and I told him that Id see your mother home safe and sound.  I did, but only after we sort ofwellneither of us planned on it thats for sure.  It just happened.  I drove her home, and once there, I walked her to the front door.  She turned, suddenly we kissed.  Wed both been drinking, thats not an excuse, justwhat it was.  One thing led to another, and the next thing we knew it had been an hour and a half.  I left.

Howcould she have done this?  Oh Godno wonder dad has been so upset.

HE knows?  Oh shit.  Howd he find out?  We were always so careful.  Shed even go to extreme means to make sure that he could never find out.  It wasnt lovewhat we had.  It was lust.  She knew it.  I had issues with it for a long time, but it worked itself out.  We didnt get together often, maybe three or four times a year. We just liked to betogetheryou know.  There was never any danger

Are you insane?  If daddy had caught you it would have been the end of youand mother too.  Hed have either killed you or worseand there would have been a divorce.  Mom was very aware of that.  Dad had mentioned it in the past.  Hed had a buddy that had been sleeping around on his wifedaddy had come home one night so angryI overheard him and mom talking.  Daddy had said, several times, that if it came down to cheating that would be it.  He could never forgive cheating.  If someone wanted someone else in a marriage, then end the marriage first.  I can remember daddy saying that, and mom agreeing.

Yeahyour mom told me that once.  I figured that in the heat of the moment that may be the case, but over time hed forgive and try to forget.

Oh no.  Dad would never have forgotten.  Matter of fact, if I were you, Id be real careful if youre even in the same state as dad in the future.  He knows it was you.  Hes more upset than Ive ever seen him, including moms funeralhes beyond angry now.  Im not real sure why I came here other than to warn you to stay away from dad.  Im afraid that hell kill you if he sees you.

That serious is it?

Well, what you would do may be different, but my father would kill over something like this.  If I were you Id move across the country and never come back to this side if I could any way avoid it.

Good thing that I almost do live across the country then.

You may still want to move.  He knows your address.  I got it from the letters.

Letters?

The ones you sent mom.

SHE KEPT THEM?

Yes.  Calm down.  What did you think shed do with them?

Id have thought shed toss them not wanting to chance your dad finding them.

Yeahme too.  I cant believe she kept them.  I never read thembut I know that dad has.

Damn.  Double damn.

Trish had found Mike.  The next logical step had been going to warn him, only to protect her father.  She was afraid that her father would find Mike and kill him, so she had arranged to meet with him.  The conversation had been surreal for her, knowing that this was the man her mother had chanced her whole life onand gotten away with it until she died.

She didnt hate this man.  She didnt really feel anything about him.  Her mother had ruined her image in her fathers mind, irrevocably. Those letters had destroyed any possible good memories her father could have had.

Powerless to fix this mess, Trish had done the next best thing she could think of.  Keep her father from hurting himself or someone else, causing him to end up in prison.  Other than that, she was still dealing and trying to find a way to cope with her mothers dishonesty and cheating in her marriage.  

The whole affair was now taking a toll on the family.  Trish and John had been under a strain, especially when Trish had decided to go find Mike and warn him about her father.  John had understandably been upset knowing that his wife was going to talk and confront a strange man that neither of them knew, for having had an affair with her mother.  Her late mother no less.

Dave had been quiet and more and more keeping to himself.  Withdrawing from life, he was becoming a hermit of sorts.  Afraid she was going to lose her father, she had tried everything she could think of to get him back out and enjoying life.  

What Trish didnt know was that while she was talking to Mike that cold November day, John had gone to Daves and had a talk with him.  Man to man.  John was nothing if straightforward when called for, and that talk was eye opening.

Hi John.  What brings you to my home?

Jo.

What?  What about Jo?

Look Dave.  I know all about it.  Well, I can read between the lines anyway.  When you threw out everything that could possibly remind you of Jo, I figured it out.  That nightwhen you found outwhen you were walkingit was in that box of letters wasnt it?

Yeah. Look, I know you mean well John, but you cant step in and help me here.  The only person that could do that is dead and buried, and left me with thisshitty taste in my mouth and no way to cleanse it out.

Youre right, I dont know about that Dave, but I do know that Trish is more than very worried about you.  Do you know where she went?

I thought she went to L.A. to visit an old friend?

No.  She went to see this Mike guy.  To warn him.

WHAT?!

She was worried that youd do something stupid and end up in prison or worse.  She went to warn him that you knew about mom and him.

And you let her go?

Shes her fathers daughter.  I couldnt have changed her mind if Id wanted to.

IF youd wanted to?

Yeah, deep down I figure she is doing the right thing warning Mike.  I didnt put up much of a fight after I realized how serious she was.  He needs to be aware of the danger he is in.  Not only from you, but from me as well.

You?  What the hell do you have to do with this anyway?

It affects Trish, and whatever affects Trish affects me.  I wouldnt mind putting a hit out on him.  He messed up big time and

No.  He didnt mess up.   I did.

What?

I should have noticed it.  Long ago I should have sensed it, seen it, wonderedsomething.  I was too tied up in my work.  If I had been paying attention I would have been able to prevent it to begin with.

You dont know that Dave.

YesI do.  Jo left me a letter.  It was on the bottom of that box.  Ive read some of it. She told me about itno apology.  She explained why she took the chances she did, and even the dates of each time she did it withhim.  She told me she wasnt mad at menor did it affect her love for me.  It had happened and for all practical matters, they had gotten away with it.  She told me that she figured that some time I would catch her and wed fix thingsor not.  In the end they ended up getting away with it for over ten years.  TEN YEARSand I couldnt notice it at all.  I was so tied up with my career

You couldnt have if youd wanted to.  You trusted her fully and completely.  If youd have found out you would have left her that instant.  I know you well enough to have known that Dave.

Jo didnt think so.  She figured that Id find out and that shed have been able to convince me to stay with her.  She would have quit the affair that instantbut until she got caught she planned to keep on going with it.  I think she wanted me to catch her at first.  Laterwellit became a gameat least thats what she said it was.

Why?  Why would she do that?

She wrote that at first she was angry.  I had been spending too much time away, not enough time at home.  That stopped later that summer, so they tapered off a bit. Then, he moved due to his job. After that, they met a few times a year. It became a gameshe said thata game. A fucking stupid, crazy, shameful game.

So, ultimately, she wanted you to think that you were to blame then?  Thats bullshit Dave and you know it.

Yeahisnt it though?

SOwhat are your plans then Dave?  Where do you go from here?

Sell the house, move somewhere elsestart over.  Im only fifty-sixI have something to live for yetnot as much as I thought I did to begin withbut I still have Trish and youthe grandkidsmyself too.  Im not going to get evenor do anything to Mike.  Trish should know me better than that.

Youve not been yourself for quite a while Daveyou even have to admit that.  She was worried enough to want to make sure you couldnt do something stupid.  Matter of fact, thats why Im staying with you reallyshe wanted to make sure you didntyou know

What?  Ohsuicide.  Im not that bad off John.  Really.  I would really like to slap Jo thoughand I cant do that.  She was a desirable and sexy ladyI cant really blame Mike for wanting toand not passing up a chance when it was offered either.  Dont get me wrong thoughif I had caught them Id probably have beat him within an inch of his lifeJo too.

Yeahprobably.  What now though Dave?  Move to where?  Do what?

The insurance left me well off.  I still have my jobprobably just move across town and find a new home.  I dont want to go too far from you guys.


That was how it ended for a while.  Dave lived on, sadder, yet far wiser than ever before.  He still visited Jos grave on their anniversary, but other than that, he never showed any other memory of her.  He had tossed all the pictures with her in them, all of her things, even most of the furniture they had collected over the years.  Everything except the letters.  One day he would read them all and try to see what she had thought and felt.  Other than that, nothing else remained.

Nothing to remind him of her even having had existed.  Twenty-four years gonein the mists of time.  Never to be recovered.  His way worked for him.  Of course, hearing that Mike had died of a form of cancer that was painfully slow and agonizing helped a bit in his getting past it all.  It seemed that Mike and Jo had shared that one thing more, and he wondered if Karma had played a large hand in that ending.

Living alone, with visits to Trish and John, he found that he was working to a happier life after some time.  Not quite ready to move on to the next step, nevertheless, he knew that one-day soon he would want to datemaybe.  He was still young enough to want someone to share his remaining years with. The letters were kept in that same box, up in his closet.  

One day Dave woke up and realized that he was sixty.  His birthday was here and he was sixty years old.  Where the years had gone he didnt know, but knowing it was his birthday and how old he was, and that he was alonestillhit him hard.

Oh damn Jowhywhy did you do it?  Your letter never really told me whyyou hinted at itbut never came right out and said.  Damn.

Sad, his day went fairly smoothly.  At work there was cake and ice cream for the old man of the place. He smiled laughed and joked, all the time feeling that loneliness that had entered his life uninvited.  That night Trish and John had a party for him, and the grandkids were all over their grandpa, loving and laughing.  In better spirits, he went to bed and slept fairly well for the first time in years.

The next morning, being it was a Saturday, he cleaned up around his small home.  During the cleaning he stumbled across that box of letters.  Suddenly it was important to him to throw them away.  He knew instinctively it was time to put it behind him.

In the back yard he built a small fire.  Tossing in each letter after he read it he learned more about a side of his wife hed never even dreamed she had.  She had loved him, but she had betrayed him as well.  A fine fix.  His thoughts, all jumbled, slowly focused on the facts.

Jo had cheated on him with another man.  They had gotten away with it for years.  He had failed to even catch a hint of something going on.  Jo had loved him fully, as he had thought, all those years, even to the point of threatening to break it off with her lover when he had pleaded for her to leave her husband to be with him.

The issue was, and it was a sticky one too, Dave had no way of working things out, getting even, or even just being angry with her now.  She was dead, gone, and buried.  She had gotten away with it, Scott free.  Or mostly so.  He had suffered for it though. He had wasted years worrying over it like a dog with a bone.  

The final letter came upthe one addressed to him.  He had skimmed over it several times in the ensuing years, only to get so angry and upset hed toss it back into the box and go get drunk. Today he read itword for word.  He searched for the nuances of what he knew Jo would have written in her way.  In the end he decided that she had loved himin spite of that inner evil that she had hidden away so well.

For the first time in four years, Dave forgave his late wife.  Tossing that letter into the small fire caused it to flare up.  The next door neighbor called over the fence.

You okay Dave?  Fire not getting out of hand is it?

Im okay Jim.  Im putting the fire out.  Just had to get rid of somegarbage.  You know

Yeah, cant trust anyone now daystheyll raid your garbage can and steal away your private financial information and rob you blind.  Damn those bastards.

Yeah.  Damn those bastards.

It was doubtful the neighbor had heard Daves last words since he had walked off stewing about the garbage thieves.  Watching the flames die down Dave felt clean for the first time in years.  It was kind of symbolic in so many ways, but the fire had burned the pain away mostly. Holding his head up, he walked inside to begin his life all over.  

He was thinking of the lady down the streetwhat was her name?  Lindathat was ithe started out the front gate walking in that direction.  Maybe hed just stop by and see if she wanted to go have a cup of coffee at that Starbucks on the corner. It would be a nice walk on a nice day.
