Was It Worth It?

British English language and spelling. In some stories the processes or facts may be incorrect, it's only a story and in my world that's how it happened. This story was inspired by A Promise Made, a vow broken by Hooked1957. A warning to those who steal stories to use on YouTube channels, I am watching and will hit you with a copyright claim.

Was It Worth It?

She underestimated her husband.

My Dad Derek Barron had spent his life building up a haulage business. I always knew that as an only child I would take over the business when he retired. When I was twenty four I met Donna Miller at a party, I asked for a date and she agreed. Donna was a strikingly beautiful woman, her long brunette hair fell past her shoulders. Her 36D bust, slim waist and hips drew looks from men and women alike. We dated for a year before I asked her to marry me.

My parents loved Donna as if she was their own daughter, luckily her parents felt the same way about me. Her father Alan always wanted a son, after two girls his wife, Josie, said no more. Donna's sister Kerry went to live in Australia several years ago. My Dad sat us down one evening for a talk before we married.

"I know you two love each other but I have a condition." We both looked and nodded our heads. "I am not saying that the marriage won't last or that Donna is a gold digger, far from it actually. But I want to protect the business I spent my life building up, to that end I am going to insist that Donna signs a prenuptial agreement. God forbid should you divorce the company will not be part of the divorce settlement, equally the company owns the house you live in, so that is covered as well. Does this sound agreeable to you both? Take some time to think about it. If Donna doesn't want to sign the agreement, I will sell the business and retire."

Donna said she would sign the agreement. "I love Rob, material possessions do not concern me." Three days later Donna visited my dad's lawyer and signed the agreement, after that it was never mentioned again.

Six months after we married Donna fell pregnant, sadly our joy was short lived. My parents were killed in an accident whilst on holiday. Running the business on my own and having a pregnant wife was tough, Donna had a tough pregnancy.

Our son Tommy was born seven months after we buried my parents. Thankfully my father employed some very good people, with their help I eventually got to grips with running the business on my own. Eleven months later she gave birth to Lucy. I was considering a vasectomy, but Donna beat me to it. Lucy was delivered by caesarean section. Donna asked the doctor to tie her tubes at the same time. I took some time off from work to help out at home until Donna recovered from the surgery.

With the business doing well we had a good home life, as the kids grew up we spent time with them at the weekend. Many times I thought I had the perfect life, a loving wife, two great kids and a decent income. We were not millionaires but we did okay.

Tommy was eleven when Donna told me she wanted to return to work. We didn't need the money so much, it was more to keep her occupied.

We discussed it and I agreed so long as her job didn't get in the way of our family, that meant no overtime or weekend working. Donna was in agreement with me, she started looking for a job.

Donna found a job fairly quickly. She worked in the office of J. E. M Enterprises. J. E. M stood for Joshua Ethan Moorcroft. The company specialised in shipping fine arts and antiques, there were about twelve employees. Donna settled in and took to the job very quickly, I cheekily asked if my haulage business had any chance of getting some work.

"Probably not Rob, most of our clients arrange their own transport. The only time we transport anything is when we initially collect the goods, after that we package it and load it onto vans or trucks.

The following year Donna said that Joshua was hosting BBQ for staff and families, the kids were looking forward to going. The day of the BBQ was a hot summer's day. We sat with another couple Liz and Tony. Liz worked alongside Donna. I looked around to keep an eye on the kids, I noticed Joshua was chatting and laughing with a few women, I commented on it.

"Oh he's always like that." Liz replied. "He chats and jokes with all of his staff." Tony pulled a face, it was a look that said he didn't agree with Liz's answer. I didn't make anything of it, I did keep my eye on him when he talked to Donna. I trusted Donna, Joshua I wasn't so sure about. My feelings about him were confirmed when Donna introduced us. Joshua was a big guy and I suppose some would say handsome, it was the look he gave me when we shook hands, it unnerved me a little. Tony didn't seem too happy to see him.

As nothing untoward happened I relaxed and enjoyed the party. I usually held a Christmas party for my staff. We would book out a local restaurant and lay on cabs on for everyone, this was something my Dad started and I continued with it.

One evening Donna informed me that Joshua was hosting a party for his staff at his house, from what she said it was a large country house.

"If we go I won't drink, one of us has to be sober to drive us home."

"That's not a problem, everyone is invited to stay over for the night." Donna replied.

"That's generous of him, will we be in the same room as the kids?"

"No. The kids will be with my parents, this party is for the adults." I looked at Donna, she knew I wasn't keen on the idea. "Please Rob, it's just one weekend."

I agreed to go more to keep the peace, not being keen on Joshua, I wasn't looking forward to it. Donna on the other hand was excited about the whole thing.

We dropped the kids off at Donna's parents then set off for Joshua's house, we agreed to collect the kids early on Sunday afternoon. Donna was impressed with the house the moment she saw it, me not so much. I couldn't understand why a single man lived in a house with so many rooms, I guess it was a status thing with him. He seemed big on material possessions.

We sat around on the patio talking, it was clear that some of the staff were not there. I didn't say anything to Donna, I noticed Liz and Tony were absent. Joshua showed Donna and two others around the house, when that was over he seemed to monopolise Donna's time, so much so that I barely saw her. I was in the kitchen getting a drink when she approached me.

"Rob, I need to talk to you."

I turned and looked at her. "Okay, what's on your mind?"

Donna wrung her hands and shuffled her feet. "Joshua has asked me to spend the night with him, I have agreed. Tonight I will be his, after that I will be yours forever." She smiled at me.

"Like hell you will. If you think you are sleeping with him you can forget it." I tipped my drink away. "I'll get our bags and we can go home."

"It's too late, Rob. I told Joshua I would spend the night with him." She turned and walked out of the room. I went to follow and two guys who worked for Joshua stood in the doorway.

"Step aside please." I asked. They both shook their heads. The older of the two, Roy spoke to me.

"Take it easy and calm down. It's just one night, after that he will never bother your wife again."

"He's not getting one night, now please get out of my way." They stood blocking the doorway, I looked over to see Donna and shithead, as I now referred to him. She looked back, smiled at me and followed him upstairs.

The guys moved aside once they were upstairs, one of the women stood in front of me.

"Let it go Rob, it's just one night. He does it with all of his female staff." She placed her hand on my arm.

"Is that why Liz and Tony are not here?" I asked, she just nodded.

"It's not worth starting trouble for one night, Donna loves you, this is some fun for her."

"I can't say I see the funny side of it." I stepped around the woman and headed for the stairs, the two guys from the doorway escorted me to my room. They almost speed marched me past the shithead's bedroom.

I collapsed on the bed and wondered what the hell was happening, I never thought Donna would do this to me. I was struggling to keep my temper under control, it had been years since I lost my temper. The last time I nearly got expelled from school. Some kids were bullying me because in their eyes I was a rich kid, I snapped and beat the shit out of one of them. He ended up with a broken nose and a lot of bruises. My Dad managed to get the school to keep me, that was after he read me the riot act for fighting.

I lay there and thought about kicking the door in and beating the crap out of shithead, that idea went to shit when one of the guys sat outside my door. I closed my eyes but sleep evaded me, I was furious with Donna for pulling a stunt like this. What made it worse was her cries of pleasure could be heard throughout the house, I pulled a pillow over my head to try and block it out.

I could see daylight through a gap in the curtains, I heard other people moving around. My keeper had disappeared from outside my door. Everyone except Donna and shithead were on the patio, the lady who spoke to me last night was sorting out breakfast. There was no sign of the two guys from last night, when I walked out most people looked at me and looked away.

Two men looked at me as if they knew how I felt. I put some food on a plate and sat on a lounger away from the others, minutes later Donna and shithead joined us. He looked pleased with himself, she had that just fucked look on her face. Donna put some food on a plate and approached me, she sat on the lounger with her back to me.

"I have an idea for some entertainment today." Joshua said and looked around.

"We are going home, we have two kids to collect." I saw Donna's shoulders slump, obviously she thought we were staying. Not a fucking chance, my temper was at breaking point. I snapped when the shithead looked at me and smirked. I took my plate as if I was getting more food, at the last minute I tossed it in the swimming pool.

Before anyone could react I walked over to shithead and kicked him in the face, he fell off his seat onto the floor. "I'm going to kill you!" He spat at me. As he tried to get up, I hit him with a couple of hard right handed punches, he reeled backwards.

I followed him and went to kick the twat in the nuts, I missed and my foot hit him in the guts. I watched as he went back through a plate glass window, he stopped when he fell over a small table. I grabbed him and pushed him towards a solid looking wooden dresser, his foot caught another table. The table survived, the Tiffany table lamp hit the floor and shattered.

I got several more punches in as he went up against the wall. I took a picture off the wall and smashed it over his head, the canvas ripped and the frame pinned his arms by his sides. Another right hook and he slumped to the floor, using all the force I could muster I kicked him in the nuts, he vomited and passed out. I turned and stormed off upstairs, I grabbed our bags from the room and headed back downstairs, nobody had moved. Shithead was stirring as I walked down the stairs, I bent down and spoke to him.

The glass crunched beneath my feet as I walked outside, everyone had a look of shock on their face. I put the bags in the back of the car, turning quickly I walked towards Donna. I snatched her plate and tossed it in the pool, grabbing her arm and I almost dragged her to the car. I opened the door and shoved her inside, I looked back at the others who were still watching in silence. I fired up the car, threw it into drive and screeched away.

"What the hell?" Donna asked.

"Shut up, just shut the fuck up and say nothing." I switched the radio on and turned up the volume, Donna reached over to turn it down. "Leave it!" I yelled as I slapped her hand out of the way.

Donna looked at me and stayed quiet, this was a side of me she had never seen before. The drive home was quiet, apart from the radio. I pulled up sharply outside our house. "Get out!" I ordered her.

Donna walked up the path, I passed her and opened the door practically shoving her inside.

"Christ Rob. What the hell got into you?"

"What got into me, what got into me? How dare you ask. I'll tell you what got into me, you and that fucking arsehole spending the night together, that's what got into me. The final straw was when he smirked at me over breakfast, no way was he making me look any bigger a cunt than he already had."

"For God sake, it was one night, one bloody night. I told you I love you and after last night I will be yours forever."

"It was one night for you, one night you enjoyed. For me it was the worst night of my life. I hope you enjoyed it because it is going to cost you!"

"It was a nice night, Joshua is big and a very good lover. I thought you loved me enough to let me do it." That wasn't the answer I was expecting. I thought I might get a chorus of sorry and please forgive me.

"Let's go and get the kids." I grabbed the car keys.

"You go, I'll start getting dinner ready." Donna suggested.

"No fucking way, now move, we have two kids to collect. You're coming along so you can explain it to your parents, they will need to know why we are getting a divorce!"

"I don't want a divorce. Please Rob." She pleaded.

"I don't want a wife who will drop me and sleep with another man like you did. How long have you two been planning it?"

"We didn't plan it, Joshua asked me yesterday and I agreed."

"Yeah and you agreed. You never thought to ask me what I wanted, did you? I have never been so fucking embarrassed, laying there alone last night listening to you and him fuck the night away." Donna gasped. "Yes we all heard you and shithead fucking. Now get in the car and don't speak to me until we get to your parents' house."

When Alan opened the door he knew something was wrong, we walked through to the kitchen.

"Where are the kids?" I asked.

"They are at the park with the kids from over the road, one of the parents is with them." Josie replied.

"So, what's wrong?" Alan asked.

I looked at Donna. "Do you want to tell them or shall I do it?" Donna looked down and said nothing.

"I'm afraid it's not good news, Donna and I are getting divorced!"

"Why?" Josie gasped. "Whatever has happened?"

"Your daughter took a night off from our marriage and spent it in bed with another man."

Donna jumped up. "I told you it was only for one night!"

Josie stood in front of Donna. "What do you mean you told him, you told Rob what you were going to do and expected him to go along with it?"

Donna nodded her head.

"You stupid bitch!" Josie slapped Donna across her face. "I'm not surprised Rob is divorcing, I'm more surprised he hasn't tried to wring your neck."

"How bad was it Rob?" Alan asked. I sat and recalled the events from last night, Donna looked down when I mentioned about the noise she was making in bed. She screamed when Josie grabbed her hair and yanked her head back. "Don't hide your face away. Lower your head again and I will slap you again, harder."

Alan shook his head as he looked at Donna. "What a bloody mess. I can't believe we raised someone so stupid."

"I'm not stupid." Donna wailed. "I told Rob it was only for one night. If he loved me he would have let me have one night."

"You keep telling yourself that, you silly cow!" Josie scolded Donna again

"It's because I loved you that I was against you sleeping with him. Last night you ripped my heart out and stamped all over it, you don't get to do that and not pay a price."

"So what are you going to do, slap me about like you did Joshua?" Donna asked angrily.

"What did you do to Joshua?" Alan asked.

"Beat him up and caused a lot of damage in the process." Donna grumbled.

"He deserved it, and more." I replied. Just then the kids came running in, we all acted as if nothing was wrong. We left for home a short while later, the kids ran outside and played in the garden as I watched Donna prepare dinner. I took the opportunity to let her know how it was going to be.

"From now on we behave normally around the kids, when they are not around don't talk to me. You can sleep in the spare room, I don't want you anywhere near me." Donna looked at me then turned away in silence.

"Rob, I don't want a divorce. I promise I'll be your faithful wife from now on."

"I didn't want a slut wife, but I got one. I don't trust you and I certainly don't love you. If you must know it was what you did and how you did it. I know you two planned it. You know if you had asked me about it beforehand my answer would have been no, so you waited until we were there and shithead had his helpers to keep me away from you." I knew by the look on Donna's face I was right.

"You walked upstairs with him like he owned you, I will never forget the smile you gave me as you went off with him."

"That was a smile to let you know I was sorry, but it would be okay and it was only for one night."

"Nothing you could have said or done would have made any difference, you went with him and that finished us."

"You can reclaim me when we go to bed tonight, I promise it will be worth it."

"Highly unlikely as you are sleeping in the spare bedroom from now on, nothing you can say or do is going to make me touch you again." Donna turned quickly and stared at me. "You had your one, now we are done, live with it." I continued.

There was silence for a short while. "If you divorce me I'll get the kids, I can turn them against you!"

I got right in Donna's face. "Do not threaten me with my kids, for what it's worth I am going to apply for custody."

"I'll find a way to get you back." Donna replied

"You won't, because I don't want you back. You are nothing to me now." I went and sat in the lounge to get away from her.

Over dinner the kids did most of the talking, I avoided talking to Donna whenever I could. She was determined to try and get me back, when I went to bed she followed me upstairs. She wasn't happy when I pushed her out of the bedroom and locked the door. "Use the spare bedroom, slut."

In the morning we were both up before the kids, Donna spoke to me in the kitchen. "How are we supposed to fix this if you shut me out of the bedroom?"

"There's nothing to fix, get used to the spare bedroom." I grabbed my keys and headed off to work.

During the day I managed to get an appointment with a family law solicitor for Tuesday morning. I wanted to know what my options were regarding the kids. The house and business were safe. The kids were playing in the street when I arrived home from work, we said hello and I told them not to go too far as dinner would be ready soon.

Donna was standing against the kitchen counter, she stared at me as I walked indoors.

"Happy with yourself, are you?"

"Depends, what have I done that I should feel happy about?"

"Your assault on Joshua. You knocked a tooth out, broke his nose and seriously bruised his testicles. To make matters worse, the cost of the damage is more than we can afford. That table he fell over is valued at two grand, the Tiffany lamp is worth double that. The painting you smashed over his head was valued at just over a million pounds. At this rate I won't have to fight you for the kids, I'll get them as you will be in prison!" I stood and smiled at Donna.

"What's so funny?"

"I'm guessing you haven't seen shithead in person?"

"No, I just got told about his injuries. I wouldn't have thought that seeing him would make any difference as you won't give me a chance and intend to divorce me."

"It would. If you had seen him he would have told you what I said to him before we left on Sunday. I told him if he called the police on me, I would go back with a crowbar and finish the job. Then I would go to prison, but it would be worth it."

"You're insane. I don't know if I will still have a job or not. What happens if he gets pissed off and fires me?"

"You'll have to find another job, easy as that."

"You really don't care, do you?"

"No Donna, I don't. To be honest I don't give a fuck about him, or you for that matter."

I went upstairs to get changed, I heard Donna call the kids in for dinner. I knew Donna was playing games and trying to piss me off. She cooked Risotto for dinner, knowing that I don't like it. I pushed the food around my plate as I spoke to the kids, when they had finished eating and left the table I tossed my food and the plate in the bin. Donna just looked and said nothing.

My meeting with the family law solicitor didn't go as I had hoped.

"Mr Barron, despite what your wife did, the courts will more than likely still give her custody. If you could prove she was seeing a succession of different men you might have a chance of custody, but as it is I have to warn you that your chances are very slim at best."

The best I could hope for was not paying spousal support, I was still going to get lumbered with everything else. I thanked the guy and said I would think about what I wanted to do. I spent the next few days trying to come up with a plan that didn't mean I would be a part-time dad to my kids. I thought of a hundred things from the sublime to the ridiculous, so I decided to take a few days and think about it again. It had been two weeks since the party, Donna visited shithead in hospital a few times. I wasn't happy but let it go on thinking it might help me ditch her and keep the kids. She started going out a few nights a week, she always came home looking decent. I had no idea if they were having sex, to be honest I didn't care.

The following day at work my secretary told me I had a visitor, I walked out to see Tony standing by her desk. "Janet, no calls for a few minutes, please."

"Tony, come through." We walked into my office, and I closed the door behind us. "What can I do for you Tony?"

"Firstly you can let me shake your hand for what you did to Moorcroft. I wanted to do it myself but never got the chance."

"Let me guess two guys kept you from him and Liz?"

"Yeah, when she came back to our room the following day Moorcroft had already left."

"I wondered why you gave him a shitty look at the barbeque. When you were not there and Donna sprung her surprise on me I put two and two together." Tony nodded. "Tell me, Tony, how did you and Liz get past it? I am asking as I don't want anything to do with Donna."

"Initially I said we were finished, the anger faded as time went on. We stayed together for the kids more than anything, over time I have forgiven her, forgiven but not forgotten." I nodded my head but knew I didn't feel the same way about Donna.

"Rob, I'm an accountant and I have spent a lot of time and effort looking into Joshua Moorcroft. I have discovered that he has an illegal sideline on the go, smuggling. It came to me when I realised how much his company made didn't match his lifestyle. I have no idea of who else is involved, I do know Liz wasn't involved."

"Carry on, Tony, I'm listening."

"You know the haulage business Rob, he fiddles his paperwork to cover up what is in some of the crates. From what I can tell he is smuggling drugs. How much and where from I have no idea, I am telling you because I intend to let the authorities know what's going on. I thought you might want to warn Donna.

"Tony, go to the authorities with what you know, if Donna is involved that's her problem, not mine."

I settled back into work, the thought of shithead getting arrested amused me. Donna was still going out a few nights a week, she finally realised I had given up on her. The kids never said anything to me, but I am sure they knew something was going on.

Several weeks after my visit from Tony I was looking over a new haulage contract, Janet told me Donna was on the phone.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"Rob, I have been arrested. Can you arrange a lawyer please, I know you don't owe me anything but I am only allowed one phone call." Donna sounded desperate.

"Okay, I'll see what I can do." I hung up and called the company lawyer, he recommended a colleague who dealt with criminal law. I asked him to go and see what the problem was. I also said that I would call in for an update later today.

I turned up at the lawyer's office at four o'clock. Carlton Rutherford, my company lawyer, showed me to a meeting room. "I'll get James to come and talk to you, Rob."

A smartly dressed guy entered the room. "Mr Barron." He offered me a handshake. "I'm James Carmichael, your wife's lawyer."

"Why was she arrested, Mr Carmichael?"

"Please, call me James. The police raided the premises where your wife works, from what I was told they were tipped off about some illegal activity." I sat and listened. "Your wife's employer has been arrested and is going to be charged with the illegal importation of narcotics, basically he's a drug smuggler."

"So how does that affect my wife? Why was she arrested?"

"Unfortunately some of the paperwork relating to the enquiries has been signed by your wife, this may be an innocent mistake on her part. She may have signed the paperwork thinking she was doing her boss a favour, unfortunately it has put her right in the middle of the investigation."

"I can't imagine my wife being involved with drugs, surely it has to be a mistake?"

"That remains to be seen, I'm afraid. It all depends on the evidence the police have. At this time the investigation is in its early stage. Your wife has been released on bail, she will have to surrender her passport. Depending on what the police find will depend on what charges she will face, if she is charged at all. Unfortunately at this early stage I cannot say anything more solid."

"Thank you, James. Please keep us informed of what's happening." James left the room

Carlton stepped back into the room. "Rob, I understand you and your wife are estranged and a divorce is pending?"

"Yes, we are leading separate lives until I file for a divorce. The only reason I have delayed it is I don't want to lose my kids."

"I'm no divorce specialist. My advice would be to wait until you know what is happening, if your wife is charged and convicted I think a divorce would be easier if she is in prison." I nodded my head, this was a lot to take in. I left and went home via my in-laws house, I had asked them to collect the kids from school. Naturally they wanted to know what was going on. I told them what the lawyer had told me, that was all I knew at this stage. I told the kids the basics and were quiet about the whole thing.

Donna arrived home at the same time as we did, she had been to collect her car and surrender her passport at the police station. The kids hugged her before we all went indoors. We went to the kitchen as the kids went upstairs to get changed.

"Rob, this is all a massive mistake. I am not involved, I had no idea Joshua was a drug smuggler."

"That may be the case, Donna. You have to look at it from the police point of view, you signed the paperwork, regardless of whether you knew what was in the crates or not. The fact you have been seeing him several evenings a week is not helping."

"That was only because you were not interested in being with me."

"You have put yourself in a difficult position, Donna. I have no idea how this will play out, all I can say is keep your head down, don't talk to anyone except the police and answer all of their questions honestly."

"Fuck sake, can my life get anymore fucked up?" Donna moaned.

"You are responsible for some of it, the rest is down to your boss. Tell me, did he ask you to sign off the paperwork?"

"No, he didn't. I only signed it because he wasn't around. I thought I was doing him a bloody favour."

"Seems to me whenever you do him a favour it doesn't work out how you think it will." Donna glared at me, she clearly didn't appreciate my comment.

That night I lay in bed thinking of how screwed up our lives had become recently, I thought back to what my lawyer said earlier in the day. Donna was still in bed the following morning, the kids were eating breakfast, I went and woke her up.

"Just because you don't have to go to work, doesn't mean you can lay in bed all day. The kids will need taking to school soon." Donna sighed and got out of bed. I left for work after saying goodbye to Tommy and Lucy.

The police investigation dragged on, it took its toll on Donna. She was going mad being stuck at home, until she knew what was happening she couldn't look for a job. She did ask if she could work for me for a few days each week, I declined saying I didn't have any work for her to do. The truth was I didn't want her near my business. I wasn't doing anything illegal, I just didn't want the police watching my business.

Two months after she was arrested Donna was called to the police station, we met her lawyer in the reception area. I sat and waited as they went to an interview room. After what seemed like hours James joined me.

"It's not good, Rob. They are charging Donna as an accomplice to the drug smuggling. Until she appears in court she will be held on remand."

"So when will she appear in court?"

"She will be summoned in the next few days. All we can hope for is that the jury believe she did whatever she did in good faith and knew nothing of her boss's criminal activities."

Donna's parents convinced me to attend court with them, Alan explained that I owed her that much at least. Donna and Moorcroft were led into the dock accompanied by two prison officers. Once the formalities were out of the way the trial started, first to go was the lawyer for the prosecution.

"Mrs Barron, you work for Joshua Moorcroft, is that correct?"

"Yes. I have worked for him for just over two years."

"Several of the crates that you signed for contained narcotics."

"I didn't know." Donna replied.

"As I said several of the crates contained narcotics, which you claim you knew nothing about. As part of the police investigation into Mr Moorcroft, he was kept under surveillance. During this time the police stated you spent some time with him over several evenings, would you tell the court why?"

"My husband and I were having some problems, Mr Moorcroft was a friend, someone I could talk to."

"What problems were you and your husband having?"

Donna looked down and said nothing. "Mrs Barron, may I remind you that you are under oath."

Donna looked up. "We still share a house but my husband and I are separated."

"Is the separation because of Mr Moorcroft?" The lawyer asked, staring at Donna.

"Yes, I suppose it is." Alan and Josie both looked at me, the sadness was evident on their faces.

"You suppose it was? Either it was or it wasn't, Mrs Barron?"

"Objection your honour, is this relevant to the prosecution's case?" James stood and asked.

"Overruled, Mr Carmichael." The judge called out. "Mr Summerton, this had better be relevant."

"It is, your honour." The prosecutor replied.

"Answer the question, Mrs Barron."

"Yes it is because of Mr Moorcroft."

"So, you are having an affair with Mr Moorcroft, during which time you signed for crates that contained narcotics. Do you expect the court to believe that you didn't know what was in the crates?"

"Yes, I did not know. My relationship with Mr Moorcroft was supposed to be a one night thing, it became more when my husband said he wanted nothing to do with me. He did say he was going to divorce me, as yet he hasn't done anything."

"Sorry, can you explain what you mean by a one night thing?"

"Mr Moorcroft said he wanted me to spend one night in his bed, just one night. It happened when he hosted a party for all of the staff at his house. He asked me if I had spoken to my husband about our plans."

"Had you spoken to your husband?"

"No, I couldn't bring myself to discuss it with him." Now I was pissed off. That statement proved that their one night was planned and not a spur of the moment thing as Donna said.

"Mrs Barron. You are saying that you planned to spend a night with Mr Moorcroft, a night which you were going to discuss with your husband. Do you have an open marriage?"

"No, we don't. At the party I told my husband of my intention. I said it was just one night and purely for sex. Some of the women I work with said Joshua, Mr Moorcroft was well endowed and a good lover. I told my husband I loved him and just wanted one night with Mr Moorcroft."

"How did your husband react to this?"

"He wasn't happy, he said if I did it there would be consequences."

"Presumably he meant the divorce?"

"Yes, although I didn't want a divorce. I told him despite what had happened I still loved him."

"So when your husband said he wanted nothing to do with you, you started to see Mr Moorcroft?"

"At first it was just to have someone to talk to, to discuss things. I still wanted to stop my husband from going ahead with the divorce. When it became clear that wasn't going to happen, I started to see Josh, sorry Mr Moorcroft a few evenings each week."

"During these evenings did you ever discuss his business affairs?"

"No. We spent the time in bed having sex."

The questioning went on for a while. It was obvious they were trying to tie Donna to shithead romantically to make their case easier. When James started to question her he wasn't so abrupt. The questions were similar, he was trying to get Donna to answer in a way that made her look like a slut, but not be involved in his business affairs. I noticed several members of the jury didn't look too impressed with her answers. Several times Josie wiped her eyes, Alan sat quietly and shook his head while holding Josie's hand.

When it came to questioning Moorcroft he answered in such a way that it implied Donna knew what she was doing. I think his mindset was to sell her out in the hope of a lighter sentence. The trial took three days of questions and sometimes outright accusations. The judge did his summing up before letting the jury retire to reach a verdict.

It came as no surprise that the jury would have to come back the following day. I drove Josie and Alan home from the court. We had spoken to James before we left, he said he really wasn't sure how the verdict was going to go, it was in the hands of the jury. Just after eleven o'clock the following day the jury returned to the courtroom. The clerk asked if they had reached a verdict on both defendants.

A small guy, probably in his sixties spoke for them. "We have a majority decision on one and a decision of ten against two on the other. The clerk looked at the judge, he nodded his approval.

The jury found Moorcroft guilty of all charges, he sat still and showed no emotion when the verdict was read out. I saw Josie and Alan hold hands as we waited for the verdict on Donna. The jury found her guilty of being an accomplice, Alan groaned quietly as Josie started to cry. The judge thanked the jury and looked at Donna and Moorcroft.

"Joshua Moorcroft this court has found you guilty of the charges against you regarding the illegal importation of controlled substances into the country, given the severity of this case I am left with no option but to issue a custodial sentence. I hereby sentence you to eight years imprisonment, you will be eligible for parole after five years.

"Donna Barron, for your part as an accomplice in this matter, I sentence you to four years imprisonment. You will be eligible for parole after two years.

Donna was crying when they took her from the dock, Moorcroft was quiet and showed no emotion on his face at all. We approached James and thanked him for his efforts, he apologised for not being able to do more.

"Can we appeal her sentence?" Josie asked.

"We can, but it will probably do us no good. The only way we could possibly get a different verdict was if Moorcroft admitted that Mrs Barron knew nothing of his illegal activities, or if we found some new evidence that proves her innocence. Somehow I cannot see him doing that.

I took Alan and Josie home, I stayed with them and talked for a while.

"So what will you do now Rob? From what Donna said you haven't filed for a divorce."

"This will make me look like a bastard, but I am going to divorce her now the case is over. I waited to see what would happen. I didn't file for a divorce because Donna would have got custody of the kids, I didn't want to lose them and be a part-time dad. My lawyer said to wait in case she got convicted as I would get custody."

"It does make you look like a shit, but I understand your predicament. None of this was your fault, we don't blame you for any of what's happened." Alan replied. "All we ask is that we can still see our grandchildren?"

"Of course you can, I am divorcing Donna, not you two. You are welcome to come and see the kids or I can bring them here, I won't keep you from seeing them."

We talked some more before I left to collect my kids from school. Naturally they wanted to know what had happened. I sat them down and explained it to them as best as I could, given their ages.

"Will we be allowed to go and visit Mum?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know, I will have to find out."

"So Mum will be in prison for four years?" Tommy asked.

"Possibly not for four years, she can apply for parole after two years. If she has been a good prisoner she might get it. Sorry I can't say for sure as I really don't know."

The kids were quiet for a few days and didn't seem interested in doing much, I hoped this wouldn't affect them too much. Donna would be spending her time at HMP Bronzefield, a women's prison in Kent. It was about an hour's drive from home, the kids would be allowed to visit her providing we let the prison know. The first visit I went on my own.

"Can you bring the kids next time?" Donna asked.

"They can come with your Mum or Dad, this is my one and only visit." I passed Donna an envelope, it had already been checked before I was allowed to give it to her.

"Let me guess, divorce papers?" Donna asked, I just nodded my head. "Why now, why not do this months ago?"

"I held off until your criminal case was finished, I was advised that if you were convicted I would get custody."

"That's what you waited for? You waited for me to be locked up?"

"I didn't want you locked up. I couldn't find a way of me not being a part time dad, if I could I would have filed months ago. I held out for the sake of the kids, nothing else."

Donna looked over the papers, she asked a prison officer if she could have a pen. I watched as she signed them before handing them back to me. "I'll give the visitor information to your parents, one of them can accompany the kids for a visit. I do have one question for you. After you slept with shithead you told me it was a nice night and worth the risk as you thought I loved you enough to let you fuck him. Do you still think it was worth it?"

Donna looked at the floor before looking up at me. "No. For what it's worth I wish I had never met the bastard!" I turned and left Donna in the visitor's room.

Alan took Josie and the kids to visit Donna, the next time he went alone. From what he told me Donna was depressed and full of regret. I did say it was a shame she didn't stop to think before she got involved with Moorcroft.

Moorcroft lost everything as the police said it was funded by his criminal activities, when he gets out he won't have a pot to piss in.

As I promised, the kids saw their grandparents as often as was possible. Tommy took to looking after Lucy at school, if anyone started to give them trouble over what happened to their Mum, he shut them up pretty quickly.

Donna was released from prison on parole twenty-six months after she was convicted. Whenever we met we were civil to each other, she started to come round with Alan and Josie most weekends. We were talking when Donna asked if she could speak to me alone.

"Rob, I know you don't owe me anything but I need some help. I want to get a job so I can get a place of my own, do you know of anyone who would employ me?"

"I can ask around, I can't promise anything, but I'll ask all the same."

One of the companies I did business with owed me a favour, I spoke to Roy, the owner. He agreed to give Donna a job. Like me he didn't think she was directly involved with the smuggling, just unlucky to be involved with Moorcroft.

Donna was glad to find work, it would allow her to move out of her parent's house. Both of us are single, as far as I know she is not seeing anyone. I have had a few dates with Andrea, a woman I met through my transport manager. We met at his birthday party. Andrea knows I am divorced and why.

My kids are old enough to fully understand what happened, Lucy told her Mum she was stupid and should have known better. When she said it Donna looked at me, I just shrugged my shoulders as if to say she was right. I know from talking to Alan and Josie that Donna wishes she had never met Joshua Moorcroft, Alan said it was her own fault and he hoped she had learned her lesson.

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