Forest Hills Betrayal

Dear Readers: I have written this story into two styles. This story below is the Loving Wife's story but I've stretched a little, and spent a great deal of time writing this same story in the writing style of Edgar Allen Poe (whose work has inspired me to start writing these short stories).

I have uploaded both stories at the same time and hopefully Literotica will post them simultaneously. The Edgar Allen Poe edition I placed under Romance where I believe it belongs. It took a great deal of work and hopefully it is appreciated.

Forest Hills Betrayal

Will their love win the match? Can lost trust be earned back?

By: Cindy Johnson @CindyTv

Tags: Loving Wives, Caught, Misunderstanding, RAAC, Love, Romance

Warning: POV Changes in this story are intentional

The scene at The Parking Lot at the Forest Hills Tennis Facility (May 2025)- Emily Wilson just finished with her lessons with the club tennis pro who walked her to her car. As she was about to leave, James attempted to seduce her right there in the parking lot. James succeeded in getting a hug and a stolen kiss before she pushed him away. At that precise moment, Tommy's brother Josh was leaving the club and spots Emily across the parking lot...

As Emily tries to open her car door as the Tennis Pro is trying to get into his bed. She politely tries to extricate herself from the situation. "No James, this is wrong. As much as I like you, I'm married and I love my husband."

"Emily, I love my wife as well, but the way you make me feel is magical. Whenever I'm near you my body just reacts in ways I've never felt before. I can tell you feel the same way. You can't deny your feelings."

"Look James, I won't lie I like you and yes, if neither of us were married perhaps we could be together, but I love my husband and I'd never cheat on Tommy. It would kill him and he's not the kind of guy you want to piss off. He would go nuclear if he knew we were even talking about this. So no, as much as I might like you, I won't let myself end my marriage for some sexual gratification."

"I understand and respect you for your honesty but, if you change your mind, I'm here for you. At least give me a hug," he said pulling her into him.

Emily hesitantly gave James a hug to say goodbye, but James pulled her close and kissed her in the middle of the parking lot. She let the kiss linger a second too long until she came to her senses. In a small voice, trying to sound angry, she said, "Stop, don't ever do that again, do you understand?"

She knew she had to get James out of her head and decided to stop her tennis lessons and playing time with him to prevent an inevitable affair. She would have to come up with a reason for quitting because Tommy knew how much she enjoyed playing.

For the last two months, she had found herself enjoying James's sense of humor and flirty ways. She enjoyed the attention from the club pro and playfully flirted back at James. In her mind, it was innocent fun and had no intent of taking it any further. She told herself that her actions weren't out of line, which removed any guilt. Unfortunately, she allowed herself to get caught up in this juvenile affair, and now it was coming very close to a conclusion. Admittedly, they both shared some sort of chemistry that drew them closer, and they both knew that a sexual liaison was on the table and that the sex would be fantastic.

Emily came from a well-respected family and was raised with strong moral values, which is why she knew she had to stop her lustful desires. To her credit, she pulled back and prevented things from taking the next step. She decided to focus all her energy on her marriage and be a great wife and mother for Tommy's future children. Her husband was due back tomorrow, and she would spend the next day getting her head clear and back in the real world.

Several months earlier, Tommy had purchased the club membership for Emily as a birthday gift. He was always thoughtful and knew how much she wanted to join the club and play tennis and pickleball with her girlfriends. Even on a tight budget, Tommy saved enough to surprise her with the club membership for her birthday. She reflected on how happy she was and how thoughtful Tommy was for splurging on this gift and was feeling guilty for letting James get too close. She knew deep down her innocent flirting and attention to James was wrong and fortunately stopped things before it was too late.

Meanwhile, back in California

Tommy just got the good news about his project and was coming home a day early. He planned on surprising Emily with the good news and made reservations at their favorite restaurant for a dinner celebration. He was dropping his rental car off at Avis when the call from his brother Josh.

"Hello big brother, are you alone?

"Hey Bro, I'm alone and waiting for the shuttle, what's up?"

I have some bad news. Do you want to wait to come home first?"

"No, now that already got my interest peaked, I want to hear the news."

"Tommy, I'm sorry for what I'm about to tell you but I had a delivery at the Forest Hill Country Club and saw Emily a minute ago. I don't how to say this, but I think Emily is fucking around on you. It looks like she's having an affair with some tennis guy. I just took some photos of them kissing in public."

Tommy wanted to throw his phone as he tried to suppress his anger. "Fuck me! Josh, I'm flying all over the damn country trying to start this business, working my ass off twelve hours a day, and the bitch is fucking around behind my back? Send me the photos and don't tell anyone else, even your wife."

"I'll send you the photos but not the video, I want to be with you if you want to watch that. I just sent the photos to your email. Call me when you get back."

"Good idea, I don't need to see a video right now. You know me well, brother. I need to stay calm until I hear the full story. I need to control myself and seeing that video might just send me over the edge. I'm at the airport. We finished up last night and I'm flying home early. I'll confront her when I get home, and don't worry, I'll leave you out of all this and tell her the photos came from one of our friends."

In an empathetic voice said, "I love you, man. Stay strong and find out what happened before you act out. You and Emily have always been so good together. Don't lose control, maybe she has a good explanation."

"Copy that. We'll see soon enough."

Tommy Wilson

I'm Tommy Wilson, 28 years old and married to Emily for the last five years. Up until that call from my brother, I thought I was a happily married man with the sexiest wife and the most loving woman in the world. Apparently, all the happiness had been one sided, by me, the fool.

I may have realized too late that I have been naive and working alone for this relationship while she was seeking more than I currently was able to give. Maybe my efforts to build a good life for us and our future family pushed her into the arms of another. Do I share some of the blame? Dammit, now I'm even questioning myself. I've always been a confident guy and never worried about Emily betraying me, but now I realize I've been blinded by love.

After high school I went into the Navy and was placed in Cyber Intelligence after the first year. Apparently, the government had access to my school records and realized my proclivity for hacking and coding. I had several visits from some government agencies when I was in high school after I hacked into several secure servers. I leaned that the Navy looks down on that type of thing. How knew?

During my interviews and after some testing, they discovered my talent and placed me into a special unit. I now had access to some of the most advanced computers and software in the world and granted SAP (Special Access Program) above top-secret clearance. Within six months they realized my potential and became a high demand asset for the US Navy. Developing software and coding came easy to me and my talents were in high demand. The Navy tried to entice me to sign for another 4 years with eye popping bonus to make me stay. When I turned down the money they tried patriotism, guilt, and even some low-level threats to remain, which I again turned down.

During my free time I was also a cryptography enthusiast and developed software that I felt was something the crypto space needed. I knew that with the right support it would have profound improvements to some common cross chain issues on the blockchain. So, I opted to leave the Navy at the age of 22, got a job with a software company that allowed me access to a super computer which allowed me to work on my projects in off hours. At the time, there was no AI or Nvidia and getting access to powerful computers was a blessing for my work.

The job paid just enough to cover bills, but at the time my focus was on bringing my software solution to market and was working toward that ending. That's when I met Emily, who was hired by our companies marketing group. We immediately hit it off, started dating and became lovers. Within a year we were married and have had a perfect partnership and marriage for the last five years next month.

For the last six months I've been meeting with VC's (Venture Capitalist) to fund my software company. I was certain that my software had a blockchain element that could revolutionize cross chain traffic and also be used in the growing gaming marketplace. Comparing my solution to other solutions, I projected this project could be worth millions once it got off the ground.

After countless meetings, hours on airplanes, sleeping in cheat motels I finally had some good news. My last presentation must have been convincing because I finally gained a commitment from a VC firm here in Silicon Valley. I only had to offer 51% of the company. Sounds bad, I know, but I had no other offers and 49% of this project could create generational wealth. That night over dinner, we shook hands and agreed to move forward and form a partnership.

As in life, things aren't always perfect, and that's when I got the call from Josh which turned my world upside down. All the good news and feelings of satisfaction from my years of work were immediately extinguished. All my joy was replaced with a feeling of profound sadness from her betrayal knowing the woman I loved was doing me wrong.

It was difficult to comprehend that she would do this because she knew what my reaction to this would be because we discussed fidelity and commitment and how important it was to our trust as a couple. I explained that I would not be with a woman that wasn't committed and exclusive, and of course I would never betray her or any other person. I was raised to be honest, compassionate, and loving. I'm not perfect, a little immature, and I had anger issues that the Navy helped me overcome. I'm a big man, but there were bigger dudes in the Navy that quickly taught me how to control my anger. They were painful lessons, but they taught me how to think and plan before taking action.

Tommy's Return

The flight home was the longest flight I'd ever taken. It was only 3 hours, but it felt like days as I had to sit and wonder what my cheating wife had been up to as I looked at the photos on my phone for the countless times. I felt my anger surfacing and tried my best to control it and use my calming skills to plan my next steps.

Halfway through the journey home the woman next to me handed me a tissue. was so lost in thought that I hadn't realized I had been crying. This nice woman felt my sadness when she saw my tears and offered her compassion and empathy. I took the tissues, dried my eyes and thanked her for her kindness.

With a soft voice she asked, "What's wrong, if you don't mind me asking."

After wiping my tears, I looked at her and told her. I felt some relief as I was able to get it out to someone who I would never see again. "I just learned that the woman I married and loved has been cheating on me. I guess my emotions overtook me and I apologize for my display of weakness."

Her face turned to shock at my words, "Weakness? You dear man, you should never apologize for your feelings. I'm sorry about your wife, and I can tell how hurt you are from this. Look, give her a chance to explain, and if she hasn't gone too far, you might be able to save your marriage."

"Thanks for that, I appreciate your kind words, but I'm not the kind of guy that can share my wife. No, if she is with somebody else, it's over. Trust and commitment are my two biggest values and if she broke them, there's no way back." She patted my arm and left me in my thoughts until the plane landed a little over an hour later.

I took an uber home and during the drive I came up with a rudimentary plan. I got there about an hour before Emily arrived and sat quietly with a cold beer at the kitchen table. She was shocked to see me sitting at the kitchen table but smiled and gave me a big hug and nice kiss as soon as she saw me. I was going to miss this woman. I loved her so much.

Before she arrived, I canceled our celebratory dinner I had arranged before my brothers call. I planned to try and act normal as I formulated a plan. Sadly, I was starting my escape plan from the marriage even before I had all the facts. But between the photos and the video I hadn't seen yet, I was pretty confident about my thoughts and next steps. Yes, I'm a software genius but still emotionally immature. The problem was I was using my emotions as a guide, instead of my analytical brain. And to no surprise, my attempt at acting normal didn't fool Emily.

The Confrontation

With a concern on her face she asked, "Sweetheart, what's wrong? I thought the meetings were going well."

I answered without emotion, "Well, we hit a major snag and there might be some big changes. Look, I don't want to talk about it right now, I'm tired from all the travel and long week on the road. How was your week? Did you do anything fun?" I looked closely at her expression for any signs of guilt. I couldn't tell if that was a twitch I saw, or was I just looking for something?

I didn't talk much during dinner and relaxed with a movie afterwards. I could tell Emily was concerned about my mood especially when I got up in the middle of the Netflix movie and said I was tired and going to bed, leaving her downstairs watching a movie. After my trips we would always make up for lost time under the sheets, but not this time and knew she would be wondering what was going on.

About an hour later she came to bed and I could tell she wanted some loving. She even put on my favorite perfume, and was wearing a sexy nightgown. When she cuddled into me, I felt my body tense up and my anger surge. The thought of another man with Emily sent me over the edge.

My anger took control, and I knew from the expression on her face that she was shocked and surprised when I sat up, turned her over and with her face buried in her pillow I climbed on top of her. There was no way I was going to fuck her cheating pussy, but knowing she hated the thought of anal sex I felt it was probably still virgin territory. Yes, my anger was now in control of my actions. I took the bottle of lotion on her night table and generously lubed her crack and my cock as I held her down.

In a panicked voice she said, "Tommy, what are you doing? Please don't do that."

"Just relax, I need this," I said in a strong voice that she had never heard before.

She continued to protest and tried to sit up but I was having none of it. If she wanted to be a cheating whore, then I would treat her like one. Even though I was angry I had no intention of hurting her and went slow until my cock slid past her opening. She moaned out with a combination of pain and pleasure as I slid past her opening. After a few minutes I bottomed out deep inside her tight ass.

I had my full body weight on top of her as I kept my cock buried deep inside her. She was pinned down and helpless as I started to move in and out of her anal opening. The painful noises suddenly stopped as I started pummeling her into the mattress. The painful yelps were replaced with a passion of pleasure as I fucked her with a fervor that she hadn't seen before. I fucked her hard for five minutes until I exploded deep inside her bowels. She started rubbing her clit and came several times during those five minutes and during my own orgasm.

With my anger now quelched, I realized that my feelings for her had changed. My actions must have confused her when I rolled off her and told her to get me a towel and clean me off. My voice was not loving, but demanding. That had never happened before, but she didn't question my demands and came back, sat next to me and cleaned up with a warm washcloth.

With a tear in her eye she asked, "What was that about, Tommy? You were an animal and I'm not sure I liked that."

"Sorry babe, long week and I guess I got carried away. Look I'm beat and need some sleep. We can discuss things in the morning."

Later that night, as I laid awake next to her in bed, I heard her crying and wondered what was going through her head. The next morning, she looked angry when I came down for coffee.

"You're a jerk. I can't believe you did that to me last night. I missed you so much from your trip and I wanted to make love last night, and all you did was act like an animal."

I took a cup of coffee and sat across from her with my phone in front of me. It was go-time.

"Emily, is there anything you want to tell me?"

I could tell that the calmness in my voice after her statement sent a chill through her body and I believe that she suddenly felt the guilt from her feelings with the other guy. The look on her face said it all.

"What do you mean, Tommy?" She asked confidently but I could tell that she thought to herself that there's no way I could know anything about that.

After a long pause I continued, "Emily, I'm giving you an opportunity to tell me anything. Any problems, any issues, anything as your husband I should know?"

Answering nervously, she said, "No, everything is good except the way you treated me last night."

I picked up my cell and opened the photo gallery on my phone and clicked on the first photo and turned the phone to show her the image of her and James.

There it was, right in front of her, the first intimate photo. I sat motionless and watched her body tense up in shock as she stared at this photo. In a weak voice she tried to explain.

With a surprised look she said, "Oh, my goodness. That's me and James after playing Pickleball. Is that why you treated me like that last night?"

"Maybe. But you two look awfully cozy in that photo. Care to explain why?"

"Oh my God, is that why you're so upset? It was noisy from the other pickleball players and I had to lean in to hear what he was saying. Who took the photo?" (These images are available - just send me an email)

"The photo was sent to me from one of our friends who was at the club. They saw you two and sent me the photo. It doesn't really matter which friend it was, does it Emily?"

Feeling somewhat relieved that she was able to explain away the photo she said, "No, it doesn't matter. Sweetheart, you know I would never cheat on you. I swear."

"Don't swear Emily. You know how I detest liars. And as far as I'm concerned, omitting things from your husband is lying. Ok, I'll accept your explanation for the photo but I still have more questions."

I then opened the second photo shown below and showed it to her and spoke in an angry tone. "What the fuck is this about then? Looks like more than you're telling me Emily. My friend probably thinks you're having an affair. I buy you a club membership and you disrespect me in front of my friends and make me out to be a chump?"

Emily does her best to explain this away and in full panic mode she went on the offensive, "Tommy, this is silly. There is nothing between us. That's just a friendly hug. Baby, he's married with two little girls. These photos mean nothing, I've never cheated on you."

I tried to calm down and took a deep breath. My anger was starting to surface but I knew how to control it and took my time before I continued.

"OK, I can see how photos can give the wrong impression, but can you understand how I feel? I mean, if you saw me hugging another woman and looking all romantic and cozy, how would you feel?"

I saw a sadness in her eyes and realized she was feeling guilty when she spoke in a shaky voice, "I know you would never do that, and of course I would be hurt and upset. I understand how you're feeling, and I'm sorry. I forgive you now for treating me like that last night."

"That's kind of you, and I can assure you it will never happen again. Do you know why?"

Nervously, she looked at me not knowing where this conversation was going. She tried to remember what she did when those photos were taken and was clearly scared to death. She was unable to make eye contact and her voice sounded like a little girl pleading with her mom or dad after getting yelled at,

"No, why?"

"Because I have no intention of staying married to a lying, cheating wife. You lied by omission twice in the last five minutes. You're having an affair, and as far as I'm concerned, we're through."

Suddenly angry she yelled, "Tommy, stop this. I explained those photos, and there's nothing going on between James and me."

That's when the other shoe dropped. I opened the next photo and turned the phone to Emily and showed her the last photo.

(The Kiss Photo sent by request)

"In this photo you just got done kissing him. That loving look you're giving him is the same one you used to give me. My friend also took the video of your kiss, which I'll be giving to my attorney."

Suddenly she broke down in tears. Sobbing into her hands.

"Please Tommy, give me a chance to explain."

"Really? Now you want to explain? Well, there's no need to explain Emily, the pictures tell the story for you. Tell me, how long have you been fucking him? How long have I been a fool thinking I was your only love? At least tell me that! Be honest! You owe me that much."

"No, Tommy! I never did. I never cheated on you, I swear. You have to believe me."

"Sure, so now I should believe you? Now I understand why you've spent over $700 on your sexy tennis outfits. This one in the photo really shows off your ass. Do you like showing off your ass to your boyfriend? Never mind, you don't need to answer, I already know."

"Oh my god, this is all wrong! Tommy, you have this all wrong, and you're making more out of this than there is! It was only a kiss, and I told him never to do that again."

I felt myself losing control of my anger, which is not a good thing. "Are you fucking kidding me? It was only a kiss? So now it's OK for us to go around kissing other people? I didn't get that memo. What else are we allowed to do as a married couple? Tell me!"

I was on roll, "Just a kiss? You know that's total bull shit. That look you're giving him shows me that you have feelings for him. Dammit, you kissed him in public and our friends saw that kiss. How the fuck do you think that makes me feel? I'll tell you! I feel humiliated, betrayed, like a wimp husband that can't satisfy his wife. That's how it makes me feel. And you sit there and say that I'm making more out of this than there is? Hell, as you said a second ago -- It's just a kiss. Well Fuck You! To me it's much more than a kiss. It's what was once mine -- your intimacy, your love, and loyalty."

"Tommy, please calm down. I'm telling you the truth, I never wore those outfits for him, this was just something that happened, and I swear I stopped it and put an end to it. You have to believe me baby; I quit the club yesterday right after this happened."

"That's funny. You just lied to me several times and now I have to believe you? So, you didn't kiss him back? The video and photos are fake? Are you telling me that the look you're giving him is fake? Do I look that stupid? Do you really think I would believe you after you lied and tried to hide this?"

Still trying to contain my anger I continued, "Emily, I've worked so fucking hard for us and our future. I couldn't afford it but I gave you the membership to the club that you wanted, and this is how you repay my love and loyalty. The minute I'm out of town you're hooking up with other guys. I must be the biggest schmuck in the world, but not anymore. We're done Emily. I'll be staying at my brother's house tonight, don't bother calling me. I really don't want to talk to you anymore."

She was at a loss, desperate to make me understand but my brain was running on pure emotion and fury. "Tommy, listen we have to talk and you have to listen! I love you and I never did anything but kiss him, I promise you. I only kiss his cheek, he kissed me. I know it sounds like bull shit but I'd never cheat on you."

"Emily, you don't get it, do you? You lied to me several times over the last ten minutes. You just admitted that you kissed this man in the photo, and clearly you have feelings for him. Tell me where I'm wrong. What have I done wrong?"

"Yes, I get it! But it is not what it looks like! Like I said, when I went to kiss him on the cheek, he pulled me in and kissed me on the lips. I guess I kissed back, but I quickly stopped and admonished him for doing that and told him to never do that again. So, yes, I kissed him and we had a moment but I immediately shut it down before it went too far. I would never purposely disrespect you, but I see how it looks, and I'm sorry."

"News Flash! To me, you went too far. Kissing another man that you have feelings for is a deal breaker, Emily. Maybe I'm just angry, immature, or my ego is bruised, but I won't stay with a wife that has feelings for another man. You knew how I felt about cheating, and you still allowed yourself to flirt and have feelings for another guy? I can't and won't live with that."

"Tommy, please don't go to your brothers. Stay here with me and let me try to explain this. I swear there's never been anyone else but you, this was a terrible mistake that I already ended."

It took me several minutes but I finally calmed down and spoke in a low voice, "Emily, right now I'm beyond angry and hurt. Trust me, nothing good will come from me staying here tonight or talking anymore about this. It will only make me angry and I'm afraid that I'll lose control, which I never want you to witness."

I left her sobbing at the table calling out for me to stay and not leave her alone. She loved me and she was sorry. I left and called my brother to let him know I was on the way over.

Emily's thoughts:

When I saw those photos, my heart stopped. I realized how foolish I had been and hated myself for getting too close with James. At the time it was just some innocent flirting and it didn't seem that bad, but after seeing the photos I understand why Tommy was so angry. If he sees a video of me kissing James, it will break his heart and destroy him.

I had to act quickly and called my rock, my mom. "Mom, I need your help. It's an emergency. Can you come over right now? Yes, it's important -- Tommy's going to leave me. Please come over. I need your help."

Thirty minutes later, mom was hugging me as I cried into her shoulder. I told her everything and asked her how to fix it. I loved my mom, and she was always there for me. But this time, she wasn't her usual self. After I calmed down, she took a step back and spoke.

"Emily, I'm disappointed. This is not how we raised you, and hurting that wonderful man is unforgivable."

"But Mom, I never even cheated on him. It was just a kiss on the cheek that he turned into a full-on kiss. How can he not forgive me?"

"Sweetheart, you told the poor man you had feelings for James. What do you think that does to a man's ego? You put someone else before your husband. You say it was only a kiss, but you're not being honest. Married women don't hug and kiss other men. We raised you better than that so stop trying to justify your actions."

Mom was on a roll, "It's time to be honest with yourself. How many times were you with him, flirting, talking, giving him the idea you're interested? You may not have had sex, but you gave your intimacy to another man. If your father ever did that to me, he'd be out on his ear. Now, how do you plan on fixing this? You started this, and now you need to find a way to fix it and win him back. Imagine if he did that to you, what would you do? You need to find a way to fix things quickly."

"Oh my God, Mom. You're right, and I had no idea I was doing that, I got caught up with the situation. I just had an idea, I'll call his brother Josh. They're more than brothers, they're best friends. I'll see if he'll help me."

I called Josh and told him everything that happened. At this point, I still didn't know it was Josh who took the photos and saw me with James. He was cold at first, protecting his big brother, but he finally believed me and understood how much I loved Tommy, and would never intentionally cheat on or hurt him. He said he would help me, but if he found out I was lying, it would not end well. I swore on my soul and promised to do anything if he would help me. He intervened and didn't show Tommy the video -- he told him he was mistaken and the cell never recorded the action. But unfortunately, by then, it was too late. Tommy was still angry, and things got worse.

The Next Day

The next morning Tommy called home. "Emily, we need to talk. I made some decisions and want to tell you my plans. I'll meet you at 6 PM tonight at Mario's, and then we can talk."

"OK, thank you Tommy. You know I love you. Please don't be angry with me, I love you."

"Tonight, you'll have your opportunity. 6 PM. Goodbye." No love on that call, just business.

Tommy pulled up to Mario's Italian Restaurant just as Emily was getting out of the Uber. He knew right away that she took an Uber with hopes that Tommy would drive her back home after dinner and spend the night.

She walked up and tried to hug Tommy, but he gently pushed her away and led her towards the hostess and gave her the reservation information. Emily was clearly upset, hoping things would start out better. After being seated, Tommy ordered a glass of Emily's favorite wine and a cold beer for himself. Once the drinks arrived, he started the conversation.

Tommy's Meeting

"Emily, I believe what you told me. Yesterday, you said you never had sex with James and only let him kiss you, and I'll accept that as the truth. Of course, I don't know how many times you've kissed him or been with him. You admitted that you had feelings for James which allowed you to let him kiss you in public, in front of our friends. I have to be honest, that still hurts, and I'm finding it hard to get over that. My wife kissing other men is something I'm struggling with, and now I have to face our friends, who I'm guessing are talking behind my back. You may not understand how I feel, but as a man, it's humiliating. The only reason I haven't called an attorney and we're talking today is that I do believe you, but like I said, I'm not sure I can live with the fact that my wife had feelings for another man. So, I've made a decision.

"Wait, before you go any further, I had feelings for him as a good friend... not a lover or a replacement. We got to be friends and I liked him but not like you're thinking."

"Look, your words and confession are nice to hear but hearing you tell me you had feelings for him yesterday really did a number on me. Let me finish. Monday, I'll be flying out to Silicon Valley to start working with my new business partners. Yes, I formed a partnership for my business, and I finally found an investor who believes in me. I had planned on telling you with a celebratory dinner last night, but after I found out you were involved with another man, I canceled our plans.

She looked scared as I continued, "So, for the next month, I'll be living out there and getting this project off the ground. During that time, we will be separated. I need a break to figure out if I want to stay married, how I can possibly trust you in the future, and if I want you to be the mother of my children. For that month, we will not talk or communicate. You can do or be with whomever you want, and I will be free to live the same way. Go be with your boyfriend if you like; you're free. But when I come back in a month, we will compare notes and see where we go from there."

That wasn't something she wanted, and she spoke up, "No, you can't leave me like this. I won't let you."

Just then, the hostess was seating a couple two tables over which interrupted the conversation. It was one of those rare moments in your life when the stars in the universe align. It was as if the gods were looking down on me at that exact moment. When I looked over at the table I recognized the man -- it was James, and I assumed the woman with him was his wife. When he saw Emily, he looked at me and gave what I took to be a smirk. I may have imagined it, but I swear it was a smirk. When Emily saw my contorted face, she recognized the look of anger she'd only seen once before. The fear on Emily's face was visible as I stood up and walked over to their table.

As I stood next to the table, I introduced myself and looked at his wife. "Hi, I'm Tommy Wilson. Are you James' wife?"

"Yes, I'm Denise. Are you two friends?" she said, smiling up at me.

"No, not really. You see, your asshole husband has been having an affair with my wife. That's my wife, Emily." Emily sat there terrified and humiliated as the scene unfolded as I pointed her out to Denise.

That pissed him off. James stood up with an angry expression and made a scene, yelling, "Shut up, asshole. I never touched your wife. Now apologize to my wife and fuck off." He was standing inches from my face as his voice echoed throughout the restaurant. So much for a quiet dinner.

Ignoring my adversary, I casually looked down at his wife Denise and spoke. "Denise, I apologize for the intrusion, but I'm not lying, and I have photos if you doubt what I'm telling you."

That was enough to set James off. He threw a punch hitting me hard in the face and knocking me to the floor. It was a good punch, but I was used to much worse beatings during my years in the Navy and recovered quickly.

Now, standing over me, he straddled my body, leaving his crotch exposed to my leg, which quickly moved upward, kicking him in the balls and dropping him to the floor. As he lay there I stood up, took my size 12 shoe, and stomped it as hard as I could on his right hand... twice. I wanted to make sure I did maximum damage to the pro's hand. The sound of breaking bones and screams of pain echoed through the dining room. To my delight, I knew that Mr. Tennis Pro would not be teaching or playing tennis for quite a while. I also knew that for years to come, the pain from his hand, along with his wife's divorce, would remind him of his time with Emily.

Speaking of Emily, she was now standing next to Denise, looking down at James with sympathy. I glared at her and said, "Emily, be careful what you do next. If I detect a trace of sympathy for this asshole, our time together will have ended."

She wasn't a stupid person and quickly moved to my side and asked if I was okay. Smart girl. That's when Denise asked Emily if it was true, and if she was having an affair with her husband.

"Well, we just kissed and never did anything else," she said, once again trying to minimize their actions. To my surprise, Denise slapped my wife hard and called her a homewrecker and a slut. I stood between the women and tried to calm everything down as James just held his hand, wincing in pain.

A minute later, two policemen entered the restaurant. Apparently, someone had called 911 and reported the altercation. They looked at James in pain on the floor and moved toward me as the suspect of the assault. But to my surprise, James' wife Denise spoke up in my defense.

"No, this asshole on the floor started the fight. Tommy was just protecting himself." Of course, my loving wife backed up the story as did the other people in the room.

The officer in charge looked at me and asked, "Sir, do you want to press charges?"

With my right eye now swollen shut and bruising from the punch I received from James, I said, "Absolutely. He attacked me, and I want to press charges," I said, staring at Emily. I then whispered in her ear, "All this because of you. I hope you're happy."

We spent the next hour speaking with the police as they took James away in handcuffs. His wife apologized to me and gave Emily a deadly stare, warning her to stay away from her husband. Emily was a mess and was openly sobbing in the restaurant. I had to drive her home with one eye swollen shut, as she couldn't regain control of her emotions.

Emily cried and spoke out as we drove back to the house. "This is all my fault, and I hate myself. I just want to die. I can't believe I messed up my life, hurt my husband, and may have hurt another couple all because of some stupid selfish fun. I'm an idiot, and I hate myself."

I'm not a complete jerk and did feel sorry for her. She was totally humiliated, embarrassed, and I knew her well enough to know that she was sorry for everything. It's funny but after getting slapped, she seemed to have realized what her innocent actions had caused, and her guilt was now on full display. I hugged her at the front door and felt her melt into my arms. I loved her so much, but the loss of trust, and my immaturity was preventing me from forgiving her. After several minutes, I felt her body go limp after she was all cried out.

"Emily, I love you, and have loved you since the moment I met you, but I don't know how to get past this. We'll be apart for the next month, and we both need to decide what we want. This is all on you, but I'm not completely giving up just yet. The next month will give me some clarity, and I hope it does the same for you. Clearly, you want more than I can give you, so take this time to reflect on our marriage."

"Tommy, please don't go. Stay with me tonight. I need you. I know what I want, and I want only you. I love you, and I don't need a month alone. There's never been anyone else. What happened was not love, only some stupid innocent flirting.

"Nope. I have already committed to my new partners, and the company has arranged for my apartment."

"Can I go with you, please?"

"No, Emily. I'm extremely serious here. I'm not sure I want to stay married to you if I can't trust you. I'll say it again, it hurts knowing you had feelings for another man."

"Tommy, it wasn't like that, I wear. I'll win your trust back, I promise."

"Emily, my dad gave me some words of wisdom when I first started dating. He told me how to treat women, and the meaning of loyalty and trust. I remember one of his sayings about trust. He told me, 'Tommy, trust is like virginity. Once you give it up, you can never get it back.' "

She started crying as I turned and drove back to my brother's house.

California

The first two weeks were 18-hour days on the computer and in the conference room, going over code. I had very little time to think about my problems back home, which was exactly what I needed. Spending 18-hour days with co-workers brings you closer and forms bonds that last a lifetime. One of the bonds I formed was with Stella, a 21-year-old, smart, sexy coder. Stella was extremely bright and contributed more to the project than all of the other coders combined.

She earned my respect and admiration, and after the second full week we became friends. I took her to dinner on the weekend and spent the next day at the pool in her apartment complex. We got along famously and developed a chemistry that I knew could easily lead to a sexual episode. As much as I had the urge to take her up to her apartment and have a mega fuck session, I knew I was still married and would wait the month to avoid making any stupid mistakes. Stella knew my story and that I wouldn't cheat as long as I was still married. She wasn't happy about that, and wanted to be more than just friends.

I kept my word and there was no communication with Emily. She continued to call and text but I never answered except for 1 text where I just replied - Stop calling I told you 1 month no communication. I did wonder what she was up to and tried to figure out if I could get past her actions. My love was still there but was now existing next to a mountain of pain that I needed to resolve. After some time, I realized my jealousy and ego were causing me all this grief. I considered that if she was telling me the truth maybe we could still save our marriage.

Stella was a good distraction and definitely helped my confidence. She made it clear that she wanted more than a friendship and would be there if I decided to leave Emily. In the third week, the project made some major advancements, and we went out to celebrate that Friday night. Somehow, I don't remember how, I ended up staying at Stella's apartment and slept on the couch, as I was too drunk to walk back to my apartment. The next morning, I was nursing a major hangover poolside when I saw Stella come through the gate in the smallest bathing suit I had ever seen. I mean, I can't even call it a bathing suit. It was two small strips of fabric barely covering the nipples on her very large breasts, combined with a small patch of fabric somehow covering her pussy. Every guy at the pool watched her lay down on the chair next to me, and to my embarrassment, my little soldier stood firmly at attention, and was noticeable in my bathing suit.

She looked at my bulge, smiled, and said, "Is that for me, baby?"

I closed my eyes and tried to get it back to its normal size as she laughed and playfully ran her fingers through my hair. I knew I was going to do something stupid if I wasn't careful. For the next hour, I lay next to this sexy blonde with the killer body on complete display sexually aroused and frustrated.

My hangover was still lingering as my head pounded a little less that earlier. I was drifting off to sleep when I heard a voice that reminded me of my beautiful Emily, and for the first time since I left home, I realized how much I missed her. I felt myself smile, thinking about her and missing my old life, which most guys would find odd lying next to a sex goddess. A minute later, a shadow blocked out the sun and I realized someone was standing in front of my lounge chair. When I opened my eyes, I was shocked to see Emily standing over me with a glaring expression.

"So, this is what you've been up to? Who's your little slut girlfriend?" She was angry seeing me with an almost-nude Stella, who was now looking up at Emily with a sardonic smile.

"Emily, what are you doing here?"

"Right now, I'm not sure. I missed you, and spent three last week tracking you down. I came here to surprise you, and this is what I find?"

"First of all, we're supposed to be apart for a month. Secondly, you're the one that started all of this, and finally, Stella is a work associate and nothing more."

"Oh sure, you want me to believe you haven't fucked her yet? I'm not stupid."

By this time everyone poolside was watching the entertainment as it continued. "You mean you're not stupid like I was? Listen, you're making a scene. Let's go inside and talk."

We walked over to Stella's apartment which was poolside and close by. Stella backed up my story but also told Emily she wanted me if we got divorced. Emily didn't like that remark. She wasn't happy and asked if we could be alone. We went back to my apartment and spent the rest of the day together. After long, heated discussions, I finally put a stop to everything and raised my voice.

"Emily, that's enough of your bullshit. I've had it. I wanted the time alone to see how I wanted to go forward. Did I mess around with Stella? No. Absolutely nothing. Not like you and James. Did I have feelings for her? Not the feelings you had for James, but I definitely would fuck her once I was a free man." I wanted to say more, to hurt her but for the first time I controlled my ego and realized I wasn't the only one in pain from all of this. Her tears started flowing, and she was reminded how much damage she had done to our marriage.

"Tommy, can you please give me another chance? I don't want you to be with anyone else, and now that I know how it feels to see you with another woman. I'll take new vows, sign a post-up, whatever you want, but give me another chance. I want you to hear me once and for all and believe me. I ended things with James after he forced that kiss on me. As soon as that happened, I realized what I was doing and told him never to touch me again. I swear on our future children's souls, that's God's honest truth. Yes, I may have done some innocent flirting and teasing, but I'll never disrespect you like that again if you give me a chance."

"Emily, you know how much I loved you, and those photos just ripped my heart in two. I felt like my entire world was taken away from me because you wanted someone else. You were my everything, and it felt like I wasn't yours any longer, and how easily I could be replaced."

"Oh my God, honey, that's not true. I've always been yours, I never left you. I love you. You will never have to worry about me being stupid ever again. Like I said, I'll sign a postnuptial agreement and prove my love. Please come home."

I told her how impressed I was with her finding me and coming all this way to show me how much she cared. It helped to know she cared and her idea of the post nuptial did give me an idea. I drove her to the airport and sent Emily back the next day. I told her I was no longer angry and said that I'd be back soon and I would make a decision. She left with some hope, which was all I could offer at that moment.

Two weeks later I flew back and stayed with my brother. I told Emily that I liked her idea of a postnuptial agreement and arranged for one to be signed the next day. She understood that I wouldn't come home until she signed it. She agreed without any hesitation and met me at my attorney's office the next afternoon.

I had my attorney draw up the most aggressive postnuptial possible. I knew that if she signed it, she was serious about winning back my trust and wanting only me as her husband. If she didn't, then I would move on without her. My love was strong, but my heart could not take another episode like that, no matter how small.

The post nuptial agreement was a one-sided agreement, and would never stand up in court. I had intention of ever using it but I needed to see her reaction after seeing what I wanted. She agreed to the terms of the agreement and gave up any right to protest or fight this agreement in the future. The contract said that from this date forward, if we divorced for any reason, Emily would give up her right to any form of support, including alimony or child support. She would leave the marriage with no rights to any community property and only the money currently in our checking account, $1,256.87.

We had the attorney videotape the meeting which reviewed the agreement and her verbal consent, thus eliminating any future objections if things went bad.

Basically, if either of us wanted a divorce for any reason, she would leave with the $1,256.87 and have no right to fight the agreement. Of course, I had no intention of treating her that way unless she decided to betray me in the future, but I knew she learned her lesson. To everyone's surprise, she signed the agreement without any hesitation, barely reading the contents.

After signing the documents, she looked over to me with tears in her eyes and asked, "Do you trust me now? Do you understand how serious I am about our marriage? I'll never make a mistake like that again. I love only you, Tommy."

I melted. The big strong guy, was Jello in her hands. Her actions and sincerity moved me. I stood up in front of the seven people in the room, walked over and lifted her out of her chair, hugging her tightly. I then kissed her for the first time since the photos appeared. The kiss we shared was not sexual but one of deep love. We were one, connected, and a loving couple once again. After several uncomfortable moments for the bystanders, I heard some clapping from everyone watching us reunite. It was at that moment I knew we would make it, and would not let anyone or anything come between us again. We both recognized the importance of trust, honesty, and love and would remain faithful to each other, forevermore.

We left the office holding hands and drove back to my once-happy home. I took her up to our bedroom and made love to her for the next two hours. It had been over a month for each of us, and any inhibitions were not present. We fucked, sucked, kissed, and held each other the entire time. I'm now a true believer that makeup sex is the best sex on the planet.

Aftermath

James' wife, Denise, was not as kind since this wasn't his first time, and went after him for adultery. He compromised for irreconcilable differences and $4,000 a month alimony and support -- which would come out of his half of the savings and retirement funds until he was back to work. His wife stayed in the house, and James had to make the mortgage payments until the kids left home in ten years, as part of the divorce. He would be living a frugal lifestyle for the next ten years thanks to his proclivity to seduce married women.

James also spent 90 days in jail and received a $20,000 fine for the assault, and to his dismay was served divorce papers behind bars. The fragile bones in his hand eventually healed, and after six more months of physical therapy, he was able to get his old job back. But every day, the little aches and pains reminded him of his efforts to seduce a married woman. Losing his own family and the chronic pain from my retaliation at the restaurant, were constant reminders of his attempt to seduce a married woman.

A year after we reconciled, my company launched its token, and let's just say that I'll never again have to worry about my finances. Within eighteen months I had a high seven-digit bank account and was well on my way to becoming a respected member of the crypto community.

Emily and I moved to Northern California, had three wonderful children and made each other the focal points of our lives. Her one-time small indiscretion and my potential affair with Stella, created one of the strongest bonds imaginable and a lifelong commitment to each other. Together, we rebuilt our life founded on trust, love, and unyielding dedication.

In the quiet moments, we often reflected on our journey, grateful for the challenges that made us stronger. Every laugh, every tear, every shared moment reaffirmed our choice to stay together. The past was a lesson, the present a gift, and the future an adventure we embraced wholeheartedly. Our love story, though tested, became a testament to the power of forgiveness and the resilience of true love.

"Tell me every terrible thing you ever did, and let me love you anyway." -- Edgar Allen Poe

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