The Devil Told Me to Do It

I have been criticised for being too much of a RAAC author mainly by anonymous commenters who probably have not written anything themselves.   

Well let's see how they go with this one, it has been bouncing around my mind for ages, it is supposed to be a fun entertaining story, now onto my usual warnings.  

Oxford's English dictionaries define fiction as "Something that is invented or untrue."   

So please do not tell me 'It would not happen like that'. Because you are probably right on that point. It more than likely would not. But this is fiction, so do not complain it is not real.   

If you want realism, may I suggest watching a documentary or the news.  

Humans are fallible, they make mistakes and some are vindictive.   

Please enjoy the story.  

I like happy endings.

It was a Police appeal for information that made my world fall apart. My name is Bob Hunter. I'm married to Veronica and have been for nearly ​​twelve years. Children never seem to happen, we were not that bothered. I am a shop floor supervisor in a local engineering works. We make car parts for the big factory in Oxford. Ronnie works at an insurance company in Oxford. She moved from the back office to the reception desk supervisor about six months ago. It was a sideways move, but it opened up more opportunities.  

Things have been a little strained for the last few months just after she moved jobs. Her parents were having problems with their house and garden down on the south coast at Bournemouth, about two hours away if the traffic wasn't too bad. They had a tree blow down in the last storm and it landed on the house and fence. It needed some brickwork and roofing done after the tree was got rid of. Ronnie asked me to help. I did not have a problem with that. I had a chainsaw and some skills with cement and bricks. When they renewed their house insurance, they only did the contents and forgot their building insurance.  

I took leave and went down for a week. Ronnie did not want to come as she had just started her new job, so I went on my own. She had to work some Saturday mornings but did come down Saturday afternoon and help me for the rest of the weekend, but I had mainly finished all the hard work by then. With the holidays Ronnie and I had taken and what we had planned I was short on leave days, so after a chat with my boss and he let me make up the short fall I was missing by working unpaid overtime.  

I got most of the work done that week, but there was still some stuff to finish off, like pointing the brickwork properly and chopping the tree up into usable logs.  

I had nearly made up my time over the next few weeks when Ronnie told me she was going on a management course for a week for her new role.  

I went to Bournemouth and as Ronnie was working some Saturday mornings on the reception desk, she suggested I go on the weekends she was working, and she would drive down after she finished work, a few times she did not get there till late, blaming work and traffic.  

Life at home got strained for a while back then.  

On my way home that day my world fell apart. I heard on the radio a Police appeal for information and any dash cam footage of an incident that happened on the A34 at about ​​8:30 this morning. There had been life changing injuries, and they were after any information they could get. Ronnie would have been driving down that road at about that time.  

Both of our cars had dash cams. Several years ago, I was driving down the A46 West from Coventry. It was dark and the weather was awful, rain and wind. We were doing anything between 10 to 35 mph. In my mirrors I saw the lights of a vehicle dodging in and out of the traffic, undertaking then over taking. Then he was on my inside, it was a white transit van. I pulled up close to the car in front. He was not getting in front of me! I realised how silly that was. So, I pulled back and he jammed himself in front of me. There it was, a company name, phone number, the lot. I picked up my phone from the passenger seat and took a video of his antics. I was going to phone his company to complain. It was illegal to hold a phone whilst driving, but as I was stationary, I thought it worth the risk.  

Ten minutes later we came to a standstill. The Police passed me. When we got going there was the white van rammed into the side of a Ford Mondeo. There would be no need to phone his company.  

I decided there and then that our cars had to have dash cams. At the time there were not many available, after some internet search I got 2 Mobius Action Cams and mountings. They fitted nicely. In fact, on Ronnies new car it was behind the rear-view mirror and could barely be seen. I would check them every 4 or 5 months to see if they were still working, but apart from that we forgot about them.  

Until the Police request.  

Ronnie was cooking dinner, and I did not want to disturb her, so I got a spare memory card, went to her car and swapped it for the one in the dash cam. I would check it after dinner.  

I mentioned over dinner the Police request and that I was going to check the dash cam as she had been driving down that road this morning at the right time. She thought that was a good idea. But she hadn't seen anything.  

Ronnie was watching some Police program on the telly. I was sitting at the living room table with my laptop, half listening to her program.  

The camera recorded ​​5-minute clips. I found the time of the clips of when Ronnie was in the area of the scene of the accident and watched them. There was nothing. So not to disturb Ronnie and so I could hear what was on the telly I turned the sound down on the laptop.  

I looked at a few other random clips, it all seemed fine, until I noticed a strange out of sync time. Most of the recordings were 8​-ish in the morning​ the morning and about 5​​ in the afternoon. That would be Ronnie going to and from work. But last Wednesday there was a midday clip as well. It stuck in my mind as Ronnie did not get in until ​​half six that day. Nothing unusual with that. Since she had this new job, it would happen every ​​2 or ​​3 weeks. She was never later than ​​7 and she always warned me a day or so in advance when it would happen so I could do dinner.  

I opened it up and there was the view of the front of her building. I saw the car move as she got in. She normally used the park and ride, it was easier and cheaper than driving into the city centre. She had not mentioned anything to me about parking at work or low emission charges.   

She drove off and stopped around the corner from her building. The car moved again, someone else got in.   

I went and fetched my earphones.  

What I heard ruined my life.  

"Where are we going?"  

"The Oyo Water Eaton, but we can't book in until 1 o'clock."  

"That's okay, if we are a bit early, they know us, if the room is ready, they will let us in. I tip them enough."  

I recognised the voice, it was someone she worked with. Thomas Rowberry. I had met him at company functions. Seemed okay, married to a pretty lady, had ​​2 children, a bit older than us, I thought. He was a manager in a different section from Veronica.  

"I am looking forward to this. It's been a few weeks with you being on holiday, I can't wait to get your cock in me." She giggled.  

"The old man still not doing it then?"  

"Don't say that, he is fine. It was just that rough bit a couple of months ago. Everything is up and running like it was, probably better actually. But he never gets my bum."   

They both laughed.  

"So why are we still doing this then?" He asked.  

"Well the first time you blackmailed me remember."  

"Yeah, sorry about that but it was just too good an opportunity to miss for some more fun."  

"Other than that, I don't know really, the sex is good, well different. It is exciting though, and it's fun thinking we are getting something over our other halves and the poor plebs beavering away at the office, and no one suspects."   

"Yup. I am with that." They both laughed again.  

I was devastated. My Veronica was sleeping with another man. That was the end as far as I was concerned. ​​She knew that I come from a single parent family because my Mother cheated on my Dad.  

They talked about work stuff until they pulled up in front of the hotel. The electrics in the car stay on for a while after the ignition is off. I heard them get out of the car and saw them walking hand in hand to the front entrance. It was definitely Thomas Rowberry.  

I was holding back the tears. Veronica looked across at me. "Are you alright dear?" She asked.  

I got my handkerchief out and blew my nose, I nodded. I did not trust myself to speak. She went back to her program.  

I went to the next clip. It was ​​2 hours later. They got in the car giggling. I heard Thomas say. "My turn to drive next time, when do you think we can get away?"  

"I don't know. We might have to cool it for a while. Bob is getting suspicious."  

"Yes well, we have slowed down a lot after those first few weeks after we got back. That was bat shit crazy stupid. Actually, that might be a good idea, my wife spotted the hotel bill on my credit card from last time. I fobbed her off. That's why you had to pay this time. I will use cash for the next two."  

There was silence for a while as they drove.  

"No, I think we might have to call it a day. I do love Bob. You've been fun. But I don't want to hurt him. If he finds out I am finished."   

She was bloody right about that!  

"And I realised after I videoed us, you can't blackmail me anymore because I would rat you out to your wife."  

It went quiet for a bit then I heard Thomas say. "Well then, let's just think of our buggers at work whilst we make love." He laughed again.  

"Don't get above yourself, it's not making love. It's just shagging."  

Then Veronica carried on.  

"We can still hook up when we go to the conference in January, it's only three months away, you will have to put up with not having bum sex until then." She laughed. "At least I will be getting mine. I will have to let Bob have a go at my backside. My poor Bobby, all this running around without him knowing." She laughed again. That hurt.  

"Bitch!" He said, but there was laughter in his voice. It was all a joke to them.  

As if her having sex with Rowberry was not enough, what she said did for me totally. There was no way back.  

Veronica carried on. "Just think, not having to plan, sneak around, keeping it from our work mates and families. Just three days of fucking with few worries of getting caught, and we can have a decent room, not some of the crap we have put up with. And, we can have a lay in and morning sex, not have to get up and rush around to get back to work." She paused. "But that will be the last time."  

"Hey, until the next conference we can wangle together. It took a bit of effort to get you on this one in January."  

"No, that will be the last one. I want to grow old with Bob."  

January was our wedding anniversary month.  

He laughed. "Okay, it's a deal."   

I saw the car stop a few streets from where they work. "See you in fifteen minutes for the meeting. Bring me a coffee, it's going to be boring." Thomas said.  

"Get your bloody own." She laughed. The door opened and closed. She drove to the company car park.   

Then it all came back to me.  

After she got back from the course, she started dressing smarter, when I challenged her. She said as she was now customer facing, she had to look smarter. Initially she was working late every week, but never too late. I complained about the lack of sex, we were both busy, her with her new job, me helping her parents and making up the time I had off. But we should have had time to love each other, so I joked 'if you're not getting it from me who are you getting it from.'  

I remember her looking at me and saying. "I am sorry, you're right. We will have to do something about that." And we did. She apologised and our sex life got a lot better, probably better than before the slow down. I even remember being woken up with her mouth on my cock. I now know it was probably guilty sex on her part, not loving sex.  

I could not stop the tears from falling from my face. I loved this woman. She took that love and trashed it. I looked at her, she was beautiful. I will probably love her, or what I knew of her apart from the cheating slut, forever.  

I had to confront her now, through the tears I copied two clips I would send to the solicitor.  

She looked at me with concern on her face. "Sweetheart, are you okay? What's wrong?"  

I unplugged my earphones and pressed a key. She heard her voice say. "I can't wait to get your cock in me." Then her giggle.  

"NO!" She shouted and stood up.  

I hit the key again and she heard her voice. "Just think, not having to plan, sneak around, keeping it from our work mates and families. Just ​​three days of fucking with few worries of getting caught."  

That was going to her work and his family.  

She collapsed onto the sofa where she had been sitting.  

She had forgotten the dash cam recorded sound in the car.  

I lifted her feet onto the sofa and got a beer. I went back to the laptop and looked to see what the solicitors that sorted out our house purchase could do. I found out they did family and criminal law. Looks like you can get divorced online for just over £600 if everyone agrees. She had better agree to a divorce or her family would get the audio tracks. All of them.   

Fifteen minutes later she came round and managed to sit up, and it started, all the clichés.  

"Bobby Darling. I love you, I'm sorry. I won't do it again, please I love you, it was just sex. It was the first time we did it. I was just going to be the once whilst we were away for a bit of fun, the conference is boring." It all came out in a rush.  

My broken heart did not believe a word of it.  

I had done some more editing whilst she was out. The next voice she heard was Thomas's "Yes well, we have slowed down a lot after those first few weeks after we got back. That was bat shit crazy stupid."  

She came across to me and got on her knees. "Please sweetheart. I love you, it was a mistake. I was lonely and got carried away. It was just a bit of fun. I will resign. I will do anything Bobby, anything."  

"Tell me all about it. Any lies and I am out of here and this goes to your parents and work." I paused whilst I drank some beer. "Do you remember what you said last Wednesday? Or on other times. It is all on the dash cam so no lies, and I can put ​​2 and ​​2 together and work out the rest. If I suspect you're lying to me, I will press send on this email to your parents and boss."  

I was lying now. I had not written it yet, and I had not checked for other files that looked out of place. No need, I had enough to divorce her.  

"I was busy with the new job, there was a lot to learn, and it was exciting being in charge but tiring. Then you went to Mum and Dad's for a week.  When you got back you worked overtime to make up the lost leave. You were knackered and we hadn't done it for weeks."  

I held my hand up. "So this is my fault now is it?"  

"Well, a bit, I...."  

I stood up.   

"No." She hung on to me. "I didn't mean it like that."  

"Like what?"  

"You could have made more effort for a bit more ​​loving, all I got was cuddles, moaning about aching bones and snoring."  

I nearly lost it there and then. She needed things explained. "So we didn't have sex the first weeks of your new job because you were tired." She nodded. "Then I go to your parent's house and work twelve to fourteen hours a bloody day, cutting down trees, mixing cement, laying bricks, shifting soil, putting the fence back up and up on a roof with tiles. Your Dad helped when he could. He is over sixty-five, bless him. Your Mum kept me well fed and watered, but to get as much done as I could in a week took long days. Then I came back to twelve-hour days to make up for the extra leave. The work wasn't as hard, but I was still knackered from what I did in Bournemouth. What did you bloody expect, and did you ever try to start something, if I remember correctly. No, you didn't."  

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise how much work you had done at Mum and Dad's. I never saw how much damage was done in the first place, you had fixed most of it. Mum and Dad said you did a fantastic job, but they didn't say how much there was to do. I thought it was just a few bricks and reseat some tiles. I forgot about cutting up the tree and the fence. I'm sorry, I should have done more."  

​​I bet she did not notice because she ​was distracted by Rowberry.  

"Yes you bloody should, now get on with your story."  

"Just over a week after you got back, I went on the course, Thomas was with me. We had worked together for a while and were comfortable with each other, nothing had happened before the course, trust me please."   

I did not reply.   

"On Wednesday night I got a little tipsy, so did he. We opened up a little, he told me his wife was a cold fish in bed, and he wasn't getting anywhere near enough, only once or twice a month, he rarely got BJ's, only on his Birthday and she wasn't very good when she did. Anal was right out." She paused and took a breath. "I told him you were very good when we did it, but it had been ages since we had done it."   

I was not sure if I believed her about me being 'very good'.   

She looked down. "I didn't tell him the reason we were not doing it. He took my hand and said to me, 'If you were mine, you would never go without, I would make sure of that.' Then he kissed me. I pushed him away, but he said, 'Come on who would know, we can help each other. Just one night.' He poured me another drink and said, 'Come on drink up, Dutch Courage. Let's go and relieve some frustrations.' We ended up in bed together. It was good because it was the first time in ​​three weeks, it was new and exciting because it was wrong. I'm sorry Bobby."  

She stood up and walked to the kitchen, I thought for a second she might leave. If she did, I would not try to stop her, but I heard the fridge door open and close. She came back with ​​two beers and gave one to me. Was that just a ploy to give her time to think up more lies? We will see.  

"We did it again Thursday night, well we had done it once, what was the harm? It wasn't as good."  

"Did you go back to your own rooms?"  

"We did it in his ​​room the first night and I stayed all night. The second night was my room, but I asked him to leave after we finished. I was starting to feel guilty as I was coming home to you the next day."  

I remember she nearly killed me with sex on the Friday she got back, but it soon dropped off again.  

"That was supposed to be it, but Thomas convinced me to do it once we got back. It was fun and exciting but after that time I felt guilty. So I told him I wanted to stop. Thomas told me we couldn't, it was too much fun, and." She looked down, yet again. "He had photos and videos of us. He said he would own up to his wife as a drunken mistake but tell you and work that I came on to him. Sorry sweetheart. I gave in and after that I got caught up in the excitement of it all and I still wasn't getting much ​​sex here." I open my mouth. She put her hand up. "I know, I know, you were still working the overtime to catch up on the leave and going to Bournemouth some weekends, and I didn't start anything. I am not blaming you."   

She had learnt from my previous outburst.  

She carried on. "It was also fun to get something over everyone we knew, the sex was good, not outstanding, there was no love, but we could try stuff we wanted." She looked down. "He took my backside, you never seemed interested, so I didn't see it as giving something you wanted. I found out later, you did but were too shy to ask. Sorry."  

"So, you sent me down to your parents so you could fuck your boyfriend."  

"NO! We just took advantage when you did, I did not send you down, you went."  

"Of course I bloody did, I wanted the jobs done to make them safe and we could carry on with our own lives and get back to normal. But if you remember you suggested I went down the weekends you were working. Did you work all the time you said?"  

She looked down. "No, there was one, the fourth or fifth week I lied. That was the day I didn't get down till ​​after nine."  

"Was that the weekend you did it here?" I was guessing.  

"Yes." She said quietly.  

"In our bed?"  

"NO​​. Thomas wanted to, but I felt guilty, we used the bed in the spare room." She looked down again. She was doing a lot of that. "And on the sofa."  

I was not sure I believed her.  

Guess where she is sleeping tonight and it is not in our bed. After the revelations she never was again.  

"Did he ever stay the night? There was the weekend you didn't come down, told us you were out with the girls from work, was that a lie too?"  

"No, He visited Saturday afternoon after work, but I did go out with the girls, you can ask them. No, his wife would notice."  

She took a mouthful of beer, she grimaced, she hates beer, but she needed something with all the talking. I guess there was quite a bit more yet.  

"And working late, was that so you could go shagging?"  

"Well sort of, we never did it after work, but we would have a long lunch and make up the time. Sort of like what you did to get the time to go to Mum and Dad's. I would make up the time one day and Thomas a different one, so we were not there late together."  

"It all changed when you tackled me about how I was dressing. It is true it was for work. Thomas didn't enter into it, but I guessed how it might look to you. Then on the Friday you said I must be getting it elsewhere because you weren't getting any and I realised I was on thin ice. I saw what I was doing. So, I had to stop seeing Thomas. When I talked to Thomas, he was having similar problems at home. His wife was complaining she wasn't getting enough, and he felt she was getting suspicious as well. So I told him I had videoed us as well, to call his bluff."  

"Hang on I thought you said he wasn't getting enough at home, and she was a dead fish. Dead fish don't complain about not enough sex."  

"I know, I asked him about that, and he admitted he lied, but it was too late now we had done it. But he wasn't getting bum sex at home and since we started doing it, he found he really liked it. He convinced me we could still have the excitement and fun but only about once a month."  

She took another sip of her beer, she did not grimace this time, she carried on. "Anyway, that was when I decided I needed to up my game with you. I came on to you and it worked. I think our sex life is better than ever because I made the effort, and you responded. No, I am not saying it was because of what Thomas and I did, it was because I wanted more of you. Like when I offered you my bum and you told me you wanted it for a while but were afraid it would put me off. I'm very sorry that it was not you that got my anal cherry. That was why I was crying when we did it. You wanted to stop, you thought I was in pain, but it was just guilt. I begged you to carry on, and you did, and it was the most gentlest and satisfying arse fuck I have ever had." Now tears were pouring from her eyes.   

Mine had dried up.  

"So for the past ​​four months there has only been about ​​six times. Sorry Darling, I know that is too much. But I have tried to make it up to you."  

"So why did you carry on? I thought you just said I was giving you everything you wanted?"  

"Oh, you were, you do, you are, but it was the risk factor, the excitement, getting something over on everybody else, something only we knew, and he still had the photos and video. I'm sorry, that is shallow. I did try to make it up to you when I got home." She looked down yet again. "You never got sloppy seconds." She said quietly.  

"Please my darling. I love you, I know you want to divorce me, but please can I have a second chance. I know I was wrong. I was stupid, I thought we would get away with it and nobody would know, and nobody would get hurt. Please, I will do anything."  

Again, it all came out in a panic rush.  

My answer was simple. "No! not only did you cheat on me, but you also lied to me, you gave your body and your asshole to somebody else. You wanted to feel better than me, getting something over on me, your work colleagues and your family so NO!

"The cheating was bad enough alone to get you divorced but the rest of the shit just confirms it. I love you. I will probably always love you, but I cannot stand for what you've done. I will see a solicitor Monday morning."  

She broke down into tears. I stopped the recording on my laptop, shut it down, closed it and took it to bed with me. Things went round and round in my head. From what it sounds like Thomas took advantage of her and lied to her, then blackmailed her. But she had a way out and she did not use it. She carried on fucking him and fucking me and her workmates over at the same time. He was an arsehole, he knew she was married. Why would he chase married women? I bet for him it was the easy option, and he had probably done it before.  

I lay awake thinking, then at some time during the night the devil climbed out of my broken heart and slammed and locked it behind him and threw away the key.   

Then I lay there awake, with the devil on my shoulder, planning.  

They both needed to feel pain. Him for taking my wife from me, and her for cheating and the laugh after she said 'My poor Bobby, all this running around without him knowing.' That hurt a lot. I thought our marriage was a partnership. Not one trying to get something over on each other.  

I was still awake at ​​3 in the morning with a plan in my head when the bedroom door opened. Veronica slipped in beside me, she put her arms around me and whispered in my ear. "I'm sorry." A hand sneaked across my body and took hold of my cock, it stayed soft. I took hold of her wrist and put it back to her and said. "You need to get tested before you touch me that way again. You don't know where that twat has had his cock."  

I heard a snuffle from the other side of the bed. Well, I had been planning all night as I could not sleep with the devil whispering in my ear.  

My comment may have given her some hope. That was my intention.  

When I woke up the other side of the bed was empty. I could smell coffee, toast and bacon. As if that was going to make any difference. I got out of bed. I was not the same broken man that got in it several hours ago. Now I was not a nice man. I went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Could I still respect the man looking back at me with what I was planning to do? Only time would tell.  

I went downstairs. Tea and bacon butties with HP sauce for me and coffee and toast for her. We ate in silence.  

"My darling." She said. "Where do we go from here? I know you want to divorce, if we can work out the financial stuff, I will sign it but is there anything I can do for us to stay together. I love you and I want to stay together. It was a mistake, I am sorry, I was going to end it."  

A thought ran around my head. 'If you loved me, you wouldn't fucked Rowberry.' I did not let it out of my mouth.  

"I've been thinking all night, answer me this question. If he hadn't come onto you, would you have gone to bed with him?"  

She looked confused. "Well, no, he pointed out what we had been missing, the both of us felt safe at the conference. It was just going to be the once that was the plan. We could relieve our frustrations from home."  

"He did lie to you, he admitted that. So, would you say he seduced you?"  

But in my mind, I said to myself. 'You could have just said 'NO'.  

"Yes, I suppose he did. But it's not all his fault, I should not have gone ahead with it, I should have talked to you. There were so many other things I could have done better."  

"So from what I see, he gets you to tell him about our sex life."  

"Not really we're just talking about our current frustrations, he was sharing too."  

"Yes, but his were lies."  

She nodded.  

I carried on. "So, to start again. He got you to talk about your frustrations, got you a little bit tiddly. Shagging a drunk is, I assume like fucking a dead fish. Then he videoed you, sounds like seduction and blackmail to me.  

"So do you agree you were seduced and blackmailed?"  

"Well, yes I suppose I was."  

"If I divorce you. Your family will disown you, you will lose your job, but he gets away Scot free. Doesn't seem fair to me"  

A frown crossed her brow.  

I carried on. "Look he's been screwing you for months, he lied to you about his sex life with his wife, he's been taking advantage of you and getting away with it. If you report him to HR or rat him out to his family the people who lose are his wife and his children. That's not fair, is it?  

"He is going to feel no pain. Imagine the pain I felt when I heard you say you wanted his cock inside you and that you planned to have a three-day fuck fest. He is going to get away with all of it."  

I could see her thinking. "So, you think he needs to feel pain?"  

"What I think doesn't matter; it is what you think. He walks around smug after shagging you whilst you walk around divorced. Do you think that is fair?"  

I could see her thinking again. She looked at me. "If he felt pain. Do you think there might be a chance for us?"  

"No, we are done. It is divorce." I paused for effect. "But if he felt some pain I might rethink it." I leaned forward, looked at her and said. "This time with honesty."  

She reached for my hand and I let her. I think I had sown the seeds.  

We both pottered around the house doing things. I had dugout a Sports Direct catalogue that had arrived earlier. I left it on the kitchen table open at a page showing they had a special offer on baseball bats.   

We were watching some crap on telly. There were still icicles in the house. I had picked the film 'Playtime' where a man was preying on a group of women who were unaware of what he was like, they were trusting the wrong man. I said casually. "That man is a threat to vulnerable and stupid women, especially married ones. I would feel much, much happier if that threat wasn't around in our town to ruin somebody else's marriage. The husband or fiancé would seem too obvious. It would have to be somebody unsuspecting, maybe one of the women who saw what was happening.

"Who knows? It's just a film and I'm just making up stories about it. Things like that don't happen in real life"   

What I was talking about did not bear any relation to what was happening in the film. I did not need it to. I needed to nurture the seeds I had sown earlier.  

"No, I suppose not, but if that were to happen, you know, just supposing, would you forgive the woman who got taken advantage of?"  

"I'm not sure, but I might give the person an alibi if I knew who did it. I might even buy them a bottle of champagne." I know Veronica loves champagne.  

Veronica told me she had booked an appointment in the local clinic after I told her she needed to get tested before I would let her touch me sexually. She was hoping there was some reconciliation.  

That night in bed she asked if she could give me a blow job as sex was out of the window until she got tested. I told her she could as long as she got herself off with a vibrator whilst she was sucking me. She does not like doing that in front of me, she thinks it is demeaning. But she did it. She would see that as part of her punishment.  

It was Monday evening when Veronica told me she had to go out Friday to meet some girlfriends. She showed me the text message. Just to prove I'm not meeting Thomas, she told me, I told her it didn't prove a thing, but I did recognise the names of girls from work. She told me I could contact them or their husband's to check. I could have done that, but I decided to believe her.  

My workmates, Gary and Joe, had been calling me a miserable grumpy bastard all week. They suggested a beer on Friday night in the Plough, my local after I dropped a few hints. I thought it would be a good idea. If they hadn't suggested it, I probably would have done. I left about ​​ten minutes after Veronica. I did not tell her I was going out. The lads and I had a pleasant evening, chatting, telling stupid jokes, laughing and drinking more beer than was healthy for us.  

I did tell them some of the story to explain why I was such a grumpy bastard.  

I got home just after chucking out time at ​​11. Veronica was already home when I got there. She asked where I had been. I told her the truth. Like her going out with the girls from work, I had been out with some mates from work. She did not look so happy about that.  

I had a bit of a hangover when I woke up Saturday morning. What did feel nice was the blowjob I was getting. That might work until we could have sex again. I told her that, and she smiled at me. She went to put breakfast on. As soon as I smelled the bacon frying I went downstairs. There was a pot of tea ready. I asked about her evening. She said she had a good time. She asked about mine, I told her we chaps talked shit and got drunk.   

About eleven o'clock there was a knock on the front door. I opened it to find two uniformed policemen standing there. "Good morning sir, are you Mr Robert Hunter?"  

"Yes I am, officer, what can I do for you?"  

"There has been an incident with a Mr Thomas Rowberry, can we talk about this inside Sir, please?"  

I opened the door and indicated the kitchen. Like good policemen they were, they removed their hats when they came into the house. Veronica offered them tea or a coffee, but they declined.  

"I'm sorry Sir I'm afraid this is a little delicate. Mr Thomas Rowberry was attacked last night with what we believe to be a baseball bat. His right tibia and fibula are broken, there is extensive damage to his right knee, he has two broken ribs, and his jaw is being wired together, there is also damage to his genitals. We believe your wife and he worked together, very closely. To eliminate you from our inquiries, can you tell us where you were last night between 9:30 ​​PM and 10:30 ​​PM"  

​​​"Certainly officer I was in the Plough with my mates Gary and Joe." ​​With that I pushed a small piece of paper across the table to them. "Here are their full names, addresses and phone numbers. I'm sure they will give you an alibi for me." The Policemen looked at each other as if I was prepared to be asked that question.   

By now I had christened them in my head as Tweedledum and Tweedledee.  

Veronica's jaw hung open.  

Tweedledum turned towards Veronica and asked. "Are you Mrs Veronica Hunter?"  

She closed her mouth and nodded her head.  

"Can you tell us where you were last night between 9:30 ​​PM and 10:30 PM. Were you with your husband?"  

"No, I was out with girlfriends. Give me a minute and I'll get you their phone numbers. I know Sheila lives on Roberts Road, but I'm not sure what number. I think Ruby lives at 14 Arcadia Ave."  

Veronica went and fetched her phone and furnished the policeman with phone numbers. She had lost an awful lot of colour in her face.  

Tweedledum and Tweedledee thanked us for being so helpful, but just before they left in true Colombo style Tweedledee turned to us and said. "Are either of you left-handed?"  

"I'm right-handed. I said.  

Veronica replied shakily. "I'm left-handed. Why?"   

"With the damage mainly to his right-hand side we suspect the assailant was left-handed. Thank you, you have been very helpful. Have a good rest of your day."  

As soon as the front door closed Veronica turned to me and said. "I thought you were going to give me an alibi?"  

"Why, what have you done that you need an alibi for, I thought you were out with your girlfriends? I'm sure they can confirm where you were ​​between nine and half ten."  

She started crying and rushed upstairs.  

It was a quiet day in the Hunter household. I was considering that I might have to cook tea tonight as Veronica had been pretty useless around the place. Then, just after ​3 in the​ afternoon there was another knock on the front door. I guessed who this might be. I opened it to find Tweedledum and Tweedledee. "Good afternoon, Constables, what can I do for you this time?"  

"I'm sorry Sir, but we believe you or your wife may be involved in the incident with Mr Rowberry, can we have a look around your house please. You can refuse and we will get a search warrant, it is much easier if you do let us look."  

I stood back and opened the door. Looking at Veronica but talking to the two constables I said. "We have nothing to hide, do we dear? Please come in, although I will tell you, you will find some round pieces of wood in the garage that I've been using for DIY, there are also some pipes which might fit the size of a baseball bat in there as well."  

I went in and fetched both sets of our car keys and gave them to one of the officers. Tweedledum went outside and Tweedledee headed towards my garage workshop.  

I turned to ask Veronica to put the pot on the kettle on for some tea or coffee and she was on the sofa sobbing. I went to put my arm around her and she put a head on my shoulder. I whispered to her. "Was it you?"  

She nodded her head.  

"Did you throw the bat away?"  

She shook her head. "It's in the boot of my car."  

"I suspect they're going to find it. As they're back so soon I've got to assume they have checked our alibis and yours doesn't stand up."  

"No, I left the girls just after ​​nine saying I had a headache. I knew where Thomas would be. He wouldn't recognise me, I had a balaclava on, that's in the boot of the car as well." She descended into more tears.  

"I've been looking into this because I was planning to have words with your Mr Rowberry myself and it turns out if you give yourself up or plead guilty you get a reduced sentence. Would you like me to go and fetch a policeman?"  

She looked at me and said quietly. "Do you think that's a good idea?"  

"It sounds like you did quite a lot of damage."  I did not answer her question.

"Yes, after the first swing of the bat at his leg I got all angry, I saw red, I don't remember what happened after that. I stopped when I was out of breath and I heard someone shouting. I ran away and came home. You weren't here. He has almost ruined my marriage and my life." Looking up at me she said quite softly. "Yes, I know it was my fault as well, but if he hadn't come on to me, I wouldn't have said yes."  

"Yes, I think you had better. I will phone our solicitor now, but don't say anything until you have had a word with them."  

She looked at me. "You said you would give me an alibi."  

"No, I said I might give the person an alibi, if I knew who it was. Well, I can't now, can I. I was with Gary and Joe. I think the coppers guessed you were having an affair, and I found out, so I would be the prime suspect. They were coming for me this morning."  

I went to the front door and I saw Tweedledum going through Veronica's car, he probably did mine first. "Excuse me constable. My wife suggested you look in the boot of her car and then she would like to have a word with you."  

A few minutes later he walked in the house with the baseball bat and a black balaclava helmet in evidence bags. Tweedledee came in from the garage.  

We all assembled in the kitchen. The policeman accepted the tea I had made, Veronica a strong coffee. Veronica said she would like to talk to a solicitor before she said anything but would be available for an interview once she had spoken with one.   

She was asked if she was willing to go to the station. I was on the phone to our solicitor, they would send the duty solicitor there.   

After her interview she was charged with GBH with intent. The most serious case of assault in the UK, which can carry a life sentence but is generally somewhere between 2 and 16 years depending on the circumstances. I know, I had looked it up in case I got caught after I 'had word' with Rowberry. 

My next call was to her parents, Mary and Clive. I just told them she had been arrested for assault, none of the gory details about the affair. She could do that face to face.  

She was released on her own recognisance after several hours.   

Veronica told me when she got home that she had told the Police the whole story from start to finish, about the seduction and how long it had been going on, how I had found out and she thought that if she took her revenge, I might forgive her and stop the divorce. She said that she felt it her duty to remove a sexual predator off the streets of our town. She told them that after the first hit a red mist came down and she does not remember a lot of what happened.  

The following day Mary and Clive turned up at our house. They insisted she told them the whole story. She did. Clive got angry with her, Mary just cried.  

As I helped Clive ​walk​ Mary to their car he said to me. "You're divorcing her when all this mess is over." It was not a question; it was a statement. It did not need an answer.  

I pitied them on their drive back to Bournemouth.  

As she had pleaded guilty there was only a sentencing and that would take place very quickly. They waited until Rowberry was out of hospital. It took place a month after the assault.  

The prosecution laid out their case. They admitted there had been an affair. Rowberry did not seduce her, it was consensual. He did admit that she had tried to call it off a couple of times, but he convinced her, without blackmail, to carry on. He stated his desire to have children was now reduced because he only had one testicle.  

Veronica's lawyer did a much better job of it. Somehow, he had found out Veronica was not his first office dalliance and that knowing she was married, and it would damage any relationship she had with her family should they be caught, he carried on despite her desire to finish it. He insisted there was blackmail, but admitted Veronica took the least line of resistance and agreed to carry on the affair instead of reporting it.  

He forgot to mention that it was Veronica that suggested the fuck fest at the three-day conference. That seemed to be overlooked by everybody.   

I remembered it.  

I was with Mary and Clive in the court for the sentencing. Our defence lawyer laid out a good case for a lenient sentence. I did not think Rowberry's prosecution did a good job of pushing for a harsher sentence.  

The Judge looked at Veronica. "Veronica Hunter you are charged with GBH with intent. That is a serious crime, and you can be sentenced up to sixteen years."  

We knew that, the lawyer had warned us, but it was unlikely.  

The Judge carried on. "The injuries you inflicted on Mr Rowberry have caused him serious harm. I have read the medical report." He lifted a piece of paper. "He will always have a scar on his face, one of his ribs punctured his lung. He has lost one testicle and the damage inflicted on his knee means he will always walk with a limp and will need a walking stick. However."  

This was going to be the interesting bit. "In mitigation, this is your first offence, up until now you have no criminal record. You volunteered to the Police that you were guilty before they asked you. You have pled guilty from the start, and you are remorseful for your actions especially the loss of a testicle. Medical evidence, however, states one testicle can supply enough testosterone and sperm and should not reduce the chance of a normal life, and he will be able to father children."  

"Not with his soon to be ex-wife he won't." I said to myself.  

"Also taking into account the affair you had with Mr Rowberry and that he seduced you and you described your action as 'trying to remove a sex predator from our town' and 'The anger I felt at his attempt to ruin my marriage'."  

There was absolutely no proof that Rowberry was trying to do that, but I suppose that is what we paid the Lawyer for, how he got that out in the sentencing I do not know.  

Now the outcome. "I sentence you to a prison sentence of ​​2 years." There was a gasp from Mary and Clive, that was a lot.  

The lawyer told us that was a good result. Clive and Mary were hoping for a suspended sentence although the Lawyer warned them that was very unlikely with the life changing injuries, he did tell them she would probably be out in ​​twelve Months with this sentence.  

I left the court with Mary and Clive. They were as happy as could be expected after finding out after the sentencing. I felt sorry for them. They had come with me to the courthouse. I took them to dinner before I took them to their hotel.  

I walked with them to their hotel, as we got there, Clive turned to me and said. "You're going through with the divorce, aren't you?"  

I just nodded.  

"We plan to visit her next week. We will warn her so it's not much of a shock."  

"Oh, I think she knows."  

He just nodded and followed Mary into the hotel.  

I let Mary and Clive visit her in prison the first week. I got a phone call from Clive after the visit. He told me she seemed to have accepted her punishment, and he had warned Veronica to expect me the following week with paperwork. He said it was almost like she was expecting it.  

I also heard that Rowberry was going through a divorce and had been sacked.  

After it came out in the sentencing that he had slept with another woman in the office, and maybe more than one, he left town rapidly. Well as fast as he could limping with his stick.  

I had emailed the prison governor explaining what I was going to do on my visit. I got a reply telling me that they would keep an eye on Veronica, but she seemed to accept it was going to happen from what the warders had told her.  

Sitting opposite me she said. "You told Mum and Dad you were divorcing me?"  

"No, your Dad told me. They knew I would not stand for the cheating, the lies, the arrogance of wanting to get one over on me. If you had come to me after that first conference and admitted what you had done, we might have made it. But to do it for months and then plan your fuck fest. No way."  

She reached out her hand and said. "Can I have the paperwork please? I will sign it now." She borrowed a pen off one of the warders. "You were always going to divorce me, weren't you?"  

"Yes."  

"You put that suggestion of me beating him up into my head, didn't you? I've had time to think."  

"You have taken a sexual predator off the street. Yes, I was always going to divorce you whatever happened. I might have lied to you. But I never cheated on you, and before this event I never lied to you. I respected you; I loved you and I trusted you."  

"I do love you Bobby, I really do. I made a mistake, several mistakes in fact and now I'm going to pay for them. That's okay." She gave a little giggle, it was soulless. "If you can't do the time, don't do the crime. Anyway, if I'm a good girl I can be out of here in a year. Can I see you then? Do you think we can get back together? I don't expect you to wait for me, but please can we try again?"  

"No. Apart from everything else you did, you thought it great fun to get one over on me. I heard you laughing about me not knowing. You do not do that to somebody you love. Marriage is a partnership, not always equal, it's swings and roundabouts. You don't gloat over getting something over your husband who you say you love, you obviously didn't love me enough not to cheat on me repeatedly. Possibly we could be friends. I will not ignore you, but that is all, there's no future for us as a couple.  

She just nodded her head. I picked up the paperwork and left.  

I did not visit her again. I just planned the rest of my life.   

I had no problems looking in the mirror every time I shaved, and the Devil was no longer sitting on my shoulder.  

​​​Eleven months later when Mary and Clive returned to their house with Veronica there was a chilled bottle of Moet & Chandon ​​Champagne on the doorstep.   

I did consider making the sentence suspended, but that seemed too light. And it would have made writing the conclusion much more difficult. And I have other stories to finish.