From The Ashes

This story is a repost from when I was on here under a different username.

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

From the Ashes

He refused to give up after his divorce nearly ruined him.

As I drove away I saw Brenda and her lover Cliff Milton watching me, they both had smug grins on their faces. Little did they know their smugness would come back to bite them. I started the company from scratch four years after Brenda and I got married. At first it was tough, after a while the company became known for its quality work and high standards. After that we had no issues getting work. Over the years I have employed more staff to cope with the workload.

Brenda worked in the office when I started the company. She took a few years off when we started our family, with the kids in junior school Brenda returned on a part-time basis. She would drop the kids off at school and come into work, then leave in enough time to collect them in the afternoon. When the kids reached their teenage years and were old enough to be at home on their own, Brenda returned to pretty much full time hours.

Throughout the years we made good money and had a decent lifestyle. A lot of our friends were envious of how we were, Brenda and I acted as if we were still teenagers in love. Our sex life was great, even with the kids we managed to have sex on four, sometimes five nights a week. Despite having two kids Brenda maintained a decent figure, her 36DD breasts and curvy hips got her admiring glances whenever we went out.

Chris and Angela were good kids, both did well at school. They were well behaved and polite, people always commented on their good manners whenever we took them anywhere. From a young age Chris wanted to be a builder, just like his Dad. Angela didn't seem to know what she wanted to do, given that she was a very bright student, she had options.

As a hobby I used to play golf once or twice a month, when the time and work allowed. Brenda played badminton one evening each week. It was a few months after our twenty-first wedding anniversary that I began to notice some changes in Brenda. We still had a sex life, most of the time I got the feeling that she was there in body, but her mind was somewhere else. It was when she started going out with the girls from the badminton club that I got suspicious. Several times she arrived home later than the normal time of eleven o'clock. I wondered if it was down to women chatting and losing track of time.

My son Chris was the unfortunate one who clued me in, he had seen his mother out with a guy when she was supposed to be out with the girls. I will never forget the look on his face when he told me what he had seen.

I didn't know how long they had been meeting up, or how far the affair had progressed. As Brenda knew pretty much everyone I knew, having someone check on her was going to be awkward. In the end I had to employ a P. I. to get me the information I needed.

I sat reading the report from the P. I, it was like a kick in the guts. It was obvious this was a full blown affair. Brenda never met the girls at all, she went straight to the guys flat and spent the evening with him. The P. I. informed me the guy was Clifford "Cliff" Milton. Milton was one of those guys who had invested in several businesses over the years. I didn't need or want his investment, particularly as he was investing into my wife. I tried to think of what I might have done that pushed Brenda into having an affair in the first place. Maybe she saw something in Milton, I have no idea and no desire to find out. We were done as a couple.

Chris took it upon himself to inform his sister of what was happening. One night when Brenda was out they both approached me about the situation, they wanted to know what I intended to do about it.

"At the moment I don't see what I can do, apart from confront your mother. I need to know what her end game is before I make a move. Please do not say anything to her about this, try and act normally until I have a chance to sort some things out." I was in bed when Brenda arrived home just before midnight, I pretended to be asleep. I heard her whisper my name, as if she was checking to see if I was awake.

When we spoke the following morning I lied and said that I went to bed about ten o'clock, Brenda lied and said she got home just before eleven o'clock. Stupidly, I devoted too much time finding out all I could about Cliff Milton. Having to spend time running the business didn't help, I was ill prepared for what was coming my way. The only positive thing I did do was to move some money out of Brenda's reach. I prayed they wouldn't find it during the divorce.

Brenda sat me down one night saying we needed to talk. Any man will tell you those words usually mean trouble, in this case they certainly did. Brenda wasn't shy at all and got straight to the point.

"Terry, I have met someone else. I want a divorce."

"I know." Was my reply.

"If you knew why didn't you do something Terry?"

"I reasoned that if you wanted him and not me then there was very little I could do about it, besides which I don't want you anymore now that you are soiled goods."

"Thank you. After twenty-one years all I am is soiled goods?" Brenda asked, clearly not happy with me.

"Yes. That's exactly how I see you now. I would like to know the reason why you got together with Milton, but I don't think I could take all the bullshit excuses. I want to know how you met him?"

"He was introduced to me at the badminton club. We played doubles together, after a while we developed feelings for one another."

"If you want a divorce to be with him, then you apply for it."

"I'll apply for it, make no mistake about that." Brenda smiled smugly. A car pulled up outside. "Oh, that must be Cliff coming to pick me up."

I stood up and opened the door to the arsehole, he smirked as he just walked into my house like he owned the place. Brenda smiled as he walked indoors. His arrogance was his undoing as he never saw the first punch coming. I was going to beat the crap out of him anyway, inside or outside of the house he was due a good hiding.

I kicked him in the nuts several times before punching the shit out of his face, he looked like a bloody mess laying there. Suddenly everything went dark.

When I woke up I was in a room I didn't recognise and suffering from a pounding headache. I opened my eyes to see my son and daughter standing there. "Hey you two."

"Hi Dad. How are you feeling?" Chris asked.

"Not bad. Got a pounding headache though." I groaned.

"That will be the table lamp Mum hit you with." Angela said.

"Speaking of your mother, where the hell is she?"

"She's upstairs with Milton in x-ray. You really did a number on him Dad." Angela smiled.

Just then a guy in a suit entered the room. "Terry McAllister, I am arresting you for the assault pertaining to actual bodily harm on Mr Clifford Milton. You don't have to say anything, but anything you do say may be used as evidence in a court of law. Do you understand?" I nodded my head

"This is rubbish!" Chris yelled. "That arsehole has been screwing my Mum and now you arrest my Dad. Fucking outrageous!"

I turned to face my kids. "Leave it Chris."

Satisfied that my head injury wasn't serious, I was released from the hospital into police custody. I appeared before the magistrate the following morning, bail was set at five thousand pounds. Within a few hours the bail was paid and I got out. Somehow Brenda managed to get a restraining order against me. I was pissed off that I couldn't get into my own house. Chris and Angela went to get all my stuff out of the house for me. Donny, one of my bricklayers, put me up in his spare room for a while. "You are okay here Terry, I know what you did and why you did it. Nobody holds it against you."

Donny had worked for me for years, as such I knew his wife Mary quite well.

"Sorry for what's happened, Terry." Mary said as she hugged me.

"These things happen, Mary. I just didn't think it would happen to me. If you don't mind, I will stay until my court case is sorted, after that I will find somewhere permanent to live."

I carried on going to work as normal, I didn't file for a divorce. I figured if Brenda wanted out she could file, that was probably my biggest mistake.

When my court case came around I didn't do myself any favours there either. Brenda and Milton were in court to see me punished. I pleaded guilty to the charge, I also let the judge know why I beat the shit out of Milton. Just to piss him off I said I would do it all again without any regrets. I think that statement was what got me three months in prison, my solicitor said I would probably get a large fine as it was my first offence. It was almost worth it to see the colour drain from Milton's face when I told the judge I would do it again. While I was locked up Chris and Angela did their best to run my business, I found out they were hampered when their mother and Milton kept getting involved.

I ended up sharing a cell with a monster of a man. The guy's name was Benjamin Clarke but he preferred to be called Benny. We were sitting talking on my first day.

"What are you in for Terry?" Benny asked me.

I explained what got me three months and Benny laughed. "I got three years for what I did. I ran my old lady's lover down with my car, bust both his legs and put him in hospital for two months. I have only got six months to do and I will be a free man again, thank God."

I smiled "Fucking wish I had done that now. It would have been worth three years inside."

During my three months inside I got to know Benny really well, I didn't consider him dangerous as he only did what a lot of men would have done. On my last day I told Benny to look me up when he got out, I could always use a good carpenter. I walked through the gate into the free world. Outside the prison I waved at Chris as he got out of his car, a guy in a suit approached me.

"Terry McAllister, you have been served." He passed me an envelope then just turned and walked away.

"What's that Dad?" Chris asked, looking confused.

"Looks like divorce papers son. Your mother knows when to pick her moments. Come on, let's go and grab a beer."

As Chris drove to a pub I looked over the papers, nothing unusual really. Brenda wanted the house and half of our savings, I yelled out as I read the rest of the document. "No fucking way!" She wanted spousal support and half of my business. I decided to see a solicitor the following day, right now I needed a beer.

Chris told me that Brenda had moved Cliff Milton into the house. Chris said he wasn't bothered as he had his own place, but Angela moved out into Chris's spare room the following day. I laughed at that. When Brenda told Angela that Milton was moving in, she went upstairs and started packing her bags. From what Chris told me, Brenda was surprised that Angela moved out. Chris reminded his mother that they both thought Milton was a scumbag and they wanted nothing to do with him.

My solicitor said I would more than likely get away with spousal support if I gave Brenda the house, I agreed as I didn't want to live there since Milton had moved in. Personally, I would have burned the place down but more prison time didn't appeal to me, three months really was enough for me.

I told my solicitor that there was no way I was giving the bitch half of the business. Eventually it got so bad the case was referred to the court as I wouldn't budge an inch on the business issue. No matter what I counter offered Brenda, she wouldn't budge either.

In court my solicitor explained that I had already handed over the family house that was currently valued at two million pounds, as my wife knew nothing about the construction business I said she shouldn't have anything to do with it. I acknowledged that she worked there for a long time, but she didn't know how to run it on a daily basis.

The judge saw differently and awarded Brenda half of the business, the bitch had a smirk a mile wide at the judgement. So, my divorce had cost me a two million pound home, over fifty thousand in savings and half of my business.

So much for justice. I left the court seriously pissed off. I swear the courts are loaded in favour of women. Brenda smiled as she walked towards me, I didn't stop to talk, I walked over to my car.

I had found a small house that I rented, Angela moved in with me as it was cramped with two of them in Chris's apartment.

The following week Brenda converted the old meeting room into an office for her and Milton, she told me he was the new general manager. I laughed as I imagined him trying to run the business. He knew as much about construction as I knew about space travel. The way he spoke to some of the lads I was sure he would get a good hiding sooner or later.

They stood in the doorway as they admired the new office furniture, Brenda leaned in and kissed Milton.

"Pack that up! If you two want to do that sort of thing then fuck off to the two million pound house, do not do it here in the office."

Milton was pissed but he didn't fancy another beating and chose to stay quiet. Over the next few weeks it got really bad as Brenda and dickhead wanted to be consulted on every decision, in the end I decided enough was enough. I lost the will to live trying to explain stuff to two idiots. I put the word around for the lads to meet me in the pub across the road after work. I think they all knew what was coming, you could see it on their faces. I gathered the guys into the corner of the bar.

"Sorry to gather you all here at short notice. You all know that I got divorced and as such Brenda got half of the business. Well, I'm sorry guys, I cannot and will not work with her or that dickhead any longer. Tomorrow morning I am telling them that I quit. I know it's what they want but I can't put up with their shit anymore."

The guys were sorry that I was standing down, but they fully understood why. I told Angela and Chris what I was planning.

"Is it really what you want, Dad?" Angela asked.

"No, not really. I just can't work with those two anymore, every little thing has to be discussed. Your mother and Milton have no idea what they are doing."

"I think you're doing the right thing, Dad. I haven't had any work since Milton got involved." Chris said.

The following day I told Brenda that for one and a half million she could buy me out, the business was valued at three million so she jumped at the chance. I have no idea where she got the money. Three weeks later I cleared my desk and left the office. I wanted to punch the shit out of Milton, as a leaving present. The thought of more time in prison stopped me doing it.

As I pulled away I looked in my rear view mirror. The two of them stood smiling at the doorway as I drove off, when I was out of sight I roared out laughing. Neither of them knew what they were doing and it would bite them in the arse, big time. I didn't care anymore, I had my money and the guys were all looking for other jobs. Brenda and Milton didn't know about that.

With money in the bank and plenty of free time I took a month off and went travelling around Europe. I visited Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Germany.

After the stress of dealing with my ex wife and her dickhead boyfriend, a month away was what I needed. When I arrived home Angela told me Brenda wanted to see me.

"Dad. Mum needs to talk to you right away, she said it was urgent."

"For fuck sake, what does she want now?" I groaned.

"Give her a call and find out. Who knows maybe Milton got run over by a bus." Angela giggled.

"I couldn't be that lucky." I called Brenda to see what the panic was all about. "Terry, you need to get back in the office now."

"Why? It's not my business anymore."

"The company is in trouble, most of the staff have walked out." Brenda pleaded with me.

"Sorry Brenda. Not my problem now. You and Dickhead bought me out, remember?" I hung up and laughed.

I knew the company would suffer. Neither Brenda nor Milton knew how to run it, also Milton didn't know how to speak to people. Most of the guys had walked out when they were spoken to like shit, or Milton told them how to do their jobs. What really did for them was they didn't understand the contracts either.

"Dad. You knew this would happen didn't you?" Angela smiled as she asked me.

"Yeah, I did. I knew those two idiots would ruin things. I am surprised it happened so quickly."

What fucked up their plans was they didn't understand about contract penalties. Milton thought moving men from one site to another was fine, which technically it is.

What they did wrong was moving men from the important jobs to easier ones dickhead could understand, Paladin was currently looking at lawsuits for several million pounds. If they all went through, Brenda would have to sell the house and probably declare herself bankrupt.

I may not have been prepared for the divorce, that wasn't going to happen again. I started and registered a new company, McAllister Construction. My next move wasn't very ethical but what the fuck, my ex had screwed me over really bad. I contacted some of the companies that Paladin had contracts with and set up meetings with the important people I knew in the companies. I let them know I was starting up again under a different name. Most of the companies promised me the work if I could get started within a month.

Angela and Chris helped me out as we called around to as many of the guys as we could get hold of, I told them to put the word out and meet me at the Red Lion pub this weekend. Chris and Angela stood with me as I outlined to the guys what I planned to do, I asked how many would return to working for me.

"Is that you Terry, or you and your ex-wife?" Joe called out. Joe had known me for years. He was a good foreman and an all round decent guy.

"Just me, Joe. Brenda will have nothing to do with the new company." Most of them agreed and were pleased to see me bounce back. In the meantime the bills and legal threats were piling up against Paladin, Brenda was at her wits end, dickhead was no help to her.

Brenda used her savings to buy a small house, she put it in Angela's name just to be safe. With the old family home sold to pay off debts I contacted Brenda and asked her to meet me. I suggested we meet in the local pub. I didn't want to go to her house, likewise I didn't want Brenda in my house.

Brenda looked tired when she walked into the pub. She looked as if she had lost weight too.

"What do you want, Terry?" Brenda was clearly pissed off at me for not helping her and dickhead out.

"Nothing from you personally Brenda." I replied. "I want you to sell me the yard and everything in it. I'm offering you one hundred thousand in cash, no questions asked."

Brenda thought about it for a minute then agreed. Milton wasn't so keen, but as the business had recently been valued low they couldn't really argue the point. We agreed that Brenda would get the money in cash, that way she could hide it easier from creditors. Milton tried to speak. I chose to ignore him. He was trying to get a point across to Brenda when they left the pub, I found it amusing that she wasn't taking his advice.

The next day I had finished looking around the yard when Benny walked into the office.

"Hi Terry. I hope you don't mind but you did say I could look you up when I got out."

"Yeah, I did. Come in Benny." Benny and I shook hands, then we sat and talked for a while. He needed a few days to get his tools together.

"Have you got somewhere to live? I asked

"Yeah, my cousin is letting me stay with him."

"Just come and see me when you are all sorted Benny, I promise you there will be work here for you."

The weekend before McAllister Construction went into business I got a few of the guys to deal with Cliff Milton. I don't know what they did or said, but he disappeared that night. Brenda was devastated as she thought they would end up married. Brenda happened to mention to Angela that she thought I was responsible for Cliff disappearing.

"I doubt that Mum. Dad couldn't give a shit about you or Milton, he's too busy setting up his business."

"What business?" Brenda asked.

"McAllister Construction. That's why Dad asked to buy the old yard from you, most of his old staff are coming back to work for him."

Brenda scowled when Angela said I didn't give a shit about her. I think she saw us getting divorced and remaining friends, not a chance in hell was that going to happen. She wasn't impressed with me starting a new business either.

The fact that I had started a business and taken over some of Paladin's work didn't sit well with Brenda. I didn't give a shit what she thought.

Business was booming and after a few months of solid working I was finally able to relax, we had managed to get two jobs left over from Paladin completed on time. A further three jobs would be completed within six months. All the lads got a bonus for their effort. Chris worked for himself as a plumber. I passed as much work his way as I could. Angela came to work for me in the office, she turned out to be a real asset, she could organise stuff better than I ever could. I only had to ask about an invoice or whatever and she had the paperwork in her hand. I laughed when I remembered it used to take me hours to find anything.

At the end of our first year McAllister construction was so busy that I needed to employ somebody to help Angela in the office. Brenda had the cheek to ask if she could have the job.

"You must be bloody joking! After what you did to end our marriage, I am sure as hell not trusting you to work for me. Most of the guys here hate you and Cliff for fucking up Paladin, if I gave you the job they would all probably quit in protest."

Brenda shrugged and walked out of the office, she knew I was right, the guys would never forgive me.

"I can tell you really enjoyed that." Angela giggled.

"Actually I did. She needs to learn that she cannot shit over people and then just carry on as if nothing has happened. I don't want anything more to do with your mother and that's all there is to it."

I finally employed a lady to help Angela. Cathy was a single Mum of two girls, who desperately needed the job to keep her head above water. On paper she wasn't the best applicant, I could see she wanted to work. Some of the others were young and just looking for something to keep them occupied until they had kids or whatever.

Within a few months Cathy and Angela were running the office smoothly, I only got consulted on big decisions. This allowed me the time to visit job sites and make sure everything was running smoothly.

As we were using Paladin's old yard I took back my office, Cathy and Angela shared her mother and Milton's old office. The remaining space was needed for a desk for Benny.

Benny slipped on some ice one morning and did his back in, when he recovered, he struggled with the heavy work, so I made him yard foreman. Benny settled into the job well, it was great being able to rely on him to get deliveries and stuff organised.

Several times as I walked into the office Angela and Cathy stopped talking, I wondered what they were talking about.

I was sitting at my desk one day when Cathy asked if she could have a word.

"Sure, come in, take a seat."

"I'll stand if that's okay." I nodded and waited. "I like working here." Cathy paused, I thought she was going to ask for a pay rise. "I was wondering if, erm, I was wondering if you would like to join me for dinner one evening?"

"Yeah sure, I guess so." I replied, somewhat surprised.

"Great, I will see if I can get my Mum to look after my kids." Cathy turned and went back to her desk.

I sat and wondered how much Angela had to do with Cathy asking to dinner, when I looked at Angela all she did was smile at me.

Dinner with Cathy was nice, we spent a lot of time talking. I found out her ex-husband left her suddenly, Cathy said he just left one day and she hasn't seen or heard from him since. At the end of the evening I thanked Cathy, the kiss we shared was more than a polite goodnight kiss.

Cathy and I ended up involved. We are currently living together and neither of us has mentioned marriage, yet. Her kids and I get on well. If we do get to talking about marriage, I will insist on a pre-nup. There is no way I would put myself through all that stress again. Angela moved in with her boyfriend.

Brenda still lives locally and apart from that I can't say much more. The kids keep in touch and visit her, I haven't spoken to or seen her since the day I turned her down for the job.

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