Chapter 1
Jack
Angie brushed right past me in the living room when she got home. Not allowing me to hug or kiss her. When I followed her to the bedroom, she announced that she was going out with friends for her birthday.
When I told her about the dinner reservations, she told me to cancel. This is my day and I will do what I want for my birthday,” she announced. “Okay, let me get ready so I can go with you,” I told her. “You’re not invited,” she hissed.
I grabbed the flowers and birthday card off the kitchen table and walked them out to the trash barrel. Over the last year I have put up with her going out with “friends” that I have never met on Fridays. Not coming till the wee hours of the morning stinking of alcohol and cologne.
When I asked her about the alcohol and cologne, she just told me that she enjoys a few drinks and dancing while she is out with her friends.
When I asked her to go out with me on many following Saturday evenings, she always told me she was wore out from last night.
To add to the insult, she sometimes told me that it would not be the same going dancing with me.
I have had enough of this shit! If this is how little she thinks of me, then we are obviously done. I pull out my phone and I send a message to her phone. I doubt that she would answer a call now.
Angie: If this is how little you think of me, then fuck you and fuck our marriage! I’ll get my shit out of the house this coming week and you can shove this house and our marriage up your ass…Jack
I quickly hit send before I chicken out. After a year of being treated like servant who just happens to live in the same house, this was the last straw. I will not take any more of this shit.
I pull out one of the large suitcases and throw as many clothes in as I can fit. After dragging the luggage to my Lexus SUV, I go back into the house to grab my laptop which is my livelihood as a writer and my hanging clothes.
It feels ironic that after 20 years of being married and 20 years of being a writer, I cannot find the words to leave a goodbye note. I set my wedding ring in the middle of the kitchen table and turn off all the house lights. Then Leave.
Piper
Friday 11:35pm
If I had known that Pete was going to spend the entire evening fucking Angie and abandoning me here downstairs dancing area, I would have just stayed at home.
I know that he and Angie have a thing for each other.
I have no idea how Jack puts up with them being together every Friday night without some fun of his own.
At least as a swinger, I can come hang out and get humped by someone of my choosing while they carry on together. But this is getting old tonight. It has been three hours since we arrived and they have not come back looking for me even once.
When I pull my phone out to give Pete a text to tell him I want to go home, I find a second phone in my purse. It must be Angie’s because this is nothing like the matching phones that Pete and I have.
When I lift the phone out of my purse, the face lights up and I can see that it has gone directly to the home screen without a lock screen. I can see the message icon is showing a message. Out of curiosity, I open the message icon.
I see that there is just one text message waiting. It was texted at 8:28pm. I can see it is from Angie’s husband Jack.
Angie: If this is how little you think of me, then fuck you and fuck our marriage. I’ll get my shit out of the house this coming week and you can shove this house and our marriage up your ass…Jack
FUCK! Has Angie been lying all along? She has many times told us that Jack knew she was swinging but was just not ready to join in yet. Does Pete know? Is he in on this? I wondered why Angie did not bring Jack tonight for her birthday party here at the club. I grab my phone and call Pete.
Piper: Pete, You and Angie need to stop whatever you’re doing and come down here to the bar right fucking now!
Pete: But we’re right in the middle….
Piper: Fuck you Pete! You get your ass down here right fucking now and bring that cheating bitch with you.
Pete: Cheating Bitch?
Piper: NOW!
While I waited, I sent Jack a text message.
Piper: Jack. This is Piper. Please call me so we can talk. I am anguished over what happened to you tonight. I want to find a way to make everything up to you for what has happened with Angie over the past year. Please call…Piper
I typed in my cell phone number and then closed my phone. I was seething as I waited for Pete and Angie to show up.
This, what they are doing, is NOT what swinging is all about and Pete fucking knows that.
What he is doing with Angie is cheating.
Cheating on Jack and cheating on me since this has been a weekly thing for over a year with each other.
It is clear to me now that they have not been swinging. They have been having an affair.
Pete had a curious expression on his face as he approached the bar. Angie seemed white as a ghost like she just got caught with her hand in the cookie jar. “You need to read this message from your soon to be ex-husband,” I hissed as I plopped her cell phone into her left hand.
Pete cocked his head and looked at me like “what.” “You two are not swinging. You have been having an affair and it looks right now like you have ruined Angie’s marriage,” I told my husband. “You may well have ruined ours as well,” I hissed.
Now, Pete was white as a ghost too. “What? What are you talking about?” Pete gasped.
“You have been fucking Angie behind Jack’s back for a year now!
You told me she was a swinger and that Jack was okay with it.
There is no way that you didn’t figure that out that was a lie over the course of this year.
And in doing so, you have been cheating on me as well,” I answered.
“This hasn’t been swinging. This has been having an affair,” I all but yelled.
“Oh no! No-no-no!” Angie gasped after she read Jack’s message.
“You have lied to Jack and cheated on Jack for over a year. What the hell did you think was going to happen?” I rasped.
“You need to take your stupid ass home right now and you need to call Jack tomorrow and beg him to give you a second chance. Otherwise, your marriage is over,” I tell Angie point blank.
“And you asshole, I want your shit out of my bedroom tonight. You are going to live in the guest bedroom from now on till I say otherwise,” I told Peter.
“But honey…” Pete started to protest. “Just shut the fuck up. There is nothing you can say that will make up for what you have done to Jack’s marriage and our marriage,” I cut him off.