Resolving My Marriage Pt. 02

She sat me down in front of her and we sat next opposite each other in front of a low table. She had lovely legs and a short skirt. She crossed her legs and the swish encouraged Daniel Montgomery to raise himself in my pants and want to have his way with this lovely shapely young woman.

She put on stern looking glasses and looked very professional. Her perfume wafted my way and further encouraged the firmness of young Daniel. I was uncomfortable and she looked down and smiled as I tried to shift more comfortably. She said she was delighted that that was for her and I blushed. I told her the story and I instructed her to start proceedings.

She hugged me tight and said she would do her best for me. Mum had said she was the top student at law school and had a mind like a steel trap. It was mum's ultimate compliment.

Carol was out at a seminar but had left food for me.

I packed my clothes and took them and my toiletries to Amanda.

I told Amanda I had filed for divorce. She put my clothes into the bedroom. Once more we delayed the discussion of my financial affairs.

I took a couple of sleeping tablets, cuddled Amanda and fell asleep. In the morning, I found myself between Amanda and Carol in bed.

Amanda whispered that at 12 Carol had come to the door hysterical saying you had moved out and was you there and if you were she had to speak to you. She told Amanda that as I had taken some tablets she wanted to or rather had to be with me.

She was sobbing desperately said Amanda and climbed into the bed with both of us. She had sobbed till 2 am and Amanda eventually gave her a sleeping tablet.

I woke Carol. Amanda left the room.

I told Carol that I was seeking a divorce. I needed a stable relationship with one woman and could not tolerate what was happening with Rob. She said she loved me but would not when pressed say she would stop seeing Rob or any others.

I left her sobbing on the bed, dressed and left. I could not face any food. Amanda kissed me on the way out and said she would look after Carol.

This whole situation was just too freaky for me.

I went to work and had to shut off my phone. Carol called every 10 minutes all day.

Lettie called to ask me to confirm that I wanted the papers served and she advised the next day so I could have the chance for a last minute change of view.

I got home at 6 to find Carol in Amanda's apartment. She rushed into my arms and pulled me into the lounge, sat me down and sat on my lap. She held me desperately. She kissed me on the cheek and talked of her day. She asked about my day. She asked if I would come home. I said no. She said I will fight a divorce till the last cent she had. She told me how much she loved me and wanted me to understand her and accept it. She could accept Amanda. Why couldn't I accept Rob.

She left after 45minutes. This was a pattern that continued over nearly 10 months. She would come over whether I was home or not. Spend some time with Amanda. When I came home she would drag me to the lounge and sit on my lap hold me and chat and beg me to restart my relationship with her.

The divorce papers were served the next day. Carol went absolutely ballistic at work. She then disappeared. Her car was found parked in a large park early next morning. She had drunk a large amount of alcohol. She attached a hose to the exhaust and started the car. She must have put the hose in the exhaust when intoxicated. It fell out and she was found by the police at 5am. She was very combative. She had be sedated and was taken to Hester who admitted her to hospital for a couple of days. I went to see her in hospital. She said she would never try suicide again but would fight a divorce till her dying day. When I asked why she went through the usual. No change. I thought there were limits to what she could do. Rob then attacked Amanda for a settlement and battle was joined.

A war of paper began.

Carol was with Amanda when I got back from work. She pulled me into the lounge and it was more of the same with crying and begging. I did not have the heart at any time to take legal action to prevent her spending time with me.

On the weekends I got into a pattern of cycling with Carol in the early mornings and having breakfast as was our long term pattern. It just wasn't worth the crying and begging to stop. Amanda didn't seem worried at all about Carol or Rob's attacks on her.

Amanda finally spoke about our financial situation.

She explained that she was a founding partner of a national financial consulting firm that set up superannuation and other financial vehicles. They had close to 90 billion dollars under management and offices in every state. The business was growing 30% per annum and had been growing rapidly for fifteen years. She started it managing investments for family and friends when she started university and by the time she completed her MBA she had 3 partners and 30 employees.

They planned investment strategies for some of the wealthiest individuals and created funds and structures for them.

She now only worked half days in the business 2 days a week and most of her work was done at home. She said she earned a minimum of $120 000 per month. Her share in the company was worth at least $200million. She said if worst came to worst she could look after me financially in the style that I was accustomed to or would like to become accustomed to.

She said that she managed Carols' trust for her as well. She had managed it for her father since its inception. My 10% of the trust had a value of approximately $37 million dollars and was earning an average of 22% over the last 3 years.

She also administered the trust of my parents and my mother had given her permission to tell me about it 15 years ago if I asked her or Claude. I owned 50% of the trust and it would all come to me on my mother's death. She said the Royalty income was approximately $223 000 per month and growing at 45-55% per annum and the trust was valued at three quarters of a billion dollars. Much of the value was in property. She said my mother had a major property company and ran it from home. Amanda said my mother was a property genius. She ran multiple property syndicates and was associated with the richest of the rich. She advised Claude on property investments and owned a third of this building.

Amanda said that the most amazing thing was that had I asked my mother she could have without blinking while my father was ill paid for my University, and anything I wanted. Instead I had been concerned about their finances and landed up with Carol.

So she said "What do you think of all that?"

I hadn't know because I hadn't listened wanted to listen or asked. I was a fool. Now I knew why Carol didn't need money. She had increased my wealth massively in eight years according to Amanda. Amanda had done the same. My mother was a star. I had no idea. My father and I had been the luckiest people in the world. My mother cooked for us. We lived simply played with our inventions and she made us into the super rich. Carol and Amanda made us all much richer. I was a much bigger fool than I had ever realised. Carol may have screwed around on me but she did a hell of a lot for may family too. All I had lost was my self respect. That and my honour were the main things I valued. I was the honourable rich cuckold fool, father to be.

All my theories were now defunct. I was defunct, gloomy and an idiot. Fortunately my self esteem was intact. I would go on. Was Carol's aim to punish and humiliate me as she couldn't punish and humiliate her father for what he had done? Why would she hurt someone so much who loved her?

Chapter 11

Lettie

I had been worried and panicking about my costs with Lettie. She offered to look after me free but I had preferred to pay and did not want to feel obligated to her. We had agreed on a fixed amount that I could pay out of my salary. She called me constantly and we met often as much as twice a week for the 11months of the action.

I ramped up the amount to be spent to try and get the divorce to the courts and a final judgement. Carol had a team of lawyers on her side. With many creative brains busy making money their methods of delay and obfuscation were amazing. It was the compulsory conferences and resulting actions that were amazing.

We were compelled to see marital specialists and mediators and I met some terrific people. Most times it came to an end when I asked why should I put up with what was going on. We were at the end pushed again to see Harriet together.

Harriet agreed to get us to contract to 20 sessions, with 2 sessions per week. Carol was very happy to agree. I agreed reluctantly but did agree.

The first session when Harriet asked Carol to define the issues and where we were up to Carol blindsided me completely.

"I want to start having babies with you" she said smiling. I love you and want more children for us. I asked what about Rob.

She said she was still with him and he accepted her wish to have a child with me.

Waves of nausea hit me along with an emerging migraine aura as I heard her wax lyrical about having children with me. I had to excuse myself to vomit and got an injection of my migraine medications from Harriet. My hands were shaking so badly I could not inject myself.

I had to lie down in the apartment till I felt well enough three hours later to go back home to Amanda. Carol was there. They both clucked over me. Carol had discussed this child idea with Amanda.

I called Lettie that evening and she insisted on coming over. I found out she lived in the sister building to ours on the other side of the pool 2 minutes walk away. I had never noticed her before.

She thought it a clever ruse as it would imply reconciliation. I said I wouldn't have even remotely considered the idea.

We discussed strategies for some time.

I noticed Hattie sat as close as she could to me and almost by mistake touch me often. Amanda came in to offer us drinks and snacks and sat with us for a while. She then said to Hattie suddenly.

"What about you having a baby with Dan instead."

Hattie without blinking looked at me and said

"In a heartbeat"

She then blushed and looked at Amanda, and said that she had not meant it at all. She said that she had been joking.

"See what you do to women" remarked Amanda.

"You could have a harem in an instant"

Hattie tried to deny that she felt anything for me other than concern for her client. She would not breach boundaries with a client. Amanda smiled.

She said "I think you offer to go ahead if she agrees to let you go and signs the divorce papers"

Hattie thought that might work.

Amanda said that there was no chance it would work but I needed to see how Carol reacted and felt about me.

We sent the offer the evening before the next appointment with Harriet.

I was not comfortable about it. I did it feeling pushed along by curiosity and desire to move resolution.

Her lawyer must have called her in the evening. Carol had been over as usual. She had gone home as usual as we sat down for dinner a little after 7.

She came banging on our door at nine thirty.

She was dishevelled and totally hysterical. She said she could not lose me no matter what the price and would not leave till I said I would drop the demand in the morning. She slept with us that night. She slept virtually on top of me. Amanda was eight and a half months pregnant.

The children loved Carol. She spent time with them before I got home. She helped Amanda with the meal. She and Amanda remained firm friends. It was beyond bizarre. The children called her mummy Carol. She took them places and bought them things. Carol spent a lot on baby things. She would arrive with something every week.

She showered us all with gifts. She had in the past bought me a M5 BMW and the most expensive AMG Merc. They were parked in the garage next to the Porsche that her father left me. I was not interested in cars. She took me around in these cars on the weekend. I drove my Prius to work during the week. It was small and easy to park. She then got me a Bentley Turbo and ordered a Bugatti Veyron for millions of dollars. She got me extra bays in the garage.

She took to fetching me in the Bentley from work. We chatted like the couple we had been and she would sit on my lap as usual at home and go home for dinner. The children began asking her to stay for dinner and to read to them before bed.

The divorce process was like a separate event that did not intrude in our lives.

Rob was still in the background like blight in my life. He was friendly when I saw him. He spent a lot of time with the children and went to their school functions. His divorce with Amanda was bitter. He referred to Amanda as that bitch. Towards the end she was forced to settle more on him than she wished to get him to back off and not interfere with the business.

Chapter 11.

The baby.

I arrived home to find Amanda in labour with Carol in attendance. Carol organised to have the children go to Rob then to Amanda's parents. The children were excited about the impending arrival.

We went by limo to the hospital with a midwife in the limo organised by Carol just in case.

Amanda delivered in the limo a lovely petite girl who we called Julie after my grandmother. Carol cried pitifully in the car, and said 'why couldn't it have been me?' Her pressure on me to make her pregnant went into overdrive. She nagged Amanda, my mother and me. Even my mother pressured me to agree.

Amanda was pressured while in hospital for 2 days with Julie.

On the second day Amanda said 'for heavens sake make her pregnant and screw her while I can't and get her off our backs.'

Carol was ecstatic when Amanda encouraged me to have a child with her.

When I suggested I must be loyal to Amanda and we do it by artificial insemination I was shouted at by both of them.

Carol took me home in the Bentley. She dragged me to her unit and we made mad passionate love. I really loved that woman. I really hated that woman.

She was after me every night after Amanda came home and the doctor said no sex for 2 months as she had torn and needed significant reconstructive surgery.

She became even more affectionate if it was possible and insisted on sleeping in our bed with us. She was insatiable in her sexual demands. I don't know when she ever saw Rob. I got the first inklings of trouble when my beloved Prius was badly scratched mysteriously. Rob did not know I believe that the other cars were mine as I never could be bothered to drive them. I could never be sure it was him. He started to make remarks to Carol that were nasty and he became critical of her spending time with the baby and with us.

Carol changed nappies more than I did. She moved clothes into the apartment. She was pregnant after five weeks.

She ended her relationship with Rob.

She then started to meet up with other guys for a two weeks or so at a time, similar to her pattern for years.

I resumed my quest for divorce with Hattie with a vengeance. I was enjoying the baby as was Carol. Carol's pregnancy was continuing. The sessions with Hester continued.

Then one session there was another bombshell. Carol was 3 months pregnant. She said I am finished with other men. I want only you. Stop the divorce proceedings. I don't feel driven to explore. I have resolved whatever it was and now want you back as my husband. Amanda must be with us too. I love her.

Talk about a bombshell. Yet in some ways it could have been expected. Could I trust her to not want to go on after the baby?

"What about after the baby?"

She said I had to force myself to try even now. Never again. Not now not ever. I have never undertaken it before now I do. I solemnly pledge myself to you and Amanda only.

I said I needed to discuss it with Hattie and Amanda.

Amanda said there is no choice but to share you. I knew it all along.

I spoke to Hester, my mother, Annie, Claude, Zelda and more over two weeks. Hattie was not herself either. She was anxious and talked constantly. She phoned me on all sorts of pretexts. She visited with paperwork.

Carol was beside herself with anxiety. She called me incessantly.

She called everyone else incessantly. She lobbied, she nagged and she held onto me. She slept with me and Amanda at least a couple of nights a week. She just held us. Why she didn't pressure us sexually I do not know. She cuddled and stroked and cooed and kissed but nothing more. She seemed contented when she touched us.

After 2 weeks Amanda, Carol and I started sessions with Hester to try and work it out.

Claude and Annie were helpful in structuring our agreements with each other.

We had a ceremony in front of all our friend to exchange rings and formalise the relationship.

We planned to go on a honeymoon together when we could coordinate our work commitments.

Hattie still continued to come around. She became our firm and deep friend. I missed her when she wasn't around. Amanda and Carol tried to arrange dates and a suitable man for her. She went out as requested but it never lasted. Her mother began to talk to mine. My mother called Carol and said she was coming over to talk about Hattie and us. What about us? Something about Hattie pining.

An end.