0:00
Timothy, or Tim to his close friends,
0:03
felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. A
0:06
message from his wife of 5 years,
0:08
Candice, or Candy as she preferred.
0:11
A small smile touched his lips. He was
0:14
in California and he had just secured a
0:16
massive service contract, a gamecher for
0:19
his IT firm. His boss, Jake Hudson,
0:24
Tim knew this meant a significant raise,
0:26
a step up the corporate ladder. Now, he
0:29
thought, we can finally start the family
0:31
we've been dreaming of. But the smile
0:33
faded as a nod of unease tightened in
0:35
his gut. A week ago, he and Candy had
0:38
gone on a camping trip with Jake. Since
0:41
their return, something had shifted.
0:44
Candi was distant, her mind a million
0:46
miles away, and her usual sunny
0:48
disposition had been replaced by a
0:50
subtle irritability. He dismissed it as
0:53
post vacation blues. But then he'd done
0:56
laundry. In the heap of their clothes,
0:58
in the gusset of one of her panties,
1:00
he'd found a small solidified stain. It
1:03
had a smell, a pungent, unfamiliar
1:06
scent, a scent that didn't belong to
1:08
him. His world, the perfect,
1:11
meticulously built world of their
1:13
marriage, had cracked.
1:15
He didn't know whose fluid it was, but
1:17
he vowed in that moment to find out. He
1:21
had a trip to the West Coast planned.
1:24
It was the perfect opportunity to
1:27
Before he left, he consulted Ruby
1:29
Hawkins, a family law and divorce
1:31
attorney his friend had recommended. She
1:34
was sharp, no nonsense, and specialized
1:37
in infidelity cases. "Are you certain
1:39
your wife is being unfaithful?" Ruby
1:41
asked, her eyes searching his. "Not
1:43
entirely," he admitted, the words a
1:46
bitter pill. "But I need certainty.
1:49
And if she is, I want a divorce." Ruby
1:53
laid out his options.
1:55
This state is no fault, but we can file
1:57
on grounds of infidelity. We'll need
2:00
solid evidence, photos, video, audio. I
2:04
can have a private investigator, Marvin
2:06
Johnson, monitor her activities. If we
2:08
get the proof, we can leverage it for a
2:10
favorable settlement.
2:12
No alimony, an even split of assets.
2:16
Your retirement stays yours, hers stays
2:18
hers. No kids, no real estate, no messy
2:21
custody battles. It will be clean. Do
2:24
it, Tim said. The cold finality of the
2:27
words, a strange comfort.
2:29
I'll be gone for 3 days. I have a
2:31
feeling that's when she'll act. Marvin
2:33
Johnson, the investigator, was a master
2:35
of his craft. He gave Tim a tracking app
2:38
for Candy's phone, a device to record
2:40
landline calls, and a tiny audio
2:42
recorder to hide in her purse.
2:45
Tim hated it. the feeling of invading
2:47
her privacy, but the scent in the gusset
2:50
of her underwear had left him with no
2:53
There were other signs, too. Jake
2:55
Hudson, his boss and supposed friend,
2:58
had been acting smug, a condescending
3:00
smirk playing on his lips, as if he held
3:02
a secret Tim wasn't privy to. At the
3:05
airport, Candy kissed him goodbye, a
3:07
hollow gesture that felt more like a
3:09
duty than an act of love. He promised to
3:12
call that night. She told him she'd be
3:15
working, waitressing for a party Jake
3:16
was hosting. An emergency, she'd said.
3:20
Jake's usual staff was sick. He was
3:25
Tim knew classes would resume soon, and
3:28
she could use the extra money, but a
3:30
dark shadow of suspicion fell over him.
3:32
He called Marvin and told him about
3:34
Candy's new job. The next day, his calls
3:37
to her cell and the house phone went
3:40
His heart hammered against his ribs.
3:43
It couldn't be. She couldn't have spent
3:45
the night. But an email from Marvin
3:48
confirmed his worst fears. Candi spent
3:51
the night at Hudson's house, and she's
3:53
still there. She was quite busy last
3:55
night. I've attached a couple of photos,
3:59
but I want to warn you, they're pretty
4:01
graphic. I'll give you my full report
4:05
Tim's hands trembled as he opened the
4:07
attachments. The first photo showed his
4:10
wife, his beautiful beloved wife of 5
4:13
years, engaged in a carnal act with
4:16
Jake. The next showed her with Jake, his
4:19
son Mike, and a couple of other men from
4:24
He didn't recognize the others. His
4:26
world, the carefully constructed
4:28
one-sided illusion, had just come
4:30
crashing down. Tears streamed down his
4:33
face. The next day, the tracker
4:35
confirmed Candy's phone was still at
4:36
Jake's. Marvin's email contained more
4:39
photos. A disturbing video with Jake,
4:42
Mike, and Mike's friends. The last
4:45
remnants of love for her evaporated,
4:47
replaced by a cold, searing rage. He
4:50
wrapped up his business, his new
4:52
contract, a bitter trophy, and caught an
4:54
early flight home. He went straight to
4:58
"I'm filing for divorce," he said, his
5:01
voice flat. "I'm filing for alienation
5:04
of affection against Jake and my
5:05
colleagues. I want to sue them for
5:08
everything they have. Do whatever is
5:10
necessary, he told Ruby, his voice laced
5:13
with venom. Just don't make any reckless
5:16
moves. I won't, Tim assured her. I'm not
5:19
a great actor. I won't touch her again.
5:22
Who knows what she's caught from all
5:23
those men. He left Ruby's office, the
5:26
weight on his shoulders a little
5:27
lighter, but the sickness in his stomach
5:29
remained. He couldn't work for Jake
5:32
anymore. He called John Carlson, an old
5:35
friend who had long tried to recruit
5:36
him. "Give me a job," he pleaded, the
5:40
words raw with desperation. "I'll work
5:43
as hard for you as I did for Jake."
5:45
"Done," John said, a note of surprise in
5:48
his voice. "Start on Monday. Rose and I
5:51
are making lasagna tonight. You and
5:53
Candy should come over." "I can't bring
5:55
candy," Tim said. The words a quiet
5:58
declaration of the end. I'm sorry to
6:01
hear that, John said, his voice
6:03
softening. Rose is a counselor. Maybe
6:06
she can help. I'll be there, Tim
6:09
promised. Just me. He drove home.
6:12
Candi's car was gone. He changed, wrote
6:15
his resignation letter, and waited.
6:18
Around 5 p.m., she arrived. She tried to
6:21
kiss him, but he turned his head, a
6:23
gesture that sent a jolt of confusion
6:25
through her. "Is everything okay?" she
6:28
asked, a flicker of panic in her eyes.
6:31
"I'm not feeling well," he said, a lie
6:34
that felt a little too close to the
6:36
truth. "I'm sleeping on the futon
6:38
tonight. I have dinner plans. Don't wait
6:41
up." He left, leaving her standing in
6:44
the living room, a bewildered expression
6:46
on her face. He didn't kiss her goodbye.
6:49
He didn't say, "I love you." The words
6:53
were stuck in his throat, a bitter taste
6:57
After his car departed, Candy picked up
6:59
the phone. She dialed Jake. The
7:03
conversation, an exchange of halftruths
7:05
and cold threats, was recorded by the
7:07
device in her purse. Tim arrived at John
7:09
and Rose's beautiful home. The lasagna
7:12
was delicious, the wine a bomb to his
7:14
wounded soul. He told them everything,
7:17
the story a torrent of betrayal and
7:19
pain. John, who had been through a
7:21
similar experience, listened with
7:24
Rose, the counselor, offered him a
7:26
lifeline. Counseling 1 hour a week. He
7:30
accepted. He was fighting for his life,
7:32
his sanity. He returned home at 10 p.m.
7:36
He found Candy on the couch waiting.
7:39
"How did your meeting go?" she asked, a
7:42
forced cheerfulness in her voice. "Very
7:45
well," he said, the words clipped and
7:47
final. "I'm going to bed. Good night."
7:50
The next morning, he left before she was
7:52
awake. At the office, he packed his
7:56
Jake walked in, a smirk on his face.
7:59
"What's this?" he asked, holding up a
8:01
resignation letter. "The contract is on
8:04
my desk," Tim said, his voice calm. "And
8:07
the other envelope is my resignation,
8:09
effective immediately. I expect my bonus
8:12
for the California account and my final
8:13
pay." "Why are you leaving?" Jake asked,
8:16
the smirk gone, replaced by genuine
8:18
shock. "I need you, Tim." Seriously, Tim
8:23
retorted, a cold laugh escaping his
8:25
lips. You honestly don't know why. You
8:30
He had a secret weapon, a tiny audio
8:32
recorder he had activated when Jake
8:36
So, this is about that, Jake said, a
8:39
sneer returning to his face. Just so you
8:42
know, your wife willingly engaged in
8:44
closeness with me. She's just exploring
8:46
her desires. When she's done, she'll
8:51
Despicable, Tim spat. How long have you
8:54
been involved with her? The first time
8:56
was on the camping trip, Jake confessed,
8:58
a boastful smirk on his face. She
9:01
initiated it, said I was superior to
9:03
you. Then she begged me to make love to
9:06
her. Remember when I sent you back to
9:08
the office? That was so she and I could
9:12
Thank you for your confession, Tim said,
9:14
a ghost of a smile on his face.
9:17
I'm done packing. I'll be on my way to
9:19
HR. Goodbye, Jake. Rotten hell. Wait,
9:23
Jake said, holding up a photo of candy
9:25
from Tim's desk. You forgot something. I
9:29
didn't, Tim replied. The words a final
9:31
icy dismissal. She's all yours. You and
9:35
your son. I'm done with both of you.
9:39
Cand's call to Jake, a frantic, tearful
9:41
plea for help, was now on a recording, a
9:44
final piece of evidence Tim forwarded to
9:46
Ruby. When he arrived home, he found
9:49
Candy on the couch, sobbing. "We need to
9:52
talk," he said, his voice a steel cage.
9:55
He pulled a pistol out of his weapon
9:57
safe, placing it on the kitchen table, a
9:59
silent threat. "Divorce papers will be
10:03
served later today," he said. "Don't
10:05
play Koi. I know about you and Jake, his
10:08
son and the others. I have photos,
10:10
video, audio. You have until you're
10:13
served to pack your things. You're out
10:16
and there's a restraining order, so
10:17
you'll stay 500 ft away from me. If you
10:20
try to contest, the evidence will go
10:22
public. Think about your job. She stood
10:25
there, a broken woman. The life she had
10:28
so carelessly thrown away now a
10:30
shattered reflection in his eyes.
10:33
She signed the divorce papers, handed
10:35
over her rings, and walked out the door.
10:37
The life she had known a ghost in the
10:39
rearview mirror. In the following days,
10:42
Jake left threatening voicemails, which
10:45
Tim forwarded to Ruby. When Jake and his
10:48
men showed up at his door, Tim called
10:50
the police, pistol in hand, and had them
10:54
As he watched them being cuffed, a
10:56
profound sense of peace washed over him.
10:59
The woman he had loved, the man he had
11:01
trusted were gone. But he had a new job,
11:05
a new life, and a new purpose.