Page 18 of Midlife Woes (Ex)

“What do you mean party?” He really is a jackass. I kept going, and he followed quick on my heels, making a nuisance of himself.

“What is it that you want now, Kevin?”

“I want an answer; you’re not acting like yourself.”

“Oh, and you are? Were you acting like yourself when you fucked someone younger than our youngest son?” Why am I saying this shit? I am all the way over it already, so why? That’s what I get for even entertaining him in the first place.

“Fine, you wanna talk about the affair? Let’s talk.”

“I have no interest in hearing the gory details, thank you very much. I just want you out of my face. Please go away.” He’s got nerve. He came crawling home later than usual, which meant he was with her or whoever he’s screwing around with these days and had the nerve to come at me with his shit.

“By the way, you don’t have to apologize for sending the cops after me. If you hadn’t or she hadn’t, I wouldn’t have met the hottie I’m gonna ride before the ink dries on our divorce.” He looked like a guppy with his mouth opening and closing without uttering a word.

He tried storming up the stairs after me, and I don’t know what got into me, but I kicked backward with my right foot and heard him go down. Looks like I got him in the balls. I only looked back long enough to make sure I didn’t kick him down the stairs because I didn’t want him dying in my house.

He was holding his crotch with that glassy look in his eyes. “Jo, what the hell?” He gritted out the words.

“Don’t follow me.” I left him there crouching while holding his family jewels, headed to my room, and locked the door.

Why do I still feel bad for him? Shouldn’t I have reached the point where I no longer care if he lives or dies? That idiot. Why the hell did he have to go and do this to us? Why did he have to turn out to be one of those weak men who can’t control their dicks?

He fucked up our whole existence for some pussy that I’d bet my left tit wasn’t worth it. She’s eighteen years old. What the hell does she know? I’d really like to know what goes through people’s heads when they decide to do this shit.

It's as if the little devil on their shoulder takes over, and they make the biggest mistake of their lives. No thought to the repercussions or the damage they do to the heart and soul of the partner who trusted them enough to take vows with them.

I only realized I was crying when a tear dropped on my hand. I looked at that little drop of water for the longest while as if I couldn’t make sense of what it was.

Was this really it? Was my life really at a crossroads that I never expected to face? Why didn’t I prepare better? Why did I trust and love him so much? And what’s more, why didn’t he feel the same for me?

* * *

DALTON

* * *

“What game areyou playing with my daughter-in-law?”

“Whatever do you mean?”

“Don’t play games with me, I saw you and my son being rather chummy a few days ago and put two and two together. I was wondering why, with a clear-cut case like hers, it was taking so long, but I guess now I know. Give her what she wants, or I’ll make your life a living hell.”

“I don’t understand; why would you go against your son in this situation? All the boy wants is another chance to fix his family.”

“She’s been my daughter since she was fourteen years old. What? You think I should let you and my ass of a son walk all over her because she’s not my blood? Think again. She’s the mother of my grandkids and not you, not my son; not anyone is going to fuck her over and get away with it. Now, do the right thing unless you want to lose your job.”

It's too little too late, but it’s about time I start paying closer attention to what the hell is going on in my family. It’s true that I never expected those two to end up like this; as far as I was concerned, that little lady was the best thing to happen to my boy after the way his mother raised him.

She had a good head on her shoulders, even when they were younger, and was the only person I know who knew how to keep him in line after his mother raised him to think the sun shines out his ass.

Do I want my family broken apart? Of course not, but I refuse to watch on the sidelines while a decent human being is being railroaded. I love my son, but right now, I don’t like him. I think what he did was ignorant, and I want to plant my foot in his ass for hurting that sweet girl.

He was the one who chose to let her go, but that doesn’t mean she’s not part of my family and will always be because she gave me the four biggest blessings of my life, and for that, she’d always have a seat at my table.

I hope, like hell, he doesn’t think that I’m about to accept anyone else he brings in front of me. Had Jolene been the one to step out of the marriage, that would be a different story. But she wasn’t; she did everything a wife should do, so why would I penalize her for what my idiot son did?

I’ve seen divorce and what it can do, and one of the things I never understood is how families stick beside the wrongdoer in the name of blood. No, sir, not over here. These bible-thumping assholes seem to forget that there was a time when the parents were asked to throw the first stone at the evil ass kid.

Now, we have forgiveness, sure, but where does it say you have to forget? My wife is madder than hell because I refuse to turn my back on my daughter because her son is an ass. It won’t happen; Jolene was as much a part of this family as Kevin for more than a quarter of a century, she did no wrong, but I’m still supposed to cut her out of my life and treat her like shit because she did her job well. That makes sense.

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