Fallout 07: The Boss

"Fucking terrific," I said. "Have you fallen in love with him?"

"A bit, I'm afraid," she said. "But I still love you. I just wish you were home."

"You know what this means, don't you?" I asked.

"What?" she asked.

"It means I'll be getting a divorce, as soon as I can," I said. "There's no way I can put up with this."

"Please, Tom, don't," she said. "I don't want a divorce."

"So, what, you think you can have Jake when he sends me away, then give me his sloppy seconds when I get home?" I asked.

"I've never given you sloppy seconds," she said.

"You haven't given me anything in a couple months or so," I said. "Not even a blowjob. Dammit, Alice, how could you be so damn selfish?"

"So, what are you going to do now?" she asked. "Do you still want to take me out to dinner?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I asked. "I'll have to get a motel room for the night. There's no way I'm sleeping in the bed again, not after you've fucked him in it, and there's no place else here for me to sleep. I'll be damned if I'm going to try sleeping on the couch. Besides, the whole fucking place reeks of cigarettes. Do you let him smoke in here, by the way?"

"We both smoke in the house," she said. "I'm sorry." I stood up and looked at her before speaking, trying to control my rage.

"Let me get one thing straight," I said. "I'm going to find a motel room for the night. I'll come by tomorrow while you're at work to get some of my stuff. If you bring that asshole into my house again before the divorce is final, you'll both wish to God you'd never been born. Understand me?"

"Yes," Alice said, tears falling down her face. I couldn't help but wonder why she was crying, since she's the one who caused all the hurt. I stormed upstairs to grab a suitcase and some clothes and saw the ashtrays on both nightstands. They were both filled with ashes and cigarette butts.

The room reeked of stale cigarette smoke and sex. It was all I could do to keep from throwing up. I packed enough things for a couple days, then went back downstairs. Alice was still on the couch.

"I'm leaving now," I said. "Here," I added, taking off my wedding ring. I tossed it on the table in front of her. "I won't be needing that anymore. Remember what I said. Goodbye." I walked out of the house, got in my car and left. I don't know what she did after I left, and I frankly didn't care. All I know is that she didn't pepper me with calls or texts after I left.

I found a motel that rented rooms with kitchenettes by the week and paid for two weeks in advance. I had a feeling I would be there a bit longer than that, though, and I didn't want to risk the room being taken when I got back from Jonesboro. I got settled in and that night was when the nightmares began.

The next day, I got to work a bit early and turned in all my paperwork. Purposefully avoiding Jake, I went to see Jon Carlson, who was the next one up in my chain of command.

"Tom, you're here early," he said. "How did everything go?"

"Went well, Jon," I said. "I've already turned in my paperwork. Listen, I have a personal problem I need to deal with before I leave for Jonesboro and wondered if I could take the rest of the day off."

"Have you spoken with Jake yet?" he asked.

"Well, Jake is part of my problem," I said. He looked at me, startled.

"Oh?" he asked. "You wanna tell me about it?" I spent the next few minutes telling him what transpired the previous evening and what Alice had told me.

"So I need to get more of my things and go see a divorce lawyer today," I said. "That's why I came to you instead of going to Jake."

"I see," Jon said. "Alright, go ahead and do what you need to. I'll take care of Jake. And listen, if you need to talk to someone, feel free to call me any time." I thanked him and left the building. Fortunately, I was able to avoid Jake. I stopped at a coffee shop and grabbed a quick breakfast while searching the web for a divorce lawyer on my smartphone. I found one and made an appointment for that afternoon.

After I finished my breakfast, I looked at the time and figured Alice would be gone to work, so I headed to what used to be our house. Her car was nowhere to be found, so I parked and went inside. The place still reeked of cigarettes, but it wasn't as bad as the previous night. I went upstairs and got some more of my things and carried them to my car.

I grabbed some trash bags and filled them up with as much as I could carry, and put those in the car as well. I figured I would need a storage unit for all this crap, and made a note to rent one that day. I went into my shop and took inventory of everything I had there. Naturally, I couldn't stash all this in the car, and I knew I would have to come back for it. Then I found something I forgot I had -- a small round container with about ten old CS training tablets -- the kind I used to use in the gas chamber.

For those who don't know, CS, or 2-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile, is one of the most commonly-used tear gases by the police and the military. Technically, it's not really a gas like hydrogen or oxygen -- it's more like tiny particles that get into literally everything -- clothes, hair, eyes, you name it.

We used these tablets to simulate a chemical attack when we held gas chamber training, and it's extremely effective. When I was in the service, we would typically take one or two of these tablets and place them on a metal plate. The plate would be heated and the capsules would melt, releasing the gas. Two capsules were usually more than enough for a decent gas chamber exercise.

A person exposed to CS would experience a burning sensation on exposed skin, tearing of the eyes and a burning irritation of the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth and throat. This results in coughing, extreme nasal discharge, disorientation, and difficulty breathing. It's not a pleasant sensation, but passes fairly quickly after a shower.

I used to conduct impromptu field "training" by surreptitiously sprinkling some CS powder in ashtrays, usually when we went into the field. Since the chemical reacts with heat, anyone who used the ashtray would find themselves in their own personal little gas chamber.

I had a wicked thought and took the capsules into the house. I opened a capsule and sprinkled the powder in one ashtray, then did the same to the other. If Alice and Jake decided to "enjoy" a post-coital cigarette, they would be in for a surprise. That'll teach 'em to smoke in my house, I thought.

I went through the house and did the same with a couple other ashtrays I found that had been used. But I didn't stop there. I took a couple capsules, opened them up and sprinkled the powder on the bottom sheet of the bed and the two pillows, then carefully replaced the top sheet and the bedspread.

I thought about sprinkling a bit of CS on the stove, but decided against it. I only had four capsules left and I wanted to have enough for a return trip. I figured that what I had already done would be enough to cause a bit of coitus interruptus, at least for now.

The last thing was to collect my guns, my personal laptop and our tax forms for the last two years, which the lawyer said she wanted to see. I locked the guns in the trunk of my car, then locked up the house and left. I headed for a storage facility, rented a small space and stashed my stuff until I could find another place I could call "home." When I finished unloading my car, I locked the storage unit up and noticed I had just enough time for a quick burger before my appointment with the lawyer.

I arrived at the Law Office of Lisa Hawkins right on time and was ushered into her office. She listened to my story, taking notes as I spoke. She didn't say anything until after I had finished.

"Well, Mr. Langley, that's quite a story," she said. "Do you see any way to put your marriage back together?"

"No, none," I said.

"Alright," she said. "Well, for starters, Missouri is a limited 'no-fault' state, however you can cite her adultery as that may affect the distribution of the marital assets. You have no children, so there won't be any issues with child support. I see from the tax forms you brought in that your wife made just a little less than you, but in my opinion, not enough to warrant any spousal maintenance. What about the house? Do you want to keep that?"

"No," I told her. "I can't live there anymore. She can keep it if she wants."

"Or you could sell it and split the proceeds, but I doubt you have very much equity in the place," she said. "I can suggest you sell it and see what she says in her response."

"That's fine," I said. "Can I go after Jake for what he did?" She shook her head.

"You mean for alienation of affection?" she asked. I nodded my head. "No, I'm afraid that's not an option in Missouri. Hasn't been since about 2003. You say he's your boss?"

"Yes," I said.

"Well, then I would recommend you go over his head, maybe speak with his boss or your company's HR department. You work for Empire Tech, is that right?" she asked.

"Yes," I said.

"Well, you're in luck," she said. "I happen to know they don't tolerate any behavior like that. Talk to them, let them know what's going on. I'm sure they'll work with you. If they don't, come back and we'll discuss it, okay?"

"That sounds good," I said. "Thanks."

"Alright, I'll get the paperwork started," she said. "Where would you like her served?"

"At her place of work would be nice," I said. Lisa smiled at that.

"Okay," she said. "Now, don't do anything stupid. That also means no dating. The court won't look at that very kindly at all. I would also recommend you see a counselor." She pulled out a card and handed it to me. I recognized the name -- Dr. Rose Carlson, Jon's wife.

"Got it, thanks," I said. We wrapped up the meeting and I paid a retainer after she handed me a checklist of things to do that she said would help protect me financially. We only had one joint credit card through our bank, so I canceled the card, withdrew half of what we had in the bank and opened a new account in my name only. From there, I grabbed a bite to eat and went back to the motel.

I didn't hear from Alice until later that evening. I recognized her number when it came up on my smartphone. I decided to take the call.

"You sonofabitch," she yelled. "What did you do to the house?" Right then, I knew exactly what happened.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I lied.

"Yes you do, you bastard," she said. "You put something in the ashtrays. And there's something in the bed."

"You mean, besides you and Jake?" I asked.

"Dammit," she said. "Tell me what you did. We can't even use the bedroom."

"We?" I asked. The next voice was that of my boss, and he wasn't happy.

"Goddammit, Tom, what did you do? The whole place is like a fucking gas chamber or something," he snarled. "I'm going to kick your fucking ass."

"What are you doing in my bed with my wife, you sonofabitch?" I asked. "If anyone deserves to get his ass kicked, it's you."

"You're going to pay for this, motherfucker," he threatened.

"I'll make sure to pass your little threat on to Jon and my attorney," I said. "Bye now, bye." I ended the call and started counting to ten. The phone rang again before I counted to seven. I ignored the call and let it go to voicemail. I couldn't help but smile, thinking about what just happened in the bedroom. Something told me they wouldn't be using that bed tonight.

I slept pretty good that night, except for the one nightmare where I dreamed about blowing the two cheaters away with a machine gun. I slept in the next day and didn't roll out of bed until about 10:30. I drove to an IHop for a late breakfast and was surprised when Alice sat at my table.

"What a surprise," I said. "How did you sleep last night?"

"I think you know how I slept last night," she said. "I was driving by and saw your car, so I thought I would stop in and see you."

"What do you want, Alice?" I asked. "I'm trying to enjoy a good breakfast."

"I want to talk," she said. "About us."

"There is no 'us' anymore, Alice," I said. "You made that happen when you decided to fuck my boss."

"I didn't mean to hurt you," she said. "I was just lonely."

"And you think I wasn't?" I asked. "You knew Goddamn good and well I was gone because your fuck buddy sent me away. By the way, I saw an attorney yesterday. She's working up divorce papers. You should get served sometime next week."

"But I don't want a divorce," she said quietly.

"And I don't want a cheating slut for a wife," I told her. "Don't worry, I'm letting you keep the house, unless you want to sell it. Either way is good for me. And your credit card no longer works."

"I know," she said. "I found out this morning when I tried to pay for gas. I had to use cash. So tell me, what did you do to the house yesterday?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I said. "I simply came by to get some more of my things. Especially my guns and my computer. Tell me, what happened?"

"Well, Jake and I were enjoying a cigarette in the bedroom before going to bed," she said. "I know you don't like smoking in the house, but we figured you weren't coming back, so it wouldn't make any difference. Right after we ground our cigarettes out, we both started feeling a burning sensation. We started coughing and snot was hanging out of our noses. I knew you had done something, but I didn't know what it was."

"Well, I guess you won't be smoking in the bedroom anymore," I said. "So, what did you do? Go to Jake's apartment?"

"Yeah, we spent the night there," she said. "Nothing happened, though. Neither one of us were up to it by then."

"That's just too fucking bad," I told her sarcastically. "So, what are you doing now?"

"I'm going back to air out the place and clean up the bedroom," she said. "Look, I know things are over between us, but I was wondering, is there any way we can at least part as friends?" I couldn't believe the nerve of this woman. I set my fork down and looked at her before saying anything.

"Friends?" I asked. "You did the worst possible thing a woman can do to someone she claims to love. You betrayed my trust and broke my heart by fucking my boss. In my house and in my bed. And you have the damn gall to ask if we can be friends? Let me tell you something, bitch. Right now, it's taking everything I have to keep from killing you right here with my bare hands." Her eyes grew wide as I spoke and her face turned white.

"Don't you have any feelings for me at all?" she asked, a tear streaming down her face.

"Yeah," I said. "I used to love you with all my heart. Not any more. As much as I used to love you, that's how much I hate you right now."

"You hate me?" she sniffed.

"With every fiber of my being," I told her. "And you'd better tell Jake if he fucks with me, I'll rip his fucking dick off and feed it to the dogs." Alice recoiled as I spoke. She had never seen this side of me before. She grabbed her purse and stood up. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to finish my breakfast in peace. Right now, the sight of you makes me sick to my stomach."

"I... I'm sorry, Tom," she sobbed before she turned and left. I watched her get into her car and drive off. Good riddance to bad trash, I thought to myself. I couldn't help but smile, though, knowing they hadn't encountered the CS I sprinkled on the bed...

I spent the rest of the day doing pretty much nothing. I drove around, walked in the park, then ended up watching a game in a bar while nursing a couple beers. I thought about going to the house to get more of my stuff, but reconsidered, not knowing how I could handle being around Alice. Afterward, I went back to the motel and got my stuff together for the trip to Jonesboro.

I heard from Alice once, on Tuesday after she was served divorce papers at work. She wasn't very happy and felt humiliated when the process server said she was being served divorce papers for her adultery.

"How could you humiliate me like that?" she asked.

"How could you humiliate me by fucking my boss, bitch?" I snarled back at her before ending the call. I also got a threatening email from Jake, which I forwarded to Jon. Jon wrote me back, saying not to worry about Jake.

"If all goes well, he'll be gone by the end of the week," Jon said. Good, I thought. He can take the slut with him.

And now, I'm getting ready to head back. In a way, it's probably good that I wasn't in town to deal with the cheaters these last few days. There's no telling what I might've done. Looking at the clock, I saw that it was nearing 5:00 am, so I decided to take a shower, grab some breakfast and head back.

I was on the road heading home about 6:30 on Thursday. I had a fairly lengthy drive ahead of me, so I used the time to unwind. As I approached my home town, I turned on the radio to my favorite local station, hoping to hear the morning news.

"At least one person is reported dead and another in critical condition after firefighters responded to an incident on Old Mill Road," the announcer said. Old Mill Road? That's the road where my house is, I thought. I turned up the volume and listened further.

"According to reports, an explosion tore off the second story of an old farmhouse on Old Mill Road late Wednesday night," the announcer added. "Firefighters responded, but were unable to control the blaze. Two persons were pulled from the house. One was pronounced dead at the scene. It's not known what started the fire."

I had a bad feeling about this and decided to swing by the house, just in case. When I got there, I was shocked at what I saw. The house was completely destroyed. All that remained were smoking ruins and the brick fireplace. I saw two vehicles by the shop. One was Alice's and the other appeared to be Jake's. The shop where all my tools were located appeared to be untouched. I pulled into the driveway and was stopped by a couple of firefighters.

"I'm sorry, sir, but you're going to have to leave," one of them told me. I pulled out my license and showed it to them.

"This is my house," I said. "I've been in Jonesboro since Sunday. What happened?"

"Someone reported an explosion late last night," the firefighter said. "We got crews here as fast as we could, but it was too late."

"I heard on the radio that two people were pulled out," I said. "My wife was here last night. What happened to her?"

"Well, sir," the firefighter said. "A woman was pulled out of the house. She was pretty badly injured and was taken to the burn center at the hospital in town. I don't know who she was and I haven't gotten any updates on her condition."

"And the other person?" I asked. The firefighter looked down before shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, sir, he didn't make it," the firefighter said. I nodded my head.

"What caused this?" I asked, pointing at the remains of the house. The firefighter looked at the pile of burned rubble and shook his head.

"Not sure just yet," he said. "We're still investigating. You may want to contact your insurance company." I nodded my head and pulled out. I got to my motel and called Jon to tell him the news.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Tom," he told me. "Just so you know, the Board agreed to terminate Jake's employment yesterday. He was going to be fired today. Why don't you go by the hospital and check up on Alice? Take the rest of the day off."

"Thanks," I told him. "I'll see you tomorrow." I went to the hospital and found the ward where Alice had been taken. I spoke briefly to the nurse on duty and gave her my insurance information. That's when I learned she had second and third-degree burns covering more than half of her body.

"She's lucky to be alive," the nurse said.

"Can I see her?" I asked.

"Not right now," the nurse said. "We've got her on antibiotics and she's been sedated. The doctor says she's probably going to need skin grafts."