Janet's Christmas Eve Betrayal

"That was a wonderful story," the man said. "By the way, my name is Clarence. And you are?"

"My name is Janet."

"You are certainly lucky to have found such a fine man to marry," Clarence said with a smile.

Janet didn't smile, but she nodded. "Yes, I guess so."

An announcement caught Janet's attention. She realized that they were changing the gate where her flight would be leaving from. So, with a groan, Janet got up and grabbed her carry-on. She was surprised to see Clarence get up also.

"It appears that we are both on the same flight," Clarence said as he motioned for Janet to precede him.

The new gate area was mostly empty, so finding a seat would not be a problem. Janet picked a seat close to the boarding door. To her surprise, Clarence sat down next to her.

"I hope you don't mind," he said kindly. "I like to sit close to the boarding area. I hate having to push through all those people to get on the plane."

Janet indicated that she didn't mind. In fact, she was actually pleased to have someone close by that was calm and friendly. Janet knew that her heart had not stopped its rapid beating since she left the house, and her mind was still in turmoil. She began to fidget and sigh.

"If you don't mind my saying so, you seem quite agitated," Clarence said with a look of concern. "I know that traveling during the holidays can be very stressful. But you should adopt my philosophy. I can't control what the airlines do, so I just go with the flow. It makes traveling so much less stressful."

"Oh, I'm not stressed by the flight," Janet blurted out before she knew what she had said.

"Well, something is obviously causing you some concern."

Janet nodded. "I'm just making a big change in my life, and I want everything to go well."

"Care to talk about it?"

"No, I really don't want to talk about it," Janet said quickly with a wave of her hand. "I'm afraid talking about it will just upset me more."

"Fair enough," Clarence acknowledged. "So, why don't we talk about something more pleasant. Why don't you tell me about your children? If they're anything like their father and you, I'm sure that they're wonderful."

"Oh, they are," Janet agreed right away. "Laura is eight and is my little mother's helper. However, I will say that her daddy is her favorite. She idolizes him. If he's away on a trip, Laura will run to the front door when she hears his car pull into the driveway. Then she'll leap into his arms and smother him in kisses. Laura is a good student and very protective of her brother. Although, I not sure her brother, Ty, appreciates all of this attention. But I do know that he loves his sister. One time, when Laura broke her arm, Ty insisted that we let him sleep on the floor next to Laura in case she needed anything during the night. Ty's my little man, but he idolizes his father also. Kevin takes the kids everywhere he can. And they both love these outings with their father."

"That's beautiful," Clarence said. "It warms my heart to hear about such a loving family. These days, so many families are anything but loving."

Janet successfully fought back the tears that had begun to form when she thought about the fact that, after the divorce, Kevin wouldn't be able to take the kids on those impromptu trips. She was starting to have second thoughts when her cellphone rang. It was a number she didn't recognize.

"Hello," Janet answered tentatively.

"Hello, darling," Barry said. "I can tell by the background noise that you're at the airport. It won't be long now, and we'll be together forever. I love you so much. Oh, and I've got a surprise for you. I found out that my secretary booked you on an economy ticket. I've had that upgraded to first-class. Save this number in your phone. My son managed to drop my cellphone into the toilet, so this is my new number. I've got to go; I love you."

"I love you, too," Janet responded and put her phone away.

"Your husband?" Clarence asked.

Janet hesitated for a second or two before nodding her head. She didn't want to try to explain to this stranger what she was doing. It was no one's business but hers and Barry's. But as soon as that thought popped into her head, Janet realized that it was Kevin and her children's business as well.

As Janet was putting her phone away, she heard Clarence say, "I'm sorry if I appear to be overly inquisitive. People are always saying that I'm nosey buttinsky. I hope I haven't offended you."

"No, you haven't offended me at all," Janet said, not understanding why Clarence would feel that way.

"So, you're meeting your husband in New York for the holidays?" Clarence pressed on now that Janet had basically given him a green light to continue.

"Yeah, something like that," Janet said and then clarified. "I mean, we're not spending the holidays in New York."

"Tell me about your husband," Clarence said with a chuckle as he folded his paper up and put it in his briefcase. "He sounds almost too good to be true. Your husband must have some faults. Certainly, there are things that he does that must annoy you. I have a friend who gets in the damnedest arguments with his wife because he forgets to put the cap back on the toothpaste. For some reason, as hard as he tries, every so often, he forgets."

Janet thought for a long moment and then shook her head. "He doesn't have very many faults. Of course, he does spend too much time at work. And then, sometimes, he will take the kids out for an adventure when there are things that should be done at home."

"Oh, he works too much and is off playing with the kids, neglecting the household chores. I've known husbands who do that, and it does cause friction."

"No," Janet protested. "Maybe he works too much. But Kevin does his fair share of household chores. He just doesn't get them done right away. But they're usually done within a few days." Janet paused for a moment and chuckled. "And as for taking the kids out, he always brings me a prize when they come home."

Clarence looked confused. "Forgive me, but I don't understand why that would be a fault. I mean, I understand the work part. Some men are married to their jobs, but it doesn't sound like your husband is one of those. Despite whatever he has going on at home or at work, your husband gets the chores done in a reasonable amount of time. He also takes the kids out to give you some peace and quiet. And, at the end of the day, he brings you a present."

"Yes, I guess so," Janet admitted but was determined to show that Kevin had faults. "But recently, my daughter the flu, and I had to take four days off from work to stay with her. He didn't offer to stay with her at all."

"I can see where that would be very annoying. Parenting is normally supposed to be a fifty-fifty proposition. Of course, there are occasions when one parent or the other can't take the time. But you're absolutely right; he should have offered to split the time."

Janet didn't say anything more about that because she was thinking about all of the times that Kevin had taken personal days when the kids were sick. Still, this time he hadn't done anything. In her mind, Janet was telling herself that Barry would have taken time to help her.

"What does your husband do for a living?" Clarence asked.

"He's a civil engineer and sometimes acts as a project manager. He works for Lowenstein Brothers."

"I've heard of them," Clarence said, impressed. "They're one of the biggest engineering firms in the state. Your husband must be a fine engineer because Lowenstein only hires the best."

"I suppose so," Janet answered absently. "However, he's been doing a lot of traveling lately, and I find that annoying. Everything falls on my shoulders when that happens."

"I just remembered," Clarence said smacking, his head, "I just read about a job that Lowenstein Brothers had taken on. It was a project caused by that earthquake in California. While the quake wasn't a major one, it did damage about a dozen bridges. Anyway, Lowenstein sent a team of engineers to assess the damage, design the repairs, and supervise the work. The article quoted one county engineer as saying the repaired bridges were now actually stronger than before. The article also pointed out that the work was done in record time and well under budget. Your husband works for an excellent company."

Janet suddenly realized that Kevin must have been part of the team that went to California. But he had never said anything other than it was a repair job. That probably explained the bonus he got that was put into the kid's college fund.

"Clarey, I thought I'd find you here," a voice called out. Janet looked up to see a man standing in front of them. He had a stocky build and appeared to be in his forties. He was wearing a dark blue blazer with the name Bridge Haven stitched on the pocket.

"Steve," the elderly man smiled up at him, "nice to see you. You didn't have to come looking for me. I was planning on coming back tonight anyway. I don't know why my family gets so worried. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"You know that, and I know that," Steve said with a chuckle, "but, apparently, your daughters don't want to know that. Anyway, they want you home for Christmas."

Janet looked back and forth between Steve and Clarence. Suddenly, she was very uneasy sitting next to this man. It sounded like he had escaped from somewhere.

Seeing her discomfort, Steve sought to calm her fears. "No need to be worried, ma'am. Clarey lives in Bridge Haven. It's an upscale assisted living facility, where he has his own house. However, Clarey gets bored from time to time and takes off. He's free to do whatever he wants, but his daughters get worried when he goes off on one of his trips. Usually, he comes back by himself, but since it's so close to Christmas, his daughters asked me to round him up and bring him home."

"I apologize if I've caused you any worry," Clarence said sincerely as he rose. "Steve is right; I get bored with my neighbors at Bridge Haven and go looking for more interesting people. This time of year, I find the most fascinating people here at the airport. I truly hope I haven't alarmed you in any way."

Janet relaxed and then smiled at Clarence. "No, not at all. And I have enjoyed our talk."

Clarence reached his hand out and shook Janet's.

"Before I go," Clarence said with concern on his face, "I just want to say that when we first met, you seemed very agitated and unsure about something. If you can forgive an old buttinsky, I'd like to give you a little advice. If you're truly unsure about what you're going to do, then don't do anything until you're absolutely certain it's best. I strongly urge you to sleep on it before making any important decisions."

Janet watched as Clarence and Steve walked off. But Clarence stopped and looked back. "Remember, be very sure before you make any radical decisions in your life."

"I promise. I'll sleep on it," Janet said while knowing that wasn't going to happen.

Once the two men were out of sight, Janet sat back and tried to process what Clarence had said. He was a very perceptive man, but he didn't know anything about her. She had made up her mind what was best for her and for her children. Janet looked up at the gate board and saw that her flight had been delayed forty-five minutes. Fortunately, that didn't matter because the flight to Europe wouldn't be leaving until tomorrow afternoon.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Janet started to remember all the good times she and Kevin had together. They had struggled early on in their marriage but had always supported each other. But now Janet felt she had no more to give. The life that Barry could provide was what she wanted for herself and her two children. It promised a life of happiness, security, and freedom from worry.

Before she knew it, Janet heard the announcement that the flight was beginning to board. With her newly confirmed first-class ticket on her phone, Janet made her way onto the plane. As the flight attendants were pampering her, she felt better about her decision. But Janet still hadn't completely reconciled it in her head. But Janet finally told herself that she deserved the life that Barry was offering, and she was going to take it.

Barry was waiting for her in New York with a bouquet of flowers. Then they went out to an expensive restaurant for dinner. At the hotel, he gently suggested that they sleep together. At this point, Janet reasoned, she had burned all her bridges, so why not.

The lovemaking was good but not spectacular. Barry had been kind and gentle but not very skillful, which Janet thought was due to this being their first time. In the morning, he was very loving, and they toured around New York City.

After lunch, Janet called the house to talk to the children. Even though she dreaded it, Janet knew she had to talk to Steve at some time. She would do that after talking to her children.

"Hello," Kevin answered.

"Kevin, it's Janet. Could I talk to the kids, please?"

"No, I don't think so," Kevin said curtly. "They cried all morning because you weren't here. They wanted to know why their mommy didn't love them anymore. And if your letter wasn't enough, your asshole boss had me served today with divorce papers."

"Kevin, I'm so sorry, that wasn't supposed to happen today. Someone must have messed up."

"Oh, that's fucking wonderful!" Kevin exploded. "That's supposed to make me feel better. I don't recognize you anymore, Janet. You've become a self-centered bitch. I think that accident shook a screw loose in your brain. And just so I'm perfectly clear, you're not getting the kids. If I have to, I'll fight you in every court in the land. And if I lose, I'll take the kids and disappear. So, fuck off and have a miserable life. Don't ever call here again.

Janet was in shock and burst into tears when she realized that Kevin had hung up.

"What's wrong, Janet?" Barry asked as he came out of the bathroom.

"I just called home to talk to the kids, but Kevin wouldn't let me. He told me that he was going to fight for custody of the kids."

"Oh, that's not good," Barry said, shaking his head. "That's going to slow down the divorce, but don't worry, we'll win in the end. There's no doubt about that."

"But Kevin says that he isn't going to let me talk to my children."

"Don't worry about that either. I'll call Aaron and get him to file a petition to force your husband to let you talk to your kids. Everything is going to be fine."

But it wasn't fine. Kevin did fight for the custody of his kids. And the judge wouldn't issue a ruling on contact with the children until Janet was back in the United States.

Barry pressed Janet to go forward with the divorce while leaving the custody issue to be decided later. Janet finally agreed. The divorce only took about three weeks. Barry had pulled a bunch of strings to expedite it. Kevin did not contest the divorce part but reserved his claim for custody. Janet was sad when the divorce came through but extremely upset that the issue of custody was left hanging.

Barry and Janet were married in a beautiful chapel in Venice. But Barry's promise that Janet's kids would soon be joining their mother never happened. In fact, Kevin got full custody of the children, and Janet was limited to supervised visits once a month. Kevin had claimed that Janet suffered mental problems after her head injury. Barry's lawyer had challenged the claim, but the doctors who examined Janet testified that she was extremely stressed. They felt she was clinically depressed. Janet was devastated.

After that ruling, Janet had very little contact with her children. She didn't realize it at first, but Barry always seemed to have some excuse why Janet couldn't make her supervised visits. When Janet finally realized what he was doing and confronted him about it, he told her that she was there to take care of his kids. They were holy terrors who took an instant dislike to Janet. They gave her no respect and paid virtually no attention to anything she said.

After telling Barry she was going regardless, Janet tried to make it to her supervised visitations. However, by that time, Laura and Tyler didn't really want to see their mother. And Barry continued to do things that made it hard for Janet to make it to the visits. Because of their travel schedule, Janet missed several more visits. After about a half-dozen awkward and painful supervised visits, Janet realized she was fighting a losing battle. Finally, she gave up visiting when Laura and Ty told her they hated being forced to meet with her. Janet was crushed by her children's rejection.

When they returned to the United States after that Christmas holiday, Janet did move into Barry's mansion. And it was luxurious in ways that Janet hadn't even thought possible. Yes, they did have gold fixtures and an indoor swimming pool. But Barry was a different person. He paid less and less attention to her while he was frequently away on business.

Barry blew hot and cold after they were married. Eventually, Janet realized that all Barry really wanted was a mother to take care of his boys and be available to have sex with him.

About two years after they were married, Janet learned that Barry's first wife, Carla, had died of cirrhosis of the liver. Living with Barry had turned her into an alcoholic. She never drank for the first two years of the marriage because she was pregnant for both years. But after her second child was born, she had her tubes tied and drank until she died.

The years seemed to move by in the blink of an eye, and Janet came to realize what a true bastard Barry really was. At some point, Janet discovered that Barry had been cheating on her almost from the day they were married. At first, he was very discrete about his affairs, but as the years went on, he didn't try to hide them anymore.

After thirteen years of marriage, when both boys were out of the house, Barry divorced Janet. He no longer needed someone to mother his children. Not that there had been any love between Janet and the two boys. The only satisfaction that Janet got from the boys was that they both turned out to be horrible people who reflected badly on Barry. Both boys had been arrested several times. And each time, Barry had been able to get the charges dropped. However, now Edward had been arrested for raping a sixteen-year-old girl. This was one charge that Barry wasn't going to be able to get dropped. Edward had gotten the girl drunk and had sex with her while one of his friends videotaped it. Edward was going to jail for a long time. And Howard was also being looked at as a possible drug dealer. Janet knew that it was true. It was her that finally gave the police the information that would ultimately lead to his arrest.

The divorce had been a relief for Janet. To most people, the divorce settlement that Barry gave her seemed reasonably generous. He gave her the country house free and clear, the BMW, all the jewelry he'd given her, and three million dollars. But Janet knew that Barry had cheated her. If it had been a fair settlement, it should have been at least thirty million dollars and two or three houses. But Barry had threatened to destroy her if she didn't accept the offer.

Now drawing near to being forty-eight years old, Janet looked at herself in the mirror one day. Her hair was mostly gray, and she saw pronounced wrinkles on her face. Janet had put on ten or fifteen pounds and looked decidedly dowdy. She had a few acquaintances but no real friends. Barry had pretty much monopolized her life. And the only people she socialized with over the past thirteen years were Barry's friends or business associates.

After Janet had discovered Barry's cheating ways, she had decided that what was good for the goose was good for the gander. Janet had engaged in at least a dozen affairs, all of which left her terribly depressed. Janet was now on heavy doses of antidepressants and tranquilizers. And she drank way more than she should. She was miserable.