A Good Friend

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea."

He stood up. "I'm really sorry you had to be dragged into all this."

"If that's supposed to be an apology, I don't need one. I care about you deeply, and I'd do anything to help."

He smiled gratefully. "I'd better get back home to see how Melanie's doing." He started to leave, then turned and gave Jeri a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for being such a good friend. Your being there for us through all this has really meant a lot to me."

When Adam got home, he was pleasantly surprised to find Melanie in a much more cheerful mood. She was even more upbeat the next morning, getting up early to have breakfast with her husband.

"This is a real treat, Melanie. I don't get to see you very often before I leave for work."

"Well, I didn't want you to get away this morning without having the chance to say 'I love you,'" she told him with a kiss. "Oh, by the way," she added, "I wanted to be sure to let you know that I'm going to a lecture on campus tonight. A couple of the girls and I are going to grab a bite to eat afterwards, so I'll probably be home pretty late."

"Sure, Mel, that's fine. We've got plenty of leftovers in the refrigerator, so I can grab something to eat here."

"Thanks, honey. I'll probably come home after classes to drop off my school stuff and change clothes. If I don't see you then, have a good evening."

Knowing that Melanie would be out, Adam stayed late at the office. For a change, things were starting to look up with the business. A big potential customer really liked the samples of the new product, and Adam was hopeful they might place a trial order.

At least that's one thing that's looking up. Now if I could just get a handle on whoever's playing email games with Mel and me.

He was still thinking about the mysterious "Good Friend" when he walked in the house. As he started to head back to the bedroom, he noticed Melanie's laptop sitting out on the table. I guess she didn't need it for the lecture.

Then he remembered Jeri's suggestion. I wonder if she's still logged in to her email. If she is, I ought to check to make sure she hasn't gotten anything new from that creep.

The laptop came to life when he opened the case. There was no email page open, so he clicked on the Gmail link to see if she was logged in. When he did so, a window popped open inviting him to Choose an Account. He saw Melanie's email, but she had signed out so he started to close Gmail. Before he could do so, he noticed a second account underneath her regular email, and when he looked at it more carefully, he froze in disbelief. The account name was "A Good Friend".

"What the hell?" he exploded as he stared at it. He tried to open it, but Google required him to "Enter your password." Not knowing the password, he closed the tab, then sank onto a chair, trying to comprehend what he'd just seen.

How could she have an email account with that name? I know Gmail won't let two users have the same account name. But that would mean that Melanie was the one who sent those other emails! Why would she do that? Why would she send me an anonymous email accusing herself of having an affair?

It took only a moment for the answer to come to him. It must have been a diversion! She wanted me to go chasing after some gay professor in South Dakota because she's having an affair with someone else!

Then another thought hit him like a punch in the gut. Her trip to Florida! When I showed her the email, she pretended to get so upset with me. She told me she was going to visit her mother, that she needed time away from me. Now I wonder if she even saw her Mom.

Quickly he pulled out his cellphone and pressed the number for his mother-in-law. When the older woman answered, he made polite conversation for a minute and then said, "Say, Melanie and I were thinking about coming down for a visit next month. Would that be too soon to see us again?"

"Too soon? I haven't seen you two in ages. Please come on down whenever you can."

He ground his teeth in anger. "Okay, great. We'll get back in touch when we've got a firm date." After saying goodbye, he broke the connection and swore. Son of a bitch! I wonder where Melanie really went. And more important, I wonder who she went with. Son of a bitch!

Then he remembered the latest email, the one that Melanie got. What was that all about? Dammit, it must have been another diversion, to take my mind off her while she - while she goes out to "lectures with her girlfriends!" Why that sneaky, lying bitch!

That made him wonder what she was wearing when she went out for the evening. He hurried back to their bedroom and began pawing through his wife's lingerie. It was hard for him to remember everything Melanie owned, and he almost gave up. But a sudden suspicion gripped him, and he went back to check for one more item: her garter belt. It was missing. Angrily he searched for the matching bra and panties, but they too were gone. Out to dinner with her girlfriends, hunh?

He put everything back the way it was and then went back to the kitchen table to think. "So you like diversion and deception? Well, two can play that game!"

He was still seething when Melanie got home after midnight, but he pretended to be asleep when she tiptoed into the bedroom. It was all he could do not to get up and confront her when he heard the shower come on. Who knew going to a lecture was such sweaty work? he thought bitterly.

The next morning Adam got up extra early and left for work before Melanie was awake. Beside the coffee pot he left a note for his wife. "Hope you enjoyed the lecture last night. I had to go in to work early for a meeting, and I may be late tonight, so don't wait up for me."

It truly was a busy day for Adam, but his meetings were not with customers or suppliers. At lunch time, he did a little shopping, and then went home with some of his purchases to make a few preparations. After that he went to two more appointments that took the rest of the afternoon. When he was finished, he went out to dinner and a movie to kill some time. Melanie was already asleep when he crawled into bed, being careful not to wake her.

When she arose the next morning, however, she found her husband waiting for her. "I thought you'd be long gone to work by now, honey," she said, gratefully accepting the cup of coffee he handed to her.

"I wanted to be sure to see you this morning because I've got to catch a flight to Detroit at noon. I'll be gone for a couple of days, calling on some potential customers."

"This is new: you don't have to travel very often. So, when do you think you'll be back?"

"Not till Friday evening, at the earliest. And if things go well, I might not leave there until Saturday morning. Will you be okay here while I'm gone?"

She gave him a bright smile. "Don't worry about me. I'm sure I can find something to do while you're gone."

"Okay. Just be sure to stay away from our 'Good Friend' while I'm gone."

Her face darkened. "That's not funny, Adam."

"Sorry. You're right: it's not funny." Then he gave her a wave, grabbed his suitcase and headed for his car. As he pulled out of the driveway, he scowled. She didn't even notice I didn't say 'I love you.' I'll bet she's already making plans to get together with her lover again. Now I just need a little diversion to make sure her get-together is here at home.

Instead of going to the airport, Adam left his office at lunchtime and drove to the university. After parking off campus, he walked briskly toward the Graduate School of Business. He had shed his usual sports coat and slacks; now he was dressed in jeans and a hoodie. Over his shoulder was slung a cheap backpack.

Keeping his head down, he made his way to the reading room of the Business School library. The few students who were there paid no attention as he casually stepped behind a rack of periodicals. Once out of sight, he pulled out a string of the largest firecrackers he had been able to buy, lit the extra-long fuse he'd attached to them, and dropped them into a metal recycling container. Then he casually strolled to the nearest door, propped it open with the backpack and exited.

Once outside, he extracted the burner phone he'd acquired the previous day and called Campus Security. "You better come quick: there's a shooter at the Business School!" he shouted excitedly when his call was answered. "I think there may be several of them! They're still firing!" Then he held the phone up toward the library, and seconds later the string of fireworks began to go off. He broke the connection and hurried across campus to his car as sirens began screaming and people began running in all directions.

He was parked out of sight in his neighborhood and watching from a vantage point when he saw his wife's car pull into his driveway an hour later. Then a second car pull up behind her, and a male figure emerged. "In times of danger, there's no place like home," Adam muttered with a humorless grin. Then he got in his car and drove to the motel where he'd booked a room. Late that evening he made one more trip through his neighborhood to make sure that the second car was still in his driveway. Then he returned to his room and tried to get some sleep.

When the adulterous pair came out of the house the next morning, they were startled to find Adam lounging against the door of the stranger's car. "Omigod, Carl, it's my husband!" Melanie gasped when she recognized him. "I thought you were in Detroit," she blurted out, then caught herself, realizing how that sounded. "Honey, this isn't what it looks like. Carl just dropped by to . . ."

"Just stop, Melanie. Every time you open your mouth, all you do is lie. I don't want to hear it anymore." He grimaced and gestured at the two of them. "This is exactly what it looks like. I know you both spent the night here, and I have a recording of everything you said and did together. So stop talking and listen." He grabbed the manila envelope tucked under his arm and thrust it towards her. "I'm suing you for divorce on the grounds of adultery. You'll find my lawyer's name and number inside. Get your own lawyer and have him contact mine. But don't bother trying to contact me, because after what you've done, I don't intend to see or speak with you ever again."

"No, honey, don't talk that way. This was just a mistake, a one-time thing. We can work it out, I promise . . ."

"I said stop lying!" he roared. "It's not a one-time thing - you've been fucking him for weeks. And it sure as hell wasn't a mistake - you planned the whole thing in advance. I know you were the one who sent that email as a diversion so you could spend spring break together wherever the hell you went. And by the way, your mother wants to know why you haven't visited her lately. I guess you were so wrapped up with this piece of shit" - he gestured at the sullen man - "that you never even made it by to see her." He paused to shift his attention to Melanie's lover. "Oh, yes, that reminds me." Adam quickly pulled out his cellphone and took several photos of the startled man.

When he realized what was happening, the man snarled, clenched his fists and took a menacing step toward Adam. Immediately, Adam reached into his jacket pocket and pulled his hand out far enough to reveal the butt of an automatic. "Ah, ah, ah," he said calmly, "I wouldn't do that if I were you. I have no intention of wrecking my life by murdering you, but I'd be delighted if you'd give me the chance to shoot you in self-defense."

"Whoa, whoa!" The man put his hands up and took a step backwards.

Adam turned back to Melanie with a sneer. "Looks like your boyfriend is a lover, not a fighter." Then his voice grew cold and cruel. "Get what you need from the house and then get out, Mel. Don't be here when I come back. I wasn't kidding when I said I never want to see you again."

"Adam, please," she wailed. "I never meant for it to be this way."

He ignored her and walked to his car as she sank to the driveway and began sobbing into her hands.

On the way to his office, Adam stopped by a dumpster and tossed the burner phone in, along with the toy automatic he'd had in his pocket. "I'm sure glad they make these things look so realistic," he said with a humorless laugh.

When he got back to his desk, Adam used his cellphone to send an email with one of the photos he'd taken. To his surprise, he got a return phone call only minutes later.

"This is Doctor Mayfair. Did you just email me a photograph?"

"Doctor Mayfair, I'm sorry to impose on you again, but by any chance do you recognize the man in the photo? I believe his first name is 'Carl.'"

"The woman standing next to him - is that your wife?"

"My soon to be ex-wife, I'm afraid."

"A very pretty woman. I believe I had her in one of my classes last year. As for the man beside her, I do indeed recognize him. His name is Carl Mannheim. It just so happens that he's one of my advisees."

"Carl Mannheim. That's good to know, Doctor. I'm afraid I have a score to settle with your Mr. Mannheim."

"So he was the snake who tainted your Garden of Eden."

"Yes, in a manner of speaking, but I'm afraid my 'Eve' was far from innocent."

"I see. Very interesting. Well, I'm glad I've been able to assist you, although I'm sorry that the outcome was not what you desired."

"Thank you, Doctor. I appreciate you time and your assistance, despite the way things worked out."

"Well, good luck, my boy, and don't give up hope. Things have a way of working out for the best. Take it from one who has been there and made it to the other side."

Adam - Two Months Later

Adam sat across from his attorney and fumed. "Have you heard from Melanie's attorney yet? Where do we stand on the divorce?"

"Yes, I talked with Hannah Montrose yesterday, and she sent over Melanie's counter-proposal today. The good news is that Melanie has decided not to fight the divorce any more. Apparently, after Hannah heard the recordings you made in your home, she persuaded your wife not to risk having those played in court. But the bad news is now that Melanie has accepted that the marriage is over, she seems determined to extract as much out of you financially as she can possibly get."

"Damn! She lies and cheats on me, and when she gets caught she expects me to pay her for the privilege. It just doesn't seem fair. Well, what does my cheating wife want?"

"Normally, I'd expect to see a request to divide all your assets. But in this case there isn't much to divide: you're renting your home, you have no retirement plan and there's very little in savings. The only asset you have is the equity in your business, which is operating at a loss. Apparently, she's expecting it to fail, so she's only asking the court for alimony."

"I certainly appreciate her vote of confidence in me," Adam snapped sarcastically. "So how much alimony does she want?"

"A lot more than we proposed." The attorney handed a sheet to his client.

Adam looked at it and gasped. "This is ridiculous! She knows I can't afford that. If I have to shell out that much every month, I'll basically be liquidating my business to pay her."

"What can I say? Melanie is refusing to negotiate, so that's what Hannah will be proposing to Judge Abernathy."

"Well, I'm not going to roll over and give Melanie that much money without a fight. We'll just have to take our chances in court."

"Alright, Adam, I understand where you're coming from. But remember: Judge Abernathy has absolute authority. You'll be stuck with whatever he decides."

Almost exactly a month later, Adam sat in the courtroom, waiting uneasily. After both attorneys had presented their cases, Judge Abernathy had taken a recess.

"How do you think it's going?" Adam whispered to his attorney.

"I don't have a clue. It could go either way, or the judge could decide on some compromise."

Seconds later, they were ordered to rise as Judge Abernathy made his return to the courtroom. When they were seated again, the judge summoned the opposing attorneys to approach the bench. "I assume your clients haven't changed their positions on the financial settlement?"

The two counselors exchanged glances. "No, your honor."

"Very well. Before I render my decision, I'd like to ask Mrs. Weatherby a few questions."

Hannah Montrose looked startled, but then she smiled and gestured for Melanie to come forward. "It'll be okay," she whispered to her client. "Don't forget to address him as 'Your Honor.'"

Adam's attorney took his seat and leaned over to Adam. "It's usually not a good sign when the judge wants to hear more from the other side."

Adam watched sourly as his soon-to-be ex-wife took the stand. The suit she was wearing was conservatively cut, yet it was tailored enough to show off her figure to good advantage. He noticed the judge watching Melanie and shook his head. "I think we're screwed," he whispered to his attorney.

The judge glance over the papers in front of him and then turned to face the woman now seated in the witness box. "So, Mrs. Weatherby, it appears that the only issue dividing the two of you is the amount of alimony to be awarded. Your proposal seeks an amount substantially higher than your husband has offered."

"That's correct, Your Honor."

"And what is your rationale for the figure you're proposing?"

"We're asking for the higher amount in recognition of my years of marriage and the fact that I will be having to start my life over basically from scratch, Your Honor."

"I see. Yet Mr. Weatherby says that his only source of income is the company he started, which is still operating at a loss. What makes you think Mr. Weatherby can afford the financial support you've proposed?"

"Your Honor, we contend that Adam has been deliberately reducing his true income by pumping funds into his business. He could easily pay the alimony I'm requesting simply by modestly adjusting his current investment level."

"Hmm. The audited financial statement shows a negative cash flow."

"Your Honor, Adam's accountants can manipulate the numbers to show any outcome they want."

The judge raised his eyebrows. "You're saying the financials are fraudulent?"

Melanie's attorney paled and shook her head emphatically. Melanie noticed and quickly caught herself. "No, Your Honor, not at all. It's just that earnings can be deferred and investments accelerated and still remain within generally accepted accounting principles. He's over-investing in his company, that's all."

Adam could feel his blood pressure rising. He leaned over and angrily whispered, "What a bitch! She knows that's not true. She's just trying to squeeze me to get what she wants, regardless of the consequences."

Meanwhile, Judge Abernathy had been reviewing the case summary in front of him. "We've focused on your husband's investments in his business so far, Mrs. Weatherby. From what I see here, it appears that Mr. Weatherby has also been investing heavily in you, or at least in your education."

"If you're referring to my MBA, Your Honor, it's true that Adam paid my tuition, but I'm the one who worked my . . . um, did the hard work on all the courses, took all the tests and wrote my thesis. I've worked night and day for the last two years, including last summer."

"And you've just graduated, is that correct?"

"Yes sir, I graduated with honors," she said proudly.

He nodded. "Very well, Mrs. Weatherby, that's all. You may be seated."

When Melanie was back beside her attorney, Judge Abernathy raised his glasses and surveyed both parties for a moment.

"After hearing all the evidence, I'm going to award Mrs. Weatherby the full amount of financial support she has requested."

Adam winced while Melanie leaned over and hugged her attorney, but the judge wasn't finished. "This financial settlement equates to a monthly sum that would enable Mrs. Weatherby to live quite comfortably without working for the foreseeable future. Yet she has just earned an advanced degree that should prepare her to attain a highly rewarding position in business. To give her a little extra motivation to use her high-priced education, I'm only going to award Mrs. Weatherby alimony for six months."