Fifth Anniversary Honeymoon Cruise Ch. 04

Julie sat on the end of the bed, softly sobbing as she asked, "Henry, do you think that they really have been sending these things back home? Did they really get in touch with Mark? What...what do you think will happen is this is spread around our office - or even the whole bank?"

For the first time in a while it was Henry calming Julie down. "I don't believe it for a minute. The internet service on this ship is so slow that it would be impossible to transmit the pictures they've had in these bulletins. This is nothing but a deliberate attempt to harass us - which is why I still believe that your husband is behind it! Who else would think that it's worthwhile? He certainly isn't on board, but he had to have arranged this somehow!"

"Well, whoever is doing it has succeeded! I...I know that this is adultery and I have hurt my husband horribly and being reminded of it like this is awful. But I deserve it!" Finally, she blotted her eyes and gave Henry a timorous smile. "Well, at least there were no provocative pictures with this one! My new suit kept my tits and hair hidden! Let's go down to the theatre. It's early but we can get good seats. I don't feel like staying here."

The following day was a typical last day of a cruise - sorry to see it end, but eager to get home. It was a very nervous day for Julie because tomorrow would tell her a great deal about her future. Julie had attended several of the seminars held on the "at sea" days including a wrap up that afternoon and actually had done some networking so the official reason for being on the cruise was satisfied. Henry didn't bother. They did a lot of things for the last time and after dinner they put their packed suitcases outside their door so they could be collected and removed to be taken to the terminal tomorrow and picked up there after disembarking. They left the suite to attend a last stage show and returned to their suite.

Suddenly, as they returned and came down the corridor, Henry let out a curse as he saw another envelope taped to the door. "Jesus Christ, they just won't quit, will they! Whoever is doing this should be shot! They've had us looking over our shoulders this entire damn cruise!"

However, as they reached their doorway, they saw that this envelope was different from the others. Instead of a blank, white surface, this one had "JULIE" in large print on it. As she nervously and apprehensively opened it, she pulled out a pretty "Happy Anniversary" card. She had been all too aware that this was August 23, but this was totally unexpected. It contained a trite message containing the usual platitudes, but a much more personal and painful note was written below.

"Dear Julie,

This has always been a very important day for us and tomorrow was to see us embarking or our long-planned fifth anniversary honeymoon cruise and, perhaps, starting a family. There are no words to tell you how regretful I am that it is not to be. It was just about a month ago that I tearfully said that our marriage was a wonderful thing but you killed it. I find myself every day with my eyes filled with smoke.

Mark"