How High a Price - The Mouse Roared

History. Many moons ago Troubador wrote a story called How High a Price. Over the next few years Longhorn_07, WritingDragon, FTDS, BDad, AndrewPeters, E.Z.writer, Incoming and Cobbler1023 all wrote sequels. Most are worth reading if you haven't already. I have to say I found the concept of the original offensive and was unsatisfied by all the sequels, apart from FTDSs. Below is my take on things.

For those who like a gentle, reconciliatory ending, um, there's nothing for you here. Either stop now or read on and abuse me via comments afterwards. Likewise, if you don't like sequels, don't read.

If you read Troubador's well written original and were as offended as me, read on.

As this is a sequel and the original was set in the US, I have attempted to remove all trace of Australian spelling and idioms. In preparation, for the last week I have talked funny and driven on the wrong side of the road. My case comes up next week.

I did try to get Troubador's blessing for this but he didn't respond.

++++++++++++++++++++++

Sue walked into the room and sat down across the table from Jennifer who slid a cup of coffee across to her. In a voice slightly raised above the hubbub in the room Jen says.

"White and one wasn't it?"

"You remembered Jen, thanks. And thank you for agreeing to see me."

"No sweat, ex-boss."

The two girls exchanged news of things at Sue's old office before Jen dragged the conversation to the reason they were both here.

"So, care to explain the train wreck boss?"

"Where did we get to last time?"

"Well, you'd just explained how you got back from John Stickner's place and found Early waiting for you."

"That's right. Well he went out and I made a big mistake. I got drunk. You know how aggressive I get when I'm drunk. By the time Early got back I was steaming. I'd gone back to feeling that I'd done nothing wrong and was really upset that Early didn't understand. Not only that, but I was upset that I was feeling that he now had some sort of power over me. Later I realised that he didn't want me to grovel but I'd lost all my logic abilities at the time."

"So what happened?"

Susan looked embarrassed but plunged on.

"Well I laid into him, you know, verbally. I went straight to his manhood. Told him he was a lousy lover, that I faked all my orgasms and John was a better lover etcetera. It was crap of course, John was pathetic. Have you ever heard your mouth running off with what you know are cruel and hurtful things but can't stop yourself?'

"Every 28 days Sue."

"Yeah right. Exactly like that. Well Early tried to walk away but I just followed him, hammering him. God, I am so embarrassed about it now. If I could have my time over again, I would just put that bloody bottle down. Finally Early asked me to leave and I said 'Gladly' and picked up my car keys. Early took them off me. Said I was too drunk to drive. Well, what choice did I have? I called John to come and pick me up."

"Wasn't that a bit stupid Sue?"

"You're telling me. I tried to repair a bit of the damage until John got there but Early just wouldn't listen. In frustration, I'm afraid I laid into him some more. My poor darling just sat there like a whipped puppy. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, they did"

"Why, what happened then?"

"When John got there I suppose he just couldn't help himself. He had to rub Early's nose in it, you know, sneered at him, greeted him with, 'This must be your loser husband', and crap like that. I tried to stop him but I was too late. Early went for him but I grabbed a hold of his legs and told John to get out. He got out all right. Damn near broke the sound barrier on the way through the door. I ran out after him."

"What happened then?"

"Well, I went to John's place and cried on his shoulder all night. The next day I drove over to our place. Early wasn't there so I went in to get some clothes but there were none there. I looked out the window and there was all my stuff on the back lawn. He'd just opened the window and turfed it all out. I knew then that my marriage was over. It was such un-Early like behaviour. Then I remembered how John and I'd treated him the night before. I must have cried for an hour."

"And then?"

"I gathered up my clothes, got dressed and went to work. As soon as I got there we had the first half of this conversation, then you got the call that I was wanted on the top floor remember. I knew that after landing Melrose, this was it. Promotion and glory awaited. Well as you know that lasted five minutes. I should have known things weren't right when a security guard ushered me into HR. Early must have been up early that day. He interrupted the morning partner's meeting. I had no idea he'd recorded my confession."

"Yeah, I heard about that. Rumour was that they were fairly brutal."

"That's putting it mildly. They'd already terminated John and took his company car and cell off him. That's why he couldn't ring and warn me. Once HR told me I was terminated as well, the security guard escorted me to my office and watched while I cleared it. Oh Jenny, you'll never know how humiliating that was."

"I heard about it when I got back. What did you do then?"

"I went back to John's place and we both got drunk that time. At some stage I remember thinking, 'Why not'. John owned a huge house and was obviously rich. Sure he was 20 years older than me but why shouldn't I use the opportunity to trade up a bit. I think my logic was this. I'd thrown Early away for a few days with John so I'd better make it all worthwhile. Besides that, it would be one in the eye for Early and I wasn't feeling particularly generous to him at the time. The stupid things you do when you're drunk."

"Is that when you..."

"Yes. That's when I did something really stupid. I um. I er. I was doing John in the pool. He had nagged me before about doing anal but I'd shut him down. Early had never been there so I wasn't about to let John go in. Well I suppose I was in a bitch of a mood."

"You didn't?"

"I did, right there in the pool. God it hurt. I could only stand it at all as John's thing was so small. I can't remember if it was my idea or John's but we decided to ring Early as we were doing it. I realise now that was the second stupidest thing I have ever done in my life. In hindsight. I really believe that the marriage was salvageable until that conversation. Let's just say that Early didn't take it very well."

"He must have been really hurt, what did he say?"

"I still shudder to think of the pain I caused. He didn't answer the home phone of course so I rang his cell. As soon as he answered, John snatched the phone and told Early that he was buried in his wife's... er rectum. I pretended to moan and scream a bit. I heard John thanking Early for providing sex on tap for him. Then Early asked to speak to me. He asked me a question that I couldn't answer. He asked me, 'Apart from visiting your work this morning, what have I done to deserve last weekend and today?' Well, as I said, I couldn't answer could I. Even drunk I realised that this was all 100% my fault. Then he said something really chilling. He said, 'Do you really think I will let you live happily ever after, after what you have done to me?' There was just something about the way he said it that sobered me up on the spot. I pushed John away and just cried and cried. I tried ringing Early later but from then on he never picked up."

"Wow. I don't think I've ever heard of such effective relationship suicide before. I guess that and your red hair proves your Irish heritage."

"Yeah, talk now, think later."

"So, you'd written off your marriage and decided to honey trap John to live a life of luxury. Then what?"

"Well after about three days of Early not answering his phone, I needed more stuff from the house. John and I went round there when Early was at work. We couldn't get in as Early had changed the locks. Luckily John knew how to force one of the windows. There was hardly any damage. The next thing I know is the police turning up at John's house with a search warrant. Have you ever been arrested Jen? It's not pleasant. Eventually they had to let us go when I proved my name was on the title and I explained that John was there as an invited guest. What interested them most was that Early had reported his pistol stolen. I didn't realise the significance at the time but boy did I later. They didn't find it at John's house of course, neither of us touched it."

"Wow. Remind me never to piss Early off Sue."

"That was just the start. Three days later our old company served John with a law suit because they'd lost the Melrose account. Somehow Melrose found out about the affair and being a heavy Christian, acted quickly and decisively. They were going to sue me as well but couldn't as I was an employee. As a partner John was fair game. At first John wasn't worried, thinking he would be covered under his Professional Indemnity insurance. That particular bubble lasted another three days. Wilful negligence they called it. John was breaking the company's anti fraternisation policy at the time of our tryst, so they left him out in the cold."

"How much was the suit for."

"Four million. It only took John two weeks to negotiate that down to two and a half though. He decided to settle out of court. The trouble was he didn't have that kind of money handy. Even after he totally re-financed the house he was still a bit short. He said he had a few million in long term investments but that it would take him a few months to get hold of it. That's when he laid the guilt trip on me. He pointed out that our affair was all my idea and so I felt obliged to help him out. I wasn't surprised that there was only half our money left in my account. I gave John the whole $275,000 left in them. Well, not gave, lent. We drew up an agreement and everything. John put his copy in the safe and I hid mine in my suitcase."

"Tell me Sue, did Early file for divorce?"

"No, strangely not. Luckily I checked and he'd cancelled my car insurance and registration but nothing about a divorce. I was going to wait for him to do it so he had to cough up the money."

"I know there's more Sue. You didn't just screw John happily ever after."

"Don't joke like that Jen. No, I can't recall John and I ever having sex after that. Every time we went to do it he got this blinding headache. I mean, I thought it was women that did that. I think it was a psychosomatic response for him. He'd started to associate sex with me with bad things happening. It suited me though. Having sex with John by that stage was making me feel nauseous."

"Did you have any contact with Early after that?"

"Only when I left an abusive message on his phone after my mom rang. I didn't know it but John was bad-mouthing Early to my friends. I suppose in self-protection Early contacted all my friends and family. God it was bad Jen. He'd not only played them the recording of my confession and later abuse but shown them a video as well. I didn't know, of course, but when we'd rung Early from the pool, you know, during our performance, he'd been filming us. I've never seen it personally, but apparently it was obvious what was happening. God, I'd turned Early into a monster. "

"So how did your mom take it?"

"Not only my parents but most of my other family and friends disowned me. You included Jen."

"I know Sue. I felt pissed off. Not only for what you'd done to Early but the way you'd lied to me and deceived me as well. You know, lying to me that you were giving me the two days off as a reward when all along it was to get me out of the office in case Early rang."

"Yes, I'm sorry about that Jen."

"It's no longer a problem for me. So where did that leave you?"

"Without any family or friends. With only having John Dickhead Stickner for companionship. It got worse. Just about every time we went out to a restaurant or coffee shop we met someone we knew. They either ignored us or were downright rude. One of our old neighbors even spat at me, I mean, right in the restaurant. After a while we stopped going out."

"You should have known that Early was always popular Sue."

"Yes, I know, but none of it was my fault. Well, after that, stupid me got drunk again, rang Early and abused him. It turned out that he recorded the call. The next thing I know I've got a restraining order against me. Not allowed within 300 feet of Early or the house."

"So there you were, John and Sue against the world."

"Yeah, paradise. It wasn't long after that the phone calls started. John started going to bars on his own. Just about every night some girl or other would ring asking for him. One bitch even left a message saying she had to cancel their appointment that night. It was humiliating. He couldn't have sex with me because of the headaches but it didn't stop him having sex with every slut he could find."

"Yes, I can see that wouldn't make you happy. Did you have another job by then?"

"No. I had one bloody interview. One. I missed it when my car engine seized on the way there."

"They do say bad luck comes in threes."

"You're not wrong. The third one came that night. I'd decided to follow John when he went to the bar that night, you know, confront him with his cheating. He just sat and drank alone all night. I wasn't fooled though. I figured he'd seen me following him and was putting on his best behavior. Jenny, I'd never thought of it before, but when you go to live with someone you've had an affair with, there is no trust. You both know you are cheaters. Without trust all relationships are doomed. Listen to me, the wise woman. The best sight is hindsight"

"Was the third one the fire?"

"Yes. When I got back to John's place it was a heap of smoldering ash. We moved in to a motel and used what little money we had left to buy some clothes and other essentials. John couldn't remember who he'd insured with so he rang around. Eventually he found the one and they sent an assessor round. John went absolutely ballistic when the guy said they weren't going to pay out as it was a fraudulent claim. Apparently John claimed it was a brick house with a sprinkler system to get lower premiums. It was all wood and I never saw a sprinkler system. The guy also said that from the remains of the fuse box they could tell the fuses fitted were way too high an amperage. John yelled and screamed and threatened them with law suits but they stuck to their guns. They pulled out a copy of the online application John filled out. John told them he'd never taken out insurance online in his life so they pulled out a copy of the confirmatory letter they'd sent. John told them that as it was from a company he didn't deal with, he'd thought it was junk mail and thrown it away."

"Wow. Now that is bad luck. What did you do then?"

"Well, what choice did we have? John told me that it would be at least six months before he could access his long term investments. He talked me into going after Early's house so we had somewhere to live. Poor Early mustn't have known what hit him. I mean, two crack lawyers attacking him. He didn't stand a chance. I filed for divorce asking for the house and 75% of everything. I needed the house but the 75% was just a ploy to get him to settle quickly. We knew all the strings to pull to get it fast tracked and within three weeks served him with an order to vacate the house."

"Christ Sue, Early wouldn't have liked that."

"No. Don't remind me. I had a real bad conscience about it. After all it was my stupid mistake that started all this in the first place."

"But you never got the house did you Susan?"

"No the night after the Quit Property order was served on Early I tried to break off with John. He was still cheating on me and refusing to have sex. He agreed that we should part ways. When I asked him about the money he owed me he just laughed. He asked me if I had proof that he owed me money. Of course both copies of the agreement went up in smoke. Then to cap it off, he told me there were no long term investments and he was flat, stony broke."

"I did warn you that he was an asshole Susan."

"I know. I regret not listening to you now. I know you've always been a good judge of character Jenny."

"What happened then?"

"Well, I went for the little skunk didn't I? I was going to gouge his lying, cheating eyes out. But he just belted me didn't he. Knocked me out cold."

"Ah, that's what happened is it. He got 3-5 didn't he?"

"Yes and it couldn't have happened to a nicer asshole. I can't believe he fooled me so badly. I thought I'd always been a good judge of character. Enough about me anyway. Have you seen Early lately, how is he? You know I've sent him a few letters asking if now that we are even he can forgive me and take me back. He never replies, can't say I blame him really."

"Well, that's part of why I came to see you Susan. Early just got married again."

While Sue was trying to digest that shocking news, a man in uniform came over to the table.

"Okay ladies, visiting time is over in five minutes. When the bell goes, the rules are that the prisoner remains seated while the visitor leaves ok?"

Both girls nodded their understanding. Jennifer felt compelled to clean up some issues.

"You really have to admire what Early did don't you. His boss is a golfing buddy of Melrose so he introduced them. Early played them the recording of your confession. He also broke into John's house and used his phone to cancel his insurance policy, then used John's own computer and credit card to take out a new one with a different company. He put bigger fuses in the night he torched the house."

Susan was slack jawed with shock so Jenny continued.

"For the record, John's headaches were caused by Early swapping his Viagra for his father's nitroglycerine Angina tablets. Your car engine seized because someone put mothballs in your fuel tank and those phone calls from women were all the girls in Early's office."

Finally recovering, Susan gasps, "He wouldn't do that. Not my sweet, gentle Early."

"Yes, but the monster you created would. Also for the record, you are here because you weren't satisfied with totally humiliating your loyal husband. You just had to threaten to take his house and just about everything else off him as well. A lesson for next time Susan. Even a mouse will come out swinging if you back it into a corner and give it no escape route."

"How...how do you know all this Jen?"

"Actually, the fraudulent insurance policy idea was mine. He just wanted to cancel the old policy but I convinced him that would look suspicious."

At that moment the bell rang and Jennifer struggled to her feet. Susan stared at her swollen belly that until this moment had been hidden by the table.

"What is that?"

"Oh, I forgot. Susan, I'd like you to meet Early Jnr. Goodbye Susan."

As she was hustled back to her cell, Susan's mind was in turmoil. All this time she'd thought of her prison time as almost justified payback for the wrongs she'd done her husband. Early, her quiet, gentle, mouse. Now she'd found out that everything that had happened to her was orchestrated by a man whom she'd once thought of as being completely free from malice. Well, the mouse had roared all right. She cast her mind back to what led here.

Susan was the first to admit that her final demise was a masterful piece of manipulation by Early. After her release from hospital she'd finally fully realised how she'd wronged him. Leaving a message begging to let her talk to him, she'd been pleasantly surprised when he'd invited her over that afternoon. Driving straight to her old house she'd walked up to the front door in a buoyant mood. Noticing a large sign on the wall next to the door saying. 'Cheating slut no longer lives here', she'd lost it again. Shouting, 'I'll get that asshole', she'd barged in the front door. Early was standing in the lounge and as soon as she walked in, he threw something towards her. On reflex she caught it and was very surprised to find herself holding a pistol.