Temptation Pt. 04

"I know we have a lot to talk about and work out, but I am willing to do anything for the sake of our family. I love you, only you, and really hope that if you will let me make it up to you; we can fix this... together."

Gary still had nagging demons pestering him, but for now he suppressed them. "Anna, honey, yes we have a lot to talk about. Let's wait until after Lilia goes to bed, okay?"

She nodded against his chest, getting his shirt wet with her tears that seemed to run non-stop. She had thought herself all cried out by now. They separated, eventually, and Gary took his things back to the bedroom. Anna sat back on the floor to finish playing with Lilia for a while, as Gary went back to change into something comfortable.

While in the bedroom, he saw his wife's phone and looked at the locked screen. She had some missed text messages, but they were from her sister Denise. None were from the asshole that he could tell, after unlocking it and checking her history. She had shown him some of the messages before he had left, and they were all deleted now. Part of him still wondered if they had been in contact, and she simply deleted them before he returned. He would have to learn to trust her again, no easy proposition.

After he emerged from the bedroom, the family had a nice time just lounging, and their normal Sunday routine somehow made its way into their lives again. When they were close, the scent of his body wash wafted under Anna's nose, and she silently said a thank you prayer to God that he was back with her, if only for a while. She again vowed that she would find a way to make things up to him, and to try to figure out why she had been so weak to give into Jake like she had. She at least recognized that it had been very uncharacteristic of her. She just didn't have a clue as to why.

That night they ordered in, having pizza and breadsticks. Lilia was still developing teeth, so she only had a breadstick and one of her microwavable kid focused cuisine meals. She was content to take her little spoon and get as much on herself, the table and her face as she did in her mouth. Gary and Anna ate, smiling at the perfect moment, temporarily forgetting about their problems.

After dinner, they all brushed their teeth together and put their little girl to bed, Gary promising her that he would be around in the morning. With Lilia in bed, the couple got out a bottle of wine and sat in the living room on the couch together. Anna took it as a good sign that he was willing to be close to her again.

"Anna, I have given our situation a lot of thought. I don't really know how things got so messed up so quickly... actually we have a few people to thank for setting things in motion that got us here, but I am still foggy about how we reacted to the scheming going on.

"First, let me say that I am sorry I never told you about Kendra before. She was a part of my past that I really thought had no bearing on our future, and to be honest, she freaked me out back then."

Gary went on to tell Anna about dating Kendra, and finding the book she had made about their future, including the pictures created of kids they were supposed to have. He shuddered again thinking about that day. Then he told her about seeing her at the club and basically dry-humping several guys on the dance floor.

"I had no idea..." was all Anna could reply.

"Yeah, well, now you can understand why I had to break it off with her, and why I feel so strongly about cheating. It HURTS!" Gary paused for a few seconds, thinking. "I still can't believe you fell for their shit..." as he shook his head, frustration and anger trying to bubble to the surface.

Anna said nothing. How could she? There were no words at that moment that would sound anything other than pathetic excuses. Gary continued, after recomposing himself.

"Secondly, while I'm still deeply hurt by the stuff that you went along with, I do want to forgive you. My worry right now is whether I can ever trust you again. You chose to cheat, you allowed yourself to be seduced, after believing other people over me, that I was fooling around on you. Earlier tonight, I had to wonder if you had been in contact with that asshole while I was gone... Do you see my point?"

"I know, and no, I haven't and won't be, contacting him ever again... I'm so..." she replied in a sniffle, head down.

"Don't say you're sorry! Anna, you did a terrible thing. You are GOING to get counseling, to try to figure out why you weren't stronger, BUT," he paused for unintended dramatic effect, "I honestly don't think you would've voluntarily gone out and cheated on me."

She looked up in surprise at his words, hope in her eyes.

"Gary, does this mean..."

"Anna, it means that I WANT to forgive you. Getting over all of this won't be easy, and I think we will probably need to get some counseling together as well. I'm willing to try, but we will have to work together, and you have no more chances for forgiveness. You KNOW how I feel about infidelity," he sternly reminded her.

"I also need to get even with Kendra; both to make her understand that she is no longer part of my life, and make her stay away from us. I have an idea, and will need your help, but am pretty sure you aren't going to like some parts of it."

Gary spent the next twenty minutes talking over his ideas with her, Anna nodding some of the time, crying at a few of his suggestions, and hugging him tightly at the end. She knew that her penance for what she had done would hurt, but it was not nearly as bad as the prospect of losing her family. She agreed to help Gary with his revenge, suppressing her tears after he laid out the plan.

They went to bed together, but did not make love. Gary was still having visions of that video that had been sent to him, and Anna wished for nothing more than the gentle touch of her loving husband. At least she was allowed in the same bed, she figured. Anna cuddled into Gary as they fell asleep, into a very familiar position. They both slept, but each had different nightmares.

*******************************

Anna woke up first, still wrapped around her husband from behind. She got up, and after relieving herself, went to start the coffee. She sat at the kitchen table and sipped her hot black coffee, wondering about some of the things that Gary had planned out.

"Can I go through with it? Will I be strong enough to make it out without making any more mistakes?" she quietly asked herself.

"Yes, you can," answered her husband from the doorway. He had silently been watching his life partner. "Aside from some recent mistakes, Anna you have always been one of the strongest people I have ever known."

"Heh, I wish I felt as if I was that strong," she replied.

Gary got a mug of coffee, adding his favorite flavored creamer to it, and sat across from his wife. They sipped the coffee and shared a look that needed no words. They were already starting the process of mending the wounds that had been inflicted on their relationship. Both recognized that it would take a team effort, but it seemed they were in it for the long haul.

Gary broke the silence first. "Okay, so today you begin the first phase of our plan. Are you still with me on this?"

With some trepidation, she replied. "Yeah... Yes, I am. Gary, I told you I would do anything you asked of me, and I will. I'm a little worried about some parts, but will have to pull on my big girl panties to get through some bits of it, that much is clear."

"I trust... ermmmm, I KNOW you can do it, Anna. If you have any problems throughout the day, text or call me, okay?"

Gary knew trust was the wrong word, and was mad at himself for his unintentional slip. He USED to be able to trust her and her abilities, but didn't really have to remind himself that she had given him cause to question that trust.

She nodded, and gave him a tentative smile in response. She got up, and went to the bedroom to prepare for her first day back to work since everything went to shit. Gary got ready himself, as today would prove to be one of the hardest days of his life, second only to the day he received that video from Kendra.

They got Lilia up and ready, as they normally would on any weekday. They had a quick breakfast before Anna had to leave for the office. She hugged her little girl goodbye, and then Gary walked her to her car.

"Remember what I told you. This doesn't have to be perfect, but you DO have to put your high school drama club skills to work. Sell it, and sell it well today, okay?"

"Anything for you, Gary. I love you, so much," she replied.

She punctuated it with a simmering kiss that left them both wanting to run for the bedroom. Their urges were tempered only by Lilia standing at the doorway saying, "Ewwww, gross, Mommy!"

Anna and Gary both had a slight chuckle before she shut the car door and drove off. All three waved, Gary and his daughter watching until her car drove out of sight.

"So, little angel, are you ready for another fun-filled day with Grandma?"

Lilia jumped up and down with excitement. "YEAH!!!"

Gary reflected as they drove to his parents' house. Regardless of his confident words, he truly worried that his wife either wouldn't be able to handle her part of his plan, or that she might yet succumb to the seducing ways of that guy, Jake. His thoughts returned to his daughter, his one shining beacon of light in all of this darkness.

'At least Lilia hasn't been too horribly affected by all of this. Hopefully she never has to deal with anything like this, in her life,' he thought.

He dropped her off with their usually goodbye hugs, and immediately drove towards downtown. He parked across the street from his wife's building and pulled out his new binoculars. He shuddered at the thought of spying on his own wife.

"I never thought it would ever be like this," he said to himself out loud, shaking his head.

He saw her car in the parking lot, right next to a flashy looking Lexus. He guessed that was Jake's car. At least it appeared that she was doing what he told her to. He scanned the building with his new Bushnell Fusion binoculars. The salesperson that sold him the extremely expensive optics, told him that it was good for up to a mile away.

Scanning he found the window to her office, where she sat at her desk. She was alone in the office for now, but he knew that would likely change. Sure enough, about ten minutes later HE opened the door and walked in, a confident smile on his face. The urge to go in there and beat the living shit out of the guy bubbled up very quickly.

*******************************

Anna was extremely nervous as she pulled up to the building. She parked right next to Jake's silver Lexus, just as Gary had asked her to. She really didn't like this plan, but had to do it for the sake of her family, and to try to atone for her failures.

She walked in and smiled at the receptionist, making her way back to her office. She stopped by the cubes that all of the assistants used, to say good morning. Melinda asked her how she was feeling, and Anna basically told them all that she had been down and out with the flu, but felt much better now. She asked Jake to come see her in her office in a few minutes, allowing her to get settled. She sat behind her desk, looked over to the picture of her family on her desk and smiled. This was going to be hard, but she mentally prepared herself for it. She wondered if Gary would come by, or if he truly trusted her to follow-through without failing again. She didn't have to wonder long, as there was a knock at the door, followed by Jake coming in and shutting it behind him.

"So, how are things with you and Gary?" he asked in a comforting tone.

"Not good, I'm afraid. I think we are going to get a divorce. He doesn't know about you and I, but I know he is cheating on me, with that girl from the gym. He won't admit to it, but I know..."

"Anna, I'm sorry that you're unhappy. If there is anything I can do to help, I will," he replied, as he once again came around her desk to stand in front of her.

She stood up then and was prepared to hold him at bay, but he moved into her arms and wrapped his around her waist, hugging her to his muscled chest. She involuntarily shuddered at the contact, his already hard cock pressing against her belly.

Gently she pushed back from him and held him at arm's length. She looked into his eyes and saw the same hunger she had seen that day that she had fallen victim to his seduction. Anna knew that this moment was going to be the most trying of her husband's plan.

She moved in close to him again, and raised her head towards his. Her soft lips touched his and they kissed tenderly. His hunger quickly took over, and he went from a soft kiss to full animalistic hunger, mashing his lips to hers, tongue pushing its way into her mouth.

Anna quickly snapped back to reality and broke the contact. She knew this was a dangerous game, but fully intended to see it through without failing this time. She looked up into Jake's eyes, trying her best to seem like she wanted more. In truth, she was revolted by him, even as her body tried to betray her. Perhaps she needed to talk with Gary about the need to be forceful with her on occasion. She quickly filed that away for later reflection.

"Jake, I'd like to continue this, but not here, not now. Can we meet up sometime soon, somewhere?" she asked.

Jake smiled, feeling elated that his most prized conquest was going to be his again. He loved fucking her, and already began imagining bending her over, or pushing her against the wall in the supply closet like he did with Melinda.

He decided that smooth talking was still the way to go. "Sure, I'd like that, too. We could go somewhere for lunch, or maybe dinner together tonight?"

"Dinner sounds perfect. I'm not sure I can wait another day..." she said with a small amount of desire in her voice.

After he left, Anna immediately sat down and let out a deep breath as she shuddered, thankful that he was gone. She looked again at the picture of Gary and picked up her phone. She called him to report in, and told him that she hated having to kiss Jake again.

"Honey, I know, but it won't be too long before you are rid of him forever," he replied, trying to reassure her.

"Gary, he wants to meet for dinner, likely to have sex with me again. I can't... I can't be alone with him again..." she mumbled.

"You just do like I told you, and everything will be fine," he stated calmly, much more so than he felt.

"Okay, bye honey. I love you so much."

"I love you, too, Anna," he replied, ending the call.

Anna sat at her desk, wondering for the thousandth time if she could go through with their plan. She took a deep breath and opened her office door. She invited her team in so they could have a morning meeting to catch up on the case. In thirty minutes, they had caught her up on everything, including their up-coming trial dates. She wondered if she would still be around to present the case.

She asked the team to dig in on a couple of things remaining unclear, including the apparent money that was being embezzled from Traditional Finance. She wanted to make sure that it had nothing to do with their client before going to trial. After everyone else left, Kendra stayed behind.

"Hey girl, how you holding up?" she asked Anna.

"Not too good. Gary and I are finished. He denied cheating on me with that girl, but I just know that he did."

Anna was amazed that her acting skills seemed to be working. Kendra avoided smiling at the success of her plan. She gave Anna a sad look as she came in for a hug. After a few seconds, she stepped back.

"Anna, you can count on me. If you ever need to talk to anyone, just call me, okay?"

Anna simply nodded, eyes watering up some. She didn't have to act; her grief and anger both combined to make her an emotional wreck. Once Kendra left her office, she sat back at her desk, trying to forget her problems and bury herself in working up her preparations for the coming trial.

*******************************

Gary watched the exchange in Anna's office, involuntarily wincing as Jake was making out with his wife. He knew that it was part of the plan, but it still made his guts twist into knots as he watched. His main worry was his wife's reaction. Would she be able to resist Jake, and prove that she wouldn't cheat again? If she didn't, Gary knew he would never be able to live with her again.

His future with her was riding on her ability to stay faithful going forward. Gary knew that his plan was risky, and he was possibly setting her up to fail, but he HAD to know. He had thought about this long and hard, and couldn't come up with any other way to verify that she would be able to resist. He was using her as bait for the master setup, but also testing her resolve.

After he watched Anna push Jake off, they talked for a few minutes and Jake left smiling. Gary felt a sense of relief, that she was able to resist his attempt, and that the hook seemed to be planted firmly.

She called Gary while he sat watching her. After their conversation, he sent her a text, to reassure her that she could do it. Next, he sent a text to Kendra, asking her to meet him somewhere for coffee. He stated that he really needed someone to talk to.

Kendra replied quickly, agreeing to meet at the coffee shop near the office. He got out of his car and went inside the shop, waiting for Kendra to arrive. He didn't have to wait long. She came in, saw him and took a seat right across from him.

"Hey," she said. "How are you doing? Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah... No... I don't know yet. I'm leaving her. We had a huge fight about the video. She tried to deny having sex with that guy, then she tried to say it was just a huge mistake and that she only loved me... I can't even stand to look at her. She actually accused ME of cheating on her, the fucking nerve."

Kendra inwardly smiled again. Her plan to split them up was working great. Now she just had to see it through and be there for Gary in his time of need. She could hear wedding bells already, as she pictured walking down the aisle with the man who should have married her instead of that slut.

She quickly brought her attention back to the present, and nodded with a sad smile. "Gary, you can always count on me. I'm really sorry about what happened between us so long ago, but you have to know that I would NEVER do that to you. If you need anyone to talk to, I'm always here for you, okay?"

"Sure, I might just take you up on that. Are you doing anything for dinner tonight? I could really use some company..." he said sadly.

"No, I have no plans tonight. What did you have in mind?"

"Well I thought we could go somewhere nice and just have a relaxing evening. I have to go see a lawyer in about half an hour, and some other errands to do today, but later I could hunt down some reservations and let you know, that is, if you're interested?"

"Gary, if it helps you out, I would love to."

They both got up, and Kendra moved in to hug him. He wasn't comfortable in the hug, as she mashed her breasts against his chest. She was obviously trying to make the most of the contact.

After they both left, she returned to the office and Gary drove off in his car. He had one errand to run before things would really get interesting.

*******************************

Anna poured over the information that Thomas, the aide on her team that so far seemed to have nothing to do with Kendra's plot, had given her just then. The information was startling, to say the least. Her client was bad news, which actually worked in her favor, to help Gary out. She quickly took the pertinent pages and copied them, putting them in her briefcase. She put all of her pre-trial notes and files into a folder, and stuffed that into the case, as well.