I've apologized. I've admitted everything. What more can I do? I opened the third folder. Inside was a single document, a print out of an email Marcus had sent to a mutual friend dated 3 weeks ago detailing his relationship with my wife and his plans for their future together.
Plans that included her leaving me, moving in with him, starting a life together. Plans she'd apparently agreed to. Did you tell him you'd leave me? I asked quietly. She looked at the email and something in her face crumpled.
We talked about it. We fantasized about it, but I never I was never going to actually accept you were in the Bahamas with him for 2 weeks, Rachel. Two weeks that you could have used to tell me the truth to end our marriage honestly to give me the dignity of a choice. Instead, you came home, kissed me, told me you missed me, and acted like everything was normal. I was confused.
I didn't know what I wanted. You knew exactly what you wanted. You wanted both. You wanted the security and history and home we'd built together. And you wanted the excitement and passion of something new.
You wanted to have your cake and it too. The vulgarity made her flinch. But I didn't care. The problem is that's not how life works. That's not how marriage works.
You don't get to destroy something and then be surprised when it breaks. She sat there surrounded by evidence of her betrayal, looking smaller and younger than I'd ever seen her. What happens now? I pulled out one more document from my jacket pocket. A petition for divorce that my lawyer had drawn up yesterday.
I slid it across the table. You're going to sign this. It's a no fault divorce, which is more generous than you deserve. But I'm not interested in dragging this through courts. It splits our assets 50/50, which again is more than fair given that you stole from our savings to fund your affair.
It includes a statement that you acknowledge the infidelity and wave any claim to alimony or spousal support. She stared at the document. And if I don't sign, then I file for an atfall divorce. I submit all of this evidence to the court. I subpoena Marcus, your colleagues, everyone who knew or suspected what was happening.
I make this as public and painful as possible. I let a judge decide how to divide our assets, and I guarantee you it won't be 50/50. I lean forward. But more than that, Rachel, I tell everyone the truth, not your sanitized version where you were confused and made mistakes. The real truth documented and proven.
I let our friends and family see exactly who you are and what you did. That's blackmail. That's consequences. You want to move forward with Marcus? Fine.