Dates, times, how long you stay, what you bring with you. I've got 3 weeks of evidence showing a pattern of adultery. What do you want? Chris asked. I want you to understand that your life as you know it is over.
Your girlfriend Jessica is going to find out. Your co-workers are going to find out. Your CrossFit buddies are going to find out. Everyone is going to know that Chris Brennan is the kind of man who seduces married women. You bastard.
He said, I'm the bastard. I'm not the one who's been screwing someone else's wife for 6 months. Lydia stood up, wrapping the sheet around herself. Fine. You want a divorce?
You'll get a divorce. But I'm not going to let you destroy my life over this. Your life? I laughed. Lady, you destroyed your own life the minute you brought him into our bed.
The court will see this as harassment, she said. You can't just humiliate us publicly and expect to get away with it. Actually, I can. Everything I plan to do is perfectly legal. Sharing security footage from my own home, legal.
Telling people the truth about what I witnessed, legal. Making sure everyone knows what kind of people you really are. Completely legal, Chris stood up. I'm leaving now. Sure, I said, stepping aside.
But Chris, you might want to check your car before you drive home. He pushed past me and stomped down the stairs. A minute later, we heard him screaming from the driveway. What did you do? Lydia asked.
Nothing illegal, I said. But you might want to look out the window. She went to the window and gasped. I had spray painted home wrecker across Chris's windshield in bright red letters. You can't do that.
I just did and that's just the beginning. Alan put his arm around his wife. Judith, we're going home. Lydia, don't bother calling us until you figured out how to apologize for this disgrace. After her parents left, Lydia turned to me with fury in her eyes.
You think you're so clever, don't you? You think you've won something here? I think I've exposed the truth. Everything else is just consequences. I'll destroy you in the divorce.
I'll take half of everything, including your precious workshop. Good luck with that. See, adultery is still grounds for fault-based divorce in this state. And I've got evidence, lots and lots of evidence. She stared at me for a long moment, and I could see her calculating, trying to figure out her next move.
Maya's going to hate you for this, she said finally. Mia's going to hate the person who broke up our family. That would be you, in case you're confused. I turned and walked toward the door. Where are you going?
She called after me. Out. This is still my house for now, but I can't stand the smell. I drove straight to Murphy's tavern where Eddie was waiting with a beer and a sympathetic ear. How'd it go?
He asks. Better than expected. Her parents saw everything. Chris is probably still trying to scrape paint off his windshield. Good for you, man.
That took balls. Eddie, I need another favor. Name it. I need you to accidentally let it slip to a few people about what happened. You know, just casual conversation, Eddie grinned.
Accidentally? I can do accidentally. Murphy's Tavern was the kind of place where everyone knew everyone else's business. By closing time, half the neighborhood would know that Lydia Mitchell was cheating on her husband with some corporate pretty boy. I was three beers in when my phone started buzzing with text messages.
The first was from Mrs. Feldman. Dear, I saw that young man leaving your house in quite a hurry. Is everything all right? I texted back Everything's fine now, Mrs. Feldman. Thanks for keeping an eye on things.
The second was from Chris. You're going to pay for what you did to my car. I replied, "Send me the repair bill. I'll frame it." The third was from Lydia. We need to talk.
I ignored that one. The fourth was from my daughter, Maya. Dad, mom is crying and won't tell me what's wrong. Where are you? That one sobered me up fast.
I called Maya immediately. Hey, sweetheart. Dad, what's going on? Mom's been locked in your bedroom for 2 hours and there's red paint all over the driveway. I'll be home in 20 minutes.
We need to have a talk. Is everything okay? No, honey. Everything is definitely not okay. But it will be.
I drove home dreading the conversation I was about to have. Maya was smart, mature for her age, but she was still my little girl. How do you tell your 16-year-old daughter that her mother is a cheating liar? Maya was waiting for me in the living room when I walked in. Lydia was nowhere to be seen.
Dad, you're scaring me. What happened? I sat down next to her on the couch. Maya, your mom and I are getting divorced. Her face crumpled.
Why? What did you do? I didn't do anything, sweetheart. Your mother Your mother has been seeing another man. What do you mean seeing another man?
I mean, she's been having an affair for 6 months. Maya stared at me, processing this information. Are you sure? I have video evidence. Oh my god.
She put her head in her hands. Who is it? Someone from her work. It doesn't matter who. It does matter.
I want to know who destroyed our family. I sighed. His name is Chris Brennan. You've met him at company parties. The guy with the fancy car.
The one who always talks about his workout routine. That's him. Maya was quiet for a long time. Then she said, "I hate her. Don't say that.
She's still your mother. She's a liar and a cheater. How could she do this to us?" I don't know, honey. People make bad choices sometimes. Bad choices, Dad.