Fox in the Hen House

As I wake up earlier than usual, I can see Steff asleep in bed beside me. I have no doubts she'll apologize again for last night, just as she did for the weekend too. Right now, I'm not ready to hear any of it. Instead, I quietly get ready for work, leaving her a note on the kitchen table, telling her that I needed to get to work early and if she can get Chrissy to pick her up.

I know I'll have to confront this sooner or later; I just want the anger I'm feeling right now to pass before I'll do that. At the moment, I'm not willing to give her the benefit of the doubt that I probably should, as she's never done anything before to make me not trust her. To not believe her. But I can't help the way I feel, something inside is telling me that something has been going on with her and Brad, just like it has with Megan and Chrissy too.

I've been asked by my boss to attend a forum this afternoon at another Hotel here in downtown Washington DC, maybe it'll help take my mind off these negative thoughts that have plagued me all morning. Shortly after arriving, I can see Megan saying hello to a few other guests. She's over on the other side of the conference room from where I am, and I'm hoping she won't see me and come over to talk about Steff.

After taking my seat and settling in to listen to the first speaker, I glance back over to Megan's side, to see where she is. I find her, and she's sitting with Brad. Just seeing his face makes me angrier. Again, I have no real proof that Steff and him have been having an affair, but I already despise him just the same.

After the first speaker is done, we all break for afternoon tea, with some finger food and refreshments being offered. I can see Brad leaving the conference room with his phone up to his ear, maybe this is my opportunity to have a few words with him. I make my way out the door, walking down the hallway to a sitting room where I find Brad just finishing his call.

He turns and sees me walking towards him.

"Hi Dave, I didn't know that they let you 'numbers' guys out of the building." Brad says with his usual cockiness.

"You'd be surprised by what I get up to, Brad. How was Miami on the weekend by the way? Were you working late into the evening?"

"Miami? I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm sure you don't. I see you're here with Megan today, does she know about you and Chrissy too?"

"Again, I don't know what you're talking about. They're both good friends of mine, just like Steff is."

"Yeah, right. Speaking of my fiancé, I don't want you hanging around with her anymore. No more lunches by yourselves, no more meeting up at work functions, it's over. She's about to be my wife, you need to respect that."

"Respect what, Dave? You're making no sense I'm afraid. We're all just friends and will continue to be friends as long as Steff wants me to be. That's her choice to make."

"So, you're 'just' friends with Megan and Chrissy too, are you?"

"Of course."

"That's bullshit. I've seen you making out with the both of them on different nights. Is that what you do with all of your 'just' friends?"

"That's really none of your business, Dave. But for the record, I'm not sleeping with either of them, and I never have. But aside from that, who I hookup with is none of your concern, and I don't appreciate you hassling me about my personal life out in public like this."

"It is my concern where Steff is involved. Keep the fuck away from her Brad, I mean it." I reply as I step up closer towards him, getting in his face.

Just then we see a few other guests come walking into the room, as Brad looks back at me and smiles, before shaking his head and walking away. I'm not sure if he got the message or not, but his denials and cockiness about everything are still annoying me as I make my way back into the function room.

I'm barely listening to what the second speaker is talking about after our break, all I can think about is Brad's smugness, and that cocky smile right before he walked away. Right now, I'd love nothing more than to wipe that smugness off his face.

I'm trying to calm myself down a little though, to think things through logically instead of emotionally. What do I really know about what I think is going on?

First, Brad has been good friends with Steff, Megan and Chrissy since they all went to college together. Second, Brad is clearly sleeping with both Megan and Chrissy, that I'm sure of. Third, Steff lied about going to Miami and New York for work, they had no functions, but Brad's PAC did. Fourth, Brad just lied about being with Megan and Chrissy, even after I told him I saw them. If he's prepared to lie to my face about them, he'd lie about being with Steff too.

I'm still struggling with believing that Steff would be sleeping with Brad right under my nose like this. But while I've never had reason to doubt her before, she did lie to me about her last two trips. Maybe she's better at lying to me than I give her credit for. But why would she? That's the part I don't get. Why would she be with me and be sleeping with Brad? Why not stay single like Megan and Chrissy, and then be free to sleep with whoever she wants?

Maybe she just wants a proper relationship, a husband and a home, while also having her lover on the side. It's just, it's hard for me to wrap my head around Steff doing that, being that deceitful, being that selfish.

Finally, the speaker finishes and gets the usual applause, as I begin to make my way to the exit on the far side. By the time I get out of the conference room and exit the hotel lobby, I can see Brad waiting out front on the sidewalk for an Uber I'm assuming.

I can't help it, his smugness from earlier is too much for me to not say something once more.

"I meant what I said earlier, you better keep the fuck away from my fiancé." I tell him threateningly after approaching him.

"I've had enough of your BS, Dave. I'll be friends with whoever I choose. And that includes Steff."

"But that's just it, you can't be 'just' friends, can you? You're already fucking Megan and Chrissy, and now you want to fuck Steff as well. You go near Steff again, and I'm coming for you."

"You know what, fuck you, Dave. Not only will I be friends with whoever I want, but I'll fuck whoever I want too. And that includes Megan, Chrissy and Steff too. Maybe you should be focusing more on being a good husband for her, because I'll take care of being the good lover she needs." Brad replies spitefully.

My first punch lands on the side of his head, the second to the side of his jaw. I could feel one of his punches hitting my head too, but he's already going backwards as I keep throwing haymakers in his direction. I land a few more, he lands one or two, but he's now on the ground, and I'm standing over him.

I lunge forward, striking him again, I'm not going to let him get up, my anger, my rage needs this. He's beginning to cover up now; he's not throwing punches back anymore as I land a few more around his head. Then I feel someone grab my shoulder, then my arm, as I'm pulled violently away from him. All I can still think about is hitting him again, as I'm struggling to break free of whoever has hold of me.

As I look to my side, I realize that it's a policeman that has hold of me, as he's tossing me to the ground and pins me to the sidewalk. I can feel handcuffs being applied around my wrists behind my back as I try to take a deep breath, to calm my anger for a moment.

As the policeman drags me to my feet, I look over at Brad, he has blood streaming down his face, but he's looking over at me with an anger still in his eyes.

"You want to know the truth asshole, I've been fucking Steff for years, and she loves it. We've been fucking every week since we were in college, and I'm gonna keep fucking her too, whether she's married to you or not. Think about that while you're sitting in jail you piece of shit!" Brad yells at me as I'm being dragged away towards a police car arriving from down the street.

It was a short ride to the nearest lock-up, and after being processed, I'm left sitting in the large cell with a few other guys, but it gives me time to think about what happens next. I'll probably lose my job because of what I've done, I'll probably be charged with assault and battery too. But right now, I don't care about that. All I can think about is that my life with Steffanie is over, the home we share in Clarksburg, our future together, our marriage, the kids I hoped we'd have together as well. It's all gone.

It's almost an hour later when a policeman enters the cell area calling my name.

"Dave Williams."

"Yeah." I answer, getting to my feet.

"You've had bail posted, come with me." The policeman states as I'm let out of the cell and led down a hallway.

As we enter the same room I was processed in earlier, I see her, I see Steff waiting for me. I have to sign a few documents before I'm released, walking back outside with Steff as we leave the police station. So far we haven't said anything to one another.

"So, what the hell happened, Dave? I was told that you beat up Brad, is that true?" Steff asks as we walk over to our car.

"It's true." I answer, before getting in the passenger side.

As we begin our journey back to Clarksburg, I don't want to speak with her, I just want to get home.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" Steff asks again ten minutes into our silent trip.

"Not right now, I just want to get home first."

We drive silently the rest of the way, finally pulling into our driveway. After getting out and making our way inside, I feel that it's time we talk. Steff is leaning against the kitchen bench across from me, as I turn to face her.

"Thanks for bailing me out, and for the drive home too. But you go now, grab whatever clothes you need and leave."

"What? I'm not going anywhere, what's got into you today?"

"I know everything, that you've been fucking Brad for years, that you're nothing but a cheating whore." I answer coldly.

"What? I've never slept with Brad, not once, not ever." Steff replies with a frustrated tone.

"You can stop lying now, we're done. There's no point in keeping this charade going any longer."

"I'm telling you the truth, Dave."

"Really, then why did you fly down to Miami to fuck Brad all weekend long then? And to New York before that?"

"I was working, I wasn't with Brad."

"Your firm didn't have anything on in Miami last weekend, but Brad's did though. Why are you lying to me?"

"Who told you that? I did have work there. Anyone telling you different is the one lying. Where is this all coming from?"

"Brad told me himself, that he's been fucking you, Chrissy and Megan since college. I've seen him with the both of them too, making out in public. I'm betting he's done the same with you when I'm not around as well. All these functions you have to attend where I'm not welcome, I'm betting you were with him on those nights. Then the recent trips away too, just to be with him. What I don't get is why you're even with me if you want to keep fucking him? Why not stay single like Chrissy and Megan. Why drag me into this at all?"

"None of that is true Dave, you have to believe me. I don't understand why you think I've been cheating on you. It's just not true." Steff answers, almost pleading with me.

"Even now, you can't admit to it, even when there's nothing left to be gained. I'm just done with all of this; I want you gone."

"This is my home too, Dave. I'm staying, we can work through this together."

"No, we can't. I have to stay here as part of my bail agreement, but you don't. So, pack your shit and leave, now. And you also need to call one of your friends to come and get you, the car's mine and stays here too."

I can see tears welling up in Steff's eyes as she's trying to take in what's happening between us. But I can't find any sympathy for her, not anymore.

She eventually leaves the kitchen, going into the bedroom to pack some of her stuff. I can hear the occasional sobbing from down the hallway as I'm still sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for this nightmare to be over.

When she finally comes back out with a suitcase, she stops for a moment, wiping her eyes a little before speaking with me once more.

"I'm going to go stay with Chrissy, I'll come back for the rest of my stuff tomorrow. I still can't believe that you think I was cheating on you, that you won't believe me."

"And I can't believe that you'd cheat on me or for so long either, but here we are. Just go Steffanie, if you can't even admit to the truth about what you've been doing behind my back, we have nothing further to talk about."

"You're wrong, Dave. About everything. That's all I can say." Steff says before leaving the house.

Finally, I go for a shower before laying down in what was our bed. I just want to put all this behind me, like some kind of bad nightmare that I've just awoken from. How could I have been so naïve? How could I not have seen what was going on? Was she that good at hiding it, or was I too willingly ignorant, too wrapped up with being in love with her?

I still don't understand why though. Why bother being with me at all if she still wanted to sleep with Brad?

If I never find that out from her, I'll just take comfort in that I didn't actually marry her first, before I found out about her betrayal. That we didn't have kids too, with me then having to worry if they were even mine. No, it's better to get out now, and just move on.

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It's now been three months since I broke up with Steff, and I did lose my job, right after being convicted but sentenced to only serving two years' probation due to my previously clean record. My conviction however, rules out any government jobs too, but somehow, I've landed on my feet with a job for a private consultancy firm, who aren't too worried about criminal records.

I've spent more time with Steve lately, as Pete's wife Justine has recently given birth to their healthy daughter. I haven't seen Steff either since she came around to collect the remainder of her stuff the day after we broke up, and I don't care to see her again either.

She's never admitted fault for what happened, never taking responsibility for her actions.

But that's life. Some people will never admit to doing wrong, and some people will never forgive them for being wronged.

While it still hurts for me to think about her and what could've been, I'd much rather know the truth and suffer through the consequences than to stay blissfully ignorant of the deception being done against me.

And at least I gave that fox circling the hen house a good beat-down too. One that I'm hoping he'll remember for a long time coming. I sure will.

Someday I hope to find someone special for me once again, someone that will be honest and loyal, loving me as much as I do them. Until then, I've got my friends and family to spend my time with.

Yeah, I'm gonna be fine.

The End.