Political Interference

This story is a slightly different from the age-old story about making the consequences of infidelity sting. There is no overt sexual content. I am a fan of Bill Pronzini's Nameless Detective series and was inspired to try this story without names.

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I sat behind the wheel of my car outside the convention hall. The rain beat down hard on the windscreen. It was a miserable night, perfectly reflected by my miserable mood.

My wife had been showing all of the typical signs of having an affair for some time now. She was no longer interested in intimacy with me and when we did have a moment it was unusually dispassionate. She began to work late, visited sick friends, went to visit her sister, all the usual excuses to hide her activities.

She refused to answer my questions about our relationship and whether it was in trouble, saying that it was all in my mind.

I am not a sleuth. I wish I were, I might have saved a lot of time and energy. Her computer and phone seemed to be clean, as pure as the driven snow. A skilled sleuth would have told me they were too clean.

One evening she said she was going to have dinner and a visit with her sister. A few hours later I phoned the sister asking to speak with my wife. She laughed and said she was not there. That was the first sign of sloppiness on her part.

When she got home I asked about her sister.

"Oh, she is fine. Her husband is a workaholic and is hardly ever home."

I had to say something because her sister was sure to mention my call.

"Where were you tonight? You weren't at your sister's."

"No, no I'm sorry,! Did you call there looking for me? Did you suspect something was going on? What are you accusing me of doing?"

I was amazed at how quickly she turned things on their head.

"Just wondering why you lied about where you were."

"None of your business. I had some things to do by myself."

I could see the wheels turning in her head when she finally spoke again.

"Your birthday is coming up soon, I can't have you knowing that I'm shopping for your gift because you'll just search the house trying to find it."

I was tempted to applaud the improvisation. She could have performed for Second City.

I was more determined than ever to get to the truth.

Tailing someone is not easy, especially if they drove as recklessly fast as my wife. After work, she would drive to the Empire Hotel. She entered alone and exited alone. She would stay for several hours. I never once saw her with another living soul. It was frustrating me.

I didn't want to follow her into the hotel because I know she would spot me. I should have called a P.I. to do the job but I'm a cheap bugger. Maybe that was why she was running around on me.

My normal attire is a golf shirt and khaki pants. So instead I wore a business suit. I applied a fake moustache and darkened my complexion so I looked tanned instead of pasty white. That was pretty effective I thought, although when I saw myself in a mirror I laughed. The moustache looked like something an old-time porn star would sport on his upper lip.

I followed her to the hotel and parked. I quickly got myself situated in the lobby and watched for her. She came through the door and went straight into the lounge. I followed at a distance. She was sitting at a table in a dark corner, she was with a man. I could only see his back. He had black hair with more than a few silver threads in amongst the ebony. The hair was long in the back, not a mullet, more like a wannabe artiste.

I had to take a seat or I'd attract attention. I ordered a ginger ale on the rocks. Hmm, maybe I have discovered another reason she is playing the field, I don't drink. I did happen to notice that she was having a very large tequila.

They were holding hands across the table, it was such an intimate gesture that it sent a chill of revulsion through me. She hadn't shared anything like that with me in years.

After a second round of drinks her paramour stood and walked to the bathroom. He walked right by my table. I recognized him as a politician, one of the most popular in the country, and a family values advocate.

He didn't come back to the table. My wife walked by me and out into the lobby. I followed and saw her get into an elevator which went to the third floor. I dashed up the stairs, arriving just in time to see her walking into suite 305.

There was no need to stick around, I knew what was happening behind that door and rather than acting rashly, I wanted to consider how to respond.

My darling wife came home at 10 pm. I wanted to confront her but I knew that would be the wrong move. If I wanted justice I had to bide my time.

A thorough investigation of the asshole's life showed that he was a powerful politician and a well-respected lawyer. He was connected well enough that a citizen nerd like me didn't have a hope in Hades against him. Maybe it was his power that attracted my wife to him. He was married to a very powerful woman who was heir to a business empire. If I hoped to exploit his weakness I needed solid evidence. I wasn't sure how best to get it.

I wracked my brain trying to figure out how to get proof positive that I could use. I was coming up blank. Video or photographic evidence could be best. I had to have undeniable evidence. I gave it a couple of solid days of thinking and researching. I was just about ready to admit that I couldn't get the revenge I wanted. I didn't need to prove adultery, I could just file for divorce and split everything, but my mind wouldn't rest. I had to make that asshole pay.

It was a long-shot idea that didn't have a high likelihood of success but I would regret leaving any stone unturned.

Wednesday after work seemed to be the most common time for the two of them to meet. They almost always had the same suite on the third floor. The only time they didn't use that one they used the suite just above it on the fourth floor.

I bought some small spy cameras used for home surveillance. They would transmit any video over the internet. I could even view it in real-time. None of it could be admissible in court but I didn't need to process anything in court. I just needed to out the cheating asshole.

I explained to my wife that I had to be out of town for a few days on business and I was leaving Tuesday and would be back Thursday or Friday. My original plan was to book the suite on the third floor for Tuesday and set up my cameras there. Now I was wondering if the asshole was cheap enough to forego the hotel for a romp in our marital bed. I decided to split my cameras, one to the hotel and one for our bedroom.

The cameras took some nice high-resolution rn videos with very little light. I hunkered down for the night and left early Wednesday morning to stay in a less prestigious (and cheaper) hotel down the road. I hoped that the two lovers would take the bait.

It was a nerve wracking day waiting around but not long after office hours the motion sensor home camera switched on and began recording.

So the cheap bastard wanted to save money by bonking my wife in my own bed. Well fuck him, he would regret that decision. What I saw captured in the video sickened me. I had to turn away but kept saving the file as evidence.

The following morning I booked the third floor suite, collected the video cams and rested in the luxurious suite. I left late in the afternoon to arrive home from my "trip."

Now that I had video evidence I wanted to confront my cheating wife face to face but I knew it was still premature. She would warn him and he would muster his defences. I needed to strike him hard and where it hurts.

The asshole's wife was also dedicated to several charities. I managed an invitation to a gala evening in support of the local hospital for mental health. Not that many years ago it would have been called an asylum or colloquially, the looney bin. It was easy to obtain an invitation if you intimated that you had money to donate. It got me close to Mrs. Asshole.

Mrs Asshole was unlike her husband. He being slimy and disingenuous and she erudite and caring. Perhaps the most striking thing was that she was an incredibly beautiful woman. The husband was a pretender, she was the real deal. I had been drinking mineral water and biding my time to get Mrs, Asshole alone. The moment finally came as she was leaving the washroom.

"It is a very lovely event you are holding here this evening, you're doing great work. Does your husband attend with you?"

"No, he hates his kind of work."

"This may seem like a strange question but do know what your husband is doing tonight? I beg of you, please M'am you will want to see the video evidence of what is on. this thumb drive."

I pressed the drive into her hand. She looked at it like I had just handed her a snake or a piece of shit.

"I don't know who you are. You could have this thing loaded with a virus."

"Here is my card. Have the drive scanned for your safety but don't allow anyone to see the files inside. They are for your eyes only. I hate making this look like a spy movie but there is vital information inside. Your reputation is at great risk. I'd rather you and your organization stay safe."

"I can contact you after?"

"Definitely."

With that she went back to her event and I went home hopeful that my plan would bear fruit.

It was two days later that I received a call from Mrs. Asshole. She wanted to know how and when and where the video was taken.

"I used a hidden security camera, last Wednesday and unfortunately the video was taken in my home, with my wife, in our marital bed."

"That bastard! I've suspected him many times but he has been obsessively covering his tracks."

"He still is. It was my wife that made the slip up. I am very sorry that this has happened. You do good work and his fucking around could damage your reputation. Don't forget your husband is supposed to be the champion of family values."

"I need to think about this.

The son of a bitch is going to pay big time. I'll let you know before I do anything. Have you confronted your wife?"

"No, she thinks I am blissfully unaware of her deceit. If I confronted her she would warn your husband. I'm sure you'd rather he think he's getting away with it until you were fully prepared."

"Thank you, I appreciate your thinking about me."

"It's not purely because of you. I want revenge and he is a very powerful politician with deep resources. My best chance at revenge is through you."

"Clever, I'll let you know what I decide."

My wife was as distant and cold as ever. Once again I asked if if things were off between us.

"You are being paranoid. You're seeing things that aren't there."

"You just seem so detached. I have a great idea, we both have some vacation time comings why don't we go somewhere or book a cruise."

She looked like I had suggested jumping off a bridge together.

"No, we are both far too involved with our careers for that. I'm not interested."

"Then maybe we could meet after work for dinner, maybe somewhere special like the Empire Hotel?"

Yeah, I knew I was skating close to the crack in the ice but I couldn't resist. The almost panicked look on her face was worth it!

"It's a lovely place but way too expensive for us. Have you ever been there?" She asked.

"Oh yes, I quite like the place, that is why I suggested it. It's a perfect place for a romantic rendezvous."

She just looked away.

" I'm too busy right now."

"Okay, I just wanted to offer."

A full week went by before Mrs. Asshole called me. She asked for a face to face meeting to discuss what she'd like to do.

It was good to see her again and this time dressed more casually in n tight jeans and sweater rather than the the luminous off the shoulder gown she wore at the gala.

I was stuck at how naturally beautiful she was.

"My husband was once a great advantage for my organization and me, today he is the weakest point and an extreme danger. Without exaggeration his fucking around could jeopardize a lot of donors. Divorce is a given, the marriage is toast. The thing that will cause him the most pain in the divorce is that the prenuptial agreement will be enforced. That hurts him financially. A well publicized divorce due to adultery would damage his political career. His opponents will eat him alive and his constituents will vote him out at the next election."

"You weren't kidding about causing him maximum pain."

"The man is done like dinner, he just doesn't know it yet. His political party is holding an event coming up in two weeks I suggest that that is where we will inflict the most pain on the cheaters. We should have them both served then."

I sat in the car, the rainstorm blowing harder than a minute ago. This was the moment of truth. I pulled into the valet parking and my wife and I got out and made our way into the convention centre.

My wife had been surprised that I had been invited to the political event. She expected to be there alone in support of her lover. I was invited through her lover's wife. This was going to rock the news cycle.

We were served the rubber chicken dinner which I was too nervous to eat. All was good and the vibes were happy. The Asshole got up after dinner and made a speech touting all his accomplishments over the past year. My wife seemed to clap louder than anyone else at our table. When he wrapped up his speech to a standing ovation his wife took his place at the podium.

"My husband has accomplished a lot in this past year, it's true. He is so busy with his constituents that he barely has time for me or home life anymore. He is so dedicated to his people that he will go to great lengths to see that all their needs are met. You all know about his efforts to relieve the suffering of so many and most of all he stands for his family values. Can I have the first slide please?"

The huge screen lit up with a photo of the front of our house.

"For example, here is the home of one of his constituents. He doesn't shirk responsibility to serve the public. Slide two please?"

The second slide shows the bedroom with no one there, the bed neatly made.

"Sometimes my husband can get obsessively close to his constituents in order to fulfill their needs. This is not always a good thing. Slide three please?"

The still photo, taken from the video, showed him embracing my wife beside the bed.

"As you can see there are no lengths to which he will not go to please them."

The murmuring of the crowd grew louder and some party officials were rising from their chairs.

"Slide four please? My friends, this speaks for itself."

The fourth slide was the video, edited to show all but the most sickening scenes of the asshole fucking my wife.

"It is with sadness that I must announce my intention to divorce my husband. If any of you have any common sense you will not support him or his false family values."

The room was alive with noise. The asshole and my wife were both served with legal papers.

I wanted revenge on the asshole. I felt sorry that my wife was getting caught in the wake.

I left the room with the asshole's wife. She had a limo waiting outside and we both got in.

"Take us to the Empire Hotel." She instructed the driver.

We went up to the lounge on the top floor.

"Did you eat any of the rubber chicken dinner tonight?" She asked me.

"No, I was too nervous, you?"

"No, let's eat here and discuss the future. We can toast to our future freedom."

"I feel guilty about leaving my wife there alone. Your husband will be too busy trying to save himself to care about her."

"You are far too kind. Don't forget she was willfully fucking another man behind your back."

"True, but still..."

"You are a softie, you'll probably accept her apology, take counselling and get back with her."

"No, she crossed a line that can't be uncrossed. She has lied time after time. I feel bad that she will face a lot of questions because of the very public embarrassment that your husband so richly deserved. He really is going to suffer isn't he."

"Yes, his party will dump him, he won't even be able to get elected to a city council after this. He always had the luxury of relying on my family's wealth to back him, but because of the conditions of our prenup he will get nothing. He is finished."

"Yet you were in love with him at one time."

"Yes, I was the rich young socialite and he was the handsome maverick politician. I fell for him and he fell for my family's money. What about you and your wife?"

"I though we loved each other but when the ardour cooled months ago I knew things had changed."

"So what are your plans going forward?"

"I can't go home. I'll stay here at the Empire Hotel tonight."

"I will return to the family compound. I still have rooms there. The marital home will be sold. I hate the idea of having to start again. I will want to find a partner but I hate the process."

"I agree with you.. That's why I married as young as I did. I dated a number of women and got my heart broken every time."

"We aren't so very different you and me."

"Nothing except a few million dollars worth of difference." I laughed.

"It means nothing to me. I've been pampered and protected all my life and I still can't find a love that can stand the test of time."

"We are alike in the second part of your statement."

"Can you do me a favour? Please stay in touch with me. I think we have more in common than we know, and I know I will need some support."

"Of course, thanks for allowing me to exact a little revenge on the asshole who seduced my wife."

I went to my room and fell asleep. I was exhausted from the stress. I had turned off my mobile phone because I wanted peace and quiet for a short while.

The morning news was filled with reports of the shocking exposure of the sexual depravity of the popular politician. My wife's identity was a one line addition at the end of each story.

My phone had a gazillion texts and messages which I deleted en mass. I called my wife.

"Finally! Where did you go last night! Why did you desert me like that?"

"I thought the answer would be obvious dear, your affair with the asshole was exposed, you were served with divorce paperwork. Our marriage is all but over. I certainly wasn't about to wait around to be brow beaten by the press or by you. This is all because of you."

"We need to discuss this, we can get past this."

"No, we can't. If this was a one off 'mistake' we might have had a chance but this has happened many times a week over several months. It was a full blown affair and you lied about it. There is no getting over that. Get a lawyer and be done."

Our divorce went through quickly. I was fair, mainly because I wanted it over with. The judge agreed that counselling would have been ineffective. She was left with enough that she wouldn't starve but she would never have the same lifestyle she had before.

The asshole disappeared from public life. He left the city. The prenup was ironclad and left him with nothing. With his notoriety there wasn't a decent law firm in the country that would hire him. As I understand it he is making a poor living as an ambulance chaser somewhere in the Midwest.

The asshole's ex-wife and I continue to meet a few times a month for a meal and to check in on how each other are coping. We are both struggling emotionally, but we make each other laugh and continue to support each other. The other night she kissed me when we parted. It felt good, right and it made me wonder, what if?"

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