Sunday Afternoon - The end
The following weeks started to fall into a routine, Marcus gave me a weekly DVD to watch & I still kept falling asleep whilst it played. Although I saw Sue at work most days, we did not seem to find a chance to be alone. I seemed quite relaxed about our distant relationship. Marcus now spent at least four nights a week at Sue’s. I looked forward eagerly for him to share the details of their affair on the occasions I saw him at our pad.
Before I knew it, we were over half way through the project. Our clients put on a party at the nearby Town Hall to celebrate how well everything was progressing. The day before, Marcus told me that with his promotion he was being recalled to London to take on other work. I wondered how Sue felt about being separated from her lover. Had he even told her. “It’s in hand” was all he would say when I challenged him. It was agreed I would make my own way to the party but we would share a taxi back afterwards.
The day of the party arrived; Sue had been off work for the last couple of days and not returned any of my calls. I arrived early hoping to catch her for a chat about recent events. As it happens they were late to arrive by which time I have to admit I had consumed a good few glasses of wine.
Imagine standing to the back of a hall, watching your wife enter looking radiant in a Red Halter neck evening dress. Split with a deep V at the front. The mounds of her breasts were tastefully visible without showing anything obscene. The dress was split at the side from knee to floor giving a glimpse of her ankle chain, my gift of a former necklace now adorned with the name of Marcus. Seeing her fingers entwined with her boyfriend’s. Hand in hand they greet mutual friends and colleagues. You hear quiet gossip from fellow party goers about how Marcus had done well for himself or how Sue had obviously snagged a stud and how long had they been in a relationship. I even had a colleague nudge me and say with a lecherous grin I must enjoy the peace and quiet of having our villa to myself most of the time.
Watching them wander round keeping a physical contact of holding hands or occasionally arms round each other, to me, made it obvious they were going very public about their relationship. Whilst no one knew Sue and I were married, I did feel on the one hand humiliated but watching the events made me so aroused. I had difficulty keeping my erection hidden.
Later in the evening, I observed as they danced, smooching to the slow numbers. Sue with her arms round Marcus’s neck whilst his hands rested on her backside casually caressing her for all to see.
By this time I had consumed bottles not just glasses of wine. Somewhere along the line I ********** to find myself being shaken awake by a work mate. Struggling to gain my bearings I saw a lot of people had left. Mumbling I said I must find Marcus as we were sharing a taxi home. “No chance of that” my colleague said. He and Sue left ages ago. “They make a lovely couple don’t they”. “Yes, they do” was all I could reply.
I eventually got back to the villa. Not surprising it was in darkness. No doubt Marcus would be in a sober enough state to as usual sexually satisfy my wife. I managed to stumble to my bedroom. Sitting down on the chair I heard a crack. Thinking nothing more, I climbed into bed and fell fast asleep. In the morning, I realised it was the last DVD he had given me. For some reason, I decided not to tell Marcus about this and hid the pieces in the rubbish bin.
Breaking the DVD seemed to break the cycle. Although he regularly sends me further copies I resisted watching them. Marcus was now in London weekdays; he came back Friday afternoon to spend the weekends with my wife. Sue was distant to me during the week. Conversations related to work matters only. If I tried to bring up our situation she brushed it off by saying wait till the project is finished and we are back home.
Two things happened which made me realise what was going on in my life. One Sunday afternoon whilst reading the newspaper supplements’ I was startled to see a picture of a face I recognised. The article was about how a hypnotist was having great success in getting people to give up smoking. The name on the article was Lisa Jessica Williams.
Sue had been introduced to her as Jessica. I knew her as Lisa. Several years ago she has been a junior architect on a project I was involved in. She had made some basic mistakes which could have cost the client millions if they had gone undetected.
I had not taken to Lisa, and to teach her a lesson, I went to the client to raise my concerns rather than speaking to the principle architect. Not surprising, she had been sacked and word went round the industry to say she was a risk. This blocked any chance of her getting a well paid job again. It then came back to me, at the time she had dabbled as an amateur in hypnosis.
I spent several hours thinking about how this linked with what had happened to me. Then it struck home. The DVD’s, reading the article again I found the relevant paragraph which stated she used a DVD program with hidden messages to change people with a near 100% success. Where did Marcus fit in I mused. There was only one way to find out.
I rushed to Sue’s flat sure she would be there. I was not mistaken as she answered my pounding on the door. Sue opened the door in a dressing gown not looking very well. “Are you OK I asked” “Fine” she replied, just a bit sick. “I have some fantastic news” I shouted, “We have been hypnotised; it’s the DVD’s you have been brain washed. We can stop this, you don’t really love Marcus. You were just programmed to think that. We can pick up our marriage and put things right. Sue started to cry. “David, it’s to late”. Taking my hand she placed it on her tummy. “I am pregnant, I am going to have Marcus’s baby”. But you don’t love him I exclaimed. Softly she replied, “I do, Marcus told me about the DVD’s soon after we came to France. He told me about Lisa and he went along to start with because he thought I was hot. The things changed and he found himself falling in love with me. That is when he came clean to me. I have not seen any of them since the first couple of weeks. I’m sorry David, it’s over between us”. All I could do was sit down and cry.
The project eventually came to an end. The last weeks seemed like hell. In the end Marcus got his wish and I saw Sue wearing a diamond engagement ring on her figure.
I decided work was the remedy. I quickly secured a new project in America.
Sunday afternoon before I left I sorted out the unopened post that I had put to one side for several days. Most were circulars but one looked official. Opening it I found a letter from Sue’s solicitor advising me she was seeking a divorce.
The End
