By BethShelby
Trenton had left for the office already, when Marsha rose from a restless night’s sleep. She threw on her silk robe and slippers and made her way to the kitchen. She needed to make sure the children got off to school on time. Latisha was in the kitchen putting the kids' cereal bowls into the dishwasher. The girls were dressed and arguing with each other over the name of some TV actress they had seen recently. Timothy was dressed but still eating.
“Latisha, did Trenton eat anything before he left this morning?”
“No ‘am Miss Marsha, he said he had a bad headache, and he’d pick up something later. I speck he might have been a bit hung over. He was kind of red-eyed.”
“Yeah, he might have been. He probably had too much to drink last night. He’s under a lot of pressure at the firm. All the partners go out together after work and discuss strategy on some of the major cases, while they’re enjoying a few drinks. I looked at the clock when I heard him come in last night. It was after four.”
“Miss Marsha, it ain’t none of my business, but are you sure he was still at the bar that late? I got a daughter who bar tends. I didn’t think none of them bars stayed open that late. Like I say, it ain’t my business, and I don’t need to be upsetting you, but if it was me, I’d be checking on what time they close."
“Oh, Latisha, do you think I’ve got a reason not to trust him? What do you think he’s doing with his time? Stepping out on me? I know he drinks too much, but I’ve never given him a reason to cheat. I trust my husband.”
“Yes‘m, I’m sure Mister Trenton loves you. He might of had to go back to the office and finish up on something.”
Marsha felt a sudden anxious flutter. To heck with Latisha. Just because her husband cheated on her, she doesn’t trust men. It really isn’t any of her business. Trenton is crazy about me. He says I’m the best-looking wife of all the partners at the firm. I’m smart and educated. When we go to the cocktail parties the firm is always having, he is the one who is jealous of me when he thinks one of the partners is paying too much attention to me. I just need to ignore her and not let anything she says get to me.
“Kids, your ride is here. Go on now. Don’t keep Mrs. Franklin waiting. Joey! Where’s Joey? Oh, there you are, son. Don’t forget you have a dental appointment later. Go on now, and have a good day. I’ll pick you up after school to take you to your appointment.”
“Latisha, I’ll just have some coffee and a piece of toast. I’ve kind of got a headache too. I need to hurry. I’ve got a meeting at ten with the local art committee chairman. She wants to put one of my paintings in the exhibit.”
As the day wore on, Marsha tried to keep Latisha’s earlier conversation out of her mind. It had never occurred to her to question the hours Trenton kept. He had told her, "You know things will change now that I'm a partner. I'll probably have to work some late hours. I'm going to be expected to fit in with their way of doing things. You know it is important they considered me a team player."
It made sense and she had gone along with it wanting him to succeed. She’d assumed the bars stayed open all night. Now, she felt she had to know for sure so she could relax. Her mind traveled to her friend Carman. She would know. She was single and dating again. She remembered Carman had mentioned seeing Trenton and one of the law partners at a bar. On the other hand, she could simply call the bar Trenton often mentioned and ask what time they closed.
In the end, she decided calling the bar was the best option. There was no reason to give her friend a chance to ask why she wanted to know. She picked up her phone and keyed in the number. The answer to her question didn’t give her the relief she had hoped. The bar closed at two a.m. No drinks were sold after 1:30 a.m. There had to be another explanation as to why he was coming home at four in the morning. Except for his recent excessive drinking, which was likely due to the stress of more responsibility, they had what she considered a near perfect marriage.
She’d never doubted Trenton loved her. They were sexually compatible. She enjoyed the physical side of their relationship as much as he did. She knew he was proud of her. He always complimented her taste in clothes and insisted she was the best hostess when they entertained. She had heard him brag to his friends about her artistic talents.
Lately, his excessive drinking was becoming a problem. He had a susceptibility to alcoholism in his DNA. His father had been an alcoholic. This might be something they would need to address if it continued, but surely there was no indication he would ever cheat on her. Still, she couldn’t shake the anxious feeling. Something wasn’t right. Had she been too naïve to question Trenton? Had she been too secure in her own feeling of self-worth to believe his pride in her would prevent him from risking losing her by daring to cheat?
She let her mind drift back to the time when she and Trenton had first met. It was her first year as an art teacher in Pensacola. She and her friend, Janet, were sharing an apartment. Janet had talked her into going to a dance attended by some guys from the local Air Force base. Trenton had singled her out right away. Some of the other guys were showing an interest in her as well. He had almost gotten into a fight when another guy was coming on too strong. After that night, the two of them spent a lot of time together.
By Christmas, Trenton’s time in Pensacola was coming to a close and he wasn’t sure where he would be going next. He wanted to get married before he was sent overseas. Marsha was torn. She’d hoped for more teaching time on her resume. However, some incidents had happened at her school, making her question the wisdom of continuing to teach at a place where threats had been made by a student. She had caused him to lose his football scholarship by giving him a failing grade for not attending class. Her tires had been slashed as result.
Also, she questioned whether or not she loved Trenton deeply enough and if she was ready for marriage. After giving the proposal some serious thought, she decided he was the one. He was nice looking, very intelligent, and able to converse on any subject. She enjoyed his company, and he certainly seemed smitten over her.
Not long after the wedding, she realized she was pregnant, and Trenton was about to be sent to Germany. She decided it was in her best interest to move in with her parents until the baby was born.
When Trendon’s tour of duty ended and he came home for good, their son, Keith, was eight months old. The first great tragedy of her life occurred when she went in to check on Keith to find him unresponsive. Her previously healthy little boy was pronounced dead of SIDs. She and Trenton were heartbroken, but they were able to put the pieces of their life back together and plan their next move. Since Trenton was ambitious and brainy, Marsha envisioned a bright future for the two of them. It would involve further education for him. Knowing that lawyers have a high-income potential, she persuaded him to attend Duke Law school in Virginia.
They were fortunate that Marsha’s parents were able and willing to help with the expenses. Marsha had planned to support him by teaching, but she was pregnant again. They had both hoped for more children so she was thrilled. Those were lean years in which she learned how to budget and to make do on less while Trenton completed his degree.
By the time he graduated, they had a girl and a boy and she was pregnant yet again. Trenton was offered jobs with several law firms and he decided the one that suited him best was in Jacksonville. Marsha hadn’t really wanted to go back to Florida, but there was the advantage of being in the state where her parents lived, and she felt she needed to support a move to wherever Trenton believed he could best succeed.
Trenton had done well. His salary had improved to the point, the family could afford a lovely home with a pool, in an upscale neighborhood near the beach. They were now the parents of four children. It seemed she had spent a lot of time being pregnant, in spite of the fact she only had one ovary due to an early tubal pregnancy. It wasn’t because they didn’t practice birth control, it just appeared she was extremely fertile and accidents happen. Trenton had declared their family was now complete.
The last time she had found to her dismay she was again pregnant, Trenton said "Enough is enough. You need to have this one taken care of. I know a doctor who can handle it."
Marsha had reluctantly agreed. Afterward Trenton had gotten his tubes tied, so there would be no chance of more.
Trenton wasn’t really father material. He left most of the parenting up to Marsha. She felt she was a good mother. She had joined and been elected the president of the PTA at the children’s school. She knew all the teachers and was willing to fight like a mother lion to protect her offspring if anyone dared to treat them unfairly.
Marsha still looked good after all these years. Having children hadn’t hurt her figure. She was healthy, and she exercised religiously. She kept up an active lifestyle. Along with her other activities, art was her passion. She had a studio, where she painted almost daily.
Recently, she and a friend had gotten into miniatures. When she was younger, she had thought seriously about becoming an architect. But one of her teachers discouraged her by saying females seldom succeed in that field. Now, she had designed and crafted a museum quality architectural model to scale to house her miniatures. Trenton had supported her all the way. He was proud to have such a talented wife.
Once when they were entertaining the law partners and their wives, Trenton had insisted everyone walk through their house to see his wife’s paintings and the miniature house she had designed. It was obvious he was proud of her. Marsha couldn’t understand why she was allowing doubts expressed by her maid to shake her security.
She needed to talk to Trenton. His voice would reassure her all was well. She tried not to bother him at work but this was important. Sheri, his secretary answered. “Hi, Sheri, is Trenton around?”
“No, I’m sorry Mrs. Benton. He’s in an important meeting. He asked that he not be disturbed. Would you like me to have him call you when he’s free?”
“Never mind. I’ll call him later.” She hung up the phone before further conversation could take place.
Darn that girl, Marsha thought. She let me know she didn’t intend to put my call through. I’ll bet the other wives talk to their husbands whenever they want to. What if my call had been an emergency? At least, she could have asked.
Sheri had only been Trenton’s secretary a few months and Marsha still hadn’t met her. It hadn’t mattered before, but now Marsha wondered what she looked like. Trenton said she was very good at her job, but he hadn’t commented further, and she hadn’t asked any questions.
Later that afternoon, Trenton called to say he wouldn’t be home for dinner.
“Again, Trenton? It’s like I never see you anymore. Did Sheri tell you I called?
“No, she didn’t mention it. Why did you call?”
“It wasn’t important, but why aren’t you coming home for dinner?”
“Marsha, I told you it would be like this after I made partner. There are important things I have to deal with. I don’t hear you complaining about me buying the house you wanted, nor the fact we have a maid so you don’t have to lift a finger. You always do your thing. If you want us to maintain this life style, you need to let me do what I need to do. I’ll be late tonight, so don’t wait up.”
“Ok, I hear you, but we need to talk. This isn’t working. The kids need a father, and I need a husband. I have a right to expect more out of this life than an extravagant lifestyle. See if you can find time to pencil me into your busy schedule. Something has got to change.”
Marsha hung up without saying goodbye. Tears ran down her cheeks. She’d never talked to Trenton that way before. She had made excuses for him, and never felt like she was being used until now. No doubt her tirade had shocked him. Now, she would wait to see what he intended to do about it.
By BethShelby
After hanging up on Trenton, Marsha sat quietly, trying to make sense of why suddenly it seemed without warning everything had changed. She realized, even before her earlier conversation with Latisia, she’d had a vague premonition things were spinning out of control. She had felt ill at ease without knowing why. She couldn’t remember the last time she and Trenton spent an evening out together.
Last weekend, Trenton and Bruce, a neighborhood friend, had watched a game together. The two of them had gone through, at least, three bottles of booze. Trenton had always held his liquor well, but lately, he’d seemed grumpier in the mornings, often complaining of headaches.
Bruce was someone she was uncomfortable around when he was drinking. He was her best friend’s husband. She would never dare say anything to Barbara, but he’d made passes at her several times when he’d managed to catch her alone. Now, she wondered if Bruce knew something she didn’t know about Trenton. If he did, that might explain why he’d felt free to try something with her.
Her mind drifted back to their early married days when Trenton was still in law school. Even back then, he often came home late. She’d always believed him when he said he was studying in the law library. Law classes were challenging, even for good students. He had passed the Law exam on his first attempt, unlike many of his classmates. Surely back then, there had been a good reason for his late hours.
Stop letting your mind go there, she told herself. You aren’t so naïve that if he has cheated on you all these years, you wouldn’t have realized it. It is more likely he is becoming addicted to alcohol like his father. Alcohol might lower his resistance if someone in his office tries to tempt him. I need to learn more about his new secretary.
Trenton came home around midnight after their telephone conversation. Marsha pretended to be asleep, but the following morning, she was up before he left for the office. He acted as though nothing had changed. “Trenton, like I told you yesterday, we need to talk. You’ve been working late almost every night. Do you think the two of us might go out for meal this evening?”
“I don’t know what’s gotten into you lately, Marsha. I thought you had enough projects going on to keep you busy. I have a new client, and we’ve scheduled a dinner meeting for this evening. I’ll see if I can make some time for us to do something together next week. It looks as if I’m going to have to go out of town this weekend. By the way, don’t forget to send my shirts out to the cleaners."
“Wow, it is pretty sad when I have to make an appointment to see my own husband.”
“Don’t be so dramatic. I’ve got to run. I’ll try to call you later, if I get some time. “
Marsha walked over to Trenton’s closet and started pulling out his shirts and checking the pockets. A couple of the shirts had the slight scent of perfume. It wasn’t his aftershave she had detected. Inspecting them closely, she saw what appeared to be a smear of makeup on the shoulder of one of them. A sick feeling washed over her. The evidence was there. She could no longer deny it.
If he thinks I’m sharing him with some other woman, he’s in for a shock. I’m not going there. I’ll talk to a lawyer and get a divorce before that happens, she muttered to herself. I don’t know how our children would handle it, if we were to split up? I wonder if they’ve noticed anything unusual? Would they tell me if they did?
Marsha tried thinking of ways she could approach the subject without it sounding as though she didn’t trust their father. Joey was the oldest. At 16, he had a more serious nature. He might know something he wouldn’t be likely to share without some encouragement. She would need to look for an opportunity to bring the subject up casually.
She couldn’t get the makeup on Trenton’s shirt off her mind. The next time she had an opportunity for a private word with him, she couldn’t hold back on confronting him. It was the following morning before the children were up. Trenton, himself, presented the opportunity.
“Marsha, you did remember to get my shirts to the cleaners, didn’t you?
“Yes, I sent them out. They’ll be back later today. I was wondering if you’d like a chance to explain the makeup and perfume all over the shoulder of one of them.
Trendon’s face drained of color as he struggled to act as if he knew nothing.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. If there’s makeup on my shirt, it would have to be yours.”
“I don’t think so,” Marsha snapped sarcastically. “It wasn’t my brand of perfume, and I can’t remember the last time I had my head on your shoulder. Would you like to tell me about the tramp you’ve been holding close?”
“Well, if it wasn’t your makeup, it must have been this old lady who is my client. She came into my office the other day all upset. She was starting to get hysterical. You know how some people get when they’re in trouble. I was trying to calm her down. It’s possible she might have got makeup on my shirt.”
“Nice try. You think well on your feet, but I’m not an idiot. You’re in corporate law. You don’t have clients who’ve been falsely accused of killing someone. I can’t seem to imagine a corporate representative crying on your shoulder.”
“The newer partners, do take on some Pro Bono cases, but you go right ahead and think whatever you like. I’ve never cheated on you. Well, maybe one time, but just once. She didn’t mean a thing to me. We were both drinking, and she came on to me. It never happened again. You know that you and our kids mean everything to me. I’ve got to go, or I’ll be late. We’ll talk about this when I have more time.”
Marsha rubbed the tears away and sat trying to come to terms with the situation. She loved Trenton and didn’t want to lose him. She wanted so badly to believe him. The possibility of separation or divorce wasn’t something she’d expected to ever deal with. If it wasn’t for his drinking problem, it likely wouldn’t be happening.
There had to be a better solution. If they couldn’t talk this out, maybe they could consider counseling. Only the future would reveal what might be in store.
| Author Notes | The story is set in Florida in an upscale neighborhood. Marsha is an artist and a stay home mom. She has reason to believe her husband who is a corporate lawyer may be cheating on her. She also believes he is becoming an alcoholic. She and Trendon are the parents of four children who range in age from twelve to sixteen. Trenton claimed he was not cheating, but she believed he has lied to her. She is suspicious of why he is keeping late hours, and she wants to learn more about his new secretary. |
By BethShelby
Marsha was beginning to realize when a suspicion takes over your mind it eats away at you like a cancer. Once again, she found herself digging around in Trenton’s closet. This time, she was feeling into the pockets of suit coats and jackets. Part of her hoped there was nothing there to find, but she felt compelled to do it anyway. All she had found were a matchbook with a printed bar name with which she wasn’t familiar and a couple of business cards.
She was about to give up when her fingers came across two receipts folded together. She took them out into the light to have a better look. One was from an expensive lingerie shop, and the other was from a Jared Jewelry store. A sick feeling washed over her. These items listed had not been gifts for her. She was shocked to think Trenton would even go into a lingerie shop. The price tags were shockingly expensive. She didn’t even own a diamond tennis bracelet. Both receipts showed the items were purchased in February.
February was over five months ago. This meant if he was cheating, it had been going on for a while. What possible other explanation could there be? The purchases were made with cash. Could one of the senior partners have asked him to pick up the items for their wife? Surely neither of them would have asked Trenton. They each had a secretary who could do that. Even if that had happened, Trenton wouldn’t have kept the receipts. She almost wished she hadn’t looked.
As soon as the kids were home, she found an excuse to pull Joey aside. “Son, I hate to burden you with this, but I’m concerned your father may have another woman in his life. I don’t want to get your sisters upset. You know how emotional they can be. I thought maybe I could talk to you. You haven’t had any reason to suspect anything have you?”
Joey looked down and pressed his lips together. He shifted his feet and cleared his throat before he spoke, “I didn’t want to say anything, unless you knew. He is seeing someone. I saw them. It looked like Dad’s car, and I watched to see where he was going. I don’t think Dad noticed me passing by, but I know where she lives. I started to say something to him, but I didn’t know what to say. I don’t want you to get a divorce.”
“Did you recognize her? Is she someone we know?"
“No. I’ve never seen her before. But she only lives a few blocks from here. I was riding my bike in that area.”
“What did you see? What were they doing?"
“They just got out of Dad’s car and went into her house. They were laughing and looking at each other like something was going on.”
“OK, Let’s keep this between us. Don’t tell the others what you saw. I’m probably going to want you to show me where she lives. I need to think about what to do about this.”
Marsha was angry and hurt. The shock of having it confirmed was devastating. What should I do now? she asked herself. I need to talk to someone. Do I confront him? Do I talk to a lawyer? I need to know what my options are. Why is this happening? I’ve been a good wife. I’ve always supported him. He could never find anyone who has done more for him than I have. His drinking is clouding his judgment. I don’t want a divorce. There has to be a way to fix this.
Marsha lay across her bed and sobbed, her tears soaking into the duvet cover. She berated herself for her stupidity of not realizing this was even possible. She decided she would talk to her friend Carman. She had been there for Carman when she was going through her divorce. Carman knew a good lawyer. She had come through the divorce with a great settlement.
Marsha decided she would just talk to the lawyer. She wouldn’t file for a divorce, but she could at least find out what she could expect if it came to that. She wouldn’t say anything to Trenton until he returned from his trip out of town.
Monday morning as Trenton prepared to leave for his trip to Tallahassee, Marsha asked, “Do you know how long you will be there?”
“No, it will just depend on how it goes. There are several meetings scheduled. I may be back in a couple of days, or it may take longer. I’ll call and let you know.”
“Are they just sending you? Is there no one else from the firm going?”
“Just me and my secretary. I have to take Sheri with me to take notes. If we sign them on as a client, she’ll need to be there to draw up the agreement. I hope you’re not worried about her. She’s not my type. We are booked in separate rooms at the Hampton Inn. You don’t have a thing to worry about from her. She’s got a boyfriend. Why are you asking all these questions? You’ve never been a jealous person.”
“I just asked. I didn’t mean anything by it. I can’t have a normal conversation with you anymore without you thinking I’m questioning you. I’d just like to know if anything comes up, if I can get in touch with you.”
“Let me call you. I’d rather you don’t call me when I’m in a meeting. I’ll be back home as soon as I can leave.”
Trenton gave her a quick peck on the cheek and was gone. It was Marsha’s week to drive the children to school, so she went about the task of getting them off in time to pick up the other two kids in the car pool.
Later in the day, she was surprised to get a call from Trenton’s firm. It was one of the senior partners, Bill Cunningham.
“Marsha, I was wondering if you have time to talk. I have some things I need to discuss with you while Trenton is out of town. I’d like you to come by the office if that is convenient. If not, I can meet you somewhere. It’s important, and I’d rather not do it over the phone.”
| Author Notes | The story is set in Jacksonville, Florida around 2010 It involves a couple in the 40s with four children. The husband is a lawyer who recently become a partner in his firm. He has a drinking and his wife suspects that he may be having an affair. |
By BethShelby
Marsha and Trenton are married and living in Jacksonville, Florida. Marsha has learned that Trenton, a lawyer, is having an affair. She is thinking of contacting her own lawyer, when Trenton is sent out of town on an assignment. His firm contacts her and asks her to come in and meet with the senior partner.
Chapter Four:
After the senior partner, Bill Cunningham, called from Trenton’s firm, Marsha made arrangements to meet with him at 10 am the following day. She wracked her brain trying to imagine why he wanted to meet with her while Trenton was out of town. Was it possible the firm was planning some sort of award ceremony and they hoped to surprise Trenton? Maybe it had to do with his cheating, but surely if they were aware he was cheating, they wouldn’t be calling to tell her.
Marsha had met Bill at a Christmas party and had seen him at a couple of other firm gatherings. She didn’t know him well, even though he’d spent quite a bit of time talking to her at the party. She’d been surprised afterward when Trenton sarcastically remarked, “Bill seems to find you rather fascinating.” Secretly, she had been pleased that Trenton sounded as if he resented other guys paying attention to her.
For a brief moment, it occurred to her that maybe Bill hoped to get to know her better while Trenton was away. She certainly hoped that wasn’t the case since they were both married. That would be an awkward and stupid move on his part.
The following day, she kept her appointment still wondering what the meeting could be about. It felt awkward telling the receptionist she was there to see Bill. He didn't keep her waiting long. After greeting her and thanking her for coming, he led her into his office.
“I know you must be wondering why I asked you to come in,” he said. “I’m sorry it is necessary to discuss this. I am assuming you must be aware that Trenton is having some problems with alcohol.”
“Well, yes, I know he’s been drinking more lately, but I’ve been thinking the firm has been mostly responsible for that. He told me it is a policy that the partners go out after work to a local bar to go over the cases with the clients and discuss strategy for dealing with them."
Bill frowned and shook his head before continuing. “Well, I’m afraid if he told you that, he might have misled you. That would certainly not be our policy. If we have anything to discuss concerning our clients, we would do it during the day here in the board room.”
Marsha took a deep breath and let this disturbing thought sink in. How could I have been so stupid and gullible? His late hours had nothing to do with the firm. Either he is going out to drink, or he is spending all of his time with that woman, whoever she is.
Bill continued,“Look, don’t get me wrong, I’m sorry I had to be the one to tell you this. Trenton is a good lawyer and he is a real asset to this firm. If we thought so, he would have made partner. But lately, I am afraid he has become addicted to alcohol, and he needs help. He can’t do a decent job in the condition he’s in at present. We have talked to him about it more than once. He is coming in to work late with excuses, and he often goes out for part of the day. We think he keeps a bottle here and is drinking at work. He claims he doesn’t have a problem and he vows he will do better, but it isn’t happening.”
“His father was an alcoholic. I’ve been afraid he could become addicted. I don’t know what I can do about it. He won’t listen to me. He tells me he doesn’t have a problem. He doesn’t act drunk at home, but the truth is he has been spending a lot of time away from home.”
“Marsha, I don’t think he can do anything about it, without some professional help. We’ve discussed it here, and I’ve talked to him about going for treatment. We would pay for the treatment, and he would continue to draw a full salary, but he won’t do it willingly. It looks like we are going to have to do an intervention, and we need you to be a part of it. We have a treatment center in mind, and we can get a professional over here to direct the conversation. We’ll need you to tell him how it is affecting you and your children. He’ll have to understand he can’t continue here unless he agrees. How do you feel about it? Do you think it is something you’ll be able to handle?"
“Yes, definitely. I’m ready to do whatever I need to do. It is affecting my family. I’m glad you’re willing to do that for him. He isn’t going to like it. What if he refuses? Can we force him to go?”
“He’ll have to agree. The way these things work, he has to understand, if he wants to continue to work here as a law partner, he doesn’t really have another choice, and you can make it clear to him that he is failing his family. If you feel like it, you can say you don’t want him as part of your life. Without having any other options, most people will agree to go for treatment."
“When do you plan to do this?"
“We’d like to do it as soon as possible. We needed to make sure you’re on board. We’ll get in touch with the treatment center. He will need to be there at least a month and maybe longer. We will try to set up the intervention in a hotel. He’ll think he is meeting a client there. He won’t know until he walks in what we’ve planned. We’ll get back with you as soon as we know what they can work out. I’ll be contacting you again soon. I know this isn’t going to be easy for you, but I’m glad you are willing to go along with it.” Bill rose and so did Marsha. He walked her to the door and shook her hand.
Marsha left in a daze. Perhaps this was the answer she was hoping for. If Trenton was stashed away in a treatment center, he wouldn’t be able to carry on an affair with another woman. Maybe, he wouldn’t have gotten involved with anyone, if he hadn’t been drinking. This could be a turning point. There might be some hope after all.
For the first time in days, she felt as if a burden was being lifted. Now, she just had to get this obstacle behind her.
| Author Notes | Marsha and Trenton are married and living in Jacksonville, Florida. Marsha has learned that Trendon, a lawyer, is having an affair. She is thinking of contacting her own lawyer, when Trenton is sent out of town on an assignment. His firm contacts her and asks her to come in and meet with the senior partner. |
By BethShelby
Marsha walked out of Trenton’s firm with the words of the senior law partner bouncing around in her head. Would Trenton agree to go in for treatment? What if he didn’t? It sounded like if he didn’t take this chance he was being offered, he might be out of a job. What would happen then? In spite of their apparent wealth, theirs was a house of cards. If the monthly payments stopped the family would be in bankruptcy. If he was having an affair, and their relationship ended in divorce, where would that leave her? How would she raise four children on her own?
The brief moment of relief she had felt at a possible solution was eroding fast. She sat in her car, wondering if she was in any condition to drive. “Get hold of yourself,” she scolded aloud. “You’re not an idiot. Surely you can find a job, if it comes to that. Your parents won’t let you and the children starve. You’ve got to take this one day at a time.”
She’d barely gotten home when Trenton called,“Hey, Babe, where were you earlier? I tried to call, and you didn’t answer.”
“I had a headache, so I turned the phone off for a while. When are you planning to be back home? Will it be a lot longer?”
“No, that’s why I was calling. I think we’ll wrap it up tomorrow. I’ll be in tomorrow evening. We can go out to eat if you want. Are you alright? You were acting kind of weird when I left. Why don’t you go ahead and make reservations whereever you want to go for around eight. I’ll have to drop Sheri off by her place.”
After they hung up, Marsha was surprised and relieved that Trenton sounded more like himself. If he was drinking, he was hiding it well, but then, he could drink a lot without appearing to be drunk. Am I imagining things? Maybe he’s not really an alcoholic. Bill could be wrong about him. Trenton will be furious if we do an intervention. Should I try to talk to Bill again and see if I could get him to hold up? He might be willing to stop drinking on his own if he thinks he could lose his job.
The following morning, Marsha got a call from Bill. Before she got a chance to express her doubts about the wisdom of going through with the intervention, he started telling her the arrangements were already made. “I’ve got it all set up with the treatment center. They have an opening, and they are sending a counselor out to facilitate the intervention. Trenton will be coming back today, so we need to get this finalized. We want to do it on Monday of next week. I’ve rented a suite at the Hilton. We would like everyone there at 3pm. You won’t have a problem with that, will you?”
“No, I can arrange to be there, if you’re sure we have to do this.”
“Yes, it is necessary if he is to continue as a partner with the firm. We have had several talks with him about his drinking. He has assured us that he has it under control, but it has become apparent that he doesn’t. We talked about that yesterday. You seemed to be on board with it then. I hope you aren’t having second thoughts. We’re counting on you. You need to make sure he doesn’t know about this. He will believe he is going to be meeting with a client when he goes into the hotel room. The element of surprise is essential.”
“I’m trying to get on board with it, but it isn’t easy. I’ll make sure he doesn’t get any indication of anything from me. I do have a lot of questions. I guess I wasn’t expecting it to be this quick.”
“I knew you would have questions. That is why I’m sending you some material over by courier right away. It will tell you everything you need to know about how this will go down. There will be a questionnaire you’ll fill out which will guide you and any others on how to go about this. You can write down what you plan to say to him in case you get emotional. These sessions can get intense. Also, how about your two older children? Only you would know if they need to be involved. It can be traumatic for young people. They don’t recommend anyone under 16 be there. You’ll need to talk to your kids and decide if even the older ones would be comfortable talking about how his drinking is affecting them.
“I hadn’t thought about them. My son is 17. He has expressed concern about his dad’s drinking. I’ll see what he says."
“Okay. If there is anyone else you think could help, let me know. I know his parents are living in another state. The material I’m sending over will include pictures and information about the treatment center. It’s about ten miles from here. They recommend that he stay there for a minimum of six weeks. You won’t be able to see him or contact him for a while. They will determine at what point you’ll be able to visit him. If you have any questions for me, don’t hesitate to call. While he’s gone, we will send his checks to you,"
When Marsha got off of the phone, it felt as though a cloud of fear and dread had descended on her. This was really happening. Six weeks was a long time. They’d never been apart for so long before. How was she to act when Trenton got back home tonight? She would need to wait about letting the children know what was about to happen or they might alert their father. She could depend on Joey not to say anything. She would call him aside and see how he felt about being there. Linsey was 16, but she was far too emotional.
Trenton arrived home at shortly past seven. Marsha had made the dinner reservations. He greeted her with a kiss and acted as though things were normal between them. He was likely going out of his way to pretend all was well. Before he had gone out of town, she had told him they needed to talk, but now, it wouldn’t do to risk confronting him with his recent behavior. She decided to put on an act as well. They chatted casually about the children and the possibility of having her family over for a meal.
| Author Notes |
Marsha has just left the Trenton's firm after being called in while her Trenton was out of town to discuss the partners' decision to have an intervention concerning his drinking. She has recently learned that her husband is likely cheating on her.
This will be the 5th chapter in the book Anatomy of a Marriage. |
By BethShelby
In the days that followed Marsha’s meeting with Bill Cunningham about the law firm’s plans for an intervention, Trenton seemed to be putting extra effort into building back some of the trust Marsha had lost. He was home more of the time, and spent some time talking about his success in signing the client he had gone to Tallahassee to meet. He even mentioned Sheri, his secretary who had gone with him on the trip, in a negative way. Since Marsha hadn’t met Sheri and her only contact had been by phone, she’d wondered if maybe she was the one he had been seeing. Now he was telling her, Sheri wasn’t working out so well, and he was thinking of letting her go.
Marsha’s suspicious mind wanted to believe him, but still, she wondered if perhaps he wasn’t telling her that, and spending more time at home in order to ease her suspicions. As she had promised Bill, she refrained from telling Trenton that his firm had planned an intervention. She knew Bill was right by saying if he knew ahead of time, it would only guarantee he would be prepared and would refuse to go along with it. She realized that if he did refuse treatment, it might mean the firm would terminate his partnership and possibly his employment. She was torn with guilt, knowing he would feel she had betrayed him by not saying anything.
The Monday date was approaching, and Marsha had gone over all of the information thoroughly which Bill had sent to her by courier. There were suggestions as to what the wife should say. Although, she didn’t plan to have to read it, she had written, discarded and rewritten dozens of drafts. She had talked to her son, Joey to see how he felt about being there.
Joey’s response had been, “No way! I couldn’t possibly face Dad and tell him he has to go away for treatment. He would hate me. I do think he needs help though. I can’t stand to see him killing himself drinking. He’s going to end up dying of liver disease like his dad did. Your own grandpa died of liver problems too, didn’t he?''
“Yes, he did. He died young, too. It really worries me about you children. Alcoholism runs on both sides of the family. I hope none of you ever start drinking. I don’t think I got that gene though. I’ve never had over two glasses of wine and I only have it occasionally with friends.”
Monday arrived and Trenton kissed Marsha goodbye and left for work believing he would be meeting with another potential client in the afternoon. She and Joey were the only two in the family that knew this day would be different. The kids left for school as though it would be an ordinary day. She hadn’t mentioned anything about it to the maid. She wasn’t convinced Latisha could keep her mouth shut, and she was certain her daughters couldn’t. Marsha spent the morning staying busy and trying to deal with the fluttery feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was all she could do to avoid thinking a glass of wine might help to calm her nerves.
As instructed, just before 3:00 pm, Marsha found her way to the assigned suite at the Hilton. The coordinator, sent from the treatment center, met her at the door and introduced himself as Alex Feldon. Four of the other law partners were already seated. Chairs had been arranged into a semicircle. He told her when Trenton arrived, he would be expecting to meet a client. He would likely be shocked finding her and members of the firm present. He couldn’t guarantee what his reaction might be.
The atmosphere was tense. Marsha knew all of the other partners, but under the circumstances the conversation was subdued. Everyone appeared to be on edge as they waited for Trenton. He was due at 3:30. This gave those who would be confronting Trenton time to be seated and go over last-minute instructions and to get answers to any question they might have. Bill Cunningham, the top man in the firm, was the last one seated.
Trenton arrived promptly at 3:30. He knocked on the door and was greeted by Alex. He shook hands in a professional manner, believing him to be his client, but as his eyes traveled past Alex, his face clouded with confusion and then shock. He grew noticeably paler and took on that ‘deer in the headlight’ look which Marsha realized was an apt description. Seeing his wife and the serious expressions on the faces of his fellow partners, Trenton realized this was no surprise party. His first thought was to turn away and leave quickly, but he realized this was something he must face head-on. It was too late to retreat. Alex led him to a chair in the center of the group and told him he needed to listen and hold his comments until everyone had had their say.
One by one, each of his partners spoke about what his being late for appointments and comments clients had made concerning his excessive drinking was doing to the reputation of the firm. Bill Cunningham laid it out in such a way that there was no doubt he couldn’t continue without getting some professional help.
Marsha was the last to speak. She had thought she could tell him how his drinking was impacting her and the children, but after a few stumbling words, she found her throat closing and tears starting to trickle down her cheeks. She had to rely on reading what she had written. She told him she loved him, but they had reached a place where if he didn’t get help with his drinking their marriage would fail.
Trenton claimed he was getting control of it himself and that he was willing to start attending AA meetings, but he was told he was at a point AA wouldn’t be enough. He needed time in a treatment center, and that his reservation had already been made. When all of his protests had been shot down, he realized he had no real choice other than to agree.
“How soon must I do this?” he asked.
“I’m here to take you today. We will go by your house and let you pack a bag, and then, we will go from there.” Alex told him. “You’ll be there for six weeks, but everything will be taken care off. Your wife assures us that she can handle it. She will take care of your checks and paying the bills, until you’re able to go back to work. Your firm considers you a partner worthy of what they are doing. They are willing to take care of your expenses at the center and pay your full salary until you get this thing under control.”
The meeting ended with Trenton reluctantly agreeing to go with Alex. His partners all shook his hand. Some hugged him and patted him on the back. They told him they were proud of his decision, and they knew he could do what he needed to do. After going home and getting his things together, he and Marsha had a few minutes together for a teary goodbye.
Marsha had given the children money for a movie they had been wanting to see, so that they wouldn’t be home as their father was leaving. She was afraid their reaction might make it worse for everyone. She still had to explain to them why he would be away for a while.
She felt some of the tension leaving her after Alex and Trenton had gone. The days ahead wouldn’t be easy, but at least, it seemed a step in the right direction.
| Author Notes | This is the story of couple in a marriage crisis. Marsha has reason to suspect Trenton, a partner in a law firm, of cheating. Trenton is also an alcoholic, and his law partners have decided if he is to remain with the firm an intervention is needed to make sure he with go to a treatment center. |
By BethShelby
Once Trenton had departed for the treatment center, Marsha was overcome with a feeling of loss. She had never been away from him more than a day or two, and even then, there was always the option of getting in touch by phone should the need arise. This was different, and she felt truly alone as the responsible adult left to hold her family together. She couldn’t even reach him by phone until the treatment center felt it wouldn’t impede his progress. She scolded herself for throwing a private pity party and allowing the tears to flow as she waited for the children to get home.
As soon as she heard the children come inside, she called them together, saying she had something she needed to tell them. Joey knew what this meeting was all about, and he was anxious to know if his dad had consented to go for treatment. The others seemed alarmed, fearing news of perhaps an illness or someone like one of their grandparents dying.
“Kids, I’m sure you are aware your dad has been drinking more often lately. You know alcoholism runs in his family and his father died from a liver disease brought on by drinking. It is like any other disease and when it gets out of hand it has to be treated.”
“He doesn’t drink any more than most people,” Timothy interrupted. “Jerramy's dad across the street gets mean when he drinks. I’ve seen him drunk. He gave Jerramy a black eye once and he curses. Daddy doesn’t do that.”
“No, your dad has more control, but that’s all the more reason, we’ve decided your dad needs to go for treatment before it gets any worse and something bad happens. He is going to be away for a while. It will just be us for now, but we can handle it. When he gets back home, hopefully he won’t feel the need to drink and things will go back to normal.”
“What did Dad say when he came in to that place, and everyone was there telling him he had to go away? I’ll bet he was furious," Joey said.
“What? You knew all the time and you didn’t say anything,” Linsey snaped angerly. “Who told Daddy he had to go away? Why wasn’t I told anything? I’m nearly as old as you are, Joey. And Mom, you always act like he is your favorite. You tell him everything. He knows what’s happening before anyone else. It'snot fair. Parents aren’t supposed to have favorites.”
Marsha’s heart sank. She had hoped to avoid this reaction. Why did Joey have to pick this moment to let them know he knew? Linsey can be so dramatic and temperamental. I knew she'd go off like a wounded cat.
“Honey, you know I don’t have favorites. I love every one of you. I’d never keep anything important from you, but you are too quick to over-react sometime. I’m telling all of you right now.” Marsha addressed her youngest daughter. “Tracy, do you have anything to say about this?”
“I don’t care if he goes away. He’s always going somewhere. It’s ok as long as you don’t leave. I didn’t even know he was drinking too much. I thought all grownups drank. Dad hardly ever talks to me anyway."
Marsha sighed, wondering if she and Trenton hadn’t been paying enough attention to their children. They had a way of surprising you with their observations. She would need to spend more time with them.
The kids had more questions, and it took a while to get them settled. Up to this point, raising them had gone smoothly. She hoped it could continue that way, but with all of them now teens, things might get out of hand while their father was away. Jacksonville wasn’t an ideal place for raising teenagers. She’d already been concerned about some of the parties they’d attended. Drugs and alcohol were often available. She’d recently put a lock on their liquor cabinet. Maybe she would decide not to stock it in the future. She enjoyed a glass of wine occasionally, but it was something she could easily do without.
She planned to tell Latisha when she came in to work tomorrow. Thank goodness, they had hired Latisha. She was going to have to depend on her maid more than ever now.
She had avoided her friend Barbara lately, but now she decided would be a good time to let them know what was going on. Bruce would miss his weekend drinking buddy.
When Marsha went next door, Barbara greeted her warmly and she could see the relief in her friend’s face as she told her about the intervention. Barbara said, “The last time we were together, I knew something was wrong. You weren’t your usual friendly self. I thought maybe I had done something to offend you. We used to get together every day or so. I can’t believe the firm was willing to pay to have Trenton go for treatment. I’m even more surprised, he was willing to go. You know when Bruce worked for the firm, they didn’t give him that option. They fired him outright for drinking on the job. I never told you that was the reason he left the firm, did I?”
“No, I thought he left because he found a job he felt more comfortable with doing.”
“It’s embarrassing to have to tell someone your husband got fired. I wish they had sent him for treatment, but Bruce wasn’t a partner like Trenton. I’d give anything if he didn’t drink so much.”
“His drinking wasn’t all that was bothering me,” Marsha admitted. “I suspected he was cheating on me. I still don’t know that he isn’t, but I’ve got to deal with one thing at a time. Maybe if he can get his drinking under control, the other will take care of itself. I can at least hope that might happen."
,,,,,,,,
A week later, a courier arrived bringing Trenton’s check from the firm. It contained a shock Marsha hadn’t anticipated.
| Author Notes | The Intervention for Trenton's drinking initiated by his law firm is over, and he agreed to a treatment center for 6 weeks. Marsha is dealing with her four children alone. |
By BethShelby
The first week without Trenton had passed slowly, with Marsha anxiously trying to adjust to the knowledge that any decisions made would be solely her own. Images of what she imagined might be going on with Trenton were constantly replaying in her imagination. Was he suffering from lack of alcohol? How was he dealing with having others make decisions for him? Did he miss his family? If he had been seeing someone, had he somehow let her know? He was not supposed to have access to a phone. How was he handling that? All these thoughts had left her tossing and turning at night, unable to get a good night’s rest.
Latisha had been extremely helpful. Marsha didn’t know how she could have handled things without her. When she had informed her maid what was going on, Latisha reacted as though she was relieved.
“Miss Marsha, I think Mr. Trenton is exactly where he needs to be. It’s a blessing that he is going to be getting himself some help. He hasn’t been acting right lately. He’s been coming in here in the kitchen and grabbing a cup of coffee, looking like he hasn’t slept and not even wanting to eat. He used to have a good appetite. I’ve been concerned about him. Don’t you go worrying about nothing. We can handle it here until he gets back. If you need me to do anything more than my usual, you let me know.”
So far, Marsha had continued her turn at carpooling, and gone through the motions of her daily routine, trying to act as though nothing had changed. Although the children may have been talking among themselves since she had told them the news, they hadn’t asked any more questions and had avoided mentioning their dad around her. Linsey seemed more irritable than her normal teenage angst, and Marsha wondered if she blamed her for her father’s absence.
It was time to take care of some bills, so when the courier arrived with Trenton’s check, she was relieved. Since their marriage, taking care of the bills had been her job. Trenton had always cashed his own check and kept out thirty or forty in cash for his needs. He gave her the remainder to put in the bank so she could pay the bills and write checks for necessities.
She tore open the envelope intending to sign his name and then hers as his wife, and write out the deposit, but something was wrong. This wasn’t the amount of his usual check. The bookkeeper had made a mistake. Maybe the firm was adding money for the treatment center expecting her to pay them. She would need to call.
She got the bookkeeper on the phone to clear up why the amount was nearly twice as much as she had been dealing with each pay period. “I’m wondering about the amount of this check. Am I supposed to be paying the treatment center? If so, I’ll need to know how much I’m supposed send to them.”
“Oh, no Ma’am. We’re taking care of that. That’s just his usual check. He’s being paid what he always gets while he is away at the center.”
“Are you sure you didn’t make an error?” Marsha asked, repeating the amount.
“No, no mistake. It’s the same as always."
Marsha hung up the phone and sat staring at the check in disbelief. The thought that Trenton had been lying to her became clear. If he has been keeping out all that money, what has he been doing with it? The receipts I found in his coat for jewelry and lingerie were for money he spent on someone. It certainly wasn’t for me. Has he been planning to leave me for some bimbo?
Feelings of hurt and anger surged through her veins and erupted in salty tears. She felt the need to talk to someone. Handling this alone was too much for her. Perhaps talking to her pastor would be wise. She was in need of spiritual advice. Marsha tried to remember how long it had been since they had attended church. He had been a new pastor back then. He might not even remember her. Maybe she would call her mother instead. Again, she had second thoughts. Her mother believed the sun rose and set with Trenton. If she thought the marriage was falling apart, her mother would likely blame her. While she was debating over what to do the phone rang.
“Mrs. Carlson, this is Miss Morgan from the principal’s office at Bridgeport High. We need you to come over and talk to the principal. It is about your daughter, Tracie. Would you be able to come over right away? It is important that you be here as soon as you possibly can.”
“What’s wrong? Is Tracie sick?"
“No, she’s not sick or hurt, but you’ll need to talk to Mr. Hardy. He has your daughter in his office. You may have to take her home. He asked me to confirm that you will be coming shortly.”
“Okay. Tell him I’m on my way.”
Marsha glanced in the mirror and ran the comb through her long blond hair. She wouldn’t bother to change clothes or refresh her makeup. The call had sounded urgent.
It seemed as if her world was crashing in. With everything else going wrong, now there was a problem concerning her daughter. Tracie was her baby. That little girl had never given anyone any trouble. Tracie was the last one of her children Marsha would have expected to have some kind of a problem. Hopefully it was nothing serious.
Grabbing her purse and car keys, Marsha took time to inform Latisha she hoped to be back shortly. With that, she was out the door and off to see what new emergency might be awaiting her arrival.
| Author Notes | Marsha's husband has been sent to a treatment center to deal with his alcohol problem. Marshe is dealing with the knowledge than Trenton, a lawyer, has likely been cheating on her. While he is away, she must deal alone with any problems and take care of her four children. |
By BethShelby
Marsha walked into the principal’s office at Bridgepoint with a sense of dread, having no idea what she might be facing. The first thing she saw was her daughter sitting on a bench with her backpack beside her. Tracie looked up with fresh tears starting to trickle down her cheeks. Her face was flushed and her eyes were swollen from having shed so many tears. Marsha went straight to her daughter’s side. “What happened? Are you alright? I came as soon as they called me.”
Tracie shook her head, and tearfully managed to get out the words, “I didn’t mean to get in any trouble.”
From behind the counter, the secretary rose. “Mrs. Carlson, I’ll let the principal know you are here.” She knocked and entered an office. The principal came out and shook her hand and introduced himself as George Welsh. She had met him before, but apparently, he had forgotten. “I’m glad you were able to come right away. Let’s go into my office and talk about what’s going on.” Tracie rose to go with them, but he motioned for her to sit back down. “Tracie, let me talk to your mother first for a few minutes. We will call you, if we need you to come in.”
Once inside and seated, Mr. Welsh pulled a coin purse from his desk drawer, which Marsha recognized as one she had given Linsey. He opened it and pulled out a folded envelope. Inside it were a couple of thin cigarettes and a small sheet of what looked like blotter paper. The paper was sectioned off into six squares with little cartoonish pictures printed on them. “Mrs. Carlson, I’m wondering if you recognize any of this?”
“I do recognize the coin purse, but not the cigarettes. We don’t smoke. At least, I don’t, and those aren’t the kind my husband sometimes smokes. I’ve never seen anything like that paper with all those little pictures.”
“What you are looking at is Marijuana cigarettes and LSD. See those six sections with the pictures. They tear apart almost like postage stamps. Each one of them represents a drug high one would get from using them. Your daughter had these in her purse. Now, she claims they aren’t hers, and she was holding them for someone else, but she refuses to tell us who. Tracie is a very quiet and well-mannered child. She is the last person I would have expected to be carrying drugs around.”
“You say they were in her purse? This is unbelievable. I know she is not using drugs. None of my kids have ever done drugs. How did you even find them in her purse?”
“Believe me, Ma’am, we don’t go around searching purses. When we do feel we have a reason to look, we’ve found some much stronger stuff than this. You’d be amazed at some of the substances these kids are using. Most of their parents don’t know a thing about it. Tracie showed these to another little girl. and that child told her teacher that Tracie had drugs. That is the only reason we asked to see her purse. When a child brings drugs or weapons to school, our first punishment is to suspend them. If it happens a second time, our policy calls for expelling them. I hate to do it, but Tracie is going to have to stay at home for a couple of weeks. We’ll make sure she gets her assignments, so she won’t get behind. If she was holding drugs for someone else, you will probably have better luck getting her to tell you who it might be.”
Marsha took a deep breath and finally spoke. "You can’t imagine what a shock this is for me. I can understand your policy, but I’m sure these aren’t hers. If she said she was holding them for someone else, that has to be the case. I’ll take her home and will get to the bottom of it. She is shy and tends to let people take advantage of her. Someone may have threatened her. She’s probably afraid to tell.” Marsha rose to leave. As she walked out, she said, “As soon as I find out who she was holding them for, I’ll be in touch.”
She left with Tracie starting to cry again. As soon as they reached the car, Marsha addressed her daughter. “Tracie, I don’t’ believe for one minute those drugs are yours, but you are going to tell me how they came to be in your possession. I’m not going to punish you, although you should know better than to have something like that on you. I want to know right now, who gave you those drugs to hold.”
“Linsey asked me to keep them for her. She was supposed to get them after school. Someone gave them to her. She said she might get in trouble if she had them, but nobody would look in my purse. She was wrong. She is going to be so mad with me.”
The knowledge they were Linsey’s came as another blow. Dealing with Linsey would be much harder. In a way it made sense, and she was almost glad Tracie hadn’t told on her sister. Linsey was at that stage you had to walk on eggshells around her. She realized when she had seen the coin purse, she’d subconsciously known the drugs were Linsey’s. Now, she would have to figure out the best way to approach Linsey. She needed to know if she had actually tried drugs, or if she was just thinking about trying them. This would be a task she wasn’t sure she could handle alone.
So many things were bouncing around in her head. She had to find someone she could talk to who wouldn’t be judgmental. She needed the wisdom of Solomon, but right now, what she needed most was an extra-strength Excedrin and a cup of tea. As she walked into the kitchen to make that happen, she noticed the answering machine blinking. She looked and there were five calls from an unknown number. The party had reached the machine, but hung up each time without leaving a message.
If they’re that desperate to talk, I guess they’ll call again, she mused, as she turned on the eye under the kettle and reached for a cup. This was Latisha’s afternoon off, so there had been no one around to answer the phone.
Just then, the phone rang again. She picked it up, hoping maybe it was the treatment center with some news of Trenton’s progress.
“Let me speak to Trenton, please,” a sharp female voice demanded.
“I’m sorry. Trenton isn’t available.” It probably wouldn’t be wise to let anyone know he wasn’t around.
“Look, I called his work, and they told me he was taking some time off. It’s important that I speak to him. You’ll need to go and get him. Tell him that it’s urgent. If he’s not home, give me a number where I can reach him.”
“You haven’t even identified yourself” Marsha snapped. “I can’t give you a number where he can be reached. I’m his wife, and I can’t even get in touch with him. Don’t be calling my house and ordering me around like I’m your servant. If you want to leave your name and number, when he calls in, I’ll ask him if he wants to talk to you. Otherwise, don’t call this number again.” The party on the other end slammed the phone down. Just before it crashed down, Marsha thought she heard a sob.
The tea was forgotten. Marsha rushed into the sunroom and fell across a daybed, sobbing her heart out into a pillow. This was too much to deal with.
| Author Notes | Trenton Carlson is lawyer who has been sent to a treatment center for alcoholism. His wife is convinced he has been cheating. Now, she is left alone to deal with her four teenage children while he remains in the treatment center. She has been asked to come to the principal's office for a problem with her youngest daughter. |
By BethShelby
Marsha had cried herself to sleep after what had turned out to be a disastrous day. First, she had learned her youngest daughter was being suspended from school for having drugs, which she was holding for her older sister. Then came the phone call from an unidentified woman demanding to speak to her husband. She sat up, rubbed excess moisture from her eyes, and decided she needed a bit of sympathy and the opportunity to bounce some thoughts off a close friend. She picked up the phone and dialed Barbara, who lived across the street.
“Hey, girl. Are you busy?
“Nope, not really. Just folding some towels. What have you got on your mind? Want to come over and join me?”
“Yes! That’s exactly what I want to do. I need to talk. I’m heading your way.”
She had already told her neighbor and best friend about Trenton going to rehab, but they hadn’t really discussed the more pressing problem about his likely affair. Once they were comfortably at Barbara’s table, sipping a cup of hot tea, they discussed their daughters and the possibility of why Linsey might have had access to drugs. Barbara admitted she had learned that her own daughter had experimented with LSD at a party. She seemed to think all the kids had likely tried smoking pot with friends. Once that subject was exhausted, Marsha dived into her latest concern.
“Barbara, I’ve been reluctant to talk about this. It is actually embarrassing to admit, but Bruce and Trenton are close and I know how guys talk among themselves. I was wondering if Bruce has ever mentioned anything to you about Trenton and other women. I suspect he may be cheating on me. A little while ago, I got a weird phone call from a woman who claimed she had to talk to Trenton right away. She wouldn’t tell me who she was.”
Barbara bit her lips and hesitated before she spoke. “I’ve been wondering if I should say anything, but yes, Bruce did tell me something in confidence. I didn’t know how to tell you. No one wants to hurt a friend. I decided not to mention it, unless you brought it up. I don’t know who she is, but I have an idea of why she might be anxious to talk to him. We know she’s not pregnant, because you did tell me he’d gotten a vasectomy, didn’t you?”
“Yes, he got one not too long after he insisted that I get that abortion. The doctor was trying to get me to have a hysterectomy. He said I’d had five children, two miscarriages and a tubal pregnancy. He didn’t seem to think my body could handle much more. Trenton said he didn’t want to risk me dying from a hysterectomy. His firm was representing someone whose wife had died. He said he would get a vasectomy instead. I thought at the time, he was concerned about me, but if he’s been playing around, it was probably to protect himself. Why do you think she was calling?”
“Bruce said Trenton had a girl he was putting up in an apartment. I didn’t know whether to believe it or not. The woman who called you might not have been having her apartment rent paid on time with him away.”
“Oh, that makes sense. Did I tell you when I started getting his check, he was making twice as much as I knew about? I couldn’t imagine where that extra money was going.”
“Marsha, I don’t really trust Bruce either. I’m so glad he isn’t with that firm any more. All those guys there are cheating on their wives. Did you know there was a time, a while back, when some of them who worked there were having ‘key parties’ and swapping wives, and the women were enjoying it as well? Bruce even asked me if I would be interested in doing something like that. Can you even imagine some straightlaced person, who grew up in the Bible belt, like me, going along with something so depraved?”
Things were starting to make sense. Marsha did remember something Trenton had told her once. It was a thing she had never dared share with Barbara. Trenton said Bruce had once told him ‘wife swapping is kind of a fad these days. I know you probably wouldn’t be interested in sleeping with Barbara, but I would love to have a night with Marsha.’ Trenton had claimed he had told Bruce, he was crazy to even think he would do something so stupid.
Her mind wandered back to the time she’d had to fight Bruce off, when he had found her home alone. Even now, with the direction this conversation had gone, she wouldn’t dare hurt her friend by telling her about that incident. She had told Bruce at the time, if it ever happened again, she would tell both Trenton and Barbara, knowing all along, she couldn’t do it. This talk had been enlightening, but she had heard enough. She needed some time to process all of this.
“Barbara, thanks for hearing me out, and lending me a shoulder to cry on. You’ve given me a lot to think about. I may have to go and talk to a lawyer about my options. If Trenton doesn’t come home a changed man, I may be the one who ends up making the changes. I love him, but he is going to have to know, I’m not sharing him with some slut. Right now, I need to get home and look in on Tracie and figure out what I’m going to say to Linsey. I dread talking to a touchy teenager who may be using drugs. I’ll call you later.”
After saying their final words, Marsha crossed the street with a heavy heart. A short while ago, she had been blissfully unaware her life was less than perfect. How could she have been so naïve? The signs had been there all along. She had been a fool to believe Trenton would never consider cheating on her. It was possible he had been doing it all those years while she was pregnant and taking care of babies. She had believed they enjoyed a perfect sex life, and that she was married to a husband who adored her. Now, she was learning her marriage was only a house of cards on the brink of crashing down.
| Author Notes | Chapter 10 in the book Anatomy of a Marriage. The book concerns a Florida couple whose marriage is experiencing problems. Trenton, the lawyer husband, is a treatment center dealing with alcohol problems. The couple have four living teenage children. A son died of crib death at 8 months. |
By BethShelby
Marsha was still trying to figure out how to approach Linsey about giving Tracie drugs to hold for her, when the three older kids came in from school. She had alerted the car pool driver that Tracie wouldn’t be with them, but the other children were concerned their sister hadn’t joined them. They assumed she must have gotten sick and had to be picked up. Tracie was in the kitchen when her siblings walked in. Marsha was on her way to greet them, but hearing their conversation, she stopped outside the door.
“What happened to you?” asked Joey. “We didn’t know where you were. Did you get sick?”
“No, I got suspended, thanks to my sweet sister. If she ever asks you to do her a favor, tell her no.”
“Tracie!” Linsey yelled. “Don’t tell me you got caught. I was waiting for you to meet me after fourth period. I promised Tyler I would give that stuff back to him. How did anyone know? You had better not have told anyone where you got it.”
“No, I didn’t tell on you, but I should have. You promised I wouldn’t get caught. If I’d told them they were yours, they might have suspended you instead of me. Mom knows though. You’d better be prepared.”
“Oh s#@t! I guess I’ll be grounded. Why did they search your purse? Did you show them to someone? I told you not to let anyone know.”
Joey spoke up again. “Linsey, why did you bring those drugs home in the first place. You tried them with Tyler at that party we went to last weekend, didn’t you? That guy’s no good for you. You need to leave him alone.”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but all I did was take a couple of drags of the cigarette they were passing around. I was scared to try LSD at the party. I tried one here at home, but it made my head woozy, and I got nauseous. I didn’t like the way it made me feel, and I was going to give the stuff back to him. It’s no big deal. All the kids do it. Don’t tell me you’ve never tried it.”
Marsha was starting to feel guilty for eavesdropping. Yet she felt she’d gotten more of the story than she would have if she’d confronted a defensive Linsey. Now she knew her daughter was actively using drugs. She opened the door and walked in and was greeted with silence as her children starting moving about and opening cabinets and checking the refrigerator.
“Don’t let me interfere with your conversation. If you’re starving, there are apples and grapes in the fruit bowl. We also have milk and cookies if you had rather have that. Since we are all together, maybe we should sit down and have a little chat. I’m always interested in hearing about your day.”
“Mom, you were listening outside the door, weren’t you?” Timothy interjected. “I’ll bet you heard everything they said.”
“You never know where I might be. I wouldn’t think my children would be trying to hide anything. But I didn’t hear anything out of you, Timmy boy. Weren’t you smart not to weigh in?”
“I didn’t even go to that party. I was just listening to see what I could learn. I haven’t ever done no drugs. I’m the good son.”
“Mom,” Linsey said, “I don’t know what you heard, but I’m not planning to do drugs. I don’t even like them. I was going to give them back to Tyler. I shouldn’t have taken them. I’m sorry Tracie got in trouble.”
“Listen Kids. I’m disappointed. I’ve given you too much credit. I blame myself as well. I’ve been too wrapped up in my own little world. Now that your dad is in a rehab facility, you’re my sole responsibility. You’ve got to help me out here. I can’t handle much more. Linsey, your sister will have this on her record. If something else should happen, she could be expelled. The school is expecting me to tell them where she got the drugs. I am not going to get you involved, but all of you had better stay out of trouble. Who is this Tyler guy you all keep mentioning? Is he someone you like, Linsey?”
"He's just a guy from school. I did like him for a while. It’s not like we're dating or anything."
“You don’t need to be hanging around with people who are using drugs. You won’t be going to any more weekend parties until your dad gets back. Even then, I’m going to have to talk to someone and know there will be some responsible adult there. I don’t care if other kids at your school use drugs. That is no excuse for you. Even these recreational drugs are illegal and will lead to the harder stuff. You could end up in jail or hooked on something. It is bad enough your dad is an alcoholic. Addiction runs in the family. I need you all to promise me you won’t ever get involved with any kind of drugs.”
After they all promised, Marsha decided to drop the subject. She had other things to think about.
“Mom, have you talked to Dad?” Timothy asked.
“No, they won’t let me talk to him yet. They’ve been calling and updating me. He has been off alcohol for two weeks. Next week they’re going to let me go to one of the group sessions with him, but I may not get to speak to him alone. They want me to encourage him and tell him we are all proud of him. I can’t tell him anything to worry him. He can’t know about Tracie being suspended. I’ve got to make him believe everything is under control. You all go and do your homework now. I’m counting on you not to let me down.”
Marsha went to her room drained, but feeling a little better about the children. They had seemed concerned about her needs. For now, she decided she would put off locating a lawyer, until she had at least seen Trenton. Maybe the group session would reassure her as to whether or not he was serious about trying to overcome his addiction.
What she really wanted to do was to confront him about where the extra money on his check had been going and who might have been so anxious to get in touch with him. It would have to wait. At least, there shouldn’t be a way he could contact anyone he might have been seeing. For now, she would try to convince herself this might end any extramarital relationship he was involved with.
Darn it. As hurt and angry as I am, he is still the love of my life, and I don’t know how to live without him.
CHARACTERS:
Marsha Carlson wife of Trenton age 43
Trenton Carlson husband and law partner 45
Joey Carlson son. Age 17
Linsey Carlson daughter age 16
Timothy Carlson son Age 14
Tracie Carlson daughter Age 13
| Author Notes | Marsha has been called to the school because drugs were found in her youngest daughter's purse. Tracie has been suspended. Her husband, Trenton is in a drug rehab facility. She also has evidence he has been seeing other women. In this chapter, she deals with the children. |
By BethShelby
Three weeks had gone by, since Trenton’s intervention. Today was the day Marsha would see him for the first time since he had been taken to the treatment center. She didn’t know what to expect. The only thing she’d been told was that she should arrive at the entrance at ten in the morning, and she would be escorted to a group therapy session. There would be other guests attending as well. She was cautioned to keep the news from home upbeat, and to encourage her husband and make him feel she was proud of his decision to go for treatment. As if he had really had a choice in the matter. The loss of a partnership he had worked years to attain, made the decision, as they called it, a no brainer. She wondered if the firm knew that she suspected he had been unfaithful.
The treatment center was on the outskirts of the city. Marsha had been given a brochure with a map and a layout of the place. Not having been there before, she left home early, unsure of what traffic delays she might encounter. She was surprised at how anxious and nervous she was feeling about seeing him again. They had parted with Trenton aware of her suspicions concerning his recent activity. It was possible he might have come to some decision regarding their marriage during the three weeks he had been away. How would I react if he should ask for divorce, she wondered.
By the time she arrived, Marsha was a bundle of nerves. After parking in the visitor parking area, she made her way to the entrance and went inside. There were a couple of women and a man seated in the lobby. The receptionist came forward, asked her name and welcomed her. “Why don’t you find yourself a seat. We are still waiting on a few people. As soon as they arrive, we’ll go back together,” the lady told her.
Marsha glanced around the room. One of the women seated kept fidgeting with her scarf. The lady appeared to be as nervous as she was. Within the next 15 minutes, the other guests arrived. There were two couples among the group and Marsha assumed they were there for a son or daughter.
“Ok people, I believe we’re all here. If you’ll follow me, we will walk back to the group therapy room.”
The chairs in the room were arranged in a large circle, but the people were all gathered around a table with a coffee urn and some fruit and cookies.
A tall dignified man in a suit and tie took over and greeted the guests. He suggested they find the person they were visiting and help themselves to the refreshments. Trenton spied her and smiled. His eyes seemed to light up as he moved toward her. He reached out and pulled her to him and held her close. “Would you like some coffee or something else?” he asked.
“I’m good, but maybe I’ll take one of those bottles of water. This place is nice. People seem very friendly. You are looking good. How are you, really?”
“I’m hanging in there. I’m hoping they might let me leave early. They’ve done their thing and I’ve played their game. This was all so unnecessary. Did you really think this was something I needed?”
“It wasn’t my idea. I thought you knew that. I was only there because the firm asked that I be there. But hey, they say you’ve gotten the alcohol out of your system. We’ll get all of it out of the house so you won't be tempted. I’m proud of you. We really miss you, but maybe this will be a new start. Did they really say you might be able to leave early.”
“Not exactly, but if you will tell them that you can’t handle things at home with four teenagers, I think they might realize I don’t really need this place. It isn’t a prison, and they can’t force me to stay here. I’ll promise to go to all those damn AA meetings they expect us to attend. We’ll talk about it later. Come on, we’re supposed to sit down and go through some rituals. Most of the others have already found a seat.”
Marsha hadn’t had a chance to answer, but her heart sank. Trenton would likely be angry if she refused to tell them she needed him at home. What she was hearing was he wasn’t here to give up alcohol. He didn’t think he had a problem. He was here in order to keep his partnership with the firm.
The moderator was speaking,“Ladies and gentlemen, I am Kennith Overton, I am a clinical psychologist in charge of the daily group sessions. I am also one of the counselors who works with these fine people on an individual basis. Now, I would like those of you who are staying with us to introduce yourself, and then your family member who is visiting today. We’ll start over here on the right and go around the circle.”
A man rose and spoke,“Hello, my name is Joe Tomkins and I am an alcoholic.” There was a chorus of replies from others acknowledging him. He continued by saying, “This is my wife, Greta. I am blessed that she has stood by me on this journey.”
One by one the others rose and did as they were told. It felt very strange when Trenton’s turn came to hear from his lips that he was an alcoholic, but Marsha realized they were only words. He was saying what they wanted to hear. After everyone was introduced, the moderator announced this would be an abbreviated session and ordinarily the group would be able to express themselves about their struggles and progress. Since they were entertaining family, the session would close with the Serenity Prayer. Afterward there was a light lunch prepared for everyone.
At lunch, Trenton once again brought up the subject of her talking to them about him coming home early. Marsha said, “I want to believe that you love your family, but you haven’t even asked about the children. Are you sure you would be the kind of help I need?”
“Come on, help me out here. Are you saying I’m a lousy father. It isn’t like we have had much chance to talk. I figured if there was a problem, you would have told me.”
“It would be nice to have things back like they once were, but I'm not going to be able to talk to anyone here today. I’ll need to go to the firm and see how they feel about it. They might still terminate you if you leave early. It is only three more weeks. You can handle it. Now that we’ve seen each other I think they will probably allow us to speak by phone. There are some things we need to get cleared up before you come home. I will call in a couple of days and tell them I need to talk to you. That is the best I can do for right now.”
Trenton wasn’t happy, but he realized there was nothing he could do that wouldn’t risk his situation with the firm. Although Marsha had initially been pleased that Trenton had seemed genuinely glad to see her, she felt their situation remained in limbo. She had no intention of lying about needing him, so he could leave before the six weeks were up. However, she intended to call and tell them it was important that she talk to him. There were some questions that needed answers before there would be any chance that this marriage could continue.
| Author Notes | Trenton, a partner in a law firm has been sent to a treatment center after an intervention for an alcohol problem. He has been there three weeks and his wife, Marsha, is finally allowed to visit. The couple have four teenage children. Marsha has reason to believe that Trenton may be seeing another woman, but she still loves him. |
By BethShelby
Marsha had already decided she wasn’t going to ask anyone to let Trenton leave the rehab early. She was starting to realize that she was capable of dealing with the children’s problems on her own. Trenton had never been that much help with them anyway. Latisha took care of most of the housework and cooking and the children loved her, so things weren’t going too badly with him away.
She had told Trenton she would contact the firm and find out what their thinking was on whether or not he should leave early, but she was still wondering if there was any reason to call them at all. The answer came the next time the phone rang. It was a call from the firm.
“Marsha, Bill Cunningham here. I understand you went to the rehab center and were able to see Trenton yesterday. I wanted to touch base with you and get your impression as to how this is working out for him. I hope you have some good news.”
“Yes, Bill. He seemed to be in good spirits. They say the alcohol is out of his system, and he’ll be attending all the AA meetings they recommend, when he comes home. Of course, he is anxious to get back to work, but I think it is wise he should stay until he completes the program. Are those your thoughts as well?"
“Certainly. I thought we made that clear to him that if he expected to come back to the firm in good standing, he would need to stay the full six weeks. We will also have to monitor his progress and make certain he is attending the required meetings. It is good to know everything is on track. I’ll bet he was happy to see you, wasn’t he?”
“Yes, he appeared to be glad I was there.”
“Well, he is lucky to have you on his side. If you talk to him again, tell him we’re thinking about him, and we know he won’t be sorry he did this. I hear that they have some real success stories over at the center. We’ll be talking to you again. Goodbye for now.”
When Marsha hung up she was relieved to know the firm was against Trenton leaving early and glad she hadn’t mentioned that Trenton was pushing her to lie and say she couldn’t handle things at home without him. She decided to give it another day and make a list of all the things she planned to bring up before she tried to call Trenton. She didn’t get the opportunity to make her list.
Later the same afternoon, she got a call from Trenton. “Hey Babe, I may have to hang up. I’m not supposed to be using this phone, but I didn’t know if they were going to let you talk to me. Did you talk to the firm and tell them you need to have me home?”
“I did talk to the firm and they made it very clear if you leave before completing the program you won’t be able to come back there.”
“Damn it! Who did you talk to? Someone there has got it in for me. Someone turned me in for having liquor at work. I wasn’t drinking at work. I have everything under control. No one can even tell when I’ve had something to drink. One of their top clients claimed I stood him up, and he went with another firm. That is the reason they are doing this to me. My secretary didn’t even have him on my schedule. It wasn’t my fault. I don’t drink any more than the rest of them. We have to entertain clients. I can’t go telling clients I’m an alcoholic and have to drink sodas. That would be so embarrassing.”
"You asked who I talked to. It was Bill. He’s the senior partner, so he makes the decisions. You’re going to have to complete the program if you value your job. Besides that, there are other things you and I have to discuss before you come home again. You’ve been lying to me. When they sent me your check, I realized you’d lied about how much money you make. I need to know where all that money was going.”
“Marsha, I was going to surprise you. When I got that raise, there was this investment opportunity that would have tripled the money if it had panned out. Unfortunately, it fell through, and I lost most of it. It looked good on paper, and I trusted the guy. If it had worked out, we could have paid off the house, and everything else. I was planning to tell you.”
“So now you’re gambling with risky investments? This is supposed to make me feel better? Then there was this woman who called a few days after you went to the center. She acted as if it was life and death and that she must get in touch with you immediately. She refused to give me her name. What do you think that was all about?”
“Oh, I know who that probably was. This crazy old lady. She acts like that. She is a client, and it’s like the world is ending every time she calls. She’s got money running out her ears, but she’s a pain in the ass.”
“Trenton, there is so much more. How do I know you aren’t lying to me? You lied to me about being out with the other partners till four in the morning having business meetings in bars. I found out the bars aren’t even open past 1:00 a.m. You haven’t come up with a story to explain that one away. I’ve cried myself to sleep many nights worried sick about you. What’s happened to us? We used to be so happy, or was I living in a dream world and just too naïve to know something was wrong?”
“Marsha, I’ve got to go. Someone is coming. I’m not supposed to be in this office. I’ll try to call you again and we’ll talk more. I can explain all of that. I love you, Bye.”
Marsha hung up, and sat staring into space. He is such a liar. I can’t believe anything he says. I wish I could. It would be easier to live in a fool’s paradise, and keep believing I have the perfect marriage. I’ve been so naïve, and I wish I still was.
She was surprised to realize she actually dreaded Trenton coming home. What if he decides to walk away without completing the program? That means he’ll lose his job. His salary will end. He might get on with another firm, but certainly not with a partnership right away. We won’t be able to afford this house or a maid. Latishia would have to go, as well. What if Trenton is no longer in my life? How could the kids and I manage? I’d need to get a job. I only taught one year. Surely with a college degree, I could find something. So many problems.
Once again, the idea of contacting an attorney occurred to her. She wasn’t ready to file for divorce. The idea of being divorced made her ill. She could almost hear her mother saying, “You’ll disgrace our family. Marriage is for better or for worse. You and Trenton need to work out your problems.”
Good old Mom wasn’t someone to discuss this with. A lawyer could tell her what her rights were if they weren’t together. They’d been married almost twenty years. Surely being together so long entitled her to something. It was important to get answers before Trenton called again.
| Author Notes | Trenton is a partner in a law firm, He is presently in a rehab facility for Alcoholics after and intervention by his firm. He and Marsha have four teenage children. She has reason to believe he is cheating on her. She had just seen him after his first three weeks in treatment.. |
By BethShelby
After getting off the phone with Trenton, Marsha wondered if he had been truthful about having to go quickly because he wasn’t supposed to be using that phone. Perhaps, it was he realized I’d caught him in a lie, and he didn’t have a ready explanation on the tip of his tongue. Why am I going there? I used to be trusting and now I feel I have to doubt everything he tells me. I wonder if I could even trust a lawyer. I’ve heard they all tend to stick together if one of them is being sued.
The idea of talking to a lawyer kept resurfacing. She didn’t know any lawyers other than the ones in Trenton’s firm, and it didn’t seem smart to use one close to Trenton. Once again, she thought of Carmen Diaz. They had been close friends at one time, but she hadn’t spoken to her recently. Carmen had gone through a really nasty divorce, but she’d found a lawyer who had handled it with skill. Carmen had come out of it with an excellent settlement. Marsha had been toying with the idea of calling Carmen when the firm let her know about the intervention. As a result, the call had never happened.
With a sudden burst of determination, she dialed her friend. They chatted a while catching up since they’d last spoken, before she mentioned casually that she was looking for a lawyer for advice. “Do you think the lawyer you used when you got your divorce would be someone willing to talk to me?”
“Peter Styles, yes. of course he would. He is an angel when it comes to his clients. but he’s a barracuda when dealing with the opposing counsel. Why? Is Trenton giving you problems?”
“There have been some things bothering me lately. I need to know my options in case it should come to a possible separation.”
“Let me give you his number, or do you want me to call him and tell him I’m referring you.”
“No, I’ll call. If he can’t do it, maybe he can tell me someone who can.”
With the number in hand, Marsha put through the call before she lost her nerve. Styles was in private practice. His office put her down for a consultation the following day.
A day later, in the office of Attorney Peter Styles, Marsha sat nervously fidgeting with the clasp on her purse and wishing she was anywhere but here. The lawyer didn’t keep her waiting long. He was a tall man who appeared to be in his late forties. He smiled pleasantly but maintained a professional persona. They shook hands, and once she was seated, he suggested she tell him more about her situation.
“Well sir, I’d like to find out what is involved with a legal separation, if I should decide I need to go that route. My husband is partner in the Cunningham Law Firm. He is in corporate law. His name is Trenton Carlson. You wouldn’t happen to know him, would you? “
“Not personally. I’m familiar with the name. It seems I might have met him at a convention. I am acquainted with one of the businesses, he represented last year. I think he has a good reputation.”
“He and I have been married a little over twenty years. We have four children. Our youngest daughter is 14. I assumed we had a good marriage until recently. Lately, I’ve had reason to suspect he may be seeing another woman. He hasn’t been honest with me, and I tend to think it might have been going on for a while. He often gets home as late as four in the morning. However, at the moment, he is in a rehab center for alcoholics at the request of the firm. He’s not willing to acknowledge that he has a drinking problem. I am thinking any help he might get will only be temporary.”
“Is he abusive when he is drinking, either with you or with the children?”
“No, he’s never been abusive. I’m sure he loves the children, but he leaves most of the discipline and care up to me. He is away from home so much the children don’t have a close relationship with him.”
“Do you have actual proof of his infidelity, or do you just suspect it?”
“What I know about, seems like proof to me, but he tries to make me believe there are logical explanations for everything I question. I haven’t mentioned to him I’m thinking of a trial separation, and I’m sure he will be blindsided. I don’t get the impression that he has fallen in love and wants to leave me to remarry, but I could be wrong. I think we need some time away from each other and maybe we could talk to a marriage counselor. However, I’m not working. I need to know if the kids and I would be taken care of if Trenton and I are apart.
“From what you are telling me, with four children and a twenty-year marriage, you will certainly have some rights. If he is being unfaithful, it would be good if you had concrete proof like photographs or witnesses. You might need that should you decide at some point you want a divorce. With a legal separation you will have asset division, spousal support, and custody rights. Likely, you will be able to continue to live in your house while he maintains a separate apartment. This would allow you to see if you can work things out.
“What are some of the things I should be aware of in terms of my rights during the legal separation process?”
First and foremost, I would advise against taking any legal advice from your spouse, as he may have interests that conflict with yours. It’s important that you have your own independent legal counsel to help navigate the separation and divorce if it comes to that. If you decide you want a legal separation, I will be happy to work with you. You think about it, and let me know if you’d like me as your lawyer. We can discuss financial terms then. Since he is the wage earner, it is likely he would be the one responsible for taking care of your legal fees.
With that information, Marsha felt more secure and capable of handling what might lie ahead. She would be prepared when she would speak to Trenton again. Hopefully, she could get a few more answers before she would suggest the legal separation.
| Author Notes | The story is set in Jacksonville, Florida. Trenton is a Law partner, but at present he is a treatment center for alcoholics. His firm held an intervention and threatened a loss of his job unless he went for treatment. His wife, Marsha has reason to believe he has been unfaithful to her and she has finally decided to get legal advice. |
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