Husband Discovered Cheating Wife's Affair Partner Living in the Attic and Got Brutal Revenge. Story
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Our Workflow:
1. Begin by formulating inquiries, conducting research, crafting a script, and developing insightful opinions or commentary. Refine these elements until they are polished and ready for production.
2. Engage in voice recording sessions to narrate the stories, pose questions, and express opinions in a dynamic and captivating manner, ensuring an enjoyable experience for viewers.
3. Capture gameplay footage until a sufficient amount of engaging material is amassed for background usage.
4. Utilize editing software to incorporate the gameplay footage, while simultaneously transcribing captions, refining voiceovers, integrating sound effects, adjusting colors, and refining the composition by adding or removing clips as necessary.
5. Conduct a thorough final review of the video to ensure it meets the quality standards expected for our channel. If any shortcomings are identified, return to the editing phase to make necessary adjustments, including re-recording lines or modifying opinions and commentaries.
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00:00My name is Sheldon Smith James, but everyone calls me Shell or Shelly.
00:04I had a nickname back in high school.
00:06They called me Rare James.
00:08That meant I rarely had sex.
00:10In fact, I never had sex in high school because I was so shy and skinny
00:13that I hardly ever dated anyone.
00:15The nickname fell away after I returned from the U.S. Army
00:18and began guarding our shores from foreign invaders.
00:21But come to think of it, weren't we the invaders?
00:24Anyway, I came back a couple inches taller and added 25 pounds of muscle.
00:29I fit nicely, and I'd also gained a few pounds of metal on my chest,
00:33so I attracted a lot more female attention.
00:36As far as I could tell, the metal was mostly to keep me from getting killed,
00:39which, judging by where I was, wasn't that hard.
00:43I'm currently sitting in one of the many local drinking establishments
00:46in our town called the Tiger Bar.
00:48You know the kind of place I'm talking about.
00:50It's dark and dingy,
00:52and the establishment has the smells of mold, vomit, alcohol, and sweat.
00:56The men's room smells even worse.
00:58It has little Target-type air fresheners at the bottom of the dirty urinals
01:02with a picture of Jane Fonda, nicknamed Hanoi Jane, smiling at you.
01:07The walls are papered with all sorts of stuff,
01:09from pictures of people who died back in the last century
01:12to advertisements for things you've never heard of.
01:15Everything looks like it hasn't been updated in 40, 50 years.
01:18It's 4 o'clock in the afternoon,
01:21and there are three other people in the establishment besides me.
01:25One of them is the bartender, and the other two are old drunks sleeping rough.
01:29This place is a real shithole,
01:31and it fits my current state of mind just fine.
01:34I just came from my lawyer's office.
01:37He gave me the bad news about what my life would be like
01:39if I filed for divorce from Meredith, my wife of 15 years.
01:43Sometimes I could get away with calling her Mir,
01:45but she preferred to be called Meredith.
01:48Yesterday I discovered that Meredith was cheating on me.
01:50It seems like she's been doing it for a long time.
01:53So I have two things to find out.
01:55First, were there warning signs that I missed
01:57that should have told me what was going on?
02:00And second, what the hell am I supposed to do about it now?
02:03Before I delve into this topic,
02:05I should briefly tell you about Meredith and me.
02:08We met about a year after I got out of the sandbox.
02:11I was working at an auto repair shop as a wrench twirler.
02:14Meredith Smith's car broke down,
02:16and when she came into the shop and I saw her,
02:18I immediately fell in love.
02:20Less than a year later we were married.
02:23I now own the place where I used to work,
02:25which I cleverly renamed Shelley's Auto Repair.
02:28It may not have been much, but I was making a decent living.
02:31It was enough to keep our two kids, James, age 12,
02:33and Mary, age 10, fed and clothed.
02:36We even had a couple bucks in the bank
02:38and a mortgage on a small house we owned.
02:41Of course, if I were honest,
02:43I'd say we couldn't have gotten by on my income alone.
02:45Meredith had a degree in graphic arts.
02:48She worked at an advertising agency in the city in the city
02:51and made almost as much as I did.
02:53All in all, I thought we were happy.
02:56Honestly, until I discovered she was unfaithful,
02:58I thought we were happy beyond belief.
03:01If quality sex was any indication,
03:03we were happier than the planet Mars.
03:05Honestly, I don't think our sex life has slowed down
03:07one bit in the last 15 years.
03:10What's more, it's gotten much better.
03:12Sex is no different than most other activities.
03:15The more you do it, the better you get at it.
03:17She wasn't a virgin when we got married, but neither was I.
03:20Meredith is up for just about anything sexually.
03:23She always wants to try new things
03:25and often asks me if there's something new I'd like to try
03:27or something I'd like her to do better.
03:29Meredith likes it when I start showering her with butterfly-like kisses
03:32all over her body to get her started.
03:34Sometimes after I start, she tells me,
03:36no, big boy, tonight is all up to you.
03:38She pushes me onto my back,
03:40and at that point I'm just a passenger.
03:42It's just fantastic.
03:44As I sat at the bar feeling sorry for myself
03:46and contemplating my next steps,
03:48I noticed the lyrics to a song playing on the bar's crappy sound system
03:51and listened.
03:52I'm a bitch.
03:53I'm a bitch.
03:54I'm a lover.
03:55I'm a child.
03:57I'm a mother.
03:59I'm a sinner.
04:01I'm a saint.
04:03I'm not ashamed.
04:04I'm your hell.
04:05I'm your dream.
04:07I'm nothing in between.
04:09I shut down and started thinking about my problems,
04:11but those words kept slipping through my head over and over again.
04:14I wondered what the song was about.
04:16I turned to the bartender.
04:18I think he was starting to fall asleep too,
04:21and asked him what was the name of the song that was playing.
04:24He replied,
04:25it's called Bitch,
04:26and it's by Meredith Brooks.
04:28I laughed sardonically and thought,
04:30quite fitting.
04:31I asked him for more scotch.
04:33He nodded and followed it.
04:34What am I doing drinking this shit?
04:36What kind of bar is this that doesn't even have Glenlivet,
04:38or at least Chivas?
04:40Jesus, what a dump.
04:42When my thoughts didn't return to the lyrics of the song,
04:45I started thinking more about my problems and what I should do.
04:49There was no way I was wrong about her cheating.
04:51I had seen it with my own eyes.
04:53Well, almost with my own eyes.
04:55I usually personally test drive every customer car we work on.
04:58When I'm satisfied with our work,
05:00the client comes to pick up the car.
05:02A couple days ago,
05:03we worked on this elderly lady's Crown Victoria.
05:06She looked like Mrs. Doubtfire.
05:08I don't know how she handled that old beast,
05:10but there was no way I was going to let her drive it off my property.
05:14I was too worried she'd destroy half the cars before she got to the street.
05:18So I told her that when the car was ready,
05:20we would bring it to her house and she could pay us there.
05:23She was very grateful.
05:25I asked one of my boys, Hector,
05:27to follow me in his car.
05:29And when I got to Mrs. Doubtfire's house,
05:31I pulled into her driveway on Saranac Doctor
05:33and Hector parked on the street.
05:35It was one of those old World War II bungalows with big porches.
05:38I noticed next to it a Ford Explorer the same color as Meredith's.
05:42A little old lady was waiting on the porch when I approached her.
05:46As we were completing the transaction,
05:48I looked up at the neighbor's porch
05:50and almost dropped everything I was holding.
05:52Meredith came out of the front door with some jerk
05:55and showered the guy with hot kisses.
05:57Mrs. Doubtfire said,
05:59That's Jack's girlfriend.
06:01I've only seen her a few times. Isn't she pretty?
06:04Through clenched teeth,
06:06I replied, Yes, she's gorgeous. Mrs.
06:10Doubtfire was simply overwhelmed with information because she added,
06:13When she's here, I start blushing because they talk really loud.
06:17I was so disgusted that I could barely get out.
06:20Really?
06:21My voice was full of sarcasm.
06:23I know what sex is, young man.
06:26You young men didn't invent it, you know.
06:28I couldn't help myself chuckled
06:30and asked if we could go inside to finish the paperwork.
06:33I wanted to get inside before Meredith saw me.
06:36There was no way I was ready for a confrontation at that moment.
06:39A couple minutes later, I heard her Explorer start and pull away.
06:42Hector buried his head in his iPhone as I opened his car door.
06:46I used to think driverless cars were a bad idea,
06:49but with these kids and their electronics, they were probably just necessary.
06:53Hector looked at me and said,
06:55What's the matter, boss? Are you as pale as a ghost?
06:58Did the old lady pay you in coins?
07:00He laughed heartily at his joke.
07:02Hector always laughed heartily.
07:04I just told him to take us back to the store
07:06and didn't say another word the whole way.
07:08I finished my day and headed home.
07:10I really needed to think things over before I ran into Meredith
07:13so I tried to act normal when I walked into the house.
07:16She heard me come in and without seeing me,
07:18Meredith chimed in,
07:19Hi baby, I really missed you today.
07:21Dinner's almost ready.
07:23When she turned around and saw me, she exclaimed,
07:25Oh my God, Shell, what happened?
07:27You look terrible.
07:28I ate something bad.
07:30I think I'll skip dinner and go straight to bed.
07:33I climbed the stairs, said goodnight to the kids,
07:35and went to bed.
07:36Pretty smooth on my part, don't you think?
07:39The next morning I went to work early before everyone was even up.
07:42I found a lawyer and made an appointment for the afternoon.
07:45I wasn't in a good mood so all the guys left me alone.
07:48I told everyone I was leaving after lunch.
07:51They didn't argue because I'm sure they wanted me
07:53as far away from them as possible.
07:55I would have to apologize later.
07:58I met with a lawyer and got some bad news.
08:01Since I opened my business after the wedding,
08:03Meredith would get half.
08:05She will get the house until the kids turn 18
08:07and I will get the mortgage.
08:09She gets custody of the kids and I get to be a part-time dad
08:12and pay a lot of child support.
08:14See how everything is split 50-50 fees in the no-fault state?
08:18Meredith could cheat with the entire 4th Infantry Division
08:21and it wouldn't mean a thing.
08:23There was one bright spot though.
08:25Since our incomes were about the same,
08:27I'd probably only have to pay a nominal amount of spousal support.
08:30That's how I ended up on the bar stool in this hole,
08:33in the wall bar, drinking crappy scotch,
08:35watching the sleeping drunks,
08:37and listening to that damn song.
08:39I still didn't know what I was going to do
08:41but I realized I couldn't face Meredith without losing my mind.
08:44I had to think this through,
08:46so I pulled out my phone and sent two texts.
08:49The first was addressed to Julie, my office manager.
08:52Basically I informed her that I would be gone until Monday
08:55and could not be contacted until then.
08:58She could run the business until I returned.
09:00I've never done this before,
09:02so this should cause a flurry of activity.
09:04The second message was addressed to Meredith.
09:06It simply stated I'm going away for a few days.
09:09I need some time to think.
09:11Please don't try to contact me.
09:13Tell James and Mary the first love them and I'm sorry.
09:16And I immediately disconnected my phone.
09:19In the kind of business I run,
09:21you always need to carry a lot of cash on you.
09:23I looked in my wallet and there was over $1,000 in it.
09:26I would be staying for a few days.
09:29I needed to find an inexpensive motel,
09:31buy toiletries, underwear, and a few other things,
09:34and I'd be set.
09:36I spotted a motel across the parking lot from the Tiger Bar.
09:39It didn't look any better than this place,
09:41but it had to fit.
09:43So I got up from the bar stool,
09:45tossed a couple 20s on the bar for a drink,
09:47nodded to the bartender, thanking him,
09:49and headed out.
09:51I would have loved to stop at a better place,
09:53but then they'd ask for a credit card to pay for incidentals,
09:56and that meant someone might discover me.
09:58Perhaps it was paranoia on my part,
10:00but I knew that the motel was cash only
10:03and didn't care how many John Smiths were registered.
10:06Meanwhile, around the same time,
10:08Meredith James checked her messages
10:10and was stunned to see a message from Shell.
10:12Oh my God, what happened?
10:14She said out loud.
10:16She quickly tried to call,
10:18but Shell's phone went straight to voicemail.
10:20Shell, you're freaking me out. What's wrong?
10:22Call me, please.
10:23Maybe something terrible happened at work, she thought,
10:25and decided to call Julie.
10:27Julie and Meredith were close friends.
10:29Maybe she could tell her what had happened.
10:31When Julie picked up the phone,
10:33Meredith practically screamed at her.
10:35Julie, what's going on, Shell?
10:37Did someone get hurt?
10:38Meredith, I don't know what's going on.
10:40I just got a very strange text from Shell
10:42saying that he's out until Monday and unavailable.
10:45He told me to do everything myself.
10:47Can you believe that?
10:49Meredith began to feel a horrible feeling in her stomach.
10:52Has anything unusual happened?
10:55The only thing I can think of, Meredith,
10:57is that yesterday Shell asked Hector
10:59to go get him to deliver a client's car,
11:01and when they returned, Shelly was completely different.
11:04It was like he was in a daze.
11:06And this morning he was a real bear,
11:08told everyone he was leaving, and then sent a text.
11:11And I don't know, Julie, something is really wrong.
11:14Did Hector say anything?
11:16Well, I overheard the guys picking on Hector.
11:18They thought he was to blame for Shell's mood.
11:21Hector said he didn't do anything.
11:23Hector told them that they had abandoned a customer's car
11:25outside a house on Saranac Doctor
11:27and Julie was still talking,
11:29but Meredith had already passed out.
11:31Meredith regained consciousness
11:32as James and Mary were shaking her.
11:35They were beating hysterically
11:36and she immediately went back into mother mode.
11:38They needed to finish their homework,
11:40feed them dinner,
11:41and get them ready for school tomorrow.
11:43At least it was Friday
11:44and she'd have time over the weekend
11:45to think about how to mitigate the damage she'd done.
11:48After putting the kids to bed,
11:50she made arrangements with her folks
11:51to keep the kids for the weekend.
11:53This was easy to do
11:54because James and Mary loved spending time
11:55being pampered by her in-laws,
11:57who loved their grandchildren more than anything.
12:00As she put them to bed,
12:01she told them that their father
12:02had to leave for a few days for work.
12:05It didn't make sense since Shell was home every night,
12:07but they were young enough to believe it
12:09and were looking forward to the weekend.
12:12Before going to bed,
12:13Meredith tried to leave another voicemail
12:15but Shell's answering machine was full,
12:17so she sent him another message.
12:19It read,
12:20Shell, I know you saw me yesterday.
12:22I'm sorry you had to find out this way.
12:25If you don't want to talk to me,
12:26please text me,
12:27just so I know you're still alive.
12:29You probably won't believe me,
12:30but I love you more than life.
12:32Sitting on my bed
12:33trying to figure out what to do next,
12:35I decided to download Bitch
12:36so I could listen to the song in its entirety.
12:39Of course I had to turn my phone back on
12:41and it was flooded with messages from Meredith.
12:44I ignored the voicemails
12:45but read her last one.
12:47I sent a short reply that simply said,
12:49I'm alive but I don't want to talk yet.
12:52I'm in too much pain.
12:54Tell James and Mary the first love them.
12:57I didn't realize I could be more hurt
12:59until I read Meredith's comment
13:00about her finding out this way.
13:02It made me think that maybe
13:03she was never the woman I thought she was.
13:06I hate today's world.
13:08You're so good to me I know,
13:10but I can't change.
13:11I've tried to tell you
13:12but you look at me like I'm an angel underground.
13:15Innocent and sweet.
13:16Jesus Christ,
13:17did my wife really write that song?
13:20I can understand your confusion
13:21and I don't envy you
13:22because I have a little bit of everything in me.
13:24The only sensible thing I've done is stop drinking.
13:27My drinking wasn't going to help anything.
13:29I planned to be away from home
13:30for a few days to sort out my feelings.
13:34So in the morning when everyone left
13:35I planned to go to the house to pack clothes.
13:38The kids were in school at 8 in the morning
13:40and Meredith went straight to work.
13:42I tried to get some sleep
13:43but it didn't come easily.
13:45I thought a lot about the time
13:46when we first got married.
13:48I always thought I'd have a marriage
13:49like my parents.
13:50You know, the working man
13:51who provides for the family
13:52and the mother stays home
13:53and raises the kids.
13:55But my marriage was never like that.
13:57In fact, before we got married
13:58Meredith was afraid
13:59she was going to lose herself.
14:01She didn't want to be just a wife or a mother.
14:04She told me she wanted to make sure
14:05she retained her individuality.
14:08One of the points of our agreement
14:09was to keep both last names.
14:12Before we were married
14:13I thought couples with hyphenated last names
14:15were a little odd.
14:16However, it made Meredith happy
14:18and in the end it meant nothing to me.
14:21As our marriage matured
14:22I realized she was much more complicated
14:24than I was.
14:25Aren't all women?
14:27As for men, we stop developing
14:28when we are about 12 years old.
14:30We get fatter and hairier
14:31but at 12, what you see
14:33stays with you for the rest of your life.
14:36She has always been interested
14:37in doing new things
14:38and visiting places she has never been.
14:40She is very outgoing
14:41and is constantly trying
14:42to push my comfort boundaries.
14:44When we would go out socially
14:45Meredith would often flirt.
14:48But I always thought it was harmless.
14:50When a guy asked her to dance
14:51she never asked my permission.
14:53It was either yes or no.
14:55If she wanted to dance
14:56she would get up
14:57and go to the dance floor
14:58without even looking at me.
15:00On the other hand
15:01I never once saw her do anything inappropriate.
15:03When she came back
15:04she always gave me a quick kiss.
15:06I admit it bothered me at first
15:07but after a while
15:08it started to seem normal to her.
15:10Maybe I should have paid more attention.
15:13Meredith also had male friends.
15:15I know I'm old fashioned
15:16but it seems to me
15:17that married people
15:18can't have friends of the opposite sex.
15:20It's one thing in a business environment
15:22but Meredith told me
15:23once a month or so
15:24that she was going to lunch
15:25with a guy from work on Saturday.
15:28It bothered me at first
15:30but she also often went on dates
15:31with one of her friends
15:32and she always went to restaurants
15:33that we visited as a family.
15:35Hardly the habit of a cheater is it?
15:37So accept me for who I am.
15:39It may mean
15:40you'll have to become a stronger man.
15:42Rest assured
15:43when I start to make you nervous
15:44I will go to extreme measures.
15:46Tomorrow I'll change
15:47and today will mean nothing.
15:49Meredith really did make me nervous
15:50a lot of the time.
15:52She encouraged me
15:53to start my own business.
15:54In fact it's unfair
15:55to call it my business.
15:57It belongs to her
15:58as much as it belongs to me.
16:00She got us alone
16:01and convinced her parents
16:02to lend us some money
16:03so we could start the business.
16:06She also did the bookkeeping
16:07and ran the office
16:08until we could afford to hire Julie.
16:10Despite being pregnant with James
16:11she worked in the store
16:13changing oil,
16:14mounting tires, etc.
16:15She was the one
16:16who talked me into
16:17buying the lot next door
16:18so we could eventually
16:19expand the business.
16:20One day I told her
16:21that I never knew
16:22she liked doing auto repair
16:23and she replied
16:24I really don't
16:25but I love helping you.
16:27I'm willing to do anything for you.
16:29You must be relieved
16:30to see her softer side.
16:32I can understand
16:33how you could be so confused.
16:35The song kept
16:36popping into my head.
16:37I know everyone has a song
16:38stuck in their head
16:39from time to time
16:40but this one was different.
16:42It was like the singer
16:43was speaking directly to me.
16:45But what was she
16:46trying to tell me?
16:47I still couldn't sleep
16:48thinking more and more
16:49about our sex life.
16:51I would think that
16:52if she was cheating on me
16:53our sex life must have suffered.
16:55One of the guys at work
16:56who was recently divorced
16:57after finding out
16:58his wife had a lover
16:59told me that he hadn't
17:00had sex with his wife
17:01for four months
17:02before he discovered
17:03her infidelity.
17:04But like I said
17:05our sex life was fantastic.
17:07The only problem I saw
17:08was that Meredith
17:09sometimes wanted me
17:10to be very rough
17:11with her during sex.
17:12I always had a problem
17:13with that.
17:14I tried but it wasn't
17:15the right way to treat my wife.
17:16She would say
17:17she wanted me to torture her
17:18spank her
17:19and things like that.
17:21She asked me why.
17:23When I came home
17:24from the store
17:25I never pulled down her pants
17:26bent her over the couch
17:27or had her.
17:28I told her
17:29that was hard to do
17:30with two small children
17:31in the house.
17:32I'm a bitch
17:33I'm a lover
17:34I'm a mother
17:35and I have no shame.
17:36The clock read 2.35
17:38and I still couldn't
17:39fall asleep.
17:40Meredith was a great mother.
17:41Our friends joked
17:42that she was the
17:43professional mom
17:44in the neighborhood
17:45but when she was
17:46pregnant with James
17:47she was terrified.
17:48She didn't worry much
17:49about being a good mom.
17:50I on the other hand
17:51was terrified
17:52of being a good father.
17:53Meredith was afraid
17:54of losing herself.
17:55I would often catch her
17:56in tears on the couch
17:57worried that I would
17:58only think of her as a mom.
17:59I would hug her
18:01trying to comfort her
18:02as best I could.
18:03The only argument we had
18:04before the pregnancy
18:05was about her staying home.
18:06She told me
18:07she could never do that
18:08and me
18:09being a traditionalist
18:10thought it was better
18:11for her to be home
18:12with the kids.
18:13My kids didn't have
18:14to go to daycare
18:15so I agreed
18:16to give it a try
18:17and see what happens.
18:18She agreed that
18:19if it didn't work out
18:20she would find something
18:21else to do.
18:22With both children
18:23Meredith worked right up
18:24until the day
18:25before she gave birth.
18:26She returned to work
18:27a few weeks later.
18:28She had no problem
18:29providing childcare
18:30for the children.
18:31She was a professional mom
18:32and the kids
18:33seemed to thrive.
18:34She also helped me
18:35become a better father.
18:37She had me participate
18:38in their activities.
18:40She also made sure
18:41I had to take care of them
18:42when they were little.
18:43She used to tell me
18:44Shelly,
18:45I know you won't like
18:46exploding diapers,
18:47vomiting,
18:48or incessant crying
18:49but if you don't
18:50you will regret it
18:51for the rest of your life.
18:52There were many moments
18:53in my young life
18:54when I thought
18:55I became a man
18:56including my time abroad
18:57but I knew
18:58the exact moment
18:59I became a man.
19:00One day
19:01I came home from work
19:02a little early
19:03because Meredith
19:04had left me a message
19:05that the daycare said
19:06James wasn't feeling well
19:07and she was on her way
19:08to pick him up.
19:09As I opened the door
19:10to the house
19:11I heard the baby crying
19:12and Meredith
19:13sobbing in the nursery.
19:14I saw baby diarrhea
19:15in the hallway
19:16and kitchen.
19:17The baby's car seat
19:18was on the counter
19:19covered in crap.
19:20In short,
19:21it was a complete disaster.
19:22The thought occurred to me
19:23that if I just
19:24quietly turned around
19:25and left
19:26no one would ever know
19:27I was here
19:28but I couldn't.
19:29So I yelled
19:30Meredith I'm home
19:31I'm going to start
19:32cleaning up in here
19:33and then I'll meet you
19:34in the baby's room.
19:35At that moment
19:36I became a man.
19:37I think if this
19:38were just a story
19:39Meredith would have
19:40been so grateful
19:41that she would have
19:42slept with me that night
19:43until I couldn't
19:44blink an eye
19:45but what really
19:46happened was this
19:47she fell asleep
19:48in my arms
19:49around 7.30.
19:50I put her to bed
19:51and got busy
19:52with baby James
19:53who woke up
19:54three times
19:55during the night.
19:56I had a great
19:57relationship with my kids
19:58and I know it was
19:59because of Meredith.
20:00You know you wouldn't
20:01want it any other way.
20:02Finally I fell
20:03into a heavy sleep.
20:04The next morning
20:05I drove to the house.
20:07After making sure
20:08no one was home
20:09I went inside
20:10packed my suitcase
20:11with my suits
20:12and at the last minute
20:13grabbed the wedding book
20:14Meredith had put together.
20:15I know I'm being cranky
20:16but I wanted her
20:17to know I was here.
20:1930 minutes later
20:20I was on the ground
20:21and on my way back
20:22to the Shangri-La hotel.
20:24I kid you not
20:25that's what it was called.
20:26On the way back
20:27I stopped at Denny's
20:28for lunch.
20:29I hadn't eaten
20:30in over 24 hours
20:31so I figured
20:32I'd better try to get
20:33something to eat.
20:35I risk being discovered
20:36because when we were
20:37first married
20:38we spent a lot of time here.
20:39It was the only place
20:40we could afford.
20:41I have a lot of good
20:42memories with it.
20:43I ordered my food
20:44and started thinking
20:45about how Meredith
20:46could give up
20:47everything we had.
20:48We had been through
20:49so much
20:50and she had just
20:52I walked back to the car
20:53and pulled out a book.
20:54I opened the book
20:55because I knew
20:56that inside was a copy
20:57of each of our vows.
20:58My vows were the standard
20:59love, honor and obey vows
21:01but I remembered
21:02that she wanted
21:03to write her own.
21:04I found the card
21:05with her vows on it
21:06and read it.
21:07I, Meredith Smith
21:08promise you the following
21:09from this day forward.
21:11I will laugh with you
21:12in joy
21:13and comfort you in sorrow.
21:14I will share your dreams
21:15and support you
21:16as you try to reach your goals.
21:17I will listen to you
21:18with compassion
21:19and understanding
21:20and speak to you
21:21with encouragement.
21:22I will stay true
21:23to these vows
21:24for better and for worse
21:25in sickness and in health.
21:26You are my best friend
21:27and I will love only you.
21:29I was shocked.
21:31She had never said
21:32she would be faithful to me
21:33only that she would be
21:34true to her vows.
21:35My God,
21:36she's been cheating on me
21:37our entire marriage.
21:38I never really knew her.
21:40I'm a sinner.
21:41I'm a saint.
21:42I'm not ashamed.
21:43I'm your hell.
21:44I'm your dream
21:45and I'm nothing in between.
21:47What the hell
21:48am I supposed to do now?
21:50The stupid song
21:51plays in my head again.
21:53It might mean
21:54you'll have to become
21:55a stronger person.
21:56I thought about it
21:57for a few minutes
21:58and finally realized
21:59what was meant.
22:00I had made a decision.
22:01It was time to talk to her.
22:03I wasn't going to hide
22:04or play games anymore.
22:06If I never knew who she was,
22:07it was about damn time
22:08I found out.
22:09I called her cell phone.
22:11She answered right away
22:12and stated as if
22:13nothing had happened.
22:14What do you need, Shell?
22:16I'm sure she thought
22:17she would catch me off guard
22:18with her statement
22:19but it was very different
22:20from her previous
22:21pleading messages.
22:22I knew she was mad at me
22:23for hiding
22:24and I knew she was right
22:25but what she didn't know
22:26was that I was tired
22:27of being a victim.
22:28I want to talk to you.
22:30Meet me at Denny's tomorrow
22:31at 12.30 for lunch
22:33so we can decide
22:34what to do next.
22:35I replied just as calmly.
22:37You want to meet
22:38at the Denny's?
22:39Really?
22:40said Meredith,
22:41clearly shocked.
22:42Yes, I'll see you tomorrow
22:43at 12.30.
22:45I quickly hung up.
22:46I got up,
22:47paid for my food
22:48and headed back
22:49to my fleabag motel.
22:50I threw myself on my bed
22:51and fell asleep like a baby,
22:52not waking up
22:53until 9.30 the next morning.
22:55I felt calm
22:56and rested
22:57as I prepared
22:58to meet Meredith
22:59at the restaurant.
23:00I was seated
23:01in a corner booth
23:02at about 12.25.
23:03Meredith showed up promptly
23:04at 12.30.
23:06I waved at her
23:07and she came over
23:08and sat across from me.
23:10I can't believe
23:11we're going to have
23:12this discussion at Denny's,
23:13she said in exasperation.
23:14Meredith,
23:15I chose this restaurant
23:16for two reasons.
23:17First, I believe
23:18our conversation
23:19might get a little heated,
23:20so I thought
23:21a public discussion
23:22would help us both
23:23keep things civil.
23:24She was about to say something,
23:25but I interrupted her
23:26by raising my hand
23:27and saying firmly,
23:28secondly,
23:29this is the restaurant
23:30we always ate at
23:31when we were dating
23:32and first married.
23:33We ate here often
23:34when we first started
23:35our business
23:36because it was all
23:37we could afford.
23:38In short, Meredith,
23:39we planned our lives here.
23:40We talked about everything.
23:41We talked about our fears,
23:42our dreams, everything.
23:43This is where we were
23:44when we decided
23:45to get married.
23:46Do you know
23:47what we didn't talk about,
23:48Meredith?
23:49She was clearly
23:50caught off guard
23:51and could only shake her head.
23:52We didn't talk about
23:53the fact that you need
23:54sex with other men
23:55to feel whole,
23:56and that's because
23:57you never brought it up.
23:58You were purposely
23:59hiding a part of yourself
24:00from me.
24:01I'm sorry, Chelle,
24:02she wanted to say,
24:03but I continued.
24:04This restaurant
24:05is open 24 hours
24:06and I have all the time
24:07in the world,
24:08Meredith,
24:09so tell me,
24:10who are you really?
24:11It's complicated, Shelley.
24:12No, it's not, Meredith,
24:13but you are complicated
24:14and you owe me
24:16You also have to explain
24:17it to James and Mary.
24:18We are your family
24:19and we have a right
24:20to know who you are.
24:21At this point,
24:22she broke down
24:23and cried quietly.
24:25I've been thinking about
24:26what to say to you
24:27ever since you left me
24:28that message.
24:29It seems so trivial now.
24:30Give me a moment
24:31to gather my thoughts.
24:33Like I said,
24:34it's open 24 hours
24:35and I'm in no hurry.
24:36A full minute passed
24:37before she could continue.
24:39Believe it or not,
24:40Chelle,
24:41I love you more than ever.
24:42I'm terribly sorry
24:43I hurt you.
24:44She paused at this point
24:45because I think
24:46she expected me to respond,
24:47but I sat stone-faced
24:48and silent,
24:49looking at her
24:50so she continued.
24:52I want to prove
24:53my love to you.
24:54I want to prove to you
24:55that I will do anything
24:56to show you
24:57if you give me a chance.
24:58So before we talk
24:59about who I am,
25:00I want to tell you
25:01what I'm willing to do.
25:03At this point,
25:04she paused
25:05to gather her thoughts
25:06and then,
25:07taking a deep breath,
25:08she continued.
25:09I want you to give us a chance.
25:10If you give me a year
25:11to prove my love
25:12and commitment
25:13to our family
25:14and at the end of that year
25:15you still want to divorce me,
25:16I won't resist.
25:18I will give you everything.
25:20I will give you
25:21full custody of the kids
25:22and I can visit them
25:23anytime I want.
25:25I won't take half the business.
25:26You'll keep the house,
25:27no alimony,
25:28no nothing.
25:29I'll walk away.
25:31I promise.
25:33I have to admit,
25:34I didn't expect
25:35this turn of events.
25:36It made me back off.
25:37Now I had to get
25:38my act together.
25:39I had asked her to be honest
25:40so I had to be honest as well.
25:43To be honest, Meredith,
25:44I have no intention
25:45of divorcing you at this time.
25:47However, I suspect
25:48that our relationship
25:49will be very different
25:50from here on out.
25:51I saw her visibly relax,
25:52exhaling a long,
25:53slow,
25:54deep breath.
25:56I don't know where to start,
25:57Shell.
25:58How about starting
25:59with the wedding vows
26:00you wrote
26:01and said at our wedding?
26:03That seems like
26:04an appropriate place.
26:05I replied without anger,
26:06I really want to understand
26:07what you were trying
26:08to tell me.
26:10Honestly, I didn't
26:11understand them
26:12but I think I do
26:13or at least I'm starting
26:14to understand.
26:15Shell,
26:16you know how worried
26:17I was about losing myself
26:18by getting married?
26:19I loved you
26:20but I wanted to make sure
26:21that I would always be
26:22a person first and foremost.
26:24I didn't want
26:25to lose myself ever.
26:27I understand that part,
26:28Meredith,
26:29but what does having sex
26:30with other guys
26:31have to do with it?
26:32It wasn't just guys,
26:33Shelly, she said,
26:34dropping her eyes
26:35to the table.
26:36Jesus mirror,
26:37I exclaimed a little
26:38too loudly for the setting.
26:39If she was going to scold me
26:40for calling her mirror,
26:41I was leaving.
26:42Listen to me,
26:43Shell,
26:44my body is the most
26:45individual thing I have.
26:46It is mine
26:47and mine alone.
26:48Deciding who to share
26:49my body with
26:50is the most intimate
26:51thing I have to offer
26:52but that's only part of it.
26:53I love life,
26:54Shell.
26:55I want to experience
26:56everything.
26:57I want to feel
26:58every emotion
26:59deep inside me.
27:00You know I'm a very
27:01sexual person
27:02and I want to feel
27:03every sexual emotion.
27:06I want to feel
27:07love, lust, jealousy,
27:09pain and resentment.
27:10I want to feel it all
27:11before I get too old.
27:13Okay, mirror,
27:14I understand what you're saying
27:15but I don't agree with that.
27:16Shouldn't your body be mine
27:17and mine should be yours?
27:19My head seemed
27:20about to explode.
27:21If I accept
27:22what you're saying,
27:23Meredith,
27:24shouldn't I have
27:25the same privileges?
27:26Are you saying that
27:27even though I'm married to you,
27:28I should be able to share
27:29my body with
27:30whomever I choose?
27:31Don't be angry, Shell.
27:32But let me ask you
27:33a question.
27:34Since we've been married,
27:35have you ever
27:36wanted someone else?
27:37Have you needed
27:38someone else?
27:39I took a deep breath
27:40and had to admit,
27:41no, mirror,
27:42you're all I've ever needed
27:43or wanted.
27:45That's what this is all about,
27:46Shelly, isn't it?
27:47Why didn't you tell me
27:48all this before you got married?
27:49Shouldn't you have
27:50at least told me
27:51that instead of hiding it,
27:52not to mention
27:53what you've been hiding
27:54all these years?
27:55Yes,
27:56I should have told Shell.
27:57It was the only
27:58unfair thing I did to you
27:59but I did it because
28:00I love you so much.
28:01We were young
28:02and I knew you wouldn't
28:03put up with it
28:04and I couldn't lose you,
28:05I just couldn't.
28:06I know I was being selfish
28:08and I'm sorry,
28:09I just sat there in a daze.
28:11I think I finally realized
28:12who she was.
28:13Don't you want to ask me?
28:16You want to know
28:17why you're not enough
28:18for me, don't you?
28:19You want to ask me
28:20if I'm going to stop.
28:22Actually, mirror,
28:23I'm not going to ask you
28:24those questions
28:25because they don't matter
28:26to me anymore.
28:27The biggest question
28:28that remains in my mind is
28:29can I live with who you are?
28:31I do understand you, mirror.
28:33I was talking to a man
28:34who explained it all to me.
28:35In fact,
28:36I was just listening
28:37to her explain.
28:38She looked surprised
28:39but didn't interrupt.
28:40That's the big difference
28:41between you and me, mirror.
28:43You seem to think
28:44you have a choice in everything.
28:45You choose who gets this
28:46or that part of you
28:47and when.
28:48You put your wants
28:49and needs above all others.
28:50You can play different roles
28:51whenever you feel like it.
28:53But I was never given a choice.
28:56I was raised to believe
28:57that a man,
28:58a real man,
28:59sacrifices his personal dreams,
29:01wants,
29:02and needs for his family.
29:03Family always comes first
29:04for a man.
29:06In all the time
29:07we've been together,
29:08have I ever given you
29:09any reason to doubt
29:10that I'll be there
29:11for you and the kids?
29:12She shook her head sadly
29:13and said,
29:14Shell, listen to me.
29:15I'm all yours.
29:16I love only you.
29:17Isn't the problem your ego?
29:18Stop.
29:19Don't you dare say
29:20it's my stupid male ego
29:21that's getting in your way.
29:22Don't you dare belittle
29:23my feelings.
29:25You have no right
29:26to tell me how I should feel.
29:28In all the years
29:29we've been together,
29:30have I ever told you
29:31how you should feel?
29:32You have to remember
29:33that it is the stupid male ego
29:34that gives a man
29:35the instinct to protect his family.
29:38It is the male ego
29:39that makes a man
29:40sacrifice himself
29:41for the good of his family.
29:43It is my stupid male ego
29:44that makes me comfort you
29:45when you are hurting.
29:47Can't you see
29:48that it is the male ego
29:49that is really the soul of a man?
29:51Shelly,
29:52I didn't mean
29:53to call your ego stupid.
29:54I just want to make sure
29:55it doesn't get in the way
29:56of our decision
29:57to stay together.
29:58I'm sorry I keep saying sorry.
29:59We both had a good laugh
30:00at that statement.
30:02It helped ease the tension
30:03and we decided
30:04to hold off
30:05on further conversation
30:06until we ordered our food.
30:08The waitress somehow guessed
30:09to sidestep us
30:10and I had to wave her off.
30:12In the middle of the meal,
30:13Meredith started crying again.
30:16You know, Shell,
30:17I just realized
30:18that this is the booth
30:19we were sitting in
30:20when I told you
30:21I was pregnant with James.
30:22I already told you
30:23why I chose this place, Mir.
30:25I wanted you to realize
30:26what you were risking.
30:28Are we going to be okay, Chell?
30:30I don't know, Mir,
30:31but I'm not going to leave you.
30:32I'll come home
30:33no matter where the hell
30:34we're going next.
30:35I'm a bitch.
30:36I'm a bitch.
30:37I'm a tease.
30:38I'm a goddess on my knees.
30:40When you're in pain,
30:41when you're hurting,
30:42I'm your undercover angel.
30:43I'm numb.
30:44I'm alive.
30:45You can't tell I'm not alive.
30:47Five years later,
30:49a lot has happened
30:50in the intervening five years.
30:52I've tried to make things
30:53work with Meredith.
30:54I really have.
30:56I agreed to her condition
30:57of giving her a year
30:58to prove her love for me
31:00and at the end of the year
31:01I sat her down at the table
31:02and told her I couldn't
31:03do it anymore.
31:04We were too different.
31:05To her credit,
31:06she did her best to prove
31:07her love to me
31:08and the kids.
31:09I never had any doubt
31:10that she loved all three of us.
31:12Did she have sex
31:13with other people
31:14during the year?
31:15I don't know.
31:16I assume she did,
31:17but I never asked her about it.
31:18I reasoned that
31:19if I was going to stay with her
31:20I had to put up
31:21with her behavior.
31:22Maybe I was naive
31:23or maybe I was becoming
31:24more of a 21st century guy.
31:27Absolutely not.
31:29The real reason for the breakup
31:30was that I needed
31:31my wife to be mine
31:32and mine alone
31:33and Meredith could never
31:34give me all of herself.
31:36She was always holding
31:37something back.
31:38We both loved each other
31:39and always would.
31:40We just couldn't
31:41live together.
31:43It was that simple.
31:44When I sat her down
31:45to talk to her,
31:46of course there were tears,
31:48but there was no yelling
31:49and screaming.
31:50We both knew why
31:51it had to be that way.
31:52Meredith was true
31:53to her word.
31:54She offered everything
31:55she'd promised,
31:56custody of the kids,
31:58the house,
31:59the business,
32:00everything.
32:01But I couldn't do that to her.
32:03The divorce was finalized
32:04in just a couple months.
32:06She had unlimited access
32:07to the kids.
32:08Although she lived
32:09in an apartment
32:10I helped her find,
32:11we had a spare bedroom
32:12that became her room.
32:14She could stay in it
32:15as often as she wanted.
32:17She took advantage of it,
32:18especially for the first
32:19couple years.
32:20But as the kids got older,
32:21she started spending
32:22more time in her apartment.
32:24Now she sometimes stays
32:25in her room with her lover
32:26when I go out of town.
32:28I also drew up a legal contract
32:29officially transferring
32:3049% of the business to her.
32:32It was the right thing to do.
32:34This contract also stipulates
32:35that if anything happens to me,
32:37she gets 100%.
32:39The funny thing is that
32:40Meredith comes into the store
32:41at least two days a week
32:43and spins wrenches
32:44with the rest of us.
32:45She loves doing it
32:46and we love her presence.
32:47James and Mary
32:48help out sometimes too.
32:50What's really interesting
32:51is that Meredith
32:52has a new lover,
32:53my office manager, Julie.
32:55Julie is much more understanding
32:57of Mir's needs than I am.
32:59Julie says they are soulmates,
33:00whatever that means.
33:02The kids have always loved Julie,
33:03so that's not a problem.
33:05But what about me?
33:06I'm not a very social person
33:07so I don't get out much.
33:08But you know what?
33:10One of Meredith's needs
33:11to make her feel complete is me.
33:13Julie knows that
33:14and doesn't mind.
33:15My life is by no means perfect
33:16but it could be a lot worse.
33:18After all,
33:19I'm a pretty lucky guy.