Rob and Andy worked at the same place. It was a building full of 20 and 30 somethings who made a good living, sat in cubicles all day, and happy-houred themselves silly every weekend.
It was fun. I got to know some neat people. They were all funny, good-time co-workers.
I became a little uncomfortable of one woman in particluar, though. She sat near Rob in their "pod" which is essentially a big cubicle with 4 people. Her name was Sheri. She liked to be called Sher.
They had waaaaay too much in common for my liking. The liked the same kind of music, they were both from a retail managament background, and they had 8 hours a day to chat.
I had this bad feeling. I couldn't pinpoint it and Rob poo-pooed it, of course.
I mean, I liked her well enough, and she was always very nice to me, but there was something...off.
Like, once when we were all out for happy hour, I caught her staring at me. I told Rob later that I felt like she was watching me...and wanted to be me.
I know that sounds incredibly conceited. I can't explain it. I have always had a significant gut instinct (even though I had typically chosen to ignore it) and I could just sense things often.
And I sensed something with her. Like maybe if there wasn't something going on between them already, there could be if someone made a move...
Anyway, I digress a little...
One weekend another friend from my past JCPenney's came to visit. Marybeth. She and I went to a great community festival and we invited Rob to go. He declined saying he didn't feel well.
I tried to call him several times while we were out, but got no answer at home.
When we finally made it back to the house, we found that Rob's car wasn't in the garage. In fact, Marybeth had parked in the driveway right behind his car and he had somehow managed to make it out. I mean...she was right behind his car. I still don't know how he did it.
He wasn't home, but left a note saying that he went to have his car looked at and then to the gym. Marybeth stayed for a bit and then got on the road.
I sat at home alone and stewed about where he was. He'd been gone a while, although I had no idea how long since the note didn't have a time on it.
I tried calling him again. Nothing.
Finally...he got home. Wearing his regular clothes.
He took the dog out and I ran to the garage, yanked open his car and found his gym bag.
With his clean smelling and neatly folded gym clothes inside.
I don't know about you, but when I go to the gym, I usually wear my gym clothes.
And they're ANYTHING BUT clean smelling and neatly folded when I'm done with them.
I had a knot in the pit of my stomach.
When he came over to kiss me, I made a point to inhale deeply.
Nothing.
Weird. No sweat, no cologne, no nothing.
Before he'd gotten home, I found our phone left in the office upstairs and hit "redial."
An automated recording answered.
For the Red Roof Inn.
They were kind enough to include directions to their location.
I got in my car and drove to that hotel. I drove through the parking lot.
I didn't see his car.
So, already I was on high alert. I knew something wasn't right.
But I let it go. For now.
The next day we were driving in his car and the problem he'd been having (the reason he supposedly went to the dealership to have it looked at) was still acting up. I commented, "Hmmm, that's weird. You better tell them they didn't fix the problem when you were there yesterday." Playing dumb. He didn't respond.
Finally, Monday rolled around and I called the dealership. They had no record that he was there. They assured me they would have to have a record if he'd brought it in.
Then I called the gym.
They told me that he had not been there that day. He would have had to check in at the front desk. And he hadn't.
So there it was....all layed out in front of me. There were pieces and they weren't adding up, but I still didn't know what it all meant, specifically.
Then, while I was on the computer. I found it. The Mother Load.
I still, to this day, don't know how I found it.
We had Comcast as our service provider. Somehow, I stumbled across an AOL account.
His.
I couldn't figure out his password, but SOMEHOW I was able to see the emails he sent. I could see who they were sent to, who they were from, and the subject, even though I couldn't open and see the body of the email.
What I could see was enough. They were all from and to women.
Women I didn't know. Some that included pictures, even though I couldn't see the picture, I could see that there was a picture attached.
And I could also see that he'd used a picture that I had taken of him on vacation as the one he sent out to interested parties.
I was sick.
I called him at work.
Oh yes I did.
And I layed out all my evidence. All the reasons I knew he was lying. I told him I'd found his hidden email and that I was done. I was leaving.
Then, I drove to his work. And I marched back to his cube and took our picture out of the frame and tore it in half.
Oh yes I did.
I made a little scene. Not enough to get thrown out, but enough that his neighbors knew something was happening.
He came home early from work that day while I was packing. I left the email open for him on the computer so he could see it.
He walked in the office, with his hands sheepishly dug in his pockets, eyeballed the computer, and then said, "Son of a bitch. You did find it."
I was disgusted. That's what he had to say to me?
We had taken out a loan to pay for the wedding plans and put that money in a CD.
Somehow, I was able to cash it out myself (without his signature or permission) and I wrote him a letter saying that he could be responsible for the loan but I was taking the money to start my new life without him.
I also took the ring and threw it at him.
I then called everyone I knew and told them what a pig he was.
I feel so bad for everyone now. I burdened them with all this stuff. I'm sure they were thinking, "Well, yeah!"
I packed a bag...and went to stay with Andy and Anna. As much as I thought Andy was also a pig, I had nowhere esle to go.
