My wife sat down next to me and quietly said,'Lewis, let's talk…'I didn't even look in her direction

welcome to the cheating Secrets Channel freshly restored and cleaned bench made of marine teak wood and iron overlooking Lake rif in happier times during countless visits here he and his family used to swim in the lake he examined the freshly polished brass plaque on the bench donated by the Edmonds Family from mosick in memory of our beloved grandfather Kenneth Edmonds this bench is for everyone to enjoy the beauty of the area he loved so much as a native of this place Lewis read the inscription and let out a brief sharp and bitter laugh he knew

why old Kenneth loved this spot especially this Lookout where the bench was strategically placed in his honor from this spot Kenneth would often sit and gaze wistfully at the crystal clear blue water that had submerged his childhood home several decades ago when the Tacoma City Light Company built the mossy Rock Dam to generate electricity for the city Lewis knew that the town of R was somewhere down there but it now lay 60 M below the shimmering surface of the lake which currently reflected the Magnificent blue sky and Scattered clouds under the forest canopy various native

Pines grow surrounding the lake some of the western white and Ponderosa Pines soared into the sky reaching Heights of over 36 m in his childhood Lewis always dreamed of climbing to the top of one of them to see if he could touch the endless Sky he had a cherished memory of his late father once when he was a small boy he and his father lay on their backs by the lake resting their old bamboo fishing rods were propped against a tree set for salmon which thrived in these Waters they looked up at the sky admiring

the astonishing work of nature while resting he told his father about his desire to climb to the top of one of the Pines his father remained silent for a few minutes not even acknowledging Lewis's statement just when Lewis thought that his father must have missed his words entirely he started humming a line from a song forgive me while I kiss the sky his father was a terrible singer he couldn't carry a tune to save his life but that never stopped him from singing as his father's voice repeated the line teenage Lewis glanced around awkwardly praying

that no one else would witness the singing however in adulthood that moment became a fond and indelible memory both of ls's parents were lost to cancer when he was still very young that fact along with his understanding of genetics became one of the reasons for this meeting life is too short now Lewis's attention was drawn to the lake itself nearly 23 Mi long it was so deep that no light could penetrate the darkness enveloping the once bustling tight-knit community of RI the darkness hit all traces of its existence as it would never again be visible

in the light Lewis considered this A fitting metaphor for his marriage to any passer by unfamiliar with the nightmare that Lewis had been living in recent times it might have seemed like he was peacefully soaking in the solitary beauty of the warm Autumn weather that occasionally visited the Pacific Northwest the locals still refer to this phenomenon despite its current political incorrectness as Indian summer when it arrives there is no more beautiful time or place on Earth it almost makes the nine long months of dreary rain seem bearable although Lewis appeared calm on the Outside Inside

he was in turmoil he had to go through this nightmare alone he was an only child and he didn't have many friends outside of the fire station Lewis couldn't talk to any of the guys at the station about his problems because unlike how they are portrayed on television firefighters don't spend all their free time sharing their fears and emotions or discussing intimate moments with their comrades no one dares show weakness in front of others fearing that they might lose trust their lives depend on each other even a moment of hesitation caused by uncertainty about whether

they can trust someone to act correctly in extreme situations could prove fatal no in this Lewis was completely alone he had deliberately arrived earlier because truth be told he was counting on the healing power of his beloved Lake and the Magical natural bomb of nature to help him get through this meeting requested by his soon Tobe ex-wife she actually demanded it and his lawyer said it would be in his best interest to Grant the request it will look good in Family Court his lawyer advised besides his lawyer was increasingly frustrated by Blain's constant attempts to

create obstacles to delay the inevitable Lewis couldn't understand why Blaine continued to insist that their marriage could survive her Madness she wanted her lawyer to demand mandatory counseling it didn't matter to her that in the state of Washington a family court judge couldn't order it both lawyers had tried in vain to reason with Blain but to no avail Lewis thought that Blaine definitely needed some kind of therapy but that was no longer his concern well he SED to himself today it will all end anyway Blain might have requested the meeting but Lewis insisted on the

location he knew that the summer crowds were now just a distant memory so most likely the place would be theirs alone this meeting would not go the way Blaine expected he cast a brief glance at his watch she was supposed to arrive in a few minutes but he knew he actually had plenty of time on the one hand Blain would have to drive a considerable distance on Highway 12 which she absolutely hated she was never on time for anything including their wedding she was an hour late for that he let out the same cynical chuckle

as the memory of it quickly came to mind he thought he should have left the church after the 20-minute delay as his best man had jokingly suggested more than 13 years ago but he quick dismissed the thought the truth was the first 12 and 1/2 years of his marriage to Blaine had been like a perfect dream Lewis loved his two daughters reneer and Lacy more than life itself rain as she was called was a daddy's girl through and through she was already studying and preparing to become a firefighter just like her adored father on the

other hand Lacy was a minime of his wife for Lewis this was just one of many challenges family courts don't like to separate children from their parents this along with the fact that in Washington state family law there is no set age allowing a child under 18 to choose which parent to live with during a divorce however according to his lawyer not all hope was lost despite the difficulty Washington's divorce and child custody laws allow a husband and wife to jointly present a parenting plan to the court if the judge finds the plan detailed comprehensive

and financially fair for the children they usually sign it without changes the trick his lawyer told him was to get his wife to agree to the very complicated proposal that Lewis wanted her to accept Lewis was a realist even before his lawyer confirmed it he understood that his job as a firefighter in the Riverside Fire Authority known as RFA would almost certainly prevent him from Gaining primary custody of his daughters the dangerous nature of the job and the rotating work schedule were nearly insurmountable obstacles when considering custody Arrangements it took time and money lots of

money to develop the plan he put into action he closed his eyes and mentally returned to that awful day several months ago when his nightmarish existence began he still couldn't decide if his current life was an episode of The Twilight Zone or the movie Groundhog Day his reality was both surreal and horrifyingly repetitive lwis honey can we talk in the living room please he had just finished his Pleasant night ritual of putting the girls to bed in their shared bedroom when he heard her voice though he needed sleep as his next 24-hour shift started early

the next morning he was eager to talk to his wife he hoped Blaine wanted to continue discussing their shared desire to buy their own house the four of them lived in a rented three-bedroom apartment and they were both eager to finally purchase a home of their own now that their careers were secure they had agreed that it would be much better to raise their daughters in their own home as it provided more stability on his way to the living room he stopped by the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge he sank

down onto the worn out sofa inherited from his parents and turned toward Blain Crossing his right leg over his left so he was facing her for a moment he gently tousled her loose blonde hair which always covered her ear then carefully tucked it behind her ear and rested his hand on her shoulder how are you honey he asked after that he remembered very little his memories of their conversation were mostly fragmented like piercing stabs to the heart in a kaleidoscope of shock disbelief and anger however his reaction remained Crystal Clear even months later he was

still embarrassed by how shockingly weak and emotional his response had been he cried he actually cried in front of her it was so pitiful that he could feel Blain's pity for him stumbling he left the house and walked away from the source of his torment one good thing about being a firefighter is that there's always a free bunk to sleep in no one ever asked questions about his constant presence everyone knew the divorce statistics in the profession a few days later he managed to piece together what his wife had told him she hadn't asked for

permission she had simply stated what she was going to do when he finally returned home he planned to beg his wife not to tear their family apart he was ready to plead with her to go to counseling with him to find a way to save their marriage but before he could even start he was ambushed by his loving and innocent daughters Elaine had promised him they would meet at her parents house he turned and looked at his wife who stood there with a Sly Victorious smirk on her face the love he once felt for her

had long since vanished in its place had come a burning hatred he looked at Blain and his usually calm face Twisted with rage Bor ordering on murderous intent for a moment her look of superiority faded replaced by fear but it was at that very moment that his daughters began to attack him in their Blissful ignorance They begged him to explain why he was abandoning them he had to literally tear himself away from rain and Lacy's desperate Embraces as they pleaded screamed and cried rain was the hardest Dad how will I ever become a firefighter without

you he knew that this scene would Replay in his mind over and over until the day he died no matter the outcome however Lewis also knew that the alternative for his girls in the long run would be far worse in the end he was grateful to Blain in a single moment he transformed from a weak victim into a man whose path was clear One Fine Day Lewis silently thanked her he regained his dignity and took the first step toward recovery today he thanked her I know this is hard for you girls and I hope one

day you'll understand it's just that your mom and I have Grown Apart we want different things in life but I promise you I will never abandon you I will see you often and love you forever he didn't look back at Blaine even once when he finally freed himself from his daughter's Embrace he purposefully walked out of the apartment for the last time from that day on Lewis hadn't spoken a single word to his soon Tobe ex-wife wisely he let his lawyer speak for him Lewis didn't know whether he had dozed off or become so lost

in his thoughts that he simply lost track of time hello LS thank you for meeting me our daughters miss you very much her voice which had once been a comforting and caring greeting now graded on his mind like nails on an old chalkboard he shook his head to clear his thoughts it was time for the show my lawyer told me to do this Blain in a perfect world I'd never have to look at your ugly face again he didn't even glance in her Direction he kept his eyes fixed on the lake drawing strength from its

calm familiarity he heard her gasp in shock yes she thought this meeting would go differently lwis involuntarily smiled and looked at her I know this is on your agenda Blaine but I need to tell you something before you start this is our last conversation on the subject if you repeat even one of those ridiculous reasons you've said over and over claiming it will somehow make our marriage stronger if you tell me again how much you love me if you say that it's just my fragile male ego getting in the way or even hint that I'm

the one responsible for destroying the family I will get up and leave immediately right now you disgust me so much that I feel physically sick just being in your presence Louis I I I don't know Lewis was certain Blaine was about to repeat her nauseating line but I love you both and he raised his hand toward her face let me save you the trouble Blaine see this he pointed to the large everpresent manila envelope on the bench beside him these are the divorce papers that will officially end our marriage when you leave here in a

few minutes you'll take them with you you'll sign them after your lawyer reviews them you'll return them to my lawyer's office within 36 hours he turned away from her to admire the breathtaking view once again then continued lawyer will confirm that everything here meets the state's requirements for a parenting plan but I don't want and I don't want a cheating wife so in the end we're both getting a divorce now pay attention because this is important Louis side in frustration though deep down he knew Blain would make things even more complicated than they needed to

be the parenting plan is what the family court focuses on the most what I'm proposing is fair we don't have many savings so everything else will be split equally you'll have custody of the girls what you're not going to fight me for that Blain scoffed of course not the girls need their mother and despite being a lousy wife you've been a decent mother so no and you'll keep the apartment so the girls won't have to change schools or make new friends I'll cover half the housing costs and pay more than the minimum required for child

support I'll also have plenty of visitation with my girls it's all outlined here at that moment a flood of emotions rushed through Blain's mind she felt surprised relieved and disappointed all at once she had hoped that ls's love for their daughters would keep him at home and save their marriage it was in that moment that Blain began to realize what she had truly lost and she started crying in Earnest listen Blain the reality is that with my work schedule and the risks involved in my job I know I don't stand a chance at getting custody

of the girls even if you were having sex with the entire football team on the 50 yard line during halftime of a playoff game it wouldn't change that fact B but Lewis can't we don't interrupt Blaine we're getting to the most important part you should pay very very close attention to what comes next he squinted impatiently at her pulled a thick letter sized envelope from his pocket and handed it to her she opened it and began to glance through its contents as I said if the divorce papers aren't signed and on my lawyer's desk exactly

as written within 36 hours every member of your family your colleagues your manager and everyone else you've ever known will receive a copy of what's inside this is your copy it's a detailed Vivid report of what you did to end our marriage and more importantly it includes a record of what you demanded I accept to continue our marriage it had been expensive but it was worth every penny Lewis spent to obtain the investigator's report I will also make sure that my daughters know exactly how and why their family was destroyed Blaine was visibly shocked by

what she saw she couldn't believe it was true no it had to be a lie her lover couldn't be that kind of person Lewis must be lying to be honest Lewis wasn't sure he had the courage to go through with it knowing it would hurt his daughters deeply but then again he didn't think he would actually have to resort to this nuclear option besides it could land him in jail and cost him his job adult content laws and retaliation were a two-pronged stick he also hoped that her lover was exactly who Lewis thought he was

and most importantly that Blain was just as subservient and gullible as she seemed to be to that bastard the key here Blain is that the papers must be signed exactly as I propose if your lawyer calls mine and says my client and I or if even a single comma period or semicolon is changed the gloves come off and your entire world will know what a piece of trash you really are Blain deeply shaken continued flipping through the investigator report all she could manage were incoherent sounds sniffling and crying throughout Lewis's monologue shaking her head in

disbelief this wasn't supposed to happen this way why couldn't Lewis understand of course I'm offering a service for service AG agreement so here's what I'm willing to do in exchange for your cooperation I promise I will never speak badly of you or blame you for the breakup of our family in the eyes of my daughters I'll even be polite to your boyfriend if we end up together at one of the girls events hell I'll even shake his slimy hand if I have to in every way I'll act politely and civy as if we just amicably

decided to part ways I'll do the same with every one of your relatives and friends I'll even babysit the kid kids if you and Mr slippery want to take a last minute weekend trip in short I'll be the best ex-husband for any cheating wife thank you Lewis but all of this is so unnecessary cha stop Blain never mention that piece of trash's name in my presence Lewis he's a good guy he's not no Blain he's not he damn it let's get to the point whose idea was it to tell me about your relationship his idea

Lewis he said it wasn't right to deceive someone as good as you Lewis let out a bitter laugh cutting Blain off nonsense Blain he did it to make sure he'd get exactly the same reaction from me that you did has he already asked when he can move in with you her eyes widened along with her mouth Louis thought she looked exactly like one of her favorite emojis that she loved to use Blain remained silent she stared at her hands which were clenched tightly her POS Ure was so rigid and fragile that it seemed as though

she feared the slightest movement would turn her into a pillar of dust that's what I thought Blain it's all written in the report you're holding LS said jabbing his fingers toward the papers in her hands you're not his first and you won't be his last his track record is right there he's not like that he really loves me she spoke so quietly that lwis had to strain to hear her pitiful words this brought an understanding smile to his face he exhaled slowly and a calming peace washed over him as if another gentle breeze from his

favorite Lake had touched his face it was almost over he knew he had chosen the right path he understood there was a risk but now everything was under control he was confident that everything would fall into place the way he wanted his voice softened significantly look at me Blaine we're almost done it's important that you pay very close attention she looked up at him her tear stre face was a mask of confusion ruined mascara and fear her perfect world had been shattered when she finally met ls's gaze she saw a Stony threatening face with eyes

as black as night piercing into her take care of my girls Blaine there are girls leis she protested weakly her timidity made it sound more like a question no Blain they're not they're my girl girls you betrayed them and discarded them just like you did to me because you're weak and can't keep your legs closed I need you to take care of them for me at least for a couple of years what are you talking about the scent of her fear was almost tangible I will never give them up you've already given in you just

haven't realized it yet either way your boyfriend will take care of it he said with complete seriousness has he already used this line on you baby just take a little of this it'll make our sex so much better our love making will be so intense you can't even imagine all your nerve endings will be on fire here just wash it down with a little bit of this she once again looked shamefully at her hands soon he'll start sharing you with his friends come on baby Justin's such a good guy don't you want to at least

try what it's like to be loved by several men at once Lane slowly shook her head still staring into the distance muttering he won't do that to me he loves me screw you Blain in a few months that idiot will be dragging you around his favorite bars Lewis was on fire but here's the good news I've got a couple more years before I finish the courses necessary to get my bachelor's degree in fire safety after that I can apply for the Fire Marshall position when Frank retires then I'll barely have any required hours that should

be right around the time when you start falling apart and burning out that's when I'll file for full custody by then you'll probably be so high that you won't even care you're wrong he's not like that at all please Louis I really do love you I love our family why can't you see that no you're the one who can't see Lewis growled at her you never could honestly I don't think you're capable of loving anyone but yourself I was just blinded by love for who I thought you were I was nothing more than a convenient

support for you the girls only reinforced your control over me when your idiot boyfriend came along with his magic tool you played right into his hands you threw your family away like yesterday's spoiled milk em and maybe we uh we could start over she suggested with tears in her eyes no Blain we can't there's nothing left to start with besides you won't give him up because then your failures as a wife mother and person would be on full display no you'll continue pretending that you and that jerk are happy and in love you're consciously walking

a path of self-destruction because you have no choice because if you had a choice deep down you would have to admit to yourself what a miserable person you are if you dared to do a self assessment you wouldn't be able to live with what you discovered now you have no other option but to live with who you are for the rest of your pathetic life but if I'm wrong and you both truly love each other I'm sure it won't be long before your magical lover starts hinting that the need to take care of the kids

is getting in the way he'll probably start with something like why don't we just let Lewis take them more often you won't argue with him because you won't want to give up fantastic sex that's the same thing you told me when you said I would have to share you with that parasite if he eventually threatens to leave you after suggesting persuading and finally promising that he will go if you don't give the girls to me well then you'll be back to square one right he smiled at her confusion in any case I will win and

you will lose it's just a matter of time and I'm a patient guy Lewis looked out over the Azure surface of the lake again for a moment the breeze died down the water was as smooth as glass in a cabinet it was time to leave he vowed to himself that he would come back here often with his daughters his girls liked it here but that wasn't enough he wanted them to to love this place as much as he did he stood up not because he was done with her but because there was so much adrenaline

in his body that his central nervous system wouldn't let him stay still he needed to discuss one last important detail with her Lewis awkwardly walked around the bench he placed his hands on the smooth polished teak on either side of Blain's shoulders and held her firmly he leaned in slowly to whisper in her ear in a quiet voice full of malice yet calm Fury he said tell your little jerk that if I get even a hint or a simple suggestion that he is behaving inappropriately with my daughters I will kill him it doesn't matter what

it is I will kill him tell him he won't have to sneak around or look over his shoulder for me because I will come straight for him I want him to realize in his final moments that it was I who put an end to his pathetic existence on this Earth the same goes for you Blaine his voice began to tremble and his throat achd from the tension the pressure of his grip intensified as adrenaline surged with each word he spat at her you will tell him this blame with the last word a loud crack echoed

as the solid would succumb to Lewis's deadly grip Blaine flinched sharply Lewis looked down curiously at the shattered piece of the lattice was it dry rot for her part Blain didn't look at him she continued to sob and whimper her body trembled as if she were suffering from hypothermia remember Blain 36 hours not 37 and now I'm leaving he looked at his hands his nails were broken his hands bloodied and covered in splinters I'm strange it doesn't hurt at all for a moment he stared silently at Blain all he saw was an empty shell of

something that once was a person he took one last look at the surroundings inhaled the fresh Mountain Air deeply then turned and walked away thank you for listening Until the End see you in the next episode of cheating Secrets take care of yourself and your loved ones goodbye