Mature

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I'll testify in any court, provide detailed receipts of my involvement with Mr. John Stickner. I will be a witness that Early acted in self-defense when he smashed Mr. Stickener's face. If allowed, I will provide legal advice pro bono in my husband's suit against him and my former firm. I will also reimburse you for all expenses you incur in that suit or in our divorce. My only regret concerning my former firm was that I didn't get to resign. I had my letter ready when I was sacked. "

"Early, I am your wife, and I always will be. What's more, I will be faithful to you for the rest of my life. I know that sounds a bit melodramatic, but after all my soul searching, I understand it and I don't want to change it. That doesn't mean I'm going to try to hold you. I've lost that right; you are free from me, and you never have to see me again. I hope you will, I pray that you will, but if you don't I will never attempt to see you. I am gladly giving you the legal tools to keep me at bay if I should falter in my resolve and lose what little dignity I still possess."

"I not only regret what I did, I repent. That means I have to do everything in my power to make you whole from my damage to you. I can't undo what I've done but I will try to provide restitution. "

"So you will know that my decision to honor my marriage vows after our divorce is sincere, I am establishing a trust fund. It will pay for surveillance of me to prove that I continue to honor my marriage vows. The trust fund will be controlled by a third party who will make all reports available to you. You don't have to read the reports but they will always be open to you. "

"I beg you not to pity me. I don't. I don't want ever to be involved with anyone else. I fully understand and accept the consequences of my actions. If I can't have the life with you I crave, this is the next best alternative for me. I beg only one thing: don't force me to be a biological dead end. I want to have two of your children. You don't have to see me again; I will gladly have twins by in vitro. You will have full control of those children. I will give them up for adoption, or you can have sole custody and deny me visitation rights. I will sign any contract you wish or write the best one I'm capable of writing. "

"I understand that my unconscionable cheating destroyed your trust. That is why I want the surveillance. I'm not trying to be a martyr. It is my dearest hope and highest ambition that by my behavior I can convince you I'm worthy to have those children and perhaps be allowed to be an important part of their lives. If however, you don't want me to be an integral part of their lives, I think it would be better for them never to know me. To facilitate that and to ease your pain, I will move to a different part of the state. As much as I love this place, we have too many common friends and interests, and I don't think I could restrain myself if I were to encounter you or them at some function. "

"As much as I would like to bear our children, if in seven years you have decided that you don't wish me to have them, I will have my tubes tied. Either way, I am establishing a second trust fund to cover all your expenses for all your children, whether mine or not. If you can't allow me to have children, I pray you will marry another and have children. You are too special to deprive the world of your genes."

"I want you to understand that I am as content in my lot as I can be without you. I have no choice; I must live as if I'm still your wife. I will do so if you marry. I will always be available to you in any role you allow, from loving advisor to enthusiastic cheerleader to as one dead to you. The only thing I will not do is harm any future wife as I have harmed you. My bed will always be open, but please, if you marry, come to it only if your wife agrees. I am giving you full power over me. I will do anything you ask that isn't illegal. I beg only for the children and that you never force me to be part of breaking your vows to another woman."

"Finally, I beg you to honor your oath. I wrote it carefully so that I could explain that I don't want you to think about this daily for a week, but for an hour on the anniversary of the day that our divorce becomes final. It's a bit underhanded, but I pray that over time you will forgive me sufficiently to allow me to bear your children. My hope is that, given years to think about it, you might allow my life on Earth to have meaning."

"With complete devotion and obedience forever,"

"Susan"

Early read the letter a second time. He could hear Susan's voice. This wasn't how she wrote briefs, this was how she spoke when she wasn't prepared to argue. His guts roiled and he felt a constriction in his chest. The pain she was feeling was impossible to miss and was deeper than he'd ever seen her display.

That line about "biological dead end" carried incredible emotional baggage. It wasn't just about her being the only child of old money. It was a term they'd used for one of their couple friends who proudly proclaimed their intent not to have children.

Early knew that having children was of paramount importance to Susan. They had begun discussing starting a family a few months ago. They had decided on the end of summer as the time she would go off birth control and Thanksgiving as the time to start trying in earnest. Early said a silent prayer of thanks that this happened before they'd gotten her pregnant.

Early would keep his word. He would spend the time thinking about this letter but a coldness in his chest let him know that he wouldn't change. He wanted nothing to do with this woman and he wouldn't let her manipulate him. He was sorry that she wouldn't have children...but that would be her choice. He wouldn't abandon his children and he couldn't abandon his children's mother. If he acceded to her, he would be bound to her forever and he couldn't stand that. He walked to the small file cabinet and did something he'd sworn he'd never do again. He looked at a picture of Susan standing with John in their office. It was enough; he was resolved.



* * * * * *

"Early, this is the oddest pleading I've ever seen," Cynthia smiled tightly.

Early clenched his jaw and felt his eyes flash, "What about the alimony? Is there any way we can fight that?"

"Early, I would love to see you fight it but ethically I have to advise you against it. The only reason I'd like to see you fight is because we'd lose and I could use it as a precedent for my future cases. Even if you won, you can't stop her from doing what she wishes with her money. Calling it alimony just means she can shelter more of it from Uncle Sam. What I like is the way she established the amount to provide for her own needs, and the way she's indexed that for inflation. The consumer price index or her apartment rent whichever is lower. She will be able to live modestly and provide for her retirement, but nothing more. Everything else comes to you. Of course that assumes you allow her to keep her retirement."

Early shrugged to show he didn't understand and Cynthia continued, "She's giving you alimony, all of her 401Ks and investments. She is even giving you all of her inheritance. She says she wants to make you harmless. She states that you would have enjoyed the benefits of those funds if she hadn't destroyed the marriage and thus you are entitled to them. I don't think we can fight that, at least based on the grounds she's using, and frankly I don't think I can fight against your interest and stay inside the canons. All that aside, it's the irrevocable power of attorney that she insists be part of the settlement that gives you the ultimate power."

"Do I have to accept it?" Early growled, feeling small-hearted but still looking for the hook in her offers. He just didn't trust her. "Trust" she destroyed.

"You've called Susan "the bitch" more times than you've use her name, but have you spent much time around dogs? I didn't think so. I breed Labs. When one dog totally submits to another, she turns on her back and bares her throat. The alpha dog will take the submissive dog's neck in its mouth and hold it, enjoying the power of life and death. That's what Susan has done, at least the human equivalent. My advice to you is to sign, put those documents in my care, and put the money in a trust. That way you won't abuse her when you feel "the anger". Oh, you will feel it as you work through your grief at the death of this marriage. It will happen no matter how justified and correct your actions. I also know that you'll be tempted just to donate all her money to charity but that would be a hostile mistake. There might come a time when she needs it or changes her mind. If that happens, you'll sleep better knowing you've done the right thing."

Cynthia paused again, and Early could practically see the wheels turning before she continued, "I don't think you can do a thing to stop her wasting that money. You can have the detective reports held though so you don't have to involve yourself in them."

Early sat back. The idea of Susan paying him alimony rankled but Cynthia made sense of it. This way it didn't force him to see her or to be connected to her. He might even, over time, solve the problem of still being desperately in love with her.

*"Chapter 3 - Early's Response written by E. Z Riter:"*

Early Conroy had aged ten years in the past three months. Finding the love of his life fucking another man had done that to him. But Early was tough. He had survived and things were getting better.

He had, on advice of his attorney, taken the time requested by Susan—who was still his wife legally but not emotionally and certainly not morally—to consider the letter she had written him. That letter was laden with apparent remorse and pleaded with him to give her another chance. Unbeknownst to anyone, even his attorney, he had spent over twenty hours with a psychologist who specialized in marital relations to assist him in understanding his situation and his response to it.

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Keywords: a, How, Another, Price:, -, High, View, M,