Chapter 11

Lettie

I had been worried and panicking about my costs with Lettie. She offered to look after me free but I had preferred to pay and did not want to feel obligated to her. We had agreed on a fixed amount that I could pay out of my salary. She called me constantly and we met often as much as twice a week for the 11months of the action.

I ramped up the amount to be spent to try and get the divorce to the courts and a final judgement. Carol had a team of lawyers on her side. With many creative brains busy making money their methods of delay and obfuscation were amazing. It was the compulsory conferences and resulting actions that were amazing.

We were compelled to see marital specialists and mediators and I met some terrific people. Most times it came to an end when I asked why should I put up with what was going on. We were at the end pushed again to see Harriet together.

Harriet agreed to get us to contract to 20 sessions, with 2 sessions per week. Carol was very happy to agree. I agreed reluctantly but did agree.

The first session when Harriet asked Carol to define the issues and where we were up to Carol blindsided me completely.

"I want to start having babies with you" she said smiling. I love you and want more children for us. I asked what about Rob.

She said she was still with him and he accepted her wish to have a child with me.

Waves of nausea hit me along with an emerging migraine aura as I heard her wax lyrical about having children with me. I had to excuse myself to vomit and got an injection of my migraine medications from Harriet. My hands were shaking so badly I could not inject myself.

I had to lie down in the apartment till I felt well enough three hours later to go back home to Amanda. Carol was there. They both clucked over me. Carol had discussed this child idea with Amanda.

I called Lettie that evening and she insisted on coming over. I found out she lived in the sister building to ours on the other side of the pool 2 minutes walk away. I had never noticed her before.

She thought it a clever ruse as it would imply reconciliation. I said I wouldn't have even remotely considered the idea.

We discussed strategies for some time.

I noticed Hattie sat as close as she could to me and almost by mistake touch me often. Amanda came in to offer us drinks and snacks and sat with us for a while. She then said to Hattie suddenly.

"What about you having a baby with Dan instead."

Hattie without blinking looked at me and said

"In a heartbeat"

She then blushed and looked at Amanda, and said that she had not meant it at all. She said that she had been joking.

"See what you do to women" remarked Amanda.

"You could have a harem in an instant"

Hattie tried to deny that she felt anything for me other than concern for her client. She would not breach boundaries with a client. Amanda smiled.

She said "I think you offer to go ahead if she agrees to let you go and signs the divorce papers"

Hattie thought that might work.

Amanda said that there was no chance it would work but I needed to see how Carol reacted and felt about me.

We sent the offer the evening before the next appointment with Harriet.

I was not comfortable about it. I did it feeling pushed along by curiosity and desire to move resolution.

Her lawyer must have called her in the evening. Carol had been over as usual. She had gone home as usual as we sat down for dinner a little after 7.

She came banging on our door at nine thirty.

She was dishevelled and totally hysterical. She said she could not lose me no matter what the price and would not leave till I said I would drop the demand in the morning. She slept with us that night. She slept virtually on top of me. Amanda was eight and a half months pregnant.

The children loved Carol. She spent time with them before I got home. She helped Amanda with the meal. She and Amanda remained firm friends. It was beyond bizarre. The children called her mummy Carol. She took them places and bought them things. Carol spent a lot on baby things. She would arrive with something every week.

She showered us all with gifts. She had in the past bought me a M5 BMW and the most expensive AMG Merc. They were parked in the garage next to the Porsche that her father left me. I was not interested in cars. She took me around in these cars on the weekend. I drove my Prius to work during the week. It was small and easy to park. She then got me a Bentley Turbo and ordered a Bugatti Veyron for millions of dollars. She got me extra bays in the garage.

She took to fetching me in the Bentley from work. We chatted like the couple we had been and she would sit on my lap as usual at home and go home for dinner. The children began asking her to stay for dinner and to read to them before bed.

The divorce process was like a separate event that did not intrude in our lives.

Rob was still in the background like blight in my life. He was friendly when I saw him. He spent a lot of time with the children and went to their school functions. His divorce with Amanda was bitter. He referred to Amanda as that bitch. Towards the end she was forced to settle more on him than she wished to get him to back off and not interfere with the business.

Chapter 11.

The baby.

I arrived home to find Amanda in labour with Carol in attendance. Carol organised to have the children go to Rob then to Amanda's parents. The children were excited about the impending arrival.

We went by limo to the hospital with a midwife in the limo organised by Carol just in case.

Amanda delivered in the limo a lovely petite girl who we called Julie after my grandmother. Carol cried pitifully in the car, and said 'why couldn't it have been me?' Her pressure on me to make her pregnant went into overdrive. She nagged Amanda, my mother and me. Even my mother pressured me to agree.

Amanda was pressured while in hospital for 2 days with Julie.

On the second day Amanda said 'for heavens sake make her pregnant and screw her while I can't and get her off our backs.'

Carol was ecstatic when Amanda encouraged me to have a child with her.

When I suggested I must be loyal to Amanda and we do it by artificial insemination I was shouted at by both of them.

Carol took me home in the Bentley. She dragged me to her unit and we made mad passionate love. I really loved that woman. I really hated that woman.

She was after me every night after Amanda came home and the doctor said no sex for 2 months as she had torn and needed significant reconstructive surgery.

She became even more affectionate if it was possible and insisted on sleeping in our bed with us. She was insatiable in her sexual demands. I don't know when she ever saw Rob. I got the first inklings of trouble when my beloved Prius was badly scratched mysteriously. Rob did not know I believe that the other cars were mine as I never could be bothered to drive them. I could never be sure it was him. He started to make remarks to Carol that were nasty and he became critical of her spending time with the baby and with us.

Carol changed nappies more than I did. She moved clothes into the apartment. She was pregnant after five weeks.

She ended her relationship with Rob.

She then started to meet up with other guys for a two weeks or so at a time, similar to her pattern for years.

I resumed my quest for divorce with Hattie with a vengeance. I was enjoying the baby as was Carol. Carol's pregnancy was continuing. The sessions with Hester continued.

Then one session there was another bombshell. Carol was 3 months pregnant. She said I am finished with other men. I want only you. Stop the divorce proceedings. I don't feel driven to explore. I have resolved whatever it was and now want you back as my husband. Amanda must be with us too. I love her.

Talk about a bombshell. Yet in some ways it could have been expected. Could I trust her to not want to go on after the baby?

"What about after the baby?"

She said I had to force myself to try even now. Never again. Not now not ever. I have never undertaken it before now I do. I solemnly pledge myself to you and Amanda only.

I said I needed to discuss it with Hattie and Amanda.

Amanda said there is no choice but to share you. I knew it all along.

I spoke to Hester, my mother, Annie, Claude, Zelda and more over two weeks. Hattie was not herself either. She was anxious and talked constantly. She phoned me on all sorts of pretexts. She visited with paperwork.

Carol was beside herself with anxiety. She called me incessantly.

She called everyone else incessantly. She lobbied, she nagged and she held onto me. She slept with me and Amanda at least a couple of nights a week. She just held us. Why she didn't pressure us sexually I do not know. She cuddled and stroked and cooed and kissed but nothing more. She seemed contented when she touched us.

After 2 weeks Amanda, Carol and I started sessions with Hester to try and work it out.

Claude and Annie were helpful in structuring our agreements with each other.

We had a ceremony in front of all our friend to exchange rings and formalise the relationship.

We planned to go on a honeymoon together when we could coordinate our work commitments.

Hattie still continued to come around. She became our firm and deep friend. I missed her when she wasn't around. Amanda and Carol tried to arrange dates and a suitable man for her. She went out as requested but it never lasted. Her mother began to talk to mine. My mother called Carol and said she was coming over to talk about Hattie and us. What about us? Something about Hattie pining.

An end.