Province:

Simone’s Notes:

Some authorities observe infidelity is involved in 90% of first time divorces. A 1997 study with Kristina Gordon found 'more than half of the marriages that experience infidelity ended in divorce'. By contrast John Gottman with his 35 years of research into marriage, is reported as saying "Only 20 percent of divorces are caused by an affair. Most marriages die with a whimper, as people turn away from one another, slowly growing apart." Fifty United Kingdom divorce lawyers were asked to name the most common causes of their cases in 2003. Of those who cited extramarital affairs, 55% said it was usually the husbands and 45% said that it was the wives who cheated. In addition between 10-15% of children are conceived as a result of an affair. Infidelity that does not involve sex or conception may be referred to as a romantic friendship or an emotional affair. Sometimes infidelity at home occurs on-line, where it may be known as virtual sex. On-line infidelity can sometimes signify deeper problems of addiction that may need to be addressed in addition to any marital problems that might emerge from this behavior.

Damon sat up on his bed late the same night. He was coated in a light sweat. The lt. col. Was trembling all over. It had started again. The nightmares that he had repressed twenty-one years ago. They had lessened after the poison became dormant last year. But since Ai-Oni had turned her poison active again, those nightmares had intensified once again. He just couldn’t sleep anymore. The guilt and fear of the past would haunt him into insanity. But, that wasn’t the only reason. Guilt was on his mind as well. Guilt about sleeping with another woman. Damon was falling back into his old habits. His new case this time? The young newly nineteen year old Ginny Manson. A few nights ago, Sanders had deflowered her. He felt so dirty for taking advantage of a girl in sorrow. And what made it worse was he actually enjoyed it! “What have I done?” Damon thought in misery. He kept trembling all over. How was he going to get himself out of this one?

“Sweetheart,” he heard a soft mumbling behind him in the dark. Damon slowly turned behind him and looked down. His wife, Carol, was propped up by her elbow in the bed. Her husband couldn’t help but to smile sadly at her. Carol was a saint to him. She could’ve left him and taken their son with her after all of the mess he had put her through the first time. But instead, she chose to stay and help Damon get through his hard time. Carol was a beautiful and upbeat woman. Her hair was long and red that curled easily in her husband’s fingers. Her eyes were a lovely grey-blue color. Damon described her nose to be like a little bunny rabbit’s. Her cheeks were soft and warm. Her kips were just the same. Carol was a pure angel to him. The lt. col. suddenly felt guilty for falling back into his old behavior again. She deserved someone better than him at the moment.

Carol noticed the sorrow in his face. The poor angel became upset with him.

“Sweetheart,” she spoke softly. “What’s the matter? You’re sweating all over. You looked worried about something. Is it dreams again?” Her husband couldn’t answer her. Not now anyway. He didn’t have the exact words to explain his pain. He just shook his head.

“It’s nothing,” he replied softly. “I’ll just go to the bathroom and rinse my face off.” Carol didn’t look convinced. She knew that something was dead wrong. But, she didn’t dare speak her mind to upset him.

“Okay,” she replied uneasily. Damon smiled at her again. He lightly kissed her on the lips and handed into their bathroom. Carol watched him from bed.

The water ran hard in the sink. Damon rinsed his face repeatedly. He cut the water off when he was finished. Silence made him nervous again. Everything was flooding back to his mind again. The nightmares he had throughout his childhood, Tanya’s death, the moment Ai-Oni attacked him, the numerous affairs that he had with almost every woman that crossed his path, the poison being woken up in him again, and his affair with Ginny. It just wouldn’t leave him. Damon shut his eyes and shook his head hard. He slowly opened his eyes and looked in the mirror. His reflection looked sleep-deprived. He looked so pale and sick. Damon’s thoughts were all scattered up in his mind. He just couldn’t think straight. The lt. col. shut his eyes tightly and breathed in hard. He tried to clear his head, but it was back again. Sanders began to remember his night with Ginny all over again. Oh! It was the best he had in weeks. Her skin was so soft. So youth and vigour coursing through that small body of hers. Her kisses were so sweet and trusting. Her flesh was just as sweet as her kisses. Sure, she was an inexperienced. But, Damon could make her a real woman in days! After all, that is what he did with Carol when they got married. Ginny could be just the same under his wing…

Damon shook his head hard again. “No!” he thought desperately. “Don’t let yourself help back into old habits! You’d be giving Ai-Oni exactly what she wants! Stand up and fight back! You can do it! You are strong enough to do so! You’re a lt. col. for Pete sakes! You can fight back! Resist temptation! You aren’t weak anymore!” Damon trembled at that last thought. He wasn’t sure about his will power anymore.

“Damon!” his wife called from the bathroom door. Her husband turned around quickly. He didn’t speak at all at first.

“I’m fine dear!” he called out to her.

“You’re been in there for a long time!” Carol called out. “Are you sure you are okay?” Damon hesitated at that question. He had no choice now. His darling wife how to know the truth now. But how would she take it? Damon took in a deep breath. Well, here goes nothing. Damon opened the bathroom door wide. He found his wife sitting on the floor at his feet. She was looking up at him with eyes of worry. Damon’s guilt shut back up high again. But he just had to do this.

“Carol,” Damon spoke up. “I’ve done something very bad!” Carol looked at him confused.

“What do you mean?” she asked. “Don’t tell me…” Damon nodded as he sat down next to her. He lightly took her hands and began explaining his affair with Ginny to his wife slowly. Carol looked at him palely after that. She just couldn’t speak at first.

“So what are you going to?” she managed to ask at last. Damon shrugged as he shook his head. Carol lightly put her hand on his bare shoulder. The lt. col. looked up at her. She was looking up at him with those sweet eyes of hers.

“Don’t worry,” she said softly to him. “We will make it through this again! You are stronger now! I’ll stay by your side! We can pull through again!” Damon nodded in reply. Sadly, even Carol’s word wasn’t strong enough to hold him up and make him strong enough to keep his word. Their marriage was on numbered days and doomed to be destroyed at any given moment.