Marriage Mayhem

Sean was indeed a disgraced man. He had cheated on his wife of four years. His mistress was a beautiful young girl who didn't want anything but money. Being the fool that he was, he divorced his wife to marry his mistress, thinking that she actually loved him. Two months into the marriage, the young girl had already swindled most of his money, leaving him with only his house and an empty bank account.

Sean could not believe that he was so stupid. He did not even suspect that the girl was misusing the trust he had in her. He kept on giving in to her every whim -mostly expensive goods- because she made him feel so generous and kind. She made him feel like a wonderful husband. Not that his ex-wife, Jessica, didn't.

Both Sean and Jessica were doctors, working at the same hospital. Jessica had an IQ of 180, and had graduated from med school three years earlier than other interns. It was love at second sight for them -the first time they saw each other, Sean was sweating like a pig because the air-conditioner in his office broke down-and they dated for nearly a year before he managed to find the guts to propose to her. Sean considered himself a relationship freak before he met Jessica. This was because he only had two girlfriends in his life before, and those relationships didn't last more than a month. Even his parents had given up on him finding a good wife. Then Jessie came along and Sean couldn't believe he was 'her man'.

Jessie was everything a guy could ever hope for. Tall, slender and with Chinese features(her mother was a Chinese woman), Jessie's long black hair reached to her shoulders. Although she was young, she was as mature as Sean was. When Sean fell sick, she took care of him and sat by his side throughout the night just to make sure she could get him anything he wanted in the middle of the night. Although she was more intelectually minded, Jessie could cook extremely well. She did not believe in hiring someone to do her household chores, so she did them all herself. And best of all, she was got along well Sean's parents. When he first took her home to meet them, his parents dragged him aside and told him they would butcher him if he didn't marry her.

All the male doctors(and even some female ones) at the hospital swooned over her. Other female doctors considered her a very major threat. But Jessie just continued working, pretending to be oblivious to the swooning and the b****ing around her. She focused her attention on Sean and didn't even look at other guys. This made Sean feel really special.

Their marriage was a near perfect marriage. With the exception of a few petty arguments, the couple seldom fought at all. In fact, none of their arguments were ever brought to bed. The bed was for kissing and making up, not screaming at each other. Sean was a good husband. He helped with the household chores and with the cooking. They both wanted children later in their lives, so they both contributed a small amount of their paychecks towards a college fund. Both of them were really happy. Other couples envied them.

Then one day some stupid local magazine printed the names of the ten richest people in their town. Sean was third on the list(his parents were millionaires, and with him being their only son, they gave all their money to him after his marriage to Jessie) and Jessie came in fourth (Jessie was a big-time actress in her teens after winning a Miss Teen competition) .Very soon, both Sean and Jessie were pelted with loads of 'fans' who confessed their deepest love for them on their doorstep. Sean and Jessie had no doubt that these people were after their money, so they just ignored them.

But then came Vera(probably not her real name), who managed to get into their house when Jessie was not at home. Sean was about to kick her out and sue her for trespassing when Vera knelt and begged him to help her. She claimed that she had a sick mother and had no money to pay for her treatment at the hospital. Vera was wearing a tank top and a very very short pair of jeans which exposed most of her upper legs. Sean lusted after her creamy skin and long legs. He gave in to her more out of lust than generosity. $15,000 dissapeared from his bank account overnight. He didn't even bother to confirm Vera's story.

Two weeks later, Vera came to Sean, saying that her mother had passed away. She was sad and needed consolation. Again she was wearing skimpy clothes, and the organ that was between his legs urged him to help her. And that was how he ended up in bed with a woman who was NOT his wife. Vera was very agressive in bed, which Sean found surprising, since her mother had just died. But his lust was stronger than brain power, so Sean didn't put two and two together. The day after, Sean fet really guilty and told Vera never to see him again. Two nights later, when Jessica was working late, Vera came again, saying that she could not forget Sean and the night they shared together. She wanted him as soon as possible. Sean melted in those adoring words for it was a wonderful feeling to be wanted by women other than his wife.

Then one night, Jessica came back early although she was supposed to be working late. She caught Sean and Vera in bed together. Shocked, Jessica left and went to stay at her own house(newly bought, of course).Sean tried to go after her as he still did love his wife, but Vera held him back, saying that no man as handsome as him should ever have to chase a woman. This really appealed to Sean's already-swollen ego and he went back to bed with Vera.

He regretted everything the next morning, but upon calling Jessica he discovered that she had already filed a divorce petition. One thing Jessie could NOT tolerate was a cheating husband. After the divorce, Vera continued to seduce Sean, making him believe that he was essential to her. Soon, Sean was on a string and curled around Vera's finger. He married her without hesitation.

Vera, was the exact opposite of Jessica when it came to doing wifely things. She insisted that Sean hire a maid to clean the house and cook and wash. She was rude to his parents and always commented on how silly Sean's mum looked in a macrame bead necklace given to her by Sean's aunt Celia, who had already passed away.Vera never appreciated the food Sean's dad prepared for her, even if took him hours to prepare. Sean's parents were pissed about his divorce (as that meant they had lost the daughter-in-law they loved so much) and they were doubly pissed about the fact that Sean was now married to an ultra-materialistic b****.

As mentioned before, she had swindled all his money within two months, leaving him with nothing but a house worth about $700 000. Even the cars had been sold off to buy jewellery and designer goods for her.But Sean was relieved that she had, at least, left him something. Then a couple of gangsters came after Sean, claiming that Vera owed them nearly $650 000 in gambling debts. Now that Vera was nowhere to be found, Sean would have to pay up or risk being beaten and buried alive. The house was sold and the debt was paid up, leaving Sean with only $50 000. Not enough to even buy a low cost apartment. Sean decided to move back in with his parents. He was shocked at himself for being so stupid. How could he have been duped by such a woman? Why in the world did he let Jessie leave? Soon, Sean entered a state of depression. This did not come as a surprise to his parents, since, after all, he had 'given' about $22 million to that woman. What worried his elderly parents more was the fact that they were the ones who had to take care of him while he was in depression. Yes, he was their only son, but they were already old. This was the time for the filial son to take care of his parents. Sean was clearly not the filial son he used to be when he was married to Jessie.

Although he was treated for depression, Sean refused to take his meds. And when he did give in to his mother's pleadings, he would take more medicine than he was supposed to. He became an alcoholic and abandoned his personal hygiene altogether.He ate once or twice a day and slept when he wasn't drinking. He couldn't be bothered to shave and bathed only when he felt hot, which was practically never, since the air-conditioning in his room was always turned on. The local media found out about his current condition, and he was reported as a 'useless' man who depended on his parents to live. Sean couldn't care less, but his parents continued to suffer the embarassment of 'discussing' their son's condition with relatives and friends.

His mother was about to give up on him entirely when Jessie showed up at their house. Jessie had migrated to France to pursue a career as head of surgery at one of the finest hospitals there and was doing great.But as soon as she received news of Sean from her friends, she flew back home. She could not deny that she still loved Sean, for he was a good man at heart. She had not dated anyone since the divorce as she couldn't bear to think of sleeping with anyone but Sean.It was stupid, she knew, but she only wanted to have Sean's kids. Of course, now it was too late. She had been diagnosed with brain cancer and only had two months to live.Her career meant nothing to her anymore, and she figured that the best thing to do before she died would be to teach Sean to appreciate his life.

So Jessie returned to Sean's life to find the Sean that she once loved in a horrible state. There was a lot to do if she wanted to clean him up, and she only had two months to do it. She knew she could do it, but she had to work fast.

Sean was asleep when his mother brought Jessie into his room. Jessie told his parents to rest, because she would take care of him now.Sean's parents thanked God for sending Jessie back.After his mum left, Jessie went to wake Sean up.

He could not believe his eyes. Closing and opening his eyes again, he still saw Jessie by his side, her hand in his palm. She had lost a great deal of weight and now appeared dangerously underweight. Her face was paler and her eyes did not glow as brightly as it used to, but she still emanated warmth and love. She was smiling at him. Maybe he was in heaven, he thought. Maybe all that drinking had finally killed him. Yes, he was definitely in heaven.But he certainly did not deserve to go to heaven...... He lay still, taking in her beauty, hoping that she would not dissappear, when she suddenly got up. Thinking that she was about to leave him, he squeaked(all that drinking made his voice hoarse) "Don't go!"

To his utter surprise, Jessie slapped him then started stripping him. When she had gotten everything off, she pushed him off the bed.He felt himself land with a thud on the floor then Jessie grabbed his hands and dragged him towards the bathroom.  Okay, maybe he wasn't in heaven, for surely he couldn't feel the pain of landing heavily on the floor while he was in heaven.When they entered the bathroom, Jessie told him to get up in a commanding voice. He had never heard Jessie speak to him like that, but his body struggled to obey. As soon as he stood up, his legs gave way and he fell to the floor again. An 'ouch' was all he could manage.Slowly, Jessie pushed him into the bathtub and turned on both taps. The water was warm, just the way he liked it. Jessie brought out a bottle of bath foam and poured it into the tub. The aroma was sweet and sensual, like strawberries and apples. He loved that scent.

Then Jessie reached for the shaving cream and a razor. She started shaving him and later washed his hair with baby shampoo. Sean was still drunk, but the smell of soap, shampoo and aftershave cleared his head a bit. After the bath, Jessie wrapped him in a towel and went to get his clothes. She chose a plain T-shirt and a pair of shorts and told him to put them on. He stared at the clothes. For the last month or so, all he wore was a singlet and a pair of boxers. When was the last time he had worn proper clothes? He couldn't really remember. Jessie assisted him to his bed and told him to sit still while she went to get food for him. Before she left the room, she threw away all his beer and wine and anything that contained alcohol.

Sean wondered why she hadn't explained her presence in his room. Was she back to tell him she loved him? No, he didn't think so. Was she back to rub it in his face that she was now successful and he was not? Yes, maybe....But then why would she bathe him and feed him first? Of course, she wanted him to be sober before she bragged! Sean didn't want to think anymore. His head hurt. Minutes later, Jessie returned with a tray. On it was a bowl of breakfast cereal(one that he really liked) and half an apple. He tried to eat, but his hands were shaking so hard that all the cereal in the spoon had flown out before it reached his mouth. Jessie shook her head and started to feed him.

As they sat there, Sean's head filled with memories of when he and Jessie were dating. He was so happy back then. She made him so very happy. Why had he hurt her like that?And right then, as if he'd been slapped on the face again, he realized that he WANTED to clean up his act. Jessie was back now, and it felt like God had given him a second chance. He was going to marry her again.He had to. And this time there would be no mistakes. He would love her forever.

Sean steadied his hand and took the spoon from Jessie. He then started feeding himself. Jessie was proud of that initiative. She still hadn't said anything serious to him because she didn't know what to say. After lunch, she took him out for a walk in the garden to steady his legs.

And day after day, Jessie helped Sean. She had moved in to stay at his parents' house, but had a room to herself. They talked about trivial matters but did not broach the subject of their previous relationship. Sean's parents were happy but surprised at how fast Sean was changing. He was coming out of his depression and had now started attending AA meetings. Jessie was indeed a very good influence on him.

One month passed before Sean decided to rekindle his love for Jessie. He had regained his strength and was certain that he could now take care of her. He definitely had to do something about her weight. He had to feed her more. Secretly, he asked his mother to prepare more nutritional meals for her. But nothing seemed to work. Jessie continued to lose weight. She now looked tired and deathly pale. She turned down every effort of Sean's to date her. Jessie definitely could not let Sean fall for her again, for surely he would go back into depression when she died.

Sean prayed every night. He asked God why Jessie didn't want him anymore. Why wasn't she as forgiving as before? He loved her still, and he could see in her eyes the love she had for him when she looked at him.So why did she keep on turning him down like that?

On a sunny Sunday afternoon, Jessica collapsed in their living room.She was rushed into the O.R. upon her arrival at the hospital. Sean's mind was confused and his pulse raced. What was wrong with Jessie? How come the doctors at the hospital acted like they knew what they had to do with her as soon as they saw her?How did they know that she needed surgery? He had so many unanswered questions.

Hours later, a nurse was sent out to say that Jessie had passed away. She told Sean that Jessie had been diagnosed with brain cancer even before she came back from France. Then the nurse turned and left Sean feeling more alone in the world than ever. Even God had turned his back on him.

When they went back home, Sean decided to help pack Jessie's things.It would make him cry again, but Jessie was a firm believer in cleanliness, and he wanted her room clean as ever. He found a letter with his name on it in her cupboard. Opening it, he saw that the letter was written in her handwriting.

Dear Sean,
   
If you find this letter it means that I'm already dead and that you're packing up my stuff. I just wanted to tell you that I love you, and that I've never stopped loving you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about my condition, I didn't want you to worry.

    Please don't be sad. Life is a challenge and i feel I have won. I've had a good career, a happy life, and people who love me. To me, that's all that matters.I promise you that we'll see each other soon. For now, I'd like you to live your life to the fullest. Appreciate the people around you and love them to death, because I never got a chance to. Tell people that you love them because it will definitely brighten their day. Don't concentrate on building you career up so much that you forget to take time to enjoy yourself.

  Its hard to not cry when a loved one dies, so I'll permit you one day to cry. After that, I want you to carry on with your life. Know that I'll always be beside you to share your happy moments and to lift you up when you're down.

I love you,
Jessie.

P.S. In my will, I've left everything to you. Use the money if you need it, but promise me that you'll at least give some to the needy. Also, please give my things away to charity organizations as you see fit. Thanks.

Sean looked up from the letter, tears streaming down his face. Jessie had won the challenge, and he would too.