Article Surfing Archive

Rochelle and Leon always had a tumultuous relationship. Their arguments were as fierce as two prizefighters. But they loved each other in a strange sort of adversarial way, and married soon after college.

They both had wonderful jobs, and nice cars. It seemed like they had everything they wanted in life. They put off having children because Leon wanted to have more security before starting a family and Rochelle reluctantly agreed.

Rochelle noticed lately that Leon was becoming distant. He would stay later at the office, work on weekends. She felt the he was loosing interest in her. He would even give up arguing with her and walk away. This was not the behavior of her husband.

She tried to talk to him, but he would shrug her off saying he had to go out. He would be gone for hours, and she would not know where he was going.

All of Rochelle's friends gave their opinions on what was happening, but Rochelle refused to believe it. She could not even think about Leon with another woman.

Rochelle was an avid Internet surfer. It was part of her job, and she was very good at it.
She tried to find self-help sites that would offer some insight into her husband's behavior.

When she was surfing, she came across a site that was offering listening devices for cell phones.

As she read the information on the website, she decided purchase the recording software and listen in on her husband's calls. She knew that she had to find out what was bothering him, and try to help him.
Still refusing to believe that her husband was having an affair, Rochelle installed the software in just minutes after he had gone to bed.

Rochelle slipped into bed that night confident that she would soon find out what was bothering her husband.

Weeks went by and there were dozens of recorded phone calls. Rochelle could not bring herself to listen to them, fearing the worst. Finally, after a big blowout between the two, Rochelle made herself a drink and sat down to listen to the recordings.

She knew that Leon would follow his usual pattern and stay out till the wee hours of the morning.

As she listened to the calls, most of them business, she was a little relieved. Suddenly, her heart skipped a beat when she heard a woman's voice asking Leon when they would see each other again.

She listened to week's worth of recordings; she knew all of the plans that this woman and her husband were making. They were planning a life together and Rochelle would be the last to know. He was planning to tell her soon; from the way the conversations were going.

Rochelle, unbelieving, hurt and extremely angry, decided to take action. Her husband was not going to blind side her if she could help it.

She sat up all night coming up with a plan. The next morning, it was difficult to face him, but she followed everything she normally did before work.

In her car, she called into work and told her secretary that if anyone called for her, she was to say she was in a meeting. Rochelle spent the next few hours setting up separate bank accounts and transferring the majority of their marital funds into them.

She contacted an attorney and started divorce proceedings. A few days later, when the papers were served to Leon at work, he was also served with a restraining order. He no longer had a home. Rochelle packed his belongings and had them sent to Leon at work.

He did not contest the divorce, and gave Rochelle everything she wanted. The house, the cars, and the bank accounts.

Rochelle was told later that the woman dumped Leon. It seemed that although Rochelle and Leon did not know exactly what their net worth was, this woman did. When she realized that Leon was almost penniless she dumped him for someone else.