Infidelity Stories

Ronnie hadn‘t been in a club in so long that she‘d forgotten how loud it was. After a good twenty minutes she had had enough and was ready to go. Ronnie notices a girl dancing on the dance floor. She was working it. "She must have been a soul train dancer." Ronnie shouts toward Cathy. Cathy grabs Ronnie by the arm and pulls her toward the bathroom so they can hear better. "Ronnie I‘m gonna tell you something because I am your friend." Ronnie is bouncing to the music now, wondering why Cathy is holding her up from getting her groove back. "What is it?" Ronnie asks impatiently.

"That girl out there throwing down on the dance floor is the woman that is sleeping with your husband." Ronnie froze. "How do you know that?" Ronnie asks grabbing her friend a little too tightly by the arm. "Everybody knows Ronnie." Cathy said. "Everybody but you."

Ronnie looks away; trying to stop the tears she feels burning her eyelids, fighting to get out. "Get it together Ronnie, he‘s not worth it." Cathy says in her most convincing tone. "You think I don‘t already know that?" Ronnie stares at Cathy with the coldest look that Cathy has ever seen. Ronnie turns and heads back into the dance area, stopping when she notices her husband grinding on the dance floor with the soul train dancer...

Outside a crowd was already forming. The word was out that SGT Bradley‘s wife had just busted him and his girl in the club and the crowd was anxiously awaiting the fight. Ronnie found Eric sitting in the car, reeking of alcohol. She opened the car door. "Get out and talk to me like a man, Eric." Ronnie insists. Eric stumbles out of the car and rests his back against the car for support.

He was drunk. Just as Ronnie was about to light into Eric someone taps her on the shoulder. Thinking that this was her friend Cathy, Ronnie puts up her hand without looking and says "Just a minute Cathy." "My name ain‘t Cathy!" Ronnie turns around and finds herself face to face with the soul train dancer. Ronnie never believed in fighting a woman over a man. She always thought that was stupid. Ronnie never understood why women did that, if anything, fight the man. What, did the woman make him sleep with her? Knowing her rule, Ronnie still couldn‘t think of a logical reason why she shouldn‘t stomp this girl’s face into the ground. Ronnie caught a hold of her emotions and returned her attention to her husband, who was now standing there looking like he was about to be sick.

"Eric, what do you have to say?" No reply. Not from Eric anyway. The soul train dancer started sounding off in Ronnie‘s ear. "Don‘t blame me if you‘re not woman enough to keep your man at home!" Ronnie ignored her, keeping her eyes glued on Eric. "Don‘t you get it, you wasn‘t satisfying him at home so he had to get it from a real woman!"

Ronnie stared Eric down. "That‘s it Eric, you just gonna stand here like a deaf mute." Ronnie asked. Eric just stared at the ground. "Look at me!" Ronnie pulled Eric‘s chin up so he had no choice but to look her in the eye. "You‘re just going to stand here while she disrespects your WIFE! Haven‘t you disrespected me enough Eric? At least have enough respect for me to not let your mistress disrespect me!

Ronnie was screaming at Eric now. She had totally tuned out the loud-mouthed soul train dancer. Eric never said a word, not to Ronnie and not to his trick on the side. The crowd was going wild, they were anxious to see this fought out.

With tears streaming down her face Ronnie turned and took a step away from Eric. He finally looked up, thinking that Ronnie was leaving. Big Mistake. Ronnie had only stepped back to gain some momentum. Oh they got to see a fight all right! But not the one they expected. Ronnie was true to herself. Her first strike drew blood from Eric‘s mouth. ********************************************************

Ronnie left the club that night and went straight to the CQ desk, it was 3:00am. "Excuse me." Ronnie says, lightly touching the night duty soldier on the arm to wake him. He jumps to his feet. "Yes Ma’am. How can I help you? "My name is Ronnie Bradley, I‘m SGT Bradley’s wife and I need to talk to the First Sergeant right away." Ronnie says. "Ma’am it‘s 3am, is this an emergency? First Sergeant is gonna be mad if I call and wake him this time of night." That was exactly what Ronnie was counting on. Ronnie let the tears flow. "Wake him up!" Ronnie said. The soldier had been instructed by the 1sgt to make Mrs. Bradley some coffee and make her comfortable. He would be in as soon as he got dressed.

Ronnie sat there preparing her speech in her mind that she would give the 1SGT. This is where Eric underestimated Ronnie. Ronnie use to be a soldier and she was well aware of the Army‘s policy on fraternization and adultery.

Ronnie‘s husband was a SGT, having an illegal affair with a soldier under his command. The 1SGT made it to his office by 4 am. Ronnie told her story through tears, that part was easy. Her pain was real. By the time she finished she had gotten a meeting with the 1SG, the company commander, and she had been promised that SGT Bradley would be ordered to be at this meeting and this matter will be investigated. "After all," the 1SG warned, "we take family very seriously in the Army, and our soldiers can lose their rank if found guilty of fraternization.

Ronnie thanked the 1SG for meeting with her and promised to be back in his office at 10:00am. Ronnie only got three hours sleep that night but she slept like a baby.

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At exactly 10:00 am, Ronnie Bradley stepped into the Commanders office looking like a million dollars. Needing to accentuate her femininity, she chose a Ralph Lauren pinstripe navy pantsuit and a powder blue silk blouse with a neckline plummeting just enough to command attention. She could not have looked more the victim, if she had a guest appearance on The Practice, in an abused wife kills the husband trial scene. Eric was sitting in the corner all but sick. The 1SG and Mrs. Bradley shook hands like they were old buddies. Eric almost fainted. He could literally see his rank coming off his collar this very day.

"Mrs. Bradley, we‘ve talked with SGT Bradley and we want to assure you that we have every intention of dealing with this matter." The commander said. "Of course SGT Bradley and PFC Thompson both say that they are just friends." he continues. "Of course." Ronnie says, sarcastically. Tipping her head in Eric‘s direction. "Commander, 1SG, could I please say something?" Ronnie asks. "Sure Mrs. Bradley, anything." The 1SG says, a little too eager to please. They don‘t want any trouble and Ronnie knows it. Ronnie continues. "I‘m not looking for SGT Bradley to get busted or lose his rank. Honestly that wouldn‘t benefit me at all." Eric looks up at Ronnie, his eyes questioning where she is going with this. Ronnie ignores Eric and continues her speech.

"I‘m here in Germany because my husband asked me to come and the Army brought me over here. Eric interrupts. "1SGT, with everything that’s going on, I think it would be best if I just sent my wife back to the states." The 1SG and Commander look at Ronnie. "Mrs. Bradley, is this what you want?" The commander asks. "Ronnie turns on the tears and both the 1SG and Commander jump up at the same time to get her a tissue. "Thank You." Ronnie says as she takes the tissue and wipes both eyes, pausing for effect. After Ronnie is sure she has them on the edge of their seat, she finishes up her performance. "I don‘t have a home to go back to. This is my home. I have a job here and my husband is here." "Are you saying that after all that’s happened you want to stay here?" 1SGT asks.

I want to stay for a while, I need to work and save money. My husband and I live in on post housing so right now I don‘t have a mortgage or utility bill, or water bill. If I go back to the states now I will be forced to endure a hardship. However, with all that has happened I cannot allow my husband back into the home. I just don‘t feel safe with him." Ronnie cuts her eye at Eric then looks away quickly when he makes eye contact to maximize the effect of what she just told them. Eric was actually impressed. "I think that‘s fair Mrs. Bradley," states the commander. "SGT Bradley you will be escorted to your housing unit, you will pack your things and move into the barracks today! Do you understand?" "Yes Sir." Eric replied, he knew when he was beat. "Also, Commander." Ronnie slightly raised her hand in the air as if she had forgotten something. "Yes Ma’am." We live here outside of Mannheim but I work in Heidelberg, which is approximately thirty miles away. My husband works right here on post and will be living here in the barracks so I‘ll need to keep the car during the week and he can get it on the weekend."

Eric‘s red sports car was his mac-mobile and Ronnie knew this would be the icing on the cake. Eric stood up to protest. "1SG that is my car! I had that car before I even married Ronnie." Eric sounded near tears. It took all the acting skills Ronnie had to keep her from busting out laughing. Oh how she wished Tammy and Aja was here. The commander walked over to Eric. "SGT Bradley, it looks to me like you have three options. It doesn‘t matter if you had that car before you married her or not.

Y’all are married now and that car is just as much hers as it is yours. So the way I see it, you can sell the car and give her half the money, or cut the car down the middle and give her half, or you could just be a man about it and be grateful that she is willing to let you drive your car on the weekends." At this the 1SG and the Commander laughed, Eric was screwed and they knew it, and so did Eric.

Ronnie spent a year in Germany, living free in on post housing, and traveling. When she was ready to return to the states, she returned to Eric‘s chain of command and made her request known. Before she left Germany Eric was ordered to send her $800 per month. Because he did not want to let her take his car stateside Ronnie got a lawyer and negotiated for Eric to pay an extra $400 to assist her with the burden of having to assume a new car payment once she got stateside.

After all was said and done, Ronnie received an allotment on time every month in the amount of $1200 from SGT Bradley, payable to her until the date of a divorce. Ronnie filed for divorce five years after returning to the states.