My Wife's Betrayal

"Captain Lawson, I'm gonna have to ask you to come with us."

I had just finished a 13-hour flight across the Pacific.

Someone stood in my way as soon as I stepped off the plane.

My heart sank. The person in front of me was the director of the Disciplinary Department.

In a sealed meeting room, a 56-page thick PowerPoint was printed out and slammed on the table in front of me with a loud thud.

"Someone has filed a signed whistleblower report against you, alleging that you used your position to misappropriate company property, falsify massive expenses, collude with maintenance suppliers, and accept millions in bribes."

I couldn't help but laugh.

I had been in the industry for 15 years and had been flying for over 20 thousand hours without a single accident.

I had always obeyed all the rules. How could I embezzle company funds and accept bribes?

I felt like I had heard the biggest joke of the century.

"The senior executives are infuriated. They've already issued your punishment. You're to be grounded immediately and suspended from all duties pending investigation."

My work badge, my access card, and even my personal mobile phone were all confiscated.

If they were able to find even the slightest evidence, I would be grounded for life.

I didn't know how I walked out of the company office building.

I went home feeling dazed.

When I opened the door, what I saw was just an empty apartment.

There was a file on the empty table.

It was a divorce agreement.

I opened it with trembling hands.

The agreement was pretty clear. My wife wanted to divorce me, and I was to leave with nothing.

The reason for the divorce was that I was disloyal and made a terrible mistake that ruined the reputation of our family.

My wife, Jean Shaw, the person that I had loved and doted on for 10 years, abandoned me when I needed her the most.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing and decided to call her. My hand was trembling so much that I could barely hold my phone.

On the other end of the line, Jean's voice sounded a little proud and relieved. "Sign the agreement, Felix. Your career is over. Stop struggling. Save yourself the embarrassment."

"You're the one who wrote... the whistleblower report?"

There was a short pause on the other end of the line. "So what if it was me. Do you think you're still the Captain Lawson that everyone respects? You're now just a criminal who will soon be going to prison! I'll be honest with you, Felix. I've had enough of the indifferent look you have on your face all the time! I don't want to be married to a criminal for the rest of my life! Your life is over!"

She hung up.

I looked at the planes taking off into the night sky outside the window.

Being a pilot had been my dream and something I was proud of.

My career and my love life had been things that I was really proud of.

But now, they had joined forces and pushed me down a bottomless abyss.