Mrs. Georgina Peius sat quietly in front of the uneaten breakfast her husband had left behind. He had been leaving early for several days, citing the immense stress at work. Work! As if she couldn’t smell the overbearing perfume and see the blonde hair when he returned drunk. She had probed (indirectly, of course) and he had answered. No, of course not. This was nothing at all! It was an office party, all part of the business. And like a fool, she had believed him.
Her face flushed, and tears arose again in her eyes. She forced herself not to cry. The truth hurt, but his callousness hurt more. They had been in the club together, dancing! There were even photos of them entwined in each other’s arms publicized all over those newfangled sites. Susan, the hussy, had shown her, acting sympathetic and caring. She had never missed a chance to rub salt in her wounds. That bitch! By tomorrow, the rumors would be spread all over the town.
Worst of all, when she asked him today, he had simply laughed at her. Laughed! Laughed, and told her she was crazy. Twenty-five years of marriage, and this is what it came down to. Ignored and left behind for a younger woman, because she simply wasn’t good enough. The tears started trickling, and this time, she couldn’t stop it.
She silently cried alone for several minutes. Gradually, her tears gave way to anger. But the hopelessness of the situation wasn’t lost on her. Leave him? It would become the scandal of the whole town. Let him keep doing it? No, she wasn’t that forgiving.
A desperate idea came to her mind.
A few minutes later, she was sitting with a bundle of newspapers, searching for one that had come a few days ago. Had she thrown it away? Then suddenly, there it was. The advertisement.
She read the words on it, again. So simple, and unbelievable. It would most likely be a scam of some sort. She could be careful. And even then, what else could she lose?
She walked over to the phone, and with unsteady hands, dialed the number.
***
CASE 17B332 - THE NEGLECTED HOUSEWIFE
***
A sharply dressed young man walked through the busy streets of New York, turning a few heads as he did so. He wasn’t traditionally handsome but rather had a kind countenance, with a slightly reassuring smile. With his glasses, he looked far older and wiser than his peers, and his perfectly tailored suit meant he was a man of means. Truly, he possessed the qualities of an ideal gentleman.
He entered a high rise building, the gateman greeting him as he did so. “Welcome, Mr. Parker.” The young man nodded and returned the gesture. “Nice day, Bernard.”
Parker entered the elevator and pressed the button for the topmost floor, his own office. As he waited, he hoped for a client. It h[1] ad been a dry couple of days.
The doors opened and he stepped out. “Good morning, Lisa,” he greeted his secretary, who was intensely focused on her computer screen. “Could you stop playing games now, please?” He admonished her and moved towards his office.
“We had a caller today.” She looked up and spoke. Auburn bangs dropped in front of her eyes, which she pushed away. “And Violet said she was legitimate.” She held out a file.
“That’s good,” He took the file and skimmed through the pages. “Middle-aged. Why?” He commented. Lisa gave him a peeved look. “What? It seems boring to me, that’s all.” He closed it and handed it back. “But we will take it.”
She nodded, her blue eyes focused on the computer screen. “Shall I invite her for a meeting?”
“Set it at the church. That’s better than the usual,” Parker replied.
“When?”
“As soon as possible.” He said offhandedly. “And don’t get any other ideas, I just want this over with.”
“Suuuure.” She drew out the word. “Meeting with one Georgina Peius, set for the afternoon.”
***
Georgina had been to the City, but it was always with Marshall, her husband. Traveling alone, she felt fear, excitement, and anxiousness all at once. It was a novel experience. She clutched a piece of paper in her right hand, upon which the address was written. A church? Were they people of faith? She didn’t know, but surely they would have mentioned it otherwise.
Reaching her destination, she was relieved to see the big gothic doors. People sat in the pews, praying. She suddenly felt foolish. Where-
“Mrs. Georgina Peius?” A voice asked her. A man in a suit. He was young, but somehow he appeared as a wise, kind saint, here to deliver her from her problems. “Shall we sit and discuss our matter?”
They sat down in one of the pews, some distance from each other, and waited. An awkward silence seemed to descend. Oh, what could she say?
Perhaps sensing her discomfort, he spoke first, “Well, my name is Parker. And you?” He asked. “I am Georgina, Georgina Peius.” They shook hands.
“And as you have answered our advertisement, it stands to reason that you are not happy.” He said in a calming voice. “Yes.” She answered. Somehow, hearing the truth from someone else suddenly made it real. “Well, Mrs. Georgina,[2] [3] ” He continued in a soothing manner, “you might be surprised to know that you are not alone in that feeling. In fact, very few people in the world will say they are happy.”
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“Is that so?” She asked. It didn’t matter at all whether other people were unhappy or not.
“Yes, it is. Not interesting to you, but let me explain. Unhappiness exists alongside happiness. Bad days will be followed by good days or vice versa. Some people are born lucky. Some are suffering due to the actions of previous lives. This is due to fate, destiny, and whatever magic that governs our lives. People believe a lot of things to justify the pain. To justify unhappiness.” He paused. “It’s barbaric. Uncivilized. And has no place in this modern world. Mankind has vanquished so many impossible foes. Why not unhappiness?” He looked into her eyes.
“You want to...” Her voice was disbelieving. “remove unhappiness?”
“Well, yes. And once set upon the path, I quickly understood.” He smiled, and it dazzled her.
“Unhappiness is simply a disease, and I am the doctor. There are symptoms, and the doctor diagnoses. Once diagnosed, I prescribe treatment. There are cases where no treatment can work anymore. If that happens, I say that frankly. But let me I assure you, if I take on a case, the cure is practically guaranteed.”
“Well then, Mrs. Georgina?” He clasped his hands together. “Will you tell me about what’s troubling you?”
Could it be true? Or was it all nonsense? An elaborate scam? She still wasn’t sure. Parker simply watched her. Something about his demeanor, the way he seemed unconcerned about it all, calmed her down. “Alright.” She replied.
“Excellent.” He leaned forward. “Correct if I am wrong. The trouble concerns your husband. You two have been married for a long time.”
“Twenty-five years.,” she clarified.
“Your husband’s an office worker and has prospered over the years. There has been stable routine, I think, in your lives. Nothing excitable, but not boring either. You are content to be the housewife. The two of you might have had a few arguments, but they were all resolved.”
“Yes.” She answered, unsettled by accurate it was.
“A single child, I presume, who has an own family now, and isn’t around anymore?”
“Richard, yes, but he visits regularly.” She explained. “How do you know all this?”
“Informed guesswork, madam.” He blandly replied. “Now for the crux of the problem. Who is the other woman?”
“His secretary,” She spat out. “A nasty, no good girl, all lipstick, and makeup, barely covering herself, acting all flirty and stupid.” The words rushed out of her, a torrent of pent up emotions.
“But there’s no harm in it, your husband’s words, perhaps.” He further continued. “Something about how it is the office business, and everyone does it?”
“Yes!” She replied vehemently. “The liar! He has time to go dancing with her, and that’s business? He even took her to a movie-- I am fond of going to the movies myself, but no, he’s always too tired! Tired? And he’s been rushing early every day and...” The tears started to fall, “and they are taking pictures together, and now, everyone would-” She choked up, unable to speak anymore.
“It’s going to be alright, madam.” He handed her his kerchief. “It will be alright.” He reassured her. “I understand your case perfectly now.”
She blew her nose once and waited until her eyes cleared and the tears dried up. “And...can you do anything?” She asked, afraid to hear the answer.
“Certainly. Your unhappiness is treatable.” He smiled beatifically at her. “I have the cure.”
“What is it?” She asked, expectantly, suddenly hopeful. “What should I do?”
“Now, Mrs. Georgina,” He smiled leisurely. “You pay our fee, and follow my instructions, and your happiness is guaranteed.”
“Fee?” She had caught the single word.
“Our services aren’t free, madam.” He explained. “And your total is fifteen hundred dollars.” He pulled a few papers from his long coat. “I’ll even give you a discount. One thousand.” He handed her a pen. “And you need to sign these. Tiring, I know, but necessary. You can never be too careful with legal matters.”[4] [5]
“Can’t I pay afterward?” She asked, the pen poised on the document.
“I am afraid not, madam,” His smile hardened slightly, “Contracts have been reneged too many times in these cases.”
“Well, then.” She rose from the seat and handed him back the papers. “I can’t possibly-”
“Trust a man who offers you happiness in exchange for money?” He interrupted her. “I get that a lot. But please, is it really the money that bothers you? How much did you pay for your house? Your car? And are you willing to walk away from something even more important than that for a thousand dollars?” he asked her. She looked away.
“People have operations that cost more. And in my opinion, the soul is even more important than that.” He stopped. “I am sorry for bothering you.” He finished abruptly and held out his hand. They shook again. “I will be here for a while, praying for you, Mrs. Georgina.” He said sincerely. “And I wish you all the best with your endeavors.”
She left. He waited for a while before walking over to the phone and dialing the office.
“We have a new client.” He remarked. “She agreed?” Lisa’s voice came from the other side.
“Not yet. After she gets on the bus, she will visit the husband’s office, stand outside for a while, and return with her courage renewed.” He replied drily.
“I give her an hour, at the maximum.” He checked his watch. “Create a file, will you?”
“Alright. Schedule A. Who do we assign?”
“The new guy, Daniel.” He considered for a while. “Yes, he should do. Let him prep a French accent, nothing too exotic. Hairdresser. The rest can be done later.”
“Okay, what else?” He could hear her typing.
“Get research too. Her husband, and the wife.”
“The son?” She asked.
“Irrelevant.” He answered. “Anything else happen when I was gone?”
“Nothing at all.”
“In that case, can you fill the forms for the-”
“What’s that? I can’t hear you anymore!? Bye!” She hung up on him.
He went back and kept watch. Georgina returned fifty minutes later, checkbook in hand, and a resolute expression on her face. She signed the papers, and the deal was struck.
***
Marshall Peius returned home late, trying to avoid making noise in case Georgina was asleep (she never was), and failing miserably. He had stayed too late today, and his slightly drunk mind braced for the inevitable screeching that was coming. She argued a lot, and found mistakes in everything he did nowadays. Alice was right, Georgina had become too jealous. She had become one those petty, nagging housewives she herself always complained about. He deftly avoided the lamp and bumped right into the table. Huh.
She wasn’t waiting today. There was food on the table, along with a note. A small mercy.
As he ate his dinner, he considered what gift he could give to Alice. Her birthday was coming up, and she hadn’t decided on a present yet. A coat, perhaps? She had complained of the cold. Which one, though? He mused and ate in silence, unaware of his wife and her undertaking.
***