Editor: Once upon a time...( over used... I thought so. Therefore this book will start with a depressing monologue... no need to thank me)

Chapter 1: It All Started Slowly

Flint Morgan

They don't tell you everything is slipping until its too late.

Even then, its far past the point of no return.

Rock bottom becomes your natural horizon.

A swirling glass of scotch laid limply in Flint Morgan's hands as he pondered when it all started. Flint's head pressed against the bar table top as he began reminiscing. His heavy forest green eyes darkened as the memories resurfaced. Other bar patrons laughed and hollered while Flint flew into the darkest corners of his own mind. His glass began to slowly empty itself with each small swig of the numbing torrent.

Flint finished off his glass of scotch and looked up at the barkeep.

He gave the barkeep a pleading smile with his lips.

The barkeep's brows narrowed as he handed over a receipt to Flint.

You ever look at a number and feel hurt?

Flint's smile deflated and he reached for his wallet.

A picture of his wife--ex-wife--and his son sat on front display of his torn overused wallet. His wallet was more of a mausoleum filled with old credit cards than anything. It included photos and little to no money. Only various cards he has yet to pay off and a blockbuster card, even though that place went out of business years ago. Flint had been behind on his bills due to this current debacle, but hey, he was heartbroken, they had to have a payment plan for that, right?

Flint quickly tried distracting himself with searching for the card, but their faces bore into him.

Charlie's green eyes and brown hair sparkled, while Wynn's (ex-wife) facial features were plastered in a plastic smile, that he paid for.

Sadly, the plastic surgeon couldn't fix the insides of his ex-wife. Can't create a plastic heart or soul for that devil of an ex-wife; Wynn.

Yes, he was rich. However, his ex-wife didn't want his money. She wanted Charlie; his only son.

What did he do wrong, you may ask.

Flint introduced her to his brother and unwittingly caused a decade long affair between her and his brother; Jared

Jared was his best man during their wedding, and apparently, to his ex-wife, between the both of them, he was the best man in general.

So yeah, that was his tale of woe. Think of him as a sad puppy dog. Totally in love with his wife, while she apparently wasn't.

His wife cheated on him with his brother. For years. It started out slow at first. The signals of her cheating weren't as obvious. Well, of course, he wasn't looking for it. It wasn't until afterwards that all of it made sense. All the little looks. All the business trips. The coldness. The distance.

It all started with the wedding.

He wished he had a magic 8 ball to say to him beforehand "outlook, not so good", but nothing of that sort occured so he made a really big ten year mistake.

Flint looked Wynn right in her emerald green eyes and over her beautiful brown flowing hair, while he held her hands.

They were reciting vows.

"In sickness and in health, to love and cherish, till death do you part...", the priest recited with fervor.

The priest first came to Flint for the I do's.

Flint looked in her eyes.

The swirling wisps of emerald in her eyes seemed as wholeheartedly in love with him, as he was in love with her.

He smiled a wide toothy grin, "I do."

His eyes sparked in adoration as he traced a heart into her palm.

The priest repeated the recitation for Wynn.

"In sickness and health, to love and cherish, till death do you part...", he recited.

Once they came to Wynn's "I do," her eyes flickered over to Jared.

At that time, it was only a flicker, but now it was all clear.

Flint looked at her with the same adoration waiting for her response. When her eyes flickered back to Flint, she had a look of surprise.

She looked between the expecting priest and the expecting and adoring, Flint.

She stuttered for a second, "I... uh... do."

Flint scowled and rolled his eyes in his head about the memory, "Yeah sure ya did."

Flint didn't care about the tone of her voice then.

All he cared about was spending the rest of his life with this woman with emerald green eyes.

They kissed and Flint closed his eyes while he pulled her to his lips. Little did he know he was kissing the devil wearing white.

Flint heard it secondhand afterward that Wynn hadn't been closing her eyes, her eyes were fixed off to the corner where Jared was watching them. Jared's dark black hair and cool steel grey eyes were apparently aimed at his ex-wife during the whole ceremony. He didn't know that then though. He was so clueless.

Fast forward ten years to his mid thirties, he caught his wife cheating in his bed after he came home early on Valentine's Day to surprise his wife with a bouquet of flowers and chocolates.

He couldn't forget it. That day was engrained in his memory as the worst day he'd ever spent.

Not that his worst days were ranked--okay--maybe they were.

Number one: the day he found his wife cheating.

Number two: the day he threw up on his date at the carnival after one too many corndogs.

Number three: the day he misread the date on an email and turned up at the office in an ugly Christmas sweater fifteen days too early.

Flint held those flowers in his right hand and the chocolates in his left hand, the day he found out.

He had it all planned, he'd already told her earlier that he would work late tonight.

Sure, she did complain about it, but she didn't really seem to care.

He thought that he got out of her wrath unscathed, and that was lucky for him, especially since his surprise was supposed to cheer her up.

Other than it being a special day, Flint also wanted to apologize because they were trying for another kid and it wasn't going so well. He planned to present her the flowers and chocolates, take her to a fancy dinner and then watch some sappy movie like "The Notebook" with her.

She had other plans apparently.

Flint walked through the front door with a smile on his face. He slowly and quietly made his way to their bedroom where she was surely reading.

"Honey, I'm home early, Happy Valentine's--"

Tangled in the sheets, laid a man showing his muscular backside to Flint. Laughter sounded from his wife's lips as the two continued their rendezvous.

Flint's mouth flew agape in horror.

When the man turned over to see what was happening, Flint locked eyes with his brother.

His wife bit her lip and pushed Jared.

"Why'd you stop Jare," she asked not seeing Flint. Jare was apparently her nickname for him.

After a moment, Wynn looked in the same direction where Jared's gaze was locked and loaded.

A bewildered look rattled her eyes as she crawled away from Jared. Wynn held the blanket from the bed over her covering her over.

Wynn searched Flint's, eyes which hadn't changed all of this time.

"You weren't supposed to be home." she said in angry, calloused tone.

At least his brother had the mercy to look ashamed

Flint didn't say a word, his grip on the roses just tightened.

Wynn's eyes looked at him in wonder, " Why are you home anyways, you basically treat us like a paycheck! You only appear where there's money, and because that's not home, you're always at your father's company!"

Flint gripped the roses tighter as the air in his lungs flooded out. A strangling feeling wrapped around his throat like a boa constrictor.

Flint's grasp on the roses apparently got so tight on the roses that blood began to pour from his hands.

Wynn looked at him with anger again, "You know what's so funny about this," she chuckled a callous laugh, " After all your working, your father is going to give Jared the company."

Flint's eyes that were anchored on Wynn, now shifted to Jared.

Jared jumped into his wrangler jeans, not saying a word.

He started leaving, trying to make his quick escape and a clean getaway.

Flint didn't dare move a muscle, for a fear his eyes were deceiving him.

Wynn directed his attention back by pointing her index finger into his chest, "We were never in love Flint, and you never were a good husband." her finger dug into his chest like she was pulling out his heartstrings.

Wynn continued with her onslaught, 'cause why not kick a man that's down. Especially if that man is wearing puppy dog eyes and is already heart broken.

"I don't want you seeing Charlie anymore. You were never really in his life to begin with. You were just a paycheck to all of us. Nothing more. Nothing less. Now, even Jared earns more than you. If I'm going to tolerate a man for their paycheck, at least he would actually earn me a decent amount. Jared is better than you in every aspect. In bed. In his career, and in his goals."

She paused for a moment looking for the shock on Flint's face, she found it and much more as she massacred him down to his last morsel of dignity he possessed, "I want a divorce."

Flint was shell shocked, "But..."

"You're losing visitation rights too. Charlie's not yours, he's Jared's son," she said with a snarl.

Flint lost everything. Everything and more.

And it all started slowly.

Today, he was in a bar, on his second bottle of scotch, celebrating his brother's bachelor's party.

That's right. He was invited to wedding between his ex-wife and his brother

Not invited really, forced by his parents, but those are just semantics.

As Flint slid his card down to pay for it, Jared swooped in with his big black MasterCard

It hurt so damn much, and do you want to hear the worst part?

Jared felt guilty so he paid for almost everything in his life, which only reminded him that Jared was so much better than him.

Flint thanked him with a nod, too drunk to care.

The barkeep poured him another drink of that amber colored mistress.

Suddenly, a man in a black business suit and disheveled brown hair, slid in the stool beside him.

The annoying stranger looked him up and down, "You look like you've been through Hell."

Flint chuckled and muttered, "I haven't just been to Hell, I own a permanent resort there. We have exclusive memberships, cabanas, and we even have a swimming pool filled with lava and Wynns."

The man drank beside him for a moment before sliding him a business card.

Flint looked at it in wonder as the man said, "You look like you could use this more than me."

Flint eyed the card. It was covered in black ink except for a word in white, "Blank Slate."

Flint flipped the back of the card and read the address along with the note, "Sometimes you just need to disappear."

Flint chuckled. Wasn't that the truth. Flint ruffled his hands through his blond hair.

The thought swirled around in his head and neither the amber liquor could not numb or dissolve it.

He needed to disappear.

Thank you for reading! So what do you think so far? Do you think Flint can actually disappear? Is "Blank Slate" a hoax or is there something more to this? Find out in Chapter 2 of "Blank Slate"... updated chapters weekly