Polygamy or Bigamy?

I promised HnH a post of people who get married to married people. It has taken long, but I hope it serves the purpose.

This is a real life experience; in fact it's a friend of a friend of a friend who was played for 5 yrs.

This guy, I'll just call him Alex, was married to….. Jane traditionally for several yrs in their native country in West Africa. He came to the UK for studies and upon completion got a good job and brought his family over. By then, they had 3 children, all girls and the first born was almost 10 yrs. They lived in West London and Alex worked in Central London. Jane got a job as an admin assistant, and they settled in their new council house.

A few months of Jane coming to UK, Alex met …. mhhh, Sheila, a Jamaican beautician who was in her mid 20s and fell they fell in love. He never mentioned Jane or the girls through out their courtship. After almost a year of being together, they got married, and 3 yrs down the line had 2 children, a girl and a boy.

Alex had 2 mobile phones, one number he gave to Jane, and the other he gave to Sheila. He always switched of one phone according to which wife he was with, making excuses that it was a work phone and did not need it when at home. He lied to both of them that his sales job required travelling to Birmingham every week for 2-3 days and the rest of the time he'd be in London. He had divided his week so well between the two women. He'd have several days here, while the other wife thought he was out there working hard. His job also demanded attendance of conferences, international travel and sales exhibitions etc every other weekend. This would be the weekends the wives would have with their husband.

'A thief has 40 days', my grandmother always said. Alex’s 40th day came after 5 years.

One day, he came from work. It was Sheila's turn to behold the husband. As usual, he hung his jacket, and then went to have a bath. It was one of those evenings when he had 'come from a conference' and was really tired, and needed to soak himself in the bath.

He had forgotten to switch off 'Jane's phone', and as soon as he got into the bathroom, Jane phoned. Sheila knew she had no business with that phone coz it was all work. The phone stopped, then rung again and again. She thought maybe it was an emergency, and if she answered, she'd relay the message over to her husband.

'Hello'

The phone went off, and then rung a few seconds later.

'Hello'.

'May I speak to Alex?'

'He's busy right now, May I take a message'.

'sure, tell him his wife phoned'

'What, I'm his wife'.

The women argued for several minutes, and it dawned on them that they were being played. So Sheila asked for Jane's phone number and so she'd call her later.

Late in the night when Alex was fast asleep, Sheila phoned Jane. They talked and exchanged notes on how they both had been the other wife. They even met on several occasions. They agreed not to disclose this to Alex until the right time. Jane lived in West London and Sheila lived in South East London (likelihood of meeting… very little). The truth, Alex never travelled outside London. Birmingham was West London and London was South London.

Every day, they talked. When Alex was with Jane, Sheila would call and joke that her husband had travelled to Birmingham or was in Europe on a conference. And Jane would say ‘my husband is right here with me. He looks too tired though, it must be that conference he went to last weekend’. And the game went on and on for 6 months, by which time both women had grown to resent him so much, and somehow like each other.

Alex's family (sisters and brothers) all knew of the 2 women. They had attended the two weddings, birthdays and other special occasions. They played the happy in-laws for both women, and the happy aunties and uncles for the children. both women felt very betrayed by the whole family.

Sheila's son's birthday was coming and this would be the moment they were both waiting for. The wives decided that Jane would turn up last after the sisters, brothers and friends. They'd make it extra special and mega.

When everyone was seated and enjoying themselves, Jane phoned Sheila to make sure it was time. Jane rung the door bell and Sheila asked Alex to please open the door, and she stood right behind him. It was such a shock for Alex. He looked at Jane, and the children, and then at Sheila and all he could say was 'You know her?'

When Jane walked into the living room, all the sisters and brothers went quiet. The 2 women did not bother. They just continued as though nothing had happened, until they cut the cake.

Sheila called the children and introduced them to each other, then send them outside to play. The drama in that house, wacha tu.

Alex excused himself to go to the gents, but instead opened the door and off he went. None of the wives heard from him for a month. The sisters and brothers were too ashamed to talk, they just picked up their bags and children and left.

When Alex turned up at the door steps of both of them, none wanted to listen. He had had his cake and he had eaten it. They had both packed his staff and never wanted to hear from him. He lost his 2 families at the same time.

2 weeks ago (almost 2 yrs since this whole saga),a friend saw him on the streets, he's become a tramp and there's a possibility he's addicted to alcohol, or drugs. I wonder what led to this?

My question is, was it worth it?