All Comments on 'Truth and Marriage'

The story is constructed very well. You develop not only the memories but the feelings of the characters very well. You allow the reader to share the depth of her dismay and of his controlled loving anger. I do not know if a person can ever fully recover from this kind of experience, but you certainly show possibility in the husband and in his acceptance and love of her in spite of the terrible betrayl of his wife. At the same time you allow her a chance to look into her soul and know what she has done and in the miasma of her physical sickness, you are able to show her spiritual illness and the chance for revovery for her also.

I like the back and forth between their thoughts as it mixed with the dialogue. Very impressive writing skills!

fabulously well written and this story is FAAAAAR better than that pathetic wretched story THE LONG FALL. But lets face it the hubby here is a small weak person.

sure some wimp lovers here -- such as nightowl or Tiggertoo-- might give the hubby credit for sticking with the god dam whore.

but there are HUGE holes in this story here that need to be explained.

FIRST ...

****WHY did she BLURT it out there at the party?.***

So he is a little loud... its a god dman party... there is booze and flirting.

There can be ONLY one answer... Even though she was the one that cheated She REALLY HATES him... and I mean

H-A-T-E.

She cheated BUT she wants to CRUSH him at the party!?!?!

anyone worried about the wife's idea of morality?

right and wrong? fair play?

this marriage is sooooooooo over.

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SECOND....

WHY did he stick with the cheating bitch while she fucked with other guy OFTEN over 3+ months? This is BIG weakness in the story. The author explains this CRITICAL piece of the story by citing a DEAR ABBY letter...

..."are you better off with or without her/ him...?

a Dear Abby letter? are you fucking Kidding me author? THAT was his motiviation to NOT divorice the whore? a Dear Abby letter .... wow this is WEAK!!!!!

The problem is that often cited piece of Dear Abby blather even if one thinks it is valid (which is debateable) ONLY applies to 1 time cheating... Abby says in that infamous piece that Long term cheating is NOT forgiveable...

Oppss! someone tell the author

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THIRD

lets assume super wimp hubby accepts that Dear Abbby bullshit. Clearly SHE does NOT think He -- the husband -- is worth having around!!!!

her answer to the Dear Abby queston during the time of the affair is --- My life is better off WITHOUT my husband and its better with this new cock

clearly she made a conscious decision to cheat on her husband for 3+ months... due to NO fault on HIS part. He was NOT negelecting her... he was Not a drunk or a bad father or a workaholic.

Thus his decision to keep her is SILLY since she made the decison to RISK his love for a strange cock.

SUMMARY

GOOD story. well done. I will re-read it. Deep.

BUT HIS motivations are very Very WEAK and really weakend it.

It’s a dumb and unreal story …but the writing was very good.

Who would reveal an affair during Truth or Dare ….no matter how drunk or pissed off??

It would have been more realistic if she met a newly divorced John six years hence at a common party and during a private chat , when asked, tells her that she wasn’t dumped … that her husband Anthony threatened him with pictures that would ruin his marriage and hers. But now that he was divorced, [of course for fooling around again], he wanted to restart his affair with her all over again. This puts Margaret in a bad spot…one, her husband knew all along and two, should she restart with John. Her inner turmoil to face Anthony, now knowing he knew all this time and had pictures too boot, would be hilarious.

As for Anthony, it would have been nice if Margaret saw that Judith and her husband seemed awfully friendly.

Maybe next time she'll let him have some cream pie. These dark and sordid wimp tales are deeply disturbing, and portray men in the worse possible light. I will not sleep well after reading this "whore"afying tale of dark deception, and spineless acceptance.

As usual, your stories are interesting. Though many would want a more forceful response from the husband, there are always mitigating circumstances. We have to do what we think is right; not always what we want to do.

Boyd

Why is this talent so wasted in the unacceptable untenable but tenacious almost a man who has decided to be undecided and non-human forever maybe.

You had him scream his humiliation and acceptance of it while it troubled him still. You made sure now that it won't go away and he / they must deal with it.

However, as unlikeably and sickly weak as you made him he won't and she won't and they will sickly glide through hell on earth until one cracks and bites a barrel or snuffs the other on the way to the loony bin you created for - funsies?

As usual, you write of the very unappreciated with vim and vigor in expectation of your skills carrying the day but knowing that they are eventually growing more tiresome to most.

We don't come here to be unsatisfied and upset with what you think is a challenge to sell as entertainment.

Kind of inwardly homicidal on your part - pushing pain in expectation of the predicted eventual widespread disdain. Gosh how much can they take? Well, lets try another untenable painful non-conclusion and then another.

Such a prideful waste.

The wife is a slut in denial waiting on another prince charming to take her to rut, nothing more, nothing less. He is a man who tied himself to a slut and now must watch her continously to see that she doesnt stray again. Ever wonder why people waste their lives on people not worth their emotions or attention? No self respect? No sense of self worth? It isnt love, no matter what the story says, it isnt love. You dont treat a person you love with so much disrespect. You missed our anniversary so I will have a three month affair and rut and be used like a piece of meat.

I really like your writing but I dont understand why you keep writing about pseudo-intellectual shit heads all the time. They are so concerned with appearances and projecting the image of refined intellectuals that are above petty human emotions that they really start to grate on my nerves. The wife is a fucking worthless cheater and the husband is a cardboard cutout of a real person that is more concerned with appearances than what his life actually is. As long as his friends and acquaintances think he's got it all, the reality doesnt matter much. What a pointless and tiring way to go through life.

Even if I dislike your characters in the extreme, I do think you are an exceptional writer (for the venue anyway). It takes talent to make the characters so unlikable and hollow without them seeming unreal (when I say that I think the characters are hollow or cardboard its not in a 'that can never happen irl' sense, its in a 'I know there are people like this around and I feel sorry for them and their fucked up world view' sense).

Thanks very much for writing and please keep them coming. The structure of your stories is exceptional even if Im not 100% on board with the content or characters. I would definitely like to see you turn your talents to a more conventional theme - i.e. cheated partner doesnt swallow all their hurt/anger/doubt and actually lets his/her emotions have a little bit of free play in the outcome. You've proven that you can write stuffy, sanctimonious, uber-liberal (as in spouting the catch phrases without backing them up), New York art inteligencia, wannabes very well but a change of pace once in a while would be good too.

Amazingly well written, but it's so much more than that. Here I perceive two tales; one overt and one hidden. The anguish felt by both parties is palpable and complex. I'm truly in awe of the author's talent.

really a great post by average Joe...

the thing with the Dear Abby as the husband motivation is so fucking thin and weak to justify his acceptance of the wife cheating for 3 + months

... all b/c was late on anniversary?

Gee I wonder what this cunt whore wife will do IF he gets the wrng xmas prepsent!

ROTFLMAO!!!!

"What if...?" She almost stopped herself. "What if it hadn't ended then?"

"You were both married. You both had kids. I had to count on it."

++++++++++++++++++++

the man, man, ain't he lovely! his towering strength and hte faith he has in his lovely wife,,, it's so sweet, it brought tears to mine eye!

closet cuckoo.

i have more admiration for open cuckhold men who proudly exhibits kids their wives have from other men to the world and say,

"I am happy to be raising other men's kids because I love this woman so much, I'm nothing without her, so if she must fuck around and have kids with others, I will do my duty to help her raise them"

Garbage, weak minded shithead characters!

Very well written. I love the complexity of the characters and their emotional baggage. Too often stories like these oversimplify the relationship. You never do.

The characters are complex, conflicted and above all human. I haven't run across you as an author before but I'll certainly read more by you now. Best, Ken

I know I'm going to have a problem with a story when start finding myself skipping paragraphs and have to "Force" myself to go back and read them.

The story was well written. But I also think that Average-Joe covered what I thought too. He gave you a 75 for the fact you wrote well. But I just couldn't do it.

No I'm not of the Hang 'em high crowd. I believe in forgiveness, but I belive it should be earned like anything else in life that is given to those who prove themselves entitled to it. To get someone to like you, love your, or even marry you, most often you have to "EARN" that from them. Someone that just marry's a "perfect stranger" is ultimately really rare. But someone you've know and loved you feel comfortable wtih, yep those people you fall in love with and marry. But once someone betrays you I've always felt that they should work just as hard to show you that you should trust, believe and love them again.

This story was missing this.

From the wife it was more of a "Lets bury this as fast as I can now that he's not around any more" and the husband was more of a "since it's over I don't have to compete with him anymore" type of story. If thats not what you meant, I appologize, but thats what I got out of it.

The part about a husband who knew his wife was cheating, got someone to investigate it, and sat by on the sidelines waiting for his chance to "convinence" his wife to take him back seems not only farfetched, but really out of the ordinary. What I think you wanted to show was loving husband, but thats not what I felt you did. I felt in reading that the husband seemed to lack pride in himself, self respect, and self worth. I mean he was letting his wife and another man have sex so that long as she didn't leave him, becaue it would break up two families. Why? What did she have to divorce him or bring home some disease before he realized that this was wrong and very disrespectful to him as the husband? If a husband or wife stop respecting each other, pretending nothing is wrong when one of them cheats is just begging for it.

And the newspaper article, that "Can you live without them" comment to me is really over used. It doesnt' demonstrate a loving husband to me whenever I see it. But to be honest it really says "Are you so worried that you'll have to live your life alone that your willing to give up self respect to stay with someone who obviously doesn't respect you, or the spouse of the person they are cheating with, on the off chance they will get it out of their system and settle for you once again, once they are through with their affair of course."

Who is willing to honestly be second in their marriage to someone looking outside a marriage for better?

______________________

Technically this was written well. I didn't have a problem reading it, I didn't see any typo's (like I can talk), and it flowed well. Just the subject matter of these two seemed of people without self respect. She didn't quit because she loved her husband enough to not let it go to far and he didnt' stick around because he loved her, but because he didn't want to have to start all over again.

-Risq

I think we all are no gods but human beings, we make faults and live with compromizes all the time (sorry for my bad english), so the world isn't just black and white but grey in all shadows.

Please keep on writing - it's great stuff!

great story with depth and good character development.

and wishy submission for loving patience,,,,

A strong man or woman --- even if they are willing to forgive --- would not sit back and see if their cheating spouse would quit on their own, because it is hard to break up a family.

This story is about a weak man being portrayed as strong and loving. this is a man who doesn't believe in, as someone said, his self-worth:

When you see and know your supposedly loving life partner (mother or father of your children) sleeping with another person and all you could do is cross your fingers and hope he/she quit and come back to your family, this is not a loving or strong character. this is a weak, spineless character.

A strong and, yes, COMPLEX character --- once they found out what their supposedly lovng spouse has been fucking around --- sit down, even IN AGONY, and have a tough talk:

"Okay, honey, you know I used to think of you as my whole world. It has come to pass that perhaps I've loved and worshipped you too much. Whatever your thoughts concerning me, whether you never loved me or you think if I didn't know, it's okay for you to put spit in my food,,, whatever your thoughts were, you obviously do NOT think like I do, where cherishing and loyalty and faithfulness are concerned.

"It is very difficult at this juncture in our lives and it may get more so in the days to come, but I will put it simply to you: Do you want to continue stayed married to me and stay with our kids; or do you want to pursue your other interests, including finding a partner you could be true and loyal to?

"I don't promise you any thing, but I am willing to listen, and see where --- from your view --- we have gone wrong. Or perhaps you feel you're entibled to these extramarital activities but that you think I ought to stay true to you forever?

"I mean, what is it that you expect out of a spouse? I know what I expect and I thought I had found that in you, but obviously you're NOT what I expected. Immediately separation and divorce may or may not happen, but I like to hear your side of the story.

"Perhaps both of us fooled ourselves in believing the one we've found, in each other, are NOT really what we want. You've got me started thinking hard lately, too.

"I can not make decisions unilaterally, impulsively, because we have children involved here, but I will NOT stay in a marriage where my life partners sleeps around and thinks because I didn't know, that it is okay,,, or worse, that they'd swear up and down they love me more than any thing in the world and that they just needed some extra attention and sex with others...."

I would imagine a "strong" and "complex" character would approach infedility that way?, rather than keeping fingers crossed, hoping the cheater quit on his/her own and come back to rebuild the family again,,,, especially since the one they're cheating with was also married with children of their own,,,,,,,,

I mean, what kind of lame "strength" and complexity is that?

What would the hope be, say if there's another affair, where the guy's single? And richer? Or younger? I mean, is the husband gonna sit back and HOPE that that guy get tired of her soon and drop her, since she has kids and couldn't be out dancing all kinds of hours or take long vacation with him?

You see how silly the argument this husband put forth is! The wife said, What if I hadn't stopped? And the idiot's "reasoning" is, "Well, I know you would, because he's also married and had children of his own."

No, he didn't know. He was MERELY HOPING; his lack of pride and self-worth, though I must say, DID help him cope.

It goes without saying, the WRITING is good; we are not here dissecting the writing.

Excellent writing as we've come to expect from H. Jekyll. His prose is articulate and compact. The characters move smoothly from scene to scene and it's finely woven authorship. Kudos to the author for the word "syncope". I had to go look that one up to find out what it meant. Henry, you stretched my vocabulary and did it with erotica. How good is that? :)

The character descriptions are very well-done and quite realistic. Tony's a loving husband and father, hard-working and faithful to his wife. He'd become complacent in their marriage; that's why he forgot their anniversary. He himself said, "Why wouldn't she look around?" and he understood the mistake he made. He gave her cause to look elsewhere. Should she have done it? No.

Rather than work to fix the problems in her marriage, Margie took the time-honored solution of having an affair. We see her as weak of character and selfish. When she gets angry with Tony, she lets her emotions cloud her judgment and she trips into the affair. I believe that she intended it to be a one-time thing but the sexual thrill she got from her lover was too good to end it. If her husband hadn't threatened her lover and forced an end to her affair, she would've continued and the marriage would have ended in divorce.

The plot has interesting twists to it: the affair is six years in the past and the memory of her cheating is still painful even now. I asked myself, "Why didn't Tony carry out his plan to leave? Why did he stay in the marriage?" I think it's because he decided that he wanted to make her suffer, to feel the pain that he felt, in short he wanted revenge. And for the revenge to be complete and satisfying, he has to stay in the marriage to watch her suffer. That scheme comes unraveled when he realizes that he still loves her, that he doesn't want to see her sad and unhappy any more, that revenge is selfish and cruel. He manages to right the ship, more or less, and get the marriage back on course.

I think ultimately their marriage is doomed. Never once does Margie ask for forgiveness. It was wrong and she knew it was wrong and she did it anyway. If their relationship is to be fully healed, she has to ask for his forgiveness so they can begin again. Without it, there'll always be that scintilla of doubt, the insecurities that whisper in the darkness, and the anxiety of what you'll do if she cheats again. And that's precisely what the final scene of the story says.

I think when their children are grown, Margie and Tony will drift apart. He was complacent before and he will be again. She was unfaithful before and probably will again. Love doesn't fix what's broken in a marriage and that's where Henry and I disagree.

Excellent fiction this is. This 100's for you, H. Jekyll, for a story very well-told. I thank you.

P. S. I'd respond to the haters and naysayers but it's pointless. They've discovered that if you chant "wimp" often enough and loud enough, you don't have to think any more since you've discovered absolute truth.

of this story differs from most of the past commenters. Both characters, Anthony and Margaret were basically dishonest with each other and this story which was too short explored how married people lie to each other.

Margaret had a 3 month affair until Anthony put a stop to it. She allowed her slut side to come out and she had no intention of ending her affair. After John Boehler dumped her she went back to her husband but the root of her hatred for him still existed. That explains why 6 years later she tries to publically humiliate him before their friends in a silly game. As the passage "But I was never your rutting bitch. I wish I had been that way with you. It's the worst thing about the whole period, how thrilling it was" shows Margaret will likely cheat on Anthony in the future.

As for Anthony, he has kept this secret in order to keep his family together. He had to defuse her confession because the whispers and rumors (who was it?) would destroy her and thereby his family. Margaret was the one who apologized for her outburst and hid in the bathroom. She was the one who was most concerned about what her friends thought about her affair. Anthony was the one who comforted her and told her all of the assuring words to let her think everything was ok. BULL____!

Anthony hated her for what she did to him but as weak as Margaret was if he had confronted her about her affair his family would have been destroyed. He is conflicted (he still loves her at some level). Six years ago he took action to end the affair but avoided the end of his family. Obviously, the twins were the priority. Now six years later he still has thoughts about hurting her so he has not forgiven or forgotten this betrayal.

There are two problems with the ending of this story -

(1) No resolution on the fallout from her outburst. Where did the hate come from and how will Anthony deal with her dissatisfaction?

(2) Anthony's feelings and hurt need some resolution. What happens when the kids grow up and leave the nest? Do Margaret go out to find someone who will treat her as a rutting bitch which drove her to the affair in the first place?

Anyway -just my impressions. Thanks for a good story.

SleeplessinMD

It covers the fiasco at the party and some background about that stark revelation. Who said all the problems the couple faces has to be explored? This is, basically, a snapshot out of their lives. Snap shots cover the features shown. The very fact that he checks on Boehler tells you just how much trust he has in the wife. And she resents everything he does, apparently, by her own 'admission'.

It was mentioned that she never asked him to forgive her. I don't believe she said she was sorry, either. Both dark indicators of her feelings toward him.

Their marriage will decintegrate once the kids are gone.

Very good, Dr.

This is a very well written story. It takes genuine writing skill to switch back and forth from one character's thoughts to the other character's thoughts and inner turmoil. However, I disagree with those who comment that the story is not plausible or that the husband is a wimp because he went "behind the scenes," so-to-speak, to end the affair in a quiet and indirect way rather than with a dramatic confrontation with his wife (or by assaulting her lover).

The reality is that life is full of compromises. It's easy to say that a guy should shoot the lover(s) to death if he catches them, or take some other, equally-dramatic course of action. But look at all the women who know their husbands are fooling around. Many stay with their marriages; not all jump to implement divorce procedings. Likewise with men when their wives cheat.

It really does come down to deciding if the "pros" outweigh the "cons" or visa versa (Dear Abby). There are men who make the same decision as many women, i.e., better to stay in the marriage if the marriage can be made to work. Think about it. Divorce is very expensive (the husband ends up paying lawyers' fees including the wife's, even if she committed the adultery, plus alimony, plus child support). The courts favor the wife regarding custody (unless hard drugs or other serious criminal activity is involved that would make her an "unfit" mother), so the husband gets no satisfaction or revenge since the wife gets most of his money and the children. He has barely enough with which to live and no money to start dating other women. The children, especially when young, suffer a lot.

The problem is that it is difficult to keep a poker face and hide one's true feelings after discovering an affair, and as some have pointed out, this may be the one weakness in the story. The husband is outspoken and demonstrative, ". . . talking about Iraq and global warming. . . " It is difficult to imagine that an outspoken man who likes to let everyone know his thoughts, a teacher who likes to lecture and critique, would be able to keep totally silent regarding his wife's affair. Wouldn't he want to moralize to her at least a little? Also, what happens in the sack? Does he pretend he has a recurring headache? Wouldn't his wife wonder why he is not interested in sex anymore?

A woman can "fake it" more easily; she can lie back, spread her thighs, and let the man do the work (and if not excited, slip in a little lubricant before getting into bed, so he won't suspect). But most men who are angry and hurt (and who are not into being cuckolded) will have difficulty getting a normal erection. It would be tough to hide one's emotions. Perhaps the story could have addressed this better. Otherwise, I really thought the story was excellent. I would be interested in a "part 2."

First thing I did when I finished reading the story was going o the biography of the author to make sure that this is not a woman who wrote it. I was surprised to learn that indeed the author is a male, the reason for my surprise is that the grand scheme of the story seems to be perfectly tailored to the ideal female fantasy; namely, having the excitement of an illicit lover while at the same time enjoying the love; safety and stability of a nurturing husband.

Then I was hoping that the story would explore, then poke holes in this fantasy (when tried to turn into a reality). What happens is the opposite. The story takes us deeper to the mental world of games pretence and disconnectedness from reality. It would have been fine by me if the voice of the narrator would have popped once in a while to let us know that it realizes that with these kinds of deceptive games no relations would sustain. Don’t look for it. It ain’t happening. Looks like the narrator has no real qualms with the kind of games lies and denials this couple has opted for. The narrator (it is not similar to the author of course) shows no distinct voice. As such, he could have separated himself from either the husband or the wife with an ironic comment; criticism or any of numerous literary tools.

From the adolescent game: ‘truth or dare’ on which the story builds its theme, it seems that both partners to this marriage are somehow stuck in their relationship in similarly confining immature games. Namely, they either act out –alone (similar to the ‘dare’ mode) or they can hold back the truth (which is most of the time) or sputter out in a rare moment. And that’s it!

The one thing that this couple never learned to do (even wife’s disclosure ot the truth seems like an explosive mistake) is to actually talk with each other without playing games. What is it that is missing from her life? What from his? Doing the good old communication thing. Not even after the affair is interrupted (and not because the wife put an end to it …) do any of them feel that they need or can open up to each other. And so the pretence; the games lies and partial truths continue. No wonder that till the very moment when the wife virtually explodes with her confession, she seemed to be carrying a bag full of resentment towards her husband. And we are called later to buy into a sweet reconciliation. As far as the husband’s character goes, he is so emotionally repressed that I doubt he really knows how he feels. His main motivations in sticking with this ongoing torment which is called his marriage are: tremendous insecurities and similarly intense fears. It follows then when he covers up for her as soon as he can and then does the best he can to shut up any continuation of discussion and openness between them. In his tormented mind he is so worthless - SHE might throw him out any moment. He quickly declares that the past is buried and dead. Little does he know. Not only is the past not over its not even past. (I can’t remember the name of the person who originally used the phrase). Until the next crisis they have a new game: let’s make each other sick (for real!), and then take care of each other.

Yea, I could see this kind of relations where immature repressed insecure characters are somehow connected in a sham of a marriage. The man is a walking shell of a man. The woman is self centered and narcissistic – a typical profile of a cheater and an enabler. Add to the mix the very low level of self awareness per couple (low on her part none on his) and you get a profile of sad, most likely to be doomed relations. I could not guess what was behind this choice of these kinds of characters. After all the Theatrics and the drama on the surface, there was not much change or development in these characters or their relations. They are too defended.

Could it happen? Yes. Does it make for an interesting material for a story? Not if you are interested in change and development which go beyond scratching the surface. There was a lover. He came then he left. Now let’s continue as usual and hope for the best. How enlightening. Let’s not ever ask why the hell you started with the whole mess. Let’s not ever ask why neither of us ever trusted ourselves or the other to sustain an honest exchange about what’s going on in the relationship. Why was it better for both to live for six years in daily lies than to try and come to the real truth.

Up to this point I have pointed out what in my mind is a possible if not too interesting choice for a couple as the main two characters. The following are the main two faults in the story, where I argue that the situations are inconsistent with reality and thus basiclly incredible.

1; There are unfortunately many similar relations - all eventually self destructive. That is, unless serious counter measures are taken; such as: changes in patterns of communication; working through past issues and structuring future changes. Nothing of the sort is suggested in the story. What we do get instead is what unfortunately looks more like a farce about dysfunctional relations in a crisis. You DO NOT see in real life and in this kind of relations a couple going through a miraculous healing as a result of both partners whispering the denial words: ‘its all in the past- lets not talk about it -every thing is fine now’.

2. The most incredible part - the public disclosure of a shameful and secret betrayal IS NOT AN APROFDASIAC (I can’t believe I even have to state that). Rage; depression; further deterioration in the relations; a sense of another betrayal; are the reactions of real people on this planet.

I am all for portraying real characters with weaknesses etc. But please, where did you draw these models of behavior from? These parts are as you so aptly put it: a ‘shtick’ – a theatric game, may be a fairy tale. I do not think though that even the brothers Grimm would have accepted these parts. They always applied minimal criteria of psychological credibility to their fairy tales. Remember, you can write about dragons and damsels, but don’t turn the damsel into a cheating witch and expect the readers to believe that the prince has just bought two tickets to Hawaii for the two of them. Human nature remains the same. No shticks please.

Its triumphs and torments.

look all you dumbass out there who want your cake and eat too,go to hell.she fucked another man and is married,another man attacked his marriage,now who let that go by without getting mad.betrayal and disrespect and trust lost.i see a lot of people don't give a shit about trust or committment to one spouse, what they want is fuck who you want and hubby say smile.when another man fucks your wife he attacking your family and to me that important.i'll fight to the dead if you attack my family.that the man in me,some people don't have the man in them.there is heavy consequences to pay when a manhood of a man is in question.its' a man thing.writers wake the fuck up and stop this wimpy bullshit.human nature is to defend your own and wife and kids are your family.

I hated this story. I could not relate to the husband at all. Completely unbelieveable.

while the writing is excellent..... Harryin VA points are ince again on the Money. (Just wish that harry guy could calm down!!)

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WHY did he stay??.... the motivation is based in part on a FAMOUS column in an old DSEAR ABBY piece she wrote back in the 1980s... "are you better off with or without her/ him...?"

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<b>The problem Here is this author lied about that letter!!! Even IF one were to think Dear Abby's premise is valid (which is debateable) here question and famous letter ONLY applied to 1 time cheating...

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In fact Abby says in that infamous piece that Long term cheating is NOT forgiveable... Oppss! </b>

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someone tell the author

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Funny how the same thinking by the idiot hsuband in this story does NOT seem to apply to the wife. She made a decision to cheat for 3+ months because he forgot an anniversary????

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Thw wife's answer to the Dear Abby queston is that during the time of the affair her life is better off WITHOUT her husband and its better with the new cock.

well written,but the plot sucks and wrote in a non mature way.common sense out the window.who wants to live looking behind the wife back all his life.life is hard enough on everyday things and who need this extra crap.she had no respect for her hubby to say that shit in front of friends.he gave her to many chances.

This is a mature, well constructed story. The usual "no way but the highway" crowd don't understand that real life trumps revenge fantasy. Dear Abbey may not have believed her question was in earnest, but most people recognize it's validity. Of course the feelings are never the same after an affair, but that's life. I liked the way regret and desire, love and the potential for hate are all mixed. Sounds familiar.

No REAL MAN would have allowed the man who seduced his wife and turned her into a SLUT to essentially escape unscathed. The wife did not seek to end the affair, but was dumped by her lover. Odds of her adultery repeating itself are phenomenally high. He should have confronted both of them as soon as he had enough evidence for the divorce and KICKED HER CHEATING ASS TO THE CURB! ! !

But I could not in good consious give you any marks for this story. The woman was a slut and got a free ride. The male (not a man) was a fucking whimp, and proud to be so. This is not a happy marriage. I suppose that once a softcock, always a softcock.

Good story, but not the ending I expect it. Apparently, H. Jekyll is a woman. From all of her stories that I have read so more, it seem to have the woman's point of view in it. A cheating wife & an understanding husband. The guilt feeling of the cheating & the forgiveness of a cuckhold husband. I don't like this kind of story, though it is a good story. Lastly, the pattern of the characters' thoughts. I think, she think, you think, too many of this in all H. Jekyll's stories. Sometime I will be lost when reading all the characters' thoughts. This is no good. --- Thor

the thing lasted for such a period of time, and he says, its ok, or my fault or such nonsense? practical has its limits.

Well written but completely unbelievable. No male, and I mean NO MALE, who had "any" self respect would allow himself to be treated this way. Keep trying ... maybe you'll get it right next time!

50% for good writing. But plausible not. She did not break it off. She would have kept on going at it with the "Professor." She lied. He found out and merely threatened her lover so HE would stop? Come on! If he loves her as much as he states, then her actions would devastate the marriage like a nuclear bomb. Three months and then six years of living a lie never stated. No confrontation to force her to face what how she has humiliated him with her selfishness. And then she huffs because he is flirting a little at a party. When she said she had an affair, he should have smacked her face and walked out the door. He is the reason this marriage has lasted; his love has maintained the relationship; she shows no sign of appreiciation. He's not a wimp; he' just stupid to have stayed to put up with her self-centered, obnoxiousness. Puuulllease!

Why don't you just write Lesbian stories? Naw, scratch that. A Butch has 10x the testosterone the "men" in your stories have.

The feelings of the man and woman seems genuine. More so than 95% of the stories on this site.

today is not a forgiveness day. leave her and ruin him and go on with ones life w/o her. that should have been 6 years prior and into his next mate.

Another "Wimpy Old Fart" author, the husband is entirely too forgiving. She would still be cheating if he hadn't broke it off.

The husband was a spineless whimp. I didn't like him and the wife was a piece of trash.

great short story. i loved how the man forgave his wife and kept on loving her, i wish more men could be like that with their wives.

I happened across your story once again and I enjoyed it even more this time than the last. Have you stopped writing?

I find the comments by the idiots who haunt this section to be amusing. I ignore them as I hope you do.

I had one write me that he gave me a "0" because he didn't like long stories and didn't even read the one on which he voted.

Come back to writing please.

K

3 months of a passionate affair and they didn't stop it. The husband blew it out of the water. I liked his idea of cashing everything in and leaving her. She probably wouldn't have even noticed. She would have been free to be with her lover. She's a worthless slut. He has to pay the price with unresolved anger and constant vigilance to keep her on the straight and narrow. When you have to treat someone like a prisoner for a long time you can't have respect for them, you can't really love them. That's what makes the premise unrealistic. You would gradually learn to hate such a person for ruining the relationship you had. It would be slow poison to him. He WOULD have been better off without her. It's really a stupid question that pops up over and over. The real question is would you be better off if the relationship could go back to the way it was. Of course everyone says yes. But you can never do that. The relationship has been destroyed. You might try to build a new one but now it would have no basis in fidelity and trust. It would have no chance.

A good story. I disagree with the ending, though.

Hubby had to stop the affair - she didn't - she would have continued for as long as the "lover" would want her - after all, it was free pussy.

In my opinion, she ruined the marriage - there is no way hubby can trust her in the future - does she even regret it? I don't think so - she regrets getting caught - too bad. She does not deserve the love of her husband.

On his side - he's a wimp. She destroyed everything they had - love - trust - companionship - a family - how can he EVER enjoy their relationship again, knowing that is is anything but exclusive. If this was a one-night infidelity, it may be forgivable - we have all had those temptations - but 3 months??? - and HE had to end it, not her.

She is pretty worthless and he should dump her, even if it is initially painful - that will pass when, and if, he finds a real woman.

I realize this is just a story and that it's supposed to touch the reader emotionally - well, it did - and I hope I'll never find myself in that situation - it would be an entirely different ending!!!

'I was never your rutting bitch, that's what made it so exciting,' or words to that effect. Why not? Why can't she masturbate in front of him, stop by his office and suck him off, bend over the couch in front of him in garters and stockings? Hell, if that's what she finds exciting then she should do it. 'I could never act that wild in front of my husband/fiancee/boyfriend, what would he think of me?' This thought pattern comes up so many times in these stories that people must really think like this. The need to go outside of a relationship to do things that they don't feel comfortable doing inside a relationship. I can't comprehend that thought pattern, are people really this stupid? Open your goddamn mouth and fucking communicate with your partner. Jesus dumb motherfuckers.

BULLSHIT!

Plauseable, true love for his woman and true emotions in that if she ever did it again,he might kill her. This is a man with a great deal of self control, but nobody should be stupid enough to push it.

All three of these pathetic characters deserve to have a bullet between the eyes to eliminate them from polluting the gene pool once again. The kids would have been better off with the grand parents. What a fucked up couple!

It was a good story

There is only one explanation ... he is one big fucking pussy because he "certainly" is no man! She, on the other hand, is an A1 WHORE! Maybe John will come around again and fuck the "skanky cunt" in the ass ( while her husband watches and beats off )! Nice ... nice piece of shit!! Enough said!!!

I came back to this story through a "Similar stories" link only to realize I had read it quite a while back. I saw that I gave it a 5 - its still a 5. I think this is one of the toughest Loving Wives story lines; the faithful spouse working (sight unseen) to save an adulterd marriage only to have it come to light down the line. I liked the way you resolved it, especially the final "trust but verify."

I guess if I had any quibble it would be the lack og confidence in the wife once the affair was admitted. I'm sure there are many reasons why one wouldn't go there, but there comes a time when the poison must be expunged in order for healing to occur. Then again, maybe I'm full of shit - it's a possibility.

...why it is that the best written stories get the most flak?

Beautifully written and so unlike the unoriginal stories that abound. I was good to revisit it.

I could not understand the husbands reaction. He should have dumped the bitch just like her boyfriend eventually did. If a woman humiliated me in public as she did, I would be unforgiving.

This was OK, but not more than a "3". I'd tend to agree, on an emotinal level, that the husband should have torched the cheating wife, but on a practical level, I can believe that many men would do what this husband did.

Are the males in the US losing their balls!'it surely seems that way with the number of wimpish husband stories coming out of the USA

WOW !!! Five stars, at least !

wants to see her fuck a stripper in front of all their friends - maybe pull a train at a bachelor party - instead of just her being shunned now he will be shunned as well. Must be true love or pitiful desperation to admit to all their friends that he is a willing cuck. The upside is the others can view them as pariahs and use them as an object lesson to avoid becoming sluts and cucks themselves.

Tony is a typical cuckold, he's a pussy.

She cheated ,got caught ,(unknown to her). He confronted her lover and forced him to end it and then went about repairing his marriage. From then on it was trust but verify. So why is he a whimp or less of a man because he did not physically assult the guy. His thoughts to me indicated that had he not ended it ,violence was a possibility.Enjoyed the story.

Isn't it the one who was wronged who has the right to forgive or not? From what I read, Anthony took care of the situation in his own way.

One thing I never understood is if the wife finds she enjoys alot more than they normally do sexually, why not slowly let her know he would love those things too? Why not enjoy her wantonness? I don't know many men who would love thier wife to be a little vixen in bed, as long as it is just with them. Why not make sure she is more than satisfied at home so she no need to look out side the marriage?

henceforth you will be called 'Father Teresa'. sickening!

Such a pity that most men would be unforgiving bastards.

men can be forgiving but consider how women act when a man cheats.

if not revenge then there should be some kind of punishment for wife should be given. at-lest husband may have told her that he know about it or she may have think she survive her 1st affair she can survive next one.

marriage is bond of 2 people not only 1(husband). and why r most (if not all) of wife say they don't feel them-self as attractive , younger as when they were married that why they had affair. tell me 1 thing did husband r as attractive , younger as when they were married.so tell me 1 thing r u a VAMPIRE or something like that so "AGE DIDN'T AFFECT UR BODY".

Right or wrong many people cheat and many stay married. You write really sad stories. But well done.

He isn't a cuck since he confronted her "lover", but he wimped by not telling her. He should have been up front at the beginning, then rebuild or destroy. She deserved some punishment. However; that could be an alternate ending.... Catch my drift. Try a non jpb ending for a change.

trust & verify, forgive, forget.retribution or revenge. TK U MLJ LV NV

She obviously has no respect for the man she claims to love.

the slut got away easy. life isn't fair

queer eye for the cuckeye, takes it in the poopchoot kaboose!

fresh from his cornhole, he gobbled the turgid rod, betrayed!

all the above comments r definitely from outraged males but think properly they both did the best thing for the kids n it happens in life. shit it happens all the time to a male just bcoz its the wife who strayed this time plz think people....

poor,stupid wimp and his wife, slut 1*

I think I'm starting to understand your story theme.. She cheats & he forgives... Good to know now I won't waste my time reading this bullshit..

And the flu kills the cheating bitch.

It might have been Tony holding the pillow over her face But We will never know

Funny how we can know each other in so many ways, and have NO CLUE in others!

A cheating cunt and a wimp If he had pictures he should have nuked both their asses.

Good story, well written, good plot.

Too bad the guy was a wimp. I wonder if her lover was of the larger size?

Forgiveness is the greater part of love. It's hard to forget tho. Trouble is once a cheater always a cheater.

he took his pussy back but still the story left me cold until he said he would kill her if she did it again. he did use the word MIGHT but we know it means WILL. still he should have eliminated the fuck buddy instead of the stupid threat.

Wonderfully written and a beautiful tale of the power and strength of love. I love how you used the italics to indicate their private thoughts. Excellent!

So, he literally sucked it up and let his wife and her lover have their fun and walk away unscathed? The lovers wife was never given a chance to decide her fate. The wimp threatened the coward and he got his slut back. The slut that he had kids with. The one's that his mother babysat for that evening. The same kids that would have been her hostages in a divorce. A divorce that would have hurt him more than her. So, he decided to sweep the mess under the rug. Except that he can't trust her anymore because she is a lying slut. So, he neurotically checks up on her all the time - great way to live. Great example for the kids. Slow poison. What about love? How can you love a person that doesn't love you? Doesn't respect you? Doesn't even like you? A person that would risk your well being, heart, and sanity all for a little excitement does not care about you. That person is a shithead. Shitheads don't count in this world. So, now your problem is simply separating yourself and your kids from the shithead. That is another, better story with a happy ending.

a cuckold lovers dream

He seriously adores her. Is he a wimp? She fucked up. Must she be unforgiven?

I guess most here are driven by an unswerving agenda. The cunt must burn. But she'll sidestep that and just move on. Hubby here ain't no huge loss, he's a fucking dork. I mean, she'll get away with it with this guy. Other guys not so certain. 5*

ONCE AGAIN A CHICK STORY NOT MEANT FOR MEN TO READ, oh you cuckold fans will love it but your not men just male and no real story.

... What an incredible story. If you could write a BTB story that rings as true, you'd be my hero. Panther Fan.

I think this is the second time reading this, but this story really got to me. OK, the plot was a little simplistic, and commonplace, BUT that was part of the setup. Plot details weren't meant to detract from the real meat of this story. Skillfully, you illuminate the words said between two spouses, during a very uncomfortable time of realization, pain , and denial. The brilliance here are the "hers and his" thoughts that surround the words spoken that night, clearly in one of the most important conversations of their marriage. But the Real story lies in what WASN'T said. What may or may not have been implied non-verbally, only scratching the surface as to the thoughts purposefully withheld from each-other. It was great, and you make a case for reconciliation to boot. " I love her, but I could have killed her, that's how I know that I still love her"! I think that the writing was super, and if others didn't like this, then it is because they just didn't get! Thanks!

Not meant for men. Meant for wimps with no backbones.

on this cuck/wimp piece of shit. So, Jekyll, what's a cream-pie taste like?

Gave it a 5 mainly to offset the short-dicked unemployed anonymice who try to convince themselves that they're real men despite being unable to attract or retain a woman with their non existent earning ability and flaccid little boy pee-pee's

Catches so many of the ambivalences, hatreds, and desires, the passion and remorse and celebration somehow mediated by genuine devotion yet nevertheless preserved. Extraordinary!

You know I assume that the anonymous assholes -- real wimps unable to confront serious situations without bluster -- who can only shout BTB!, that these know nothing about real relationships, and of course must be ignored.

I get staying with a cheater for the sake of the kids if you really think they are better off with a parent that cheats not only on their spouse, but also on their own kids! Yes, that's right, she was willing to risk her children's happiness and welfare for some cock. That doesn't show good judgement or love at all. So, if by some fluke you really think she is a great mom otherwise, then keep her. Otherwise set her and lover boy up to take a fall and make sure you get custody. Hard to do with our twisted legal system, but not impossible. Clearly any spouse that would cheat on their kids should not get custody of them - they have proven that they are not truly committed to the kids. Why can't the brain dead sexist judges get that? No kids? No question, dump the betrayer as fast as possible and do whatever you can to come out ahead materially in the divorce. That is all you have left from the decaying corpse of a marriage.

This story was total fucking BULL SHIT.

Every SINGLE one of your stories follow the same premise...wife cheats,guy keeps her.....no matter what. You ,Sir.....are (1) either a closet Cuck. (2)Waaaaaay too in touch with your feminine side. (3)are really a woman. So......what does the "H" stand for Hilary or Hilda? -BGunns

a most remarkable story , captures the readers undivided attention from the get go & does not let up until the final word ...

deserves a much higher rating , but in this category & on this type of story .. thats an impossible mission.

yes it's a story that has been told countless times ,

infidelity / betrayl, discovery / angst, forgiveness / reconciliation, redemption / happy ever after..

but what makes this one stand out is it's setting & the way the story unfolds. The Author has created & captured something very special here.

i always try to comment on the quality of the writing & attempt not to be overly influenced by events in my own life or by my credo & ideology ...

i know i could not be this husband.

if i found that my wife was cheating with a co worker i would confront them both at work with explicit evidence .. in front of as many of their colleagues as possible

i would have the divorce papers served as i left.

i would ensure her relatives also saw the evidence.

if i could get away with it , i would post the photo's / video online.

i do not have it in me to do what Tony does in this story...

having said all that ,

i Love this story , due to it's elegance & sophistication.

the Author really worked some magic in it's creation.

which in a way is reflected in it's rating.

lol alot of really angry & pissed off comments plus low star votes ..

alongside the comments praising the quality of the writing and five star votes ...usually tells you that the story is astounding.

xxxhugsxxx

TwistedOliver.

...what do they call a wife that stays with a straying husband only to win him back? I don't know but I hazard the commenters would be kinder to her than they are to this husband. The man is nowhere near a wimp. He knew what he wanted and how to get it. This character was truely an "alpha male." Judith knew it (see note below). And now Anthony has a bulletproof marriage.

MEGA KUDOs. One of the penultimate stories in the Loving Wives category. A masterful weaving of character perspectives, interwoven secret thoughts and flashback. WOW!

Judith's Alpha male recognition: "Anthony lay her on a leather couch and took a glass of apple juice from Judith, and helped Margaret drink. Judith rested the fingers of one hand on Anthony's thigh while Margaret sipped. She wasn't obvious about it, and Anthony ignored her."

Meg had none. She is just an opportunist looking for someone to pay the freight for her pleasure.

"You don't understand, Tony. I love you so deeply, you could never know. But I was never your rutting bitch. I wish I had been that way with you. It's the worst thing about the whole period, how thrilling it was."

Furthermore she knows not the meaning of love. Self centered unrepentant betrayer.

TROLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL. Things ppl say to convince themselves otherwise, wouldnt call anthony a wimp but calling him "alpha" is a stretch. lololololol

Just read this again, hadnt commented first time, really a good tale full of insight from both parties. Enjoyed this quite a bit, you are a good writer and wish you would write again.