All Comments on 'A Study in Scarlet: Epilog'

wasted a lot of writing on the first part of the story.should saved some for the ending.after the surgery and the getting to know each other all over again is missing from the heart of the story.what cause the divorce and that kind of stuff you should wrote in this story also.

reading and writing; pathetic wimp, blue please give up the "loving wives" label, you fucking suck at it

Well written with a fitting climax.

Interesting ending, though it seemed to be a bit open-ended.

Boyd

I don't often vote. That was worth a ten but I could only give it a five. I'm going to have to increase my budget for kleenex. Thanks for writing. Phil

<p>I know I'm not one of the people you like to hear from, but I just couldn't get behind this story.</p>

<p>On one hand in the first story you summed up the story pretty good at the ending. But for me, in a rush to make a happy ending, you started spreading it around pretty thick. </p>

<p>Please don't take offense at this, but as an author you have the ability to make readers like or dislike your characters. If you make us dislike them, and you want us to start liking them again, then again it is in your power to make us find a reason to like them.</p>

<p>You didn't do that here for me</p>

<p>In this story you had the "ex-husband" assulted by everyone, everyone was giving him a "kick in the butt" to make him see he was wrong, alcohol was the reason not the wife for first the new years eve party (where she slapped him in front of all of her co-workers) then later where she was making out with and getting off with a co-worker in a public area, not her.</p>

<p>Between all the supporting characters continuing to beat that into him or pointing out that, even though while the other man was the admitted preditor in the first story who was out to seduce his wife, he atleast appeared to be more "there" for her than the husband ever did, so he was as much to blame as the wife was for what she did and had a hand in the break up of the marriage.</p>

<p>But you forgot something though, in the first story you mentioned that when ever he tried to talk to his wife about how he felt they were drifting apart she would tell him he was paranoid and then they would drift into a shouting match. You wrote where the husband <i>tried</i> to talk to her and she decided to ignore him. Then you even tried to come up with a plausible explaination for why she was wearing the special underwear he gave her while she was making out with another man. But again that didn't make sense to me. She knew she was going back downstairs to hang out with another man, why would she redress to be sexy for him at all? Why not just wear what she had on? Why go through the effort of prettying herself up for another man? Why take the underwear at all or why wear it when she was with another man, who she was clearly attracted to, even if she was mad at the husband? Again points missed. With so many points missed it felt like very thinly hidden explainations for very valid arguements.</p>

<p>I just don't buy it as a happy ending. I mean Heck I was pulling for him and her to get back together once I figured out what you were doing, but once I saw how you were sticking them back together, an <b>extremely</b> generous mixture of blame for him from everyone that was supposedly his friend combined with an alcohol problem for her that would explain absoultely no inhibitions (but still allowed her to retain a complete and intact memory of what she had been doing the very next day or years later) it was evident that this would be a happy ending because you said so, and not because I as a reader felt it should be so by what you wrote</p>

<p>Dude you are a fantastic writer, but if you were a chess player I would say you play a fantastic opening and middle game, but your end game tends to suffer. That's what happened here. You wrote a great beginining, enough that I started looking forward to how you were going to put them back together, but having the innocent party who wittnessed their mates betrayal, constantly being gang raped by most of his friends for not being more <b>tolerent</b><i> and</i><b> understanding</b>, and that he should have given his wife more chances after two very <b>public</b> displays of affection with the <i>same</i> man who wasn't her husband, wasn't *quite* what I had in mind when I was reading the story. At one point I started to wonder why he was so spineless that people would walk all over him like this and try and tell him it was out of love?</p>

<p>Sorry I didn't like this sequel as much as I loved the first part. I still didn't see why they should be together. I wanted them to work it out, but nothing I read lead me to believe it should have happened.</p>

-Risq

although i usually think Risq_001 is too harsh is his scoring and his criticism i have to say i thought his assessment of this story expressed my view right on.

everyone is so willing to blame it on the booze, but if she was so out of control because of the booze, to not assume she would have had sex with the creep would have been ridiculous. only John's intervention stopped it from happening. somehow i feel the friends would have made that okay,also.

Its NOT bad. I kind of liked it. But this leads me into one of my two BIGGEST pet peeves about authors here who write serious LW stories.

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One of them is when when author in an attempt to come to a SET or predetermined conclusion either LIE about what happened in previous chapters OR fuck up the chain of events. The Author gives us SPECFIFC Major events then in the subsequent chapter forget to resolves them.

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Classic case: <b>CURIOUS2c story Seperating Factors. </b> In that story Wife walks out for NO explained reason demanding 6 months apart but promising NO DATING (not fucking)... Husband pleads for some hint of what is bothering her... pleads for marriage counselling... and for MONTHS she REFUSES to tell him 1 sentance. Husband then catches wife on a date... and eventually takes her back.

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You see??? CURIOUS2c sets up these amazing circumstances in the marriage which pulls US (the Reader) into the well written story but then NEVER resolves the Key issue... why did the wife REFUSES any communication for Months? why would she refuse any marriage help? Those KEY points are not answered.

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<i>(BTW... I emailed the author Curious2c... I asked him about that Pledge "not to date" and why the husband took her back...His answer was " if you love someone anything they do can be over looked".... I shit you NOT!!!) </i>

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OK in this story Blue88 does kind of the same thing. The RED PANTIES that Esther never wore for her Husband... is mentioned once. John NEVER mentions them. And of course it is a KEY point.

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Thus Esther's assertion that she didnt tell JOHN about the old boyfriend was now working with her on a daily basis b/c they were fighting alot in the last few months is BULLSHIT.

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Yes Esther may have a LOW alcohol threshold. Ok fair enough. But doesnt JOHN deserve a break as well... ? He is the one who got cheated on ya know?

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Esther's omisison of THAT truth COMBINED with the red panties is WHY John could NOT believe this was a 1 time slip up. By omitting the Red Panties incident -- what happended and what it might have meant -- How the Facts looked to JOHN is Lost. </b>

The author INENTIONALLY does this so he can make JOHN look like a pig headed asshole and destroy ANY rational basis for JOHN's decision.

Some of the objections raised by previous comments are probably at least partially valid, but I like the Epilogue. People screw up (as both John and especially Esther did) and sometimes need forgiveness. It is really easy for any of us to get caught up in the day-to-day stuff and forget what is important, which is what I think Esther did. Ironic that she ended up quitting the job that she cared about so much when she discovered that it wasn't that important anymore. I think the line of logic from start to finish holds and John did the right thing.

Blue88 has put together a prodigious examination of a marriage that failed and of a love that lasted despite an infidelity and subsequent divorce. Was every i dotted and every t crossed to the satisfaction of all readers? No, not a chance. But we do have an interesting story that has involved many of us in the personalities created by the author. Because of this I believe the author should be congratulated. Thanks for the story.

To be able to make a fair comment I first read the entire story again and then read the epilogue.

I have to give you credit - as a complete story it works quite well and answers any lingering questions. The Epilogue was very well written but then so was the original.

The part where he caught her in the hotel bar was masterful ... it couldn't have been done better.

In the epilogue there is a paragraph that starts with "Esther Watson smiled at her friend."

I just finished a book by Harlen Coben, "Promise Me" that explores this topic in much greater detail. I looks into the questions:

- should you rescue someone that wants to be rescued?

- should you rescue someone that doesn't want to be rescued?

- Should you make value judgments about the ones you rescue or not? That is given a clean cut teenage girl and a scruffy aids ridden had ... are they equal in the eyes of the rescuer? Think about this. what if you are an

EMT and you have the above two bleeding out and you have time to save only one? Do we place different values on our own perception of importance. Same if you are an emergency room doctor performing triage after a major catastrophe ... are you quicker to judge someone you perceive to be worthless?

I highly recommend reading this book in particular and the author in general. Not many authors have made me think like this guy did in this book.

Anyway, great job. It was a good read - what more could I ask?

Regards, Jack

I would submit that if a person's reaction to alcohol is the same as an alcoholic's reaction, they are in truth, an alcoholic. Do you have to be a drunk for a period of time to earn that designation, or is that reaction to alcohol enough? I suggest it is. We've all been wandering the halls of Literotica looking, and possibly even praying, for an intelligent, well written story. Blue has been kind enough to deliver one and I thank him for it and hope that others will follow in his footsteps and give us more quality stories to read. Selfish attitude, but it's mine.

I have no objection to reconciliation stories. I do have a problem to the extent that this story went to try and excuse Esther's behavior. For a doctor to 'diagnose' her as having an extremely low tolerance for alcohol based purely upon an account on how she screwed up her marriage. Especially when it involved infidelity with a man who was trying to seduce her and to whom she was very attracted was, in my opinion, ridiculous! For Pat to arrive at the same conclusion just conclusion based upon descriptions of the events leading to his divorce was even worse. What’s more it wasn’t necessary! Esther let herself get drunk celebrating the successful conclusion of the project and let Jim Moriarty seduce her. It was a mistake. It was wrong. It was a betrayal of her husband. But if they were going to reconcile it was something John would have to forgive. I felt other arguments that Pat made trying to show that Esther really did love him were much more convincing and reasonable. In short, the use of a low tolerance for alcohol to mitigate Esther’s offense wasn’t necessary for reconciliation and the poor way it was done actually made it detract from the story.

As always thanks for writing

Blue88 is one of the "cheating wife" writers who loves to bring the husband and wife back together after the wife gets caught. Unfortunately the logic he uses is always so convoluted that its usually impossible to find any emotion in his stories.

This is a classic example of a story taken too far and not working.

It was obvious that Blue88 wanted to force John and Esther back together. Look at how he described their first year apart. John turned into a near hermit until Irene bullies him into rejoining the human race, and she will stop at nothing to get John and Esther remarried to each other. Quite frankly I was stunned Blue88 had Esther move out of the area, as I expected Irene to have Esther at that first dinner she got John to attend.

Esther hasn't done much better. Quit the job that caused the problem and moves to another city to join a non-profit organization dealing with troubled and impoverished families. Definitely trying to win the "I turned my life around." sympathy vote.

But its also very inrealistic. John starts going out on dates and definitely becomes a great friend of Pat. There is little reason to believe that Pat would have had that talk with him near the end. He had been terribly hurt by Esther, and I don't know any real person who would push a divorced man to remarry his ex, when he had made it as clear as John had that he didn't want to know. Anyways, since John was finding dates and sex, its very likely that the undying torch that Blue88 gives him for Esther would most likely have died out. This divorce wasn't friendly, nor was the last year of the marriage. That's going to be the dominant memory for a long time when he's thinking of Esther, and the "she's completely unable to handle alcohol" excuse doesn't fly. Other authors have pointed out that using that excuse is wrong always.

I like Blue88's hard work and style, but it would be nice to see him explore new plotlines. Not every divorce can end in reconciliation.

He said it very well. The story was ok but you went too far in your effort to reconcile them imo. <p><p>

The only thing I wanted to add is that her having cancer and finding out she stayed with him when he couldnt give her children were adding insult to injury as far as taking things too far in order to justify their reconciliation. <p><p>

It would have been better as a straight forgive and forget type thing imo. You could have mentioned all the things the wife had done both prior to getting caught and after that showed she loved the husband, but you didnt need to beat it to death like you did. I understand that you are just trying to answer your critics who say you dont lay the groundwork before jumping to the reconciliation, but I think you went a bit too far in the other direction this time.<p><p>

Still a good story though. Thanks again for writing.

This one was hard one to resolve. While I wouldn't have done the same, It was your story. Maybe a little too many side tracks, but I still enjoyed the read. And like HDK, the endless search for readable stories is getting old. so thank you blues. LYG

I really liked the original story. I think this was a fitting end to it. Patty succeeded with John where Ben failed with Essie, she got him to think rationally about what happened. All he had ever done was think emotionally. Once he used his intellect he came to a conclusion he could live with. I grew up at a University, some people with high intelligence can be kind of dumb when it comes to emotions and dealing with people. As for the naysayers, who cares? When other established authors are praising your story, consider the source of the comments. Who am I to argue with HDK, LYG, and DJack? I happen to like most of their stories too! Thanks for a winner!

At the risk of offending the "kill the bitch" segment of your readers, I liked your ending, although I can't imagine why Esther would be so thrilled about reconciling with John. In your story, he comes across as a paranoid, sanctimonous, wishy washy academic who spies on his wife and sees her being fingered by A CO-WORKER THAT she was ordered to work with in spite of the fact that the co-worker was transferred out years earlier for sexually harassing her. He immediately rushes out, files divorce papers and sulks in his apartment nursing his wounded ego stopping only to have Renee or Irene give him a hand job in her hot tub . If I were Esther, I would have told him to get lost.

60 year old George

after his last post -- see right below-- I think we can safely assert that we do NOT need any more Proof that 60 year George is a 100% total fucking whack job?

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NONE of the Real posts -- and by that I do NOT counting anonymous troll posts -- are saying " Kill the bitch". Can this old senile whacko George find one?.

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What Many are saying is that the Esther weakness of alcohol consumption does NOT explain why she wore THAT special set of Lingerie... why she never told John that Guy was back in town...

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Esther is NOT a cheating slut per se... but JOHN's view of things ARE legit. IF he had NOT interrupted them Esther SURELY woulf of cheated.

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wait let me Guess .... 60 year old George would of blame JOHN for Esther's cheating right?

readers. No one is infallible. Everyone makes mistakes. It is only and everything that the circumstance and setting make the mistake life altering or not.<P>

Men by nature are fixers but then so are women. The Author has a reputation for fixing everything in the end.<P>

His talent isn't arguable. It is more than most could want.<P>

It is his first painting vs his end fix that many readers find frustrating. Even when a story ends on a very human note there is suspicion that it likely hasn't ended in the writers mind. The other shoe will fall eventually in spite of what has already transpired. That prejudices acceptance of the to be sold outcome.<P>

Author - your prior ending was well crafted and reasonable as you painted it. It gave us a change of heart about your predictable need to fix it. When you didn't and it ended on a very well written conclusion there were cheers throughout most of the land. At last - At last a normal human reaction to your own setting.<P>

Reality finally ruled until Mr. Fixit decided to push some previously embedded preset buttons and blame onto other factors while painting him lonesome and lost without a chance at life to his end of it. The formula thought to be broken was just submerged as was intended. Silly us.<P>

So now you must start all over to regain what you lost but now it will be doubly difficult to break the formula in our minds.<P>

The writing is superb but why read it when the wronged is always made low and the offender is made whole without clear reason and in opposition to what was sold initially.<P>

Damn - I wish I had your talent and my reality that life isn't always fixable. Infallible isn't just a word without opposite. The opposite of reality isn't easily sold every time by anyone.<P>

All that said, we will continue to read you because you move us with your superlative talent and style but I for one feel sorry for you that you can't let reality happen - ever - it seems - and that tarnishes your portfolio that could be almost really - perfect.<P>

Sad in a way huh.

I love your writing but this "epilog" which could stand on it's own struck me as not so quiet desperation for John, Esther and their friends. But you miss the critical element leading to the breakup - Esther admitted that she would have fucked Moriarty if John had not intervened. This alcohol defense is weak on two counts. First, Esther who was heavy drunk suddenly become sober when John appears. Sorry, if you are high a sudden shock can clear your head but if you are drunk as stated in this story you have to sleep it off. Second, there are many everyday products which contain alcohol like cold medicine so if she was so sensitive she and John would have become aware of her weakness much earlier.___________________________________

What was most insulting was the extreme efforts required for this reconciliation. At the end of the story John had a choice (which you described quite well) - a life of regrets or a life of doubts. John clearly after a year was having problems with his new life of regrets. Once he heard how Esther's life changed how come he could not pick up the phone to see if they can start anew? After all, John believed her that this was the first slip. If the relationship got serious he could ask that they get into therapy to examine what went wrong. Now that would have been an intelligent man's approach to his inability to move on. At least, he could have come to terms about the end of his marriage.___________________________________________

Lastly, I have to echo Risq_001's comments that the marriage was dying before the hotel incident with all of the miscommunication, lies, posturing and pettiness. The idea that after 20 years of avoiding her weakness she becomes so overconfident she forgets why she avoided alcohol in the first place does not seem credible._______

SleeplessinMD

she was exchaging some healthy amount of saliva with some years back?<p>

so she was ALSO drunk --- or, okay, drinking "heavily" --- back then? <p>

hmmmmm, the answer is obvious enough! this woman needs to stay away from drinking, ESPECIALLY when he's with that guy! Stupid alcohol, it can make you do very bad things, don't it? We need to look for those wine/alcohol makers and punish them for creating such substance, knowing they can impaire a person's ability to make good/right decisions! We are all humans, and have weaknesses, that's true; but if there's NO ALCOHOL to tempt us, we won't be drinking it and be making bad decisions, would we? NO! Anyone with an ounce of intelligence knows that! It's time to re-institute those Prohibition Acts again!<p>

Wine, Alcohol, beer, and any other mind altering drugs and stimulants ----- all of them are just plain evil! Good, moral, Godly Christians who don't drink, we need to stand up and speak out against these unGodly substance! They destroy families and lives!<p>

If a woman whose name is so prominantly displayed in the Holy Book Bible, Esther, is not save from this UnGodly substance --- no one is safe!

I have been a fan of Blue since I first stumbled upon Literotica about the time of "Karen". I quickly put him into my favorites file for fiction, and I have never regretted it. Along with HDK, Ohio, Longhorn, Troubador, and many others I've grown to enjoy, I keep coming back.

This story was an excellent example of the fact that there can be forgiveness if it's presented in a believable manner.

To those critics who only want blood and misery for the fallen wife, I remind them that we get to see the pain on both sides, so we have the advantage of being reasonably certain that the cheater won't repeat. Remember, it's the writer's story, and it can go any way he wants it. In this case, it's a damn good story, so why not just leave it at that.

The passage of time since the first three parts of the story helped this to be another good read, as I expect from the outstanding stories of Blue88. This is one of the authors that I search out each day, because of the quality of the writing. Unfortunately, after reading this 'conclusion', I went back to reread the original part of the story to refresh my memory. Then, this conclusion just didn't seem to fit so well anymore. After reading about the final incident that led to the break-up, it just seems too easy to explain it all away with a low alcohol tolerance. The lowering of her inhibitions allowed her to do something which betrayed her underlying lack of respect for her marriage and her husband. The fact that she couldn't even tell her husband about Moriarity's return showed how little respect she had for her husband. I just can't believe that the passage of time, counseling from meddling friends and his ex's illness would be able to restore his faith and trust in his wife. I really wish I had not gone back to reread the first three parts, as until then, I enjoyed the new conclusion more as a stand-along story.

To the commentator who said if you get drunk you have to sleep it off. Has never had an accident where the adrenaline rush is so heavy you get as sober as a judge. I did not want a happy ending, but realized this was a very damaged woman who could be repaired by abstinence. I gotta admit I had tears in my eyes at the end. Great ending. Luis

YEIEIEIEIE! I almost orgasmed as I read this story - a well crafted, GOOD story for once - They have become so scarse in Literotica. Why the author even took the time to flesh out his characters and even give us a PLOT! I sobbed. Thank you, Blue, I hope the wife makes you "happy" tonight! You deserve it, buddy.

<p>Often I see the comment of: "While not trying to offend the kill the wife crowd", or something like that, that is often used when someone is trying to explain how hardhearted someone is for not forgiving a mate for cheating because no one is perfect. But that has always raised a question I've always wondered</p>

<p>Often the excuse I see a lot is "people aren't perfect they are going to make mistakes", yet these same people are expecting other <i>imperfect</i> people to totally forgive the first imperfect person for actions that caused them grief</p>

<p>So now my question: George (or any one who feels this way) Why are you so ready to jump on one imperfect person for feeling they can't get past what was done too them by another impeferct person?</p>

<p>By the use of that logic if one person isn't perfect and did something to hurt someone deeply, the other person who is also imperfect isn't going to have the perfect answer or do the perfect thing and instantly forgive them as would be argueably the right thing. Often other things need to happen to make forgiveness possible because, lets face it, we're all imperfect living in an imperfect world.</p>

<p>Any way, just because someone doesn't agree with you George doesn't mean we're any more right or <i>wrong</i> than youare. We're just imperfect people thinking our thoughts</p>

-Risq

I have to say it is a sad read in that it takes Alcohol and blames it for our own wants in the sub-conscience or not.<p>What happens the next time she is depressed or exhilarated? What makes anyone reach for an aid in abetting a feeling? If it is exhilaration do you shout out to everyone your glee or just get down and dirty and do more to make yourself even happier. If it is depression do you strike out at someone or reach for anything to help you keep it there in your pity state.<p>This woman has been lied too by so called professional and do-gooder friends. She has been lead astray by a covey of utterly uninformed idiots who profess a knowledge that is so faulty any professional health expert would rail at them. The truth is we do not leave our values we truly hold because of alcohol. We do let our inhibitions rein free at times, but we don’t change what is truly inside of us to begin with. If we are a true alcoholic we will do almost anything for the next drink as this is a disease of want and need, a dependency. This is not a twice a lifetime disease!<p>This man filled with self-pity is so over the top in loving his depression he wants no one to help him recover. He is pushed so hard to believe a bunch of bull from people who were not privy to any of the happenings first hand and only want what they feel is right for him by their viewpoints.<p>This story is a reconciliation at all cost, even making up physical affirmatives. I have not read the other comments but I am sure others will point that out so I don’t need to draw that out further. Some people have a bent to see adultery or self-gratification forgiven at all costs. <p>This is a very good writer who spends inordinate energy to put out a good reading story. I for one cannot buy any of this tripe of two people who in real life require real mental health help.<p>PT

Gosh, I like Blue88's writing. His prose is excellent even though the predecessor to this tale was marred by naming problems. The characters are richly drawn and the plot is interesting.

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In this tale, the idea is put forward that Esther is unusually susceptible to alcoholic intoxication, that a single drink can put her into what some researchers term Level III intoxication (a BAC of 0.12 or more), and it's that susceptibility that leads to her adultery. From what I was able to glean from the net, there's no definitive proof one way or another that such a thing is possible. It is known for certain that generally women become intoxicated more easily than men because of their lower body mass. It's also true that some races of people metabolize alcohol at different rates because of their genetics, and that's the reason, for example, why some Native American individuals remain intoxicated longer than others.

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According to experts, at Level III intoxication, individuals lose most of their inhibitions, and their judgment is severely impaired because portions of the limbic region of the brain have shutdown. It's possible, I suppose, that Esther could get stonkered by one drink but it seems unlikely. Smells suspiciously like "the devil made me do it." but I'll give the author his license to tell the story.

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What bothers me is why Esther doesn't consult a competent doctor to find out what's wrong with her. After she's married, she doesn't talk to her loving husband about her problem, preferring to let the elephant sleep in the living room. The author goes to great lengths to paint her as an intelligent person but these are blunders of colossal magnitude. Do they ruin the story? Not really because intelligent people do stupid things all the time.

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What does strain credibility is the reconciliation. After so long apart, why in the world would these two people want to get back together? John is a suspicious, anal compulsive control freak. I can't imagine why Esther would contemplate taking him back. Likewise, Esther is a confirmed workaholic who puts her career first and her marriage second. Why would John want to resume a relationship in which he's guaranteed to play second fiddle to her job? The constant meddling by their "friends" to get them back together is somehow justified because "it's for their own good". Bushwah.

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It's a good story and I enjoyed the read. Thank you, Blue88, for an enjoyable tale.

If I was looking for reality, I would simply live my own life as it is. I really enjoy living in a "story" world now and then, as do millions upon millions of other human beings. If we didn't, there would be very little in the way of a publishing industry.

I'm amazed at how many Literotica commenters reference "reality" when I suspect they all read something like Ian Fleming or Tom Clancy, both of whom take substantial liberty with "reality".

I want to be entertained for a while and reading this story certainly did it for me.

Blue, thanks for all the time, energy and talent you put into entertaining us.

With friends like this who needs enemys

Firstly, I agree with many of the comments about the alcohol and the underwear. I don't feel that these were dealt with as well as they might have been. However a story is a vehicle to examine situations or emotions. Therefore the alcohol and underwear become constructs to allow the author explore their topic. I was not satisfied with Patty's introduction of John's infertility while examining Esther's condition. John did not choose to be infertile. Esther chose to drink after avoiding alcohol since the fateful New Years party. That said, this becomes a vehicle to illustrate the emotional impact of two traumatic incidents, inability to have children and infidelity. The effects of these two would be different in one critical way. John could not have children at all. His reaction to his infertility is not explored in any way. It is raised by a woman as if it only affects the woman in the partnership. Did Esther spend any time addressing how John felt about it? The potential adultery, however, is the result of a choice - to drink or not to drink. I think these themes could have been usefully introduced and debated. I disagree that John is an anal retentive. He did try to talk to his wife but then saw his fears realised. So what if he wallows in self-pity. It is part of his coping mechanism. He spends the day putting on a brave face to his students so perhaps he has less time to address and overcome his feelings. Irene then becomes the instrument used to illustrate his need to put the divorce behind him. Quibbles aside, B88 always produces well written tales which explore the themes of marital disharmony in an entertaining and thought provoking way. I always enjoy his work and look forward to more. Personally, I would torch the bitch.

John can take down Moriarity who tries to push him away from Esther at the law firm's Christmas party, John can take out a punk with a knife who tries to mug him, but he is helpless when he is caught by surprise by the deranged stalker who pulls him into the alley by the bar. The hulk has a knife so it is legit when Patty shoots him to death, clearly saving both their lives. We must remember Patty put cuffs on John when they first met as adults, she locked her door so he could not walk out of the apartment after dinner when she brought up Esther again (instigated by Irene, or is it 'Renee'). John just seems powerless, these women control him, run his life . . . They say the hero of a story is the character who changes -- I would say John has acquired some seriously wimpish changes. Other issues: Firstly, as long as there were a few sperm, sickly or not, John could have been a biologic father with test tube fertilization and sperm injection (into Esther's eggs). This treatment is quite successful (sickly sperm that don't swim well do not increase the chance for birth defects). With both their salaries, they could have afforded the medical expenses. So starting a family was an option they really could have pursued; why didn't they? Was it so John could have an initial humiliation to set the stage for more of the same? As a lawyer, Esther should have known John would eventually find out about Jim Moriarity and his transfer back to the local branch of the law firm. She logically thought it was better to tell him about the Saturday session to finish the contract her firm was working on, and also the trip out of town, up front. So why didn't she act up front with John and let him know Jim was back? John says early in the story he won't drink because his father ended up an alcoholic; yet John certainly over-does the alcohol on several occasions in the story (the interlude with Irene in his hot tub is an example). When John sensed problems in the marriage, and Esther would snap at him or accuse him of being paranoid, why didn't he simply say (as any educated, intelligent person would do), "Honey, we need counseling, we need professional help or this marriage won't survive?" The marriage was over well before Esther's almost-affair -- John even alludes to this at times. Also, if my "friends" kept butting into my personal business, as happened with both John and Esther, they would not remain my friends. Finally, Pat almost has a Psychology degree but has not done her internship yet nor has she practiced; I have trouble believing she would take the risk she warns Irene about, forcing John to re-hash the Esther situation.

The alcohol excuse won't fly. She was stone cold sober when she packed for the trip, also when she hid the fact that Jim was back in town.

lovely ending.. I'm happy for them both and as I stated before, this guy needed to come to his senses :) And having a very low tolerance to alcohol is true.. In most hard drinking countries though people with that kind of genes died out in history as a side effect to the heavy drinking going on, and yes, that is a god damned truth.. You write good story's even though your guys seems thickheaded at times.. But I sure prefer that to wimps.. cheers Yoron.

I happened upon this chapter as I hoped you would not leave the story hanging, and I really liked this ending. I really don't understand why John was so overly emotional since it was his decision to divorce in the first place, but it was a very thoughtful and moving story.

BRAVO!!!!

Thanks, Blue. The effects of alcohol on the body and mind are cumulative and the fact that she was sober when she packed for the trip does not matter. Her thinking had already been affected. Some people are defined as alcoholics when they drink only a glass or two of alcohol a day. Drinking is just a symptom of other problems and Irene's decisions are distorted by them and not just by the alcohol. Alcohol just exacerbates the problems.

Thanks for a good read,

PW

By the way - for those who haven't been able to figure out the Renee, it is pronounced - Reen-e, not Ranay. Get it?

I was bored with a rained out weekend and came across your

story.Thank you,it was a great story.

Do writer's use multiple names for the same character to cover up in case they make a mistake? Or, do they just not care to go back and correct when they use the wrong name? It makes it very confusing for the reader to keep track of the characters. Is it that common in nonfiction to call someone by two different first names? I still don't like the ending. I'm not prone to cry 'wimp', but in this case the husband is definitely setting himself up for wimp status. Is Irene...Renee trying to get back at John for not reciprocating after the hand job she gave him and choosing her when his marriage broke up, by hoping Esther will cause him more pain? In the first part of the story, Esther talks about how exciting Moriarty is and then . . . whoops, she gets herself in a position to let her guard down and find out just how exciting he can be. I come back to this story to see some redeeming qualities that I might have missed, considering the author, but it just gets worse.

You are a gifted storyteller.

Well sir I really really liked this story. I know I may sound stupid but I have a request for i.e can u write a last chapter for this story I mean I was thinking this story is still incomplete . John & Esther both wanted kids .After she is all well what happened between them??did they get back together?? how their life will change after her cancer surgery??? will they marry again?? there are many such questions?? I personally believe that the story is still open to be ended .This story still need a right turn.so pleaseeee 1000000000000 times pleaseeee write a last chapter & show more happy ending.

Well sir I really really liked this story. I know I may sound stupid but I have a request for i.e can u write a last chapter for this story I mean I was thinking this story is still incomplete . John & Esther both wanted kids .After she is all well what happened between them??did they get back together?? how their life will change after her cancer surgery??? will they marry again?? there are many such questions?? I personally believe that the story is still open to be ended .This story still need a right turn.so pleaseeee 1000000000000 times pleaseeee write a last chapter & show more happy ending.

Well sir I really really liked this story. I know I may sound stupid but I have a request for i.e can u write a last chapter for this story I mean I was thinking this story is still incomplete . John & Esther both wanted kids .After she is all well what happened between them??did they get back together?? how their life will change after her cancer surgery??? will they marry again?? there are many such questions?? I personally believe that the story is still open to be ended .This story still need a right turn.so pleaseeee 1000000000000 times pleaseeee write a last chapter & show more happy ending.

and Irene used to manipulate John into considering Ester. She was angry at John and it was not his fault it was hers, she lied constantly about the other man being in her life again and it weighed on her. She is what a lot of men call and easy drunk. I once dated a girl that got drunk eating the olives from my drinks. She was at that booth and intentionally got drunk and had sex, period. Maybe she just wanted the other man to impregnate her and give her children, who knows why a slut does what the do. She didnt give up her job because of anything noble. She was shamed. In shame over the fact she committed adultry. In shame over the fact her husband knew she was a slut and she ruined her marriage. In shame because at work she would be with a man who she fucked willingly and every day would be a reminder and she might give in again to her baser morals. Her job in Atlanta was a punishment to atone for her wrong doing in destroying her husband and their marriage. Oh my goodness, she has cancer I must rush to her and keep a slut as mine! In Patty's apartment the cute trick of her putthing the ken in her was done and he should have just taken the and left. Actually I would have just kicked her door out and left. Women like Irene and Patty ruin peoples lives trying to manipulate them because they know what is best for them. A shame Irene's husband was not strong enough to tell her to stay out of it from the start. Maybe then he could have healed, got over the slut, and found a woman worth having instead of going back to used trash. Actually John would have been much better off to have taken a sabbatical and gone off somewhere for a year or two. You forced reconciliation where none was due. You destroyed in the story the man ripped away anything and everything that made him a man except his job. Maybe with all of the psycho babble you spouted in this you should have included the statistics that almost no reconciliations with cheaters ever last and most end in divorce or worse.

I am a reconciliation fan, but---- that does not make the story hold together. He loves her and she loves him and he is willing to work things out, overlooking the underwear and the sex. Fine.... but I really can not believe that the attack by Pattie would make things move in the desired direction. The cancer could, the fact that she gave up her career could work on me, but,... basically he would have to accept that she wanted the scene of triumph. If he had immediately apresented himself she would have worn the underwear for him ,but in his apparent absence, she accepts the desirable substitute.... I really could hold her hand and decide to live with her again for a better life. But trust her?? How??

If it hadn't been for the two know-nothing busybody interfering women, true love would have been lost....horseshit. A lot of talk and talk and more talk doesn't excuse or escape what happened. A lot of mumbo jumbo from two "friends" who were butting in more for themselves (because they know everything and what's best for everyone, you know) than for him doesn't change things either. You've got the fairy tale romantic tear jerker ending where it doesn't belong; just doesn't fit. I'll give you credit...you took a long time to get there, suffered many detours, and still managed to get lost in the end. A better ending would have had the man and woman finding partners more suited to their needs and wants, and two new marriages not based in bullshit and mistrust. We'd all like to fix things that are broken, but not all things are fixable, and not all things are meant to be fixed....just my take on it.....

I give it 25 because of the author's writing skill but that's it. The author hates men in general if this and his other offerings are taken into account. John is repeatedly badgered by his "friend" Irene to forgive his faithless wife. In the end of chapter 3 even Ester knew she was a cheat. She admits it to herself and him. So why is it that Irene conspires with Pat to hold Jim against his will? The story ends with Unlawful Confinement plain and simple, by a member of the police no less (she should loose her job). She then batters him psychologically and ply's him with liquor while he's appears to be in a depressed state of mind, it's a wonder he didn't kill himself. Then the reconciliation at the end? Pure Crap! The victim becomes the villain in true Blue88 fashion. It's a good thing Blue gave up writing, the man bashing was really getting tiresome. Sadly there are plenty of other man hater's out there on this site to take over where Blue left off.

I always divorce my wife when she has too much to drink and let's a co-worker finger bang her.

yea, so she couldnt handle her liqour but thats all the more reason why she should avoid it. and meeting up with jim again and neglecting her husband to the point that both would rather be alone than talk to each other are pretty good reasons to divorce. besides, as es already said, she would have definitely slept with jim if john had not interupted them. so after all of this, john ( the us, the readers) are supposed to believe she wasnt after a couple drinks, her inner slut comes out? her inhibitions lower? and he should have told his friends to fuck off and leave him alone, because what few people on this site realize, is that a happy ending doesnt mean a couple stays together. besides, what if she drinks again because everyone knows she will. yea, im a cynic but everything ive said is true.

Should have left well enough alone and ended it at chapter 3.

he didn't fuck Irene. She sure fucked him over way more than his wife. Should have ended it with chapter 3. This submission sure is rubbish.

I don't understand how some readers could have questioned the ending of this story after part 3. Using that as an ending would have been preferable to this tripe. A husband's 'good friend' keeps persuading him to forgive and forget watching his wife, in public, tongue kissing, having her breasts played with, getting finger-banged, giving a hand job and having her panties put on the table by a former flame whose work interactions she had kept secret from him. What part of this could possibly scream "reconciliation"? I have trouble believing that this was written by the same author, whose overall work is so much better than this.

The scene in the bar was only the exclamation mark to the end of their marriage. The fucking cunt was LOOKING to get fucked when she dressed in the Scarlett shit. Her CHOICE was to DRINK even though she KNEW the effect it had on her.

All this hand wringing and so called friends was just a bunch of mealy mouthed wimpy hand wringing bullshit.

The CORRECT end would have been when he caught up with the ass wipe and ended his days. AS HE PROMISED.

A true romance

If her tolerance to alcohol was really as low as they described it in the epilogue then the cheating whore would have been in a coma with the amount of booze she was drinking in the bar while getting finger banged. This story would have rocked if John had hung himself after the two manipulative and interfering cunts locked him in the row home and fed him a line of bullshit excuses and laid all the guilt back onto him where it didn't belong.

I don't understand the reaction to this story, all those CAPITAL LETTERS in the responses. This is a well written story, a bit corny and trite, but better than most Hollywood blockbusters in terms of characters and storyline. I found it engrossing and read it through happily. There's nothing here to make people as angry as they appear to be in the responses! And the (brief) sex scene in the hotel lounge was OK, too.

Gotta Cancel out KOTK so I stumble across this story once every couple of months and give the wimp "00." So I guess this must be art as it evokes a reaction.

3 times in a row, lol!!! I had few issues earlier on this site regarding that "code" thing for comment. I LOVE this story, and I STILL think that this story is open. I'd love to know where this couple go from here. It's been a long time since this story was last posted so I don't think there'll be anymore of it. Zed0, I'm sure you'll give another "00" next time you stumble across this story, I'll be here to level the score.

Well written story but you should have stopped at part 3.

If only you could write a believeable ending. I don't think there is any way a regular guy would tolerate that much interference in his life from two women (Pat and Irene). His ex admitted that it was a certainty that she was going to fuck her old boyfriend if she hadn't been stopped. The booze was only used as an excuse. The ending was so weak that it mostly destroyed the rest of the worth of the story. anon jerry

Blue88,

Great story, well told and loved the drama and charactors you created. Don't know what inspired this story in your mind but in mine, I got it.

If I had not read it in one day then it would have haunted me and may still over time. Again, thanks for sharing your writing. Rate it up there with my all time favorites.

x

Not the story! I thought you threaded the needle carefully. Just when I thought I could stand any more of John's angst, you resolved it. What's sad is the unrelenting bitterness of some reader's who cannot envision any outcome short of divine retribution. I can't figure if these folks haven't experienced the difficulties of longterm relationships (i.e., are too immature to comprend their complexities) or are looking for confirmation for their own vindictive behavior. Ah, well. Keep up the good work. And ignore them.

Another self centered bitch bites the dust. Hooray!!

this was stupid "she's an alcoholic so she could not help her self " thats BULL SHIT! being an alcoholic my self i can tell you you don't know shit about alcoholism you alwaes have a choise about when and ware you drink all she had to do was not drink with out her husband around but no. see her real problume was not alcohol it was she was a selfish peace of shit, in her job and in her personal life. oh and by the way you never explaned the fancy underware he bought her "that he never got to see her ware" that she packed and wore for the other guy was she drunk when she did that? see at the end of the day she will never be eney better than she was untell she recognizes her selfishness just like every other cheater male or female.

Esther PLANNED her tryst. She reconnected with a man who she found attractive. She knew he was trouble and didn't care. She didn't tell her husband about him being back and that she was working very closely with this man because she didn't want the attraction she felt toward him to be interfered with. She starts to undermine her relationship with her husband to make it more palatable that she fool around. She spends months reinforcing her relationship with Strickner and weakening the relationship with her husband. She brings extremely intimate underwear on a business trip, underwear that she was normally uncomfortable wearing. Having put all the pieces in place she CHOSE to let her guard down and started drinking. She KNEW where this would lead otherwise she wouldn't have avoided drinking as rigorously as she had. Finally, being drunk is NOT an excuse for behavior. It doesn't matter that she had a very low tolerance for alcohol. That might have been a valid excuse at the first party. But since then SHE KNEW about her problem. It was clear that she did because she carefully controlled her behavior. Esther wanted to hook up with Strickner but have an excuse available to absolve her from guilt, i.e. I was drunk.

<br><br>As to having a policeman involuntarily restrain someone, she could kiss her career goodbye. Patty and Renee are controlling busybodies. He tolerates their interference because he is a nice guy. They roll all over him. Almost anyone who was as upset as John was would be furious about Patty and Renee's interference and have nothing further to do with the two of them. Instead John magically takes all the logical reasons that he was upset with Esther and throws them out the window. It is tediously stated over and over that John is a rational person and that all he needs to do is think through the situation and he will be all better. Both Renee and Patty take their numerous actions to "get him to think". Well, he stated his problems with Esther much as I have done at the beginning of this comment. That is a rational man's thinking. What John did at the end was irrational. He abandons reason and just forgives Esther. This flies in the face of the real situation and who he is as a character. We read an awful lot of story dealing with his pain for it magically to mean nothing in the end.

Found both the story and the Epilogue enjoyable. Esther colluded in the tryst. She accepted her error and tried to redeem herself. John had his problems as well.

There is an awful lot of gray in this world and this total story delved into the grayness.

Well, once again a husband is turned into a wimp!!! Esther becomes a martyr and is forgiven for betraying her vows. Bullshit. Can't any of you authors write a story where the betrayed husband has any balls. This story started out as if John would, but epilogue took care of that!

As a fellow writer, I am used to the good comments and the bad.

I definitely enjoyed this one. Even though there will always be the hardliners who say "dump the bitch", that type of comment does not apply to all stories/situations, especially where the guilty party shows remorse and regret via their actions.

Bottom line = look at the voting - it indicates what MOST people feel about the story, so do not worry too much about the negative comments.

Thanks and keep writing.

I've been accused of being a RAAC guy in some of my stories. The way this was written she deserved to be forgiven. He needed to forgive. A win win for everyone. Good Job!

When the two people involved are wanting to be together again that much, perhaps it is time for forgiveness to be given. My compliments Blue for a fine story with heart and warmth.

Were Irene annd Renee twin sisters? Could they secretly switch identities in the middle of a scene? Or was the full name Irene Renee or possibly Renee Irene? Which was the evel twin? REALLY!!!

I like your stories. This one took a lot of work on your part. Why not go ahead and cleanup up the Irene/Renee wordprocessing error? It was frustrating.

As to the story itself, it would have been better if the plot line would have just been honest about her affections toward Moriarty. There was something about him that she was very attracted to. She liked and wanted him throughout her marriage to John. She knew it herself. Sure maybe she was more vulnerable than most to alcohol. But she still put herself into the position to cheat on her husband. Her marriage was just not as important to her as her job was. Moriarty had become one of the nice benefits of her job. That's why she never told John that he had returned. She wanted to be with Moriarty, at least sexually. She always had.

Had she not been stopped by John from going all of the way, she would have used alcohol as a convenient excuse to justify her infidelity to herself afterwards and to John if he had ever found out. It was still used as an excuse for what she did anyway. In the very first chapter I didn't feel that she showed any remorse, regret or have any explanation for her conduct at the New Year's Eve party. She felt that John had over reacted.

Even if John had not confronted her at the bar with Moriarty, the marriage would have died anyway. She would have done the deed. She would have felt guilty and not ever have admitted her adultry. She and John would have slowly grown further apart. Her marriage had become less and less important to her. Maybe she would have ended up with Moriarty, maybe she would not.

Sooner or later, the way it ended, both she and John might wish that they had moved on with their lives separate and apart anyway.

Just my take on how I read the characters. Thanks for sharing the story. How about another chapter for "Mr. Nice Guy"?

It's been a year and many stories in between readings; this is still one of the best in the LW category.

It was a bit wordy, but I favorited it and gave it a five. I stayed up well past my bedtime to read it.

Does that say enough?

or leaving a room. So many LW authors seem enamored with this word. It's use is stilted and doesn't fit with conversational prose.

I agree with the 4 or 5 commenters who find the use of alcohol as an excuse for a character's unacceptable behavior a major detraction in this story. It's just the author's weak device to create situations to analyze. As others have said, it doesn't work for me. I won't accept it intellectually.

Truly a heartfelt story with a happy ending and everyone wins. If only mine could be written the same way !! LOL

The idea of the story was excellent. You write well.

This story would have been better if you had not given your characters "cutesy" names. They detracted rather than added to the enjoyment of reading this story.

Cladymoor

I stand by my prior assessment. You could have easily trimmed a tenth to a fifth of the content and not lost a bit of the intent.

The premise is rather simple. I'm just wondering how many ways and times we need to read 'I feel bad about what happened' from the hubby's point of view.

Say what you will about JPB, but his stories are punchy. Straight to the point in 5 pages.

Except for that one monstrosity he wrote where he had to catalog EVERY SINGLE ACT of revenge sex his wife perpetrated on her husband. Take a lesson from that.

Another well written story (you certainly have the gift of the gab), however, you fall into the trap of psychobabble and of the eternal but totally wrong idea that knowing all is forgiving all.

Just one more whimp story.

I was totally absorbed! I cannot tell you to ignore the comments made by others but I have read many authors, very well known as well as unheard of. The story is what matters! Not one of any of the authors I have read that could tell a story that I could not put down seemed worried about stretching things out sometimes. They made me anxious to turn the page to see what happened next, just as you did! I was disappointed to see the end of the story. Not because I didn't care for the conclusion but because I just wanted to read more of your writing!

Thank you so very much for your thought, your effort, and indeed stretching it out just a little so that I could continue to enjoy it!

I read this story some time ago and decided to re-read it a few days ago. It was just as enjoyable the second time. You have a true gift for keeping a reader absorbed in the events and lives of the characters. Gave it the highest score.

This is a great story to read. The characters are vivid and dialog is good. And given the situation I wouldn't have a big problem with a reconciliation. But the story fails to make the case for it.

I got thinking about Esther's law firm. Jim makes well publicized plans to seduce a married woman. He takes advantage of her drunkenness and feels her up in the presence of her husband. The nice old guy in charge of the firm TRANSFERS him! WTF??? This is the kind of person you want working for you? They didn't have to fire him, just strongly suggest he work somewhere else.

Then Jim is back. No one in the brain dead company remembers that Jim took advantage of Esther? They then assign the two of them to work intimately together for months. WHY is Esther not bothered by working with a man who almost prevented her from being married? MOST people, having gone through it, would be uncomfortable in his presence. It would have only taken a discussion about hostile work environments and sexual harassment to have someone else assigned to work with Esther. Lawyers are VERY sensitive to such issues. Instead, Esther takes no action. You might try to say she didn't want to undermine her career but that's absurd. She has decades of good work history and the only issue is not working closely with a person who was a major problem. There would have been NO repercussions. Just having him back in the office would have been bad enough but working closely with him? That's crazy. This is the first part of Esther's betrayal and it has NOTHING to do with alcohol. Esther slapped John when John put down Jim at the party. This was Esther slapping John again. She picked Jim over John. Further, Jim is still flirting with her and she is LETTING him do it. Still no alcohol. Let's not forget that John repeatedly approached her about working out their problems and Esther ridiculed and dismissed him. No alcohol involved with that behavior either. I mentioned deliberately creating tension with her husband and the sexy underwear in my last comment. That was pre alcohol as well.

Esther had been very methodically stocking fertilizer and gasoline and building a bomb. The alcohol was simply the trigger. I would also call attention to the fact that Esther is VERY smart, just like John and Patty and Renee. For a bunch of smart people they all seem to do some pretty stupid things. Esther had to KNOW she was playing with fire. She was arrogant enough to think she could get away with it.

Every time I read Patty's confrontation with John it infuriates me. A police lieutenant is illegally restraining someone. At one point, she puts her hand over his mouth and tells him to shut up. That is assault and battery. This wonderfully educated psychologist, as she says herself, then proceeds to YELL at him. I wonder what course she took that taught her that yelling at an emotional person is good therapy? In short, Patty is a bad cop, a bad almost psychologist, and a lousy friend. John, the man that had the fortitude to take out Jim at the party, to track down his wife and confront her and Jim, who took down a mugger, who is VERY intelligent (everyone says so), cannot effectively confront Patty? For God's sake, the man almost swoons. He becomes a complete pathetic wimp. It doesn't fit his character.

and we are supposed to feel sorry for her? NOT! die alone - you are the cause of being alone - no one else. hubby needs to move on.

The author as much as says that she'd had 5 or 6 drinks which for her, was equivalent to double that. Any normal woman with that much alcohol in her could perhaps walk, or at least stagger, but otherwise would be completely out of it. Under those conditions she would be too drunk to consent to sex. It would be rape. Now the husband never realised that she had an extreme sensitivity to alcohol, which is why he acted like he did. But we the readers knew because the author told us. And still there are anonymous readers posting comments about how she should be dumped and how it was a huge betrayal of her husband? Can't they read? You have to believe the author because it's his story. As a reader we can't read the story, change in our minds what the author wrote, and then criticise the author as if the changes were what he had written. Makes no sense.

What happened in this story is the equivalent to going to a party and having the hosts push too much alcohol on your wife. Then leading her away to a bedroom to lie down. Upon returning you find some guy trying to take her clothes off with his knees between her legs and his dick out, while she is still passed out. You stop it. When you return home with your very drunk wife what do you do? According to a lot of anonymous posters, the next day you file for divorce. I guess there must be a lot of guys here whose wife screwed around on them and this venting is cathartic. But it is in no way a valid criticism of the story.

I would just like to say a few more things to various people:

a) to the author: the story is great but it is a bit long-winded; especially in the dialog.

b) to the people criticising the reconciliation: please, stop hating women that much. You will enjoy life more. Sure, you've met only bitches in your life, but there are some great women too. Esther did not cheat, though she was an idiot, and John was NOT a cuckold - simply because of the fact that Esther did not have sex and he did not accept what he saw rightfully as dishonorable, though he did not have all the facts.

c) to jasonhh: I don't believe that Susan was a bad cop, because even cops have normal friends and usually a little rough behaviour between friends is borderline acceptable anyway (battery and false imprisonment would get laughed out of court, anyway); however, I do agree it is a bit stupid how she hammers at him with her arguments; it was exhausting even for me to just read it, so I can only imagine how tired he felt!

If he wanted out it's amazing what a chair through a window will do stuff the drop internal pain is worse than external, he wanted to stay, he wanted to be convinced, so in the end he was willing to be a cuckold his choice but he should just own up to it.

Esther's alcohol problem is secondary; she knew damn well who and what Jim was, and she caused her own problems when she kept his return a secret. I won't try to guess her actual motive for silence, but when she maintained her silence and went out of town with the guy - that sealed it for me. That ALONE, never mind the lounge scene, would have caused me to kick her to the curb, she had already used her one mistake card, at the New Years party. And getting cancer would change nothing.

Drinks be damned, she knew what she was doing. And she admitted she would of let him fuck her. Turned John into a wimp. Best ending would of been for the cheating bitch to die alone and for John to end up with a loving woman.

I enjoyed reading it...thank you for writing it.

Enjoyed this story very much. Please keep it up!

. . . and yet this reconciliation does not bother me, largely because he was not ever going to get over her. I suspect in his shoes I'd have put her into the rear view mirror, but in this story, he did not. Thanks for sharing a well-written tale.

That is what this woman writes cuck stories. She writes well even if she pretends to be a dude - but it is a woman writing this crap.

in the end, if there ever is one. they reconcile. TK U MLJ LV NV

very clever to reference T.C. DOYLE....adding to the stories themes and ending. TK U MLJ LV NV

You knew from page 2 chapt one of the outcome ,all that was left was the journey

I gave it five stars.

Nice little love story.

Love conquors all?

Too bad real life isn't like that.

The real demon here was the alcohol and failure to consume it properly.

It was just so precious .....

NOT. Talk about not taking responsibility. I can't hold my liquor so its not my fault. Its not my fault I'm a dope dealer, I grew up in the projects. Not my fault I'm a serial killer, my parents didn't love me when I was a baby. She knew enough not to drink for 20 years but then suddenly decides its okay. The first three chapters I gave 4/5 but this one only gets a 1. If I could give it less than that I would.

Loves

wow men are just pathetic cant hold a grudge against evil selfish women, to bad no kids because then you could say at least she was a good mom, before she put them in the car and set it on fire. why take an honorable character and make it a sad pathetic man full of self hatred and where are his buddies to break in the door, women dont defend/help/care for men this way in today's world they just dont, but they do get him back with an abuser to hurt him again, reverse it abusive husband wife destroyed no man is gonna help him get her back just to abuse her again

It was a really well written story. I guess after time passed, his anger passed away a little. But other than her having cancer. What has changed for his last little spill before he walked out? Nothing. She still did what she did and their divorced. He could go on with wondering, so what has changed.....Nothing.