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Click hereBack at work, Mark couldn't get past his concerns, or lack of trust. Liz invited him over for dinner on a Wednesday night, and although it started awkwardly, it ended spectacularly. The sex was two starving animals feeding. The morning was something similar.
While they were together, all Mark's fears were mollified. It was when he was away from her, he worried. What if she decided to have another affair? When he thought about it, he realized she may already be dating somebody else.
He had nothing else to do. He pulled back. He was busy when she invited him for dinner, or he had to work late.
Liz sensed his withdrawal, it was hard to miss. He went from not being able to get around fast enough to not being available. She talked to her friends, but they couldn't really help because they didn't know the reasons behind the divorce. She did talk to her therapist and she suggested. "Maybe he's nervous about going back. From what you said, you guys are good together. Give him some time, but you need to talk him, get him to open up."
Saturday, Mark couldn't escape another invitation. Dinner was nice, but it was back to being awkward, the conversation stilted and uncomfortable.
In the end, Liz had to ask, "What the hell is going on? Everything seemed to be going so well. Now you're too busy."
"Yeah, I'm sorry. I have been thinking about us, and the future."
She nodded. "Sweetheart, we are only dating. I'm not asking you for a commitment. Just that we have fun."
"Yeah, I know, but that's me. I have this fear. Things have been amazing, and I thought, What happens if we moved back in together?" Mark tried to keep the fear out of his voice as he explained.
"What fear?"
"That the same thing would happen all over again. Once bitten."
"I see," she said softly. "What makes you think it would?"
"Okay, you want to drag all that back up? Lets see, you lied to me, you cheated on me for two years. Then when I found out about it, you decided that I was overreacting. You were almost proud of your affair. I mean, who's to say you aren't seeing other men right now?"
"Wow, you can't let go can you! I know the affair was hard for you, and I will always be sorry for hurting you. It was a one time thing, I don't know how I convince you, but I assure you this, I would never hurt you again."
"Are you still dating other men at the moment?"
"Mark, it might be hard to believe, but since we divorced. I have dated the grand total of six men, and had sex with only two of them. We haven't made any promises, but I can say I haven't dated anybody since the cruise."
"I know this is my issue, not yours. You've done nothing to make me doubt you or your intentions. I can't seem to clear out all those old images."
"Mark, can we take this slowly? I love you, and I want you back in my life full time, but it can't happen until you feel some level of trust for me. You have turned down therapy, or counseling, but I have been seeing a therapist and she has helped me immensely. She already knows our story. I would encourage you to talk to her."
They didn't see so much of each other over the next few weeks, but when they did, it was always passionate and furious. The sex was so urgent and impulsive. Their appetites were in sync. Their bodies knew, even if their minds were conflicted.
Mark did a fair bit of reading on how to establish trust again after infidelity. His problem was, he knew she was being honest with him now. The girls, who kept in constant touch with them both, told him that Liz wasn't dating anybody. It was just all in his head.
He sat down with a bottle of scotch and analyzed how his future could pan out.
He might get lucky enough to meet somebody new, exciting and who was interested in him. It might happen, but he had no confidence his new partner could reach the lofty heights of his relationship with Liz...
He could end up a bitter old man, alone and unhappy.
He could throw himself back into his relationship with Liz and hope and pray she didn't repeat her actions.
He could suggest a change in their relationship. They could investigate an open marriage of some sorts. That one at least meant she could be honest. Not that he thought he could live with it.
It was a mess. Nothing seemed to work. The bottle was almost empty when there was a light tap on the door. He staggered to answer it.
There stood Liz, a pizza and a bottle of wine. "I was wondering whether you might like some company?"
He stepped aside and waved her through. She saw the bottle on the coffee table, and quickly glanced at him. "Would you prefer to be alone?"
"No, That damn pizza smells good." He flopped back in his chair and Liz rushed around getting plates and a glass.
"Having a party, huh?" she asked whimsically.
"Nope, just pondering my future," he rasped.
She saw the notebook on the table which he had been scribbling his options down on. She reached for it. "Can I take a look?"
"Yeah, it affects you as well." He poured another large glass of scotch.
She glanced at it. "Wow, you really think you can find somebody who loves you more than me, who knows you like I do? Who will accept all your strange habits?"
He shrugged non-comittally. "Don't know. I haven't had much luck so far. The sex is always okay, but there's no connection, no emotional bond. Putting it plainly, it's just fucking."
She reached over and clinked the rum of her wine glass against his. "I'm with you there. You're a hard man to replace, Mr. Webster."
He took a large bite of the pizza, the pepperoni warming his mouth. "Yeah, I'm fucking wonderful, right?"
"Yes, you are," she replied with her mouth full.
"Mark, I don't want you to grow old, alone and bitter."
"That was just scribble. I was trying to do a pros and cons list."
"Open marriage!" She gasped. "Oh my god, please tell me you're joking?"
"It sort of makes sense. That way, at least if you felt the urge you could be honest about it, and I could try to arrange a date, as well."
"God almighty, Mark. The affair was a one time thing. I'm not looking for anybody else."
"Were you looking for it last time?"
"That was different, I was at a low point in my life. I was on the verge of suicide."
"What? You never said that before."
"I was embarrassed, depressed, felt alone. I have never experienced anything like those dark places or thoughts since."
"Why couldn't you talk to me, why did you have to go to him?"
"I never went to him. He found me. I couldn't talk to you because I was embarrassed and ashamed. A grown woman feeling that way because her children left home? I felt like a fool, afraid. I knew it was in my head, and you were being so wonderful. Damon just came out of the blue and lifted me up."
They both chomped away at the pizza, drinking their respective drinks. It was Mark who asked, "What happens next time you're feeling blue?"
"I come to you. I know now that I can do that. Mark, I've always loved you. You were a fantastic father for the girls, an incredible provider, and husband. You gave me everything, you were supportive and loving. But sometimes you could be hard to talk to about such things. You sort of laughed at the people who needed my services. You openly made fun of some of the couples who I helped with counseling. That made it hard for me to talk to you. I know now that it was silly. I should have gone to you."
"Okay, even if I buy that, why did it go on for two years, and let's not forget. It would still be going on if I hadn't busted you."
"It lasted the two years because I liked it. Damon was nice, and excellent lover, thoughtful. Would it have lasted longer than it did? No it wouldn't. We were already seeing less and less of each other. I think it would have ended not long after you found out, anyway."
"You liked it," he said sarcastically. "He was a good lover, huh? Gave you things I couldn't. That's what worries me. The next time we go into a slump for whatever reason, you're going to be out the door looking for another Damon."
"That's not true, and I'm sure you know it. We have both learned lessons through this. I would never do that too you again," Liz spluttered.
"Why do it the first time?"
"Because I convinced myself that it wasn't harming our marriage, but was in fact helping it," she said.
"Then why wouldn't you do it again?"
Because you can't do things in isolation. When you're married, everything you do affects your partner."
They finished the drinks, and with Liz in his arms, they moved to the bedroom where they made love tenderly and intimately.
It wasn't some magical moment, it didn't happen overnight, but it did happen. It took over a year before Mark moved back home. It was a celebration, the girls were home, and noticed Mark's stuff was spread all over the house again.
"Dad, have you moved in?" Kate asked with a huge smile on her face.
Liz moved close to Mark, kissed him passionately. "Yes, he is back where he belongs."
"Thank god." Melanie sighed. "I was beginning to lose hope." She turned to her mother, and with a rather harsh tone said firmly. "Don't fuck it up again, please."
Liz gasped open-mouthed, but Melanie added quickly. "Don't say it, Mom. We supported you this time. Not sure I would be so supportive again. Dad is giving you something a lot of men wouldn't. Don't take that for granted."
Liz looked at Mark imploringly, and he responded. "Girls, we are all human and we all make mistakes. What happened is in the past. We will never speak of it again. We love you, but I won't accept disrespect."
Liz hugged him. "I'm a lucky woman. I won't forget that."
Life moves on, and the road of life never runs straight or smooth.
The end.
- COMMENTS
Anonymous4 days agoBasically, the woman here wasn't really sorry for the infidelity but only the consequences for the others. All because of the rationale that she 'needed it'. And of course it didn't affect the other, and she only figured it out after tons of time with a shrink or counselor. This wife clearly had some kind of dissociative disorder and lacked any quality of empathy. I don't believe any sane man would not believe she would do such again in the right circumstances, like if she was feeling 'low' again. The matter of fact way in which she continued to describe the affair was beyond radical honesty, and reflected the her complete lack of empathy. Love and intimacy requires some kind of empathy and she lacked it. Maybe some kind of sociopath?
Just_Words7 days agoThis story does an excellent job of revealing two different views - the cheater can't understand why he can't let go and he can't trust again.
Anonymous9 days agolc69hunter is just a troll. Just because you don’t know you have cancer doesn’t mean it’s not doing damage. A woman intellectualized a permission structure to cheat. She acted like a bad person even if she may not be.
Anonymous9 days agoCAG is a wonderful writer. Her stories are always engaging, but she is wearing out this storyline. I’ll keep reading them because she does a great job.
tjreader10 days agoI the roles were reversed, I cannot even imagine that this story would have ended so nicely. It's like women expect different treatment when *they're* the ones who steal their out. No way. No way in hell.
Anonymous22 days agoGiving chance to a selfish bitch doesn't make any sense to me.
If it'd had happened once, I'd have understood but continuing it for two years, not a chance for me.
Anonymousabout 1 month agoSo pathetic a woman. Mark is lucky to get out of it She is not faithful and never will be. Who cares about a fuck anyone can have sex. Give her the heav ho Bimbo. Why do you write such unrealistic dribble.
mdadaminabout 1 month agoThe story is intriguing; however, the character of the wife seems to be quite complex. Despite being a psychiatrist, she seems to have ignored everything she learned in her field and ended up being a psychological patient herself.
When she was going through severe depression, she should have turned to a psychiatrist for treatment or to her husband. Her justification for not discussing this matter with her husband seems weak and unconvincing. It seems like she's trying to convince herself that she's a good person and not an adulterer.
It's strange that instead of showing any remorse or apologizing after being caught cheating, she tried to use her profession as a psychiatrist to deceive her husband. She tried to make him believe that what she had done was for his benefit and that he had no reason to be angry.
A woman who is arguing, like the wife in this situation, only makes her husband angrier because she failed to recognize the wrong, she committed by cheating on him. Her reaction is hysterical when her husband tells her lover’s wife that he is cheating on her, which confirms that she loves her lover and cannot bear any harm to come to him.
Her attempts to defend her lover and portray him as an innocent person who has done nothing wrong suggest that she may repeat this betrayal many times. She confessed that her lover was the one who first seduced her, and anyone who seduces a married woman is a bastard. Likewise, anyone who defends such a person is also a bastard.
Regarding her suicidal intentions when her daughters left for university, this seems like a joke. If she planned to commit suicide simply because her daughters left home for university, why did she not feel the urge to do so when her husband divorced her because of her infidelity? Why did she not fall into a severe depression as she had before? Does this not suggest that her divorce and losing her husband do not mean anything to her?
It is clear that her relationship with her lover ended, not simply because she wanted to end the relationship, but because her lover was blaming her for causing his divorce from his wife and wanted nothing to do with her, which means that if he had wanted to continue the relationship, it would have continued and he would have moved to her house to take the husband’s place.
The wife is a very sick and bad person, and I do not know how any wife can brag to her husband that her lover taught her new tricks in sex acts and that she enjoyed it more, including anal sex.
Doesn't that mean that her lover took her virginity in many areas of sex?
It is strange that she denies that what she did was cheating!!!. Having sex outside of marriage is cheating, as it goes against the marriage vows that pledge spouses to "forsake all others" and not enter into any relationship with external parties.
It is also concerning that the lover had the audacity to call the husband and accuse him of being a bad person, blaming him for notifying his wife. How did the lover even obtain the husband's number in his office? It is evident that the lover and wife had continued their relationship despite her denial, and that she had given him the husband's number at work.
The ending of the story seems unrealistic because the husband appears weak and easily influenced, as no husband would willingly accept his wife cheating on him, bragging about the affair, being proud of the sexual positions her lover taught her, and ultimately, expelling her husband just because he informed the lover's wife.
RedRachaelabout 1 month agoLiz is the Queen of gaslighting. I love a good reconciliation story. This is one that shouldn’t have happened.
Anonymousabout 1 month agoafter some of the things that have happened in my life i can see how it would be easier and simpler to just forgive and move on together .
Anonymousabout 1 month ago[ But it did, and soon they were having sex. That's when the shame really settled over her.
How had she let it happen? She wasn't some stupid young girl. She wasn't a slut... Was she?
But the attraction grew stronger, and Damon was so much fun to be around. The gloom that her life had become lifted miraculously.
She felt so bad about cheating on Mark; she made herself a promise to be the best wife any man could ever wish for. She convinced herself the affair meant nothing. It was separate from her marriage.]
======> from Liz's own recollections, thinking back. So in other words, she knew it was wrong. She was guilty and ashamed (temporarily). But since she was thrilled by the attentions of a young man and excellent lover, she continued as her being desired by another man lifted her depression. But she chose to continue her affair and compartmentalize it, convincing herself it did not impact her marriage.
This means pretty much every thing she said the first 3.5 pages, post reveal, is just sophistry. She knew deep down that she had betrayed him, but could not and would not show that in her conscious mind. Hence she comes off as delusional and demented. Her hatred of Mark when he sabotaged Damon is almost maniacal, and more than a little hypocritical. She and Damon did the deeds (some almost 40-50 times) and had.an intimate connection, but both deluded themselves and were upset when the consequences of their actions came due.
Her protestations that she never lied are a joke. Lies of omission are lies nonetheless and she made those repeatedly over and over again. She certainly was perpetrating a type of fraud as the loving wife while not remotely exclusive and being intimate with Damon.
Nice technicality with the marriage vows. Lol whatever. Pair bonding is a major part of any marriage, and she would know this as a psychologist, but somehow she forgot everything she learned and in no way empathize with her husband. She instead was selfish and self absorbed. She couldn't see that until she saw another therapist. In reality she would make a terrible counselor, unless this was all because she couldn't comprehend or admit what she had done, which is quite plausible.
In fact if she had admitted truly what she did and how she had destroyed her marriage, then she probably would have had a terrible wave of depression hit again. Have a hard time seeing her as a therapists, who knows she is depressed after the daughter's leave for school and fly the coop, that instead of seeing a therapist or talking to her husband, she runs willingly and quickly into a younger man's arms for comfort and emotional connection. Moreover, if she was going to commit suicide and had suicidal ideationsthat year after the daughters left, without getting help, then how would she NOT have suicidal ideations when she lost her husband. That is why perhaps her staunch inability to see it as a betrayal. Because if she did, she would destroy herself.
Still a 5 star story of a well educated woman who was mentally imbalanced and utterly delusional, and who only somewhat admitted her wrongdoing in the last page or so.
Anonymousabout 1 month agoThe affair, especially a long term one, always takes something from the marriage. Because she got her "good" times with Damon, the romance, the fun times, and the excellent sex, then she by definition had less of those with hrrbhsuavdn, who is convolved with all the mundane times and the bad times. This will temper her vision of her husband. Yes he is her stable rock a d a good provider and father of her kids, but she no longer feels a thrill with him or joy, but that is being met by Damon. That drains the marriage and harms their bond.
In her case she had zero guilt (a standard for this author) and somehow thought it helped their marriage. For those with guilty consciences, even if they quit and do not confess, their perception of the marriage has changed, negatively impacting it.
Also a woman who has a two year affir with another man, will develop intimacy and emotional relationship with the man. This affects the primary pair binding relationship. Slowly eroding it. During the affair and even after she doesn't think of her husband the same way as she used to, platitudes aside.
Any wonder when the genders are swapped in the cheating, CVG burns down the husband? The author almost invariably reconciles cheating wives but nukes cheating husbands. Hypocrisy much?
Anonymousabout 2 months agoLiz has a two-year long affair with Demon. Was justifying it, did nothing to sort it out with her husband and when Mark told about it her lover’ wife; she was ballistic on it and blamed Mark for ruining her lover’s marriage. What a she never worried as much about her own marriage. Was she expecting that Damon will move with her so that they become a couple?
Anonymousabout 2 months agoNie sadziłem ze tacy idioci istnieją . Widać istnieją ale tylko w wyobrażni autorów opowiadań. Kolejne opowiadania fantasy o statym idiocie.
