All Comments on 'As a Matter of Fact, I Do Mind'

Loved the direction Vinnie and Leslie took in this version, one constant seems to be how much Marcy really really hates Rick.

Well

This version was only fair. There was barely any retribition. the Vincent and Leslie episode was total bullshit and he didn't end up with Deidre. Only your good writing made this semi adequate. Please don't add another chapter. Good effort, however. Just missed the mark.

But I already forget what they were because the overall story was so good.

Brilliant writing. You should write more often and this one is worth more than five stars.

Good story.

If you love someone, set them free. If they come back, it means no one else liked them, so set them free again.

Like your updated version of an old line 5*

Excellent writing, perfect word skills. Easy to read. Way over the top in its eulogy of the military ethic. And, deliberately, way short on graphic sex with Dee. Thanks for writing it.

The master of the prolix and tedious strikes again.

Marcy was a POS, whore. What happened to Dee? Excellent story!

Past time to let this story go.

I was all set to give this five stars but got to the epilogue and what happened to him and Dee?!

You didn’t fully finish your conclusion to someone else’s story! Yikes!

This is the best version of the "what happens next".

One of the better endings that leave integrity intact. Duty. Honor. Country.

5*

Fine, clever writing. Reminds me a little of Carl Hiaasen, whose name I've probably treated with a lack of kindness.

Thanks.

Vincent and Leslie's relationship seems quite different from the original.

\

Even if Rick and Dee DID go all the way, it was ONE time, not a six week affair.

\

She admits to being unfaithful "several times," yet hold his ONE time, even if the DID fuck, over his head?

\

@betrayedbylove and @Anonymous, why do you say he didn't end up with Dee" - "I accepted the offer and started checking airline schedules to Brussels." It's obvious he's going to Dee, do we actually need to read about them hooking up?

\

I'm a little puzzled about their recruitment by Doctors Without Borders. I got the impression that Rick's gang arranged it, but why? To stick them in some godforsaken place for short money?

\

Definitely the best version I've read.

5⭐

an interesting and new version on this story.

Thank you for sharing.

Damn good. A little more brutality might have been nice but this was more realistic

A very good version of events even with the character traits being different from the original work. Also, you have excellent writing style and abilities. In all, a just good ol' down to earth pleasurable read. 5+ stars.

Well done, AB! Best alternate ending I've read!

I like the expanded characterization and inclusion of Dee, and Leslie. I’m generally not a fan of the LW stories in which all the men are haloed and all the women are sporting horns and forked tails. This ending combined with Kalimaxos’ root premise would make for a helluva full length novel with more participation from some of the interesting peripheral characters like Ski and Ronnie. Thanks for an enjoyable read.

Good version of this tale. Marcy is a nasty person who wants nothing but revenge on Rick no matter the cost. Well, looks like she got it and more. Damn but Dee sure sounds like she's hot as hell. He'll end with in a much better spot with her. Love the "no one else liked them paraphrasing.."

One of the better versions of this tale.

This author writes fluent prose and usually does a good job with the plot. Unfortunately, this story had a number of woketard unforced errors.

1. "Infidelity isn't a capital offense, though, it isn't even a felony; any consequences had to match that." So, let's suppose that pedos manage to lower the age of consent to 12, and thereafter some male pedo fucks your 12 year-old son. That's not a capital offense, a felony, or even a misdemeanor; it's entirely legal. So, the "consequences", if you can manage to impose some, are limited because corrupt politicians passed an outrageously immoral law? How fucking stupid is that? Any real father or mother would, if the right circumstances were provided, act with extreme prejudice against the pedo.

2. The clear retribution/revenge distinction is one that exists in the author's mind. In ordinary language, there is no clear cut distinction.

3. The "facts" about Colombia are at best way out-of-date. Colombia today actually has one of the best medical systems in the world. The narco-terrorism issue is over (although there is now some unrest in Colombia based on bad public policy pushed by the Coviodiots in the Duque government). To put a fine point on it, any rational person would prefer living in Medellin or Bogota to day than any number of US cities, including, without limitation, LA, SF, NYC, and Portland.

4. The "superwoman" trope is as annoying and tired as it is false. The scene with "Dee" and "Vincent" is ridiculous. I don't care how many old men here are convinced of the truth of something like that because they've seen it many times in the movies and television, here's a clue: even the women who participate in that circus called "MMA" are terrified of the chemically and surgically multilated, mentally ill males who call themselves "transexuals". Writing the daughter as a crewman on an attack submarine is woketard genuflection toward feminism. You better hope our rotting military doesn't have to fight a real war. Some people here complain about the "right wing" politics some authors write into their stories, and I agree that political sermonettes are generally tiresome, but most authors here are normalizing cultural marxism in their writing. Some of us notice.

Very good. You did miss telling what happened with him and diedre at the end.

I like your version, like it very much - almost a five. You see, I want more personal, more physical revenge, sort of like meted out to Vince but more so for the good Dr Asshole. But this may be due to my having been enlisted, not an officer and a gentleman.

Well done and a good read. Thanks.

sbrooks103x: MSF has placements around the globe. Some are a bit less-than desirable due to ongoing hostilities, inhospitable environments, or both. Finding quality medical personnel for minimal rent is desirable.

Three to five years later, a first or second world employment would be possible, particularly in a country where infidelity is met with a "who doesn't?" attitude.

American Calvinism is rather limited in scope.

Muslim countries would have an issue with the good doctor, only if he defiled Muslim women.

Marcy however, would be put to death... after gang-banging her executioners.

"I'm a little puzzled about their recruitment by Doctors Without Borders. I got the impression that Rick's gang arranged it, but why? To stick them in some godforsaken place for short money?"

Excellent! Well thought out response to a very nasty situation. Retribution vs Revenge was an education that many LW writers needed. Having said that, Vinny needed the lesson he got and it was effective because it was presented in the only language he understood- violence. Well Done, AB!

Any fan of Ambrose Bierce knows something about very good writing. We) done Pancho Villa by damned. Five stars

I wish there was more retribution, but this was a good story - not overly emotional and not a boring monotone either. Well written, and I felt like this one actually had Rick using his intelligence career to help him out.

It was unique, very different from all the alternate versions.

I find your take on Vince and Leslie's relationship to be refreshing, although I was of the conviction that it was Vince who got the shorter end of the rope, he being portrayed by almost all versions to be a wimpy simp doormat.

Indeed the confrontation of Marcy and Rick here is quite -- anticlimactic. I feel it was almost an after thought. Seems more were focus on Dee and Rick, then Leslie's problems. That is why I gave this a very high rating as its approach is very unique.

Thanks author.

Very well done. I especially liked the new added twists that others didn’t go deep enough.

IMHO easily the best ending version on this story.

Thanks for a great effort.

Well written--a little too much Rambo for my taste--but okay....

On the other hand, this was not the ending to Kalimaxos' story. It was the ending to some other story this writer hasn't yet posted.

Sorry, don't care for continuations of shitty stories. February and Just Once were two that were way over done by other authors. Gave each one a one star rating.

You have written a very different end to the open ended story. It is nice to see an inclusion of our best leaders ( NCO ) in a story and give them the credit they deserve. BTB does not seem to make it in your story but still it is a very interesting ending. I felt you short changed your readers at the end however with only a cursory nod to the soon to be General

He wanted plausible deniability - he didn't get it as he wrote the letter to MFS. Getting her fired would cost him in alimony and if they both owned the house he could nt kick her out. Those nitpicks aside it was a fine version

I didn't like that you made such a big deal out of Vincent and Leslie's relationship. I felt it wasn't germane to the original story. I would argue that in this set of circumstances there is little difference between revenge and retribution. He wanted to make Marcy feel his pain and he somewhat succeeded. Next time maybe something original instead of trying to finish another author's work.

You kind of get sick of stories like February Sucks or Just once, if you don't mind so you become jaded by all the different endings that your eyes tend to glaze over and they become boring so they get a low score. I think that's why this story is not rated higher. I thought it was among the top 5 stories. Retribution not revenge was just right. There was a cost but it was measured and not over the top. I really liked that.

5 stars. Thank you.

Definitely one of the better endings, a solid 4*. Thanks,

What happened to "plausible deniability"?

He identified himself in the letter to MSF.

I respect and support our military, but Douglas MacArthur was a narcissistic megalomaniac who never placed duty, honor or country before his ego.

This is not the first add-on story that involved what can only be termed a military operation to respond to a domestic issue -- such total overkill that one wonders who is sane.

As to publicizing the affair, the response of most people would be "who cares." The wife's response would be to publicly counterattack, which would end up pissing contest that no one would win. Too many LW authors really do not consider responses to revenge or retribution.

Great story!

5

Most interesting treatment for Leslie of all the endings I read.

Sorry but clearly you don't know a great deal about a lot of things. Neither would have lost their jobs and neither would have had any trouble getting others. I worked in the medical profession for many years, every hospital has areas they know are 'no go zones' when you are not playing. It is a high tension environment, more so than any military situation. People sick, people dying every day all around you and sometimes you need to reaffirm you are alive. Quickies are the order of the day in most such facilities. Great if your married partner is around but sometimes a person just needs something. If you can't deal don't whine.

And yes I said worse than ANY military situation. You get to shoot back, we just have to try, pray, and watch people die. You can't shoot cancer, you can't stab a heart attack but we still fight them the best we can.

The best version so far. I like Vince getting bitch slapped by Dee.

This redeemed the other attempts to conclude the story. Well done, as usual.

What if Vincent had called the cops, Rick and Dee are arrested for Felonious Assault causing great bodily harm, trespassing and kidnapping. Both are convicted, Dee is given a Dishonorable Discharge and Vincent wins a 10 million dollar Civil Suit with Marcy's testimony of Rick's violence and Rick and Dee's previous relationship?

what? did not like....should not have read.....want a return of the 5 minutes I read this

Well, the wife certainly nailed it with her 'playing at soldiers' stinger!

A well-told story that convinced me primarily because Leslie got the right care and Vinnie got the right answer to his actions. This story has shown excellently that one can meet such violent disregard as the Col. had to accept in a civil manner and still get one's piece of meat!

@sbrooks103

Good point. I guess I missed that in my initial reading. However, this is a tale of fiction so by not reading about it happening, the question is always in your mind. Thanks for noticing.

Thanks for including a link to my story.

Read my original people. All of it. It has clues.

And enjoy all these endings these people took the time to write for you.

When Rhonda asks if this was the first time Marcy cheated and Rick says he doesn't know, hadn't Marcy already confessed to looking for excitement elsewhere? Why does Ricl lie to his daughter? Not a bad effort, would have liked to see Dr. Dickhead get the same treatment as Vinnie. Broken facial bones do not affect surgical skills.

What happened to Dee?

Bigly, absolute nope on this one. It just seemed to meander, like drifting down a lazy stream on a warm summers eve, with the crickets chirping from along the bank. The stars twinkling in that black velvet sky, the air warm with just a touch of humidity, make it all seem a dream until a Boeing 737 crashes into my raft and kills me, which is preferable to this story.

This one of the best endings. Your creativity and story weaving are outstanding. Being former military I appreciated the terms and military jargon. Good job. You earned 5 stars.

I wasn't sure how to take this version, then I read this: ". . . tradecraft training kicked in. I shut it back down, put a sheet of paper on the hard surface of my desk, and sharpened a #2 pencil. No digital footprints, no telltale impressions; the plan would be classified Eyes Only, and the only eyes would be mine." When he then immediately called Diedre, I realized this was supposed to be satire.

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice! 5/5!!!

What about Dee?

Not bad; 5 stars. the Bear approves. Disregard the stupid comments. Not too many of the versions are shock and awe, unfortunately. A lot like the version of February sucks.

The BEAR

Excellent.....returning to active duty at that grade is unlikely, but worked. I really appreciated the resolution with the abusive husband. Fantastic!!

Thanks for the effort. Yet another author creates a character who just can't believe that the wife he thought he married turned out to be an aardvark. Self centered arrogant soulless whores like Marcy are as obvious as dead body stink. Darwin says anyone dumb enough to marry that poorly deserves to become extinct. Good riddance. Just another version of stupid people live fucked up lives. Who cares?

Thanks for the effort.

***Thanks for the read.

the whore and asshat both got off way too easy. Hell, the next door neighbor got it worse than either of them.

Yet another tediously boring unfinished 'conclusion' to someone elses story.

I was all ready to give the story a 4 star. However, that last statement definitely pushed me to the 5 stars. Absolutely loved it. If you love someone, set them free. If they come back, it means no one else liked them, so set them free again.

A logical continuation amd one without much vim and vigour.

Deserved a 5 if just for the line at the end!!!!

But you forgot Dee.

Expected resolution with Deidre; Brussels by way of Heathrow.

"If you love someone, set them free. If they return, it was meant to be. If not; hunt it down and kill it!

Damned if that didn't seem awfully familiar! I give it a very perplexed Cinco!

That last line is a keeper, although I’ve heard it as “if they come back, it’s because no one else wanted them either “. Either way it works for me. Great work on the sequel, especially in the storyline of Leslie, and the changes for Dee. Cheers for also recognizing that a good senior NCO is the key to making things happen quickly. My only wish is that you had written that Trey and Marcy had been taken from their DSF hospital in Nigeria by Boko Haram, and had not been heard from in over two years. That would have put a cherry on the top of an already *5 treatment of the story.

This was an 'okay' take on the story......not good, not bad, but nothing special either. I applaud the effort, but sorry, you didn't 'wow' me.

This is the ending the original author should have written.

Well done!

Bill

@someoneother

narcissistic megalomaniac who never placed duty, honor or country before his ego.

@someoneother,

..." narcissistic megalomaniac who never placed duty, honor or country before his ego."

Kinda like Trump?

To clarify something:

I agree, "Douglas MacArthur was a narcissistic megalomaniac who never placed duty, honor or country before his ego." I included the sarcastic, pejorative moniker "Dugout Doug" hoping it would make it clear that, despite opening the story by quoting him, I was (and am) not a fan. But such a slight slight (sic) had no chance of overcoming the impact of such a curious lead. Critics 1, author 0.

Was that last comment from Uncle Squint? Sounds more like a description of the clueless idiot Kamala Harris.

To clarify:

Although I led with a quote from Douglas MacArthur, I also believe he was a "narcissistic megalomaniac who never placed duty, honor or country before his ego." I foolishly hoped that using the sarcastic pejorative "Dugout Doug" would reveal that. Obviously, it wasn't always successful, if ever. I should have known better.

Do you believe in déjà vu ?

As a matter of fact, I do.

Out of all of the endings for this story, it was the best version of them. Retribution not revenge was just right, and not over the top like some of the others. I would have liked to hear how he got with Dee after the divorce, but I understand the story needed to end where it did. Great job on it, and I really liked your ending best. Maybe you can fix a couple of other ending on here, as I some of them seem to just fall off a cliff because the author really chopped the ending so bad because they were in a hurry to end it. Thank you for your story though, it seemed more believable than the others. I gave it 5 stars.

This probably the best of the bunch. It FTDS, and uses the facts and most situations from the original, bringing it all to a satisfying conclusion. And NOT generating more FTDS moments —

Except for: Do Col Rick and Maj Dee finally get together and do the dirty? (Duh, of course they do)? Do Dr Trey and Nurse Marcie fall in love and get married (Probably not)? Which countries do Trey and Marcie end up stationed (with Trey’s background probably Central or South America, or the Caribbean)? What happens to Leslie (she marries a crop insurance inspector out of Ames, and has 2.3 kids, and they’re pretty happy 22 years later)? Does Rhonda make the Navy a career (no she gets out after 8 years because of all the misogynistic BS that’s still rampant in the military)? What major does Kyle pick (who cares)? What kinda car do Rick and Dee drive (who cares)?

[the last paragraph for all those who, even though it’s pretty much obvious what happens have every little thread tied up.]

FIN

Oh yes, 5-stars

.....

How did things turn out between Rick and Dee? Why no further mention of her after she returned to Brussels?

I don't like it when the other guy still walks around with his smirk.

Do that to me and I'll give you a permanent joker smile. All your cheeks sliced off.

4 stars and only because I believe Dee deserved a happily ever after with at least two children.

Well written, but ultimately unsatisfying. It was just flat. The MC's attitude was a bit phlegmatic for a war fighter. Would've liked at least some good old fashioned comeuppance for Marcy. It seems that his idea of retribution didn't really provide much satisfaction. In fact, given her attitude in the show down before the divorce, she was unrepentant and got the last word. Wow, way to go all scorched earth on her.

Best yet.

Incredibly difficult to follow. Unfulfilled

like the "set them free" "misquote" rest of your version of the original story was good too. Except poor Vince should have come back the next day so he could have gotten another "lesson"

Or nearly enough payback and none to the asshole. Dull and boring especially after reading some of the other selections. Beef it up a lot and add more action and retribution and it will be much better.

Way easy too many plot holes requiring too many deux ex machina inserts to fix. The logic train of this tale derailed so many times it left the reader trying ineffectually to fill in the gaps themselves. This is turn led to the author utterly failing in the key story requirement to get the reader to suspend disbelief. The chaotic loosely connected series of scene elements fails to work as a story.

3 stars because I am feeling charitable…

Servant111, you are an idiot! You probably think Trump won the 2020 election and all of the QAnon conspiracies are real! This story was great and interesting compared to the original storyline.

Not saying it should've been a BTB ending, but they did get off scott free other than not getting jobs, which makes this not so satisfying...

Much better ending than the original tale deserved. @Servant111 clearly confuses "plot hole" with "didn't do what I thought they should."

Interesting story but gratuitous comment about “Duckout Doug” was a comment not germane to the story or indicative of his career as a soldier

A nice finish! I'm a bit disappointed with the degree of BTB ("no physical damage"), but there was enough retribution to leave my mental vengeance mini demon fed sufficiently for a 5-star rating

Not quite finished.....He went to War College....What happened to Dee? Your *5* became a *4*

Wish I had connections in the Pentagon like Ski. But being minus a leg would shoot that in the foot PDQ.

No burning the birch here, no finish either, what happened to Dee? A certain 5* only ended up with a 3

To those who were upset because our hero didn’t re-connect with Dee, who was stationed in Brussels:

-

“The offer was a resumption of--not return to--active duty. Seems that my retirement paperwork somehow got altered to an assignment as commander of a reserve unit that was almost immediately disbanded. I was authorized two weeks leave and another four days travel time, at which point I had a billet in the next War College class. I accepted the offer and started checking airline schedules to Brussels.”

-

Unfortunately, that closing sentence got separated from the rest of the paragraph and sort of got lost at the top of the next page, thanks to Lit’s mindless algorithm for breaking pages.

-

But the confusion was my fault for trying to be cute by merely implying the resolution of Dee’s future rather than stating it explicitly. Rest assured, Colonel Weston—soon to be Brigadier General Weston—and Dee had a glorious reunion and lived happily ever after. If I resubmit the story to tidy up some other (less egregious) errors, I’ll fix it.