All Comments on 'Boston to Birmingham Ch. 03'

My only complaint is having to wait another week for the next chapter. Wonderful writing and compelling story.

either a score card or a gene-tree and a mind-set change., TK U MLJ LV NV

Going from a typical little LW ditty to a fully fledged tale.

And yes. Nothing is more important than family. Nothing. It's what I'm coming away with from this story. Thank you.

The story is hopscotching first one direction, then the next. Cousins , mortal enemies & hotly contested legal trials are popping up like dandelions on a wet Mid-May lawn . The dramatic stage is cluttered with more random frays then first three minutes of a demolition derby. This is like the Cliff's Notes to early unpublished John Grisham novel.

I freely confess, however, to loving some epic moments courtesy of qhml's will & skill. The Cousin Ronnie beatdown was visceral & chilling. The divorce court facedown was sentimental, hilarious & touching all at once. The closing sentence declaring a triad of bad guys looking to rain on our estranged couple's Dixie parade had suspense to burn.

In the future, I hope the author takes his time and hones this story so full of potential. One trial per submission will do nicely Thank you. More gratitude for pending return of smirking, hipster shyster villain Allen.

There will be filler in this serial to be sure. But I wouldn't miss that rematch between him & Hardy for all the peach pies made from scratch in Tuscaloosa County.

Incest - a family game.

Totally unengaging characters; lame, overblown plot. Waste of time.

At this point he should shit or get off the pot. If he is so brilliant why hasn't the next obvious move occured to him? He could just drop the divorce and out go the counselling sessions. He doesn't have to see her, speak to her or live with her. He can walk away from her and live his own life. Let him start squiring a few ladies around town and get back in the saddle with a few. She'll get the picture really fast and so will the intruders. Otherwise he should admit he is a cum-slurping cuckold and go back to his slut wife. All this half-assed crying and whimpering like a pussy-whipped school boy is getting old.

Are you related to DQS? A lot of elements of WWWM here.

Only thing is, we never say momma and them. We say momma and nem or nim, how ever you spell it. Tammy Faye was a Bakker with two Ks. Roll Tide.

Gotta wonder, just how many bodies are gonna fit in that lake? Excellent tale, and yes, smacks of DQS, doesn't it? We have that three strike law here in Texas, and sometimes I have to wonder at the fairness of it all. Thanks for all your work....sure makes an enjoyable read. 5*

I 'm enjoying a good tale,thats entertaining,amusing and well written !! Folk that don't care for it,should just stop reading, no one is forcing you to read it, y'all need to get a life

No negative thoughts from here. It reads like a top-flight novel. There is always a Greek chorus singing, "Once a cheater always a cheater" and "Violent people can never stop being violent". On this latter subject Roger Zelazny wrote a best-selling novel.

Did I miss a character?

Can't find any reference to him, but lots to snakes.

BTW great story.

They mobilize all the kinfolk into a standing army, doesn't look like Escobar's buddies will stand a chance. Great read.

and I can't for the life of me understand why any woman would want to be married to such a horrible, violent and secretive man. He's a psychopath! She is also a cardboard cut-out of a cheating wife (template supplied by a thousand Literotica stories that bear no relation to real people) who realise what a damn fine psycho - sorry, man - she's let go.

Purr-lease! How can anyone take this seriously? Writing by numbers!

Lovely writing and almost every paragraph is something to savor and enjoy along the way. Can't wait for the showdown, which hopefully will bring them back together again, but give us at least another two chapters to enjoy before you wrap it up.

A comment about three strikes. You made an appealing argument using a sympathetic minor criminal as a pawn with two lawyers who wanted to circumvent the law. If you had reversed the order of the three offenses, with the theft second and the beer bottle third, with the victim dying, there would be no such sympathetic feeling. The laws were passed in a number of states because society got tired of being victimized by repeat offenders who either were too stupid to stay straight, were on drugs, or had some other personal problem, like being psychopaths. Society also got tired of judges using judicial discretion to reduce sentences and then the miscreant committing more serious crimes later. Usually they killed some young man or woman and a family had to grieve over the unfairness of a judicial system that did not protect them and prohibited that they take punitive action to redress the imbalance in justice themselves. Yes, it is not fair to some repeat offenders, but society until recently was willing to bear the cost as necessary for greater feelings of safety, an illusion at best of course.

A bit off the track, but you did put the moral argument in the story.

I won't comment on the other stuff, but one thing in the story just pisses me off to no end. It's the meddling. Completely unrelated, and heretofore unknown characters now know better than Hardy and Gwen about how they feel, and know what's best for them. What is Hardy, a 5 year old or something?

Case in point, the cranky old judge. "I'm old so I know better than you two how you yourself feel, so I'm going to use my judge powers to force you to stay together even though you don't want to. And you're going to jail if you don't comply."

The entire part with the judge deciding what's best for Hardy was incredibly aggravating to read.

You know what WOULD be funny? If HARDY used his connections to do the EXACT same thing, in the opposite direction. Meddling, interfering, so the counseling is delayed, or suddenly getting a judge who hates cheating wives, etc.

The entire courtroom scene with judge Harlin was way too weird. Any judge worth his salt would've told both Hardy and Gwen to keep their personal life out of this, instead of turning it into a courtroom drama, with both pleading their OWN cases.

You know what this chapter reminds me of? Friends/family/marriage counselors in LW stories. Who nag, guilt trip, or trick the husband into taking back his cheating wife.

Only here it's not nagging, tricking or plain harassment, but abuse of the law to put the husband in jail, for not wanting to get back together with his cheating wife. This is reconciliation at all costs...

Hey, this could be an idea to lower the divorce rate in America. It doesn't matter whether they want to stay together or not, the judges know (after seeing them once) they love eachother, so the divorce is not granted. And if either party protests, it's prison for them!

kill the whore and be done with it.

Expertly crafted writing. You should be writing Hollywood scripts.

I see the negative comments and wonder if those commenters are reading the same story as I. This story is over the top, full of melodrama, and with characters bigger than life, and that's what makes it so damn enjoyable. I did not skim a paragraph.or even a sentence. This was fun reading. The story began as a simply cheating wife story and has grown and taken on a life of its own. It is not fair to you, or other writers, to make comparisons, but I find your story compelling and a lot of fun. I have not enjoyed a story more in a very long time. Thanks for the hard work and good writing. The southern expressions and attitudes are a pleasure to read. Thanks!

Hardy needs to get rid of the whore asap.

This reads like a very good screenplay. The author might think about shopping it around Hollywood - it would be a great vehicle for any number of well-known actors and actresses.

It is from an al wilson song from 1968 called "the snake."

he deserves to be left alone

You got an attaboy from harddaysnight. That's like an Oscar. Be proud.

TY for taking the time and making the effort to write .

I probably have the arrogance to disagree with LSD or HDK (or even BOTH of them) but not this time! I continue to be a big fan of this epic & QHML1!

5*

I am in full agreement with HDK's assessment.

I can't hardly wait for the next installment!

good "novelist" here at least, there has to be a big drama, just to make it longer. the escobar "shit" would not have been necessary to make it fun to read, instead he could have made it a bit more like this chapter maybe even add a bit erotic at literotica, cause violance does not add to it.

I happen to agree with HDK, and why wouldn't I. I think he is one of the very best writers on this site or anywhere actually. What I am enjoying is the unfolding of the story, the developing of the complexity of story lines and await anxiously to see how the author is going to bring all of this together. While the characters might be over blown abit, having spent time in the south it seems to me that the author has captured a fundamental element of society and specifically society in the south.

Nicely done.

I have to say this is a really good story - reminds me somewhat of DanielQ Steele's "When we were married" series - first class and I can't wait for the next installment!

i agree this is very well written tale. however, i don't agree to the direction it's taking-raac. all the elements are there- meddling judge, counseling and the specter (for chap4) of the big bad drug lord.

how can the slut wife claim she's grown the past year? she's still the spoiled bitch.

how can hubby reconcile sans trust?

let's see how chap4 goes.

I didn't think of that. We have this long drawn out divorce (noting the head nod to DQS' tale) which has been marching in place for 3 chapters.

And we haven't touched the Escobar case. A four act drama?

LSD identified it handily. It's a Southern Tale using a divorce as an excuse. The setting is the story.

Note the author didn't add a whole lot of Boston regionalisms.

My only big WTF moment in this tale was when you had the ADA make her comments FIRST. Haven't you ever seen Law and Order?

I am a revenge story fan, but I am eternal optimistic, so I can imagine a reconcilation sometime. I think a cheater is everytime a cheater is statistical rule and not deterministic natural law. The problem we have not any Time Travel machin so we do not know who deserves reconcilation who does not.................

We saw a court case where Hardy pleaded for forgiveness for a client (and relative) that erred, but saw the error of his ways. Hardy asserted that his client should not have his life destroyed for a foolish mistake. Thw wife argued that the defendant made the mistake and needed to be punished, much like she needed punishment, but not a life sentence. Can Hardy show the same kindness he so eloquently pleaded for on behalf of his client? No one claims that the wife simply made a foolish mistake. It was a horrible thing to do. We readers have seen her grow as a person. Hardy is written as having more than a few warts of his own. Is he better than his wife? Not really. He just made different mistakes than she did. The way the writer brings all this together is so much better than the old tried and true ....coming home early, finding the neighbor with the big cock banging the wife, selling her into white slavery and castrating the big dicked lover. Hardy is a hard man and made more than a few mistakes. These two are made for each other and they will reconcile. They must reconcile for the story to make the point I think the writer is making. (I've been wrong before!).

It is hard to describe the relationship of southern men to northern women, it can be very explosive, and often intense, but I think you have done a good job of it. At least it has been that way for me, a tried and true son of the south, happily married to one of them yankee girls.

essential reading

Wanted to add my congrats to other readers who have enjoyed this one. It's a legal story set in courtrooms and involving lawyers, but that just shows how writers can come at the same setting with a completely different feel. Of course, it could just be the difference between Florida and Alabama. They're both Southern states, although some would argue with that categorization of Florida, but anybody who's lived in both states know they're in different worlds. Not worse or better.Just different. I'm flattered that this courthouse divorce story would remind anyone of WWWM, but I got more of a kick out of the offhand referral to "The Last Goodbye." That was neat. Thanx. And I am looking forward to the showdown with the drug bad guys. Think it will solve a lot of personal problems.

she cheated, it seems she grew up since ,she knows what she is missing and wants it back. will Hardy forgive her or will the trial bring them together, hardy has his own issues. I can see his point on trust, once that trust is broken it very hard to get back.

also he wants a family is that something she is willing to give him . only the future chapters will tell us. as this drama unwinds. I EXPECT there will be an attempt on her life and hardy will come to the rescue and is reconsiliation possible then..???

This is a wonderful story.

I've spent good money at Barnes & Noble on books that couldn't compare.

Kuddos qhml1 from a "Southern Girl"

Michaela Mc

5* +++!!!

You seem to know a lot about law & enforcement in the South, genealogy, and the "good old boy" network. Everything ties together so well, with surprises throughout.

The suspense from paragraph to paragraph and even from line to line not only keeps the story flowing, it keeps the reader involved. This is my kind of erotica. Sexual references are understated, not blatant; brought in where they fit, but not the majority of the story.

If you could post subsequent chapters more than once a week, I think most readers would love it. Keep up the quality of the story. Please don't let it degenerate into a "nothing but revenge" story. Those are so overrated and trite, it's boring. Your story is exciting, suspenseful, and all around enjoyable.

Sorry, I can't say "go tide" and mean it. I'm a Wisconsin Yankee. Go Badgers! Go Pack!

Whatever else happens, a man like Hardy will have his back up now. If there was a chance he'd stop the divorce (not likely to begin with), after the abuse of power that judge spewed forth, it's gone forever.

It's one thing for a judge to bend the rules to help a teen, giving him a choice for a future. It's quite another to step outside the law and ram something down an adult's throat when he has done no wrong.

Bad idea.

Excellent storytelling, tho.

My personal background colors my view of the story. The same background that attracts me to Loving Wives. My instinct is BTB, then murder the guy. Your stories including this one are so well written, I find myself able to read and enjoy them even though you favor the cheater and hang guilt on the innocent husband for not forgiving her. We all know he's going to be humiliated and treated like a silly child by the judge and the counselor, and he's going to take her back like it was all his fault in the first place. But you will write it so well, I'll read it anyway.

This is a wonderful story that does convey the reality of the traditional South. Southern judges do traditionally use greater latitude in their actions than those in the North and it is expected of them. Southern sheriffs do enjoy significant powers and employee them in ways that can make the law work to everyone's advantage. While DQS is correct in that Alabama and coastal/tourist Florida have little in common, there are places in North Central FL where 'remedial redneck' is still taught.

I love the characters! As far as the naysayers go msybe the author and the judge in the story know things are gray and that people can change....btb is all fair and good but as we saw with the priest abuse scandal black and white doesn't equal good sll the time.

You've woven a marvelous story, rich characters and good descriptions of the culture.

You've even managed some of that meandering storytelling

style characterized by many Southern storytellers and

that readers LOVE!!!

Please keep writing.....we'll all keep reading and

commenting.

Fantastic writing and bringing the characers to life.

I like the way the author has let the old south seep into the storyline and become involve with the characters life syle. It brings realism to the storyline.

Just a darn good read.

Thanks

I don't think the story is crud. I was remarking on my lack of insight into the fact that we have at least one or two more chapters to go (using normal writing skills) or about 53 more if DQS takes a hand.

I like the story but I'm still waiting for some more movement.

I saw the reference to The Last Goodbye as well. Nicely done without beating one's head with it.

Thank you for the story.

Even though not much is happening in the main plot, the story has some good humor and some good writing. Am enjoying this despite the obvious RAAC that is being served to us readers. Oh, well, as Littlefinger said in "The Game of Thrones" series, sometimes it's necessary to just get on with it (fucking someone for whom you lack attraction, but who advances your goals). So we accept the RAAC and read the story for the entertainment value, even though in real life, Hardy would never take her back. I expect there will be a scene where he saves her from Cartel cronies of Escobar, along the way. Thanks for writing.

Well planned, written, and told. More please.

I LOVE A GREAT STORY AND THIS ONE IS THE BEST I CAN REMEMBER READING. CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER. SUPER JOB SO FAR

You just keep writing, I'll keep reading...

Generally I am rooting against the cheating wife. However, in this story I am rooting for both to get back together. That's quality writing. A great job of not simply showing that this woman is fighting for her marriage, but that she has genuinely grown and changed. If she can win me over, and she has, that is quite an accomplishment. Can't wait for the next installment.

If Escobar kidnaps Gwen and Hardy has to save and admit he still loves her then I am going to be very dissapointed but great story so far

Great story. Are you related to Daniel Q Steel?

Sorry doesn't conflict of interests mean anything to you, husband and wife cannot be on opposite sides in a trial, its too easy to say collusion/conflict of interests if the state gets a "win" and then a retrial for the defendant is almost guaranteed so the first trial would just be a waste.

Also as said before if you go with the predictable of him saving her and everything is perfect between them afterwards it will be disappointing. Hopefully you have a strong ending (whether they get together or not as long as it makes sense in view of the characters) as I could see it going either way and his "stubbornness" is not an a factor, also the Judge making the excuse of do you love her then you belong together is so flawed it dumb. there are many things we "love" which are bad for us and will kill us, same as some people we love are really bad for us and will destroy us. but she may have changed and may really be repentant so maybe it could work (but I think as I doubt his would be worse).

I have to say that during the first two chapters I was hoping for RAC about 60/40 for. Now after reading this chapter I'm 90/10 against RAC. When this judge started meddling in something he has no knowledge of, it turned me off of any hope of RAC. Now this story just like in some others in the genre have meddlers (parents, siblings, grandparents, in-laws, best friends, acquaintances,etc) and in the majority nothing happens to them, nothing to punish them for meddling. Nobody takes the time to punish the meddlers. Winterfoxx didn't his story ''Dig two Graves'' when the mother of the protagonist refused to talk to him. KK in his ''Warren Butterfield'' when his wife continually chose her mother over him (her husband). When the wife got the money from her mother did she offer to payback the money Warren spent on her mother and lazy brother? No! That has always bugged me when the meddlers get off scott free.

This judge needs to be reported to the bar, period. In all of the stories I have read I have never seen where a divorce is suspended in one state and re-filed in another. This makes no sense to me.

I have read some comments about Hardy not telling about his past, making him the bad guy. I have to ask why? Gwen never told Hardy about her past? So why is he the bad guy by not revealing his? From the beginning of the story, Gwen was told not to pursue Hardy because she would destroy him in someway or another. That Hardy was not the kind of man she was used to. That he was too much of a man, who will not be controlled by her spoiled rich upbringing. She was told by both of her parents not to get into a relationship with him. It was ignored, she lied about starting a family. She called him a prude about the nudist beach during their honeymoon, he told her ''...whatever you did in the past...you're married to me now...you're mine...'' (paraphrasing). Belittled him in front of her friends, etc. And now she wants to stay married? Even in fiction this is way too much to forgive. The trust is shattered beyond repair.

This is fiction, I can never understand why some who read these stories believe them to be fact based. Those who do need to have their medication adjusted. However, even in fiction there has to be some kind of guideline. If you do things to demean your spouse over a long period of time that ends up in cheating. Then let the divorce go through, stop trying to talk (every story) to him. Stop saying ''I'll make it up to you" (every story) let the divorce go through, and then, only then, try to make amends.

Love this story, but...

LOL

I don't think hardy should be made the bad guy for not telling Gwen of his past--because she didn't tell him that she was a whoring dope addict. Gwen was in fact warned to leave hardy alone but like the spoiled little brat that she was she didn't listen, I still don't get why she wants to stay married to hardy? Even her father considered her a cheating slut. I don't think hardy should take her back because the trust is gone..... Trust is a very fragile thing that isn't easily fixed when broken, I don't see how she can honestly gain his trust again. She's manipulative, this is shown during the Ronnie case during closing arguments. She might've changed but lets not forget that she's a slut. A slut will always be a slut. She's just not a very trustworthy person. I sense that the writer will reconcile these two which I will not like. Hardy needs to keep the meddlers out of his business, he's rich now there's no reason to stay married to a tramp he will not be able to trust. Reconciliation won't make any sense... But hey what do I know...

Let me get this out of the way: top marks.

Maybe two criticisms, tops.

First: one more proofread wouldn't hurt. It was well edited, but a few things slipped through.

Second, the legal procedures and situations as described were profoundly inaccurate. I know you warned us, but it was distracting to me, at least. It was a nice try, but before you send this series out for publication you might want a little fact-checking done, and adjust the story accordingly.

I'm caring more and more about the characters, and getting more interested in the various storylines, and I'll read on.

Hardy wants to move on. Why won't they let him?

I see bad things happening . We'll see...

...where's the next chapter? I thought 4 chapters would be it, but seems not to be the case. so far, great story.

This was a little sloppy, with "your" and "you're" switching places on occasion; and then Sammy turned into Jimmy for a while.

Overall not bad, but needs some attention to detail.

I never cease to be amazed at the savagery and ruthlessness of white southerners. Even after 250 years they are not civilized enough to be ashamed of their history. They rub it in our faces, as though "fighting for the right to enslave others" is a badge of honor.

You do know that this story is entirely fictional and has no basis in fact. These aren't real people and these events never happened.

Of course it's fictional.

But the reverence for southern history and culture is evident in the story. And it is not fictional. Southern whites seem to be unable to acknowledge the savagery and brutality of their ancestors and history. "After all, no one of consequence was harmed".

Is it any wonder that Americans still don't seem to recognize that invading and occupying Iraq (a country that didn't do anything to us) makes our soldiers the bad guys (despite the portrayal of the protagonist). But again, "it's not like our soldiers murdered any innocent white people", in their own country.

For searching0240: Y'all might want to ought to consider your own history before y'all jump on your high horse and preach at the South.

Having said that, it truly appears you have bought into some stereotypes of your own. Do a bit of research just to humor an old hard bitten Texas cowboy (do please note the stereotype if I'm not being too subtle for your Yankee self) and note where the large slave markets in this fair land of freedom were located, which group of fine upstanding mercantile persons actually began it here and who made the profit from the trade. It might open your eyes to the concept of rearranging your prejudice and calling it thinking.

That "White Northerners Are Bad People Too"?

You would never hear me arguing that Northerners were not savage and ruthless as well. But after Northerners started backing away from their brutality, Southerners were willing to commit treason, to enforce the belief that "non-White people had no rights, that White people were bound to respect". Think about what that means to the life any person. No right to self-respect, no right to self-determination, and no right to self-defense. So in effect "no right to say no", to their White rapists. They forced laws such as "The Fugitive Slave Act", to force Northerners to continue to be as savage as they are. Having failed in their armed revolt, they pushed racial apartheid (Jim Crow) on America. They made sure that the weight of society enforced their perverted sense of order. White Southerners are not just "people who do bad things", they are people who try to "force others to do bad things". That makes them not just "bad people", they are "evil people". They are people who make the world a worse place, by being in it.

Even today, White Southerners are trying to convince everyone to honor their White Southern ancestors, who fought for the right to enslave and oppress the ancestors of their Black neighbors. Now that's true "Southern hospitality and graciousness"! Southerners are the kind of people that will spit in your face, on a regular basis, but they do it with a "warm" smile. As Ghandi said about western civilization, "It would be a good idea".

The only people that Black and/or Native Americans have ever needed to fight, for freedom and justice, is White Americans. And you prove on a daily basis that you haven't figured out that what your ancestors did in the past was just plain wrong. Is it any surprise that a lot of us believe that a non-White person who turns his back on a White American is a fool. If you haven't figured out that enslaving and oppressing and otherwise exploiting people is wrong, you simply can't be trusted.

Robert

They are mocking you and your records.

According to this tale of familial linkage, six degrees of separation is far too wide a gap.

Dear qhml1, I think you have forgotten the original story and decided to just be silly.Who are these characters and what do they have to do with Chapter 01?

exciting enchanting funny thanks

is not a way to win back a spouse, especially after what she did to lose him. Lying and being untrustworthy is not a way to regain trust. I also would think that even in the story above it wouldn't work. I would rather eat shit and die before I gave into to extortion and took the lying, cheating bitch back. As for all of this sissy emo crap about what is better to live with someone who has no respect for you and cheats on you or to live without them, I gotta go without. Bullshit is bullshit, no matter how you put it on the plate. Little green sprigs or not.

Author is a really good writer, but heading to RAAC land this early is not a good sign. He is giving her a lot of good qualities and the comparison between 3 strikes and her deal is a clever plot point, but a bad decision is sometimes what we live with the rest of our lives and a disaster like she set in motion is pretty much a no win scenario. She did what she did in Paris on purpose, didn't think anything about what she had done. Then she invited the little asshole into her home while expecting her husband to come back and talk of reconciliation and drank with him. Pointed out several times that her husband lied by not saying he had been hurt by a cheating Mom as an excuse of some kind. Whether she knew or not, she shouldn't have cheated. Again I call bullshit. Hope it gets better, good enough premise to keep me reading, but I get my fill of bullshit really quick.

to fit in more stereotypes and caricatures in a single chapter. but I am sure there will be even more soon.

“But tell me, son, was all you really wanted a brood sow?” – Now, THAT is unfair! He never “wanted a brood sow”, he knew she was going to have a career, but he honestly believed that they had a MUTUAL understanding that after a reasonable amount of time they would have a family, and instead she started pushing that time farther away instead of getting closer to it.

There’s no way this case goes to trial, with the owner’s son withdrawing the complaint and it just being a matter of bad timing that the arresting officers had received the word yet. Just because the owner wanted to be a hard ass doesn’t mean that the DA has to go along when common sense says that no crime was committed.

"if I had a dollar for every tear I shed for you I'd have another fortune to my name." – Yes, but every tear she shed was because of her own actions, while Hardy’s were ALSO because of HER actions!

I agree with the comment that he should just drop the divorce, and go screw Crystal!

That will send her off crying back to Boston and out of his life!

Would it have been better if he told her about HIS past? Probably, but it really wouldn’t have mattered if she had been a faithful wife!

And yes, maybe if they had both been more honest they never would have been married, but again, it was HER selfishness that got them married, SHE wanted HIM, and wouldn’t let his lack of interest stand in the way!

“so the least junior public defender was assigned to him.” I’m not sure, but I THINK you mean the MOST junior, i.e. the least experienced, public defender.

Unfortunately, I’m smelling reconcilement here, and while her growth as a person argues against BTB, I’m still opposed to reconciliation. I MIGHT be able to get by Paris as a one-time lapse in judgment, and the second time she was drugged (though, as her Daddy says, she KNEW what kind of a man Allen was, and having ANYTHING to do with him, ESPECIALLY letting him into her home when she was expecting Hardy, was foolish at best!), but her lack of respect for him, reflected in her even non-sexual involvement with Allen and her reluctance to start a family, are show-stoppers for me!

I hope there aren't any glass houses near some of these commentators. The tones of "holier than thou" and preaching lack of forgiveness are quite remarkable!

I find this is a gripping story so far, even though I can't empathise with the main character who demonstrates extraordinary lack of self-control, as well as frustrating pointless stubbornness. However, the flaws in his character are the root of the entertaining, if rather implausible plot.

This is stupendous. See I do know a few big words I just put them together like you can.

Ed Grocott

edgrocott@gmail.com

The level of melodrama is getting untenable. A bit, in small, skillfully administered doses, is a fine thing -- but too much causes the reader to feel she is drowning in it. I hope you'll dial it back in your next story.

Otherwise a fine tale.

But it's so far Over The Top...I can't stop smiling!

This version of Birmingham couldn't have more than three stop lights. :+))

Gwen is a spoiled rich girl who manipulated Hardy into dating and her against the wishes of her own father. She continues the manipulation in order to marry him all the while lying to Hardy about her expectations of the future. She gets what she wants, works enough so that she doesn't see Hardy much and then starts a campaign of disrespect. Eventually she disrespects him so much that she deliberately cheats on him. Gwen tries to keep it hidden unsuccessfully and somehow decides it is acceptable to be alone and drink with the guy she cheated with, even though she claims to not like him, on the day she is supposed to discuss their relationship with Hardy. Something in Hardy breaks and he is no longer the southern gentleman. Fast forward through his move and subsequent start of divorce proceedings and Gwen's father sends her to AL near him. Eventually Hardy is blamed for Gwen's cheating, numerous people start manipulating him to get the two back together, including Gwen's father who for a long time was on Hardy's side. Everyone thinks they know what is best for Hardy except him. Somehow in the short period of a couple of months Gwen goes from spoiled demanding homebody rich snob to superwoman with tremendous confidence and self-esteem. Hardy is told that because he loves her he has to stay married. Hardy is told that trusting your spouse is not necessary and he needs to stop being an obstructionist. Gwen exclaims that if given a chance she would never touch another man, completely ignoring the fact that she already made that promise. Hardy is also supposed to ignore that she made that promise. Now Been has an army of relatives, the judicial system, and Hardy's employer all conspiring to manipulate him to take Gwen back.

Frankly I don't like the way this story is turning out. Trust is just as important as love in a marriage. People should be able to make their own choices. The cheater has turned into the victim and the one cheated on is now the stubborn bad guy.

Seems to have it right.

4 stars

I love this story. There are not many good writers left who can write action, adventure, suspense etc. Thank you.

This is a wonderful story, full of interesting characters, well thought out, interesting storylines and great dialog. Bravo

..... and better. What a great read. Moving on.

It needs some editing. A some of the legal stuff is ridiculous, as is some of the discussion of things Southern, but it wouldn't take much editing to turn this into a best seller.

Wonderful story so far; but she is still a CHEATING WHORE!!! Hope he doesn't turn full CUCK...

Court worded CUCK counciling!!!!

This story is very well written, but you have obviously never spent much time around real southerners. If a female outsider, especially from the north, were to do the things to her southern husband that you have attributed to Gwen she would be lucky to get out of town alive. They certainly wouldn't be siding with her against her husband.

Weak chapter compared to the previous two. The courthouse antics are tacky, and the portrayal of a busybody legal system quite unnerving. Gwen doesn't do herself any favours either. Says she'll give him the divorce, then goes back on her word. The princess persona never truly fades away, which makes most of her interactions with Hardy quite grating. Meanwhile, Hardy having been unleased as a psycho killer in the previous chapters has now been relegated to grumpy bear status for comic relief. Middle sections of stories are always the toughest to keep engaging, and this suffers for it, unfortunately.

I was enjoying the story until the courtroom crap. Where were the witnesses....the guy who owned the car and his son....the arresting officers??? That whole thing reeked! Bad portrayal here. Should be re-written.

Loved it, cant wait to read the next chapter, 5 Stars.

I am enjoying this series very much. It builds on itself. Read on!

Still reading it.

You have to be from the south to get so much tight!

Grievous error!! Both the son and the father who's car was "stolen" would have been called as witnesses as well as the arresting officers. Bad mistake and made the story at this point a sham. You should have spent more time developing this area.

5..But the jury arguments were absurd. If that dialogue was to be included, it should have been in chambers or somewhere else. The Daisy/Marcus race bit was insipid virtue signaling. Still, the amazing character development continues, along with good plot pacing.

A few errors reflection,not legal expertise, would have avoided i.e., the father and son owning the car, and tge arresting officer,WOULD have been called as witnesses for the defense. Their testamony would have aquited the defendant. Also, introducing the black guy a pointless ploy and weakened the reunion.

That said awesome ongoing character and plot development! A very good, tightly woven tale. Your work stand out as one of my top ten stories from literotica.!!

Read the series again. This is one of the top stories on this site.

The anonymous NOPE from a year ago must be from south Chicago, not southern and certainly not from Alabama. While it is true her past would be a factor, a true southerner judges a person more on the present than on the past. Add to that is she is family - nothing is more important. While I wasn't born southern I spent years in the heart of Alabama and loved it. Q does know that of what he writes!

somewhere east of Omaha

Ditto.

You know what always disappoints me is little fucking bitches complaining about the spelling, grammar, syntax or veracity of the legal arguments? 😇😇😇 I mean come on REALLY LITTLE BITCHES🤣🤣🤣

When someone writes a truly great story with great characters awesome dialogue and an enthralling plot you sit back and just enjoy it. Otherwise just shut your bitch ass up and sit in the corner playing with your Peepee 😳😳😳

Can't get the image of the Judge whacking his desk with his shoe screaming lock him up lock him up 👿👿👿