All Comments on 'Conversations 03 - Ghosts'

1st mistake, he's a dumb ass for letting her put his phone in her purse. If you take one step away from me and my phone isn't in my had, I'm reporting it stolen. And, 2nd mistake, if you can't trust her husband with the truth of something that happened before you met him, the marriage was doomed anyway.

Wow. That was great story. It brought to surface something from my past, so I was a little teary-eyed, but still enjoyed it immensely. I guess I need to read some more of your work. :)

six years of unwavering support and she still betrays him

i wouldnt have taken her back

Seems like a Frank Capra subject.

It was a decent story, until he started blaming himself for not being there for her... when she walked out on him.

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Yes, she went through a horribly traumatic experience, but she knew he had his own demons after being abandoned by his mother. Hailey said she added the bit about not wanting a divorce to the separation agreement specifically to "reassure" him that she wasn't leaving him for someone else like his mother had done... so she knew

exactly how he would interpret the separation. Yet she did it anyway. Hailey traumatised the man who'd acted like a saint helping her recover from the college rape.

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After everything he'd done to help her, Hailey and her family treated him like shit. They shoved him aside like he was a disinterested stranger, not her loving husband. For that reason, he should've just got the divorce himself.

At least she's blaming the aunt and not him...

Why he would think he was an ass is nonsense.

Without warning she served him with separation papers and didn't explain or talk to him. What was he supposed to think?

I'm glad they reconciled but this was all on her not him.

Love it.

For a moment I was bracingnfor a cheating wife. But thank goodness this instead showed how loving couples get into trouble by not communicating the issues and try to find solutions together.

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After the usual cuck stories barrage this week this one is a refreshing respite.

Thanks Tinman_1903.

Melodramatic but worth every word

Sorry but her entire relationship with Scott was a lie. It affected her relationship with him when they were single and continued when they got married. She didn't trust him. Her whole family knew, it seems, but they all kept her secret from Scott as well. Some family that was! Scott was never a part of it.

Then this whole stupid 3 month separation crap WITHOUT EXPLAINING ANYTHING TO HIM. Just expecting him to accept it like a good little wimp... was just ridiculous. He should have completely separated their finances when he couldn't get in touch with her and her bitchy family refused to help him. Then HE should have filed for Divorce, not just let that bitch wife totally manipulate the situation.

As for getting back together!!! Ridiculous. No trust. No loyalty. No real love (from her). Then the spineless Scott even forgives that cunt Aunt who had advised her on this course of action. Plus, forgives her whole family for cutting him out, ignoring him and lieing to him. No way would that "Walton Family", happy ever after finish taken place.

Painfully accurate depiction of trauma. 5 stars

All I can say is WOW! The uniqueness of this story in this genre, combined with your approach to such a sensitive and impactful topic was amazing. The narrative was powerful and the nuances of Scott's past and how it drove his perceptions of the situation were masterful. Simply put, best 2 page story I've ever read on this site. 5*

This is a great series. Thank you.

Good story!

really nice story. I just wish all the politics revolving around abortion in US would die down. it's already a very traumatic experience to get an abortion & to face a bunch of religious nuts screaming makes it 10 times worse.

"I could be such an ass sometimes." - Why is HE an ass?

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I would have yelled out that she stole my phone.

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"Please trust me." - How can he trust her when she won't tell him anything. Either she tells him WTF is going on, or screw the separation, let's go straight to the divorce.

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I assume Hailey knows about his mother, which makes what she's doing worse.

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"I actually came home after the first month to see you. To tell you what was going on." - Of COURSE she couldn't tell him before she left.

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He stood by her before, why couldn't she trust him with her new concerns?

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Why was it too late when the therapist said that he should have been included?

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I guess I'm okay with the reconciliation, but Aunt Becky should remain persona non grata, and I wish she had remembered how he had stayed with her with all of her issues.

“Andrea was sizing me up, I'm sure she was wondering what kind of man would leave his wife during a time such as this.”

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He NEVER left her! SHE left him, FORMALLY, for 80 days!

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His reaction was both understandable AND beneficial for him — letting work know he was free to travel as much as they needed.

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When we finally learned her reason….well, it was a contrivance. Not tne substance of her anguish…the rape and its results. But the separation being necessary as argued by her Aunt. THAT was weak tea really — especially given all that hubby had gone thru with her already.

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Glad it worked out. Love happy endings. Story held me to tne end…just too bad that the end was a reason that didn’t work as well as it might have.

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4 ****

One of the most original stories I've read on here. Well done.

As a man I honestly think that all rapists should be executed. There is nothing more pathetic than using drugs, alcohol or force to get laid. Rape is something that the victim's have to live with for the rest of their lives.

1. Great story. Felt very genuine and mostly believable.

2. How can he do the lions share of the cooking and not be able to discern good ingredients?

3. To zeuspm - the “religious nuts” are mostly people who know that an abortion not only ends a life but leads to long term emotional trauma like we just read about. Consider the soldiers who come back from war and all that they deal with, then think of those young women dealing with those same emotions after aborting their child.

Liked the story a lot, but I agree with all the negative comments written in the first 19 comments I still rated the story 5 stars.

Really well written story. Kudos for dealing with a difficult subject. The plot hole for me was when he had been in counseling sessions with her during college and yet didn’t know quite the whole story. Doesn’t seem likely, how does a counseling session avoid those pertinent facts? He pleads with her during the separation meeting to tell him what’s going on and she was supported in keeping secrets from him by her family? Can all of her family be morons? She’s good with her parents and aunt knowing the truth but not her husband? Counseling sessions should have spent a lot of time on what being husband and wife means.

Wow, such a refreshing story in LW

I liked "Two Halves from this series, but this one didn't really do it for me.

Keep writing. Enjoy most of your work

Good one...thanks !

Good story. I agree with "zeuspm". His comment about abortion. Let people make their own choices. Look into your own houses first.

Really enjoyed your “Conversations” series — nice writing and insightful. Especially appreciate stories built around dealing with consequences and reconciliation/redemption. Trust that you are able to dismiss the trolls.

SCOTT DID NOTHING WRONG, PERIOD, END OF STATEMENT.

HAILEY DID EVERYTHING WRONG, PERIOD, END OF STATEMENT.

Hailey manipulated Scott. She kept Scott in the dark, withheld vital information from him, lied to him by omission, broke her vows to him (presuming the love, honor, etc. form typically used) as she was not showing the expected love a wife would have by telling him they were separating. And Hailey certainly did not honor him by showing him her mistrust in his ability to love and respect her, especially given his past level of support over the past six years. Scott was mega-dissed by Hailey and her family, they certainly did not treat him as family regardless of his role and place as Hailey's husband! They dropped the Tsar Bomb of "'git the F out of our lives boy, y'heah!" Maybe Scott should have done so...

Maybe this story will be one that prompts an "alternate" endings competition.

Excellent story and very real. I don't need to agree with characters to see a good story and Aunt Becky definitely blew it. Somehow, she seems like a life long spinster. Still, a very genuine story about imperfect people.

Excellent story but everything that happened in this story is all on Hailey. After all they had been through she trusted her spinster Aunt for advice instead of her husband.

Why did he ever trust her again? She trusted him enough to tell him about it, and go to counselling with her, in college when she was actually raped, but when it happened to someone else and she freaked out she DIDN'T trust him enough to tell him? What really changed? He comes across as an idiot in my mind for ever trusting her again.

I didn’t see whether he actually AGREED to the Separation “Agreement.” That could make a difference in evaluating his subsequent actions. Did he actually agree to wait on her and then bail, or did simply get handed an ultimatum that he didn’t follow?

Good story overall, but especially given his own vulnerabilities that he had honestly disclosed, I don’t see him having much fault here unless he had promised to wait out the separation.

One of the best pieces I've ever read on this site. Real, gritty and authentic. Unlike most stories here, both of these characters have unhealed wounds, along with the flaws and ghosts that emerge from those unhealed places! Like so many of us, we indeed hurt those we love by seeing things through our own filters. On top of this, you added the all-too-prevalent "I'm a victim" mindset to both characters, which narrows the focus and aforementioned filters to the point of being almost ineffective!

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The resolution was painful and.... realistic. Your characters were able to transition from Victim to Victor using those time-honored ingredients: love, understanding and communication!

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Easily a 5++++/5!!!

Well told, gut wrenching. 'Sorry for the clueless comments. PTSD is a bitch. It has many possible causes and always affects the closest relationships the most. Many relationships, especially where the other person makes accusations of manipulation and places blame (see earlier comments) don't survive.

Didn’t like it. The guy does nothing wrong but he’s shut out. No trust =no marriage. He will forever feel the sword dangling over head

Very Good, well written and true to life. Easy to understand her point of view.

Scott should have drop her like a rock. When she moved out he should have the papers ready for her. No trust no marriage. Could find another wife in a few years.

This can happen when a couple stop communicating. Why would any wife not include her husband in this type of therapy. But overall the story was good and the ending was the right one. Im not religious so honestly have no religious view on a woman having an abortion, but I will say its a matter of choice and in this circumstance a difficult choice was made.

A good, 5* story. Unfortunately rape/sexual assaults do damage or even destroy lives.

You told a good tale. You did a good job.

Very good story and very realistic. Probably half of the divorces occur because we fail to communicate properly. Thanks for the great story.

A good story but I don't see him getting over the lack of trust. After she moves out, he should have packed his stuff and left. Finish the separation with a divorce and find a woman that isn't broken. Life is hard enough as it is without throwing fuel on the fire. NEVER give her your phone in the first place. Find another city to live in. Done and done.

There is no end to the pain in this world and it was nice to read a story where the ability to listen without judging first leads to a happy ending. And well constructed too. Nice job.

Good, believable story.

Scott made 2 mistakes,

first was continuing to pay rent on the house after being served with separation papers. Correct action would be get a lawyer to respond to Hailey’s lawyer with divorce or annulment paperwork.

His second was giving Hailey his phone. Never give your phone to an ex or almost ex.

Marriage vows are “for better or worse, in sickness and in health”. Hailey choosing to dump her husband and face her worst time without him, I had to stop reading.

She was a dumbass! She doesn't deserve her husband back.

Hailey almost ruined everything!

The abortion should have been a non-issue. The Plan-B pill has been around over 20 years and most (non-religious) hospitals provide the Plan-B pill to rape victims. There would have been no need for an abortion. For that same reason the exemption for rape in abortion laws is moot. Plan-B is over the counter under $50, with PP providing it at very much lower cost or even for free.

Incest actually makes more sense as a girl may have other issues with disclosure, getting to a clinic, or having $.

Choosing to have an abortion is one thing, and arguments can go back and forth over timing and reasons, but trying to obfuscate with rape is disingenuous.

That said, if men have no rights regarding the termination of a pregnancy, men should have no responsibility for the child.

As for the story, didn't like the way Scott kept beating himself up and apologizing for things he didn't know and reacting in a manner consistent with his prior life history, a history Hailey knew.

This is one of the instances where the writing is better than the story.

☆☆☆☆

The most severely mentally ill character in this well told tale is Scott, not Hailey. An impressionable Scott mistakenly internalized responsibility for his mother's desertion of her family and carried that blighted baggage with him into adulthood. Unwittingly repeating his mistake by assuming responsibility for Hailey's reactions to her sexual assault no doubt felt like familiar territory to him. His maternal parenting experience made him the ideal partner for a selfish, needy woman whose primary concern in life was her own "ghosts."

Good story. Hailey was a manipulator, pure and simple. The fact was that she didn’t trust her husband. “I barely trusted my father” speaks volumes about her lack of trust in her husband.

GLORIFIED BLAME THE HUSBAND FIRST STORY.

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The wife's argument is that she really did nothing wrong and that

1) the husband overreacted and disappeared for no reason

2) he should of taken her mysterious non explanation at face value

3) that her husband just wait around INDEFINITELY

4) that Is her lack of honesty her deception her refusal to trust her own husband is not really a reason for her husband to react the way he has or to have his feelings of discussed or to end the marriage.

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I don't see how people can consistently say this is a good story when there is such appallingly awful actions actions by the hopefully soon to be ex wife and such glaring potholes...

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If the wife actually believes that Scott did nothing wrong and this is all her fault ....then WHY is she taking his phone??

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Why is that acceptable when she is one walked out of the marriage without any explanation explanation?

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THE TRAUMA EXCUSE.... It's just a pathetic excuse that is being misused to justify her behavior.. The events happened 6+ years ago more and they've been together for a fairly long period of time.

falling in love with a physically and mentally raped and abused woman full of "Ghosts"... Those "ghosts" will never go away entirely, and every time she does something wrong, she has an excuse; after all she has "ghosts" from the rape. After six years of loving and caring for her, and even sharing her pain and sorrow, and actively participating in counseling, she still doesn't trust Scott because she doesn't trust men. Kind of disheartening, isn't it? Penalizing the innocent, because she cannot convict the guilty... Life is hard, trying to be successful as a family takes trust, love, a healthy sex life, and combined efforts. It seems "Helley" needs the psychological crutch of her counselor to deal with the challenges of life. Millions of women had had abortions for different reasons and then proceed to have healthy children later. However, "Helley" made a dramatic play out of it! Trust me, Scott will do better without her, than with her. After all, the ocean is full of other healthier fishes, and happy endings happen only in Hollywood's fictitious world! Like I said, poor Scott falling in love with "Helley"...

Good story

Keep writing and thank you.

@sbrooks103x,

"I assume Hailey knows about his mother, which makes what she's doing worse."

Why would you have to assume something that was in the story? You assume too much, that is how you come up with your out of the blue comments. Just stop!

Since you think that the reconciliation is ok, I suppose you think that is how all should think.

As someone who's been in a very similar situation as Scott, in terms of being with and working though the issues of a woman who's had major trauma in her life, I appreciate the self-doubt, confusion, and emotion the protagonist shows, and the way Hailey is portrayed. Those who have been abused very often aren't good at understanding or explaining their own motivations, and those in relationships with them often have figure out how best to roll with the punches, sometimes making it up as they go along, something not all can do. I was with someone so broken that they couldn't order off a menu for fear they'd displease, and as a result I essentially refused to choose a restaurant or order anything from a menu for a year, making her do that, in order to rebuild her confidence. The best thing I can say about this story is it rings really true, and hit me hard in reliving some of the ways being in such a relationship can literally take decades to stop having a major impact on your life.

We all carry the weight of past pain. Sometimes the pain can pop up and confuse or hurt the people we love.

This story obviously deals with the worst situation possible for her.

Can't really blame him for reacting the way he did. He reacted better than most would have.

Ditch the aunt

Great story. Hailey got some bad advice from Aunt Becky, but the couple was able to reconnect through her therapy. I can’t even imagine trauma like Hailey experienced. To be able to recover and marry, and have a family is amazing.

Blech. Stupid is as stupid does. Next time she'll have some other tale. Heaven forbid women should ever be honest.

Very nice "readers digest" story. Didn't get any wood tho so 2 stars and a half.

Well written, believable, great character construction.

Terrific, well done.

This was a hard read for me because I know there are women like Hailey in real life. One wants to do something for them, at the very least to honor their strength, but what? how?

That’s a truly frightening ghost haunting her. I can’t even imagine, and wouldn’t want to. Nice story.

It was a decent story however the constant self berating was frustrating. Maybe it's my age, maybe it's the numerous counselling sessions I've been through but you never ever blame yourself for stuff that's out of your control. I'm surprised that he wasn't blaming himself for her rape and it was his fault she chose to abort the offspring of that disgusting event.

No, Hailey knew about his history as well (presumably the fine details like 'baby, I'll be back' too), just as she would have gone into a tailspin if he suggested using, probably, any drugs. She must have known that he would react to her walking out as if it was the same as what his mother did. The only person to blame here is Hailey for not telling him what was going on, after 6 years for not trusting him enough to say "I need more intense counselling, so I'm going into a residential clinic for 30 days" (why did she need a 90 day separation? That was never explained.) She may not have been ready to tell him about the 4 guys or the abortion until after the clinic, but she could have been up front about going.

Personally, I would have ostracised aunt Becky for good as I'd never trust her again. And there is that question of what else is Hailey not telling me. I think it would have been a lot longer haul than 30 days to move back in, possibly 6 months or more after breaking down their relationship and rebuilding it.

That said I doubt the conversation would have started as at a minute past the hour I would have pulled out of the coffee shop car park, if our relationship was not important enough to be on time, then it would be over and I would be reporting her to the police for stealing my phone.

Trust is a terrible thing to break, it is one of the things that can easily push love over the line to hate.

A good story, l enjoyed it. 4/5

Nice job T. Even got a bit emotional for me a couple of times. As I eventually learned, nothing is more important than good communication in a marriage. I have repeatedly advised my children to make every effort they can to establish honest, open dialogue with their partners. Rape is an evil, ugly thing that often destroys a woman’s soul.

I enjoyed that. Thank you.

Very good. Thank-you.

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The basis of this story, "wife needs to find herself, hubby reacts, badly", reminds me of the story "You Can Go Home Again" by blackrandl1958. It goes a totally different direction, but has a similar basic starting premise. A good story worth reading.

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Pasqual

Very well written story. Likable, believable characters. I enjoyed it very much.

Horrible decision to stay. Horrible decision not to create a scene at the Market to get his phone back, even if the police needed to be involved. He could never trust her again. Should have stayed gone. Should have moved. Well done story, horrible ending.

Best of the Conversations so far, excellent characterisation.

No, just no. Take the girl back. fine. But Auntie Bitch is out. Permanently.

I get her past messed her up which caused her to have a mental breakdown, but the separation agreement was unwarranted. Yes, they made up but what happens later in the 20yr fictional timeline? Should've just stayed separated a lot longer to get rid of her demons b4 coming back and by that time hopefully he would've moved on

no woman should be made to feel guilty about an abortion.

Why get married if you don’t trust him enough to talk over major issues. It all seems like a smokescreen to allow her time to find a bigger better deal. No trust means she will lie to achieve her aim. Dump the damaged goods. Rape? More like a gangbang with regrets.

And to zeuspm, all women should be made to feel guilty over abortion. Taking a life because you’ve inconvenienced is bullshit.

Guilt is better than how the fetus feels

Pre-menstrual Zeus, it's not about "making" someone feel guilty. Every woman I've known who has had an abortion feels some form of guilt and regret (with the possible exception of the borderline sociopaths). I worked for years in Behavioral Health and taking a life is taking a life. Those who walk away without a heavy cost are the truly unhealthy ones.

A plausible story, well expressed.

Good story. It hits very close to home. My wife was date raped, pregnant and had an abortion, her freshman year. We didn’t meet until 7 years later (I’m 3 years older). The damage to her is still there, 37 years later. Between that, and the damage from her mother blaming her for 3 of her 4 divorces, it’s a challenge as a husband.

I wouldn't trust her for a New York minute. She left, no reason given. She wanted a separation, I'd of gone for divorce after two months of not knowing why she left, or where she was.

I really enjoy your writing style and stories. Thank you for sharing.

I don’t know if I believe she loves him after ambushing him and ghosting him like that. If she really loved him when she saw the hurt on his face when she dropped the separation notice on him she’d have either told him what was going on immediately or at least not have gone into the program until she knew her husband would be okay. His response was more than justified and he shouldn’t feel bad at all. It’s the way she handled things that caused all the problems. She honestly didn’t seem remorseful enough for the way she handled things either. Heck he seemed more upset than she did and he didn’t even do anything wrong, lol. Still, I’m a sucker for happy endings and glad it worked out for them.

On her deathbed she admits thst it was all lies. She spent that month with the four that "raped" her.

Come on!!!! Given how his mother left them when he was a child, she and her "Advisors" should have known the unexplained separation was a bad idea.

Trust there was none from her so no marriage

Without an explanation from Hailey as to why she needed to separate, Scott's regret of not being there for her. There was no reason for him to have an ounce of guilt.

It had potential but the emotions weren't real. After being together for 6 years and being married for three, she plans a seperation with no discussion and them comes back and he isn't real angry and betrayed. The emotions on both sides don't seem real.

Wife not to smart.

Very good and well told story. Your writing is fantastic. Hard to critique behavior if/when you have not been there. Have had several conversations with victims (doesn’t make me an expert) about rape, date rape and abortion. Trauma is deep rooted with shame and guild; two emotions that have no place in these situation. I have been told they flourish despite them being illogical in most cases. Not to bring in politics but who the hell can justify laws that prohibit abortion in the cases of rape or incest?

Good story!

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Why would you listen to an Aunt over that of your husband? That idiocy is grounds for divorce

Dude, I usually love your writing, but this was White-Knight garbage. Both characters were contemptible, for different reasons. I can't tell you how strongly I think you missed the mark. I want you to keep writing, so let me illustrate where my opinion and THIS story diverge.

The wife was a narcissist POS who didn't understand what "partnership" meant. "Gee, I'll ask for a separation and NOT TELL MY SPOUSE WHY." Are you INSANE? I WANTED to think maybe she just left her brains in a drawer somewhere that one time, but no, she genuinely was NOT thinking of her husband across multiple instances. How do I know ?

She HID from him that she had an abortion after her rape. Something that could (and did) explode later in their marriage. Because a narcissist never thinks of anyone else, and the effects their own actions (hiding the abortion) might have.

She fucking KNEW (because hubby understood how important honesty about one's baggage is in a relationship) about his mother walking out on his father. And how traumatic that was. Did the narcissist maybe consider this might have an effect on how he'd feel about an unexplained SEPARATION? Nah, it'll be fine. Because what WIFEY wanted was all that mattered, and telling him why might embarrass her or something.

"The only reason given for the separation was -- personal. " He's her fucking husband. I don't keep secrets from my spouse, except for pleasant things, like what's in the birthday present and such. But again, a narcissist thinking only of herself.

"I promise there is no one else." And he would believe her WHY? Because a narcissist thinks the world revolves around them, and their OWN perception of themselves is the only one that matters.

"I'm not your mother! I didn't leave you!" A flat-out lie. She did. But again, a narcissist doesn't consider objective facts when it conflicts with their self-image.

"Scott, I never wanted a divorce. I don't want one now." Because a narcissist thinks what THEY want is most important.

The deus ex machina about her abortion REALLY didn't work. She kept huge secrets from him that ended up savaging his feelings. Were he a real man, and not a white knight caricature, he deserves SO much better than her.

And hubby was completely without self- respect: "Hailey, I haven't been with anyone since you left me. My shattered heart wouldn't let me" I can understand the sentiment, but why the fuck is that HER business" SHE left. "It's not your business since YOU left without explanation" would have been perfectly acceptable.

When someone WHO LEFT YOU demands "Give me your phone" the correct response is "Fuck you, bitch." Yes, that DEMAND would piss me off -- learn manners or piss off.

"Wow, how big of an ass am I for thinking she was banging some dude?" Uhhm, no, since she was so adept at keeping a big secret, KNEW what his mother had done, and STILL walked out without reasonable explanation, SHE was the complete asshole and his assumption was perfectly reasonable.

In closing, you're a great writer, but the length of this comment should demonstrate how far off the mark it was. What happens the NEXT time she decides that she and she alone needs to tackle a huge problem without including her husband ? Honestly, abortion or no abortion, I would never have kids with her.

As I read this story, I was thinking one thing at the start. Once the story shifted to reveal the background and issues, I began to think of other things that go on in today's world. This gave me to pause in the reading. During the pause I reflected on the writers previous 2 conversation stories.

My respect for the writer grew in an enormous measure. Being able to relate the manner of the first 2 stories, then shift to one of this caliber takes some wonderful thought processes or a dept of living to have seen these things that most people never see or deal with in long lived lives.

I rated this story ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ because it reached inside and touched those thoughts and emotions. The rest of this series will have a lot live up to. I just hope they do.

Keep Writing

JH4Fun

I have major issues with the story and Hailey, screw busy-body Auntee - she's a dip-shit that nearly caused a divorce. Where was Hailey's mom in not setting Auntee straight?!? Nurses/Docs are NOT ghods with all knowing insights - they are just egocentric.

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Did Hailey NEVER hear her husband's story? The fear of a young seven year old watching his mother leave for a temporary separation that was really a total divorce leaving him behind loosing his mother? Did Hailey ever think of her husband's emotional state and what the cause-n-effect of a 'separation' will be? Later for Scott to discover he was just a puppet with her family pulling all the strings with NO regard for him to including his wimp father-in-law.

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MISSES: So did Hailey stop treatments after they married? Or was Scott excluded from treatments during their 3yrs of marriage?

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I must 'separate' from you for 90 days and I will not tell you why but if you love me you will TRUST me - pure BS. There is NO husband that will not think she is not fucking around trying on a replacement trade-up. There was NO reason for a separation for a 30day isolated treatment, do all dopers/drunks need a 90day separation to detox - hell no.

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Scott helped Hailey in her college treatments being a constant 'rock' for her and letting her learn to trust a man in her own way. The shrink never thought Scott deserved to know the full truth as her fiance`? What strikes me is Hailey remaining so selectively secretive "after 6yrs of togetherness and married for 3yrs".

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Hailey never truly trusted Scott until she discovered her misguided lack of trust was about to become a permanent divorce. Where was Auntee now?

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I can see how the story was written to become a Hallmark lovey dovey moment but twisting the story in the last few paragraphs is disingenuous to all the baggage and issues behind the whole story. To have Scott miraculously totally fall back in unfettered love with Hailey is pure BS too. Until their 1st child is born, Scott would be on pins & needles waiting for Hailey's depression state.

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3.5***, hooyah, should be higher but you left out so much and then twisted it to trump up the score ratings - LW shallow guppies

I’m glad it had a happy ending.

Need to over communicate on the big stuff

Great emotions on display through this one, I can easily feel both his and her reactions. That he was willing to be there for her was heartwarming, that she can admit to him about her trust issues showed growth after the trauma that she went through.

Loved this conversation!

Well done. It’s not easy to write stories about people/couples facing emotional trauma, and I appreciate that you made it the central theme of the story. Please ignore the moronic comments from simpletons who don’t understand that life and people (even fictional ones) can be complex and keep writing nuanced stories that will go over their heads.

Fuck Aunt Becky. Busybody types are never any good.

The first half of the stotywas gripping and intense, reaaly got to me. Somehow als that evaporated with the counselling session, sorry. The Finish had no pull to me anymore. 3*

Loved it. My marriage fell apart due to something similar, and unfortunately the scorched earth reactions ensured no reconciliation.

I can understand the story without condoning her actions. She had a man who supported her through the trauma and loved her. She couldn't find the courage to tell him the last part. She went to others and took really stupid advice from her aunt. She hurt the man who loved her greatly from cowardice.