All Comments on 'Fair-Weather Friends'

I rather liked that. Good job.

Very well written. I did find the guy's total guilt trip REALLY fricken annoying at times though. But it makes sense.

The man had allowed this woman so far into his life that what she did literally paralyzed him completely. The only way he could cope was to extricate himself completely from the situation until his defense mechanisms broke down enough. It's unfortunate (and fortunate) that the first wife chose the easy way out.

As someone who doesn't allow anyone into my heart very far, I can understand how devastating that would be for this guy. Those with the strongest defense mechanisms are often the most fragile in love.

Though this story didn't really have any erotic content it was incredibly compelling. The story was well developed and the characters matched reality. I could feel the main characters pain and could understand I would feel much the same were it to happen to me. Thank God after 43 years it hasn't. thanks for a great read.

Dennis Rydquist (olddad6@comcast.net)

Enjoyed the story and certainly the Browning quote...one of my favorites. Really well done.

Tomorrow I'm going to be on lookout for flying pigs because that's what I thought I'd see before I said anything positive about this author. I still disagree with his John Wayne code of morals but his words approximate a reasoned approach from a vulnerable person and not some zealot on some kind of monogamy fatweh.

This wasn't the easiest story to read I personally get squeamish when characters die without excellent reason. Frankly,the story took a major credibility hit when the cheating wife conveniently killed herself out of either sorrow or atonement. Cheaters usually have a healthy dose of narcissism which precludes suicide.

Although I disagree fundamentally with the narrator's hard core decisions, it must be acknowledged the internal pain portrayed was very convincing. radk posed an excellent dilemma for his narrator in terms of his choices of forgiveness or divorce / revenge.

Although I personally believe the answer of suicide was a cop-out. The question itself was framed admirably and with skill, that I would not have guessed this author owned. Color me pleasantly surprised ****.

This story is the kind of story you read over and over. Thank you for a great read.

It was nice that Marc found love again. The cheating wife was a real coward doing what she did. It was interesting how three children all had different views on the mothers affair. And finally although a fantastic story it 's very unrealistic.

Just one damaged man's opinion.

One of the things i see a lot of in the comments is people asking for more of the other spouse's side of things. I myself have agreed many stories would have been better with more perspective from the other side. At first I felt the same way with this one, but the further in I got, the more I hoped it would be left a mystery. When the other daughter came to make amends I started hoping again for more info via her telling him what Connie had told her. I have to say I love that his getting a more complete story from her is left as simply a possible future happening. As much as I normally like seeing both side of a crisis, this flowed and ended perfectly without him gain further insight, and leaving that open to the imagination.

Loved the whole thing. 5*

This is a great story and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It's certainly one of the best.

Fairly well written, and fairly well told. Thanks again, for sharing.

This was man's man....some time you just need to move on. 5*'s

I agree that the story is well written and highlights that there is life on the other side of this devastating trauma. However, I wanted to know a little more about her story. Why she did it and what drove her to continue the affair? That piece was central to the story and you've left me to wonder.

Wonderfully written. Too many readers here have no concept (or wish to have) what it is like to go through what he had to go through. Been there, have the t-shirt.

Great story, well told.

Thanks. It was a both a pain and pleasure to read.

I really liked the fact that he did not give her the chance to explain away her betrayal. He stood strong like a man through tremendous pressure and remained true to his own honor and convictions. Great characters in a well written story.

well this one certainly Hit it out of the Park. THANK YOU

A five star effort

We have been given a story which has a very selfish wife and she shows that selfishness by killing herself. We, the readers, delude ourselves by seeing the wife as the husband used to see her - Miss Perfect. Pain comes and she wants to escape. Fuck the husband and fuck the kids. Who cares what their lives will be like after she dies at her own hand. Total selfishness.

I would like to know one thig. Did Connie get wet when she looked at her lover during the big 25TH. What a wicked cunt and what a terrible thing - to invite him to such a special day.

Of course it is the authors fault I have such negative thoughts about the cheating slut. He didn't give me a hook to show her any mercy. Murder of self is the ultimate for making your loved ones feel like shit.

Just a wonderful story that is well written too. 5

Well done! Excellent read.

A Loving Wife story with a different twist. Well done & keep up the excellent work. Thanks

I wish that I could write like you can.

I absolutely enjoyed reading this story.

Emotions and conversations, feelings, thoughts, reactions. You nailed it for me.

Right now, I don't know if you have written other tales for this site, I'll go find out next, Hope that you have. Hope that you continue to publish here.

And - Thanks.

Larone apparently had the same experience that I did. At the end I stopped feeling the need to find out Why? and How? It did not make the slightest difference in what had to be done. I guess his wife never considered what price she and her husband would pay for her special moments....

Nicely done. 5 and absolutely one of the

best.

Pity we can't do a score of 5*++, because that's what this deserves.

Every marriage counsellor should have a copy of this story to hand out to cheating spouses who don't 'get' the damage they caused.

Just a little salve to the cuckhearted losers. 2*

Absolutely fantastic. There are more feelings described on these few pages than I have read about in 10 books. Great story. keep them coming.

Good writing and deep emotions! But all the time I waited to get some insight in what the wife had done, why and how long. What was the letter about? At least you could have given Megan a few lines to tell what her mother had told her and the "fair-weather-friends".

So you missed the 5* rating in my view, but not significantly.

Perhaps you will submit an epilog about these issues!?

I liked the writing, But in reality it was as shallow as a puddle. Nothing happened below the surface and nothing was explained. Megan was just cliche ridden, Maybe try and turn the characters on their heads next time?

now wait a minute, never say you hate your mother. When I read this i realized it's a cuck alert. Further our super wimp says, what she did does not matter... Seriously??? Of course it matters if she cheats man, get a life... serious cuck shit when i read tht. So i stopped reading.

I enjoyed your story and found it refreshing and new. I have to agree with some commenters wanting a few more details about the affair. Not fully necessary to the story but would have been nice to have some of the reasoning present. The only thing I felt out of place was the conversation with Lenore Jablonski. To me, it was totally unnecessary and frankly took the story down a notch. For someone who refused information regarding the affair and spent a great deal of time on details that section seemed out of place and extremely cheesy. It's almost as if just before you submitted it you decided you had to add something about what happened to John. If we have no knowledge on the details why would we, as the reader, give a damn about what happened to him. I'm also a little surprised he took to publishing it so easily. It seems to me that he honestly would have talked to Faye first.

I have a different take on this fine tale. One that most of you will not have considered and will most likely disagree with, this is a story of redemption. In the United States and most of the Western World suicide is seen as cowardly. In many cases it is, but not in this one. It takes bravery to do the right thing, if the right thing will end your life. Secret service personnel as well as military and police officers know that their devotion and service can lead to their deaths. The agent that takes the bullet for the President knowing he is likely to die is committing suicide. It is a noble and honourable understand of duty to ones country and society. They are seen as heroes for their sacrifice and rightly so. In this story, we find a husband wronged. His choice of revenge is silence and ostracism. The wife is left with little avenue for redemption as her lines of communication are cut off.

Her only final solution is suicide. In doing so she tells her husband that want she has done is both morally reprehensible and in defensible. She takes ownership fully for her actions. She is redeemed even though to most people her action in committing suicide will be seen as cowardly and selfish. There is bravery in what she has done and honour in setting the balancing scale of her vows to her husband and the act of infidelity, which broke them. Not one in a million people could make the decision she did and it is a matter of perspective as to whether you believe it was cowardly or not. I gave this story *****.

but I am unable to give this story any mark of appreciation. I will give it that it is written well as far as grammar goes, but, how in the world can anyone appreciate a writer who offers no, NO explanation at all for his unforgiving, stubborn, (dare I say) unchristian attitude. Don't we as readers deserve at least some explanation for why the writer was hurt as much as he says he was? Sorry, but doesn't the woman who no doubt erred but who he said he loved and who was married to him for 25 years at least deserved the opportunity to say something about why she did what she did? All the author allows us to know is that she was "stupid." Well, the author has left me feeling "stupid" as after reading this rather lengthy account of a man unable to stop feeling sorry for himself, I still have no idea as to how he can at one hand say he loves this woman, and on the other hand, refuse to even listen to an explanation. I can conclude only that the author has no defense for the main character or he would have stated it instead of teasing his readers with the implied promise of a explanation through the letter left for him.

Actually I enjoyed it. Thanks

between that d and k, I would be sure I knew this author. It is 5***** work anyway. None of us are ALWAYS able to make the correct decision under the stresses of the present moment. Some readers believe that if they make the decision then it is the "correct" decision! That is just trying to live out your own stupidity. If this isn't this author's story, then he has certainly paid very close attention to the lives of those around him.

stories on this site, now for some criticism, the wife character was definitely underdeveloped, i realize that the author wanted to concentrate on the husband and his trip out of the abyss and neglecting the wife side would make easier to get rid of her but still...as for all the comments who claimed that the husband was heartless and had overreacted or whatever...let me tell you this...cheating for some men is ultimate and extreme as killing a person or raping a woman or molesting a child...there are no explanations or justification or excuses especially when it comes out of the blue and happens for a man who is not abusive or a man who is doing his best to provide for his wife and family and meet their all needs, whoever, sorry for the ranting and thanks for sharing a wonderful story.

but I have one big question. Why all the good writers here think they have to write good stories that are non erotic? you could post this anywhere and it would be ok. but not here. I'm not here to feel depressed and sad after reading a story.

the next words are about the story. the main male character with the good writers always are week. Either they explode and violance is starting or so cowardly like in this story that they suppress what happened for a more than unhealthy time. just like an afraid little kid.

and the women? the first betrayed him after 25 years. the second one who one his heart, betrayed his trust twice after just a couple of month. I'm sure he would have kicked her to the curb quicker than she could have said aaaaaaaaaa if he would have the character you gave him.

The first time was when he gave her his book about his past 25 years. the biggest trust he had given somebody during 5 years. And what is she doing with a book he did not give anybody to read? If he would be as sensitiv as he was, the invitation where he met the son of his flirt, would have ended in a desaster.

even worse was the kind of blackmailing speach:

"All right, since the two of you aren't going to say anything I'll do it," Alicia said with a gruff tone. "Marc, I invited Megan here because she has something she wants to say to you. I knew that you wouldn't invite her so I did. I know that I'm only a guest in your home but if you want me to keep being a guest then you'll sit right here and listen to her.

I guess after that she would have been toast.

so even with good writing the characters don't change so quickly. he is a coward or not and he is stubborn or not. so why should he be so mellow with somebody new in his life when he could not live with betrayel in the past ????

so thanks for the story but please don't write anymore about sad depressing families

but I respected it. Radk does stories about extreme responses: look at "Nuclear Response," etc. Even "A Little Itch" was extreme, in its subtlety. This was an extreme running away response. It was tragic, and it was realistic-I could see things playing out this way. It left me pretty much depressed, despite the redemtion in the end. I don't usually heap blame on the hubby, and the wife made her own choices, but he was, by his own admission, intending to hurt her by his silence and absence.

His disowning 2 of his kids was another bad choice by him. They were doing what he had asked his youngest to do-to be there for their mom. The oldest daughter was acting out of grief when she blamed her father-I felt badly for her, and the author aroused anger in me towards the father.

I get the author's choice not to explore the wife's reasons, as stated in the letter or otherwise, as that was not the point. The point was the hubby's reaction, and it's fall-out. It showed the damage to a family that can follow infidelity. I thought it was effective in that way, realistic, well-written and edited. I just didn't enjoy it very much.

Thank you for a wonderful story. I envy your writing talent.

... how the affair came to be. It's the only reason I gave it a 4 star.

IRL the first wife would have blamed her husband for her affair and moved on. That said, this story is intriguing and well written. Husband's reaction and angst well portrayed and credible.

they both did wrong but his childish behaviour not talking and her fragile emotion state was a recipe for disaster ,most kids stick with there mum .the only thing missing in this story is why the affair happened

The "lifestyle out in California". What in the hell are you talking about? An otherwise good story but that was about as stupid and ignorant a comment as I have ever read.

Michael G

i cant believe the jerks and there comments like the one before this one he or she didnt even finish reading the story.. shit happens that life . at least he was able to turn his life around after his wifes affair.. her death was her way out , 2 of his 3 kids were total asses.. this story is real in the sense it could happen

For far too many infidelity stories, we always hear of how hurt the woman is in the relationship. This well written story from the hurt male point of view was great and about time. Thank you!!

The husbands reaction to the cheating showed vividly the pain, but he also needed someone to give him a reality check, that the pain only would be worse by not talking to his wife and then sorting out his emotions. Ask anyone who has gone through therapy, and you will learn the easiest thing in the world is to run away from emotions, from hard things. He obviously loved his wife, very deeply, and it seems by the end of the opening period he is thinking of trying to work things out, but it is took late.

His two kids are immature, in that they never bother to talk to him or realize what kind of pain he is in, how hurt he was. They could disagree with the way he treated the wife, or that they wanted him to talk (me, I would hound them both until they decided to finally talk). His wife isn't a jem, she hides behind the kids, rather then forces him to talk to her, to resolve things. She could have gotten a minister, someone, to help them, but she didn't, and it led to her own downfall.

The behavior after the funeral is a major plot point, but it is a weak one. I doubt that many people would blame him for the death of his wife, if they knew what she had done (which I assume they would, it is obvious John's wife knew, and I doubt she would keep it quiet, nor would the cop I suspect), I can't see them being that judgmental. Still the kids should have realized that their Dad was broken up, that their mom had done something horrible, and understood their mom was obviously emotionally fucked up to do what she did, that killing herself not only hurt the father, it hurt the kids, anyone who loved her. It wasn't about redemption (though thinkingman's comments are wonderfully thought out, kudos), it almost comes across as childish revenge, it isn't cowardice, it is her basically saying to hubby "you'll be sorry when I am gone".

Another week point is that you have Connie, who is so obviously distraught, and no one tries to get her help. If my mother was not eating, if she was crying all the time, not functioning, I would not assume she was okay, I would be concerned and I would be getting her help. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what is going on, but none of the kids bother? They don't talk to the doctor and tell him she seems in trouble, no counseling, nothing? I have to admit, if this was me, I would be banging both my parents heads together in this situation, seeing the man's paralysis I would push him into getting help, same with the mom......it is lucky the dad didn't kill himself, and they didn't see it..on the other hand, had they done that, there would have been no story:)

I have to admit that the 'california' lifestyle comment was way, way out of line, in fact it is downright stupid. The rate of divorce and adultery is worse, for example,down in God's little acre (look up the stats), so talking about "California lifestyle" is just a cheap shot (I don't live in CA, live in NJ), to be honest it cheapens the work. You could just as easily have written the son was off living on the coast the bachelor lifestyle and didn't seem to think that trust or honor meant much.....*off soapbox*.

I do agree with other posters that leaving the wife's message out of this, the letter, and her explanation, do make the story a little less complete, it is a big hole. It is obvious that his wife loved him, the fact that she ends up killing herself says so, so then why did she do it? Why did she bed another married man? She apparently had been sleeping with him for 6 months, what was it about? Was she feeling old? Did she feel like the spark was out of their marriage? Sorry, the anon crowd with their 'women are sluts' kind of thing get old and tired after a while, sure there are good for nothing sluts out there, horrible, selfish women, but why would this apparently good wife and mother do this to him? I know there is a school of writing that claims open endings and mysteries are wonderful things, but you have to figure that no man who loved his wife as much as this guy did, would not try to understand, if for anything, if he was going to marry alicia, to re-assure himself what had happened was about connie and not about alicia or him.....he obviously saw something in her explanation that made him soften up, so there was important stuff there.

Anyway, a powerful story. To the author, take the criticism and discussion the right way, it means you touched people, despite my comments, it touched me.

This was a very beautifully written story. I truely hope you continue these stories.

You made a basic error. Probably because you are trying to grow some balls, (an effort of which I applaud, and support you in), but understand; it was NOT Marcs' fault!

It was NEVER Marcs' fault! He was not to blame for any of it.

Unless they're some kind of sick fuck, WHY would any body want to hear the sordid details of why their wife decided to fuck around on them???

Then have to endure the inane apologies and platitudes such as;

"I made a mistake." "It didn't mean anything."

Or the classic; "I really love you, and don't want you to divorce/leave me."

Why this author asks us to to believe that Marc was somehow at fault is total feminine bullshit.

He was the victim!

The slut did the only honorable thing possible by "offing" herself!

In reality Marc would have shown up at the service, hung over from a night of celebration, and pissed on her grave in front of all her friends and family.

Now THAT would have been a happy ending and gotten you five stars.

What the wife did wasn't honorable, wasn't praiseworthy. Suicide in such circumstances is the coward's way out of the problem. If she had been honorable, she would have forced herself to tell all of her friends and her acquaintances that her misery was entirely of her own making, because she had been unfaithful to her husband, and as a result, he had left her. But no, she and her two idiot children made the husband the scapegoat for all of her problems. Because his pain isn't important or meaningful. Only hers.

For RadK - good story. Has some flaws in execution which keep me from giving it the highest possible mark. But a good premise, reasonably well-executed. 4*

... I think you went over the top with the bitch burning. I believe that Connie did indeed hurt Marc and she deserves some punishment. But death? No. Looking at what she did, having an affair for 6 months with a married man, is not that big of a deal. Does it deserve a divorce, probably, but not death. There are way worse thing a wife can do to her husband.

For those that think the author wanted us to think Marc was at fault for Connie's suicide. Well, I can see how one might blame him seeing as how his children poisoned all his friends.

A well written, good story, told as if it actually happened. I hope for your sake, that this is not autobiographical. On thing that bothers me about this genre is the lack of analytic thinking on the part of the protagonists. I have known cheaters in my time. Fortunately not in my relationships. All of them have a certain combination of traits in common. They are lacking in good judgement. This is from a lack of one or more of the following: intelligence, sense of morality, and honor. In fact, they all lack honor, and a sense of morality, some just are stupid too. These traits make them undesirable spouses, friends, coworkers, and neighbors. They are "bad" people. They actually do not really hide these traits, they are present all the time. Some people do not want to see the truth. They may have other characteristics that people like. They may be attractive, they may have a good sense of humor, they may even appear to be kind. They are in fact manipulative. Cheaters certainly have some sociopathic / psychopathic tendencies. They very nature of their actions demands it. These traits should be brought out in these tales. Suicide itself is frequently the manipulative act of a selfish person.

njlauren has pointed out just about everything one can find (good and bad) in this story. I found the post-funeral part way too long. It made the story into a tear-jerker.

I like her more for it, but her father's just a cunt. Okay, so his wife cheated on him; he doesn't love her any more, and she doesn't deserve forgiveness. Cool. Bitch committed suicide? She's dead, he doesn't love her and he doesn't give two shits except about his supposed culpability.

So, why the hell is he going to the funeral, and much less expecting people to respect him for it? He's made his contempt for her clear, and it only looks like gloating when someone goes to the funeral of someone that they'd rather have seen dead. Kind of baffling that he doesn't even have the insight to recognize that. And face it, NOBODY likes it when you gloat at a funeral, even if the woman cheated. Everyone knew what she did.

I know the anti-cuck brigade likes to pretend that everyone hates a cheating whore/bastard and that everyone would automatically be on his side and join in pissing on her grave, but real life does NOT work that way or anywhere close. Death is a the final resolution, and it's socially taboo to waltz into a funeral like that.

It's even stranger to watch Megan totally 180 her attitude when she's got a completely legitimate point. Her father is the SAME exact asshole who preached to Faye about forgiving her mother for what she did, yet he has the pure hypocrisy not to live up the the same standards he's teaching his kids? Yet suddenly he tells her the same things about his emotions in a book that he's been telling her along and she decides that everything he taught her as a child about forgiveness is totally bullshit and does a complete about-face.

Forgiving someone doesn't mean condoning or liking what someone has done. It siimply means accepting it, rejecting it and moving on for the betterment of oneself. You don't let it go, you sit alone in a cesspit of your own poison. That's the essence of the anti-cuck brigade. They stew in their own nastiness and misery, much like the cuck-acceptance brigade who wallow in the misery of their self-inflicted love of being abused and mistreated by their significant others.

I'll say this - despite the apparent hypocrisy of the characters, that hypocrisy makes them seem much more real, if like the complete idiots that the human race usually are. Good job. Five stars despite my difficulties with the characters.

I've read this twice now - great story by the way - and I just can't see where Marc got the idea that the end results of Connie's affair were in any way his responsibility. The man was truly devoted to her. He had a terrible time getting his head around the fact that she COULD cheat on him, not to mention that she DID. While it was tragic that Connie could not deal with the results of her actions, they were her actions. She made choices that did not include Marc, therefore she alone is responsible for them.

Connie was clearly the one who had issues. These issues were also not Marc's fault and he can hardly be blamed for wanting to separate himself from her until he could come to terms with what she had done.

The only thing I find to can pin blame on Marc for is loving his wife too much.

Again - great story. I scored it a 5 and wish it could be higher.

Please write more!

I say again, Outstanding!

And I urge the critics to remember this is just a story, a product of the author's imagination. It may not comport with someone else's idea of what the world is like and how the people on it act. It is a story. Primarily, in this forum, for entertainment. Don't judge how the people in the story behave. Judge how well the author portrays his characters.

Goof storu for a CLEAN LITERARY SITE, but we want details of how da bitch was gettin FUCKED, before her clumsy ass crashed into a doout!!

Agreeing with LSD and LordGro is usually easy and it still IS, here. I do think the suicide, not as a human failure but as a literary device, was necessary. Sweetie HAD been painted as highly emotional and we had NOT been told much at that point about their relationship (except Hubby's complacent assumption of comfort!)

Hubby was finally getting over his extreme withdrawal and ready to discuss things, like a big boy, with his 'damaged property' wife. That would spoil the rest of the story. A fatal brain tumor would have provided a plausible excuse for her change of character, which would also have been fatal for Hubby's sense of betrayal! Nope, she had to off herself, preferably without gore!

4*

good read and she got all she desvred

This is nothing but cliche driven and boilerplate crapola. Connie was engaged in a six month long extramarital affair --- at LEAST 6 months - that was going on right through her 25th wedding anniversary.

IF ... Connie REALLY loved him... WHY? After all.... we hear time and time again is that it was OBVIOUS Connie loved him and anybody "knows it". Moreover her suicide is viewed as driving home this point of view even more. ..

But Then why did she do to begin with ??

The author does a really good job of showing how paralyzed or stunned the husband is/ was bought. But by the end of this story once again we are faced with the boiler plate stand it cracked that somehow another the Husband was PARTLY at fault . This is just laughable.

The problem is of the reader does NOT know in any detail how why when the affair started. So it is just pathetically absurd to believe that the husband now thinks is right in his book that he was partially responsible.

The neighbors and family members bad mouthing the husband at the funeral is just cliche.

Given the amount of support of friends and family that seemed to be rallying around Connie and applying pressure to the husband... One could make the case that she committed suicide to hurt him even more. She did NOT kill her self to pay for her sins... she killed herself to HURT her husband.

the only problem with killing herself is she did not die in pain, but what the hell - the cheating cunt died eventually.

this little exercise in idiocy was designed to feed into the dark fantasies of the burn the bitch crowd. She cheats? It's the death penalty for her. The only problem is she died too easily. Where is the pain she truly deserves for undervaluing her husband's dick?

I guess that's why I've stopped coming on this website-- Your howling mob of misogynist jackals who lap this crap up.

I hope there is still good writing on this site and stories with original plots. Many of the "LW" stories on this site write themselves. They are fill in the blanks kind of writing that are then a) highly praised because the bitch got what was coming to her -or- b) totally dissed because the lead character and the writer are gutless wimps.

There is apparently little room for deviation from those basic ideas or most of the writers don't have original thoughts, so they steal others' thoughts.

I've had a lousy day, and reading crap like this doesn't make my day any better.

5*****. First it all, I like every story where the exhusband restarts his life with a newer lady. I like that situation, when the friend(s), collegues, or others do the revenge in the story. I like when a child and a parent do reconcilation. I like this story..............

Many suicid people do their suicid to harm their near relativews, girlfriends, boyfriends, wives, husbands. However I think of my teacher in the High School. She was married and she had a son. She started an affair with her student. Her husband got suicide, but his suicide was not much effect. She lived her lover together after the funeral (to save the divorce proceedings)................To remain to live it would have been the best thing. In Hungary the mothers get the children custody in 99,9999%, so the living dad would have been the long lasting problem with the teenager son............Here the suicid caused a little harm and resulted big success for the main character in the future. New wife, bestseller novel, peace with the older daughter, a canossa for the earlier friends, revenge by the wife of the loverboy, etc..........

It's an okay story, but you published it here before already and there was no point bringing it back.

The son of your teacher dont grow up a bit fucked up because of his father suicide and blamed his mother?

Note: nice story!

... thanks for not letting the cheating wife "explain" everything. Well done.

Great read. I would've enjoyed a little bit detail regarding the wife's affair & what made her do it. I thought the selfish ungreatful brat didn't really deserve him back in her life; simply because she removed him from her life as a father the days following her moms suicide. She trash talked her own father to anyone who'd listen, I think that was cruel. I like Faye I thought out of all 3 she was the most caring, smart--she's just very special. I really didn't care for Megan .. The fair weather friends; he shouldn't of been too broken up over losing them, they never was his friends. I like the term fair weather friends, it's much nicer than what I call those type of individuals: parasites, leeches & ass lickers.so great story.

First, this was a solidly written story.

It also had realistic characters in some ways.

It was engaging.

That being said, I wasn't that invested in the characters. The wife was a cypher. I actually felt more sympathy for her than the husband.

The writing itself was very passive. Most of the story didn't include any action. It was wallowing in his feelings...and his feelings never changed until the end.

Someone wrote that his current wife/GF betrayed him rather badly and he sucked it up very easily. I tend to agree with this. I think he was very lonely and would have put up with infidelity at this point just to be with someone.

Still, these are nits.

And I direct that to many approving critics here as well as the author. I did think that Megan came to Dad at the end in order to demonstrate an ability to forgive even an unforgiving asshole, her father, the moral murderer of his wife. After all, he'd never even let her plead her case in order to reject it. Alas, Megan merely capitulated to as priggish a view as his own, one that had already proven its power to increase the world's destructive misery, not excepting his own, and disallow the potential joy people can find in each other if they can attempt to understand and cope with human fallibility. Not that to err is human and to forgive divine, and all that shit, that only the gods can forgive, but that to forgive when there has already been more overwhelming recognition of error, penitence, remorse, contrition, suffering, and all that bad stuff is essential to life!

Not that it's as bad a story as what it preaches. In fact it's excellent! It demonstrates that the devil isn't only in the details, he's in stiffly maintained principles too, especially in the self-pity that denies desperately needed love.

Yes, the man behaved badly. I've chatted with a lot of betrayed spouses and sometimes they are very very damaged. Now, he seems to have driven that attitude of distance to the extreme. But you can't tell him that he isn't feeling what he is feeling.

Of course, he should have been able to suck it up and face facts earlier...but he didn't. And he didn't PLAN on his wife offing herself. That was a personal choice.

But it seems you are glossing over Megan's actions: essentially running down her father's reputation with allegations and half a story. "Mom made him mad and he wouldn't forgive her so she killed herself." Pretty cut and dried. Dad = Monster.

No "My father was emotionally devestated by my mother's infidelity and is trying to deal with it. She couldn't deal with both his rejection and her low sense of self worth and instead of seeking counseling, she decided to kill herself."

I wouldn't put it all on Dad. SOME but not all. And Megan deserved what she got as well.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding your post.

in the story, were characters that didn't have me care about the, their lives or their opinions. The story would have improved with more dialog driven action, as well.

VickieTern r u saying male r toys without emotions and females r humans with emotions then grow-up first of all he is not monster because he never try to hurt anyone . if u read then u will find it that he was going to meet her next day.

now in this story we have 1 husband and 1 wife wife cheat husband didnt forgive her for u husband is monster or bastard

lets say story was we have 1 husband and 1 wife husband cheat wife didnt forgive him even then i m 100% sure u would said husband is monster or bastard because u r from people who always think husband is always wrong and wife is saint

Too much narration. Not enough dialogue. No contact at all between the two main characters. He hurt himself more than anyone else.

Many of the commenters on this site dream about being betrayed so they will have something to sulk about. Fortunately, most of them don't have anybody in their lives that care if they sulk or not. For those who are married, their wives don't give them the satisfaction of cheating on them--they just hang around and put up with their sorry asses. With any luck, the husbands will die first and their long-suffering wives can redecorate and travel with their family & friends.

BTW, your "Prayer For The Passing of a Loved One" remains a classic.

The emotion in that story was love. In this story, it's hate. Big difference in the response of your readers.

The way to solve any problem is to either ignore it or not talk about it. After all those years of marriage he couldn't even talk to her? What a coward. Man up - talk to her and divorce her if necessary, but sticking your head in the sand sure doesn't solve anything.

I'd like to challenge those who suggest the main character was cold/unforgiving.

He did read his wife's letter. He did come to a point where he was ready to sit down and talk to his wife. He did find forgiveness for his estranged daughter.

He was traumatized... and needed time & space to absorb the shock of the betrayal. While any of us may (wish we would be able to) handle things differently (i.e. more constructively or more 'BTB'y), I could relate to, and had empathy for Marc's inability to immediately respond to his wife's betrayal. Marc was human and was suffering... over time he was able to find a way forward...

Congrats on a beautiful story. I especially liked the ommission of many details that allowed us to fill them in for ourselves... the focus was on Marc's evolution and narrated from Marc's perspective... a fine approach that helped me relate to Marc.

"The way to solve any problem is to either ignore it or not talk about it. After all those years of marriage he couldn't even talk to her? What a coward. Man up - talk to her and divorce her if necessary, but sticking your head in the sand sure doesn't solve anything."

What problem are you talking about? You mean the one that his wife decided to have an affair over instead of talking to her husband. The problem that was the reason for her affair that she decided to ignore her husbands feelings with total disregard? If "Man up" means talking out your ass like you've done then nobody should ever do it.

Great story!

I would love to see a companion piece with Connie telling her story.

Thanks!

As others have commented, this story would have been even stronger if Connie's reasons for having an affair would have been explored? If Marc believed his marriage was so perfect, it was clear that Connie did not share that belief. What she wrote in her letter would not just tell Marc why she started sleeping with John, but also how much self-reflection and insight she had gained about her actions and her relationship with her husband.

What did she want to tell Marc right after her accident that she thought would help him forgive her? Was she being blackmailed by John? Had she been drugged the first time? Was she trying to keep John from showing her sex tape to Marc? Did she sleep with John to protect Marc and her children? The details about her affair would have provided more context for both Connie's and Marc's reactions. [And just how many details from her letter did Marc include in his book?]

Finally, why did she commit suicide? Was it from the guilt of being unfaithful? Was it from her husband not talking to her? Was it from not being forgiven by Marc and Faye? Was it suppose to be a suicide attempt, a cry for help, that accidentally became a real suicide? Was it because she was deeply depressed which Megan failed to recognize and failed to get her help soon enough?

This is a very good story that deserves a sequel to explore "the rest of the story."

I am so glad I stumbled upon your stories. I absolutely loved this story. Well written and told from the heart. Beautiful. Definitely one of my all time favorite. Now, if I could just read that letter Connie wrote . . .

Contrary to what some people believe, no discussion was needed with Connie. She had said everything that needed to be said when she cheated. It doesn't matter if it was out of a need for adventure, because he wasn't meeting her needs, it was just sex or whatever. Her actions spoke volumes and there was nothing left to say. The only thing that he may have done wrong was to wait so long to come to a decision. He should have filed for divorce within the week.

Were there to be a discussion with Connie about her long term affair with a married man and all the lies over the months what could she say as to why ? She had already started with the standards I'm so sorry, it was a mistake and I am so stupid. Probably as most adulterers believe that they should never reveal the real reason they decided on a road that would destroy their marriage their family and her husband's love.

When he initially discovered her lies to him and her driving away from the Holiday Inn when she had said she was home he actually already knew all he needed to know about his wife becoming a fucking slut for a married man just not her husband.

Extremely well written and a wonderful tell of betrayal (multiple levels), pain and struggling to forgive. Realistic (as far as fantasy fiction goes LOL!) to a pain. Definitely one of of my new favorites!

I agree with the few that say there's no need for anything more to be said from Connie. The story told a poignant tale from a single persons view why waste time trying to justify Connies actions when the story isn't about her?

I could not have said it better. He did a good thing to forgive Megan. Fuck his son, no, make that fuck his jerk son. Great story.

Why he doesnt take revenge on the guy she did it with? It would be interesting to see what did she really write in that letter. He said that he couldnt believe all of it.. because how could anyone be that stupid? Which points out that it was possible.. that the guy seduced or fooled her in her mind. Which pretty much says.. that guy ruined their marriage and killed her, and there was no hatred toward him mentioned from the start to the end.

anyhow.. before i started reading story.. i looked up few comments and well i was displeased with them. Someone said that she was a bitch she deserved it.. whatever.. and there i was waiting to see conversations.. how bitchy she was.. and there were none. The wife in this story is pretty much just a model. Only talked about.. since she doesnt have a chance to talk. But she did look as a good mother and wife. Well except cheating.. but makes you wonder.. how could she cheat if she couldnt even handle after facts. And they werent even that bad.. he just didnt want to see and talk to her.. that shows how much both of them loved each other. It would be nice to know why.. but well there is always imagination..

outstanding story telling thank you 5

a parasol or umbrella is a waste of space, TK U MLJ LV NV

only the most insipid dying-to-be-cucked got anything out of this sterile tale, side-effect of having no balls I'd guess.

...as far as decisions were concerned. He sat in self-pity for months instead of facing her cheating, he couldn´t decide whether to divorce or forgive her. His daughter asked him finally to forgive her, she admitted her fault and - - he sent her off, needing time to "think it over". Nice story, very nicely developed characters. I enjoyed reading it, but I had wished he would at some stage turn out to be a man.

I liked him until he met Alicia. What an arrogant prick!

" I call it as it is".

There are 3 versions of this.

Let's start with he best:

1. I call it as "I see it", but I'm open to other perceptions. In other words, I'm strong enough to state my impression, but I keep an open mind.

2. Next best and most common, I call it as "I see it". In other words, I recognize that I am expressing my impression, no matter how myopic.

3. Her arrogant statement, I call it as it is. In other words, the way I see it, is the way it is.

Later she decides to "give him a reward". Be still my beating heart!

Finally, she tells him she's going to dump him, if he doesn't listen to his "asshole of a daughter".

This guy appears to be a prick magnet!

Robert

those fucking kids didnt off them selves as well...ahh well, if life were perfect we would marry our worst enemy.

Everyone has the right to get upset when they discover their spouse cheated on them. A couple of days, a week to go through all your emotions. But to stay away for months is an act of cowardice. Nobody ever solved their problems by not talking to one another. If you're so mad you can't get by the cheating, then file for divorce. But just to hide out? I have no sympathy for him. He cost his wife her life, his son his life and nearly destroyed his relationship with one daughter. And all those fair weathered friends? Had he talked to them, they might have still been his friends. Sticking your head in the sand is giving up. What a gutless character.

Wonderful read. The moments when he talked to his previously unemotional dad sends chills down my spine. The advice was inspired. Hubby has a greater sense of morals and ethics than I thought anybody would possess. I know I would have forgiven her, but his sense of right and wrong would not allow him to let her back into his life. He wanted better for his children, so he could not forgive he and remain the person he has always been. He would have had to change into some one he didn't like. Very sad story ***** ps. Why did she do it.

Kudos to the author BECAUSE he was brave enough to tackle a very hard issue: that Marc, her husband was no hero. He wasn't a 'strong man'. He wasn't a 'man's man'. He was a hurt little child escaping his pain by hiding at his father's house.

Anyone who says otherwise is projecting what they want to see, not what is being described. He KNEW and SAID his head was firmly in the sand and that he couldn't face matters. He wasn't standing on principle refusing to see his wife because he wanted to never have her darken his door. He couldn't face her because it was too painful. He also realized when he HEALED enough, he could face her...which he planned. Too little, too late. Now he was sucker punched by this NEW trauma of guilt: because he knew his dithering had HELPED (not caused, HELPED) kill his wife. Life sucks like that sometimes.

His beef with his children was in minimizing his pain. He knew how he felt, and how much he could take. They didn't. Their moral defense of the indefensible also grated.

One of my meta critiques of this genre in general is the lack of description of the wife and their relationship. A throw away line of "She was a perfect wife", 'we had 25 years of bliss' etc are to establish HIS pain, but not to humanize the woman enough to make one feel at all sorry for her pain. That was the case in this story. She was totally undescribed. Perhaps it was to shorten the story. I still felt enough grief from the little I read that I still sympathized with the woman some (and of course the man, but that is a given) which took some skill to write.

Oh well. Nicely done. Still think Alicia is a bit of a bitch.

I disagree with Overthefalls it is not cowardice, he walked away because it was over for him. Not everyone wants to go back once they decide to leave, he made a decision and stuck to it. I'm tired of people that think that everything is forgiven when they say sorry. As for the wife it is interesting that it was only after being caught and her husband leaving that she felt bad. I think she took the easy way out, she had her fun but could not handle the consequences to bad for her. I'm glad he was able to move on and eventually find love. I would not have forgiven the son and daughter. I have no time for people like that.

I'VE BEEN READING STORIES ON THIS SITE FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS. YOURS IS IN MY TOP FIVE; MAYBE EVEN NUMBER ONE. !! DON'T STOP.!!! ROCKYA19F

If you look at the left side of your keyboard, you will see a key that says 'caps lock'.

It is on. It is also making you sound like a screaming moron.

You can fix the screaming part. Just push the button once.

they know you, but still love you and will be there forever, TK U MLJ LV NV

I hate cheaters. It's just a shame the cheating wore cunt skank slut wife killed herself. She should have lived a long suffering painful aids ridden life. Glad our hero found love again.