All Comments on 'Fool's Envy Ch. 03'

that is what this story did from start to finish. Great job dear Des...

If a story makes you 'feel' for the charachters involved (which this did, for me, at least)..... then why would ANYONE call it sentimental rubbish???

I think it reflects more on the critic's shallowness,than being a relevant comment on this story....

I'm sorry, I don't intend this as an insult to the author of that critiscm.... but, this is how I feel.

As to this story...if I'd been reading this from a book, it would have been 'un-put-downable'

I don't know, for some reason this moralistic approach is no fun, it tugs at your heart strings, but I would much rather see people openly either embraceing sex as a wonderful experience and then move on with their lives for some reason everyone has to leave a profound message for posterity.........whaaaaaaa?

Overall the story was quite impressive. So why the lower rating? The truth is I am becoming less tolerant to errant improbable or simply, excuse me – very un intelligent premises. It’s like you try to bluff me, only I know you are bluffing and the whole number is lost. First Improbable premise: I still insist (very unpopular premise, I know) that just because a character is female does not make her 50 points I.Q lower. Need some plot device to move a story? find other premises. Why should I buy the premise that the wife suddenly forgot what she remembered very well earlier – that actually sleeping with another man is NOT just another device in making her love life with her husband more interesting? All the work she put so far to hide her JUST WATCHING her friend having sex is now forgotten and somehow she believes that husband’s personality would change by her friend’s trying to seduce her husband? I am talking about the stage when she agrees to get into this plan. It simply does not add up, after all his warnings and complaints about her relations with this friend of hers. And she could not smell a rat when her friend suddenly signaled that the coast is clear? In few minutes her husband went through metamorphosis and would not mind her having sex with another man one floor above him, all that while they have not exchanged one word between them 'just to be on the safe side' that there are no misunderstandings. If every thing is hunky dory why only hand signals?

Second ‘drop – dead’ premise, (at least it is Equal opportunity gender wise), this time husband’s reasoning suddenly drops aswell . When faced with new overwhelming information regarding one’s wife wouldn’t it be better to actually verify what’s going on with your own wife, especially after he realizes that the friend has been very manipulative all along with his wife? No! He chooses to cut his nose to spite his face! With two such bad premises, the rest of the plot – despite very attentive writing, simply soured.

Unlike others who seem to be able to forget faulty premises, my memory does not shut down like that, and it does take away much of the value of the rest of the story for me.

that's what the guy did, which is very different from another guy who got so attached to a kid not his, shortly after the kid's born, that he continued to fuck the wife whom he compared to "raw sewage", a raw sewage who avoided sex with him during the time of the month where she's most fertile, so she could go and get pregnant (twice more) by another man --- [[note: she said she already knew he couldn't impregnate her, due to his supposed low sperm counts: question is, of course, why then avoid having sex with him, the husband, during her most fertile periods? answer?: she did not want to take the chance, however small, that he could father one of her kids! the author did use that kind of introducatory logic, however!]]

the husband, in that story, he said, became attached to ALL those kids fathered by other men, and as he interviewed for a future wife (to be put on reserve), he promised he would not divorce the "raw sewage", nor stop having obligatory sex with her [during her non-fertile periods], until all those kids become 18!

i mean, seriously, which recourse makes more sense:

catching a cheating spouse and --- her tears notwithstanding --- divorcing her, so as to allow both a chance to find another partner?, or catching her before or after kid, not yours, and not say anything because you're so attached to that kid, that you let her have 2, 3, 4, or 5 more kids, NONE of them yours, and REASONED, from the first to the last, that you couldn't divorce her because of those kids? and that you'd wait untile all become 18 before you divorce the "raw sewage"?, but in the mean time, you'd like some other woman to start having kids with you?

"reasoning" of the latter is so incredibly absurd and bizarre, it boggles the mind; it could only happen in a fictional story!

The first two parts were fine. This is sentimental rubbish; well written rubbish but a waste of time.

Fucking-up leads to misery for everyone in real life and it spoils a story to pretend otherwise.

I like one reviewer's idea that there might be a story in Terry realising that her first mistake was marrying Steve and that the rest followed from this. I don't think that I can write it but I'd like him, to try.

good stuff. keep writing....

I agree with Risq (as usual) and with Jack Straw.

I think Steve should have stopped Terry, but that should not change anything else in the story.

I did not care much about the paragraph about Jasmine and Karen. All I got from it is that she loved Steve. The author could (and should) have showed us that and much more about Karen elsehow (sorry it is not in the dictionary).

Although it did not take (much) from the story, I prefer to stick with one person's point of view in the entire story. The author will have some way to tell us who felt what and who talked to what empty chair, etc. The point of view should never limit that.

This one story where none of the characters was braindead. It is a rare case where an author did not screw up the end but was able to tie it all together. This is a feat that almost every good author fails to achieve. Kudos.

but what I can't understand is why so many commenters use their comments on this story to seemingly attack ohio and his stories.

If you want to comment on ohio's stories, why not go to his comment area and post them there?

It's about damn time there was an original ending to a story like this. I liked it from start to finish.

what can i say? this is S-Des best.

very well written from the beginning to end. its sad, but very much understandable.

A great read from start to finish.

Not much I can add to the other comments.

Now that you have considerably raised the bar, what will you do next?

As a swede I feel that there is a lot of bible belt stone throwing going on. Steve did not put his foot down as he should. He robbed Terry from the cradle and put her on a pedistal. I would like to see Terry to go on and understand that Steve never loved her in the first place.

I liked your story but felt you lost some steam in the end.

Boyd

The most powerful part of the story was how Steve made his decision. He still loved Terry but he could not trust her. The one part of Terry's confession which sounded weak was the fact that Jackie and Steve were to be fucking while watching her and Ted. I could understand that desire if she had gotten everyone in the same room but outside in the hall with guests still in the house?

People make mistakes but mistakes have their consequences.

Another husband could have accepted her mistake and tried to get past it but Steve as you wrote him had a very clear vision of what marriage meant for him. During the whole Jackie and Ted show Terry had thought only of what Terry wanted and she did try to remake Steve into a version of Ted.

I still do not understand how Terrry would think that Steve who really disliked Jackie would jump to get in bed with her. Some people might point to the need for communication but her actions reflected a basic disrespect for Steve.

I have to admit I thought you would go for a great reconciliation scene like other authors on this site. Steve should forgive Terry's mistake but that does not mean that he has to live with that mistake. Terry's mistake showed that Steve and her were no longer on the same page regarding marriage and what it means.

Thanks for a great read.

SleeplessinMD

I thought the last part with Terry was sad from the start, But as the day gos on I've been drawn back twice to reread the last four paragraphs. Each time they get more powerful. I think that scene may be the saddest thing I've ever read.

He is still in love with the Terry he married. Unfortunately she is gone. The girl he married would never have done this to him. Some people say she should be forgiven for one mistake. She made many mistakes in pursuit of some new dick, the last of which was actually fucking him. The problem was they were wilful mistakes, made knowing he would not approve what she was doing. An excellent story showing true to life repercussions.

Yahoo! Another cheating slut story. I am thrilled. Bullshit.

I'm late posting, as always, just wanted to let you know I think you did an excellent job of finishing the story. I would have liked a little more "fleshing out" of the Karen character, but understand why it was written as it was. I felt sorry for Terry (and I am one of the "boil the cheating whore in oil" guys) but I admit you did a better than average job with her remorse. And yet, I think he made the correct choice with Karen. I did think Steve was a little too much of a cryer, but it is such a small point. "Ohio" should read this story and try to learn a little about how to make a story have realism and be entertaining.........without all his psycho-babble-mumbo-jumbo. So, "S-Des" I raise my Friday evening beverage in salute to you, Thanks for a job well done!

Snipe

they both were hurt and neither will ever be the same again ...he lost his trust and she lost what ...everything ...sad food for thought ...hopoe this brings a pause to someone who might want to cheat ...would have been so much better if terry had just talked to hubby first huh ...would have saved so much trouble ...i hope ted and jackie rot in hell

Most of the comments I would make have been posted already. Steve's decision is logical, thoughtful and totally supported by the story. It's not that he doesn't love Terry, he does. It's not that he doesn't think she has remorse, she does. It is both Terry's conditional love versus Karen's unconditional love and bad history versus a clean slate. I believe Steve will always have a love for Terry. But, there would always be question in the back of his mind about her motivations. With Karen, her motivations would be Steve's happiness over her own.

It is also interesting to compare this story with Ohio's recent series. There, I believe, the story either doesn't support the decision or doesn't portray a very admirable character. Ohio's wife also had a one-time episode, but I believe the portrayal of remorse totally missed credibility. In your story, Terry was weak, somewhat naive, and maybe not too smart, but she did show remorse. In Ohio's the husband was the weak person and only got weaker as the story progressed. Certainly your story garners many more accolades, because the story supports the decision and both Steve and Karen are admirable characters. Neither of Ohio's characters came across as admirable. One was incredibly weak and the other was incredibly self centered.

Again, great job. Your best and I have read them all. Please keep writing.

I didn't think S-Des was going to go this route, though knowing he/she's a good writer and any could happen.

As Risq said, because of the way the author portrayed Terry, making her able to reflect on her mistakes --- and the best was the ending thoughts, as she looked out her windows and saw her walking away from Ted and Jackie's place, COLD and EMPTY INSIDE, despite the momentary "excitment" of having just watched them fucked --- I was thinking that perhaps Steve would decide to give her that "second chance."

Fortunately, or unfortunately, Steve seemed to have LOOKED AT TERRY with a different lens (different from THE AUTHOR's!; that's very unique, that the author's able to tell two different views like that and not damage the story!!); and, so, while he believed, to a great degree, that Terry's truly sorry, as he himself reflected: the damage had been done and there would always be some inkling in the back of his mind, when he's not with her, whether she's thinking about doing similar things again.

Karen, on the other hand, we didn't know much about her, because the author didn't tell us too much about her, other than the fact that Steven hired her and had respected her work ethics, her faithful friendship, etc. from the very begining.

But, as Steve the character said --- which is, again, rather different from what the AUTHOR said! --- looking deep into those two sets of eyes, he made a tough but irrevocable decision:

go with the eyes which looked deeply trusting, loving, and a bit sad but eyes which belonged to a young woman who had never failed him from the first day he hired her, AND sever forever his ties (not just divorce paper wise but emotionally, too) the eyes he HAD LOVED deeply for some 6 years but eyes of a person who, despite he deep love for, betrayed him heinously.

I agree with Steve: though it's difficult, because we have been conditioned by the author to feel sympathies for Terry (due to her sadness and tears), Karen was the character most of us would trust our lives and limbs with. She seemed to be a smart young woman who seemed to be able to learn from the mistakes of OTHERS; Terry, on the other hand, she could learn from her OWN mistakes and try not to make them again the next time around. With her ability to reflect, as we saw in the last two or so paragraphs, it seems that Terry would be able to do that, even if she would not get to live out her life with Steve...

Thank you, author; it's a good job you did there. We are harsh, bitchin', and all that ONLY because we "care" about a certain character you authors have built from scratch; so don't always take critical remarks as idiotic. Stories I don't care to look at, much less read, don't even get any comment from me, bad or good! Hope that made sense.

I've gone back and read a few of the comments, and one that keeps standing out is the one thing that I've never truely understood. It's the mentality "She/He only did it once if you don't forgive them then your a the horrible person not them." What marriage vow out there gives everyone a free pass if they are really sorry? I have to say everyone is sorry when they try something new and only something negative comes from it.

That makes no sense to me. If someone really feels betrayed by someone that they really loved. Enough that they have nightmares about it, forgiveness isn't the point. Their frame of mind about what happened is. You can forgive someone and still not be willing to continue living with them. And if they have hurt you really that deep all your going to do is poisen what relationship you might have with them with your hurt and anger.

Sometimes I feel that people who have either never had this happen to them, or are the ones doing it to other people have no idea how "one simple mistake" (as they like to call it) like this can devastate someone. Enough so that they start viewing everyone as out to get them. Some folks even become bitter swearing off ever getting involved with people of the opposite sex ever again over a betrayal like this.

The problem wasn't whether the wife was remorseful enough, it was whether or not the husband was able to get past it. If he wasn't then he needed to move on before he did or said something too hurtful in anger or in the heat of the moment that he could never take back.

-Risq

It doesn't get much better than this. This is a good story that is well-told, well-written and well-edited. Very few typos for a work of this length, and that's commendable.

Being a writer, I can't resist the temptation to pick a story apart and find a few things that I think may have enhanced it, good as it is. I found three areas where I would have liked to have seen some further development.

1. Karen's character seemed a little sketchy. You started to get us into her life when she was having the conversation with Jasmine, but never really got any further than the outline. She was the single most appealing character in this story and I would have liked to have seen her fleshed out a bit more.

2. The neighbors. There was never any reckoning for Ted and Jackie, and their departure seemed rushed. I would have liked to have learned why they felt compelled to leave, and I would have liked to seen them fixed so they wouldn't try their tricks on anyone else. And what happened to Joe and Beth? They were a central part of the second chapter, but never showed up in Chapter 3. It was sort of like Steve threw off his old friends when he left Terry.

3. I thought you were awfully harsh on Terry at the end. She ends up babbling to an empty chair, pretending Steve is sitting there, then pining away for her lost love. She made a huge mistake, and she knew she was making it when she did it, but everyone is entitled to rise above their mistakes and move on. I would have liked to have seen her find some love and happiness with someone else, the way Steve did, and maybe give her a chance to show that she'd learned her lesson about communication and fidelity in a relationship.

Finally, I want to comment on the crux of the story, the decision Steve had to make at the end, and that's where S-Des really came through.

The story ended up revolving around the choice Steve had to make between two women who loved him intensely, whether to give Terry another chance or start fresh with Karen. Honestly, I wouldn't have minded if he had chosen Terry, and it would not have diminished the story a bit (no matter what clowns like Harry say). But he ultimately chose Karen, and that was the right call. Here's why.

There is no doubt that Terry loved Steve, but there was always a self-centeredness about her that made her want to attach strings to her love. She tried to manipulate him into playing her games with Jackie, and she tried to use her lawyer in an attempt to browbeat him into giving her another chance. Her concept of love was like, "I love you, because it makes me happy to be in love with you."

There is no doubt that Karen loved Steve, and her love was unconditional. She loved him enough to risk losing him by making him finally confront his feelings toward Terry and to deal with them, and to try to deal with what motivated her to let Jackie come between them. She knew that if she didn't, he would always have that doubt in the back of his mind, that little what-if, about Terry. Her love was strong enough that she could do that because she knew he needed it before he could move on. Her concept of love was like, "I love you, because it makes you happy to be in love with me."

I've never read any of your previous work, but if it's anything like this, I'll have to remedy that soon.

You did such a good job with how you wrote the characters I couldn't believe it when I found myself pulling for reconcilation between Steve and Terry.

I say that because you covered all the bases with the betrayal, built up the story about "Why" and how it seriously affected both of them, and then you resolved the issues you created/brought up one after the other. As some folks will tell you, I normally seem to be against reconcilations, but I can say I'm that way only when they are done badly. You did this story in such a way it could have gone either way at the end and I would have supported it.

Now I will admit that I was confused with some parts of the story, but you fixed it right up. And the reasoning that you used made sense to me, for example when he had to choose between the two women that now seemed to want him. You seemed to write what I was thinking, and it caught me by surprise as I was reading the story.

The part with him still having nightmares about what happened with his now ex-wife also seemed to fit in the story. Still showing that someone that you really loved that much doesn't get shut out of your life overnight it will take time. And even though the wife was sorry, the lasting impact of what she did seemed to have harmed him more than she might have been willing to admit.

I will also say you fantasticly showed in the writing how remorseful the wife was in the story. I didn't feel that you told me she was, but I really felt like you "showed" me. Enough so that I honestly thought she deserved a second chance, if Karen wasn't in the picture and the husband was able to find someone else who he wasn't attached to, to help him build back up his crushed and shattered ego, I would have been intrested in seeing how they got back together. But when you showed in Karen a person of character willing to do whatever it took to make him happy, even if it meant it wasn't with her, that was a character trait that most couldn't ignore in the story.

And the part that I thought was strange was that I honestly found that I really did feel sorry for the wife. You portrayed her well enough that I'm sure most of us felt some of the pain she felt from making such a bad decsion that in the end cost her her husband. Very good writing

Fantastic story, and way to write to bring out shared emotions in the characters. I know I thought it was going to be the normal reconcilation story, but you did it in such a way that I wouldn't have seen it as a bad way to go either. But it was great regardless of how you went.

-Risq

Of all the themes here, the theme of marital consequence most allows writers to become authors and authors to become Story Tellers. There is a progression and rightfully so.

The OJT of the theme causes great writer energy and emotion that 99.9% of readers can relate to. It allows for the creation of flaws and respect essential for some of the characters and results in respect for the writer if the plot path has some or great reality.

If the reality follows life's tendencies and flaws, readers can relate and feel the emotions of the theme. If the writer shapes the plot path flow to reasonably emulate the marital difficulties and emotions we are all somewhat framiliar with, then it not only looks like duck but it sounds like one.

If a turn in the path is made and it has been set up properly, then it is not only acceptable - it can enhance the story if it doesn't fly in the face of the character(s) already developed and doesn't distort the plot path foundation the writer has already built.

This writer became an author and with this story pushes Story Teller status because he understands the credibility process and has developed respect for his work and himself in his process. He already does most every thing right and is moving into a higher niche of appreciation by a very high percentage of all readers. He doesn't contrive or post twist to get there as he trusts his instincts since they are grounded in life's normal realities of the progression of action(s) and always resulting plus or minus consequence.

Thanks Author - your talent, diligence and standards are apparent and growing. Please let the ride continue at interval.

With Very High Regard

PS - Daunting to others? Not so - as there are milions of marital consequence stories and many ways to tell them in the writers growing process.

I know this is more then presumptuous of me to put in a second post, but I posted mine before I read any of the other comments. I have to say you are receiving so many well thought out comments of how these characters are perceived in people’s minds.

My only real comment is how people keep expressing is Steve being hasty in rejecting reconciliation with Terry.

It’s not just Steve who would face his demons of memories of their past and the mind image of her with the neighbor and every thing they did, and still trust in their future if they reconciled. Terry would have the constant, well for quiet a while at least, mind set of everything she did around or away from Steve must be looked at through a gut feeling of “if I do this, or say this, or joke with him, or smile at someone will Steve see it as something else.” Terry hasn’t even really come to grips yet to what went down, she is just so very remorseful and wants it to stop and go back to what was. She is, with out a doubt in my mind, not fond of her encounter in anyway. Would she be tempted again? Probably not under normal circumstance, but what kind of existence would she have if she carried fear around.

I’m afraid I’d be more inclined to see them try to reconcile for a period of time, if a third party was there to give them a sounding board of what they are individually really feeling, but many times that just leads to years of trying and eventually just settling for what becomes comfortable, and a love slowly slips into a unfulfilled existence. Sometimes it’s better to part and start new lives, like in this story.

Terry hasn’t had any help yet in finding some solace in her own mind. Steve is a man of strong beliefs that seems to now be conflicted with his own thoughts sometimes. He at least is seeking help for some kind of understanding of his feelings. I agree he is not ready to marry yet from the dialogue we are given. This would be the perfect time to get really close with Karen and let her know all his thought process and build a trust for years to come that they can share.

You have made these characters so real and we readers care about them. That’s one heck of a feat for an Author to do in this genre.

One thing is always evident, in loving wives you will not please everyone, as we all have our take on a story that grips our mind.

Again sorry for the, I think people are calling it psycho babble, but you did pull me into this fantasy hook line and sinker, and people can just say it’s the idiot’s comments again.

Thank you for sharing your talent and extremely solid work.

PT

much more can be said. a fan always.

Very well written story...still I can't help but think that there should be an epilogue of sorts...Is Steve and Karen still happily married two years later? Did Terry ever pick up the pieces of her life or is she still "slutting" around. Cliff hanger...I'll be waiting for the final installment. Thank you for a well thought out and written piece.

You told me that I woudl like this one better...well with the end like it was...

You were right.

No 'quick fixes' for the husband....

True and lasting remorse from the wife.

it FELT like real life. He's trying to move on...and she has to slowly rebuild her life after her mistake.

Well F'up but hey...

Great writing and take a break ... but not TOO ling, we want another one soon. ;)

Is striking.... dont we all agree. The author here shows MAN one with a central core whom was deeply in Love with his wife who believed certain things and were shatttered in a way the he could not over come...

as some here have said... perhaps steve should of given her a 2nd chance ... perhaps part of him wanted to. Terry is NOT a total monster but her core was damaged by her sexual deviancy that caused her to lie and manipulate and cheat so badly that she can never fully recover.

THIS guy as developed by the author could not make that leap. real. Beleiveable.... emtional.

and Not a wimp....

having thoughts about did I do the right thing? should I have given her a chance to explain... can I control my dick? all real.

it is when Those ideas dominate his BRAIN his Morals his core than causes him to be a WIMP.

The contrast between this story and OHIO an INNOCENT QUESTION IS striking -- No hidden agendas.

Every story has been good, but they progressively have been better. This established you as a premier writer in my mind. Your character development and depth makes them believable and you keep the tension until the end. Thanks so much for sharing your talent with us.

a very stroy emotional story. I can't help but think there is more to this one. Steve and Terri seem to still have a unseen bond. that may stop his marriage to Karen. He still loves Terri and until that ends he can never truly give everything to Karen

Steve make the correct decision (been there, done that). IRL Terry would find somebody and move on (women are very practical it is the men who are foolish romantics). IRL she'd probably even figure out a way to blame Steve, but it makes a nice fantasy to write her the way you did. Very good writing, S-Des and I think that each chapter was stronger than the previous.

And not because he left Terry.

I think I like your stories so much because you take the time to set up and justify whatever you make the main character do, whether its reconciliation or divorce. I liked After the Fact as well and it featured reconciliation with a women who did more than Terry did in this story (sex with multiple partners on more than one occasion) so its not just that they split up that made the story good for me.

Your characters seem to behave plausibly so it never seems like you are trying to force a certain ending no matter how much it goes against what you wrote earlier in the stories. Even their decisions that I wouldnt necessarily make myself are set up and/or explained so I can accept that they are different people who dont always think the same as I do. Some stories seem too much like a collection of almost unrelated scenes, behaviour and emotion rather than a progression but your stories always seem to flow and make sense to me (again - even when the characters are doing things I couldnt see myself doing, it still makes sense).

I really liked that the husband wasnt a total ass to his wife as well. If he loved her like he described and their marriage was as good as he said, its only natural that he had conflicting feelings and emotions involving Terry. His strong feelings for Terry even though he decided they could no longer be together was also shown when things didnt just fall into place with Karen. That he was still having problems after many months but was determined to move on and be the best he could for his new wife was a nice addition to the story. If he could have just forgotten Terry at the drop of a hat and moved on with Karen without so much as a backwards glance, it wouldnt have made sense in the context of the real love they had before (and even after) Terry's obsession.

You even made Terry likable enough that I felt sorry for what she lost. Not saying that he should have choosen her over Karen, just that it was good you didnt go overboard heaping character flaws and outlandish behaviour onto Terry. Even when you didnt reconcile them, you put more effort into making sure that Terry was sympathetic than many authors do when they force happy ever after reconciliations.

All in all, it was great story from start to end imo. Thanks very much for writing.

You are good writer. Im not prone to it but the ending of part four had me in tears. Thank you for that.Say what you will but a story movie e4ct , if any good, has to me feel something. Either happy, sad or any other of the many enmotions, I like many men keep on a tight leash.

Well This story made me feel.

I felt so much of thier pain i was Balling like a chick by the end lol

Rob

Author, thank you for an excellent and compelling story. Your writing made me feel the emotions of the main characters. Like Cageytee, I also appreciate the time and talent that has gone into producing these stories. Thank you for spending your time to entertain us.

Now to discuss the story. This story covered the emotional trauma that happens after such a betrayal, even if it is just one time incident. Steve and Terry were hurt by Terry’s actions; both now are paying the price for what she did. I think Steve took it the hard (as expected since he was the one betrayed), but he will eventually get over it and move on. Terry will probably take a little longer because she has to deal with the fact that she caused all of this to happen.

At the end of the story, I truly believe Steve is in total love with Karen. It is not a rebound relationship. He did not start having the dreams until they set the date for the wedding. The dreams are not about his old love for Terry, but about the night of the betrayal. The night Terry destroyed his “trust” in fidelity and marriage. The same “trust” that he wants to share with Karen when they get married.

As Steve says in the story, he is not the man he was before and he wants to bring to Karen the best man he can be. With a little time and therapy he will be able to share both his “love” and his “trust” with Karen when they get married. I feel that if this were real-life that after an experience like this that Steve and Karen would end up being one of the most loving couples that we would ever meet in real-life.

Again thank you author your efforts are appreciated.

My emotions were on a roller coaster throughout this story. I was so angry with the wife when she was so stupid I would have slapped her down myself if she had walked in my office. Then I was agonizing with him. Then I felt he was a wimp because he let it happen. His test failed. Then I felt he was strong because he said the damage was done and nothing would change it. Then it looked like he might go back afterall. Then he is on the verge of marrying Karen. Where is my dramamine!!!

So, he is going to marry Karen. Big mistake. He still loves Terry and is holding back on Karen. Oh it might work but at this point he is not really ready for it and may never be. He should have waited.

And, I can't believe I am actually going to say this, but I feel extermely sad for Terry. A few have commented that she is totally remorseful and I agree. It was a bit more than a one time thing though as some said because in her heart she was cheating from the time she started comparing and liking the conversations between her and Jackie. Steve had warned her and she avoided his counsel and instead got off on talking about cocks and sex and orgasms outside of her allowed relationship, that being with her husband.

I feel for Terry because I believe she is serious about being sorry, because I believe she truly loves Steve and because I also believe it would never happen again.

I feel Steve should have forgiven her. Unless I missed it in the story and I don't believe I did, he never told her he forgave her. He needed to do that.

But, being a realist, for all of our actions there are consequences to be paid. Every one of us knows that from personal experience and to deny it is foolish. We may not like the consequences but we don't get to choose. The consequence in this story is that he would never be able to trust her again. No way! The dreams make that absolutely clear. He will always wonder if it could happen again.

Therefore he needs to be out of that marriage. He made that right choice.

There can be forgiveness but consequences never go away.

Bravo S-Des for a wonderful story. And, I appreciated your efforts throughout this tale and especially the roller coaster ride of emotions. You had every one of us wondering until almost the last words were spoken.

Thanks,

Charleybear

This is a well crafted, well written, and interesting tale.The reader can feel the emotional vise that Steve is caught in between his love of wife and his inability to ever trust her.What is truly refreshing is that Steve's character is not static.He grows as a person as a result of his humiliation and betrayal.He comes to the self -realization that marriage is more than love and sex.For Steve to experience marital bliss ,he can not overlook the components of trust and respect.This author's work begins to approach the top echelon inhabited by the likes of Hardaysnight and Winterfrog.

We really enjoyed this emotional rollercoaster and the ending was realistic [for once-Ohio should take note]. As others have said, your work is appreciated and we will look forward to your continued success.

She risked and lost the man she loved for something she came realize to late she didn't really want.

S-Des really brought it home for me when she thought

"Only now, when it was too late, she understood that the emptiness had been her body's way of warning her that something was wrong. Lost in the excitement at the time, she chose to ignore the signs."

I've known that feeling after I've done something that part of me knew was wrong, But I didn't want to admit at the time. Thank God it didn't cost me as much as it cost her.

I think this story earned a 5 and as how I never score a story till I've read all of it I'll go back now and give the first two chapters the same.

I see other comments have covered any other points I might want to make so I'll leave it at that.

I should have stayed up later so I could have got mine in first :)

FAVORITE authors!

I appreciate the time and talent that has gone into producing these stories. Thank you for sharing them!

I trust you are able to put into an appropriate perspective, the comments of those unfortunate readers who are unable to separate their own emotional pain and/or insecurity from the emotions your stories engender and who respond to those emotions rather than the very high quality of your writing and your story telling.

It seems to me that every now and then there is some suggestion for future improvement in those responses so, if we want to improve, we read and consider them all but "non illigitimi, non carborundum". (Sorry! My latin is terrible! - Don't let the bastards grind you down!)

I'm looking forward to your next submission!

...you're the one who should drop dead. You obviously don't know a great story when you read one, indicating that your attention span must be as short as your ... (I guess pretty much everything could be inserted there).

By the way, Author, great story.

Fantastic!

You have kept Steve consistent to his core character as he does see things as right or wrong. He has found his base and starting a new life gives him the chance to have trust, confidence in commitment, and a building of a new unfettered love, without any nagging remembrances, and a whole life of new experiences ahead with a woman he trusts and adores. He probably never would have been able to be completely happy with Terry as it goes against his core of right and wrong. Could he compromise and learn to suppress his felling of betrayal and loss of trust? Maybe, but it’s not necessarily his moral compass.

This new love gives him his view of the world he lives in more comfort and perceived control of his life. He will have to learn to deal with his past. His seeing a therapist may help him steer his thoughts into a collection of memories he can put into one place in his mind and move on. He said he didn’t really believe in Therapy, which fits people who think there is nothing in the world they cannot deal with, as everything is right or wrong. A therapist never tells people what to think or do, but help people find there way in how they may handle the conflicts that are not black or white in their minds.

Terry needs help in realizing there are some destructive parts of her that she needs to identify. Her grief will have to be dealt with as a death has occurred. She has to find what she likes and dislikes and see that she can again be happy with a new outlook of self-confidence of understanding, and how she wants to approach what is out there for her. With knowledge and a newfound base, adventure with a confidence she can control will allow he own actions and reactions to be what she wants to experience and then maybe share.

You did write a wonderful story of humans trying to live in a world of temptations and emotions we all process everyday.

Thank you for the great entertainment

With great respect for all the hard work you put into your stories.

PT

S Des, this was a sad, but very moving story all the way through. You captured the emotions and the sorrow beautifully. All I can say is good job!

One of the best stories I've read!!

Once again a compelling story from one of the best authors on Lit.

Exceptional, I felt their joy happinss and deep sadness. You captured the feelings involved by all with deciet betrayal and cheating. So well done. Thank you so much and I cannot wait for the next!

Very well done. Good insight into the grief and hurt caused by cheating. The angst that both Steve and Terry suffered through carried over to the reader. Sometimes there isn't an easy resolution and I suspect that Steve is not going to have an easy time getting over his love for Terry.

Thanks to the author for a very well told tale. It could have gone either way, but either way would have created hurt and sadness for someone. A tale well told.

Your writing is great and the story was exceptionally good. Whether Terry deserved a second chance or not is not the point of this story. He could not get past the fact that she tricked him. A marriage is based on trust and honesty and she had to deceive him so she could sleep with Ted. It does not make a difference that the sex with Ted sucked the fact that she wanted it and plotted to get it is what mattered. If the sex had been great it seems she would not have as big of an issue with it as she had. Her saying quote, "You were better than he was on your worst day. I threw everything away, and it was for nothing", leaves me to believe this.

I also have a problem with him not facing the truth with Karen. She should know how he worked out his decision. He is holding back from what will be his new wife and starting out with secrets and this cabn only hurt them especially since obviously both him and his ex still have very real feeling for each out. Hopefully this does not turn out to be a rebound relationship had for failure.

Hopefully one day you will write a sequel letting us know what happens both in the new marriage and with the ex.

Once again, we have a story that doesn't leave the reader feeling all smiley and happy. That does not make it a bad story. Quite the opposite. It seemed like a win/win situation with the choice bewtween two devoted women. It also seemed like he couldn't win, because of the sadness and pain he would create regardless of his choice. I don't know how I feel, except that I really enjoyed the tale. Your hard work and vivid story telling skills are truly appreciated.

Who do you the think you are? Charles Dickens? Go write a book or something but don't waste our time here.

Short sex stories is the format....

Very good story but for Terry's mistake. She HAD to know he would never go for swinging. And she wasn't all that sure she wanted it desite Jackies assurances.

It's too bad he is such an unforgiving man. There is so little doubt that Terry is totally sorry and remorseful for what she did. One time, total remorse; I think I could forgive her. Maybe he can't forgive himself for allowing Jackie to say, by signal, that he was going along wih the idea. He knew it and still allowed it. Kinda dumb and makes him responsible also. The loss of a marriage is always so sad.

I also felt he was trying to be grateful to Karen, though he does love her. And he loves his ex-wife so much it hurts. It leaves me wondering. And I still feel he owes something to his marriage. "...let no man put asunder." Which seems to me he did exactly. And she is in terrible pain and distress that her professed love has much weight. You just about HAVE to believe her, from his point of view. From ours, we know it's true. Too sad. If Terry had a new boyfriend maybe I could say it's the way to go, but she doesn't. Just sad.

You have given us the picture of the completely remorseful and loving wife who screwed up. Sorry, I feel he should have been able to get past it with her!!!

Did this post once already??

for an ending that was honest and real. i can say that i'm going through some similar emotions in an impending divorce and no, i don't think he is lying to Karen...he will always love Terry but the trust will never be the same. love and trust are tied together in a marriage, without one the other will be lacking.

ty for the path you took, i enjoyed it

Well written with great depths of emotion however it is clear the guy doesn't really love the girlfriend but is still in love with his wife staying with the girlfriend out of gratefulness and is now about to marry her. He needs to stop being dishonest and tell the fiancee how he really feels before he stuffs her life up. He owes her that much ... even if she chased the pants off him

This is the first cheating wife story that made me genuinely feel sad for the wife. Now I'm not one of those "kill the bitch" crowd that likes to punish the wife nor do I particularly care for reconcillation at all costs type of story. But anyway the feelings and emotions you put into this story are amazing. Great work.

That was a heartfelt and well written story. Your best work to date. I especially liked the way you were able to keep me in the dark about the ending until it was upon me.

Thanks