All Comments on 'Ghost on the Wind'

A different kind of story with an unusual finish. That they are still unpublished says it all.

As to Karen and Frank, i'd hazard a guess that they go their separate ways. They both had a stable home life and used the workshop to "take a vacation" from their marriages, then fall back into the old routine, not knowing that what they did would tear the fabric out of their stable lives in ways they never imagined.

All they had going was the illicit adventure they were undertaking, a bit of temporary excitement in a predictable world, not ever imagining how unpredictable it would be come, followed by a much less than desirable new predictability.

The daughter was right, Karen didn't hurt AB, she torched the entire family.

The only question i've love to know is what was the "the boom" she was going to drop? Was she filing for divorce, leaving the marriage or something else. Other than that, very well written. I think the calmness of AB's demeanor really caused Karen to think a lot more about her destroying the marriage than if he were to have exploded and ranted and raved a bit. Puts the onus all on her unable to be deflected towards him.

I'd just like a little more after the face. Did he remarry? Die alone? Etc but I also really enjoyed the story so thank you for writing

wasn't bad at all, I liked his style to a point. It wasn't worth the argument.

Extremely well written, a nice little tale of death and rebirth. An easy five stars.

I would appreciate it if you did a r sequel to this drama!!!!!!!!

Thoroughly enjoyed the pace of the build up. Loved the drive through New England and the peaceful ending. I was left with “So what happened to Karen?’

Thanks for sharing. I look forward to your next journey.

This was not too long, I enjoyed every word, Shakespeare did some of his best writing while in quarantine from the plague. Please write more. I loved your AB character and the way he handled his wife. Portland would be a great town to heal and decide on the next stage of his life. If he was my friend, I'd encourage him to go south again after his daughters finish school. He still has good friends in NC and you can't sail for pleasure year round in Maine.

Of course I'm going to beg for his wife's version of the story. I'd love to hear about how she enjoyed her life with Frank the asshole. Thanks for your work! Stay safe.

reasonable man

I really enjoyed this story.

The slow build-up, the suspicion then proof of cheating, the decision to just put his marriage behind him and move on, and the slow trip to Maine while contemplating his past and looking forward to his future with hope - so well written.

And I liked the ex-wife's responses during the phone call because it seemed more real than the usual tears and wringing of hands we read about all the time. She was tearful, yes, but was also angry at AB. She felt it was partially his fault as well, she's not entirely to blame, yada yada yada. All bluster and obfuscation from a clearly confused and emotionally unstable woman, but given enough time she may one day rue the poor choices she made (or not).

I would have liked a bit more about how the wife coped in the following weeks and months, but if I place myself in the protagonists position then who really cares what the bitch does. He's moved on, doesn't look back, looks after his own needs and looks to the future - this is how we survive.

Oh, almost forgot; so good to see a little payback for Frankie boy, and I don't see any long-term future for him and wannabe writer Karen even though they deserve each other.

Thanks for a lovely story.

Enjoyed it. Thank you. One nit picky thing: it’s quit claim deed, not quick. Looking forward to your next one.

Brilliant! Well worth 5* To me the story is not quite finished, I’d like to hear how his first year in the new location goes and the interesting journeys and time in his new boat.

It could have been a great story but there were a few significant problems.

Why narrate the final confrontation between the husband and his unfaithful wife? It was the climax of the story and there was no emotion or dramatic tension.

I think you could've skipped all the tedious sightseeing stuff and concentrated on the new life he made for himself in Maine. The betrayed husband "behaving himself" while he waits for the divorce just makes him look like a schmuck. The wife went on a six-week fuckfest with her lover and incinerated their marriage... there's no chance in hell of him taking her back, so why stay faithful to a whore?

It's also far more satisfying to actually find out what happened to all the major players than leave everything unresolved.

How did the Illinois Writers Workshop become Indiana?

Liked the story otherwise but that detail nagged at me.

I hope theirs more to AB's story

I loved this but it would be good to hear what happened to the cheaters. It seems a bit unreal for her to think it was his fault. They had lived together for 25 years but she couldn't admit that her failure to communicate was at the heart of her problems. A sequal would be great. 5 stars

i would have gone higher than 4, but there was something missing.

a lot of stories when you read them will bring out certain emotions.

this one didn't.

it is a good story, but like i said. something is missing.

But thanks for the effort.

5 stars from me.

Loklie

I am biased but New England is the best place to live even if right now we are a major hotspot for this god damned pandemic. Portland is great though. Its enough of a city to feel like a city while being close to everything... mountains, beaches, boston is only 2 hours away if you need a true major city experience. I am partial to Rhode Island personally but Rhode Islanders are always partial to rhode island lol

I enjoyed the slower pace. Given the character of the protagonist, it felt right. One quibble, there is no such thing as a "quick claim" deed. It's a quit claim deed.

Points:

Some like to be nit-picky. My favorite was "It was like a switch was throne"

Some want more. No, it was complete and nigh on perfect. Any more would have been the start of a new story.

We've lost a few of the best writers. I do hope that JW will keep doing this.

Just_Words

With this tale you did not disappoint. You painted quite a picture of the cheating entitled wife. I disagree that you had the betrayed husband "behaving himself" whilst on his voyage to a new life. Not every person feels the need to get even by fucking everything with a pulse just because his wife turns out to be a cheating slut. So to me his reaction seemed to be understandable. I know it probably would not satisfy the BTB brigade, but so be it. It was your take and you told it well!

Why did you miss out travelling in some of, or at least part there of, PA, NJ, NY and that top corner, RI, VT, NH, looks like it's worth a visit? And I thought you had two weeks to get there?

Andy will not find much cheating going on in Indiana.

I thought it was well done. Not everyone is a destroy all type of person. One small flaw that I see in many stories is that details are not kept straight, i.e. in this case, where the seminar was held (Indiana or Illinois).

that would have been a better title... :)

more dialogue between the husband and wife. It morphed into a travelogue, although I chuckled when he hurried through New Jersey. Without the dialogue, the story lacked much emotion. It didn't make me sad, angry, or happy. It just stopped. This was okay but could have been much better.

He acted exactly like an engineer of his age would act.

The way you told the story of his rebirth was perfect.

Why no BTB revenge? Because that wasn't him and he no longer cared enough to allow her to have a foothold in his mind or his life.

Why is it in most of these LW stories the husband gives the wife the house? The kids are adults in college so its not like they need that house. That is good money he would have needed for Maine. Force the sale or get her to buy you out. I also would not have waited and been silent. As soon as I had my first report confirming that she cheated I would have looked to see if the divorce papers could be delivered to her at that dorm in front of everyone. Include the pictures so she knows there is no doubt she was caught.

I don’t know who thinks ghosting someone is ‘weak’ as AB speculated. I personally think disappearing is about as emotionally devastating a retaliation as a person can inflict, short of debasing themselves by wallowing in similar behavior as the cheater, or flat out breaking the law, and who pays the ultimate price for that? No, not wimpy at all. Quite the effective BTB.

BTW, I do enjoy your romances more. I’m a sucker for ‘happy ever after’. Real life’s just too short and often cruel. A little sugar and spice entertainment helps a lot.

Thanks for another entertaining story.

There is a constant, steady pace to this wonderfully-written story. You have described the protagonist’s moods and thinking clearly. His behavior is above board and irreproachable throughout the story. He might have told his wife he was completely aware of her plans, but we wouldn’t have gotten much of a loving wife story, would we? One niggling thought: why couldn’t you have gotten the Indiana/Illinois mistake fixed before submitting the story to Literotica? Overall, this is a well-written five star effort. Thank you ... you are an accomplished storyteller.

I would love to see a part 2. It feels unfinished. I enjoyed it.

Have AB jump on his boat and sail to the many islands in Casio Bay. Life will be great for him.

Thanks for a fun story.

Loved the travelogue part. Lived in MD for 15 years. You got the blue crabs experience just right.

Worked near Boston for 15 years. Even ate at the Elephant Walk for business meetings.

Now live in nothern NH and you nailed MT Washington and maple syrup.

Been to Portland many times. Vibrant active waterfront city just as you described.

But your best desription by far was avoiding NJ. Made me laugh out loud. Because its true!!

Thanks for the story and the laughs.

You write very well and I liked the story the way it was without the knee cap revenge. I fell there could be a bit more to finish it off if you can do a "part 2" for that I for one would enjoy it.

Thanks

Story meanders but doesn't really progress.

True revenge, although a real stretch would be getting AB's novel published. I know it's been done but with her values and your writing style, it could be a good read.

Well-written too, with hardly any errors and real paragraphing, what a treat!

I must say that by the end of the first paragraph I was pretty clear why a wife of 25 years found him to be stifling. People who boast of not suffering fools gladly are a very obnoxious lot. However, he became more human after that, thank goodness!

As for the simpering ninnies who think that "ghosting" is "running away" or "cowardly", few things can be as effective a rebuke as turning Karen into a "non-person". Pubic hair removed with pliers will grow back, but the pain and humiliation of having been cast into the outer darkness and exposed without warning will stay with her forever.

he did it the right way leave the slut and don't even think of going back get on with life and his daughters and live life well

Just have to look closer at the author from now on.

I agree with Karen, sometimes sex is just sex. He was having an affair with his job. Just changed locations. Karen is good to be rid of him.

*****

well written; works for me

Apparently, the protagonist in this... story?... is an amebae drifting around in a vat of gastronomic juices. How about a little action--something actually happening every now and then?

I wish I would have had His patience .. Once I found out for sure My Wife was Cheating with Her Soulmate ?? ... Her Soulmate had an accident while I was playing Cards .. He Never married Her and I still Laugh about that .. But She did Beg Me to take her back .. That is when I started Laughing

Good story. Love that he was honest with her and d expressed his concerns , and she lied and cheated on him anyway. Also love the geographical references. Portland is a great fun town, and, having lived in New Haven as well as Boston , have enjoyed Louies lunch and elephant walk. Hope to see your work here again soon !

Extremely well written story, loved the ghost aspect of it.

Ed

Enjoy your work, most often rate it 5*. I felt this really needs closure (for me certainly), but to complete the arc. What happened next? Why did it really occur? She appeared to be the “loving wife”, so what changed so dramatically. - or has she travelled that road before?

Thanks

Wayne

Really liked the story and the mix of geography as he moves away for his wife.

Sad, really as she is so selfish and self absorbed to leave her marriage. AB was calmer that I would have been.

After the first week of pictures, I would have flown back there and interrupted their writers course and humiliated them in front of the whole group. Cancelled her cards, taken funds and walked away. Ruin her whole experience in the course.

I love your writing. I saved my marriage by threatening to ghost (the wife and the kids). In my case it was before an affair. The worst punishment you can apply to someone is to give them the impression they don't (and may have never) matter. Emotion takes and consumes energy. Don't waste it. Spend it on great exercises like this one

Hi,

I enjoyed the story but got confused. Was the conference in Illinois or Indiana?

Thank you for the comments that caught three errors in the story. I know it seems like I just throw them together, but the truth is that I work through them many times. Still, Illinois became Indiana, thrown became throne, and quit claim became quick claim. Writing is a challenge, but then what fun would it be if it were not? Thank you all and I think I now may know how AB's story ends. I'm working on it now. Fingers crossed.

another fantastic story... a 5 for certain AND there is too much hanging not to have a part 2 or sequel... the dialogue and surprise by Karen, Frank's life post marriage. More needs to be said about Karen and how she tried to salvage the marriage... maybe that's part 2. well written, character development... damn good story! 5!

I liked it, I really really liked it.

What more can I say........

Good story, Mr. Words. Thanks for sharing it.

It's a brave thing to do as a middle-aged man... or woman. Leaving all the familiar things you like, to wander ' the road as yet untravelled' BY YOU.. It can be a lonely place but even 'a 50-year old engineer' seems to be able to make it work and many of us would love to as well! This tale needs more to follow the progress of the protagonists. A satisfactory outcome and path forward for our 'ghostly' hero and a lesson in realization for Karen as to the cost of 'getting what you want' at the expense of someone else's pain. 5***** story for as far as it's gone but I look forward to a little more on the progress down this 'ghostly' path! Thank You

There are stories that drag on too long, limping to the finish. This was NOT one of them. You created a beautifully woven tale of a man taking the first steps down a new and unknown path. The vivid imagery you portray of him transitioning from one life to another was well crafted.

He made the right choice based on his wife's response after he flew the coop. He probably won't be able to find grits but steel-cut oatmeal has a similar texture.

When you walk out you can look back and reflect. If you forgive you still will never forget. When you matter so little to someone that they do this right in front of you and your friends there is no real going back. North Carolina has no lobsters that have not lived in a filthy fish tank They are like the two states with New in front of them you chose to drive through. You never said why but if you have lived in NC all of your life it takes little time there to see what kind of stresses those people must live under. There is nothing about Jersey or York in them only something different that is a New way of pretending to have fond memories of the old. Once in a meeting in Nag Head I heard a man say it best. "We don't care how you do it back in Joisey". Nor in M-Ass.

A cheating slut for a wife. Not anyone's dream. But still pretty depressing. He simply dumps her, stuffs his tail between his legs and heads out to the frozen tundra (not quite). Yes he got a boat but there are months on end he won't be sailing. He has a hole in the wall apartment. And some new acquaintances. He should have headed south where he could sail most every day and the sun shines a lot. Nothing more depressing than a winter in Maine. A well told story with just a couple of errors. But sans fireworks it felt like just another man getting screwed. Thanks for the effort.

I think you confused your triangles. The area around Raleigh with NC State, UNC and Duke is the research triangle. I think the Golden triangle is Greensboro area.

Pretty clear she was already unfaithful long before she left for the writing camp. The excuse of the camp gives our author an opportunity to establish and document betrayal that is way beyond forgivable. A convenient literary device, but wouldn't have been necessary

Perhaps a more interesting storyline would have had him stuck with the suspicious behavior and his wife's lies and emotional distancing. It was enough to compel him to hire a PI.

The emotional gut punch that always gets me in these stories is the trashing of the husband. It's a betrayal that, on some levels, is far worse than the physical sex. If I wanted to convince daughters and friends that divorce was the only realistic option, I think I would surely include those scenes. They are what scream out that the love is dead.

Rich people sure have a lot of money to spend on private detectives!

Anyone needs some help gettin’ the goods,I have a lot of vacation time saved up.

$300 a day plays expenses! 🤘

Redo1984

.... until I remembered "living well is the best revenge." AB's voyage of discovery of the East coast, and the simple pleasures of living in America, stripped of any grand expectations, is exhilarating. I've taken a few road trips in my lifetime; at least one under similar, though not identical circumstances. Never underestimate the value of nurturing your own soul, rather than depending on someone else to do it.

Five stars.

Excellent story, I disagree with you that he didn't get his revenge. He did just not the physical revenge our gut tells us. She wanted to get away with something and he kept her from doing that and paid a heavy price.

5

Why did she shake her head when Frank asked what he did? What's wrong with being an engineer?

"I didn't like what I was hearing, but at this point I still loved and trusted my wife." - He does? After all the things he's told us about her interactions with Frank?And her not telling him about applying for the writers' workshop?

Why not just confront her? I know it will cut things short, but still.

"She'll know that cheating on me will end us." - And she said that she wants to stay married, so that SHOULD end it. BTW, what this about "deserving it, earning it?" What does HE deserve? Certainly not a cheating wife!

"How dare he keep accusing me of cheating?" - Um. maybe because you are? I thought she wanted to stay married? Doesn't sound like it.

How is he holding her back? He's supporting her while she pursues her dream.

Rather than no alimony, why not take his share of the equity in the house from the savings before splitting it? What are their relative incomes? there might not be alimony anyway.

"Claire, no matter what she's done; she is still your mother. Plus, it's me she's betrayed, not you." - Why do they always say that?

"Sorry to disagree with you, dad, but she tore apart my only family. She very definitely did this to me." - Good for her!

I like the idea that it's not the sex but the lying.

@Anonymous foreigner, he DID visit RI, and NH.

@TSG. it's Casco Bay, not Casio Bay.

5*s

Funny thing. You put a good writer together with 4 sheets of "computer foolscap" (look it up) and you can get something really good. This story flowed well without the angry revenge plots so often seen in LW. I guess I always wonder with stories such as this as to why the cheater does this. i can sort of understand how young people who have had sexually permissive experiences in high school and college and afterwards and are disappointed with the enforced exclusiveness of married life wandering back to their wilder times. But, how does a respectable woman with 25 years of marriage under her belt do something like this? There's often a Lothario lurking in the weeds who lures the unsuspecting true-blue wife into a clandestine affair, but I find that a bit of a stretch. After 25 years a woman knows her man and what is likely to set him off and no excuse of "needing a fling" is going to work. So almost everyone was true to their ongoing personality except the wife and her deviation was well handled by the husband. It was a well balanced reaction and sounds reasonable. Except for the unwanted publicity the wife really didn't suffer much at all so maybe she should thank AB for not being excessively vindictive and go her way. She might be pretty lonely for a while, but maybe she'll get something out of it too. I'm sure that AB will find some widow or divorcee to keep him company and treasure the fidelity that comes with a man such as this. He'd make a good character for a follow-on story, but it does not really need a Chapter 2 to do it. Thanks for a good read. 5*

An easy read and a enjoyable one.

Illinois or Indiana. Pick one.

and a full 5*

I know it depends on talent and interest but I thought half way through maybe he was going to start writing himself and at the end he’d be a published author lol.

You did good.

She was right, he was suffocating her, who would want a husband like this guy. Hopefully she has been cheating on this clown for years, maybe she was giving frank sloppy rimjobs for years before coming home to him. Anyways next time try creating a more interesting male character.

you switched between Indiana and Illinois at least a half a dozen times. well written for the most part but that was just bad.

Author wrote the wife perfectly - everything is still husbands fault. She could be a PapaToad wife (which is a high compliment). Not slutty enough for a JPB wife or psychotic enough to be a Stangster bride. Well done; she and Frank deserve each other.

. . . is living well!

That was quite a good story. Very realistic with real characters that weren’t caricatures at all. I think the MC did things in a thoughtful, rational way that best benefited him.

Well done Just Words.

As ron white wisely said, you cant fix stupid. He told her he knew basically up front. She did it anyway. She felt entitled. His revenge will last the rest of her life. She is ruined. Great work. 5

This was a well-written, enjoyable tale, but it needed more dialog.

The dialog and repartee between the characters is what makes a story come alive. This was too much of the protagonist telling the reader what happened and what the characters felt, rather than the reader learning/discerning it from the dialog. (Maybe that's the author's style - but I felt the story had too much describing and too little talking.) The best lines from the best stories on this site are always statements from dialog. Otherwise, an enjoyable tale. - JRZ

Good story, I agree, revenge does not have to involve crime and physical pain....this story had a good ending....thank you

Good words from just words!

Then exposing those who betray you and seeing them universally condemned for it must be the next best thing.

2* Another stereotypical LW story about a weak cucky husband. He knows his wife is going to cheat with cockroach Franky, but the coward doesn't do anything serious to prevent it. Instead he walks away like a cuck.

Most LW authors are timid and non-confrontational in real life. So here we are again.

I challenge everyone to write a story wherein the husband immediately acts to prevent cheating. Confrontation with the wife and her possible lover are mandatory.

Oh, it's not throne. It's thrown.

You made a weak and unbelievable main character. Why didn't you just have him stick around and be a Cuck? Same thing as having him turn tail and run away.

Beautifully written and much more firmly attached

to the real world than most of the BTB or RAAC

stories posted on this site. Thanks and please keep

on writing.

Awesome! Great way to burn the bitch! No turning back.

I read a comment about a possible continuation where she fights for her marriage.....come on guys!! This woman deliberately plans a SIX week fuck fest with another man, we hear how she disparages her hubby while she has the fucking of her life!! Then to think that she could possibly get him back??!! Why would she want to go back to a husband that has become like the wall paper in the kitchen??!! She was already gone when she first decided to go on that trip. End of story.

You do know that Illinois and Indiana are not the same place, right?

I enjoyed the Story! 5 Stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Great story about loss and then rebirth. Good for AB, Karen was delusional and not worth the effort. Loved the trip as well as I have traveled to many of the places mentioned.

Nice story with beautiful flow..

A small tear and a real smile just happened. Thanks for writing and sharing.

One of the things I enjoyed about this story is he never became the victim when it would have been so easy for him to do. He was angry, disappointed and hurt, but moved through it all without finding fault on himself. After 25 years of marriage we all get in a frame of mind that finds us bored with life, but it should be allowed to cause infidelity. Good Story with great details.

As a Raleigh native and life-long resident, I have to point out that Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill form what is referred to as the Reasearch Triangle due to the respective contributions of NC State, Duke and UNC-CH. Many biotech companies are located in Research Triangle Park, a specialized economic development area located between Raleigh and Durham.

The Golden Triangle is a region in Southeast Asia known for producing large quantities of opium poppies used in the production of heroin.

Thank you for the story.

Wife was a delusional selfish bitch that didn't take losing her "meal ticket" to well. Too bad!

Thank you for writing another great story. Although I wouldn't consider this a true BTB, neither was it a wimp. He caught her cheating and left. She has to face the consequences of her actions. He correctly informed Frank's wife, and she took Frank to the cleaner's. I would like to see a part 2 of what happens over the next 5 years. His daughters will graduate college, maybe he will find a love interest, and of course there is Karen and how she will handle life. At some point she will have to face reality and the destruction she caused. She may not even be invited to her daughter;s graduations or weddings. Her entitled affair will only bring her grief.

he should have stopped in NJ, lots of Revolutionary War Battlefields, Battle of Springfield, Battle of Monmouth, and the brutal winter of 1779-1780 in Morristown was much worse than Valley Forge

Well written descriptive tale but I felt the end was rushed inconclusive and crying out for ch 2.

Mainly just glad to see J_Ws comment about the next step (Do ghosts leave footprints?)

P.S. Zingermans, in Ann Arbor, stocks a really good selection of Anson Mills (SoCar low country) grits!

Easy 5*

that disintegrated once the commitment and responsibility of child rearing passed from their lives. The partnership had morphed into a guardianship of two beautiful children. Once the kids were gone not much was left. She went looking for a new life and he wasn't watching. That's not trust, that's complacency, taking your marriage for granted, and maybe some temerity? Why would a wife be so arrogant and cock sure when her fidelity is challenged? Its because that has worked for her in the past, so why not? Its not his fault, but there's definitely some enablement, by omission if nothing else. If your wife thinks its easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, who's fault is that?

I found the travelog to be tedious and described to a pointless level of detail. Who cares what food he ate where, and what scenery he saw? I was starting to empathize with a wife who wanted a man more interesting and engaging than a tour guide.

The engagement of the daughters was unrealistically shallow and distant. He should have been discussing the decline of his marriage with his daughters as soon as he decided the decline was serious. And you made the dufus that much dumber when you had him chastising his daughters for not respecting their mother. Really? You think children are that stupid and detached from their parent's relationship, and what the health of the family means for their futures?

So, it was a great plot idea, but the execution was weak. Kind of like the husband, so maybe that fits.

Anyway, thanks for the effort.

I would have preferred an ending where Karen realised that Frank was a useless lover and an arsehole BEFORE the end of the six weeks writer's course. Then she would have had a real loss from the sheer stupidity of her actions

Best revenge is a life will lived.

Very intelligently written, and the characterization of the wife and Frank for once doesn't ring of the Martian slut ray, there are plenty of people like Karen out there that get caught up in a fantasy world of their own design and never really figure out how deluded they were. You can bet she still is blaming AB years down the road, if in large part bc she figures out that Frank was no catch pretty fast,not to mention he likely would blame her for destroying him. I liked the fact that it ends with AB starting his new life. It would be fun to see a sequel to this, to see how Andrew and his daughters do and what happens to Karen,does she ever admit she totally screwed up and free AB from it,or does she stay a bitter woman blaming him.

Where is she going? Illinois or Indiana? I’m pretty sure my 4 years at University of Illinois wasn’t in Indiana.