All Comments on 'He Said He Was My Friend'

Beautifully crafted tale of friendship. Sad but hopeful. Thank you.

not bad but the accident was a ham fisted way to force them to drive together, why not simply have David be his emotional support? why have the accident?

Nah, too soft

An enjoyable read, but it felt as though there was something missing. Probably a lack of actual emotion or a proper confrontation. No input from the wife either. Difficult to really put a finger on it. The best friend was, I suppose, a red herring. The sudden introduction of a largely anonymous “lover” was a surprising twist.

I can see the MC not care about why Ariel cheated, but I do. Why people do what they do is very interesting to me. I can see the initial cheating because of depression because of her father's death, and that this guy was an escape. But when he moved away why didn't she use that as an excuse to stop it and come back to her husband? Was it because she was into the guy by then or was it something else? Can I get Ariel's phone number as I have some questions for her?

Another interesting question to me was juxtaposing his experience with the bully, and the marriage. The bully was feeling inferior to the smarter kids because of his dyslexia so was taking it out on them. That got fixed, and he and the MC (his victim) became close friends. The MC is at least hinting to us that Ariel's start of the affair was due to her depression associated with her father's dying. So, why was he able to forgive the bully, but not even consider forgiving Ariel? Was it the duration of the affair. Sure, the affair cuts more deeply, but then the relationship with Ariel was much deeper as well. So, it was more worthwhile to save.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating him making up with Ariel. I wouldn't have, but then I doubt I would have become the bully's friend either. I would have understood why he did what he did, but if I was the target of his bullying, I would have told him I'm glad you figured it out, but go find your redemption and friends elsewhere. And I can understand what happened with Ariel is much worse, but then the relationship was much deeper, more intimate, more committed and meaningful. Yet, he didn't even consider asking Ariel why or trying to figure out if the marriage is worth saving. So, I ask it out of not because I think he should have, but wondering to myself why cheating cuts us men so deeply to our core. After all an unexamined life is a wasted life, right?

The only thing I can see Marie doing is telling Ariel not to use her as her alibi. He felt justifiably deeply betrayed because Marie didn't tell him, but I feel that betrayal is double if she told on Ariel. I know many LW readers won't agree, but most people would. However, Marie should have told Ariel not to use her as an alibi. Honestly, not only for the MC's benefit, but herself. This was tearing her apart. And I feel like Ariel putting her mother in that position, and what it was doing to Marie, was almost worse than what she was doing to her husband, who didn't know so wasn't suffering like her mother was.

At the end he says it's been almost two years since the day he found his wife cheating, but he had just said that Ariel's second marriage lasted only two years (9 months to the divorce). So, his 2 years needs to be at least 3.

The title was obviously deceptive, but still made sense. It originally made me think that David and Ariel had been lovers, and then she had found someone at work so David was actually jealous of that and told the MC that Ariel was cheating to get back at Ariel. However, obviously, after the fight with the bully, David had told him that that's what friends do.

J_W I know your story was really about the friendship, but my focus went elsewhere. But you made me think of bigger things, and that's what a thoughtful story does, intended or not.

5 Stars

Gotta say I anticipated a different kind of betrayal from the title, amazing tale nonetheless.

It was a good story, but there wasn't enough dialogue between him and Ariel, so she just seemed like a cardboard cutout of a character. At the very least, you needed to flesh out the scene where she came back to the house and begged for forgiveness, to explain her reason for having a long-standing affair.

The best part of a loving wives story is the confrontation with the cheating wife, then the aftermath as she suffers the consequences for the infidelity. Unfortunately, those parts were glossed over here. 4* but it could have easily been 5* with more focus on the aftermath.

yes as a parent you have to stand by your child and do whats best for them even if it means that child would get hurt becouze of it

and marie should have grown up and told her daughter if you do this i will tell dave no iff or buts just that

that would have been the true loving parents actions becouze as a parent you shouldnt just stand aside and watch how your children ar doing bad

We all need a David in our lives. Ariel was a typical cheating wife trope, but Henry's relationship with Marie was quite unique, and losing that seemed more tragic than the rest of the divorce.

and unlike some commenters, I'm like the husband, Marie would be dead to me as George and the rest of her family. And who gives a fuck why they cheat.

The author agonisingly drew out Henry's blindness to his wife's affair. I understand we males when in love are often too gullible to consider the woman we love could play around behind our backs. The author tried to have David suggest to Henry the possibility he had marital problems on more than one occasion. These hints were glossed over by Henry. The issue I have, if David was such a good friend I think he would have been less discreet and more forceful when suggesting all was not well with Henry's marriage. Things should have come to a head much sooner. When they did it ended with such a whimper. But that's the way most marriages end.

And I can't decide if that makes it brilliant or not.

This was a good story about friendship and a pretty good story about a cheating wife.

The author says that "Liars and cheats create their own suffering and the fist seldom inflicts the lasting pain that the heart and mind endure." and I agree with them when it comes to Marie, a moral woman who was twisted by her daughter's behavior. But you have to ask, if her daughter decided to rob a bank or kill someone would she enable that behavior as well? "I understand" Marie's choice but it was still wrong.

As to Ariel, I disagree. If Ariel was truly suffering and repentant she wouldn't be trying to makes excuses for her behavior. Her mother's acceptance of her cheating made her think it wasn't really that bad. She obviously suffers by having a bad 2nd marriage but I'll bet she is still trying to excuse her behavior. I question whether she will ever accept full responsibility for her actions.

Do you think the "crap sack" felt any remorse? Since his behavior continued, you know he didn't.

The reality is, GOOD people do suffer when they do wrong. They KNOW they messed up and they feel guilty.

Most people line in a GRAY ethical world. If you asked them if something is right or wrong they would probably give you the correct answer but when it comes to their own personal responsibility they duck around accountability. They refuse to confront their failures. This type of person needs a structured reminder of why you shouldn't behave this way. If you speed, you get a ticket and may have to collect litter on the roadside for a couple months. If you shoplift, you get arrested, pay a fine, and may have some community service to do. If you cheat, divorce follows. Without these societal "corrections", people living in an ethically GRAY world would live unethically. It's only the potential punishment that nudges them onto the straight and narrow path. Yet, they will keep testing it because they lack impulse control. They want something and they have to have it.

Then there are the "crap sacks" that walk outside societal ethics and revel in it. They feel no remorse or guilt for what they do. These are the people that need far more than a mild correction. They need to know that the cost for their behavior is far, far worse that the perceived benefit. Unfortunately, society has removed true accountability from the mix. For that, we have to come to Loving Wives and BTB or a major beat down on the perpetrator. In this story, there is none. Henry wimped out on this.

Personally I am left with far more questions because the description, the title and the buildup do not seem to be from the same story. Its like you decided to change your story 2/3 of the way through. The story reads like David was banging the wife. If she wasn't then why was he acting like he was early on? The whole story was thoroughly way too long as it was. This could have been delivered with half the length and it would probably have been better by removing redundant introspection by the husband.

It’s good to read a well written story and not some POS that some post.

enjoyed it, thanks for posting

Look forward to your stories, thank you for this one. There will be all the comments about how she should have suffered, they should have suffered, story to long,story to short - what I like is a story that is like life- not a cartoon. That is one reason I read your tales.

somewhere east of Omaha

Another first. The cheated upon husband still has his best friend at the end of the story. Thank you for another 5* effort.

Good story JW.

Very well done!

another good read but unfinished. paragraph 1 in the epilogue is the outline for the next chapter... much to be still written, said and experienced...

Good story. I could have used to hear a little more remorse from the wife rather than just a 2nd hand account of what she said.

Loved it. Thanks for a great read.

I liked how you showed what a real best friend is. The ones that will magically materialize next to you at 2am if you call them in trouble. Bravo.

Good read, this is a story some one will probably do a sequel.

So many stories make the mistake this one does, which is to misunderstand its own dramatic arc. Let me demonstrate the impact of this misunderstanding: you spent as much time telling us about a bully who isn’t in the story as you spent describing the aftermath of your main character’s life changing discovery!

Your “putting the pieces together” phase is spectacular here, and kudos to you. The pacing is good, the interactions are enough to humanize it, etc. But you switch almost immediately after the pieces are in place to summarizing, hitting the fast forward button just as the story gets going. It’s like if Jurassic Park ended with the t-rex stepping out of its exhibit in the rain, roaring, and then a voice over saying “it took a while and it wasn’t always easy, but we escaped. The end.”

This has been happening in a lot of stories these days. I kinda blame the BTB crowd for this trend. Any story that doesn’t wrap with a fantasy of violence gets so many negative comments from the idiot brigade, it puts other authors in a situation where the discovery phase of the story is the only part that isn’t destined to get toxic ridicule. So that becomes the safe place to play, and people rush-job the *primary dramatic arc of the story* while investing all their creativity in the setup.

This was a very good start to a story. I wish it was complete.

Yes, Marie has to stand by Ariel, but there are limits. First, she can tell to get her head out of her ass. Second, she can tell her to find another excuse, that she's not going to lie for her. Ariel's her daughter, and I can see not ratting on her, but she doesn't have to cover for.

/

"I didn't take anything away from you." - Of course she did! All those weekends away! And speaking about the planning, involving her mother who was like a mother to him, and he was like a son to her. That was just evil! She didn't just hurt him, she hurt her mother, and to a lesser extent her brother, both for losing his b-i-l, and for having to witness his mother's pain.

/

I don't really have much sympathy for Marie, and frankly, Henry is kinder to her than I would have been.

/

@johnadp, because the bully was able to recognize his issues, and change. Assuming her affair started with her father's death, that's a corollary to the bully's dyslexia causing his bullying. But her continuing the affair when the lover moved, instead of turning to the man that SHOULD have, and WOULD have been her rock, is the polar opposite of what the bully did.

/

@moralcompass, it's a fine line David would have to navigate between being more forceful with his concerns regarding Aries and David shooting the messenger.

/

I too was fooled by the title. I know this is new, but unless I'm having deja vu, I feel like I've read this before.

Need I say more? 5*

Good bro story. Very nice angle.

Nicely written. And I agree didn’t need a revenge add-on. What I found unsatisfying was no explanation of Ariel’s conduct. Where did she think she was heading with her weekend rendezvous? Also while I can see Marie not telling on her daughter it was unbelievable that she would agree to cover for her.

I like many others assumed (bad word) that the affair was going to be between Ariel and David. What was failed to be mentioned in the epilogue was just how did Ariel's second marriage end, divorce because she caught him, divorce because he found a better honey pot, or divorce because he was emasculated by the husband of his new fuck buddy.

Did Ariel stay in Portland or move back to Vermont and live with her mother? Was Henry afraid if he forgave Marie, he'd have to forgive Ariel? Maybe people with dyslexia have insight into emotions we don't know about, and we should all get a friend with it.

I guess like your name, in the end it is all Just_Words.

Keep writing!

about Maries behaviour...its a cop out. She knew that her married daughter was slutting herself and cuckolding her husband..who was like a son to Marie...

Her behaviour just was not right... could be she did something similar and did not get caught..so allowed the daughter to have her slight diversion from marriage?

in the end they both got what they deserved

5 stars

The best LW story in a long time, nearly perfect. And to think I almost skipped because I misunderstood the meaning of the title and description, thought the best friend was the wife's lover and I hate friends who break the code. This turned out so much better - David was a true and wise friend.

And to those commentators who need a second chapter - why? Ariel lives a life of pain and remorse, knowing what/who she threw away and how she's lost the respect of her mother and brother. Henry eventually marries a wonderful woman because he's a great guy. Enough said.

Thanks again for a well-written tale.

Liked the story but I take exception with two things.

First that Marie had to support her cheating daughter and lie to Henry. None of my kids would even dream of asking their mother or I to lie and cover for them while they cheated on their spouse. They all know that once I straightened them out I'd have a "come to Jesus meeting" with whoever they were cheating with and tell their spouse about the affair.

The second was that "crap sack" felt any kind of remorse or sorrow for breaking up Henry's marriage. People like crap sack enjoy fucking with other people. Essentially they are bullies. Until they experience pain for what they do they will continue on their merry way until they run into someone that's not afraid to bring them pain. Clearly crap sack got off scott free breaking up Henry's marriage and had no problem whatsoever cheating again very early in his marriage to Ariel. Feeling sure nothing would come back on him. A good friend of mine has a saying "Fear is a good thing because sometimes that's all that keeps you alive". Crap sack needs a physical lesson about that.

Great story! Thanks for the read.

Interesting, she stays another week with her douche bag lover and still comes back and expects reconciliation and forgiveness. Talk about some chutzpah.

"The judge ordered counseling" Don't you just love it when the government see fit to stick their nose into your business and you have to get their permission to get divorced and have to jump through burning hoops as well.

At least his done with the entitled cunt and he still has his best friend.

Good story. Too bad we didn't get the lowdown on why she strayed. Friends like David are so rare but, man, they're also so important.

You always write a good story but this was a great one. Thank you. 5*

You spent a great deal of time on Ariel's and Marie's reaction. Both seem to be very, very bothered by what they did, but rather than spending any time trying to come up with "Why", you just brushed off Ariel's side with, as you put it, the old chestnut.

His friend, David, was a good friend, not like in some other stories where the friend cuckolds his buddy. No, David helps his pal to open his eyes to his problem, his wife is cheating. Even though it took several months, David should have came right out and told Henry of his suspicions and NOT HINT at them. This almost reads like a true story but there was no revenge and no reason as to why Ariel cheated. It could have been a better story of JW could have given a more detailed explanation to the 4 "W's"....but we did learn the 'who', but When did it start, Where did it happen, and most importantly WHY? It leaves the reader to guess so maybe we need another chapter to "finish the damn story"... 4/5 for that reason.

A SHAME THINGS TURNED OUT AS THEY DID.

Nice change of pace. No one killed beating up or otherwise destroyed. Great they had no kids. Traveling for a long distance affair, he should have caught it sooner.

Excellent story, JW—a full 5 stars from the Lowcountry. Personally, I think it rates right up there with my all-time favorite, alwayswantedto’s “Rambler” which is no longer available.

My list of favorite, favorite writers is too long to go into here, but you are surely among them. Thanks for providing us with such good reading for free. cd

Ya know, I was gonna give this LW story 3* for the typical wimpy, obtuse, ignorant husband who can't see the plethora of clues. However, the author then wrote that wimpy cucky italic postscript and failed to get the promised revenge on the wife's lover, so I gave the story an extremely rare 1*. LW authors, not the Tramp, are mostly wimps unlike the other categories. I wish real men like FTDS and Winterfrog would write again. JW needs a Manly Mentor.

Usual quality. 5 stars.

Ending stories well is hard...

This is the second STORY that was submitted today that was left unfinished. That is so damned frustrating. I think I need to go back to reading books and give up on this site. You had the perfect opportunity like so many other authors to exploit the wife's character. We never really get to hear her side of the story, we never really learn the why of her slutty ways, and we don't get that satisfaction of learning the pain she suffered when her second marriage fell apart. So this message is for all of the authors out there with the same style....Finish the damn story!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reading this story, brings me back to my childhood. Grew up in Vermont; own mother... turned out to be a cheat... first girlfriend... cheat... maybe it's the state's political environment; just to damn liberal... never going back again.

I think your plot line, character portrayals and interactions were executed perfectly. Thank God you didn't create protagonists who were ex-Navy Seals, and/or black belt karate experts, or anything else over-the-top. I don't see this as unfinished at all. It seemed to me to be a slice of unsensationalized real life thanks to your writing. Cheers

THANK YOU!

Just_Words never fails to deliver. This was another sad, no.happy ending story. Cheating wives, and those who cover for them, deserve nothing but disdain, and worse. You carried me along in your story, and honestly, I kept waiting for the big double heart break telling us that David was having an affair with Ariel. Thanks for not going there, and thinks for a great story where friends stay friends.

-and enjoyable. Thanks. The blurb nicely mislead me about David which was a good twist.

The MC was rather naive but hindsight is easy. Thanks for avoiding the preposterous 'I went and broke both his legs' LW nonsense.

Couldn't help loving Marie 'whaled out loud'. Now that I've got to see!

This was probably one of the most true to life tales of betrayal and consequence on Lit.

As for his not taking revenge on the asshole, I judge that to be also closer to reality than a man with a background as a Navy Seal or a financial genius who could ruin the guy in some spectacular fashion. It is very realistic that by the time he had healed, the love for her & the fury for him had dissipated enough to see that a jail term for assault was a stupid response, not that the asshole didn't deserve it.

Move on, find a good woman & be glad that the exit from her is without kids & while young enough to have a great life with somebody else.

WE SHOULD ALL BE SO LUCKY TO HAVE A FRIEND LIKE DAVE !!!

Beautifully misleading title. Congrats you got me. Right up to the end I kept expecting David to confess to something with her. 5*

One of the better stories I have read in some time. Thank you. I wish I had a friend like that.

I quite enjoyed it.

I also enjoy a good BTB, but this was handled with sensitivity, honor and well-placed pride.

I am glad that you had the friend be a stand-up guy. From the few clues you dangled, I thought it was going to be him for a good while.

It's just nice that you gave his life-long friendship a place of respect. Between the two characters, they've been loyal from the start, and you know that that will never end.

That friendship was more important than the marriage, by a long shot.

Obviously.

Great story!

5

You have a handle on it.

The best revenge is a life lived well.

And the knowledge that those that wronged you are never going to experience or understand that.

Well written and enjoyable.

I very much enjoyed reading this. Not being a big fan of backstory, I must admit to some trepidation when the plot began during Henry's fourth year in grade school. My concern was quickly resolved, however, by the author's sparing use of words as well as the interesting juxtaposition of his friendships with David and Billy. The initial misdirection regarding the evolving relationship between Ariel and David was nicely played. The feeling of guilt that accompanied my realization I had held onto my suspicions about David's true nature for far too long was fairly sobering.

Just_Words clearly has become LW's resident soothsayer on the topic of friendship. This is at least the fourth of his submissions that has nudged me to reflect on the topic as a whole as well as the particulars of my various relationships with those I consider to be friends. That is a lot of value to derive from reading a short story, especially so given what I was charged for the privilege.

Thank you for your generosity, Just_Words. Please keep writing. If you can figure out how to trade in Ariel and Marie for Billy's return, that would be a most excellent sequel.

Really good story and well written. And the fact that the best friend stuck by his side was icing on the cake. Can't wait for more stories from you.

Bullshit on mom covering for Ariel! Any decent mother would not have necessarily outed her daughters affair, but she sure as hell wouldn't cover for her and compromise her own integrity!!!

As has suggested, Dave was a red herring. I expected him to be the villain but he stayed the friend. It was easy to see it coming when Dave stayed home with his friend. Nice twist most writers tend to write linearly so it is nice when there is a little twist.

Well written. A great read.

A really good and well written story and an easy 5 stars. However, like many stories in this genre the meat of the story for the reader is why did she do it? This, I believe, can only be explained when they sit down and talk I'm not saying they should reconcile but from her reaction she is devastated so why did she risk it? If it was me I'd want to know. Despite that you have written a very good story and I look forward to reading more from you.

I enjoyed the story, it was simple not too much drama and not killing the bitch, she burned herself. *****

I am beginning to like this author. You're writing style is simply wonderful. Though I had some angst on the husband for being so naive yet it balanced out with a very loyal, good friend. I gave this a 4-star.

I like your stories. Thank you for sharing.

5***** Karma, how about reverse karma? YOU start with an unhappy mean marriage...does that say that all will sunshine and happiness thereafter? You don't know what you don't know.

Good story 5 star effort thanks for sharing.

Considering the title, I expected David to be the one having sex with Ariel.

Enjoyed this tale. Thank you

The cheating whore got off way to easy. 3 stars for an otherwise good story. If you want 5 stars, earn them.

Could have stood a bit more burning of the bitch, but overall a really great story of love and fidelity told in a completely unique and original way.

then marrying the asshole she cheated with? Did she maintain the relationship with asshole while going to counseling with the dumb shit husband?

There's simply too much distance and shallowness to the marriage to make it plausible for the wife to be gone that long that often and the husband never goes along to visit the woman who is like his second mother?

I get you wanted to setup the plot and the punch line, but it did make the marriage hardly of any substance, nor worth saving.

Still, thanks for the effort.

For all the nay sayers it's called confimation bias. Naive or not we make the facts fit our expectation rather than see them as they truly are. That naivete is usually burned away after discovery of the betrayal. He was young and believed in her. Was he stupid or was he blinded by love. He was both imo, but such is life. Those who say he should have known, only know because they were burned (myself included) by a bitch. Great story JustWords, please keep them coming. 5*

This story was very close to real life. Yes we all like to get the ultimate revenge but in reality, very few of us do, excellent ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Decent story

Weak

About friendship and loyalty that’s constant and right there for the right reasons, unlike misguided loyalty that ends up wrong and damaging all involved. Great stuff that was actually quite heartwarming.

I gave it 5 stars for the writing and the plot. But I was disappointed that you didn't give us a liitle tiny bit of the "why". To me that is important and leaves me hanging and unfulfilled.

Well written story. The adulterous affair was the woman's choice, no coercion, no drugs except those manufactured by the body because of the thrill of new and or illicit sex. Why do woman cheat? They get bored, the feel their man isn't paying enough attention and the worst thing is they don't communicate with husband. Then there's the guy screwing a married woman. A power thing? I'm better than her husband in sack thing? Who knows but that guy has no moral fiber.

There are many rules for life and one of them is you don't mess with another man's wife.

Ah man. I know at the end of the story you said it was finished but this story could and should be extended. I love that the best friend didn't cheat with his wife but rather stood by him. So much potential for a sequel to tie up Henry's life. That being said, I did really like the story.

really liked this one. You tell a good tale no nitpicking here

4 for this story - the ending could have used a bit more work.

'ONCE & DONE' - works for me.

Well written, but you're wrong about not laying a beating on the interloper. Guys like him live just beneath the radar, no values, no respect for anyone else, no integrity, more feral than civilized. They need to learn there's a downside to chasing married women. They need to learn that some men will not shrug it off without handing out a well deserved punishment. They need to learn there's a risk in taking things that don't belong to you.

Good story. 5 stars.

Great and original story. One sloppy problem though. If the divorce went through 9 months after the "fateful" meeting in Portland and Ariel's second marriage lasted less than 2 years how is "almost two years since that fateful day" as the time of epilogue?

I personally dislike your travelogues as well, as they seem to be just fillings without any substance but, that is just me. Great story, indeed. Keep on writing, you are worth reading.

With the advent of cameras EVERYWHERE - even doorbells, getting payback isn't worth taking the chance on going to jail. I enjoyed the story, as written - never understand why people would think that they know the story better than the writer ! Thank you, 5 stars.

somewhere east of Omaha

If you’ve ever been up on assault charges for beating some dudes ass (no matter how much he deserved it) you know it’s ultimately not worth it. Unless you like being locked up. Good story.

In my opinion, that short paragraph where he arrives at his mother in law’s house and has that brief but nuclear intense exchange with Marie was one of the most powerful things I’ve ever read here.

One of the best of the genre…..ever.

5 *****

Great story. You can understand the anguish that Marie was going through. Excellent portrayal of her dilemma. 5 stars.

I’d still like to see retribution on

the cheaters...

While the knuckle dragging crowd boos you, its that whole image based on testosterone crap that daddy taught them thing, this was everything a good story needed. Even the ending, she got what she deserved, it needed nothing more. In fact, the neanderthal ending many wanted would have totally ruined it.

A very good story. I like it a lot. AAAA++++

Damn

Men that chase married women are the low-lifes of the world. Mother fucker destroyed four lives. Why is he still breathing? The cheating cunt actually married him. Like I've said before, there is nothing more stupid than a cheating cunt wife. And she was suprised he cheated on her? All cheaters get what they deserve. HELL.

Five Stars

Pretty unsatisfying. I know you say cheaters make their own suffering, and that's fair enough, but the problem is you didn't show the reader that suffering in the story. Therefore, unsatisfying.

Very good story! I enjoyed it. Nothing overstated or excessive revenge, just a well-told story that could happen to anyone. 5 stars.

I loved it.

Nice one Just_Words

I agree with the author's notes. The revenge is the fantasy of hurt men, cheated on by girlfriends, wives, mothers, and daughters. The reality is that divorces are funerals and the kids suffer the most. How many Boomers have looked down at the coffin of a child, with it only slowly dawning on them that betrayals, divorces, and lies have consequences?