All Comments on 'Helper'

She just leaves him for 3 years... Comes back and all is forgiven? That just feels wrong!

I gave it 5* but when i try to picture Terry the image of a door mat pops into my head.

I have to tell you, as I neared the end I was thinking this was a 3.5 story. Then I got to the epilogue that put it all together so brilliantly. Awesome story. Feel really bad for Gwen. She’s the supernatural equivalent of a workaholic who misses out on love because they work too hard. (Anon 1/25 seems to have missed the point.)

It appears that you left one hell of a large elephant in the room.

I knew this was going to have a strange punch line, but I wasn't expecting the supernatural. It all tiled together quite well at the end and was worthy of a 4* rating or even higher, but I realized that I wasn't supposed to like the couple in question - Lacey and Terry weren't people - they were pawns in the little game that Gwen and her father played. Even Gwen didn't know the full extent of the game and I ended up feeling badly for her. Papa Cupid misused Lacey and Terry, but probably hurt Lacey more, although she wasn't as aware of what happened. I like many of the stories because of what you can learn of how some people (the authors of these tales) think of people and what they're capable of. The significant players here weren't even people at all so there was nothing to learn. Nice try anyway.

Overcritical gave you a 4*. I’m amazed since he usually hates supernatural themes.

A couple of my own comments: I had great trouble generating much sympathy for Terry. Yes, he was dealt a rotten hand but I wanted him just to ‘grow a pair’ at times. He should have sent Gwen packing way sooner than he did, for example. And the unbelievable fact that he didn’t recognize Lacey was only made worse by her not recognizing his voice.

I don't browse/surf LitRot by category, waiting expectantly at the swillpipe for new stories. Too much shit comes out of it. I found this site from a random link to a story. I liked it; so I clicked on suggested stories. I still do this. If I find something noteworthy, unique, or even outstanding; I'll check out more of the author's stories. This story was a suggested link.

The "bookends' on this story place it squarely in Sci-Fi and Fantasy or NonHuman. If you expect to impress me with modern day Greco-Roman gods meddling in the lives of mortals; write it with an animated giant iron statue of Talos the Titan. Without said bookends it's just a lousy romance.

Some of the harshest criticism of LW stories is directed at RAAC. Even worse are enigmas. There is no resolution if the big question remains WHY.

Terry has a wonderful Valentine's night with his wife of 25 years. The next morning she goes walkabout and divorces him w/o explanation. No calls, letters, or texts. Reminds me of the Lonestar song "No News". "I'd prefer a bad excuse to... no news." Sorry, but my love would die before a year was gone. If I were 25 and my own mother divorced my Dad and left me no knowledge of where she was and no way to contact her, I would stop taking her calls after a year.

Terry embarks on his Sad Sack tour. His sister Rose gave him good advice: don't expect perfection/true love right off the bat. Loosen up and have fun. He acts more like lovesick teen than a mature, successful businessman. He joins the adventure club and makes a few friends. Seems to me that such an unsure guy would ask these friends about Stella. They would have quickly informed him that he would be HAD (humped and dumped).

One night stands aren't all as grim as a girl in the darkest corner of the darkest dive bar at 200 AM who says, "You're cute, wanna fuck?" I never sought one night stands, but some just turned out that way. If a woman won't go out with you again, just shrug it off. You had fun (you had SEX) and if you're as insecure as Terry; you boosted your confidence in your communication skills.

Then along comes Gwen. What a piece of work she was. Beautiful, rich, and brilliant enough to talk rings around Terry, keeping him always off balance. I'll claim credit as the first commenter to correctly peg her from her business card as a procuress, a fancy word for female pimp. Professional Liaison? Puh-lease. Is he cautious? Hell no; he falls for her like the aforementioned lovesick teen. After she meets his criteria of 3 dates; he gets glorious sex. Ten he gets a "Dear John" text. My response would be fuck her and block her number. But nooooo. He pines away until she sets him up, bribing him with a few more fucks, as a relationship/love counselor; a position he was totally unqualified for.

Then we come full circle back to Lacey. He's all in with rebuilding trust. My BS limit was exceeded when after weeks "just sleeping together he was still wearing full length flannel PJs. PUUUUUUUKE!!!

Then she reveals she's wearing the black and red nightie, the last thing she wore before trashing his life.

RAAAAAALPH! BUUUUUUICK! STUUUUUUDEBAKER! [Side note on cars. Few concept show cars are running vehicles. Give more details on the one-off Mercury or it's made up.]

The fool is going to marry her again. NFW. I'd fuck her but hell would freeze over before I did so without getting answers as to WHY?

i enjoyed it a lot. very fun read. thank you for your craft.

Gave a 4 star rating. Because of the last page of details, I almost gave a 1 rating. To F--- around with a couples' marriage sucks bigtime. So pick a better topic for your next story. Otherwise the story did rate a 4 star.

Maybe it's just me, but I would be unable to take back someone that destroyed three years of my life. Terry was a decent protagonist, reasonably sympathetic, and the ending events make you feel like he got his life ripped apart for nothing.

Whereas it was a good read, the hole left in the storyline is to much to ignor, and what was Lacey doing for the 3 years while she was out trying to find herself, did she remain alone in her quest of finding herself or did she pick up a lover of two along the way. It seems that Terry was so blinded by love he didn't question Lacey about this issue. Then the whole cupid thing intervening to bring them back together. I always love a well-deserved reconciliation with a happy ending but with reconciliation ignoring on Lacey just up divorcing him and leaving for 3 years and leaving him devasted I think that the author really did the story an injustice by not elaborating on what she was doing during her missing 3 years. Just saying. 5 stars for the writing.

3 years!!!!! NO, just NO! I can’t decide to give it 5 stars or 1. Saying we’ll forget about it is just such a huge cop out. It really made me angry and wishing I hadn’t wasted my time.

Outstanding! Very enjoyable. Thank you.

Well, I need to just read one of your stories a week instead of spending so much time jumping from one story to another as soon as I have finished one. Next week must await for the next of your stories. 5

What predictable crap!! And just went on and on!! I'm done with this author. Others may enjoy his style but not me! 1*.

So many people can't get past the 3 year breakup, Hello, it was caused by the intervention of a God. If you know anything of Greek/Roman mythology, they did a whole lot worse for even less reason. I think Gwen discovered her father was the reason for Terry and Lacey splitting since she could come up with no other plausible solution. When she started to fall for Terry, I think Gwen realized her father was willing to sacrifice true love, something that was in direct conflict with her very being, for her. In the noblest of all deeds, she placed the needs of her 'clients' ahead of her own and repaired the damage her father caused. Things always get messy when the Gods dabble in the affairs of Man. I'm just happy to see a positive outcome for once.

Author's Note: Thanks to all of the recent commenters (including those who didn't like the story). Thanks in particular to bleeep, who interpreted the story pretty much as I intended when I wrote it. Gwen's a smart cookie and she takes her duty far more seriously than her own happiness. Thanks, too, to the anonymous "Car Guy," who messaged privately, figuring out that the prototype "Mercury" may not have been from the actual car company. Yes, if pressed, Gwen might have even revealed the designer/builder's name was "Hef" Vulcani. ;-)

Im glad I read a few of the comments before writing my own, because Rancher46 put his finger exactly on the spot that was bothering me, too.

So we, the readers, get to now that an ancient god drove a wedge between Terry and Lacey, BUT Terry doesn't know that. So he'd still ask what she was missing and looking for. And who made the proposal to not speak about their eventual romantic encounters while being apart? If it was Lacey's idea, my guess would have to be, to put it blantly, she fucked a whole african tribe to find herself. SC wrote it himself, they'd have to rebuild trust, and given the circumstances, it was primarily Lacey's task to earn Terry's trust back. How so without telling what happened after the divorce? She now confesses her love, but she did exactly the same the day she was leaving him, so this plea falls way short, given their history it doen't mean a thing in regards of staying together from now on.

I liked reading the story very much, mind you, but the way it ended was a let down for me. Cupid's plans could have been successful, with Terry and Gwen living happily ever after, instead of Terry and Lacey getting back together, just because they are still in love. Again, that wasn't good enough three years earlier and can not be reason enough for multiple-times-burned Terry to take her back. Keep in mind he's a fiftysomething year old guy and not a teenager and he does not know that some supernatural entity was playing games.

Fortunately, the ex-wife was postmenopausal otherwise she would have returned with a black baby.

Sorry, the story didn't work for me.

Manipulation by the gods was a very good concept, but you described your main character as a very pathetic guy, without stature, without real interest.

Unlike the characters of Greek mythology who revolt against the destiny decided by the gods, your MC only suffers events and never takes his destiny into his own hands, and only complains.

I also didn't understand the lack of explanation about their time apart during the divorce. This raises a very big doubt about the attitude, the behavior and especially the affirmation of the absolute love that the ex-wife declares as raised by many comments.

Tarry is a pathetic asshole character and his interactions with all the women post the divorce is pathetic, desperate and lacking in balls!!

Loved your other stories but this one not at all. All he needed to be complete was a ring through his nose so they could lead him safely without any trouble. Apparently they didn’t need one since he was so obedient without it. Usually when a story starts with a break up, like this one, I skip to the end to see if there’s reconciliation ( which usually means the man falls in line with whatever she wants). At that point I move to another story. Unfortunately, I didn’t do that on this one. LM