All Comments on 'How Do the Scales Balance?'

by rhetthebrat

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  • 284 Comments
AmbivalenceAmbivalence4 months ago

"But, Tilly, why are you upset," Bob asks her. "You knew that both of us said fidelity wasn't that big of a deal. The women I'm having sex with have *nothing* to do with us."

Tilly can't figure out what shocks her more. That Bob could be having sex with so many women and not think it was an issue or that she had sex with *any* other people, while married to Aaron *knowing* his stance on fidelity, and *not* have thought it mattered.

EmmSeaEmmSea4 months ago
Sensational!

'nuff said...

devtekdevtek4 months ago

The comment of "Ambivalence" is the perfect ending.

CharetteCharette4 months ago

I think the problem is that love and sex with your partner take place in the same "bowl".

So if someone else is romping around in my "bowl" and making it dirty, I don't want to go there anymore.

Quite simple to understand, isn't it?

She may not have taken anything from Aaron, and still love him, but she abused the bowl and for no reason, because as far as I could read her husband always did it for her.

truthandjustice99truthandjustice994 months ago

Sad. No forgiveness No forgetting for evil done a cancer to eat away for the rest of his lfe He may remarry but it will be there to eventually destroy him. She is selfish and stupid but he is a tciking timebomb look out.

AardieAardie4 months ago

She managed to find a willing cuck to remarry. He says a couple of times that he wouldn’t mind her fucking other guys.

statestreetstatestreet4 months ago

For me this story was thought provoking. I noted that when Aaron said he felt things between him and Tilly were no longer in balance she didn't offer for him to have his own "out of marriage" experience(s) to even the scales. I wonder if deep down she realized she wouldn't be able to accept him applying her rules to any interpersonal relationship outside their marriage.

KarnevilKarnevil4 months ago

A highly intelligent woman with the common sense of a bent nail. But to be honest, between them they were both pretty arrogant arseholes, but then again perhaps the overdone descriptions of how clever they were supposed to be caused this.

Should he have forgiven her? Was he right to divorce her? I guess its a matter of personal opinion, to my mind she caused her own downfall by not only repeating the sin, but refusing to acknowledge that she'd done wrong. But one sentence stood out for me: he asked her "do you really believe there won't be any possible exceptions for the rest of your life. That there's absolutely no circumstance where you'd consider having sex with another man?" I believe if you asked anybody, man or woman a question like that, and they said no, they'd be either delusional or a downright liar. And if this guy is basing his future happiness on that he in for a huge disappointment.

Not a bad effort, it got me thinking so it succeeded there, but it was a little repetitive and over indulgent with some of the characterisations.

nestorb30nestorb304 months ago

Very well written and engaging. Thanks for writing

RePhilRePhil4 months ago

Really good story and very well written. You crafted the dumbest most narcissistic bitch of a women I have ever read here in my 19 years on this site. A fan and appreciate you swimming in this piranha infested section time after time

RePhilRePhil4 months ago

Oh BTW great taste in beer!🍺

jasonnhjasonnh4 months ago

A very thoughtful review of how the way people fundamentally view their relationship is critical to the long term success of their relationship.

Tilly believes she has a carve out for "meaningless" sex with other people. She never wavers from that position. In essence, she can't because if she did then her "cheating" would make her a bad person and she doesn't think of herself that way. She regrets the "hurt" that the knowledge of her liaisons has brought Aaron but she could fix that by keeping the knowledge away from him in the future.

Aaron does not believe Tilly's carve out is valid and sees that this is a critical and fundamental flaw in their relationship. He sees and knows that Tilly will not change her belief about this issue and therefore he will always have uncertainty in any relationship with her. Why? Because Tilly doesn't see the need to protect their relationship from extramarital sex. Under the right circumstances she is perfectly comfortable having sex with other men, and always will. Tilly has one foot out the door to a hookup because she doesn't see anything wrong with it. Aaron decides to find a new relationship with a woman who lacks this critical "flaw".

Tilly, meanwhile, finds a man who shares her views on flexible fidelity.

Hopefully they will both be happy.

des911des9114 months ago

That's a really well thought out description of a marriage that fails despite the depth of feeling from both spouses. Very well written, the two perspectives are sympathetically presented, and the reasons for failure become very clear.

Excellent work. Thank you

payenbrantpayenbrant4 months ago

Very well balanced tale! Had a lot of enjoyment reading this. I am glad that the MC was able to move on and unlike other stories similar to this was not vilified for having "old fashioned" beliefs.

What is sad to me is that Tilly seems not to have learned to be honest. She obviously has not told her new husband the reason why she is divorced. Otherwise why would he ask the ex husband? Either way, well written and no one seems to be the villain.

Just a woman who is "exceptional" lol.....in her naivete.

Please continue to write.

Sincerely,

Payenbrant

johntcookseyjohntcooksey4 months ago

I’ve never had much tolerance for moral absolutism in the realms of politics or aesthetics, or especially religion. I can’t say the same though for marital relations. Although the sex act is merely an ordinary facet of animal behavior, its broader impact on the psyches of the affected participants is so potentially damaging that abstention from extracurriculars should be absolute. Enlightened self interest, at the minimum, if I may be so cynical. ‘How Do The Scales Balance?’ eloquently illustrates this position. A poignant and thoroughly emotionally engaging story. Thank you very much.

groaningbumpgroaningbump4 months ago

Very good story. Believable premise, well developed characters and a satisfying ending. You're a very good writer, thanks for sharing. - gb

HarddaysknightHarddaysknight4 months ago

This was well done. There was no forgiveness because no one asked for it, nor did anyone feel they needed or wanted it. The obvious conclusion is that they should not have married with such different views on fidelity. They didn't even agree on what marital fidelity meant. Nice job.

numbnutz49numbnutz494 months ago

This is a gem of a story - no BTB, no revenge, and not a note of malice. It describes a marriage that was delicately balanced and only took one misstep (OK, in her case 4) to remove that balance and expose to the core the true differences between the two people. I could look at that story and realize it describes my own marriage of nearly fifty years. If I'm honest, it's not much of a marriage - we are bad roommates. Aaron was smart in his approach, getting to the core issue - his wife believed in exceptions to every rule.

hankmbb1017hankmbb10174 months ago

Tilly seems to be a closet narcissist. No true feelings of regret for what she did. She never did say those three magical words, “I am sorry.”

jflindersjflinders4 months ago

I have a problem with the rating system on Literotica.com. It is similar to the issue rhetthebrat raises in this story.

To me, 5 meaning "love it" and 4 meaning "like it" means exactly that. It doesn't matter how well or poorly written a story is, the rating system isn't set up for that, it is set up for how well a person enjoys the story. If the site hosts wanted to know how well I thought a story was written they'd use something like "Excellent" for 5 and "Very Good" for 4.

If I was rating this story based on the writing I'd give it an easy 5, but I didn't love it or even particularly like it, so my solution is to not give it a rating.

FillDirtWantedFillDirtWanted4 months ago

As said, well written. It shows the difference of those thinking "it was just sex" and those that don't.

CriosCrios4 months ago

An enjoyably different take on the "the sex doesn't mean anything" arc. Similar to the author's "A Comfort Woman" but much more detailed and emotional. Another 5 star! Agree that the two should never have gotten married but sometimes opposites attract.

MwestohioMwestohio4 months ago

Excellent writing. The one thing I noticed is both MCs speak with the same voice. There should be more difference

kelchakelcha4 months ago

Thanks for a 5* story.

The movie, Arrival, is a favourite of mine. In the movie, the choice was love, even if profound grief must come.

CD1929CD19294 months ago

Awesome read. You nailed it. Once your married casual sex with a different partner other than your spouse is betrayal in the worst sense, As the wife said-it didn't mean anything.

Well than why do it!!! Five stars.

woodwardwoodward4 months ago

Very well done. A very interesting approach to the cheating wife story. 5!

BIGGUY441956BIGGUY4419564 months ago

It was a great storyline. Your Tilly was a borderline sociopathy. Everything you do in life has feeling tied to it, no matter how little or important they are. For her to say that there were no feelings involved was a bold face lie. For her to not see what she was saying to Aaron was a lie, after she said she would lie to him, made no sense unless she was a sociopathy, then it all falls into place. The counselor told her so and explained it she tried to say it wasn't so. Like I said, good story by crazy female character.

Omegaman56Omegaman564 months ago

This is the they think it is ok to a modernin there lives and values. But the problem is they seek out the values of traditional men

Then they wonder why they can’t get a man to marry them

I didnt understand she said she wouldn’t do it again unless save her kids or open marriage I would have no problem if my had to do that to protect kids lives

Maybe I missed something

irinmikeirinmike4 months ago

One of the best stories I have ever read here. The depth of the emotional side of a marriage gone wrong by the author was exceptional. I can only imagine how much work went into the construction of this tale. Bravo!

bruce1971bruce19714 months ago

A really outstanding story, and a significant addition to the site!

/

It's interesting reading the psychological diagnoses in the comments. What's really fascinating about this is the fact that neither of the characters is, actually, mentally ill. They simply have a fundamental, insurmountable disconnect in their worldviews, which Rhettthebrat does a great job of depicting. The "sex as recreation" trope has been well-worn in other stories, but I don't think I've ever seen it done as well. It's also worth noting that--with the glaring exception of lying-by-omission--Tilly hasn't done anything wrong. When asked, she openly admits to the full scope of her affairs. She doesn't offer false apologies. When directly asked, she admits multiple painful truths, even though lies would have served her better.

/

Some well-trodden ground, but Rhett gives it a level of depth and perception that is truly unique. Five well-deserved stars!

Buster2UBuster2U4 months ago

Aaron was Completely and Totally Betrayed by his wife. She might as well have just taken him on stage at the original big gala, Asked for everyone's attention, had Aaron drop his pants, then Sweetly told him that she loved only him, that this won't mean anything, pulled out a straight razor and Castrate him in front of everybody. The results are pretty much the same either way. Aaron is DESTROYED. Aaron is DESTROYED by his wife's indiscretions and her obvious fucking around with other men that all her coworkers knew about. She was a complete whore! 10 Big Blazing Stars for another "NO WIN SCENARIO" like Feb Sucks or Captain Kirk's Kobayashi Maru. The heartache, Lies, and Destruction of Lives and Marriages is so Total and so Complete, how can cheaters NOT see that ahead of time????? I know, I was a cheater once. I was so selfish, so self-centered, that I NEVER thought about the consequences for my wife. The problem is that the REGRET lives forever, while my spouse didn't, so there is NO WAY to ever repair things now or ever. This is Great Writing, a Great Imagination, and Great Story, Great Effort. Aaron loved his wife so much, yet she could be so ignorant to the pain she easily caused him. The man that would do anything for her, couldn't understand she was a whore all along and could NEVER be trusted. He loved her so much, so he NEVER expected the BETRAYAL. Like that straight razor taking his manhood away, his wife's betrayal was so easy for her and he never saw it coming.

Russ43ChandlerRuss43Chandler4 months ago

Masterpiece! I did not want this story to end. It is well written and developed. It captures the emotional turmoil that loss of trust creates. And, emotionally, can never be totally recovered from.

Thank you for this story; a certain 5 star read if there ever was one. It will be in my favorites and I look forward to reading more of your work.

WellplayedsirWellplayedsir4 months ago

I would have the kids DNA checked they affair coincides there birth.

LotusblumeLotusblume4 months ago

You have confirmed and proven that marriage is an invention of the church for certain reasons. If you believe in the concept of marriage, then you should apply it. If you don't, then don't get married. You can't have both at the same time.

TechumsahTechumsah4 months ago

Great story as a finance/economics person I am not sure that I buy the thought process is from her interest or career. Not saying it cant happen but being based on her major/career alone is a little off. It is cause and effect, what will happen is not finite but there are always consequence regardless of how predictable or absolute any event is. It seems weird that she never asked for real forgiveness.....so even though she pined for him at least a year she could not do the one thing she needed to do to solve the problem? Fantastic story. Some things are just not meant to be.

UnassignedUnassigned4 months ago

My main issue with you as an author is that you don't write enough . . .

.

This was a great story. What I don't get is how Tilly, as smart as she is, never figured out that she needed to acknowledge to Aaron that what she did was wrong per se (and how to ensure that it wouldn't happen again) rather than just because it hurt him. Perhaps it's because she couldn't lie to him, and wasn't willing to even to save her marriage.

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Also . . . Willem Dafoe wasn't in Pulp Fiction . . . </nitpick>

phill1cphill1c4 months ago

this was a wonderful story with developed characters. What is, of course, unrealistic, is the notion that Tilly could believe that after pledging physical and emotional fidelity, she could have sex with others whenever the desire arose. i don't know of anyone, smart or dumb, who could feel it's ok to go against their word.

And, please, the notion that extra-marital sex does not harm the marriage is total bullshit. She knows that. She never acknowledged it. So, she's a dishonest slut. A person not worthy of commitment because she can't offer the same.

demanderdemander4 months ago

This is a great story. But so sad. I'm not sure about the Tilly character. As written she seemed...obtuse in her inability to fully understand her husband. It's problematic whether any real person like that exists. Maybe, though. She's not a classic narcissist. She's worse. Anyway, clearly she would have screwed around again whenever she felt like dong it. As long as she thought he'd never know. No way for him to stay. D

BrentJWBrentJW4 months ago

So well written I couldn’t identify any plot holes. Any way you look at it, Tilly is a devious, entitled, bitch who never shared her true feelings about fidelity and tried to keep it from Aaron. It’s not a surprise that her company was willing to overlook her character because she was their rainmaker. I always wonder in situations like this where there is shared custody, how the dad deals with the mom nurturing those same attitudes to their daughters. Kudos to Retthebrat on a skillful story. Easy 5*

BrentJWBrentJW4 months ago

It would have been interesting to know if she would have been good with Aaron having some meaningless sex of his own, thereby making it an open marriage. Based on her attitudes it would have certainly been ,yes. Right?

McDingelMcDingel4 months ago

Very well written.

husker506husker5064 months ago

Great story and I really enjoyed the amount of detail you put into the describing the stressfulness of the events.

someoneothersomeoneother4 months ago

Tilly was a social scientist and good at it. Yet, upon discovery of her cheating, she did almost nothing that a good therapist would say were the first things that any cheater needs to do to accomplish reconciliation. The first of which is to accept one's own failings and responsibility, and then express remorse. Instead wife just repeated positions that any person, much less a professional, would know were non-starters. Author essentially left Air with no choice but to divorce. In short, not well-written.

Regguy69Regguy694 months ago

Obviously, it was a conversation they should have had before they got married. Intellectually, I fully understand those who easily divide sex and love. I think most of us did that while we were dating. I did not love, or even have a commitment to every girl with whom I had casual sex. When married, sex becomes part of a deep commitment to the spouse. It is not the same as playing tennis with a friend, it means something, or at least I think it should. Thanks for sharing this well-written look at that dynamic, RTB.

AstordatairAstordatair4 months ago

I wonder what part of Aaron's devastation is due to Tilly actually having sex with other men, and what part is due to the humiliation that came with the realization that possibly a lot of people at her office knew about the story. He felt he lost face, and losong face is one of the top destroyer of a person's self-esteem. I really enjoyed this story. The character development is suberb. 5 stars!

miket0422miket04224 months ago

Well conceived and written story.

Tilly:s inability to see anything wrong with what she did, much less apologize for her actions was so frustrating that it made me want to scream.

While love is definitely blind it is puzzling that someone as logical as Aaron never had a clue that their values were so diametrically opposed.

GarySmith69GarySmith694 months ago

Well done. There are people who believe extra marital sex is just sex. They believe it does not intrude or interfere with their marriage. People who cheat on thier partners often say the sex did not mean anything. But if the other partner does not see it the same way then ultimately the marriage should end. And in this story I am 100% behind the husband. He made the right choice. And the writer allowed the husband to love well and happily. So well done writer.

Intrigued_byeIntrigued_bye4 months ago

Nice story that captures the depths of the differences in emotions and points of view between two people. Especially captured in " Doubt in a partner is insidious. It poisons every moment, adding stress instead of taking it away." Kudos!

MormonJackMormonJack4 months ago

Loved the story, 5 stars. Thank you. I have a hard time believing that Tilly didn't think she violated her vows, but maybe it didn't include "forsaking all others." Well done!

AnonymousAnonymous4 months ago

Willem Dafoe was NOT in Pulp Fiction. Evidently, he was considered for the Christopher Walken role that, obviously, went to Christopher Walken.

AnonymousAnonymous4 months ago

Willem Dafoe…. Pulp Fiction? Tim Roth perhaps!! Decent story.

TC Ireland

Harryin VAHarryin VA4 months ago

This was almost a five-star story but the ending was a problem. Given the wifes egregious and awful actions and her shallow superficial view of marriage and that the husband took all the pain and the wife never even got around to actually apologizing for what she did.... it made no sense at all for the main character to NOT tell his ex-wife's new husband what she did. That really ruined the story.

.

I That being said, there's a lot of good in the story. Thecl authors development of the wife and thusband and how they view the world is extremely well done and quite realistic. It may be one of the better displays of realistic married relationships that I've seen in the past several years here in a loving wife category.

.

**** KEY POINT ***** Yes, there's no doubt that the wife's view about marriage and commitment is completely incompatible with what her husband believes and thinks.

.

But in the story the main character goes back to the beginning of the marriage and the wife openly admits that she had agreed to the one and done principle. It wasn't one and done with exceptions whenever the wife wanted to have an exception. And the husband never pushed on this..

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The wife may have a different view of marriage but if she agreed at the beginning of marriage to one and done, then there's no way to justify fucking 4 men in the space of only a few years. That is NOT one and done..

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Many will focuse in the fact that the wife never apologizinh. And while that's bad, it covers up a bigger issue and a bigger problem. On page one when the wife realizes that jer entire marriage is about to become a disaster she says that she knows her husband so well that he will never accept her view of marriage and the occasional one night stand that she wants to have.

.

But she does it anyway.

.

That's the killing point ......she knew her husband had a fundamentally different value and perspective about marriage and she knew her husband would never accept her ideas and she did it anyway. Her husband's values were not important to her. They didn't matter.

.

And that's why the marriage failed. Her claims about loving her husband as the most important person in her life is a complete lie because she never considered his reaction and his feelings to be important enough not to cheat

AnonymousAnonymous4 months ago

Tilly found her submissive cuck. Good for her.

AnonymousAnonymous4 months ago

Tilly is a slut.

AnonymousAnonymous4 months ago

Interesting story, but I don’t think that Willem Defoe was in pulp fiction.

servant111servant1114 months ago

Excellent exploration of commitment.

5 stars

AnonymousAnonymous4 months ago

Very funny, Ambivalence. I should have thought of that, myself. I would like to see how “flexible” Tilly would be after finding out Bob got carried away, celebrating while out with a client, one night. She might be okay with it. Or she might very well start questioning why her husband would need to cheat on her when she knows he thinks that “she’s the whole package.” Beautiful women are used to being in charge and men accepting their bullshit excuses for their bad behavior, just because they are so beautiful, and their partners fear ever be able to find someone like that, again. It seems to me you especially need a prenuptial agreement, when marrying a beautiful woman.

AnonymousAnonymous4 months ago

***** Well written. Good for Aaron, choosing to protect himself, after Tilly had crossed an important boundary. I don’t know what kinds of vows people are taking when they get married, these days, but I think probably too many people do so without discussing exclusivity and what it means them. To Tilly, it meant, “I won’t cheat as long as you’re available. Obviously, if I’m out of town, you aren’t, ergo, it’s okay to use anyone else I like to scratch my itch.”

AnonymousAnonymous4 months ago

Tilly just could never understand how fidelity was so very important to him. While he put them first, she put herself first.

AnonymousAnonymous4 months ago

This was all over the place.

SunnyU2SunnyU24 months ago
You write

Predictable. Try writing a happy ending for once

AnonymousAnonymous4 months ago

A delusional cheater, who can degrade and humiliate her husband and feels NO guilt! Not a person I want to read about for any reason.

deependerdeepender4 months ago

The simplicity of Tilly's responses provides a measure of clarity to the whole situation: the one presented here and others in many other stories. The author's ability to stay on the trail merits high marks.

.

It strikes me that Aaron might well have balanced the scales in a way that got through to Tilly if he mirrored her behavior by giving the family's savings away to homeless moms passing through town. His responses to her could be EXACTLY the same as her's to him only with money replacing the sex. As an Econ major, it seems that it would get under her skin in a way that nothing else might.

Corny1974Corny19744 months ago

Excellent and exceptionally sad story.

Aaron did the right thing. Bob will get all he deserves.

Arcuate_FasciculusArcuate_Fasciculus4 months ago

Nice storycrafting, character voice and development. Not sure about "Pulp Fiction," though. No Willem Dafoe to be found there.

AnonymousAnonymous4 months ago

Pretty much a ripoff of Cagivagurl's "Confessions."

TonyGWTonyGW4 months ago

I enjoyed it, but the characters were just not up to your usual standard.

Your emotional gut punches weren't there.

I understand the point you were making but the dialogue and character interplay just didn't support it.

Also, Willem Dafoe wasn't in "Pulp Fiction".

HmmtwodogsHmmtwodogs4 months ago

Really good story and well written. You captured two characters and built the story of marriage and failure from two perspectives. Well done

LT56linebackerLT56linebacker4 months ago

Very good story. But the ending... You've got to fix the ending. 4.5 stars, and the stupid, narcissistic bitch doesn't understand she was wrong. Sorry, don't buy it. Please, more. Maybe a part two.

The BEAR

Darkie10Darkie104 months ago

Much respect for Aaron. He dealt with the entire situation with dignity, courage and conviction.

AnonymousAnonymous4 months ago

Personally, I HATE stories where cheaters prosper.

AnonymousAnonymous4 months ago

Very realistic. I know how he thinks, been there but didn't divorce for a lot of reasons. Still, never been the same.

JasonDuncanJasonDuncan4 months ago

I hope Bob cheats on Tilly. Flexible morals, right?

PowersworderPowersworder4 months ago

"how could you let Tilly get away?"

"That's easy, Bob. My ex-wife is a slut that fucks random guys bareback. I have enough self-respect not to stay married to a whore, and the last thing I needed was her to get knocked up with a bastard."

-

This was a good story, but it's unfortunate that the husband was so passive and weak, especially when confronting her. Women often fail to understand that physical infidelity matters more to men than anything, on an instinctual level. When a wife is intimate with another man, it's a monumental betrayal. Her still being "in love" with her husband didn't mean shit if she was spreading her legs for other men.

It's a shame he couldn't make her understand that.

AnonymousAnonymous4 months ago

Tilly abused her personality to justify cheating. I have that exact same personality. I see all the exceptions and possibilities. But she willingly broke a promise. It doesn't matter if she decided to rewrite a definition. The consented definition is what matters when the contract was signed. She knew that. She just wanted to have sex for fun. It wasn't a stranded island or drugs. She didn't choose an exception, she choose a mundane and standard reason to cheat, because she could. And when confronted, she kept hiding behind her personality and lies. She deserved to be dumped. All she had to do was met the man she claims to love more than life itself halfway, and she refused. So much for seeing possibilities. She couldn't even see it from his pov. Garbage human. Her personality isn't a good enough reason.

AnonymousAnonymous4 months ago

Growing up, I was always told that opposute attracts, that I should look for and choose a partner that complimented me instead of one who was like me. Now, on the other side of my own failed relationship, I wish I had been told the truth; opposites attract, but with anything in common, there's nothing to hold you together when things go wrong. I will always love my ex, she is the most amazing person I've ever met, and probably one of my beat friends, but the simple truth is we just don't see the world the same way. There's nothing wrong with that, but sadly it meant there wasn't enough in common to hold us together when our love was tested and put in doubt.

This story is so familiar it could almost be the story of my life, except we didnt have kids and I wasnt her husband, but her wife, but as painful as it was reading it, I cant help loving it. It's wonderfully written, and even more importantly, it takes a long hard look at the uncomfortable truth that many choose to ignore until it too late. 5*

AngelRiderAngelRider4 months ago

I can believe Tilly as a real person but I can't fathom her being married to someone that long, have two children, and not understand what would happen should she cheat on that someone and get caught.

While well written, her characterization makes it difficult to suspend disbelief.

Old_TimerOld_Timer4 months ago

A very good story. I think the relationship of the MC's is pretty close to real life

5 stars

AnonymousAnonymous4 months ago

The best story I've read at this site for a while. She's at fault, but then she isn't, her nature being not in sync with his. I can't help wonder what would have happened to their lives if she and Randy had been more careful so nobody else had an inkling of their sexual liaison!

Five stars!

Mac_LapuMac_Lapu4 months ago

Writer @rhetthebrat made very good points on mostly how different men and women thought process are. Yes I do seem to believe that no matter how compatible your relationship are in many areas but when it comes to love, trust, loyalty AND money the couple should be one in accord with these aformentioned areas and if in one is in disconnect - the marriage will slowly crumble.

/

Tilly thought that Aaron should have been more flexible and open minded -- about being a cuckold?? Tilly knew she couldn't promised to not cheat again, and then managed to stay celibate during the divorce process. Stupid woman.

/

Thanks @rhetthebrat.

For the nice well written tale.

AnonymousAnonymous4 months ago

She was nothing but a slut. Plain and simple. If the story went any farther and Bob had a chance to really know her. She did not love him either. Self centered slut.

AnonymousAnonymous4 months ago

Great story, realistic. Emotional. Tilly was pretty self-centered to say the least, probably on the narcissist spectrum. Never once acknowledging that her slutting around was bad, and worse, never acknowledging Aaron's point being valid. Whether she thinks she's righteous or not, his beliefs are ignored, and by definition, denigrated. Very realistic portrayal . 5*

AnonymousAnonymous4 months ago

Well written but from the first time Tilly said it was meaningless sex and all throughout, the unwritten screaming reply is "meaningless sex with a married man or woman simply makes them a free whore".

AnonymousAnonymous4 months ago

A good life for the whore wife ? No far from the usual unrealistic RAAC tales. Good start, good development but a really bad ending.

MsVanilla69MsVanilla694 months ago

For something that meant nothing for 1 person , it sure meant a lot to another , maybe if it was 1 time , but she did it multiple times with 2 men , lol its ok it was just sex ,,,,,,,,,,,, not

ReadyOneReadyOne4 months ago

I don't prefer that you repeat the same thing from each POV, especially when it's the same.

.

You told us how he looked, then with similar words, you told us how he looked again. Their eyes observed the same, their brains interpreted the vision the same, and I was bored with the redundncy.

AnonymousAnonymous4 months ago

Very good story. Thanks for charing.

R_GazinyaR_Gazinya4 months ago

If the author was trying to elicit emotion from the reader, they succeeded. The conversation with Bob, pissed me off. How many times was Aaron supposed to fight for the woman that viewed cheating like taking a jog? Once a year? Once a month? Once a day? Besides, he didn’t throw her away. She did that.

Still five, well written and nice flow.

AnonymousAnonymous4 months ago

I saw jflinders comment on the Comments page, where he disagrees with the love/like etc. stars rating system. While I get his point, I have to disagree. I have problem rating on the stars system, love it / like it while at the same time addressing the inherent weaknesses and strength, of each tale. I do it all the time. The quality of writing is one reason I like or love it, or see it as Average.

What I don't get are the commenters who award 4.7 or 3.2 stars. How do they do that when ratings are a discreet five choices? I will say four stars, pushing five ( or three) but the award is four stars. period.

I haven't read this story yet, but may do it today.

JPB

SexecutionerSexecutioner4 months ago

Though written well if not a bit wordy and repetitive. It still holds too many clichés that's been beat to death.

Betrayal = soul mate

It didn't mean anything

AP gets destroyed in his divorce but wife gets off scot free, no atonement or penance

The husband obviously is beta, to the point of self destruction in his behavior.

Nothing special here...

AnonymousAnonymous4 months ago

Man, was that good! On so many levels!

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Tilly was, essentially, a sociopath. Her inability to understand Aaron’s values…while at the same time NEVER even considering…much less trying to understand…why her fucking around while married was WRONG….bespoke an individual completely unable to empathize with anyone.

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Was surprised he didn’t counter with “so if I just fucked a babe now and then it’s OK?” She would have instantly said, given her sociopathic personality, “Sure! As long as it’s just sex!”. Of course, Aaron would never want to do that —- but her likely agreement to such a scenario would have reinforced the warped values that Aaron had figured out.

.

This author is just one of the best currently contributing to Lit and LW.

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5 *****

nixroxnixrox4 months ago

5 stars - Yes, this is a well written story.

I had to stop and think about what was missing, or causing me to wonder - WHY did this divorce happen?

To me - the emotional love, respect, honor is every bit as important as the physical.

That is the point in this story where her cavalier attitude towards her infidelity fell flat on the floor.

The crazy SLUT did not seem to grasp the concept of the word monogamous.

Aside from the potential for an STD, what about her ethics?

She had none, and she really did not respect her marriage vows.

There is no way she could justify her infidelity, because she did not really LOVE or RESPECT her husband.

After more than a half century with the same woman - I know the difference between lust and love. With true love - no one would EVER be able to breach any aspect of the love, respect, honor and TRUST you feel for your spouse under any possible circumstance - because you would rather die than lose any part of that monogamous relationship.

offkilter123offkilter1234 months ago

Women really are a different sort of animal. Over the course of a two hour conversation a woman can establish the sort of deep emotional connection that will allow her to leave her marriage and family with no second thoughts. Conversely, if she does not have the emotional bond with another person, she will give herself permission to engage in a strictly sexual affair with little to no second thoughts. Women really are complicated.

Well done.

AnonymousAnonymous4 months ago

Stories like these make me sick, look it's pretty simple you know how he feels about it thats the reason you kept it hidden. Typical cheater the sex didnt mean anything then why do it. Then not to care that the people you work with know you made your husband a cuck and not care, she said no big deal she was more worried about the ramifications from her boss then her husband being made fun of and ridiculed. The new hubby will find out what a cunt she is when she cheats on him and it will be even easier then because he isnt tall or short fat or thin just almost average so she will definately screw him over too.

CelestialFalconCelestialFalcon4 months ago

On the first page, Tilly says:

"Oh, no," she whispered, quietly horrified, as I turned and walked away.

“But I knew Aaron wouldn't see things the same way.”

==> So she knows before she ever committed the act, that Aaron will not accept the extramarital sex.

On the second page, Tilly says:

“But it meant nothing to me. I want you to see that it just doesn't matter, to me or to us”

==> So if the extramarital sex means nothing, and she’s aware that Aaron won’t accept it, then why engage in it?

On the first page, Tilly says:

“I wouldn't allow lies between us. Lies fester and infect any intimate relationship.”

==> Tilly was aware that Aaron would not accept the sexual infidelity, yet withheld from Aaron that she was engaging in it. That’s deliberately lying by omission. So, she’s guilty of, in her words, “infecting” their relationship with a "festering lie". This is not an innocent mistake (“Oh, it simply slipped my mind to inform you”); no, it was a deliberate betrayal.

Fuzzy85Fuzzy854 months ago

Gave this one 5-stars, the only thing I felt was missing was Tilly's assessment of how she felt her husband would react if he found out. Like gambling you should not bet anything you are not willing to lose. Also, If the story were longer or had a follow on, what her reaction would be if Bob put her in Aaron's role. Thanks for the read.

AnonymousAnonymous4 months ago

Not particularly a bad story. Just boring and stale at best. She is a huge narcissist. She obviously doesn't believe in fidelity or monogamy. She believes can say all the vows but only practice the ones she wants. And she completely got away with it. Even found a cuck to date. This story just fell flat. No ups or downs. Just flat.

AnonymousAnonymous4 months ago

Willem Dafoe.. was not in Pulp fiction.. maybe you are thinking of Christopher Walken?

Other than that.. great story.

Best of all.. it had no mention of February!

AnonymousAnonymous4 months ago

Meh!

SDWargamerSDWargamer4 months ago

I think this is one of few stories that goes beyond, it was meaningless sex. @rhetthenbrat did a great job of going beyond the same arguments, and gave a good fleshing out of the personalities of the characters. In most of the similar stories, we fully get Aaron's side and thinking. Very few do good at fleshing out the Tills.

In the though, they were no longer compatible

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