All Comments on 'How High a Price: Another View'

This one was very good. I'm on to Joesephus's ending (?) which picks up this one ended.

Just because you like being a cuckold doesn't mean that Early does.

But this is the one that always sticks in my mind as the real ending. As much as I love Joesephus's writing, I found his ending seriously stretching credulity.

Of course, would that we could all have our wits about us as Early does, when facing such horrific news. I don't think of him as an earlier poster called him, a "hard ass"; he knew that he could not remain married to her, so he did what he had to do before collapsing. We all behave differently under stress. Just because we're taking care of business on the outside doesn't mean we're not falling apart on the inside.

Fucking cheaters were caught red-handed and will lose everything. Excellent.

Fuck 'em

I do not know who this man is.

He SHARES the name with Early, but the only connections between E.Z.'s character and Troubador's is that they are both carbon based life forms, who both (sort of) male and share a name and have similarly named spouses.

Yes, I am being a bit wry, but this guy in this story...how is he ANYTHING like the Early in the original work? Troubadour's Early was thoughtful, easily hurt, slow to anger, careful and, from the very beginning, hell bent on reconciliation. "Two full size beds".

THIS guy could have been a stand in from a JPB fable since he hits all the marks from a JPB (btb) formula: Cancelling accounts, hiring detectives, wiring phones, suing, punching, viciously verbally confronting and has the love turn off in an instant. The only thing missing is he isn't named Bob or Frank.

But we really LIKE that formula...

That was not the man Troubadour wrote. That man stated (and I paraphrase) "I love you now just as much as I did last Sunday, but I don't know if I can trust you." E.Z. Early is punching out people. TEarly was passively aggressively leaving dirty dishes and rearranging furniture.

Taken as it is, instead of a sequel, it works just fine.

**

Everyone else has said it before, so I will just reiterate what someone else said when calling shenanigans on Troubadour daring to take umbrage at the conclusions the readers have jumped through: You Troubadour, do NOT show us a dead body with three bullet holes in the chest, have a person standing OVER that body with a smoking gun and the CUT THE SCENE SHORT without any additional clues or exculpatory evidence, and the natter at the readership for 'jumping to conclusions' when it was YOU who painted the picture in the first place.

Bad form. "Well...the lights were off and no one saw Susan" Want to know what fits into those facts? Her rescuing orphans in Somalia and leaving her car there to fly her invisible jet to fucking Africa. Want to know the more likely scenario? She was fucking Stickner!

Someone who actually read the story and proceeded to a reasonable and believeable conclusion.

“he couldn't imagine a man letting a cheating wife back into his bed or his life.” – IF he was going to be even CONSIDERING taking her back, she would have to be honest with him, but instead she has been blatantly lying to him.

He covered himself very well, but what about a little revenge on the pair. I'm sure the law firm would have something to say about these two. A betrayal of this type needs a response of the same magnitude. Seems like the story just petered out at the end.

Thanks for the offering.

Good story but lousy ending.

Lucky to be me in this place. Still like the story and the resolution. Early is a man who works at achieving resolutions. He is trained and by experience to be calm and sedate. He forces himself to think and weigh the options for resolution. That means he is ready for anything that might happen and since he is so good at it he is intuitive in his dealing with others. That means he don't lose his shit while it's still hot. Get a grip, some of you people. He is a man of action and he takes action. Evidently his wife is a fucking lawyer. Oh, wait, she is. So she's arrogant and narcissistic and all that goes with it. And she's fucking another lawyer so the synergy here has to go off the arrogance scale into the Twilight Zone. He is not a cuckold and will not be a cuckold. If that is single minded and unchanging then so be it. He is not obligated to piss himself over what she is doing and he doesn't have to eat shit just because some of you would. Unless he is just a flat out troll, and he couldn't be and do what he does, he will have companionship and he will find someone who is decent and not a lawyer this time. So, that's why I love a happy ending and these light hearted tales of misdirection and bull shit detection. Hooty-hoo

I still want to see an ending. I think I will read the one from Josephus. That having been said, I don't think I would have been able to keep my cool like that or at the very very least I wouldn't have stopped at one punch.

However, maybe y'all can help me. I read an alternate ending where Susan was going for the partnership, but she had to sleep with all the major partners to get it and her female mentor from the firm helped talk her into it. However I cannot find that version hard as I try. Does anyone have the link for that and could you email it to me? I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks again,

Seeker110771@yahoo.com

to the many alternative endings

takes up where this one ends and actually offers a reasonable conclusion.

https://www.literotica.com/s/how-high-a-price-another-view-m

by Joesephus

He handled the situation pretty much perfectly.

I don't care about the revenge. I don't care about the aftermath. I don't care about how his life became "excellent" after his divorce.

I just care that he got the cleanest break possible from that cheating slut under the circumstances.

One thing struck me as odd though. What was that other lawyer's motivation for getting in the first punch? Anger? Guilt? At what? Being named in a lawsuit? What else did he expect?

This was one of the best or best response to How high a price.

It was alright but just don't get the cold,, calculating response! Rage would have been the emotion! I see him finding out where they were having dinner and walks in on them just as they are kissing and surprises the hell out of them. He pulls out the PI's pics and throws them on the table making sure they both see them! Stickner begins to rise, cursing Early loudly! Early reaches into his belt and pulls out his 357 and shoots Stickner right between the eyes! Susan screams in hysteria! Early just sits down beside her and places the gun on the table and says to her, "just remember you caused all this!" They wait for the police to arrive!

Very good. .....Very sad

I stumbled upon the How High a Price stories, and am enjoying most alternate endings. Since, after reading the original, I am going down the list I had to skip to this one so another would make sense.

I really enjoyed your twist on the story. You stayed true to the original premise, but added your own flair. Well done and well written.

DoW

Although that's after reading this . There are some great versions and some shitty ones as well .

If anyone else likes these stories , there's also a great version by Daghda Jim over on SOL . For whatever reason , he never posted on Lit .

If anyone likes Cheating & Consequences storylines , you should look him and another author called A.A. Nemo up . They're both really good writers , who as far as I can tell , never posted on Lit .

would have liked to see her get some serious hurt...

This version was probably the best of all the versions of this story. It read as it should have happened in the real world. This was a divorce going to happen where other stories were not believable stories unless he was a wimp.

Most of the alternatives are too long and too wimpy on his wife.

Sad that only one reconciliation version seemed plausible, but with this kind of betrayal, that is probably about proper. OldBearSwitch

You need Premier Membership to read Daghda Jim's stories.

I'm no expert on process serving, but I wouldn't think that a photo by his PI would work. That would only show that he gave her some papers, no proof that they were the divorce papers.

In the comments The Troubador goes on and on about how he wanted other writers to show Susan did not cheat, that her having cheated was not in the story.

This is the authors page description of the original story by The Troubador:

No sex. A husband discovers his wife's infidelity

How do you parse infidelity to not mean cheat?

Liked the ending . As previously commented, would have liked to wife's / husban's interaction after the revelation to be more than just fainting, but my desires do not take away from the author's take which I enjoyed as is.

There has been reference earlier to a site "SOL". What does the abbreviation stand for? Anyone?

This version is all about Early, the aggrieved husband, and lacks the depth of the version that has the wife giving it up because of her sympathy for the "lonely older man who lost his wife". That piece of the puzzle was missing here. On the other hand it is a weak and tired excuse to fuck up your marriage.

Her position as the struggling junior lawyer seeking partnership was an important part of previous versions. At least the reader would have been able to experience the her abject superficiality and the sheer stupidity, crassness, and duplicity of her titillating sex romps thinly disguised as healing for her senior citizen boss. It might also make you want to strangle the bitch.

She definitely enjoyed "treating" the boss with her ample charms. Most of the versions seem to give that indication. There is all of her lingerie and the hot tubbing, etc. She is basically a whore plain and simple and a rather sneaky little cheater-bitch at that.

Hers was a quid pro quo sexfest by any other name. Just add some crotchless panties, a hot tub, anal sex and zero respect for her husband and she is a disaster waiting to happen. Fuck'er.

This played out like a smash-and-grab operation to get hubby out of a humiliating marriage but it ended too quickly. That shouldn't be misconstrued. An excellent case was made to GTFO of a situation that was essentially soul-murder for a man with any self-respect. It's just that one would have appreciated, perhaps, a boiling frog demise for both her and her prick lover...or possibly something a little more heated :))

By the way, no one takes Troubs little psych game explanation very seriously - this reader certainly doesn't. It is a chintzy little bit of poorly proffered sophistry. And frankly, it is disrespectful to his readers.

This addition to the story is also unfinished.

I enjoyed it more this time than last. I’m going through all the sequels to this wonderful story and getting immense pleasure from all the different angles being pursued. All were not up to your effort and I, like a few others, would love to read more of the rest of the story.

Thanks to you and to the Troubador for this great experience.

I like your take on this story, but I have to agree doesn’t seem finished!

So good I wish there was more. *****

Better than the original and the sequel, but I just don't get you authors that see their protagonist ALWAYS getting sick and throwing up, head spinning, etc. I see guys that would be filled with rage! Hurt, yes, but rage beyond belief!

There needs to be more. Some writers write like they are being paid by the word.

Divorce paperwork? Check.

New financial arrangements? Check.

Video of assault? Check.

To do:

Discuss with lawyer civil suit for assault.

Discuss with lawyer suit against their employers.

I think this is the third or fourth alternative ending to The Troubadour's story and this is about the best yet.

Very good, but a little short. Would have liked to see the confrontation with Susan, but I guess it wasn't needed in this one. Early didn't need excuses and didn't wait for.one. Glad he got a shot at Stickner though.

Totally agree with Anon of 9/12/18. YTF is it that every guy who finds out about his wife cheating pukes? Ended rather abruptly leaving questions about the aftermath and collateral damage. O well..

Much better than Troubadors.

Great story and well written but I would Iike to have heard what she had to say. She - at least for the time being- didn't want to be found out and didn't want a divorce. What was she thinking? Was it just a fling, had it been going for a while, was it her first? Lots to hear about, maybe another chapter from her perspective and a conclusion with them talking and her begging for forgiveness or agreeing that their relationship had run its course?

Here's hoping

The vomit trope was annoying, but at least he acted and left the cunt, with Stickner getting at least small comeuppance. More consequences for the Bitch and the Bastard would have improved the story

Photos of the assault to the press, social media etc.

Lawyer to act against their firm, police to charge with assault.

Then use the match!

Police can tell you "Don't leave the county without clearing it with me.", but you are under no obligation to do so unless you have been arrested. And, frankly, it's a cheap bit of fiction that leaves me pissed off (at the police). They simply don't have the authority.

Justice!!!

or an epilogue. 5*s

One of the better sequels. I like this Early, but he only hit Stickner once.

Almost too bad the camera was in play so he couldn't finish the job. Nice, short, to the point, this Early had a plan. Sargeant, am I under arrest? No, then fuck you. Joesephus wrote a sequel to this sequel so it's time to find out what happened next. Signed: BTW

Congratulations on your ending. Early grew a backbone since Troubador's story ended. I'm reading the several concluding stories in date order. You chose not to give the marriage any chance of salvation, and did it swiftly. The 'trust' issue is definitely the game changer. I note Susan has no voice in your sequel unlike the other writers. Your conclusion is acceptable and I gave you four ****s.

thank you for making Early a man for a change

Loved it

So much better than the original... no offence meant Troubador! I loved this decisive "Early" Some time you just need to get the job done.. and this would be the way to do it.... every time! 5***** Thank You

4 stars

Only drawback where suit against Strickland alien of affection

And firm

Much better than the original. I personally like to see more retribution in BTB stories but it was your story to tell. I also enjoyed the way you finished it.

gamblnluck

Over the last half dozen years I have read a number of the sequel attempts to the original. But I had never read the comments of the Troub on his story until seeing them on the first page of the comments to this one. He must have been smoking something all those years ago.

He writes: "The original story was written without giving any actual evidence against Susan." Wrong. His story provides lots and lots of evidence of infidelity. Evidence which could be used in court. Indeed, if Susan and Early had a prenup that required proof of infidelity, Troub's original story gives it to Early. The law of evidence treats silence in the face of an accusation that any normal innocent person would deny as an admission. This type of accusation is right up there at the top as an example. Early repeatedly accuses her of cheating. And she never denies it. This is the kind of accusation that any wife would hotly deny if she were innocent. Most especially a wife who is a lawyer! And note, this wasn't a short conversation. It goes on and on for quite a while. Lots of pauses giving her many opportunities for her to get her stuff together and set hubby straight about what really happened -- if she's innocent. And she didn't. Troub really does write her as a pathetic character. Try to read that story again with her being truly innocent. Sorry, you can't. If innocent, she's a worthless incompetent putting a lie to the notion that she's intelligent or capable of being a lawyer.

In addition, it can well be argued that the actual dialogue that Troub provides could be read as Susan making a more explicit admission than mere silence. Early repeatedly accuses her and she repeatedly responds by saying things like "it was something she had to do." "It didn't mean anything." The antecedent for the pronoun "it" is understood by EVERYONE to be Early saying she had sex with John. When she uses "it" her usage clearly conveys to everyone that she is referring to sex. Sex is what she is saying doesn't mean anything. With all her responses, she is admitting to the sex.

So either way, as written by Troub in the original story, Susan has admitted her infidelity under the rules of evidence.

And every time I reread it I like it more. The original is one of those few stories that seem to spawn a number of excellent sequels. Good job.

Wheres the rest. Ending is incomplete

another incomplete work but worthy of much more.

Reading again prior to reading Josephus follow on for the first time. I like the way this one ends, but it needs more.

good one but unfinished

Nice

I love re-reading these BTB tales. He didn't need a confrontation with the cunt and he broke the asshole's face. That's great in my book.

It was very good, but ended too abruptly and incomplete.

Also his attitude with the cop was off, but then again, so was the cop.

Conclusion needs expansion

Excellent story, enjoyed it very much, the only problem for me is that it ended too soon- what does the future hold for Susan? What does the future hold for Early . What happens to John? Another page would be icing on the cake.

Well done with one minus only. "John Stickner" had no reason to attack "Early", that does not make sense. I know you wanted to dish some punishment to that character and that is OK but as a writer you need to work that punishment out so that it makes sense. The rest is OK for BTB, solid and short.

dark2donut2, he attacked Early because Early invaded the privacy with the pictures

Good addition; needs more fleshing out...

Excellent interpretation of the story. I can see Stickner striking Early, 1 he felt entitled to the affair, 2 Early had ruined his planned showing off his conquest in fairly anonymous public, 3 his night of lust and morning sex before Susan went home thoroughly fucked was over, 4 being named in a divorce suit was demeaning to him, 5 his lover was upset and 6 he wasn’t aware of the witness recording the event. As for the shortness of the piece, we already know what happened in the 3 main characters' future, Early was already coping with the grief and looking for eventual positives, Susan would lose her home and, unless she settled for a continuing relationship with John, she would would be a shop-soiled divorcee and alone, John probably wasn’t interested in marrying a slut and, as a divorce respondent, his days as subtle seducer were limited, he would probably lose his status when the lies on his accusation of assault came to light, and he would be stuck with the medical bills needed to restore his apparently good looks.

No bad but not much of an ending

A good read but it ended far too abruptly with no dawning understanding for Susan of the shit storm about to be unleashed on her and no pathetic attempts on her part to justify or explain her actions. Also, can someone find a cure for the puking bug currently sweeping through Loving Wives? First we are told that Susan's betrayal has killed Early's love for her then he pukes at the sight of the first circumstantial evidence of it. Can't have it both ways and I'd rather the puking be dispensed with as it is so unlikely and adds nothing to the story.

A sad, but well-deserved end to a true love story.

Ed

No vote. Didn't understand wife so emotional that she passed out yet having had sex every way. And after being called by husband.

Mindset?!

Well written, but no stars. Confrontation was lacking - it is the most important part of the story. The climax. You glossed over it/skipped it

I think this was a step up from the original story and added some much needed retribution and feelings to the situation, but again this stiry completely feels unfinished an no real penalty for the wife. Not a finished story.

My only issue is that it is at least 4 1/2 hours from Victoria to Seattle … if you catch the ferry at the right time.

What was the slut's punishment? She lost a husband she doesn't give a shit about! An incomplete antiseptic version of the story. 2 stars for a weak try.

What I do not understand is why he waited, like in the original story, to confront his wife. Had it been mw I would have been jumping up and down from when I phoned her temp admin. Had that not worked as soon as my wife called and said she was at home, I would have called her out. At that point nothing may have happened, but there would have been trust issues. Not being proactive caused the cascade failure in the first place. That said, I think the original author wanted to draw things out but it is totally illogical for a husband to wait that long knowing his wife is lying from the start.

I'm only marking this 2 stars. Early was too calm in his actions against his wife. There should've been more of a confrontation with her. There was no attempted explanation from Susan. Nor was the short continuation on what happened at any trials & police action(s). This was needed.

-- Though it's still a bit better than the original, as described above, it's missing too much. Bob

Dumb. Intervene early

I read it again and every time I like it more. I understand Early.

Start good then he fell apart.

Shit happens deal with it

i mostly wanted more

This is by far one of the better sequels to this story...

3 Stars, but really was a 5 star story, only brought down by the fact that there was really NO BTB.

Eine sehr gut Fortsetzung, aber auch mal wieder keine Ende. Somit auch keine Bewertung.

This is one of the better ones I've read, but I wish there was more to it. The opening salvo was good, but you know that wouldn't be the end of it. I can't really yell FTDS too loudly, since you got farther than the original author, but I will at least say FTDS at a normal volume.

Read 4 so far, this is the 2nd best of them.

Thanks for sharing.

This is the first alternate that ended with the correct result. Well done.

Hey, that was good, the emotion was just right, we all want something different from a story [just like in life] so no writer will ever be all things to all readers. Four and a half stars but thanks to the marking system four gold ones.

I would've liked your interpretation on the divorce & other proceedings, but that's secondary. Well written, thought out story, length was good without a bunch of BS. Def one of the better stories, not only for the addition to the original, but overall. 4 stars Bob

This was going so well but I suppose the author got tired and decided to leave the ending to readers. I hate that. All the ending needed was a wind up. No charges against him. Stickner fired for abusing his position and a final meeting with his wife where she pleads and apologises to no avail. She doesn't get her partnership and is advised she will never get it so perhaps look for other employment. It wouldn't take much to wind it all up.

1 star - not only did you include unnecessary violence, you forgot to finish the story.

I can’t post more than one star for an unfinished story.

This version of HHAP portrays the cuckolded husband's thoughts and feelings quite well. The reader can empathize with Early's reactions and responses as each new revaluation about the depth of Sudan's betrayal comes to light. This version of the story suffers, however, from the fact it offers us no insight into Susan's thoughts and feelings. Early is only half of couple now immersed in crisis. Although it seems highly doubtful she could alter Early's position, Susan should be given an opportunity to explain herself.

Excellent descriptions. The contrast of what he knew would happen eventually, and his horrible feelings in the moment, are very well written.

Story is going great and then falls off a cliff. Not finished.

nixrox5 months ago

1 star - not only did you include unnecessary violence, you forgot to finish the story."""""" ???? Unnecessary Violence?? AYSM? ' I agree it was way too short and dialog should have been added between them, etc. but it may get a better rewrite, later? Hope so.

I like this more every time I read it.

Excellent piece of writing. Not one unnecessary word. Utterly complete in itself. Five bright stars.

The story wasn't complete as it's not written during & after the divorce & what happened with Snicker's lawsuit, if any. And that's part of the problem. Nothing's written to what happened afterwards, all of which leads this as an incomplete story. Dialogue at the house during/ after the divorce serving was only 1 line; just not at all believable. Though story was written well, what's missing leads to the 2 stars I gve it. Unfortunately; could've been much more. Bob

Man up?!!!

Broken but not bowed?

Sense?

Real man gets his whipping and then goes on with life