All Comments on 'I'm Not Dead Yet'

Belivable twist at the end, too much damage done, they had drifted too far apart. Thanks.

Been there done this or at least pretty close to your story. Different ending though my Sandy caught the train. Best thing we ever did(so far)

Too big an ego to make it work? He was only interested in himself, a real egotist. Guys like this don't know what life is all about, It's about caring for our wives and letting our love build no matter what happens along the way. Shit Happens to everyone!

Loved the ending. She wasn't interested enough in him or the marriage to change, why should he go back to the same crappy situation that lead to so much unhappyness? What responsabilities could she have? Kids in their mid 20's, no job, what could there be? Life's to short to waste on that shit.

Almost as if it were a real life chronicle. Well written and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the work. Thanks very much.......Rich

The ending was ridiculous. She went from "I only dance with my husband" to I want a divorce? Pathetic. You could have done better.

And your main character stayed true to form. He was a lousy father and a lousy husband only changing his health habits when his life depended on it and then only the habits that pertained to him. He was too busy working to help raise the kids (evidenced by how they turned out) and when he decided that this was the course the rest of his life was going to take he didn't discuss it with his wife he just told her how it was going to be and gave her an ultimative. When she reminded him of their responsibilities, pretty much like she tried to get him to stay healthy to exercise and lose weight, he said the hell with you and left. Now maybe if he would have told his wife about owning half the company she would have seen it from his perspective. Well written story but I didn't care for your main character. It was his way or the highway and since he was the man of the house he needed no explaination or justification. I know too many people like that. The dad's never around and contributes nothing to raising the children. Then complains about the way they turned out. He's a good provider but if he would have been a good father he wouldn't have had to support his kids into their late twenties. Yes, I know many like him. Obviously, you did a great job of painting Steve's character. He fits the description of most of the fathers whose kids I work with. Right down to giving them money when ever they wanted it because that was easier than trying to teach them to be responsible. While people like myself have to teach them the skills and character traits needed to keep them out of jail and to be responsible adults and be productive people in society. Your last two sentences were priceless, "Are you ever going to grow up?" "God, I hope not." Talk about abandoning your family. Keep up the good work. Try fiction next time. This one was a little too real:) Look forward to reading more of your stories.

Sandy was really a self centered bitch wasnt she.

What planet do these people live on. The wife in this story is a self centered egotistical bitch. The kids are right out of pay me the money and people are blaming the husband? I agree spoiled kids come from poor parenting, and the mother in this story was as absent or more absent from the family than the husband, and it was the husbands fault? He was trying to put his foot down. The wife as she described in the story had given up on the marriage long before the husband. She even was having an affair behind his back. YOu dont have to have intercourse to have and affair. He got fat she cut him off. She was fat with the babies and didnt he say he never cut her off. The wife publically humiliated her husband at the dance. She spent dances with a man, let him feel her ass on the dance floor in public view, then was kissing him in a public place. Ary real reason for a man cut off with a cold wife seeing that leaving her ass there instead of a loud verbal confrontation? He assumed the cabin was used by her for her love affairs so the fuel in the fire got greater. Then she was gone when he had the heart attack and he had no explanation for her absence. When they finally got back together she wanted everything her way. Same house, with bad memories, same everything inspite of his being hurt emotionally by those things. She chose to keep on going on and to divorce he didnt. It wasnt his fault it was her uncompromising attitude. He had a rebirth and wanted to enjoy what was given to him as a second chance. The wife wanted to wade in her own cesspool, so be it. The one thing he didnt do that I would have done is dunk Ken for his trickery in trying to bring them back together.

Guy was having a mid-life crisis.

In all the actions at the end. She may have been a lousy wife for awhile, just as he was a lousy husband to her. She at least wanted to try. He was not willing to meet her half way or even quarter way. Relationship come from both sides. Point of view (POV) is still a real problem with this author.

I know I shouldn't, but if a story is well written with no mistakes and perfect grammar but the actual STORY doesn't appeal to me I vote accordingly. Now this story was well written and a good read. My take on the wife is that she did cheat on her husband with RICK she wasn't there when he needed her. So why should he care what she wanted? why care that two ungrateful kids didn't really want to talk to him. When the husband lost the weight and met up again with the wife. It was obvious the love they had was no longer there. The wife wanted to take six months to think about starting a new life somewhere? Sorry I side with the husband, okay so he was a little selfcentred but then so was the wife. She didn't have to jerk off Rick and allow him to finger fuck her, which in anyone's book is CHEATING. So the husband moved on, the ex-wife probably did as well, WITH Rick who was just waiting in the wings. Well done writer you are writing some good stories. Keep them coming.

Good story as usual.

However, I have one issue. Obviously, they both have problems ... what marriage doesn't. When they met and she made the comment, "I'm sorry. I only dance slow songs with my husband," you demonstrated her commitment and love for her husband.

Then, you turn it around by removing that commitment and love. You reversed everything she had decided to do to convince him of her love. Instead,she chooses anguish, pain and lose of her husband to remain in the house and divorced.

I really couldn't see the credibility.

Who cares if the husband and wife are depicted as self-centered egotists? Character depiction and development are integral to the story. The writing is excellent.

This a very well written story. It isn't about who is right or who is wrong. It is about making decisions.( right or wrong)

Keep writing and I hope to see another story like this one.Great job

Great story, good read, great ending. I was ready to score the story very low for content, until the ending brought it home with a bang.

I mean, who cares?

The ending IS too short. Steve & Sandy seemed to be reconnecting at the end of the story. <b> For Sandy to suddenly mentioned that her dumb idea about... <i> "we'll talk about it again in six months"</i>... was really weak. Given all that they been through a statement like this from Sandy really need to be explored and developed in the story.</b>

<br></br>

That being said this is without a doubt this is this offers best story. EVER. Both of the characters are seriously flawed and in different ways and the story develops in a manner which is very consistent... something which has been woefully lacking in this author's previous stories.

<br></br>

Let's be clear. Sandy did cheat with Rick. Emotional cheating. The fact that Steve had gained a lot of weight and had turned fat / for most obese and was unable to get the job done in a home in the bedroom... doesn't justify Sandy looking for love and affection from someplace else. Sure she is human and she is needs... but that doesn't justify it.

<br></br>

Steve was a very good provider and the fact that he may not have been a very involved father because he was consumed by his work / providing for his family should not be viewed as a character flaw. In their marriage Steve was the provider while Sandy was the nurturing stay at home parent.

<br></br>

On the other hand <b>his weight gain and more importantly his refusal to do anything about it WAS a character flaw. </b> He should have been able to figure out before the marriage crisis and the heart attack that someone that fat and obese... is not going to be very attractive especially to a spouse who is still slim and good looking.

<br></br>

This speaks directly to Steve's own self-absorption which is every bit as bad as Sandy's. Some people look at the heart attack and a change in Steve has been pretty pathetic since it took a near death experience for him to change but on the other hand a lot of people don't change even after a near death experience. They continue to eat bad food or smoke or drink. So Steve does get some credit for turning things around.

<br></br>

Lastly I notice that some readers focus more heavily on the husband's faults and his inability to be a decent parent because the kids turn out to be a bunch of grown up assholes looking for a handout from dad. And because of this ...it means the Steve was a failure as a parent / father. Other readers point to the Sandy the wife/mom who was staying at home most of the time. At because the husband worked and she was not involved in the children's lives... the grown-up kids turn out the way they did.

<br></br>

The problem here is that too many it readers think it's an either or situation. It isnt. Unless one is in a deeply traditional marriage the work loads of BOTH parents the attitude of Both parents affect the kids in deep complex ways.

Please get your facts straight when writing. NO Harley weighs 1200 lbs. Even an Ultra Classic only weighs 785 lbs.

The author's writing shows some imagination and originality and the story flowed fairly smoothly. There were only one or two spots where we went from first person to third person and back again so the author is listening to the readers and making more effort on that score as well. I think both partners made mistakes but (maybe because I'm a guy) I side more with the husband on this one. The wife was cheating because she was pissed and she disrespected her husband; it's obvious by her verbal attacks, her emails, and her lying about Rick. A father can be there for his kids as much as possible but somehow, most of the imprinting comes from the mother. Maybe it's the birthing, the nursing, or whatever but it's true. The courts recognize this, most cultures recognize this, and in this story, I recognize it -- Mom was more the failure than was Dad in terms of the way the children turned out. Just my opinion. Thanks for writing.

As usual Harry has a pretty good feeling for most stories. Where are the cucks that like to bash Harry, oh I hear them coming.

This story has a husband and wife who are both strong characters. The husband, at least after he did the right things and got his lifestyle and priorities straight. You can't say that Sandy did not help her husband when he was recovering from his heart attack plus his triple coronary bypass surgery given that he would not see her at that time. It is hard to make a case that she cheated on her husband while he was out of shape and sick; however, Sandy really did nothing constructive to help him change his lifestyle and did not try hard enough to reenter his life after the heart attack and heart surgery. It is very difficult to say that one or the other was the more responsible for the state of the martial relationship at that point. Then came a surprise ending which I fail to totally understand. He seems to believe that he's found the fountain of youth and will have excellent health forever with a younger gal. I don't think that would work out well though. True, he's turned his life around, straightening his lifestyle and changing his priorities. But he is no young man and because of his heart surgery he needs to control all aspects of his life. His coronary arteries are damaged with no doubt at least a moderate state of arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis, and he could get a second heart attack even with his good control of his body and mind. He should try to stay with Sandy, strength their marriage, and become a part of the lives of his kids and their families. This is my take on this excellent story. RAG

<p>Harry took my points because I was in bed sick (^_^)</p>

<p>But honestly everything I was going to comment he already said so I'll forgo that</p>

<p>But I'll say this too I thought it was a happy ending because the wife did cheat. Just fooling around giving out handjobs is still cheating (^_^). And the husband was too hard nosed, but I liked the story to a degree to, and I noticed that you kept the points of view so I really liked that >=)</p>

-Risq

the same question as some previous commentors. How do you go from "I only dance with my husband" after all that time apart to sorry Sandy missed the train? He finally decides to put his foot down when his "kids" are in their 20's? Didn't seem too involved in their upbringing, left it up to self centered Sandy and look what happened. Seemed very easy for him to walk away from everything to go get what he felt was due him, guess near death will do that to you. Thanks for the entertainment.

Author - one of your better efforts and without a doubt, "Harry" nailed the analysis of this story perfectly. Well done Harry and kudos to the author for his creativity and willingness to post this story. Personally, we would like to see Slirpuff get back to writing decent revenge stories that feature both male & female characters getting what is due after the counter parts mess up badly.

This is one of your best stories ever because you show the complexity of human nature. Both Sandy and Sandy were at fault regarding the demise of their marriage but that is OK because they were no longer a couple. Steve had followed the traditional husband work overacheiver model and let himself go when both doctor and wife told him that he was in bad shape. Sandy had followed the traditional wife as stay at home mom. Things change - kids left and wife became dissatified with husband sexually. She cheats on husband and the stress of everything causes Steve to have a heart attack. It is clear that Sandy had given up on the marriage months before the heart attack and she was in the process of at least getting a lover. Steve gets his life together during rehab and decides the direction forward. You have this last attempt effort by Son John to get them together which clarifies the situation. Sandy did not want the same life as Steve. I do agree that there could have been more dialogue regarding Sandy's reasons for not to go with Steve since it was aburpt for the reader. It would have been nice to give Sandy's prespective on her decision. Overall, it was a happy ending because both Steve and Sandy pursued the life they wanted to live.

You have improved <b>tremendously<b/> a your stories are getting better & better & very interesting.<p>I agree that both Harry & Risq have said it all so nothing left for analysing.<p/><p><i>

Well, congrats & keep up the good work<i/><p/>

The story deserves the highest praise. Both of the central figures have big character defects, but there are no nasty people here. Sandy wants to get back together but does not know how because she has what she had before as her ideal... Which says that she is not worried about love or if her husband is happy. She wants a life as an important person.

She does not even understand what her body wants which led her to Rick.. I found the Analysis of Selstim and of Harry very interesting but I do not feel that I agree with them in detail. Basically Sandy wanted him to come home and try the old life for six monthes before taking a decision and he was unwilling to yield an inch on a compromise. This says to me that they are better off divorced. Thanks Slirpuff for your hard work.

.

when I see a serious story with serious effort I always return the effort witha good serious review.

<br></br>

Good story slirpuff

I appreciated Harry's thoughts as well. As a fan, friend, and occasional "writer" in the category, I can certainly understand how it's hard to make yourself develop all aspects of a story and of the characters as well as they should be developed. It's also VERY hard to come up with anything original, which the author has, for the most part, done here.

i thind it needs a chapter 2. i like to see what happens to his ex wife.

that I have read. Excellent plot line, characters, and a strong sense of reality made this story well worth reading. The ending was sad, but also hopeful. I liked it.

I don't usually comment on stories that I have rated fairly low. but whoever she was she must have really hurt you. Through all of your stories I have read, you have the same thread. She is either cheating or doesn't care for the husband because she doesn't drop her pants for him whenevr he demands it. This husband cares only about his job, contributes nothing toward raising his family (except the money it costs hims) and all he wants is to be satisfied when he wants it and in general is one of the most unfeeling sons of bitches that you could find. Then he gives out ultimatums. I wonder if Carol will be around when he is recovering from his next heart attack

with Rick in the back seat & she was willing to again the night of the auction. If the house meant more to her than her husband then she really is shallow & not worth spending the effort to try & bring her around.

it look's like you are getting the hang of it....... ok!

Like the way things were put together. Both got what they wanted She got her Social Life. He got his Second Chance.

Wow, It took a heart attack for him to realize his relationship with his wife and kids are going up in smoke??? Are you kidding me? He should have dumped the stupid selfish bitch and his freeloading kids much earlier, and he wouldn't be suffering from a heart attack and nearly ending up dead.

Yes I know that Steven was a fat lard, but that's no excuse for her to cheat on him.

As soon as the kids (and I use the term kids loosely, more like immature brats) turned 18, he should have put his foot down then for as soon as they are 18 (or 21 in some places in the US) The parents aren't legally responsible for their upbringing. Morally maybe but not legally

And as for the selfish bitch wife who had her ass grabbed on the dance floor. He should have divorced her immediately, as I would consider that at a minimum a breach of trust. No trust = no marriage. Yet the hubby wimps out (yes folks he is a wimp) and even after his near death experience considers getting back with the selfish bitch, thanks to being set up by his idiot son John, who is a cheater himself (Like Mother Like Son).

But does the stupid bitch take advantage of her 2nd chance to stay with hubby, hell no, she is selfish to the end. Instead of moving into the smaller house, she insists that they stay in the house of horrors that brought so many bad memories for him and nearly killed him.

I'm surprised Harry wasn't as harsh in his comments as I thought he would be regarding Steven I nearly always agree with him on what he says (not with his personal attacks) but I think the only problem is that he didn't take charge of his life sooner, and he may have had a woman who really loved him.

Too bad for Sandy. I would rather have had the more obvious result of your story with the wife and the husband reconciling. But I understand that you wanted a new twist to your story. You set it up well with the heart attacks and the husband losing all the weight. He supposedly decided he wanted a new lifestyle and to hell with his loving wife's wants and needs even though he enabled them to have that lifestyle all along. I don't think I like your male character much, as he thinks only of himself. Yet, I do understand that this is just a story, and that there are many, many, many, selfish and self-centered people in the world. I think you kinda ruined a greater story though. One that you had working until the end. I too lost eighty pounds just before I retired so that I could enjoy my last years. Of course, I wanted to spend them with the love of my life and still do...

Guy starts off overweight and overworking, complaining about the lack of sex, talk about having your head up your ass. Jumps to conclusions without checking, goes through a heart attack. pushes his family away all the way through, then when he finally starts looking after himself, kicks his wife to the curb, not because of her transgressions, but because she won't throw alll her life in the dumpster to fit in with his denial of his physical condition. He still has his head up his ass, dangerously so. As far as the cardiac goes, been there done that, yours is totally unrealistic

sandy's attitude and actions spoke for themselves. each contributed to the issues, but a certain degree of unforgiving from sandy. He saw the real sandy? She went back in love with him, I don't think so. Carol(ing) is a good thing, any time of the year

The husband was pretty stupid for not losing the weight in the first place. His heart attack was as much his fault as it was her fault. Sometimes it's just heightened emotions on both party's sides that make difficult conversations that turn into arguments. He shouldn't have really pushed his wife away, and she should have been more sensitive. However, his wife was probably going through menopause and sex is a strange thing at that stage in life apparently - some go crazy for sex, while others find a drop in their libido or find it very uncomfortable to the point of painful.

He should have taken her to sex therapy or something. I think they could have worked through it if he didn't give her an ultimatum for her to decide right there and then. A week to decide would have given enough time to think things through and possibly consult someone for professional advice on the matter.

Finding another woman is a 'chancey' thing so it's good that he's happy, but he really did owe it to his wife to take some more time out - he had changed so sex should have been better, and he could have had a better chance of getting through to her; it just needed some more time, though certainly not on the order of months.

He should have given his old relationship a chance to revive rather than demanding that it should, because if he took his marriage vows seriously enough that she should not cheat, then he should have at least stuck in there when he found out she was not cheating but didn't find much enthusiasm in having sex on demand.

She lets a man swap spit with her and finger fuck her. And, that's not cheating??? She's a slut and once a cheat always a cheat. Get real. Dump the bitch, cut your losses, and move on. Dumb founded so many readers want to justify her actions.

I didn't mean to put it all down on the husband but from his perspective he did not know that she was cheating apart from that kiss and touching up on the dance floor. Yes, that would have serious consequences but I'm not sure many people would divorce over that. Personally I would if I felt it was requited as it is dishonorable to a spouse. That said, he should have known he was overweight and less attractive for it. He went far enough to lose all that weight and then go back to his wife (who would be there if he had proof she was cheating, as he said!), it is surprising he'd leave her despite her (seemingly - from his perspective) faithfulness. However, I can understand that he didn't want to get back to the old rut he was in with her. He would regain weight and lose his self-respect. You have to realise that as a reader you can't always make the same choices as the character because more often than not as a reader you know the bigger picture while the character does not. Finally, I'm glad he found his happiness anyway. All's well that ends well ... and if his ex-wife isn't happy, she made her choice not to be!

How much happier for every one if he had just dropped dead. Preferably before having any children. Truly a waist of space. Pun intended.

she is making out with and jacking off guys in the back seat of a car, getting finger-fucked, sounds like cheating to me. "If you wouldn't do it with your spouse right there watching then don't do it." Pretty simple really.

Old folks story.

Will everyone else please stop commenting on MY story. LOL

Jacking another man off, being finger fucked by another man..this isn't cheating! Bitch wife (now ex-wife) needed to have a number done on her..also on the brat kids. Payback in spades should of happened.

Sounds like she packed it in when he packed on the pounds. Sure was nice of her to welcome him back 80 pounds later.

The song and her disposition on their marriage!

Why would anyone want to fuck him?

Sandy is better off without that loser.

(Checks out vows)

Richer...poorer

Sickness...Health

Better...worse.

Nope. There's nothing in there about thinner and fatter. So, exactly how many pounds voids the wedding vows? Or is it a percentage gain? Does that mean there is a stay in execution when a woman porks up during a pregnancy?

On the inverse side, if my wife loses her womanly curves flattening out in all the wrong places so it's like nailing a board when we have sex, do I also get a buy on the marriage vows?

If Sandy got into a disfiguring accident, where it's hard to look in her face, would that void his marriage vows because she no longer turns him on?

You haven't proven you are an idiot, but the preponderance of the evidence points that way.

(My first comment) First I read this story when I was a begginer revenge story fan 1+0.5 years ago. The story is a good example the ending of a marriage. The 2 main characters tell us both are the responsible for the decline of the marriage. However I think the responsible is not equal 2/3 at the wife and 1/3 at the husband so the Romantic Revenge is suitable against the wife and MORE CRUEL OR MODERN FIGARO TYPE REVENGE ARE OVER THE TOP AGAINST THE WIFE. For less revenge story experts the second chance lady after divorce is the ROMANTIC REVENGE, because we male people are the olders generaly (statistic figures) in the marriage and we died earlier and the divorced wife will find second chance more difficult........................this sociological fact............

@ angiquesophie You wrote a comment at FrancisMacomber's story "Divide and Conquer". THIS STORY IS THE EXACT ANSWER FOR YOUR IDEA FROM YOUR COMMENT. (This is my second comment)

Not a fan of your ending on this one. This guy really ended up being a selfish prick. He was primarily responsible for letting his marriage get to the state it did and yet he did not want to give her time to try and adjust to a new lifestyle.

Hopefully she found someone better, perhaps Rick. Maybe when it comes out that he is really part owner in the business, she can sue him for her share. I am not surprised that their kids took her side.

I've never experienced ONE who ever admitted to being wrong about anything.

Then you surprised me with a sensible ending.

It such a shame that women make loving int a weapon.

Way to go..

They had a second chance. Not many get that. After years of problems with input from lots of people over that time they were giving a second chance. He wanted her with him and she wanted to be with only on her terms. At the end she got what she wanted and he got what he wanted. She got her house and kids along with freedom to do what she wanted. He got to enjoy his life and a woman who wanted to do it with him. They both got what they wanted, just not with each other. I guess she screwed up and lost him. He on the other hand got on and enjoyed his life! Good story and enjoyable. Write some more.

Sometimes you just have to let go of the past and the things that with it. People are the important things in life not things! She should have let go of the things and gone with him! She didn't and lost the most important thing. Him! Now she has the house, kids and all of that. Nice and lonely without him! What does he have, just the most important thing in life! A woman who loves him and will stand beside him! It doesn't matter who did the most and who did the least. What happen was that she took a stand about things and lost him! IMHO it was a good story and a great ending!

I really enjoyed reading it. Thanks for sharing.

In western society the man is ALWAYS supposed to curtail his wants and needs for the "family". Especially for the wife. Well, he almost died, his kids are adults, and his wife was given the choice of continuing a life together on his terms for once. Guess what, she's the one who decided to break things off, not him.

Far to often I see men in their 40s and 50s (I'm just entering my 30s) who look dead to the world. Just following routine because that's what they've been doing for 20 years. Always saddens me because 90% of those guys have skills, dreams, ideas, aspirations that could and should be realized or utilized.

gave it a 1 once again its all the guys fault he does all the work, go to hell you feminist propagating cuck character making scum. found it way one sided she did nothing but use him,

Finally a male character with a backbone! I found it interesting that she repeatedly cheated on him and never saw it as cheating. Cheating isn't just the physical act of sex, it's giving any intimacy to someone that's not your partner. Even just flirting can be a type of cheating because its an intimacy that should be reserved for the one you profess to love. You can't truly love someone if you reserve part of yourself for someone else.

I liked the story a lot. I honestly thought they would end up together in the end, but I'm not terribly sad that they didn't. This story was very believable, which is a plus with me. I especially liked the fact that even though they didn't stay together, the writer didn't ostracize the cheating party. They simply went their separate ways. Even though this story isn't made for a part two, I'd be interested to know if Sandy ever has any regrets after it is all said and done. Any person who choses work over love eventually regrets it.

she is still acheating fucking cunt. gets fingered and jacks some guy off and then later is going to fuck him but the cops show up.

i dont care how many times the mare has bred for you - CUT THE CHEATING CUNT LOOSE.

To start off, I am a guy who went through a very messed up divorce. At the time I thought it was all my wife's fault and she did do some very outrageous things, including cheating on me, taking drugs, stealing, etc. Much more than the woman in this story did. But 25 years later and after she went through rehab, remarried and then fell off again and died as a result, I can now see some of it was my fault. I let myself go like the guy in the story, didn't work hard enough at doing things as a family before it was too late. In my extreme case it probably wouldn't have worked anyway but at least now I can see where I was in the wrong also. But before the kill the b%%%$$$ guys comment, I never have forgiven her and never will. You only hurt yourself though when you can't see things clearly and carry a grudge. That was Steve's saving grace that he finally saw where he needed to change for his good, not his wife's. As a result he was able to move on but I have news for him. Age catches up with everyone sooner or later and you can't be a wild child forever.

What happened to the plot? It never dealt with her cheating, yes, she did cheat! It didn't even follow through on how it came to pass that she didn't want to move on with him. It was like this story had the ending of another story grafted onto it.

First. Of course Rick would have benefited from their divorce and she did have chemistry with him. As to her dalliance and near intercourse...it wasn't planned but the psychological turmoil, hurt and anger coupled with the chemistry for Rick would have been sufficient.

My point, she hadn't planned to deceive or have an affair but the circumstances were right and she wouldn't have realized her guilty feelings until after - because...she wasn't planning anything - Yet!

She loved her husband, no doubt, but she also liked her lifestyle...her house, her club and her groups and unfortunately, she was at a point in her life where she didn't want to start over. Tough, but he let her make the decision.

We know he really loved her and when he saw her at the New Years party, his short dissertation on her looks and feeling said it all; however, I'll bet it was more difficult for him to give her up but then he really did want to change his life and enjoy it and, her too but - ...

For the story, good fantasy, very realistic but a little too quick to Carol but - why not!

Thanks Slirpuff.

For the BTB crowd - she wasn't a slut or an adulterer. Who knows with time but she wouldn't go about any dalliance with a determined and planned approach. Like her husband, she didn't like where they were at and they were not communicating and taking it out on each other.

God damn, Holy shit, old man when you do it right, you really do it right. I've had three of those things. (Wives) One OD'd, one just disappeared, and the last one took the gold mine and just vanished, except for that check I had to sent her for 12 years.

Yes, what she did IS cheating even if they never fucked, but Steve recognized that they were both responsible for their marital problems and was willing to overlook them, and since it's HIS marriage it's HIS choice, not you misogynistic a-holes'!

He gave her the choice to start over with him or he'd do it without her. She made her choice, and for others to criticize him is out of line. They MIGHT have had a case (although I still believe it's his choice as the affected party) if he just walked out on her, but he didn't do that so they should butt out.

This was shaping up to be a good story about second chances and learning to look past your partners faults. His wife and kids loved him more than he thought they did. Bad end.

1. Things go to hell leading to a heart attack.

2. Rehabilitate and fix the personal stuff.

3. Reconnect with wife.

4. Choose one of the following:

4a. Go back to the old lifestyle and reassess

4b. Implement your changes and live a fuller healthier life.

4b baby!!!!

Too bad the wife can't see it!

Great plot.

Stupid cunt. I didn't call Sandy a fucking cunt. She was stupid. When you love someone you don't look at the weight they gain. You help them get healthy. You don't ignore your spouse. You love them as they are. Sandy was prepped to cheat. She didn't. The husband got in shape and wanted to be with his wife and start over. Here's where the stupid part comes in. She missed the boat. Now she's alone and Steve found another and is happy. Stupid cunt.

Don't be stupid.

I really enjoyed the ending. Whether Sandy took a cock in her nasty cunt or not, she still cheated. She cheated both emotionally and physically by allowing a younger man (any man) put his hands down her pants and get her off, the same way that she got him off too.

I'm glad he told her to shit or get off the pot. And the dumbshit.... shit. There is no reason when someone goes through a traumatic experience like he did, that you fall back into what made you unhappy. I know this intimately.

I had my own life and death experience. When it turned out I was going to pull through, I had an epiphany. I didn't want to go back to what life was like before. Luckily, I had a wife who understood, she was nearly as traumatized as I was. Now, life is completely different, we travel and do whatever we want to, as long as its within our budget.

Life's too short to put up with a cheating cunt.

Sandy was stupid so she missed the train.... guess Steve (who) made the right choice in the end...... the first 95 % of the story was just smoke screen to the final discussion between them & the silly woman blew it. 3 ***

Sandy and their kids didn't really love him, only what he provided for them.

If they had loved him they would not have ignored his health or his happiness.

At least he found out in time to do something about it.

Do you really think that jacking some mother fucker off and letting him finger you to two orgasms isn't cheating? I realize all people are not perfect but your lead characters are pathetic.

Wasn't a cuck story or a BTB story. No RAAC, either. But we did have an adulterous wife. You ignorant people that said she didn't cheat, just was ready to are beyond stupid. How would you guys feel if you walked into your living room and your wife was jacking off a man on your couch? And at the same time he had his finger all the way inside her pussy? Would you consider that cheating or would you just say, gosh I sure am glad you aren't cheating on me now let's go to bed? If it is something sexual that you can't or don't feel comfortable with doing in front of your spouse, it is cheating. As far as I am concerned any inappropriate touching or rubbing or kissing is cheating and most people feel the same way.

If your spouse takes your problems outside the house and confides in someone of the opposite sex, that is infidelity. If she meets someone for the purpose of spending time alone with them, away from work, it's infidelity if they are sneaking around. And I will guarantee that if they are doing anything intimate, dancing or kissing or whatever somewhere in the dark where they can't be seen, it's infidelity. So stupid people, I hope that you are happy with your spouses and what they might be doing that's "not cheating".

Good story, well written. The fact that you got so many negative comments from all the "anons" doesn't make it any less enjoyable.

Yes, I liked this story. As to her cheating, Read the comment by Pappa7, he said it all better than I could. Yes she did cheat. I was surprised when he attempted to take her back, but under his conditions. He came to a place in his life where he made some decisions on what to do with the rest of his life. I would have left without the cheating spouse, but he gave her a second chance. She didn't want it, so he did what he had to do. Good for him. Good writing and thank you.

He let himself go. Seriously, if your wife got as big as a house and you don't find want to have sex with her anymore...what the fuck are you suppose to do? Give up sex? Really? So fucking judgemental. Look in the fucking mirror first. He gave up first. Not all her fault.

Not saying her cheating on him is OK. However, he has to realize that marriage is about communicating, respecting, and trusting your partner. The divorce was probably the best outcome. However, it isnt just Sandy who missed the train. Fuck Him. Fuck her.

Enough with the nodding for no (or shaking their head yes)

Nodding for no, they only do that in Greece, Macedonia, Bulgaria and Albania and then only a single nod movement.

In India they have the head shake, and in Thailand they smile and nod when they could mean "I will kill you in your sleep".

In much of Asia nodding merely means they have heard you, they would not be so impolite as to disagree with you.

Sandy certainly had a point about Steve "letting himself go" to the point where sex with him was unpleasant, but if she wanted it with someone else because doing it with him was so bad, she should have divorced him first.

When he finally saw the light and addressed the workaholic lifestyle that had led to his weight problem in the first place, she didn't want to give up any of what he had worked himself into a heart attack to provide her with. So what she really wanted was for him to go on working himself into the grave so that she could maintain her own lifestyle and get her sex from some other guy because he couldn't work around the clock and still keep himself in shape.

not good recommends for success. TK U MLJ LV NV

i found the ending disappointed. The characterization you gave the wife throughout just didn't seem to match her at the end. She won't dance any slow songs with anybody but her husband, but can't give up her house to save her marriage? Cognitive dissonance. You needed to build a better case for her materialistic nature.

I find it dismaying when a writer of Slirpuff's obvious talent resorts to a cheap narrative trick to give his story a "surprise" ending. After the reader has invested emotionally in three chapters dealing with the efforts to save a marriage that finally reaches the cusp of a loving reconciliation the author abruptly tells his audience "Oh well,despite all that has happened they got a divorce anyway." To make it worse the husband ends up with a woman who is virtually a cardboard character who enters the story in almost the last paragraph. To me this cheats the reader and leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. What was the point of the story? It was as if Casablanca ended with Elsa and Victor's plane crashing on take off or at the conclusion of Raiders of the Lost Ark the ark contained nothing but old newspapers.

It appears they were in different places at the end - not surprising, considering. Sandy may end up with Rick - for better or worse. The lead was ready to remake himself, again for better or worse.

My guess is that that is the essence of the plot ending - he did go off on a tangent, but she wasn't given much chance to be on that tangent emotionally.

Pity - I'm more sympathetic to her. He is more of the BTB hero... he even got the second chance woman. She gets to remake her romantic life, albeit with a bit of a shithead.

Life, it is tough.

Green-something

The ending was a total letdown. As much as there was to save with their marriage, to split them at the end made the story a POS. Everyone made mistakes in this story. Sure, she went too far with Rick and Steve should have made him pay for going after a married woman. Sandy also needed a lesson for her dalliance. Steve was a shit for keeping his company status a secret. It seemed to be the same problem seen in so many of these stories - no communication. Everyone looses when no one is talking. Lost one star for the stupid ending.

The ending was correct she was selfish to be the end. Glad she chose the house over him he deserved better.

Sometimes a spouse in a marriage has a "need." The other spouse, as was the case with the wife, has a conflicting "want."

When the consequences of choosing a "want" over a "need" are so drastic, it becomes a litmus test for the partner with the "need" to discover whether the other spouse loves them enough to sacrifice their "want" for the sake of their "need."

When the "want" spouse fails the test--especially after so long an estrangement--the "need" partner needs to protect himself from falling back into their self-destructive lifestyle that almost killed them last time he lived it.

This is EXACTLY how real life works. The ending, although sad in some ways, is the most likely, and the most healthy one.

BTW, when the wife got into the back of that car--and even before that--she DID commit adultery, even though it wasn't full-on intercourse.

I disagree with those who put down the ending.

He straightened out his life, and realized what was really important, recognized his responsibility for their marriage difficulties, and was willing to forgive her missteps.

He wanted to stay with her, but had new priorities in life that she did not share, so they had a parting of the ways.

Right up to the end. It sucked when he said 'Carol'. Everything up to that point showed that his wife still loved him. For him to dump her like that showed a huge lack of character on his part. Apparently he didn't love her as much as he professed throughout the story.

It seemed rushed and the explanation of how Sandy "missed the train" was nonexistent. What about his relationship with his kids? Or the rest of his friends? It wasn't that I objected to him going with Carol, although they don't seem to be married.

it's just that it happened too quickly and without many excuses. Not good.

rushed ending. the twist was forced.

He was an egotistical arsehole. 50Lbs overweight must have been so much fun for her when making love. Shit, it would have hell having the unfit bastard hissing and wheezing around the house. And he had the gall to equate that to her being a balloon when she was pregnant and carrying probably only 20lbs of temporary baby weight.

His ego was in evidence throughout the story then highlighted by his diatribe near the end with his list of "I wants". She did the right thing not getting on the train.

The poor little boy didn't get his way so he instigated the divorce.

And to cap it off he selfishly and illegally didn't declare all his assets leaving her short changed in the settlement.

"And I never went to bed with Rick or anyone else either, no matter what anyone told you."

No she did it in the backseat of a car, she might not have gotten Rick's dick in her, but it seems like they did everything else.

Not a great start to rekindling their marriage, might have been a good thing it ended in divorce, just a shame everything was glossed over after his ultimatum.

I think it deserved more than just a few throwaway sentences, but I guess the author got tired of writing this story.

Our man was on a path of self-destruction and was given a second chance while his self-centred wife plays teenager sex with a friend. Does he really believe that she never...?? Doesn't matter enough to him that it stops him from asking her to be part of his new life style but she is so wrapped up in herself she can't move away.

So, I say, good for him to see the writing on the wall and then follow his dream.

Liked the ending.

Sad, but life goes on

Sandy got away with cheating and so did Rick.

That really sucked.

Liked the ending a lot.

Loved it. His kids sure were and are idiots. Just like his ex.