All Comments on 'In Health'

Wow, while she richly deserved it, that's some serious hatred playing out there! Great depth of emotion, thanks for sharing.

There is something therapeutic about being slapped around by great stories. Five stars.

I loved and hated this story. I’m glad he finally moved on. But that was some revenge on his ex wife dying bed.share he was upset after giving so much. But he carried it to far.

Chloe’s only crime was narcissism. A ‘Narcie’ is incapable of gratitude and empathy. They care not what has been given to them, only what will be given to them. The behavior of a ‘Narcie’ is easy to recognize, if one only knows what to look for. Unfortunately, most people don’t have a clue.

DAMN! .. what a powerful well written story that I absolutely hated in so many ways but couldn't not read. First the MC is a standup guy with his friends wife, he is betrayed in the worst way by the bitch, she used him. Then the end is against everything he'd been for? You can write - no doubt about it, but I am torn by this one. I loved the quote "hatred is like taking poison and expecting it to kill you enemy" ! -- idea of bottling up the poison and then shoving it down her throat. That is unique and brilliant and disturbing in so many ways. I could get by all that, but him doing it just to hurt her like she devastated him - well that is a bit beyond the pale and didn't fit the character you built.

brutal, makes me wonder if, even that kind of betrayal could change a person, to the core. Could that kind o hatred coexist in a compassionate person? Might have more interesting, if you'd let on that he was feeding is his ego with her dependency and they were both frauds.

Great story.

Not everyone deals with life altering betrayal singing "Kumbya" and graciously granting forgiveness.

Seething, angry hatred and bitterness isn't healthy obviously. But this character found a way to deal with hating his ex and getting on with llife. I expect that most of humanity falls into this category with those who deeply betray our love.

We exist hating...then it recedes to where we isolate the anger and bitterness to a compartment in out brain. Then we move on...forgetting a lot of the pain. Not forgiving. And not forgetting the betrayal.

And life moves forward. And then it just morphs into not caring at all...ambivalence. Or we eventually get one last word to the object of our hatred. Final closure.

Just like this man got. And he was able to enjoy his last confrontation. And boy did this horrible human being deserve it. Some people just deserve to die painful agonizing deaths. This ex wife character sure did.

Those of you out there criticizing. Meh...just go fuck yourselves.

Especially asshats like Twentyseven.

Her only crime? Was falling out of love? Hahahahahahahaha...hey stupid. How'd your reading comprehension? Not your strong suit?

Saying this character's only fault was "falling out of love" is like saying the Hindenburg Disaster was just "a little accident".

Geez...this ignorant bitch fell out of love with him 3 or 4 years into their marriage. And was going to leave him then. Because she was just such an amazing athlete and he was only a normal guy.

That is until she gets diagnosed with the life sucking disease where she wastes away to nothing.

Then...she "needs him" so much.

He forgoes his career taking a lesser job for her sake (medical). He ruins his own health taking care of her. Gives up any idea of having a family for her sake. Gives up any kind of real personal life or hobby or things that fulfill one's life in order to take care of her. Destroys his credit and all of his finances. Every penny they make for 20 years goes into her care. Its his connection and effort that gets her into the CRISPR program that cures her. Only because of him does she have the treatment. His entire existence revolves around her and her needs. Money. Time. Energy. Health. From bathing her. Wiping her ass. Carrying her around. Medication. Cooking. Cleaning. He give everything to her and for her.

And what does she do with that love and dedication and sacrifice? That he gives for more than a decade?

As soon as she is back running marathons and being an inspiration to the world? She goes back to "I have fallen out of love with you again. Thanks for everything. Hope you'll find happiness." And she leaves that message to him in a letter!! She's too much of a coward to even deal with the issue face to face.

This character got EVERYTHING she deserved.

And the Main Character? Did you not read the story? He isn't an evil vicious man who ruins everything. He dealt with his pain and his hatred. And he did find love. And a family. And friends. And is really happy and loved by those around him.

He only hates and resents that one person who nearly destroyed his life. Rightfully so. And he paid her back. As is his due. And hers as well.

I expect that after his visit? He'll finally have full closure. He'll probably forget all about her now. It'll all be settled in his mind.

And she'll die utterly alone and realizing too late that the one person she should have loved and should have counted on...she caused him to hate her.

Some people who make comments here...don't seem to understand what their comments really say about them as people. What yours here says? Twentyseven? Is that you are a clueless moron with clear reading comprehension issues.

Great writing. Found myself deeply interested.

Brilliant. I too am unsure just how I feel about his ruse at the end. But the fact is, people make choices. Sometimes right, sometimes wrong, sometimes questionable.

Unless we've lived the experience, who are we to judge?

5/5

I disagree with one of the Anons below, I found his rant majorly cathartic.

Another great story from a great author!

Really dark tale I have to say I enjoyed it immensely, another gem from this author .I was so glad MC did right by his mate Dale .The only part that I wasn't onboard with was the MC turning up at his ex,s deathbed in disguise and pretending he was ruined by her past actions.I really don't think this was necessary it would have been more fitting if he showed her that he was a better person without her and that he was able to find happiness no thanks to her past actions.He could have told her that he didn't forgive her to her face even if she was dying .5⭐️

NTH does it again and again. Another Masterpiece! Thank You my Friend for Great Writing, another Great Story of heartbreak, betrayal, and redemption. Holy Moly, who'd of thought that after a person is cured of a terminal disease that they would dump their spouse that took such good care of the. Sort of like someone else I know that was accused of rape, the whole time their spouse stood with them, after the trial, this same person decides to divorce the loyal spouse that stood with them thru thick and thin. LOL hard to believe Loyalty is repaired with such a lack of appreciation and a knife in the back. Great Effort. Thanks for the happy ending. 5 stars Thanks, Buster2U

I felt his pain and loved the story. Thanks for sharing this with us. 5 Stars. - Cindy

Excellent! Nate knew how to hold a grudge and then he got the opportunity to use it for payback. I liked this A LOT! 5*

Beautifully written by a superstar author. However I could only give it four stars ⭐️ due to my disappointment in NTH’s portrayal of Nathan’s appalling behavior in his and Chloe’s final reckoning. I didn’t feel her betrayal reached the level of being monstrous. Rather, Nate was the monster!

I admire the care that the author takes to develop believable emotions and motivations for both Nate and Chloe. There are no cardboard cutouts here. Read Chloe's letter again. The writer does her character justice with that letter. He steps inside her head and does his level best to make us understand her point of view.

<br>

As a reader, you may hate Chloe for her selfishness, her cowardice, the way she berates herself in the letter to maintain her self-image as a good person, or a whole host of other reasons, but you also understand her as a three-dimensional person. She's not a mustache-twirling villain.

<br>

The same is true of Nate. Maybe you love his revenge at the end. Maybe you hate it. Both are valid responses. But the more important question is this: Are Nate's emotions and actions believable and true to his character? If so, then the author has done his job.

Well done. Easiest 5*s I've given in a long time.

Now I know what the heretics must have felt like stretched out on the inquisitors’ racks, the recipients of the ‘Church’s’ righteous anger. A few of them - the murderers and rapists - probably even deserved their sufferings. Chloe clearly deserved Nate’s righteous anger, but in the end I felt worse for Nate for having to wade into the pit of offal and excrement that was that final confrontation. The scene left me squirming and recoiling. This was a very powerful piece of storytelling that it evoked such a visceral and disturbing response. Kudos to your wordsmithery. I won’t forget this one! Many thanks for sharing.

The first story out of about 1000 I've read that went beyond the plot. A really great story. Thank you!

Absolutely brilliant story. Loved it.

What a talent you are.

Scores 5/5

What a glorious fat fireball of a BTB! F the miserable B! It's too bad she couldn't live longer knowing that no one gives a tinker's damn about her.

"Blessed are the merciful".

Well I suppose I'll have to go on without the blessing then.

Seriously well written. Of course I realise that it's just a story, but it suits my confirmation bias perfectly. 5 stars

@franceman

Will hair grow in your palms if you console yourself? Since you cannot ever move on to another, despite being divorced, can you take matters into your own hands, so to speak, or is that against the rules? Please help settle my confusion since I cannot bear to disappoint the "Brigade" in the slightest detail. Where is the full rule book and Manifesto available?

Very well done! 5*

Spectacularly dark.

Well done. I get that you forgive those that have done you wrong so that you can let go of the hate, and heal in the process. What I don't get is letting those that have wronged you KNOW that you have forgiven them. Why give the fuckers a pass for being deplorable human beings? Why let them find peace for doing you wrong? FUCK THAT, and fuck THEM.

You

Rock

Absolutely amazing story - and it hit home for me. I'm a 15 year cancer survivor - my H has stood by me every step of the way, waiting on me when needed, paying the bills when I couldn't work...if I ditched him after treatment - I'd expect him to feel EVERY SINGLE emotion Nate felt for his ex. And they'd be valid feelings. 5*

I was completely enthralled.

Jeez - I cannot get over just how talented you are, NTH!

I simply could not stop reading this until the end.

Excellent! While I understand the embellishment of the treatment at this time, it is delivered in a way that makes it very real and possible. The wife was a real narcissistic bitch. It would have been nice to know how much longer she suffered. (Hopefully a long, long time)

I understand why he did what he did in the end, but I don’t really condone it. Far better and more painful to her to have demonstrated that not only survived but never thought of her - at all. And would make no effort to rember her now. That she was just a brief curiosity signifying nothing.

That’s just me though. While he did find happiness, he CHOSE to let his former wife continue to influence him, to willingly harbor her poison. I doubt seriously that his diatribe at her death bed gives him permanent relief - he has made a life time habit of nuturing that hate and it won’t leave that easily. IMO

Very good story. Didn't go quite the way I expected it to. I was expecting Cloe and dale to runoff together,but I guess I'm kinda jaded. I look forward to more of your submissions.

Dark, but believable, thought-provoking, and well-told. Thanks.

This is a compelling, and well written story. The author must have been through much pain to conceive of this. Those characters really need a personal relationship with Jesus. The pain in that relationship was just tragic...it Reminds me of this..

From Romans 3

“There is no righteous person, not even one;

11 There is no one who understands,

There is no one who seeks out God;

12 They have all turned aside, together they have become [i]corrupt;

There is no one who does good,

There is not even one.”

13 “Their throat is an open grave,

With their tongues they keep deceiving,”

“The venom of [j]asps is under their lips”;

14 “Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;

15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood,

16 Destruction and misery are in their paths,

17 And they have not known the way of peace.”

18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

The above is the bad news. There are dozens and dozens of scriptures that explain the good news.

Emotion provoking writing! And one of the absolute best BTB's ever written. Congrats!

We all have to live,at some point,in the heart of darkness. This story is a perfect example. Glad to see the MC get a dose of light. 5 stars.

Wonderful story with unexpected twists

Very well-written, but I wish it had been in the Non-Erotic category where it belonged so that I could have skipped over it. And while your tale was very well-written, I disliked it immensely so I could only give it 2 stars. The husband and wife were both unlikeable characters, and the ending was horrific. To treat another human being on their deathbed with such vile contempt was beyond childlike--it was sadistic. I would not like to be the husband when he stands before God and attempts to ask for forgiveness.

Outstanding!

Your MC's rant against Chloe left unsaid what the story clearly illustrates: If Chloe had lived a long happy healthy life she would have never given her ex husband a second thought, and not the slightest token of guilt, regret, or compassion. She was less than a coward, she was an assassin. Cold, calculating, waiting until the perfect moment to maximize her escape, and signing off with a pity fuck to make her departure even more painful and depriving. If Chloe had the power she would switch places with her ex husband in a heart beat, having him dying in pain and loneliness while she again left him with a whole different form of "pity fuck", except she wouldn't have even bothered to visit him.

\

So the MC's shot to Chloe's last shred of self pity and self justification was completely heartless, but totally deserved and due. Well done. Thank you for your time, talent, and effort. And thank you for allowing me to tell you.

Really good, clean writing! Great unique story premise and plot that you worked very well, into a great story!

Thank you author. 5 stars and it woulda been ten, if the stars went up that high!

Damn!!!

Nate didn't open up can of whoop ass on Chloe, he opened up a whole case. What a rollercoaster ride.

Authors pay attention. This is how to end a story. 5 awe-inspiring stars.

First of all,this is a LW original story , something you rarely see since LW stories tend to have similar plots. A degenerative disease and recovery and its impact is something I could see happening.

The story hit on so much, it touched on the dark side of miracles, it touched on the narcissism of as social media and the press, it touched on that even good people have their breaking point..

Chloe was a narcissist pure and simple, the husband was always a side piece to Chloe's desire to be it. She basically dismissed hubby as a loser before she gets sick then when she does cynically stays with him and uses him. When she gets better she isn't even grateful, instead she is bitter about what MD had done to her, and all she can focus on is trying to make up for the lost time...but never once thinks about what her husband lost , she doesn't see his physical or emotional suffering that was caused by his dedication to her. It is easy to keep a vow to someone you truly love, it is heroic when it is someone you realize you don't totally love.

And her betrayal is beyond all measure. At the very least, she should have seen how worn out and broken he was and get him back into health again, instead she realizes his body is broken and she basically rejects him for that,which really is the dregs. She also doesn"t even care about the financial situation her illness left them in, she doesn't ask, and when she leaves she leaves him totally in charge of the debt from her illness ( which is a plot flaw, in a divorce the debts would be both of theirs). She leaves him a note and leaves, abd totally forgets he exists , never even tries to see how he is doing, never tries to see if maybe she can help him financially. If she fell out of love like one pudknocker claimed, she would have the decency to make sure he was okay before leaving and check up on him,but of course the rock star she was couldn't be bothered. She obviously became successful and could have helped.

I disagree with other commenters that the MC couldn't have a happy life and be a good caring person having the hate he did. The idea you need to let go of hate or forgive the other person is more religious claptrap ( usually as a means to stop the sheep from going after the local noble who raped his 13 yr old daughter) than sound psychology. There are certain things where hate can be compartmentalized. The MC does that, and then when the time comes to give Chloe the kind of pain she caused him. She invited him out figuring that he would be there for her because she had no one else and didn't want to be alone. She didn't ask him to come so she could apologize, she was using him figuring he was a nice guy who would be there despite what she did to him. He does release the anger in him , he transfers the pain to her he had bottled up and she deserves it. Again this was a command performance for her sake,not his.

One irony of course is her narcissism killed her marriage, and in the end killed her bc she totally ignored the cancer risk.

A 5*++++ story

I slogged past the beginning and found a really interesting premise and story here. This couldn't have been easy to write.

5 stars.

Hooked

Well Sir, you’ve done it again. Great story very well written. It hit pretty close to home though Again, thanks for sharing your talents with us!

An old curmudgeon

That was a very entertaining and unique story.

The comments by the RaaC cucks were amusing, with their claims that Chloe did nothing wrong. She was going to divorce him, then only stayed because of her illness. She selfishly used him as a carer for 15 years, stealing the best years of his life, his health, and the chance of a family. To then abandon him after he found her a cure is a betrayal of legendary proportions.

-

The final confrontation in the hospital was glorious. He ripped apart all her bullshit justifications for what she'd done to him, and heaped a massive pile of guilt on the bitch for completely ruining his life (even better that this was a lie).

I especially liked that he also went out of his way to ruin her post-divorce happiness that she absolutely didn't deserve. Shining a public light on her betrayal turned her fame into infamy, and wrecking her next marriage was a nice touch too.

-

My only criticism to an otherwise great BtB was the twist at the end.

Him pulling a Keyser Soze was fantastic, but it was a shame that he didn't have actual kids of his own. He was only 40 when Chloe left him, so he just needed to date a younger woman, and he would've had no problem starting a family of his own.

Too often writers on literotica seem to forget that it's only women that turn barren in their mid-forties. Men can keep having kids for as long as they can still get it up!

I very much enjoyed this story, definitely worth the five stars I gave it. A few of the things that really stood out to me, is that none of this story seemed improbable. I can imagine someone suddenly faced with needing to rely entirely on someone else to care for them, and then getting a second chance at life, and selfishly prioritizing this second chance of theirs, over devoting themself to rebuilding their relationship and growing old happily ever after. That being said, I can also easily imagine the person who was so horribly betrayed, unable to let their hatred go. Your story brilliantly handled one person's ownership of how they took their betrayal and laughed in the face of 'the right thing to do' instead, dealing with it in their own way, and to hell with what anyone else thinks.

This was definitely one of my favorite stories to read.

As a Canadian, it is hard to relate to the financial burden an illness could have on a relationship - sick people here aren't forced into bankruptcy.

Rated story 4* and that was a stretch as so much needed to be skimmed, probably just my taste in a story like this.

I don't find much fault with the recovered wife. She was human and did what she had to do to survive in dire circumstances. That she could walk away from the large debts is not reality. Assets and debts are shared in a divorce. Ultimately her leaving was a good.

very disturbing story. you have a gift for great writing talent but I'm not so sure this is a tale

that needs to be told on Lit..

If CRISPR technology robs us of our humanity, no thank you.

For some reason, it seems to me that Chloe was lying when she wrote in her farewell letter that she had never cheated on Nathan, given her dizziness from success and attempts to catch up. It's just that she decided not to harm her image of a "disease-winning heroine." They say, people, don't think anything bad in the biblical sense - my husband and I didn't get along, I feel energetic and full of strength after recovery, and this boring bore just can't keep up with me, remaining in his faded quagmire of everyday life. And how "magnanimously" she left him all their common debts, most of which arose because of her - in general, enchanting! Debts? Ugh, how down-to-earth you are - I flew to shine.

Dear SoTalentedHack,

Just phenomenal!

Thank you so much. All of your stories are very well constructed and delivered. This story didn't disappoint, with plenty of twists in the plot along the way.

...And for those with negative comments, ...It's only a story!

Talk about repetitive! NTH continues to produce stories that are unlike others on this site…or elsewhere. Again and again! Of course, it’s not just the novelty of the stories, but their ability to evoke strong emotions through a well-constructed plot and clever writing. He can justifiably admire Javmor’s abilities, but I hope that he recognizes his own. What a gift!

Not one of your better stories, by the way, to blame human nature failures on technology is a low blow and some of your "research" needs more research. People are people and their actions normally tied to them not every one your MC just came across as weak, a whinge and whining brat leaning on the bastions of morals.

Enjoyed. Anyone who can write this well, and with such intensity, has my respect. Keep on contributing please .

Others already stated: it is almost impossible not to be hooked by and to your stories.

I love how you develop the strength and weaknesses of your characters and the psychology of real human beings. Almost to a point where I am wondering if you really are in software development . You are not a shrink, are you? 😂

You don‘t step into the comfortable trap to be shallow, to get the quick and easy applause. Very common, especially in the LW category. You don‘t make it easy for your readers -but so worthwhile.

Keep going! I can‘t wait to read your next story, and the next, and the next, and …

Why do people from Canada always feel the need bring up their “free” healthcare at every opportunity? Your fucking system sucks. It may not cost you anything but chances are good that you’ll die waiting for the treatment. STFU

The story was pretty much a bummer, but we’ll written and captivating. The vituperative attack on a woman dying of cancer kind of threw me, though.

Good writing as always but score had to reflect that Nate in his conversation with ex wife was not kind nor compassionate. At a time he should have been magnanimous, given his new relationship with Marion, he chose to inflict emotional pain on a dying woman. Not cool!

Another brilliant, nuanced, and thoughtful, riveting story of breathtaking betrayal, with a just “reap what you sow” conclusion.

I know that, in reality, there are plenty of female and male Cloes out there, but it boggles the mind that people can live with themselves for even a minute treating a person so badly, especially one they purport to love and owe their life to. Some people really suck. Duh!

People can be really dense idiots, see, e.g., @kelchka below (who doesn’t find much fault with the recovered wife because she’s only human . . . .) Really? That’s what you’re going with? Please stay in Canada. In addition, chill with the indirect socialized medicine clap; I understand that it makes care for way for normal stuff accessible for most Canadians, but trust me, the lifesaving technology referred to in this story, like many other cutting edge drugs and technologies, wouldn’t be available in your system because it’s too costly for the gov’t to pay for at a rate the owners of the technology would accept, given their multi-billion dollar investment in it’s research and development. If you think otherwise, just sit on the Canada/U.S. border amy Fay observing the Windsor, Ont. and Detroit border crossing and watch the flow of Canadians coming TO Detroit of all places to get a few health care things taken care of, say, like MRIs, etc., to avoid the 9 month backlog/wait in Canada.

But ultimately, your rationalization of the recovered wife’s betrayal here is pure idiocy. If you’d accept that in a spouse, or any person you care about, you’ve got pretty low expectations you’re willing to live down to, and you mustn’t be much of a spouse yourself.

Sorry it took so long to BTB cunt 5

Hey @tennesseered, the technology here isn’t robbing anyone of their humanity, it’s just revealing it.

Thanks for sharing your skill and imagination

That was so good I really don’t have anything say but excellent. Five stars thanks for sharing this masterpiece.

The old adage that "happiness isn't having what you want, but wanting what you have" would have served Chloe well. She had two paths with her second chance at life - cherish the one that loved her and sacrificed for her through her darkest times and find renewed love in that second chance, even thought tht love was waning before the disease hit, .... or go for the gusto and live your life without regrets, trying to find hapiness in grabbing for everything,, even if it means leaving chaos in your wake (after all, you deserve it, right?). Since Chloe was a narcissist, she chose the latter.

The flaw I saw in Nate's logic was that his actions at the end, even though it made him feel better, were probably for naught. As a true narcissist, 10 minute after he left the room she would have changed the scenario in her own mind, justifying her actions of the past years. Nate really wasn't a good guy, right? if he could say all of those mean things to her. Maybe he wasn't the noble man she thought he was. She probably would have died with a simle on her face thinking that she made all the right decisions.

Woahhhhhhhhhhhhhh... This is definitely the most revenge any of your characters has gotten on another. It's honestly more extreme than just about any revenge that takes place on loving wives too. It feels like it might be too far for him to still be a good person. But as always, your writing is fantastic, and I'm incredibly glad you decided to share your ability in a place I can read it.

You fall in love with someone and everything about them is magic , everything they do is magical , and in your youth your so hyper focused on this magic that their shortcomings are either overlooked , warped by that magic into something acceptable if not cute and cuddly or diminished to the point of being a mere speed bump in the relationship . As the years go by these speed bumps become mountain passes that sometimes cannot be navigated and the magic becomes misdirection and sleight of hand . Once you realize the magic is simply tricks and you’ve been the magicians number one fan so many years , that you can see the strings the hidden trap doors and the extra pockets on the inside of their sleeve that holds the fifth ace . It’s a bitter pill to swallow when you realize the whole relationship wasn’t reciprocated and the truth was just an illusion . The only interest they had in you was as their number one fan . And when she felt the waves her other fans blew upon her ego and stoked her flames she leaves you waving your high speed fan at a phantom memory . What a well written story of betrayal on an epic scale . 5 stars and a standing ovation

3 stars why? you still write with and show strong emotion but the end was over the top. but I could see someone hurting that much and wanting that kind of revenge. She was a coward and a c-nt, I always wanted my ex to contract an incurable disease. But it doesn't happen in real I no longer 42 years with a good woman has fixed that.

Too much bitterness. And, honestly, this is not what I came to Literotica for. Otherwise, well written.

Well that was depressing as fuck. I’m not too sure you understand the meaning of 1) erotica and 2) the Loving Wives category.

The first means that the stories are supposed to be sex based and exciting. The second is supposed to be all about wives having sex with others.

Loved it and the fact that it addresses the crap thinking that there are only two choices with hate: 1) Hold onto it and let it poison your life; or 2) forgive and let it go.

You can hold on to your hate without it consuming your life. You can refuse to forgive someone who doesn't warrant forgiveness and not have that choice destroy you.

One can let go of the self-destructive aspects of hate while still staying secure in their condemnation of horrible actions and a desire for retribution, vindication, or, yes, even full on revenge.

Another great story by NTH!

Im grateful that he didn't try and be a saint in the end. And true justice was served.

You are a great writer, but this is one of a small handful of your stories that are just a bit too far over the top. Even though the character seems to be doing OK at the end, he's really more like the person he showed Chloe. He is obviously broken as he's unable to show even a bit of mercy to someone dying a horrible death. So, I think it's great writing but just too depressing with an MC that is consumed by hate.

Quite possibly the best BTB story ever! Most of the writers on here simply cannot compete with the pioneers of Loving Wives on this website but this was a flash of brilliance. 1st 5 star I've ever given and well earned.

I voted 4 stars, I just watched an episode of blacklist and it talked about Crispr, well done

Nice.

This was a very well done story.

No surprise when the writer is NoTalentHack.

It's such a treat

when a good writer gives his time

to offer us such a well made story.

I, for one, am very thankful for that.

Top ratings from me.

You created interesting characters, and a fascinating "lab of life" experience.

No. Life has moral dimensions, whether it's code X or code Y or code Z, your code, my code, or someone else's, or it's not human life. What Nate did to Chloe to destroy her future, and later, at the end was wrong. Perhaps understandable. But wrong, and made him lower than her. It would have been wrong if she were in the pink of health. Cruelty like that is destructive and nihilistic. Better to let her "run her course". Like a disease. (I didn't intend the pun.) If she'd died old, rich and famous she would still have had to live with herself. If she had no conscience, then that's the most horrid thing imaginable.

This is a great story and a worthy BTB.

I am taking off 1 star, because he didn't get to have kids of his own - the author could have at least let him be a donor, plenty of women are desperate for a sperm donor so it's not even remotely implausible; then he could have found both a genetic continuation, AND a family to love with Marion.

But it's a really good story otherwise.

A story with an ashen cinder of a heart, just like me. Though no one else would care, I see NTH in much the same light as I see RichardGerald: skilled and imaginative storytellers whose main characters often (frustratingly and inexplicably) change their behavior, and go far too lightly on the terrible women they've been wronged by. There are exceptions, of course. But this tale and RG's most recent have hit the top of my scale, for very different reasons (i.e., anger vs. indifference). That makes this a good week for Lit readers.

***

The logical flip of the Nate's father's "It costs nothing to be nice" would be "it costs everything being angry". And Nate showed Chloe exactly that. "Anger is a gift", sang a band I used to respect (some Greek guy may have said something similar). I see that gift here; that Nate's rage against the machinations of his duplicitous ex was a driving force, post-divorce, but not all-consuming. It had a place in his life, but one out of the way and stoppered in the metaphorical vial, always ready to be stoked.

***

Maybe it's the loss/cooling of that well-deserved anger that I see as the frustrating part of many of the RG/NTH stories? Maybe it's me that is in the wrong about that; that other people don't hold on to anger the same way I do? Probably.

***

The cathartic release by the wolf in sheep's clothing left little unsaid. As if Nate lanced a boil and the pressure release was almost worth the pain.

***

Not every story can be like this. But it's nice when they do come along.

You know, whenever someone says karma exists and that everybody will get theirs i just laugh and make a mental note of that persons idiocy.

It's all wishfull thinking. The only "karma" that exists is that which is man made, foreseen consequences (i.e. a corrupt leader that can't keep his or her greed in check and eventually gets caught because he/she stole too much) or just pure luck (i.e. heart attack or cancer).

For those that still believe it, you should answer one question: what sort of punishment / karmic justice can ever equal the death of anywhere between 20 and 100+ million people, the suffering, rape, theft, abuse, etc, of billions caused by Mao Zedong? What can one person ever feel that can equate the pain and suffering caused by that one single person? (Sure there are many involved but they were his knowledgeable decissions)

WOW, just WOW! Wonderfully written and an easy 5*! I’m not sure how I feel about the content of this story. Too soon. If the intent of any author of fiction is to give their readers something to consider and to think about, you’ve accomplished that in spades! Thanks for writing!

Wow! Didn’t like the ending where he so debased himself, maybe not quite to her level, but to a point unworthy to his life and the sacrifices he made.

Doesn't work

You have MC feeling sorry for himself and not doing anything about it. Physically only takes 25-30 minutes a day to stay fit

Not a super athlete but in good shape. Mentally he swings from selfish to more selfish. Nope just couldn't get past his own self pity

Incredible.

Please keep writing!

You bastard, that was a fucking awesome twist, I was already berating you in my mind about how ya took everything from him, well done. Smooth writing consistency of character, dialog was mostly realistic so well done

Like or dislike this story -,it is in the readers perception that matters. This was well- written and overall well done. I also did not care for the ending... FYI, I got a new heart 9years . Ago.( if you were to take today's world population .seveN , to 8 billion souls and consider that I was one of 5,000 recipients of a donated heart!! SoI do A understand some of the.trials. And fears written within_

DazzyD ' '

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Haha, as if the bitch would think 2 minutes or feel guilty about his tragedy. "Oh, he hates me! Didn't think about that. Well, anyway, ..." was probably what she though after he left.

Gut wrenching, but well written.

Fucking sick. I love how you lean into the negativity and flaws of your characters without transforming them into moustache twirling idiots... Or just idiots. I also love how you don't let these bitches off the hook when they don't deserve it! 5 stars, with the utmost respect, you breathe new life into this old section!

Wow, nice story, good strong emotional through-plot, nice contriving of a post-CRISPR success future.

Needs more well-described sex in it.

Five for you

Wow is right. I'm so glad I stayed with it, as when it started getting so dark, I almost quit. *****'s

That was off the charts. 5 stars. He handed the burden of the pain she caused back to her on her death bed. Brutally done.

That was a “The Usual Suspects” level twist at the end, very Kaiser Sose like. That’s how you destroy someone with words.

You must either have been through a similar situation, or know people who are living through a similar situation in order to describe it as well as you did !

I do know someone with a life-partner living through a terminal illness that takes years to get to the ends Tage, and your description of the pain and issues is spot on.

Very well written, jn a BTB-type framework.

Five stars for this one.

Excellent work as ever.

Simon_Masters

Fantastic story. So well done. 5 ⭐️ stars. Loved the way his visit went. That was great. Don’t be magnanimous, be a vengeful prick.

Well, well well. That was different. Loved it.

Creative and powerful story. Chloe's betrayal is so immense, it makes normal adultery look like a minor nuisance. Ok the bertayal in."No Place to Go" by the same author is pretty freaking bad. That being said, to be honest I thought the shock twist ending was not the most impressive part of this story. Him bottling up anger and hatred for so many years to vent his spleen on Chloe in hospice with terminal cancer, seems a wasted effort. Worse it would almost certainly color all of his relationships moving forward including with Marion but maybe because she was a CRISPR widow, they make it work. Yes the ending was creative but seems like holding that in for so long, would do so much damage to his own soul and yet for so little revenge payoff. OK he made Chloe feel like shit while she is in hospice waiting to die. Seeing as Chloe is such an immense narcissist, do you really think that will have all that much impact? The narcissism will be there when she draws her final breath. Anyways I find it interesting that many of the author's nasty wives are into this whole competition / power dynamic and that many of those are runners. Beware if you fail to be as fast or as fit as these women. Heaven forbid. Lol. My father got into running marathons when he was like 30. He ended up cheating on my mom for many years until his got caught (by me ironically). Must be something with running.

Outstanding

Holy Fuck!! That was something else altogether.