All Comments on 'Is Enough Really Enough? My Tale'

Having read and enjoyed much of Blue88’s work I found your writing style to be very similar. Both of you write about what you perceive to be the actions of gentlemen; and that is where I have my beef.

Arch owed Dee nothing, nada, zilch! The idea that he would seek to be friends with her in order to ‘move on’ with his life defied all credulity. These two shared a marriage, a marriage which by their own account lasted 20 years the last 12 of which were hell for Arch. There is no foundation for this decision. The guy would be a masochist to befriend that viper.

Then Arch decides that he must tell his ex-wife he is getting married. Huh? Why? There were no children, no common business or community interests at stake. She could have read about his marriage in the newspapers like he read about her engagement. Again, he owed her nothing.

Furthermore, it strained reality to have Elizabeth think this was a good idea. I know women who would have walked if a fiancé said something as blatantly stupid as that. However, you do not stop there; you have Arch invite Dee, his ex-wife to the wedding!!!

I’m to believe that Elizabeth thought that was a good idea too? No way!

I recognize that Arch was a good guy. Nevertheless, he was no saint and his actions in this story were not saintly but just plain dumb.

I think your ending is probably more likely than the original. I don't know if trying to pursue friendship with his ex-wife was smart since it seems to indicate he had not gotten over her in the first place.

Boyd

to a story about a good marriage gone bad; it makes sense that it ended this way, as opposed to the guy running to the cheating spouse whom he's not seen, spoken to, or interact with for YEARS, and say,

"Oh, honey, I am so sorry I shut you out like that! Can you ever forgive me?" and the cheating spouse said, "Of course! I'm so glad you are back! Let's go to the bedroom and celebrate"!

This closure rang right and your diligence and imagination brought the curtain down as it would realistically - as in real life.

A talented effort Author and very much appreciated. We await another when possible.

With Very High Regard

I think I like reconciliations too much. While this has a very happy ending it is still just for the one, not the two of them. And, though I'm sure it's quite in line with reality, it still lags, for me.

It's like, I'm happy for Arch but unhappy for Dee. Dee is again the woman he married. He is over the hurt she caused. They are friends. They couldn't continue the friendship to an equivalent situation they experienced before in their life?? Knowing Dee was ill when she did the fatal act doesn't alter his thinking at all?? If it was proven that cancer caused her abnormal behaviour, could he feel differently? Her illness could be considered in the same light. I guess he would still feel the same. And THAT is a sad feeling.

A very good story, though.

fdk had forwarded his version to me a few days ago which gave me the opportunity to read it then. I found it well written and the story certainly could have gone in the direction he indicated. People are strange in that oft times they do not act in reasonable ways. fdk had Arch react to his wife in a manner which is consistant with the norm.

I applaud this author. The story flowed well and had a satisfactory ending. I hope that we see more submissions soon fromj his "pen."

the master of GREAT -- FDKMAN262-- sequels stikes again.

I URGE folks to read his other sequels which are actually great READs and what this author does with the plots are far better than the originals

His version of SUSPICSION is far superior in every to the ORIGINAL story

It’s well written. But ... There’s nothing new here. It’s the same old, same old. As Blue88 says, it’s consistent with the norm for TTCBTTC (throw the cheating bitch to the curb) stories. Nothing to see. Move along.

It dislike it when authors add a new person to a story out of nowhere in order to force a particular ending. I’m amazed that authors think that there are people out there just waiting for the cheated upon and divorced person so they can have happiness together for life. If they’re waiting, guess what, they’re usually dogs of the highest order. And the cheated upon heroes? They throw over a person who’s had few sexual partners for one who’s had many sexual partners? That’s logical. NOT! I know, I know. The multi-partner person wasn’t cheating. Wrong! They were engaging in extra-marital sex. Sex outside marriage. That’s the very definition of cheating. It doesn’t matter if they weren’t married. They cheated on their future spouse. By definition!

Obviously, many factors are taken into account before someone is willing to take on the trauma of divorce. One of the basics is the question of whether the other person is really, deep down, a decent and nice person. I think that Dee was. In the original story, Arch should never have let Dee’s difficulty harm their marriage for so long. She needed a wakeup call far sooner than when she got it. That’s my only quibble with Blue88’s story.

And yes, despite what many here would like to think, it takes two to tango. There’s always plenty of blame or fault attributable to each party in a dispute. Notice I didn’t say evenly distributed. It takes a really big person to move beyond apportioning blame and to take the first steps towards reconciliation. In Blue88’s story, Arch was just such a big man. If it were real life, I’d sure like to have him as a friend. He’d make me a better person.

While both endings are well done for their premises, I think Blue88’s story is the more reasonable outcome. Both were well-written and good reads. Thanks.

Phil

Beautiful ending to a good story! You outdid yourself on this one.

fdk,

I liked the story. There are so many factors that figured into the relationship with Dee that had nothing to do with her cheating. She was messed up by circumstances in her life and as a result she drove her husband out of the marriage (even before the cheating). He still loved her but wasn't in love with her. He looked on her as a friend and not the love of his life.

Enter Elizabeth and even though it took him a long time to become aware of his feelings he knew he was in love with her. In love with her and she with him.

Now given all that, why would anyone want him to reconcile with Dee? He didn't love her anymore! He now loved Elizabeth.

I believe it was ok for him to be a friend to his ex wife. I believe it was honorable of him to tell her face to face that he was getting married and I believe it was alright to invite her to the wedding. I also believe Elizabeth approved of it all (even though there was a moment of concern) She "knew" that Arch now loved her so there was really no threat.

Great ending.

And the two of them suffered enough agony over the three or so years of absolutely no contact. Time for them both to be happy. Arch is now and Dee will get there too someday if she lets him go and starts her life anew.

Your efforts were greatly appreciated.

Charleybear

It wasn't mean.

It wasn't hurtful.

It wasn't evil

It was just two people who drifted apart, admitting their feelings, and moving on with their life

Nice sequel and well written.

-Risq

new beginning.

I thought your story was a very good romance. It has its place in possible endings to this fictional look at a couple’s life.

I could have seen reconciliation out of this also. If an understanding of the principle characters was ever established and that wasn’t in either stories ending. That was my real objection to Blue’s sudden ending as nothing was discussed or resolved and the two characters were in instant bliss.

We will never know why all this pain was spread by Dee as no one in the story would face up to it and we were never told what solutions were applied by her if any, and with that in mind I hope you are proud of your take on this story ending as it is plausible and you did a good job of establishing your plot.

Thank you for the entertainment

PT

Blue88 wrote an excellent story but the ending with Arch accepting blame soured me on it. The fact is it was OK either outcome (reconciliation or not) given the circumstances. I just felt that if Arch took her back it should be based upon him having some assurance she would not become a shrew again.

Actually, Arch's response to Bernie in this story answered that question why she did it. She did not respect and love him. It seemed that Dee was in love with the idea of him being her husband, a fixture in her life. Of course, not being able to have a child when you want one, is a terrible blow but rather than getting closer to Arch she associated him with her problem. She went to therapy because she was expected to go but she did not sincerely tackle her demons. She also did not trust him to help her. So this downward spiral of growing disrespect leads to the affair. Dee did not expect him to divorce her because in her mind Arch was the cause of this problem.

Why do I believe the above proposition? Because Blue88 and you described their initial relationship as best friends. Dee had to know that she was making Arch's life hell and friends do not do that to each other. Dee might have loved Arch at one time but she fell out of love with him during the dark times.

I also liked (1) he did not run like a deer surprised by headlights when he saw the photo in the paper and (2) he ended this silly not talking phrase with Dee (that gave her more power that he did not speak to her after 3 years).

Of course, the romance with Elizabeth well written.

As you can tell I liked your story. I can not wait for the next one!

SleeplessinMD

what is with this idiot TiggerToo?

why is everything he posts the stupidest thing that any man can ever say think or post...

what a replusive little shit this guy is.... he thinks Blue88's silly ending was more likely natural outome?

God what a idiot Tiggertoo is

Graet work with a great story the story should have been longer you might need a spell checker but you have a good start with a moving story i hope Dee can find happiness with another man and i hope Elizabeth and Arch are very happy and i hope you continue with this tory for it is a very touching and moving to read.

Pat M.

Atlanta,Ga.

"I love you! But I am not in love with you!" What kind of bullshit is this! Why do you people mince words? Do u people know the meaning of word love? Or I am not expected to find people who understand the meaning of word love here! Love is something very out of world..something that you people cannot even start to understand! Love is not possesivness! All you do is connect love with genitals! Your concepts of love are pathetic!

A spouse who has so little trust in their marriage and their spouse, who break their marriage vows. Who have sex with others and thereby exposing themselves and their spouses to a large variety of not very nice diseases. Who take risk that could affect their and their spouses careers. Yep she loved me so much she cared so little if I knew she was having an affair, even had sex in our marital bed with another when I might come come and discover her. What? You think she hated and disrespected me so much she wanted me to discover her having sex and arranged it all so I would? No surely she loved me to much to inflict such emotional stress on me. Now tell me again, why is it I would not TTCBTTC? After all no one sane keeps trash in their homes forever, always throw out the trash.

one of the best story's i have ever read. ........rich

No kids involved...so why is it so important that he remain friends with the ex? I know what forgiveness is and all that, but after the divorce, there is no reason or need for him to be friends with the cheating slut that damn near killed him. It's silly to even have that...he can be the better man, set the right example and all that other nonsense and still do it while having nothing to do with her. Another thought...if she was that shitty a wife, what in hell would make him think she'd be a decent friend? In any relationship, you need trust, honesty....she blew that to hell once and it's a fool to give her another shot in any manner. The story is well written, no probs there, but makes damned little sense.

too much ramblings

I really enjoyed this story. I hope you continue to post suck excellent work. I also have to respond to TiggerToo. What an idiot. He claims that single people are cheating when they have sex??? How can they be cheating if they are single??? Someone who has sex with a boy or girlfriend and then split up because things didn't work out is cheating on a future spouse that may not even exist??? What an idiot. Go back to your corner and continue reading your bible you fool

much better ending, he deserved to be happy after the bullshit he put up with. Some other fool will end up with the cheater.

You protagonist was a complete gentleman; a real man of character. I thought your version was really well done. I don't know if the work was a result of your own conception, or that of the original author. In any case, it was a well conceived and very well written story. Thank you so much for your work, it's just outstanding!

Would be great if you could write more of your own stories instead of borrowing others and writing such depressing endings

That was a great ending fdk. I really enjoyed it. I had to laugh at the anon above bitching about you not writing your own stories. Don't think I have ever seen a story authored by any "anon". Took me a long time but I found this one. Thanks for the work. Jim

A GOOD STORY FROM THE ORIGINAL. THIS WENT FULL CIRCLE WITH REASONING AND PLOTS EXPLAINING HOW THE ACADEMI HANDLE HARDSHIPS, TRAGEDY AND STILL CONTINUE ON A GROW WITH THEIR LIFES. TK U MLJ LV NV

no good

no good

Dee was just a minor character and Arch's pain from the first marriage disappeared all too soon. Not a story for LW, but for "Romance". Too long and sometimes boring. 3*

for the right person with the right mate. TK U MLJ LV NV

Do people really live and behave this way?? My God, it's like all the interaction between the characters happened within a board meeting. Everyone so politically correct and the language so full of syrupy goodness, it's hard to believe this was supposed to be about people behaving as humans instead of a bunch of machines following their programming protocols. No, speaking for myself anyway, I wouldn't want to live in such a clinical, soulless world, where the clear overriding colour of life is beige.

Considering both stories its nice that Arch found someone and Dee didn't, considering that it was her cheating that ended the marriage. Good tale.

licking the stiff pole, he took it in the poop chute, betrayed!

"1*" !

I can relate to, understand and get along with the events of, their twenty years. That being written...

He is an emotional romantic and he would always love the woman he married, always hurt and be angry at the end and what caused their divorce. Striving to be friends is/was therapeutic but neither one of them at any point actually got the other to agree or talk about the fact that they DEFINITELY would need to move on and seek the comfort of others...too open ended and creates false hopes that don't allow for completion.

So, the ending, to me, was like a story book children's' novel of how everything is wonderful and always works out well? I understood them both, well written, but the conclusion sucked - it would seem entirely possible that Arch and Elizabeth were fooling themselves.

Thanks anyway, good read.

Betrayal is betrayal. Actions speak louder than words. She is lying when she says that she still loved him, she never loved him. There is no reason to forgive her, because she like a foreign spy was never really on your side. She was a wife in name only. There is no reason to be mad at her, like a spy she was just doing her job. She is one of those people who view the world as her against everyone. Just be glad you are away from her and have a chance to do better forming a healthy relationship in the future.

While I understand your point of view on Arch and Denise I think you don't give enough consequence to the feelings and emotions that come with being married that long, children or not. And while your sequel is quite eloquent, I simply preferred Blue88's original ending. For me it was just much more satisfying.

Original was just so unrealistic. 8 years of good marriage followed by 12 trying years, then finding her in bed like that. I'm not one to scream cuck at any conciliation, but your ending much more realistic and satisfying. The lack of condoms on the picnic creating the sexual tension til they got back to her place was nice touch.

Your writing has all the angst and suspense of a paving crew. Mundane and mechanical.

Liked the original better , you must be a BTB kind.

This is not BTB story, It about emotions and moving on in life when it is time., Hubby was gracious, and thoughtful even though being hurt.

normally I am BTB fan and read both stories This is the appropriate ending for this story Five Stars,.

I DID enjoy this more than the original. For those who wanted Arch to BTB, that is not the Arch that Blue88 invented and fdkman262 continued.

but personally I prefer the original ending.

I enjoyed the other ending as I'm sucker for happy endings, but I think this version is more realistic. With everything he had gone through before the infidelity I think the marriage was doomed anyway. The best you can salvage from all that pain over all those years is friendship, and even that's a tall order. A heart can can only take so much pounding before it turns to stone.

That real cheating wife is exposed on Facebook profile of dearbornmt@yahoo.com. She lost job as college instructor in Helena Montana because that info was given to college administrator. She sexually harassed at least one of her students while also engaging in numerous affairs

Visit and send friend request

"For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, 'til death do us part".

Wife was mentally ill and Arch let her suffer her illness untreated for those last 12 years.

Arch is a bastard!

I would have liked a bit more of exhcanges between Arch and Dee. I'm glad you didn't get them back. I think things went beyond repair between the,m, but I would have liked to see abit more of remorse in Dee. I'd have liked to see her trying to repair some of the damage she did to him. They basically rugsweep the whole thing. I wouldn't call that closure.

She was sick, true. Burt in most people, depression decreases libido and interest in sex, not otherwise. How long did he has to deal with her bs without cheating?

She didn't cheat because she was sick, she cheated becasue she was a selfish person, self-absorbed in her own needs without any real love or care for her husband.

She said: "though my actions don't agree with my feelings, I've never stopped loving you either." That must be the textbook definition of bullshit. If you truly love someone you show it with your actions. Otherwise what you say are just empty words.

I like this version more. Seems more realistic. The author somehow kept the original writer style, which is not very a common happenstance in second versions by a different writer. Arch decided to move on. To start anew rather than risk his previous mistakes.

Lets be freinds; cool you pick up the check and could you halep me move my girlfriend in to myplace?

I've take responsibility; Really cause I dont see a cashiers check reimbursing me fr the cost of the divorce and all the yeas I wasted investing in you

It was only sex dude get over it; Well if you really feel that way hows about I fuck your wife for a few months and you can show me how eaisly you forgve her

Arch deserved to find some.happiness. Hopefully this.marriage works out for.him.

You can read the sex sense and know why the call this fiction.

Even when "de-wimped" Arch from the original story, you didn't turn him into a man either. He's still nice to the point of looking absolutely spinless and wimpy.

Who cares about a slut who made his life a living hell and humilliated him in the worst possible way?

If you want stereo typed stories of men dumping women and finding other women like love is a pack of condoms off a store there are enough such stories floating around. Why do you need to waste your efforts on rewriting a story and trying to dumb down an already dumb forum with men having views on man-woman relationship which never developed beyond the 19th century wild west?

But I didn’t see anything in it that added too, or re-interpreted Blue88’s original story. In fact I didn’t see anything in it resembling his original story, other than the names of the characters. I did not like this “different” ending. In fact I’m a little offended that someone would bastardize the original story this way. 1 star.

She will always regret being the one to start the ball rolling.

I can't believe the phsyco shit, she did it because she could and wanted to! No "extenuating reasons" betrayal is calculated, it don't just happen!

Understand that this is intended as constructive criticism. The storyline is very good, but the writing style is very dry — whatever emotion the characters feel, doesn’t come through to this reader. As a style suggestion, try not to have the characters speak to each other using their names in almost every sentence, it sounds fake. I don’t use my wife’s name when we’re alone in a room, unless I need to get her attention. Her conversation with Bernie was painful to read since nearly every sentence ended with the other person’s name. Also, writing entirely in the third person shows less emotion than watching the evening news. Pick a character and write that viewpoint. Alternate character viewpoints where it makes sense, just get some emotion into the stories.

I loved this, well done!

Waiting for WhoGivesAShit to publish a story...ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

she loved him but was dating, i presume having sex, and getting engaged to someone else?

Doesnt compute.

Much better ending.

Very good story. Arch was a good guy.

3 stars -

This version did not inspire me to read much past the first page, before flipping back to the comments section.

I had to see what other people felt or saw and compare that to what I saw.

YEP, it seemed very dry, or stilted and it did not flow well.

After you introduce a person by name it is always a good idea to switch to 'he said' and 'she said', unless they are part of a larger group.

A more thoughtful ending and a very good read.

Bravo!!!!

Great read.

DOL

Love it when the injured party gets their happy ending, while the cheater is filled with regret, sadness and guilt of what they've done. Even if I do enjoy BTB mostly, I'd rather much prefer this ending over others.

Didn't tempt me to read it completely. Your approach to character build-up left me hanging as it seemed quite long-drawn-out. It got quite predictable when the CFO retired and still 4 pages to go...... Not bad, but not superfantastic either. 3*

A psychiatrist treating his sister in law??

Another read and much better than when I 1st read it. I get most ppl want a story book happy ending but I think most writers on here seem to think reconciliation can be the only form of a happy ending. Sorry, but cheating once or twice can maybe lead back to a marriage, but nothing longer than that and the wronged spouse will always have doubt in the depths of their mind.