All Comments on 'Making an Honest Woman Ch. 03'

Well done. I'll read another. Thanks, Randi.

I was really enjoying this series, but if this is the last chapter, it feels like you gave up on the story and just decided to end it. Here are some of the things that I feel are missing (which is a shame, because it was great up till now!):

1) The wife's motivation for cheating

2) How many times she had affairs

3) An explosive confrontation between the wife and husband

4) Some kind of revenge on the cheaters

5) A satisfying ending for the husband

The husband reacts far too calmly to finding out she's a serial cheater. When he found out that she'd been lying to him for years and fucking god knows how many men, he'd be furious! The typical male reaction is to want to know details too (how many, who, and when). Highly emotive confrontations are fun to write and even more entertaining to read. Calm and sad acceptance doesn't feel real or satisfying.

As it is, the wife and her lovers also get off without any real consequences (excuse the pun). He ends up divorcing the wife in the most accommodating way possible and still going to be cooking dinner for her every evening!

The husband ultimately comes across as submissive, passive, and afraid of confrontation, making me lose all sympathy for him in this chapter. The wife even blows up at him in this one (she hopes he screws a student, gets sued and lose his job), and he still doesn't react to it and walks out!

Disappointing.

No excitement, no revenge or retribution, no reconciliation or crawling back together; just an acceptance by two people facing the reality of the situation. That acceptance includes the need for the children's welfare. Perhaps some hope for the future, but at least working together to minimise the damage.

A very realistic human story. I liked it.

Also well constructed and well written. Very readable.

Lue

But as far as open endings go that wasn't bad at all. I usually hate open endings and I didn't mind this one. I do not like that term calling a story "realistic" that's just a nice way of saying it's boring.

I have to agree with Powersworder that you gave up on it. What's worse, it feels like not only you did not close things from previous chapters, this last one added more unfinished issues.

Let's see:

(1) no closure, obviously; not a good thing in itself

(2) misleading title - there is no making of an honest woman going on, at best there's a beginning of a process, although the reason for going on with the divorce seems to be that even that supposed beginning looks like a false start; it makes me wonder what you had in mind for this making thing when you started

(3) no understanding of what happened, that in itself makes the story unfinished; there's a lot of therapy going on, but it barely starts to ask questions, let alone provide any answers. The wife, the kids, the husband, none of them get any closure on the therapy front. And among the new loose ends is the new question in the husband's therapy that's just put out there and never answered, what is the real reason for him wanting a divorce? he gives a generic answer that does not say anything about what is going on inside him. That's not how this works. Similarly, the idea that the wife has a psychological issue that leads to compulsive cheating is tossed out there without any intention to develop and close it. The kids start therapy, but again, the outcome is in the air - even the big issue of forgiveness is left wide open.

(4) related to the honesty issue - no closure for the cheating topic, she does not come clean about anything. The deflection about "it was not me" seems artificial without more explanations, but those would probably have to tie in to some progress in the wife's therapy

(5) the divorce and related issues. Even assuming everything goes uncontested, it's still unfinished. Why bring up her financials? what happens to the kids? how does the temporary move and visit plan go? how do they eventually settle into new lives?

(6) and that's leaving aside the types of closure typically requested by the LW peanut gallery

Otoh, your saying that as far as you go this is done would suggest that something about this story was too close for comfort. Perhaps you owe it to yourself to try and imagine at least some of the missing answers. It seems hard to believe that a story that looks so unfinished to readers could not feel (acutely) the same to its author. You obviously put a lot of thought and effort in writing this so far, and the form is quite good.

Just a resting place, while the author reads some other stories and comments....and tries to get drunk enough to walkabout for another chapter or two... nobody has any idea where this will endup, but it will be somewhere near the WC

Maybe his story is finished...but her story has a lot of open holes, as some comments stated...Would it need a total new story? maybe...But that is the writer's decision...4* for his story part

There is no closure on anything in this story. They are not divorced. She has "something wrong" but we don't know what. Can "it" be fixed? From what little we know of "it" it sounds like the typical rational for a cheating wife; "I felt smothered", etc. The therapist hints it might be considered a "disease" but I would suggest it is a character flaw. NO, he doesn't need to support her through a character flaw that lets her rationalize cheating. She even hints that her "new self" will be honest. Does that mean she will still cheat but tell him about it. Wow, how wonderful.

Neither is there any closure on the living situation. So he will be in the house with his wife still trying to stay close to him; just dropping in for dinner. The kids get to see the parents together and get a wrong message and a false hope that they may get back together. Or maybe it's not a false hope and he will be a moron and accept her back.

It doesn't feel like this chapter really moved the story forward. He finds out about another incident of cheating and he goes back to the pain and the uncertainty. Rinse and repeat.

This is the end? Why don't you just shoot me?

Powersworder and the last Anon got it right: many unanswered questions and unfinished issues.

I like to add further issues:

1) Her behaviour in the first scene of the first chapter remains a mistery. Despite it was obvious to everyone (most probably her too) that he knew about her affair it was more important for her to meet and fuck her lover than to keep her husband and family. When she finally called her lover, it was obvious that he was more than a fuck toy. One has to assume that at that moment her relationship with the lover was closer than with her husband - they shared a secret over him. Such a behaviour cannot be explained away by the usual psychobabble that declares a serial cheater innocent.

2) A series of cheating always has a beginning. The man she met a year ago probably was not the first in this line. The final chapter of the story does not offer any clarification of this, does not show us what triggered the series. She wanted to be somebody else, wanted to have a seperate life of her own? She obviously had more of an own life than many other married women; she had her own busyness, came home everyday as the last to a readymade household and obviously met many people outside her marriage. What justification does she really have for her infidelity?

3) When she came clear (really?) about her most recent affair, she once stated that she had better sex with her lover because he gave her vaginal orgasms. That's does not affect Dan's male ego? Really? He told his counsellor that he had no such issues, not believable. And she did not want to hurt him? And she does believe that she can stop cheating considering this situation?

We need a further chapter from her POV! Who can write it better than the original author. No, wendylicker, you are not out of this!

Only because it's unfinished

I finished this story feeling very unsatisfied. I gave it a charitable 2 stars.

How can she respect a husband that thinks like a woman? Throughout the story the husband has been thinking in a feminine manner. In this chapter, for dinner, "I'd made rigatoni with sausage and broccoli rabe, in a white bean sauce." I know some readers are males and cook rigatoni with sausage and broccoli rabe in a white bean sauce and feel it is quite normal. Perhaps it is, but the guys on my bowling team grill steaks, fry eggs, and make sandwiches. They are not much on making rigatoni with sausage and broccoli rabe.

Then there was the matter of the "scare quotes". I think "air quotes" was the expression the writer wanted.

I don't mind the lack of revenge and the lack of a great reason for cheating. Maybe she found a guy that made duck l'orange even better? We don't know. We do know that she cheated, she cheated more than once and really didn't seem committed to the marriage. He needs to divorce her and find a woman that appreciates his ability to decorate a room and cook duck l'orange or rigatoni with sausage and broccoli rabe (This long, slender vegetable, which may also be referred to as broccoli raab and is similar to rapini, has thin stalks with deep-green leaves and small buds that resemble broccoli florets. Broccoli rabe is sold fresh in grocery stores and farmers market)

Get cranking on 4 th chapter. Great story so far 5 stars here

They always justify the abhorrent. How could this counselor try to justify cheating as a mental illness? Do real counselors do this?

When she stated the cheating wife was lying to spare HIS feeling she couldn't have been more wrong. She was lying to keep the life she enjoyed so much! The cheating wife wanted to go home to her safe zone after she acted like a slut with other men.

Why couldn't she act like a slut for her husband?

Her now recognizing the fault in her cheating and what she could lose if caught is disingenuous at best. Nothing but more lies.

It's obvious from the story that she was a serial cheater, but the depths of her evil were not spelled out. I think this was a missed opportunity to bring the proper amount of drama to the chapter.

Between the continued lies and the counselor's feminist agenda, the possibility of RAAC was left open. Please don't go there. Yes, I know you said it's the end chapter even though many are saying the story is unfinished, and it is.

Our author acknowledged the good advice of finishing a story before posting. This chapter seemed to have been rushed and as told by other readers, "it fizzled out". It lacked emotion or excitement.

All in all not bad for a first effort. Keep writing.

I was personally hoping for a more basic premise but this is still very interesting.

Ellen is too full of herself and a very ugly bitch to boot on top of being a deranged slut.

I do hope your protagonist develops a stronger, slightly more dangerous aspect to him.

He doesn't seem to have hard edges where he needs them and his deranged cum dumpster of a wife has too many.

Also looking forward to the next story. The one you said you will finish before starting to post. I understand that this story is still a work in progress and we may have to wait a bit for the next part.

BTW just ignore the posters who misunderstood your comment at the start of this chapter and thought it meant this was the last chapter.

Please do not end this story here. It's too good to leave us hanging. Hope you continue.

Excellent chapter. Story is very good. The therapy seems a bit aggressive with his counselor. I know you need to use it for plot, but those are serious questions she is asking. She is also to the point of giving directions it seems. Therapist cannot do that.

Keep going as this is best LW story in months. Well done and thank u.

...to be disappointed.

Three pages of exceedingly well grouped words that amounted to a short paragraph of information.

Husband found out wife had more than one affair.

Wife kind of, sort of admits to being a serial cheater.

Husband decides to divorce her but will have her over for dinner every night.

My male intuition, courtesy of my X factor, tells me this story was a personally cathartic endeavor for the author.

The title implied an ending much different from this.

Thank you for your efforts. You have a good command of the dialog and your characters are believable. The mystery is with the wife and we all hope to see your next chapter.

Have to say this story hits all targets for 5*s. Characters that act and react in an entertaining manner while being realistic enough for the reader to relate. Dialog that is consistent with the action of the characters.

The oathbreaker Ellen is very intriguing 🤔. Her dialog and actions left me with an impression of control. She thought she ran the relationship. Her husband was under her thumb. Wendylicker that is some fine art. I wasn't bludgeoned by obvious technique. If you didn't intend this well, it's a bonus of your talent. Ellen not being able to tell about all of her cheating is understandable but was an explosive mine she planted in the attempt to save the marriage. Why is the question. To not hurt him anymore😇 or because she has more sinister reasons😈??

Very good use of the children characters. Many others just mention them as an aside or a simple plot device. Those writers forget children are suffering during and after a divorce. They can easily be damaged, as much as the cheated on spouse. Very sad.

Rarely do I ask for an additional chapter but this story cries out for it.

Please, give us more. It doesn't need to be a direct continuation. I definitely want to find out the truth about Ellen (now there's a title, lol). Was she sick somehow and only cheated twice (sic)... Or was she an adulteress throughout the marriage, a master manipulator of her husband ??

Thank you for the fine work. Read you again soon.

AMerryman

"Perhaps you should see it as a compliment that she cared to put so much effort into deceiving you." - WTF? She put so much effort into deceiving him because she want to deceive him!

"If you don't want to have sex with me, then I don't see how you can get angry about someone else wanting to." - Maybe because you're fucking MARRIED?!

Ellen gasped. - She KNEW more or less what he was going to say, yet still denied it when he said it!

"I'm not me when I'm with him?" - Unless she's a true "split personality" (I know that's not the correct term any more), that's just a convenient excuse. She knew EXACTLY who she was, and made a conscious decision to cheat.

"It was just supposed to be something for me." - My hackles REALLY go up when I hear that! What if HE wanted something for HIM, and had affairs? Would she accept that? NO. FUCKING. WAY! He could kiss his life good-bye!

Her reaction when he says that they're done shows the true extent of her "love" for him!

The destruction of the family is not on him! If she set fire to the house, and he had the burnt remains torn down, did he destroy the house because he tore it down?

"Well, I strongly advise that whatever arrangements you make, you ensure that both girls remain together." - If Alyssa wants to be with him, and the girls need to remain together, maybe HE should get the house, especially since he's not taking anything from her business.

He needs a new therapist! It's okay that she lied to him, because the truth would have hurt him? How about not doing the things that would hurt him if he knew the truth?

"... you should be the one to stay here with the girls. I should be the one to move out." - She's right!

"And, if I didn't, would it be because by then I didn't love her anymore, or because, even though I did, it was more important to me to continue to punish her?" - No, it's because he can't trust her, no matter how much she and the therapist say that she is "fixed'!

@SKHP - GREAT point about her business. Many cheating wives at least have the flimsy excuse that their entire lives are defined by their families, but she doesn't even have THAT excuse! She's a successful, independent businesswoman.

@Harddaysknight Re: "Scare Quotes" - I had the same feeling, but I looked it up, scare quotes are a real thing. I DO think that air quotes would be better here. I believe that scare quotes is more of a printed thing, as if an article about climate change deniers deniers might use "global warming" as a way to cast doubt on its reality, while air quotes are more of a physical thing, and while he wasn't physically present, he was implying that if he was, he could see her making them for those words or phrases, and most people WOULD call them air quotes.

I have no problem with the story ending here, assuming he is, indeed, going to be getting a divorce. Another chapter detailing the nuts and bolts of the divorce would be anti-climatic. The only reason for another chapter would be if they were somehow to reconcile. Please, god, no!

I am still following your story with great interest. Instead of being a wam-bam thank you mam type story you have started the beginning of a novel in which we have to wait extended periods of time to get to dip our toes in the refreshing water of the lake.

If I look at your tale as written so far Dan and Ellen are far more financially able than your average couple. Yes I understand that some acidimac's make good money, but three different therapists? Ellen is co-owner of a catering business and can't cook, but she can do other things to bring in business.

Not being a professional therapist but a great bar room listener my advice is that Ellen lost all respect for Dan when he took on more than half of the house hold chores, there has to be an equal division between the spouses. Ellen lost respect for Dan when he didn't question her the first time she started having 'evening meetings' with her partner and didn't follow up on what she was doing.

Dan may be a loving farther and have been a great husband but what he really was, was a weak push over and Ellen felt she needed a manly man so she took lovers to get that. Letting Ellen take over his apartment and him the house will only give her a freer chance to fuck around.

Dan would have been better off, begging off on the evenings at home and start to find women to date and let her see how it feels. My guess is it wouldn't change her until the money got tight.

Wendylicker,

this being your first published story is a great start. I enjoyed the story line. You gave us enough twists and turns to keep us reading. I for one was really believing that this affair was Ellen’s first and only dalliance into the world of cheating and was glad to see her husband make an honest attempt to salvage the marriage. But with the revelation of an earlier and who knows how many affairs the marriage was broken beyond repair. At least it would have been if it were mine.

I think you ended too soon, but perhaps it’s your writing style to leave us hanging. All in all, you did an excellent job! I know how diifcult it is to put a long story together.

That other comment from "AMerryman" wasn't me. That's the guy who has hacked my anonymous account and pretends to be me. Everyone knows I give only 3*s, and he gave a 5* vote. He didn't use any emojies, either, and I always like to use emojies and text speech, LOL. :-)

If you see a comment from the fake "AMerryman" you should just delete it. I give 3*s to people like Qhml1, and Oshaw to encourage them. That's what I'm doing here. You can take my 3*s and be really, really encouraged. That's what I do when someone writes a great story.

AMerryman (the real one)

This is one fantastic writer who gets all the characters in place and tells everyone's feeling s ,is the author a female? Whatever ! this story is a work of art and so close to reality in this messed up world. . Just amazingly well done. A rate gem of a writer on this site. I can only hope he or she has more stories to write. There are those who would be negative in the mindset as burning the bitch is all they understand? So sorry for those lost souls.

Outstanding story. I disagree with some of the psycho-babble you used. She has severe problems with honesty and reality. She seems to think that her pussy got her in the mess, it can get her out. Only 2 affairs were revealed, but with the attitude she has, likely there are more, perhaps MANY more. There really isn't words to describe just how GREAT your writing is. You made this unbelievably believable.

Clearly she just needs to hit up that retreat Weinstein used to cure her sex-addiction because no one should be held accountable for their actions.

there are just to excuses, to much BS to believe anything she says. if i were the husband , id tell her

to find her own place, letting her live on campus, is like giving a crackhead free crack.

This is a realistic but sad story written from Dan's POV. We still don't know what is going on with Ellen or how long she had been cheating on her family. It appears that she continued to lie to her counselor while trying to save her marriage. I encourage you to write the story from her perspective when you get the time. Your story was well thought out. My only problem was the gaps between chapters. I felt like chapter 2 did not fit Ellen's attitude in chapter 1. In the first chapter Ellen was defiant and determined to meet her lover despite the clear indication that her husband was on to her. In chapter 2 she was more submissive and was willing to say anything to keep her marriage.

I thought that this chapter had just the right balance. Dan told her in the first chapter that if she wasn't honest the marriage was over. She had plenty of chances in the second chapter to confess her sins. Instead she used therapy to try to bring him back without apparently changing herself. Dan had to divorce her because he can't trust her. He is the nurturing parent. Many commentators have criticized the character but I found him an honest man who was trying to be there for his family. Many men are better cooks than their wives. If he likes to cook and is better at it, he is not a wimp to cook. His girls announced their preference to staying with him in the first chapter. I was surprised that he assumed that she would get the kids. Ellen was a book keeper for a small catering company. Her hours should have been part time. She chose to be away from her family and have Dan be the nurturer.

They will get a divorce. Dan will eventually tell her not to drop in for dinner without warning because she will take advantage of her freedom and chase new dicks while he holds down the fort at home. Her activites would get back to him since she is going to be living on campus. Eventually Dan will find a woman who would appreciate his character probably a fellow academic. Dan's revenge will be a life well lived that Ellen will have to witness.

Thanks for your work. You have talent and I look forward to reading more of your work.

reasonable man

Often, in real life, there is no satisfying closure -- just acceptance, that's why it is so hard to put it behind you and just look forward.

2nd therapist is a pretender: wife was not lying to keep from hurting her husband, she was lying in order to hide so that she would not be harmed. Marriage is more than a secular partnership, it is a Covenant. It is as close as two humans can be; there is emotional and psychological bonding and growth that cannot be torn without pain to both partners.

and went . . . nowhere. I'm not opposed to open ended stories, but there does need to be some effort to resolve at least some of the existing conflicts.

A few comments:

Don't foreshadow unless you are going to follow up on something. Bringing up the wife's business and financials and then going nowhere with it was wasted effort. If it's not central to the story, don't add it.

Like HDK, I think the husband was mostly portrayed through a feminine point of view. I don't expect all male protagonists to be knuckle draggers, but this guy was too far towards the other end of the spectrum.

They needed psychologists that didn't take sides. All of them seemed to be apologists for the wife and most of what they said was drivel.

Even in open ended stories, you need to resolve at least some of the plot threads you introduce. You can leave whether they get back together or not up in the air, but the wife's reasons for cheating, or at least her excuses, needs some sort of conclusion.

An interesting effort. I look forward to more from you.

Sorry, but reading this story just feels like work. Tedious, boring, mind-numbing, work. So many words. So many feelings expressed. So many irrelevant details shared. It's just painful to slog through it -- especially when it seems that the entire point of this story is to describe every minute detail about a couple's divorce.

I had high hopes after the last chapter. You could have taken the story in a completely different direction and turned it into a "Whodunnit" mystery of whether or not the wife was a serial cheater and compulsive liar. Instead, this was never in question, so all that was left was the inevitable sob-soaked confrontation, more long, dialog-filled, therapist appointments, details about the apartment, details about the divorce terms, another sob-filled confrontation with the kids, more therapy sessions, more angst displayed and shared...ugh.

You know what would have made this story interesting? If Dan had proposed an open marriage, on the condition of total honesty about every extramarital affair by either of them, that would have solved every one of their problems. They could continue enjoying their marriage and having their family intact, she could continue sowing her wild oats and scratching that itch, and he would never have to wonder again what she was doing or if she was being truthful about it. Problems solved.

Ah, well. Maybe the next story!

As others have said, this started out strong, but now it's become a tedious slog with no worthwhile payoff in sight. The story is stuck on a treadmill and seems destined to end with a whimper instead of a shout. That would be fine for a one-shot just a couple pages long, but this is a multi-part work that you are asking people to wait for, but giving no real incentive to do so.

With every new reveal you're just dragging it out more. At this point the wife has been presented as a serial cheater and a pathological liar who doesn't see what she's done as *that* big of a deal. Her redeeming qualities are practically nil, yet the husband is still hand-wringing about the divorce even though he himself doesn't have many nice things to say about her. All I see is cheap, manufactured drama and tension that's just not working.

But why would his secretary tell him about an alleged incident that occurred a year earlier? Why would she remember now? And how did she remember such credible details with just a momentary glimpse?

There have been numerous studies showing we can't remember salient details minutes after a major incident let alone a chance sighting a year earlier.

Since the whole chapter was predicated upon this revelation, I give you a well deserved one star.

You are better than this.

. . . while the story was relatively well written, although a bit too wordy at times, the ending was disappointing. So much more needed to be said, and the ending just flopped with a dull thud. I guess that reconciliation was a possibility until the second infidelity was revealed, and that's OK, but the story could have used a bit more from the wife in clarification. You've made it clear that this is the last chapter, but you might want to continue it in some way - let us know, perhaps, that the wife is working to heal, and that the husband is aware, etc, etc, etc. Anyway, 4*

I thought the story good. I would have preferred more from wife's perspective and more dialogue between H and W in the last chapter. Nevertheless one of the better stories.

anon.1

She wasn't his secretary.

She got more than quick glimpse. SHE SAW COUPLE IN LOBBY, FOLLOWED THEM ONTO THE ELEVATOR, STOOD NEXT TO THEM AND OBSERVED, GOT OFF ELEVATOR WITH THEM AND WATCHED THEM ENTER A ROOM.

When the wife suggests that he live at home and continue taking care of their daughters the thought that comes to my mind is that she wants a place to bring her future lovers while her children have their dad to continue the parenting duties. The author never offered any clues into the wife's "alternative marriage" where she builds her business and has hubby do home duty while she explores multiple lovers. The fact that she is living in the University's facility quarters is a link in the chain to her husband taking more responsibility for her and the children while she continues to play.

This is a RAAC without even giving us the courtesy of showing us the reconciliation.

All of this was basically the first third of an actual story. We got handed a bunch of questions--how long has she been cheating, why did she start and continue to cheat, what the everliving fuck was up her behavior on the night he confronted her. We never got the second third in which the questions were answered, let alone the conclusion in which the husband gets to react to that information.

And it's okay not to answer the questions if you're going to write a story in which the answers don't matter... except that's not what happened. The husband straight-up realizes that he's a passive wimp who is weak against deceit from his wife, and that the only way he can protect himself is to get away from her to avoid being drawn back in... and then promptly gives her daily access to him, and doesn't set any boundaries to her stated plan to make him ignore everything that's happened.

The way the story ended strongly implies that the epilogue is "Well, she eventually wore me down, and after everyone convinced me that this somehow wasn't really her fault, I took her back, and then around the time the girls were off to college, she left me for her lover or started being blatant again about her affairs, and I finally realized I needed to grow some balls and actually leave this time. It's a shame my daughters no longer respect me now, between the years of indoctrination from their mother and my bizarre fixation on justifying her actions to them."

Who is this pretender that claims to give out fives and sprinkles cute little emojis all over the place? I was dubious, but I am now convinced. aMerryman's anonymous account has been hacked, perhaps by Russians, or even Iranians! Everyone knows that 3 *s is the absolute limit for aMerryman, although he once read Hamlet and pushed his score up to 4 *s. The Sheriff of Nottingham has been alerted and will be watching for the knave that soiled the good name of one of Robin's finest!

(Often and Easily) Maid Marian

Has a very real feel to it. Still can't believe you're a first time writer; your dialogue is superb. "Etiology" - throwing SAT words at us? Entertaining and educational. Just like some other authors do with geography, or pop or country songs.

Can't wait for the next installment. Honestly, I like when stories are all put out at once, or at least very quickly, like daily; but a "delayed" "serial" is ok too. But, usually, in serials you know when the next installment will be, usually weekly. Anxiously wondering if the car going over the cliff edge still had its occupants in it? Did they dive out in time, just seconds before the car plunged to a fiery drop, or were they still seatbelted in, screaming as their lives flashed before their eyes, visions of Little League games superimposed over the empty creek bed rushing to meet them.

Any ideas how soon the next installment might be? Of course if you need the time to put out as excellent the pieces that has so far been produced, take it (thought bubble: but please hurry)

Just thought people should be reminded of that - his boss's boss. His direct boss is usual the chair of that department he's in.

That the author stated at the beginning of this chapter - "This is the final chapter, as far as I'm concerned. Thanks for reading."

Thanks for the story, it was worth every penny I paid for it ;-)

Keep up the very good writing and think carefully about developing an ending where there are not so many unanswered questions.

@Anonymous reasonable man Re: "Great writer" - She WASN'T a bookkeeper for a small catering company, she was part owner, handling the business side of things. I don't think the size was ever mentioned, but there is this from Ch 1: "For the first few years it wasn't much more than a hobby; recently, though, she's been making pretty good money."

@swingerjoe Re: "Open Marriage" - You're assuming that he WANTS an open marriage, where it's pretty obvious that he wants a partner as devoted to him and their family as he is. Besides, what you described wasn't an open marriage, as she was the only one "open."

@SystemShock - This isn't being "dragged out" because this is the end! Check the author's note at the beginning again!

@CaOldDog Re: "Interesting conclusion" - What you missed is that they are getting divorced,with him getting the house and custody. As a divorcee, she can have all the lovers she wants!

@Valint Re: "Disappointing" - How can it be a RAAC without a reconciliation? They are getting divorced, that's hardly RAAC! It may not be BTB, but she's losing her marriage, house and family. I don't see how your epilog fits with this final line: "I would tell Arlene to proceed with the divorce."

@etchibopy, the author stated upfront that this was the final chapter!

Not sure what to make of this story. I normally like a story that ends normally happily with me wanting it to carry on. This one doesn't end happily but that's not a problem, my hesitation with this story is that it has ended in such an inconclusive way that I am left with no real feelings either way. Did they reconcile, did the girls accept the situation happily, did he find another partner, did she, the questions are unending and that's the real frustration.

Having said all that it's the authors right to end it how they wish and that should be respected by us the readers.

I suppose that I have really enjoyed this story and I am sad it has ended. A great story thank you.

It's entirely possible to be devoted to your husband/wife, be a terrific parent, place a top priority on the family...and have sex outside of the marriage. A marriage isn't only about sex.

Dan's character, as written in this story, seemed more upset about his wife's lying, and her violation of his trust, than her infidelity. I think that if she had come clean as soon as it happened, he would have taken her back. The repeated lying and mistrust was what killed the marriage. Given that, had he presented her with the option to continue having extramarital sex as long as she was honest with him about it, perhaps that arrangement may have worked. Or maybe not. Either way, it would have been a more interesting ending to this story, IMHO.

You're just espousing easy platitudes. Yes a Covenent. If in church in front of God. But what if it's done by a harried worker in the county's Hall of Records. Without using gods name used once. It is certainly a commitment. Yes, one of the strongest you'll can have, a binding legal contract linking you to one another. But a Covenant? I think not.

And I think the absolute closest human bond (for most) is the mother-child bond. I agree marriage is the closest bond entered into, and this is crucial, voluntarily.

Also, why is the counselor lying? Why can't it be both? I know I've lied about minor things all the time. "Oops, I forgot to tell you I ordered the new Rossignol ski boots. Sorry honey." There, a lie. I didn't forget, I wanted to prevent, possibly for ever, the pain of disappointment in me I know she will have as I drain our Christmas savings, and the pain of making the payment to the credit card company. AND I didn't want for her the pain of "disappointment" she'll feel (that look on her face...), and the tongue lashing I am now going to get. Though mostly it was the tongue lashing, some of it was to put off the look of disappointment I know she'll feel. There, Not one or the other. Both. Though not necessarily equally.

I understand that they are getting divorced and that she can do as she pleases however, the link I was alluding to was that she was going to be living in the University Housing where he is the requestor for the housing and the person responsible for the property. She also strongly hinted that she was going to be "cured" and then try to win him back.

In this chapter we learn that she files her taxes separately. He has no idea what she makes. Two kids selling lemonade are co-owners, that doesn't mean anything. The story gives us no idea about how busy her business is. All we know is that it involves Ellen and her friend. Ellen spends a lot of time away from her family and has now suggested that she will be the one to leave them.

reasonable man

I am sure that given the audience only a truly rebel author would make the protagonist

swallow a toad!

I don't necessarily disagree with your SECOND statement, but your FIRST statement, the one I was responding to, had the following:

"If Dan had proposed an open marriage, ... she could continue sowing her wild oats and scratching that itch" A marriage where SHE could continue sowing HER wild oats, isn't an open marriage! An open marriage would have allowed him to sow HIS wild oats as well, except that he didn't want to, which makes him proposing an open marriage a non-starter.

It doesn't need another chapter. It was great for what it was -- an exploration of a situation rather than a journey to a conclusion.

What I felt made WendyLicker's story so different from most LW stories was the insights into the husband character's personality and his thoughts. He was seen to be more sensitive to both his own and others' feelings and, as an academic, thinking things through as logically as possible for one deeply involved in a difficult situation.

This was shown especially in his concerns for the two daughters.

And, unlike HDK, I prefer men who have the capacity to understand feelings and motives. If they come with the capacity to cook gourmet meals for the family as well, that's a bonus.

Lue

Ps: We should all be concerned about the deception currently occurring in Sherwood Forest. I hope that AMerryman and Maid Marian find and expose the imposter as soon as possible.

My comment was in response to the statement that she was a "mere bookkeeper," where the story clearly states that she was co-owner, handling the business side. True, we have no idea of her hours, but they could just as easily be full-time as part-time, and we were told that they were making pretty good money.

@sbrooks - RAAC without the reconciliation == it read to me as though someone wrote a RAAC story and then didn't even bother to upload the last page.

As written, I cannot conceive of this person standing on their own two feet and forging a new life for themselves. The whole conversation with the daughter about how it was no big deal, his wife was just scratching an itch, felt to me like someone already trying to just ignore the issue and move past it. He's fully aware that she can talk circles around him, and by having her over for dinner every night, he's practically inviting her to do just that.

"I would tell Arlene to proceed with the divorce." Yeah, he said that. He's also said a lot of things, and has drawn a lot of bright lines and given a lot of last chances, and keeps finding reasons to not actually enforce any of them.

At the end, the wife gets pretty much the best she could hope for at this point. He's at home playing Mr. Mom. She gets the right to come over on a daily basis whenever she wants the comfort and security of home, and has her single apartment when she wants a life of her own. She doesn't get sex from him, but let's not forget the "he never gave her a vaginal orgasm" thing (and, gee, have to now wonder if maybe her latest lover wasn't that unique in giving her one), so perhaps she can deal with having to get that elsewhere.

There's no way he can move on with her still so entwined in his life, and she has every opportunity she needs to suck him back in.

I'd say it ends on an ambiguous note, but the only non-RAAC ways I could see his life possibly going are (a) the on-campus apartment means she's pretty close if he ever wants to drop by, perhaps after finally deciding to give her another last chance, he walks in on her with her lover, and (maybe?) grows some balls, or (b) a supermodel gets lost on her way to a StangStar story, and he gets a rebound girlfriend who bitch-slaps him into freedom from her (or, at least, a more pleasant slavery).

if a person is having sex outside of their marriage or relationship. there is no way they are completely devoted to their spouse or significant other or the relationship.

Who performs the marriage ceremony has nothing to do with whether two people entered into a covenant with each other.

Might want to check the primary denotation in any dictionary!

The "open marriage" you suggest wouldn't be an open marriage. It would be a "hotwife" relationship -- which I never suggested. I merely stated that if they were both open and honest about sex, and gave each other a little freedom to explore, their marriage and family could have been saved.

Not for nothing, but such an ending would also give the title of this story some validity. As it stands, I'm not sure how the wife in this story was ever an honest woman. If Dan had forced her to become honest by allowing her to do upfront what she had been hiding from him, THEN he would have truly made her into an honest woman!

Not sure if your comment extends this far, but that's debatable. Suppose you have a husband and wife who are both lovers of another woman, both singly, and together? Loving devotion to both the spouse and a significant other, on the part of both, and the significant other. Not an "open" relationship, but definitely having sex with someone else. You probably didn't intend your comment to spread that wide. A couple where one is cheating and lying to the other about it has no chance, after detection. You are right about that. You don't cheat and lie about meaningful things to people you love. That, by definition, is narcissism.

Great story, by the way, Author. End it where you choose. It's your story, and you'll never satisfy people who want you to recount history from the dawn of time to the final apocalypse. Don't worry about comments by those who are envious because you are a better writer than they are, either. Are you sure you aren't some veteran just playing tricks on us?

Sorry but the ending just doesn't feel right to me as a reader, especially after that last chapter's cliff hanger that brought us all back.

3*

I WASN'T proposing an open marriage! I was responding to YOUR comment where you raised the possibility of HIM proposing an open marriage, but then described a marriage that WASN'T open, except for her!

Since the story ENDS with him deciding to go ahead with the divorce there is no reconciliation of ANY kind, let alone a RAAC.

His use of scratching an itch analogy wasn't meant to minimize what she did, but as an example of how we're sometimes driven to do something harmful even when we are aware of the damage it can cause.

The writing is so much better than anything we've seen over the last several weeks.

The number of comments received is the true measure of how many readers were engaged by the story. As Wendylicker surely knows, no one posts in Loving Wives for unambiguous praise--as they say, "here be dragons".

The great HDK, who is virtually never wrong, has pointed out in the past that writing the beginning of a Cheating Wife story is child's play; the skill is in writing a story that has an ending. This story has an ending that I find perfectly reasonable--for the author to decide that we don't need to know who moves where, or which spouse re-marries first (if at all), or where Alyssa goes to college, is completely appropriate.

Above all, the story does what Loving Wives fans look for in a serious piece of fiction (as opposed to a stroke story)--it engages our emotions, gets us to care about the characters and situations and what happens next. In that way, "Making an Honest Woman" is totally a success.

Thanks so much, and I am among many readers in hoping for more stories from you soon.

Best, ohio

However the story was very boring and dull. I felt like I was watching a Lifetime Network movie.

I just looked back at the sub-title and the current score.

That subtitle tells a lot about what to expect from the story and where the author is coming from. Interesting. I should have paid more attention before reading on.

And the score, whilst lower than that for the earlier chapters, is still marginally above 4. So readers like it, despite the many complaints in the commentary.

Lue

I find it hard not to agree with ohio but I this instance I must. This is not an ending. Making an Honest Woman the title so how does that fit where the story stands today. I have enjoyed the writing and in a particular many of the insights and rationale that has been put forth. I won’t say that every question in a story has to be answered but in this story almost every question is left unanswered. I would agree with ohio that I would look forward to future posts by wendylicker but will read no more if this is their idea of an ending.

At least three of the most imposing figures on Literotica read your story. Whatever they say completely outweighs anything I could ever say or anything anyone else could ever say. When you have writers who have been around, topped the charts, and know writing as well as those three do and they read your story, you know you've arrived and didn't just write smut.

Another sure sign you succeeded is if Swingerjoe didn't like it and makes a nasty comment. You know you didn't just write smut. You punched all the tickets.

and real life drama. Good plot twist in wife other affairs and I liked the explanation for her lie. If wife told truth she is toast, if wife gets caught in lie she is toast, if lie succeeds-wife is OK. a 1 in 3 chance to save the marriage -so lie was hedged gamble.

no easy answers and life's lessons come after the test. Sometimes Shit just happens and you need to roll with as best you can as the author had written the main character.

well done

"Making an Honest Woman the title so how does that fit where the story stands today."

What more does she have to be honest about? She started out being dishonest about her affairs, she ended up being honest about them.

But WendyLicker's subtitles have been more informative than his title.

Lue

The number of comments you rec'd on the first two installments was astounding, and is testament to the quality of the writing and depth of the viewpoints on the problems and solutions.

I am disappointed you chose to stop it here, would love to see how it all works out (or doesnt).

I am looking forward to your next offering.

Human people, making human mistakes and trying to working through the messes they caused.

Really looking forward to subsequent chapters.

better, idk that second Ch idk maybe shouldnt have been written, hard to say bc i like ur writing felt off for this series. there was something in here on page 2 i think, i wanted to comment on but dont remember, so probably isnt worth commenting on it lol, ty for the story, will be putting u on follow and waiting for more stories from u

Thank you for this story. I have been poking around this site for several years, mostly in this category, and yours is by far the best-written story of its kind that I have seen here. The characters and their voices are natural, the story development and pacing just right, the emotions well-described and believable...

Please keep contributing!

Guess I have a different definition for that word than another commenter.

She lied about first affair until presented with the evidence.

She denied second affair until that position was

untenable.

She implies or reader is led to infer she had many more affairs with her ''little piece of the past'' statement.

Her comment about her not bringing affair home or affecting family is self-delusional. Husband would not have hired PI if wife's attitude at home had not changed considerably.

Though her verbal attack may be seen by some as having naught to do with honesty, when she expresses her vitriolic hope that he become lonely, sued for sexual harassment, and lose his job, she IS HONESTLY expressing her long held disrespect, contempt, and hatred of husband.

Talented effort by author resulting in most amicable divorce. Parents placing children first. Family will dine together every night.

In closing, just because a character in the story does not want to know certain facts does not exclude writer's responsibility to provide those oft hinted about details to the readers.

Shouldn’t be the end...how about more chapters? End it here & the story is left hanging. You are a really good story teller and have written a compelling tale. Thanks for sharing...

Loved the first two chapters, and was hoping I'd be able to give highest marks on this one too. Still, definitely an above average submission. I also appreciate that the story did finish. It's always a risk on the part of the reader to start a story that only has the promise to be finished. You didn't let us down.

The main problem I had with this chapter, was that there were so many things raised in the first two chapters that were just abandoned. As that guy from Star Trek famously said, if you show a gun onstage in Act I, it needs to be used by the end of the play.

In one therapy session it came up that her need for recognition might have led her to cheat. In another therapy session, the possibility of "mind games" was raised. Was it either, neither, or both? We don't know at the end.

Dr. Drake seems very committed to them reconciling at one point. She seems to believe Ellen in all aspects. Yet she does not seem shocked in the least when Dan reveals she's had more than one affair. Did Dr. Drake also know this? If so, why was she pushing for reconciliation before Dan even was aware of the bigger issue? If Dr. Drake didn't know, why did she still seem to be pushing toward reconciliation? The behavior seems odd, without some hidden motive. And at the end, Ellen is "... still working with Dr. Drake ...", who clearly was ineffective, at best. Again, at the end we don't have answers.

How long was she doing this? With how many different lovers? Once again, we don't know. These things might not bother me quite as much if the title wasn't what it was. I don't think I'm the only one who assumed based on the that title, we'd have a story that ended with some kind of full disclosure to important issues raised.

The last, of course, is the initial conversation the night he confronted her. In subsequent chapters, she seems terrified of losing her marriage. The night she KNEW he suspected, she seemed the opposite. Why that disparity? There doesn't need to be proven infidelity to lead to divorce, just suspicion it exists. Dan told her in no uncertain terms the marriage was over if she left. Yet she was still willing to take that risk. Given what comes later, this seems incongruous. And despite a lot of scenes involving therapy, this night never comes up. Why? That part made me beat my head against the wall.

I did enjoy your contribution and hope we'll see more submissions from you. I hope you take my thoughts on this chapter in that context.

Enjoyed it a lot. I look forward to any other stories you may write.

Ok. Since we finally get the title into the story (when you see it in a movie my wife's family always, quietly, applauds), I am guessing it's done???

Though, I too would like a little more closure. Oh sure, it may be better than the near "Sopranos" ending of chapter 2, but it looked like you were trying to close holes within the story with this chapter, and you did, for some points. Still a lot of little details left unfinished. I think I would have preferred the story to end at chapter 2, if chapter 3 is the end. Leave us the "Oh shit!" of a short story. Shit like that is ok for short or Flash stories. But the more you get invested into a story, the more resolution you feel you need (I think that's why I hated the Sopranos ending. If it was a "Twilight Zone" episode, not a problem. Bookworm steps on his glasses. Fade out. Wait, wait! Does he find another pair somewhere? Are there other survivors? What caused the war? Who started it? Is there radiation? Does Meredith die of cancer, or starvation?OR just leave it at "...Steps on his glasses.")

Now we've got her 1099 to deal with. Left hanging. Is she a closet millionaire? Is her business both a catering business AND an escort service (would account for the millions)? If not an escort service, we know she cheated at least twice now. Do we, the readers, want to know how many men she's cheated with? Do we want to know "who" she cheated with (colleagues, or people they know, or all strangers)? And when did she start? Did she truly lose respect for him. Or did she not have it from the very start?

Someone said something about a gun in act 1 of a play. That's a good analogy. If it were a one act play, then it is just part of the scenery. But in a multipart, 2hour play, I sure would like to know what the hell the gun was there for.

Irregardless, damn fine writing.

Not sure where I first read that, but there's truth to this. You started Chapter 1 with a great opening confrontation, a nice hook. And then, never revisited it. Speaking for me, that initial confrontation is what drew me in. Why would she do what she did, when he gave all signs of knowing her marriage was on the rocks? If she wanted a divorce, it made sense. She was following through with a plan she knew would hurt him that night. She was prepared to do it anyway. Even if she was relying on him having no actual evidence, the fact that she knew he thought she was leaving to have an affair, and was about to leave anyway until confronted with proof, was hurtful.

As pointed out by many other comments, how did this not come up in therapy or outside it? A good hook at the beginning is great, but it's a thing I wanted to see revisited. Dan seemed to struggle with wondering if she was sincere, it seems like that night should have been deconstructed at length in therapy.

As a first submission, awesome. I hope it won't be the last. Been a nice ride.

Intriguing. Captures many of the main social and psychological issues in a situation like theirs. I for one enjoy a well written, intelligent yearn, that is more realistic than not. I appreciate stories like yours that explore the characters thoughts, feelings, and "the what drives" them to make their decisions. I felt you did a fabulous job with the husband. Sure, I would like to see their story continue, especially the psychological exploration of the wife. But I can understand why you cut it off at this point, since it is really the husband's narrative perspective.

Kudos. I hope you will write more. Don't let the naysayers get to you.

Where do you write about the wife being an honest woman? She told her husband in therapy that he only knew a fraction of her affairs so, when will she come clean? Ending here is avoidance of the logical story line - thanks so far!

Good point indeed! Why WASN'T her failure to be honest right at the start brought up with the therapist. Of course, now that we know that there was at least one other affair, I guess we know why she eschewed honesty!

For me, the issue is it was never brought up at all in the story. Not at the beginning, middle or end. Dan seems to think lack of honesty and commitment to marriage is worse than actual sex. If true, why doesn't he revisit that night in therapy or privately? Given the way he's portrayed, it does seem like an issue he'd want to know answers to. But he never brings it up.

When should it occur to him that he might not be the girls' bio-father?

Who do you cheat? You cheat people you don't know, or people you don't care about. Ellen really doesn't care about her husband, or her children. At least not enough to forgo her desire for strange cock.

Why do you cheat? You cheat in order to get something you cannot earn or obtain honestly and legitimately. You cheat because it works, and you have no personal ethics or morals to restrain yourself.

It is a very tepid and shallow relationship if a person cannot tell that their spouse doesn't really respect them. It is a very obtuse or blind person who cannot see that their spouse has no compunction about cheating or conniving to get what they want.

Ellen has been cheating for years. Dan has never noticed, suggesting that Ellen has never changed, and has always been a cheat and a liar.

So we are left with a woman who has no soul, no heart, no substance. She has said and done whatever it takes to get away with her cheating, and she has been successfully cheating for years. So Ellen will of course change, she will become a more careful and sophisticated cheater. Why not? Ellen has nothing left to lose, and everything to gain. She has no place to go but up. If she wins Dan back, perfect. And if she doesn't, she's still got all the other men out there who will be a fool for some cute middle aged physically fit pussy.

Again, the major plot fault is that the children are supposed to be deaf dumb and blind to their mother's true nature. Ain't gonna happen. Another plot fault that is revealed in this story is that Ellen admits to being a serial cheater, out of boredom. Her private therapy sessions should have made that known, and the therapist would never have advised Dan to reconcile with such a mentally or morally deficient woman.

So, a bit lame and contrived, but a decent first effort. Thank you for your time. I look forward to future stories.

This marriage was over at the first discovery of cheating. He just prolonged the pain of finding his wife to be an unrepentant, amoral, cheating slut. The only one in this story with any grasp of reality, was the 14 year old daughter. Good work though. It kept me interested to the non ending. Gave you a *4, would go 5 quickly for definite ending.

I know I will be in the minority on this, but I am happy the story ends up in the air at least a little. The story and characters belong to the author. He doesn't owe us a conclusion. I have seen how the "abusive psychotic bastard" that my dear friend divorced turned into a friendly co-parent in 10 years of living separate lives. I wonder if she doesn't regret exploding the marriage over his affair.

Things are never so black and white when it really is us in the fire. It's easy to make declarations when it's just theory.

So I hope you get more ideas and give us more of your kind of stories. And tell Wendy I think she's lucky to have you.

R.

This is far from done. If she takes the apartment she will have a place now to see her lovers. And what is her " Nedical Condition ". He deserves the truth.

So the Mrs. wants the bachelor pad? I wonder why?

Does she fight for her man and family? Or is it just another ruse to get vertical with air tight with college guys and have her own place to do it? She must protect the children! Tough call for the writer. I must admit I don’t see it ending well in my head. Get the camera installed before she goes in there. Fire in he hole!🤘

I'm just saying that the writer gave her gender away with her added details. I may not be Sherlock Holmes, but I easily identified this writer as female. That isn't a bad thing, but we all know that when men write as a female character, their thoughts do not always follow the path of female logic. (An oxymoron?) The same apparently can be said for females writing from a male perspective. I enjoyed the story and am fine with the ending. The wife not only lied repeatedly, but she also failed to understand how much of a deal breaker it was.

I just don't know he could be a man who valued monogamy and find a way to stay with a woman who felt "If you don't want to have sex with me, then I don't see how you can get angry about someone else wanting to."

Rather than her behavior being something aberrant, it sounds like some of her attitudes are felt very deeply.

Also, I think that the ship has already sailed on the possibility of staying together for these children's sake. They already know too much.

HDK's concern could be satisfied if all authors included their scores on the test mentioned in Vandemonium's recent story.

In 'After Friday Night', the husband noted:

"The test produced a result for every individual between 0 and 360. Most male brains scored between 0 and 180"

Problem solved.

Lue

Alyssa,will ride her bike over to see her mom some afternoon,using her key she will let her self in,and find her mom getting fucked hard in the ass by a young grad student, then she will understand with great clarity why her mom dumped her and her sister and moved into an apt. by her self....this visiting every day for dinner and chat like nothings wrong can not work...false hopes to the girls,and when not "if" Tom or Allie misses a dinner cause they have a date it will all come crashing down..great story tho !! Solid 4.5 *..would b 5 but too long between 1st an 3ed chapters...Please keep writing !...stlcris

What an intricate story. Great plot, wonderful characterization, Incredible insight into both female and male thought processes and internal dialogue. The ancillary characters are seamlessly woven into the story. You have provided the reader a dillema that will keep them coming back for Chapter 4.

The author wrote at the beginning of this chapter - "This is the final chapter, as far as I'm concerned. Thanks for reading."

So what you have read is what you get and you are left on your own to "assume" the ending.

As good as this tale is, the author actually has another fine story hidden in as “the rest of the story” he is not telling us?

Is Ellen’s offer to stay in apartment and let Dan have kids and house an altruistic offer or an alterative motive?

Dan staying in house makes sure hubby keeps house maintained and Dan already punted on child support-so more money for Ellen with bonus of low cost Campus housing. Also Dan with a house and two kids limits his dating/mating prospects. Despite what Therapist said -a middle age man with two daughters is not a “Babe Magnet”. However an attractive divorced MILF living alone will have no difficulty with men…

On the other hand-if Ellen let Dan stay in the apartment, it gives him a great place to meet and bang the bevy of coeds on campus (Means-Motive-Opportunity). The Wendylicker has the Ellen character know if she is staying in house with kids gives Ellen two little spies that report on her every move to keep Dan and limits her dating life as babysitters etc. plus playing Mommy after working all day is now more difficult.

Ellen staying apartment gives her single life she wants but can keep hidden from Dan as she keeps him as clueless as ever as she seeks a “cure” and professes her love and attempts to win him back. Even if they never get back 100% -she has hubby keeping the domestic life for her with clean kids and upkept house for “Mommy time” and still the nights are her alone to do what she wants with who she wants. Author allows Ellen to not only eat her cake and have it too-but someone else bakes it for her.

Very Clever Wendylicker-well played into 5**

I agree with the last couple of comments. Ellen loose and free on a college campus? No way that can go wrong (sarcasm font on for that comment). And it certainly makes sure that Tom is tied down and kept busy. Even if Ellen is sincere about her desire to become a one man woman and make Tom the only man in her life, this is not the way to do it. You don't lock an alcoholic in a bar or a distillery to try to cure them! You don't put a serial adulterer on a college campus and expect her to become faithful to her ex husband. Her therapist should strongly advise AGAINST this. You wouldn't advise a pedophile to work in a school would you? Of course not.

This can't possibly end well for Ellen. It's just going to get worse and all the while she will tell poor Tom that she's really getting better. She's really 'finding' herself. All the while she'll be telling him that she's catering more 'events'. Yeah, too bad they will all be on campus 'event's ' and they will eventually be on Greek Row. She'll probably start to get so busy she'll start missing dinners with the kids and Tom. And when it all comes out maybe Tom can finally move on and find someone who will love both him and his two daughters. Hopefully someone will tell him sooner this time.

Decent story. Should take the next step and go ahead and finish it. Burn, RAAC or whatever.

Your suggested motive of the wife to live alone on campus is how I see it as well. The wife has no excuse for her serial cheating other than "I must have some kind of sickness). The first scene in chapter one where she is rushing past her husband to go on her date while knowing that her husband must be on to her until he finally stops his wimp act and directly confronts her with her lovers name is a clue to her real personality and desire in life. She seems to want her stable marriage and her lovers on the side for as long as she can attract them. Without another chapter this is how I "imagine" how this story plays out.