All Comments on 'Marriage Divorce Life Ch. 05'

Shelby has zero redeeming elements……unless one is a devotee of KINK. The MC half heartedly at best tries kink to ‘keep’ her from Paul……he really has no predilection for it. Paul is the better lover by far as Shelby is concerned because she is consumed by her affinity for the …….already fully understood role that arrested sexual development plays in the formation of …….KINK within her.

Sexual preference….I.e. can double as “he is the better lover” simply by individual preference. As an example of this subjective aspect of sex let’s look at an unrelated sexual ‘preference’….SIZE. Some women must have it to rank a lover as adequate, good, great, etc. Yet look at lesbian women. Merely rubbing their ‘mounds’ can bring about the legendary ‘little death’ orgasm……clitoris is much less than an inch. Do you think an 8 inch penis could do that for them? The subjective nature of sex, the brain being the most important sex organ, the erotic subjective turn ons in a sexual situation, new lover, illicit sex, sex behind the spouse’s back, sex in a public space, KINK…..all these things speak against the mystical sexual athlete who is the objectively better lover. Take a 75 year old woman, deeply in love with her 80 year old husband, together more than a half century. Do you think intercourse with a 25 year old would rate higher to her than with her still potent (viagra aided) husband?

These factors give a signpost on when reconciliation could be viable. A wayward who honestly admits the illicit sex was the greatest of their life is a non candidate for taking back. They are obsessed with elements that are subjective to them and that is who they are and they do not see things as the betrayed spouse does. They are not likeminded and this shows some truth to the saying….once a cheater, always a cheater.

Look at Shelby……only a split lip and a black eye…….how long before her itch for kink will it be before ….”well he didn’t mean it”….”Paul is better now”……..”but he is depressed”……..”he needs me”……..”don’t worry I won’t have sex with him unless you say I can” ……..”oh that was said before was it”…..”but how could you have expected me to sleep on the couch…..Paul only has one bed………it just happened, I didn’t mean for it to happen”. But she or Paul are not the sickest here. Tom is……proof? He takes her back for the 5th or 6th time. Remember Einstein’s definition of insanity. Expecting a different result when doing the same thing over and over. R.H.

These have to be the most mentally ill characters of any of your stories I've read so far. And that is saying something.

To the author. For you to write such deranged delusional characters so easily. Over and over and over...begs the question of how do you do it? Nobody else on this site writes such stupidity bordering on mental illness in their characters so effectively.

This is not a story about forgiveness.

Contrary to your ignorant comments about forgiveness. It does have boundaries. Forgiveness isn't endless repetition of the same sins and hurt over and over and over. Not even Christ tolerated the repeated sacreliges of the greedy money changers in his temple.

I've known parents with a child who agonize over and over and over with his/her problems. Violence against the parents. Stealing from the parents. Drug abuse. Violence against others. Breaking the law repeatedly. Incarceration. Abuse and criminal neglect to their grandchildren. And I've seen parents forgive and forgive and forgive...truly loving their child and trying to help. But there does come a point. Where forgiveness and toleration is no longer possible.

And even with a very liberal amount of forgiveness...there is no more toleration. The parent can forgive their child for his/her problem. But not tolerate the actions anymore. I've seen parents turn in their child to the police after years and years of toleration...finally realizing that their lives were now in danger. They forgave a child. But also helped put that child in prison for the safety of society and themselves.

This husband character showed more patience than every man I know by the second installment. By the fifth? It was utterly ludicrous. Literally crazy. If the author thinks this amount of forgiveness is necessary in a love and romance story? I shudder to think what kind of trauma he/she has experienced in life to normalize this "loving wife's" behavior? Good God.

And he could have "forgiven" the stupid cunt plenty. From his own home and alone. Her 25 miles away in town living without him. With a restraining order in place against her and her deranged BF. She'd have been forgiven. But her life and actions wouldn't have been tolerated to continue in his life.

This dude's son character came off as a stupid douchey asshole. In real life? If my son takes the side of his cheating whore of a mother in my conversations with him? Even just a little bit? We wouldn't have had a relationship anymore. I don't take his calls. I don't contact him. He isn't welcome at my home.

And when he shows up one day to ask why? He and I have ourselves a man to man talk very blunt style.

"Your mother is a lying cheating slut who is delusional. She is toxic. And if you think that it's my fault that she cheated and became obsessed with some loser who should be locked in a mental institution? Then take your deluded ass out of here as well."

I loved the story, the characters and the plot. I m amazed that the author can write so well in the masculine first person as well in the feminine. Reading most all of her work has helpled me to understand people of all sexual identities.

Bizarre. The same drama repeated over and over again. A pathetic cuckold who was pushed past sane limits dozens of times. A slut so deluded she would be in an asylum. Writing quality is fine, but the plots have become farcical.

5 chapters to deal out a pseudo fairy tale ending.

Shelby was simply a self-centred narcissistic bitch who from the heights of her self-deluded ego doled out her favours to a weaker man as one would alms to a beggar while trying to bring under her thumb a stronger man.

Having said that the stronger man wasn't that strong. He should have held her to a line in the sand after he first found out and he should have made her explain in great detail to their children just what she had to say about her need to "help" Paul and what it involved.

He should also have made it quite clear to her that bringing Paul anywhere near him was going to involve violence.

In the end a most unsatisfactory story. Feeding the usual feminist line that she can play and he will forgive.

Shelby doesn’t need a husband, she needs a couple of labradors she can dote over and who will be at her beck and call. Narcissistic whore.

"Some commenters have criticised this story, some feel it is in the wrong category, that it is not romantic" - That is not correct. This is one story even though it has been posted in 5 chapters. The category must be the same for all parts. If you think this is a romance then fine. List all 5 parts as romance.

I'm afraid that the "Loving Wives" category is a misnomer. 99% of the stories are about wives who are anything but loving.

The way a woman's mind work is an enigma. Looking at this relationship from the beginning to the end, just shows how a woman wants us to react after their infidelity. If we talking on normal terms this is just a story of selfishness and stupidness, selfish on shell's part and stupid on tom. Tom suppose to understand that he will always be a second choice for her, the one she fell onto when all is not well, he should understand that no matter what he is just the backup guy. Forgiveness is good in a relationship, it's a necessity for forgiveness in a relationship but only applies if the significant other will cease all transgression. This story is good but it could be better if you deal with the emotions with sincerity and just.

I've read this story at least 5 times and I just love it! Thank you

You can say what you want to about forgiveness, and you might even believe that bullshit, but this catastrophe went way beyond forgiveness and into the range of mental Illness. The husband had to be a classic masochist to put up with the shit the wife dumped on him over and over again. She asked for a month long hall pass so she could audition a possible replacement husband, she told him she was is love with Paul and couldn’t give him up, when he accepted her back she constantly tried to bring Paul into their lives, and every time she had to make a choice, Paul always came first. The wife acted like a bi polar masochist with a health dose of savior complex. Not only putting up with Paul’s abusive behavior but expecting her husband to be okay with her constantly spending time with the guy she fucked around with. You are a talented writer and it’s technically a well written story but the entire plot line and characters are shit. This can’t rate more than one star.

Wow. As always, amazingly well written by Cagivagurl. There is simply no doubt about it.

And I tend to agree with the statement at the beginning of the chapter. To be able to forgive something so heinous is a sign of strength and love. So Tom clearly loves Shelby. But it is equally obvious that Shelby does not love Tom. She needs him and wants him. But that is not love. She never does anything just for him. She never puts his needs above her own. She pushes him and his boundaries back again and again. She breaks several important promises. Many people (including her own daughter!) tell her that she is a bad person, but she just doesn't perceive it. Her view of love is that Tom should just let her have her way. But it never occurs to her that love would also mean not doing something that would hurt him. So back to the statement about forgiving: You can forgive something terrible, but it has to be over, there has to be remorse and a promise to do better. We see this in the short episode with Fiona and her husband. He's sorry, his affair is over, and he commits to doing everything he can to make it up to her. And what do we have with Shelby? She's sorry for hurting Tom. That's about it. Her affair isn't over, she's not sorry for the affair itself, and she does nothing to make it up to Tom. She only ever gives in when Tom puts his foot down. And even then, she keeps pushing and trying to negotiate. There is a world of difference between Shelby and Fiona's husband. But even Fiona isn't sure she should forgive her husband. This almost means that there is little possibility of forgiving Shelby.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that Cagivagurl is saying that Shelby's way of treating Tom is right or that it is how spoues should be treated in this world. That may or may not be the case, but I wouldn't assume anything like that. It's a story. And with superior writing skill, she brings the pain to the point. It is quite obvious that what Shelby is doing is wrong. There are no subtleties there. And of course, our inner sense of justice rebels against the evil, selfish bitch being rewarded for her evil deeds and getting everything she wants and more. Hardly any punishment, little to no remorse, she doesn't have to beg, nothing. What bothers me about Cagivagurl's LW stories is... why are so many women portrayed as selfish, abusive and downright malicious towards their husbands, making their marriages a toxic relationship? All lesbian stories with two (or more) women have wonderful and endearing characters. Why are the heterosexual women (as the main characters in the stories) usually the epitome of complete jerks? Is it to put the women down or to lift the men up to be even greater heroes for being able to love and forgive (as in the old saying 'in darknes light shines brightest')? Would love to read a lesbian story from Cagivagurl where a woman treats her partner as Shelby does her husband here or the Shelbys in the other stories treat their husbands. That would make an interesting change and quite a challenge how that can be resolved, I'd say.

All in all I'm still in awe of the writing skills. Nice pace, never boring, good mix of description and moving forward. Great dialogue, story always keeps you engaged. Makes you want to give 5 stars. Rewards the wrong person and forces the good guy to surrender to evil. Makes you want to give 1 star :D But since Tom is the good guy and he gets his dream girl we can be happy for him.

Love to see more of your stories and thank you for sharing them!

L.

Totalmente de acuerdo con mark.

Añadir que Tu mc es un ... Ser muy particular

98 de 100 personas habrían hechado a patadaa a la esposa ..1 la hubiera perdonado... El otro, mataría a todos sin piedad.

Too bad Paul didn't die

Might be one of the most unbelievable RAACs of all time. Paul needs therapy in the worst way. He is obviously co-dependent. The story was very well written but only 3* for the forced RAAC.

Shelby was a dense mindless slut. She couldnt see how Paul was controlling her completely. Tom was just as bad, not forcing her to make a decision. Every time i read that she said "he really needs me. He is in a bad place," all i could think of was how bad she was treating Tom. If he had used her as a main character in a book, it might have opened her eyes and moved the clouds away. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and hated it at the same time. If that is possible, you wrote expertly. Congratulations again. Now i may have to visit NZ.

Sincerely

Cookie 🍪

Cool story:) But a bit frustrating for me.

I agree forgiveness is important, especially in a marriage where it's assured both partners are going to screw up from time to time. But is it possible to forgive such blatant, heinous disrespect? A marriage is an equal union that demands mutual respect between man and woman. There are certain lines in a marriage, a partnership, that just cannot be crossed and are beyond forgiveness.

Shelby went far above and beyond what is forgivable. I'm not sure a man would put up with that type of behavior. A partner is not supposed to have that level of infatuation with another man. And imo Tom didn't have self-respect enough to leave such a toxic relationship and find a trustworthy girl who would uplift his sense of self-worth and make him feel loved, and safe. The same is true of a wife if the husband was displaying the pathological level of disrespect that Shelby showed.

Your stories get people so fired up!! lol

Very good story and good writing.

There isn't a sane man alive who could forgive this stupid selfish cunt of a character for what she put him though.

He needs therapy. Badly.

Her? Narcissists and sociopaths don't get a whole lot of help from therapy? If I am remembering correctly? I really doubt a woman in RL like Shelby would even submit to therapy. In her mind she did nothing wrong. She was just helping a friend. And it was actually her husband's fault for being so rigid and not just letting her fuck her lover whenever she wanted. Why should he care about sloppy seconds and cum filled kisses? It's his fault he can't be more modern. Not hers.

Nonsense. Rubbish.

That last sentence, so true. This was a reread. You are such a talented writer.

If the plan was to frustrate the reader with an incredibly selfish and immature female lead and a man who was a borderline beta cuck, then mission accomplished. Lovely writing and I kept turning each page becoming more angry with her. This is the sign of quality writing.

Great story but in reality most men would never go through what he did with Shelby. It was written by a amazing writer from a woman’s eye

As delusional as the Shelby character was written — and there are literally scores of well thought out comments over the course of the several Chapters detailing why — it is the Tom character that is the most frustrating. Typical male character for this author….all talk, no action. A SuperCuck.

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As many have observed…no real man would have EVER taken that nutjob back. EVER.

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4 ****

No intelligent man, or woman, would tolerate even half of the Shelby character's actions. This author doesn't know the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation. He should look it up, there's lots of free dictionaries online. Your characters, both men and women, are despicable. Your women are unrepentant whores and the men weak and indecisive. 2 stars.

Another wellnqeitten pos crap story the author ahould be better then this if I could give it a minus a would

In this story I think the author crossed the line and went from storyteller to passing judgment. If the author believes those who disagree don’t understand true love, that is her right. For others like myself, that view the story to be unconditional love, with unnecessary self abuse, that is an equally fair call. I think what works for the husband in this story is what matters, and his lack of self respect (imo only), is in the authors view the strength of the love he had for his wife. Some individuals will choose suicide and others self love and self respect, it’s an individual call. If everyone were the same, what a boring world it would be

Blokes a goose.Should have bounced the wife 6 months plus sorry just another partner wanting cake as well slut.

Loved it! Couldn't stop!

Suggestion to the author.

Shelbys need to help Paul was likely her still in mothering mode, as her kids had just moved out.

It would have been nice if someone had realized / recognized her compulsion and enlightened her.

“Tom I still love you with all my heart, I know I am confusing you, sending mixed messages but rest assured...I love you so much it hurts and I miss you like crazy. I miss waking up in your arms, I miss your cuddles and I miss being in our new home." And yet she won’t leave Paul. Only 1 explanation: Shelby is nuts. Certifiable.

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3 ***

Great story. Perhaps with Shelby as a main character, it would be more appropriate for the classic car to be a mustang rather than a chev?

I have read most of your stories, kudos they are all wonderful!

I'm not really sure if anyone actually learnt anything throughout all of that. Tom sure got the shitty end of the stick, he's back where he started except making more money which Shelby will happily spend. Shelby, well I just wouldn't trust that she will stay faithful, probably only the inevitable menopause and old age will stop her straying, and who can even be sure about that these days.

NZ has always seemed stuck in the past, and its low population probably limits opportunities, but seriously the idea that Tom would not have been outed as the famous author after his ex-wife got beaten up and then moved in with him, come on. There must be plenty of sexy women in NZ, so it's unlikely that Tom would have settled with a woman that he couldn't trust and was heading into old age, especially as a famous author he'd be feet deep in willing pussy.

The story was pretty good. I had a hard time associating with Tom. He constantly allowed Shelby to control him and his life. She controlled if she was with Tom or Paul. I don’t know of any person who would constantly fall back into that situation.

I thought the Shelby and Paul characters were very similar, Paul was controlling and played on her conscience, Shelby was controlling and played on Tom’s love for her.

Not my favorite of your stories but I do appreciate you sharing your stories here. Thanks!

What would happen if Tom didn't caught Shelby and Paul making out

What would happen if Tom didn’t caught Shelby and Paul making out

Great story, not sure the reconciliation felt genuine from Shell though. The final part felt rushed. Doesn't seem like she had enough time by herself to figure out her own way forward.

Turned out well, kicking Paul to the curb was the best part ever! Thank you!

Ah, magical New Zealand, where all the women are ditzy sluts, all the men are weak cunts, and all the children are below average.

It más a good story, I enjoyed ir a Lot. The ending felt a bit rushed, but I still liked it.

Worst stort, Tom was loved paint and punishment from a self absorbed slut,

he husband's character is sickly.

The woman's is even worse.

Godsss!

What have the men in your life done to you that you treat them this way?

Why is this not labeled a Simp and cuckold story. I mean tell the truth to prevent people from wasting time. Please!

I like the author, but not the story. Forgiveness requires someone to admit they were wrong and atone for it. I don’t think Shelby grasped the process of atoning.

I’m not the author, but my view of Shelby’s journey is kinda like this: she was feeling lonely and down now that the kids were established and living. She filled it with work and discovered that editing really brought her joy. Paul was a good looking guy and wanted to talk about writing all the time. She got a crush. She mistakenly had sex with him and it was wild. She loved it. She couldn’t support the idea that she was being a bad person by doing a bad thing. So she decided that somehow it was not a bad thing at all. She did need her husband because she knew he was a good guy. If he accepted this, then her new idea was confirmed to be a good thing. He vehemently rejected it. Then she discovered something big: she loved her husband because he was stable, smart, and kind. Then she learned he also was a writer? Better and better. He still loved her? Almost perfect! But she couldn’t let go of the idea that her having slept with Paul was a bad thing. So until she was beaten to a pulp, she fought it. She couldn’t or wouldn’t admit that she caused so much pain selfishly. It cost her and she got very lucky it ended as well as it did.

Great story!!

This was a difficult story for me to rate. The writing was good and the pacing and overall story plot kept me reading too the end. That deserves a better than average rating. But, I just could not find a way to feel anything positive regarding the MC. The constant acquiescence of Shelby’s disrespect was so very hard to accept.

There is a limit to forgiveness. And Shelby went far past that limit. She fell into a cycle of becoming an enabler for Paul’s mental illness and using that as a crutch to maintain an unhealthy relationship. She refused to see the harm she was causing Tom. Tom was just a sad, weak man.

I do not see this as a story of forgiveness. And in any event what good is forgiveness without repentance. Throughout the story Shelby was unrepentant, narcissistic, and manipulative. There was no sense of true love in her at all.

Well written story with flawed central characters. Reminds me of the aphorism "As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly"

Thank God this bullshit is over! Tom playing 2nd fkddle to that cocksucker Paul was a joke. I would have kicked Shelby's ass to the curb after that month in the cabin and never looked back. The fact that Shelby fell for all of Paul's manipulation shows just how much of a dumb slut she really is.

I appreciate the priority that many of your characters put on staying in love with their spouses.... But man, Shelby was too much of an idiot, and Tom was a delusional saint.

The author should have named this saga 'Oh What I Tangled Web I have weaved." This is the biggest pile of puke I had somewhat read. There have been worse. ALL the main characters in it were written as shallow imbeciles. No, he could not finish it when Fiona came along, every page of every chapter had the same issues and characters like a washing machine going around and around but never getting the clothes clean. Well I am glad some like it. Me, if it were printed, I would put it at the bottom of the parrot cage and let it crap all over it. Lastly, rating this story. I cannot be bothered.

Horrible story. This author seems to believe that you have unlimited chances and no matter how many times people betray their spouses, they should be forgiven. Forgiveness is given when earnt. The wife's actions after the fact did not show this at all.

Given that characters come from your imagination, I have to ask what ever moved your to invent Shelby. Hope she came out of your imaginatio rather than a life experience.

Great story, the characters were really well and skillfully developed. Great plot twists. Ignore the haters, great stuff!

Tripe slut and wimp although had to read it all go figure.

The word Drama came from her mouth.

Many of Cagivagurl's wives are portrayed as delusional, often bordering on psychiatric disorders. The story interest is in seeing how the husband (or less often the other spouse) is able to come to live with their disorder and reconcile. Personally, I don't buy it because I had a wife who was delusional and in need of psychiatric care, and I 'threw in the towel' (ended the boxing match) after trying to live with her for two years. It was a living hell, and the emotional toll was great. You end up making a break just to keep your sanity. The wife here was somehow mentally disordered too, and I don't see how she just finally became wise and returned to reality, or how he just accepted it and settled.

Typical Cagi story; he writes the wife as a dominant slut and the husband as a wimp. All his stories are like this, even the ones where he feminizes the husband. 2 stars.

Well Cagivagurl you do have some strange readers! The comments on your stories are mixed between those who really enjoy them and the idiots who continue reading someone's stories even though they don't like them, weird or what? I personally like them and this 5 chapter series was probably my favourite. The mixed emotions of the characters was I believe true to life. We all have difficulties in our marriages, we all make mistakes. Having been married nearly 57years my wife and I have experienced many things including a severe illness for me. I'm still here enjoying your stories and those of many other authors on this site. THANK you for your stories Mel B known as Hornydevil47

The job of the writer is to create characters the reader cares about and to tell an interesting story about their lives that hooks us into wanting to know how it turns out. Mission accomplished! The theme of infidelity and healing is a controversial one and triggers a lot of folks, but is worth exploring. I will say that in my experience that couples dealing with infidelity are not successful in reconciliation unless the cheating party is willing to completely eliminate the affair partner from their life, and the wife in this story would sink the marriage in 99% of couples. The husband in this story is a saint, with unbelievable patience and forgiveness. I did like that he was always firm in setting his boundaries and did not compromise his principles while he rode out the storm. Loved the story, five stars

CG you are a cruel bitch.

Your Shelby has a thing for pathetic men. Three of them in her orbit including her son.

Damn sure a great writer though.

Well-written and interesting tragedy, in my opinion. The poor MC . . . There's forgiveness, and then there's addiction, and complete, desperate submission . . . something tantamount to serious masochism. Paul was not the weakest man in this story, and Shelby wasn't the most foolish and stupid person. No that was the MC. What a shame that NO one had any real integrity or self-respect, let alone self-control.

Continuously forgiving one who loves a marriage molester . . . one selfish and with an attitude not unlike one might find in a child molester . . . not to mention who keep a promise to save her life . . . well, it's almost torture to read. His addiction to her (and apparently to being hurt and betrayed) leaves him as the most mentally damaged individual in this story. Great writing . . . which made his complete surrender that much more painful. Well done, though . . . this was NOT really about forgiveness, but addiction. It was a tragedy with (what may have been) a tragic ending, unless Shelby magically changed . . . how sad that things didn't work with Fiona, whom I saw as his only real hope. The trouble is, as written, if Shelby became a loyal loving wife who kept her promises, he might no longer love her. He appeared by the end to NEED cycles of betrayal and pseudo-reconciliation.

For those that don't understand the concept of forgiveness....

but how many times did he have to forgive her (could have done with one or two fewer cycles of betrayal). Shelby was a nasty piece of work and Tom was way too attached to someone that treated him like garbage.

the only other thing... because of the story length I started to question how older were. They had been together for 20 years when this all started in Chapter 1.

A wonderful wild tale of a couple dabbling unevenly with open marriage: her wanting, him not wanting, her open, him uptight. Yet through divorce and a rocky ride, they grow, forgive, and maintain as a loving couple. dmb

It took me some time to read this but I am glad I did. Tom had a lot of work before his wife came to her senses but it seems that it was worth it to him.

Absolutely one of the worst stories on literotica and that my friends is saying something. ⭐️

Sound lie A drama queen, edited by a drama Queen, writes about a drama queen. No surprise this was a flop.

Yup.. just like my comment on the previous chapter..... nothing gets someone off their backside like competition..

I do understand forgiveness... lived it myself painfully... VERY PAINFULLY... but we didn't have much $$$ (shit, WE barely had enough to not be living under a bridge... divorce would have put us both there with the 2 kids...). It'll be 33 years since that horrid day in only a few months... Glad I did.. but the next year was HELL. BTB's are a nice concept.. but the bleepin government frowns on it heavily.

Staggered from one melodrama about a heroic narcissist to another.

The reason why this author can’t write a normal male reaction is because this author is a mentally insane male. The “gurl” part of the screen name identifies a male who desperately wishes he was female. Hope this helps anyone reading his stories!

ZK

"I got a little lost or confused, but I never wanted to hurt you ", she said.

BS I say, She chose to let herself fall into a school girl infatuation with a romantic writer. She wanted excitement and ignored her responsibility as a spouse.

He was too easy in her. I agree that they may be meant for each other, but she hasn't shown any signs of being on top of how she let that happen.

Another good story with a silly weak ending. The faithless slut once again wears down the decent guy and prevents him from having a good life.

Second time around, l enjoyed it more this time, it is a good story. Shelby was an airhead, infatuated with a dream. But even though the ending was rushed but l was happy to see it all work out with Tom and Shelby sticking together. Despite her stupidity and his stubbornness they deserved another chance.

I regraded my score from 3/5 to 4/5.

Way too many times allowing a return. Her wanting a three way with Paul and then he accepted a tie-up anything goes? My skin crawled for how that could have been written. *shudder*

Two thoughts. First Shelby never really tried to apologize for her actions or seek o atone for destroying her long-time marriage. Instead she only sought to keep Tom on a long leash. She never gave a hint of true expiation for her cruel actions toward Tom. Secondly, is there a shortage of women in New Zealand? Or are your male characters incapable of moving on? Self-destructive relationships are not conducive healthy mental states. If Tom and Shelby were real persons, I’d have to bet on an unhappy ending.

CVG is a good writer, but despite that was unable to land this RAAC. Yikes!

I like your writing. The selfishness of most of your female protagonists is bothering at times. This line: “ I think if a person is secure in their love for somebody, they can accept that their partner might be able have feelings for somebody else." may be the single dumbest, unaware, and worst bit of “relationship knowledge” I’ve ever seen in print.

He should have never let Shelby back in his life. She obviously only cared about herself and had no real remorse for her actions. He allowed himself to be her doormat.

I couldn't purge Shelby completely, she still called regularly, at first, she asked after Fiona, but she couldn't hide the jealousy and resentment, the little green devil sat on her shoulder with impunity. It made me laugh, she sprouted all this bullshit about open marriage and how she wouldn't mind, but the first chance we get to test the water she turns into a jealous bitch.

=====> Shelby is just so damn infuriating and stupid. Unbelievably her character worse (in some ways) after Chapter 1. She didn't really apologize until after they talked on the porch after she was beaten by Paul. In Chapter 1, she came off as a selfish, delusional bitch. But later she kept throwing crap in Tom's face. Trying yo force sex he didn't want. Tried to force trust again. She lied incessantly. She was manipulative. She was immature and insecure. Every time she showed a shed of empathy or emotional maturation, freaking Paul comes out of the woodwork. Tom had the patience of a saint. Not realistic. Yeah he got pissed some times and ultimately wanted her to sever any relationship with Paul, but he kept taking her back on this emotional rollercoaster. This chapter was particularly crazy. I didn't mind the Fiona part or even that she is hooking back up with her husband. But the whole being played by Paul, being an emotional slave to Paul out of guilt, her stupid jealousy, when she wad the one who wanted an open marriage, her complaining he forced her to live with Paul and have sex with him, after what the third or fourth time trying to reconcile? What reality does she live in. Because it doesn't mimic that of planet Earth, populated by homo sapiens. She has real mental issues and NEVER saw a therapist or counselor. Wtf? Yes Paul is obviously some sick bipolar piece of crap, but she isn't without her mental disorder. Story woukd have either been better ending it after Chapter 1 (or close to that, but maybe an epilog where Paul commits suicide mo ths later after the divorce, and she realizes what she threw her life and marriage away for) OR wrap it up after Chapter 4, cutting out some of the middle part about forcing thr sex act or Annabelle crap, and instead of her caving to Paul's demands she learns in the hospital or soon after that Paul created the whole non serious attempt to deceive her., and she finally has her come to Jesus moment. Instead we have a chapter of whatever with more on again / off again drama, though the Fiona part was well done, and she has her come to Jesus moment only after getting put in the hospital by an insane Paul, and ony the can she see ehat she did, how she thoroughly f$cked up their lives by letting a sexual and emotional / psychological predator into their lives and only finally apologizes then. After what six months of her running back to Paul. Ffs. Too bloated. Too fantastical. Talk about editors. Author needed one on this story when it started to go off the rails. Gah! 3 stars.

You write well, but lordy, your Male MCs in general are the most spineless, weak willed, lacking in any confidence, hen-pecked grouping of men I've never met. Shelby should have been gone, the next three chapters about his great life with another woman, and a sudden happenstance meeting in their senior years after his new wife is dead after 50 great years, and he can tell Shelby once and for all what a horrible bitch she was. But, like all of your stories, the kindhearted males are destroyed with a horrible life of misery, lacking fidelity and real commitment. Every story is the same...