All Comments on 'The Cruise, The Choice'

Congratulations!!!!

That was a good cautionary tale. Never marry a workaholic... you'll always be lower priority than their job.

Realistic and well written. I watched my dad work like that and ruin his marriage. There is working to live and living to work. Great story. 5

This is type of story I needed this is the proper sort of loving wife category story we need . So thank you for sharing your stories with me it was fantastic. Yes there were minor mistakes but I don’t care it was the fact that you wrote a story that everyone will probably enjoy. I’m just getting so fed up with writers that who never touch the loving wife category all of a sudden writing such awful stories. Of like how to be a cuckold or how everything revolves around how to be a good cuckold. I’m just thankful that you stood up to the plate and showed everyone what the loving wife category is all about so thank you for doing your part . And I hate to ask this but can you please continue with your fantastic work and keep writing these fantastic stories now more than ever before. And show other writers what the loving wife category is all about. ( hope that was a great motivator for more of your stories in truth it’s just got out of hand with writers that look like they are way out of there depth trying to write in a category they know nothing about. And please look after yourself over there it looks like it’s getting tough over there but please don’t stop writing need more of these fantastic stories you are one of the few that is keeping me going. All I know is that if I catch this virus I’m a goner. So please please just keep writing but more frequently thanks ) Just wanted to say this because I know the other reviews will nave there say and I will leave them to themselves. I just wanted to say my piece in case it’s my last so a big thank you for sharing your stories with me.

What exactly do you mean with this sentence: "I may have a new job that would be more family-friendly, but I'll not take it if it keeps us together."

It was great that you chose to write a story that was more grounded in reality. I've know a lot of couples that have delt with similar issues. They worked hard at their jobs to better their financial situation. It was for their family. Then, the water got muddied. The job was more important. Well, I don't need to go on, you know what I'm on about.

Bloody Brilliant! Lots of food for thought. It's not always cheating, sex and money that kills a marriage. Again.... Thank you for a great happy ending! 😂

Excellent story. Is it safe to assume that Terry Black was a reference to Black's BBQ? If so, good call.

top notch story

Work kills as many marriages as cheating.

Superb story, good characters, story line and well defined timeline. Doesn't matter whether it's work, friends, hobbies or even extended family and certainly doesn't matter whether it is the husband or wife we all know deep down you should always have your life partner as your no 1 priority. As I said big thank you 5*

Excellent story. Refreshing not to read about cheating and disingenuity for a welcome e change.

@hansbwl, as the editor, I'll take the hit for any confusion. It meant that she wouldn't take the new job if not taking it kept them together. I can definitely see how it could have been worded better.

While I love a good BTB or "life well lived" revenge plot, stories like this, "Let Go" by qhml1, "Flight of the Wild Goose" by virtualatheist and "The Gardener" by stev2244 are a welcomed change to the LW category in my book. It deals with a different form of infidelity, being emotional. And with this category practically flooded with cheaters, cuckolds, swingers, and exhibitionists, I feel we need more stories like this to keep this category grounded and to show that marriages go through all kinds of struggles.

Speaking of struggles, I struggle with the end of this story. Maybe it's me, but I'm a firm believer of people rarely changing. If a person proves that they're capable of doing something once, it's only a matter of time that they will do it again. Am I saying John shouldn't have taken Monica back? Personally, if he just left her on the cruise and just went his own way for a while, and still sent some sort of notice that he would be gone for some time to give her her reality check, maybe they could've reconnected down the line. But once he filed for divorce, that should've been the point of no return. And yeah, yeah, I know. People file for divorce and drop it all the time, but I feel like if that's what it takes to rein in your spouse, then it's too late. And what really made me cringe was this bullshit about a safe word. If you need some sort of safe word to pull your head otta your ass and refocus on your marriage, you shouldn't be married.

I'm not saying they shouldn't have gotten back together, but too many red flags for me to say that this marriage was worth salvaging. Solid 4-star story and I still say it's a welcomed change to the LW catagory.

-JMFC

If your spouse prioritize something else over you...

Well, you shouldn't be married, really.

Nice cautionary tale, and a very welcome change-up from the usual 'slut wife' narrative we gets around here. Happy endings are always welcome, especially when there's some genuine efforts to get them.

Thank you very much for the share, author.

He burned the bitch. They stayed married and lived happily ever after! Nice work. An easy 5*

Thanks.

Just a nice slice of life with realistic conversations and believable characters.

That was powerful and very genuine. Thank you for that.

Thoroughly enjoyable!

Thanks for this! It’s good to see a LW story of other real life issues, not just cheating. I spent my entire career flirting dangerously close to the edge of the work life balance. Fortunately, l had a job with no commute time and a wife who supported me completely. Still, I look back and regret how often I was physically there but mentally at work. Look forward to more of your stories!

We have one mighty fine writer among us.

But I don't agree with his morals here.

I see it as this:

A wife who wasn't woman enough

to respect her marriage,

isn't woman enough to be a wife.

She spent a big part of her marriage

disrespecting her husband.

How long do you think it will take her

to start all over again?

3 out of 5 from me.

I thought this was one of the few stories on the site that is based in reality. Too many people forget that they work to live. I gave 5 stars for the writing and the content. Well done.

Great story!

Nice to read a story with a different twist but can apply to a lot of us. Of course employment is important to all of our lives. But if we are a married couple it should be that we want to spend the main part of our lives and dreams with that person. Balance is the desired key. Thanks for sharing. Five!

The epiphany was a great touch - the client cared more about her than her own colleagues and boss. Well done.

Linda was a bitch who's going to miss her a lot more.

I look forward to more stories...and I am going to your page and read The Halloween Story....Thanks.

I’m a sucker for a happy ending! 5*!

Good enough.

I've just signed on as a jmmj5 follower.

I really enjoyed this. It was so refreshing to read a story that wasn't about cheating, for a change. Bravo--

I know the only reason this is not rated higher is because so many don't like reconciliation stories but it happens. I know couples who were on the brink of divorce, got back together, and lived happily ever after.

Thanks for a very good read.

She was too easily susceptible to the influence of her boss (Linda) in much the same way that stereotypical LW wives are often too easily influenced by men who are rich, black or just have bigger dicks. While her husband serving her with divorce was a definite wake up call, what really saved their marriage was the intervention of Donald, the client, who pointed Monica toward a new employer (Spencer) who had a more reasonable attitude toward work/life balance. If something ever happens to turn her new workplace into one that's more like the old one, they'll soon be right back where they started. Only now, there will be children.

5* for an original form of cheating which in this case was Monica's insane job and boss. Believable recon.

Many thanks. From the comments I suggest that mentally swapping the man and his wife might provide a humbling insight for many of your readers

Was great to read a story that didn’t have revenge, cuckolds, or outrageous Slut wives (now and then).

5*

W

it has been a while since I've read a great story. Thank You

One of the best that I've read recently.

If you think about it here rationale is the same as many of the men who get cheated on in these stories. And she truly was trying to help her family but fell down the rabbit hole of it never being enough. We've all been there, even in families where both parents work one spouse gets busy then the other. It's tough. What both types of stories have in common here is both primary workers (The spouse who does the most hours at work away from the loved one) are doing the job for the love of the family and it's the thing that ruins the family or relationship. Here it was nice to have a meeting of the minds and a bridge back via the in-laws and they came off pretty well too. It makes you wonder every single BTB story in this category could be undone if the wife sat down with the husband and told him you gotta slow down with the job or we're in trouble. This guy tried and had to go basically nuclear but it saved them. But the rational is usually, oh he's always at work ignoring me (Ignoring paying for everything + kids school etc etc) hey look over there a penis! No this was a bit more mature, the true hero is the exec who saw the trouble and helped Monica land on her feet financially (A decent parachute if the divorce stuck) while acknowledging the marriage. And at least we were spared the titans of industry or lawyers making fun of the blue collar husband while they make plays for his bride. No none of that, well done! I enjoyed it. Wouldn't mind reading about this couple in therapy or at least some years down the road with new stresses and how they survive.

Please accept our sincere thanks and gratitude in the call out for our story, Nurse Penny.

On another, more relevant note, many thanks for your story. I enjoyed it very much. You gave all your characters, both primary and support, a realness that had me invested in their lives.

CreativityTakesCourage on behalf of SemperAmare

Great 5 star story, enjoyed this tale of a person getting a second chance to get her priorities squared away.

jmmj5 thank you for your message. I'm not fully set up yet to reply to you direct, I'd rather set up an email just for Literotica and I haven't gotten to that yet but the discussion on this nice little piece of fiction was enjoyable and I'm glad you saw my comments, sometimes i wonder if the authors read them, I also wonder if I ever publish will I have the balls to read the comments on anything i write!

Well done through and through. Nice pacing, no slow spots. A happy ending is a welcome change. Many thanks.

very much enjoyed this. on a side note is terry black's real never seen one in south Austin, i prefer pokie joe's for BBQ

You get better with every story you publish. This is your best yet, and my personal favorite. Great story of a couple able to save their marriage from a different kind of cheating. Giving yourself to a job, to the exclusion of your spouse, is a surefire route to a bad outcome. Enjoyed a story of a couple able to save themselves just in time.

I liked this one far better than your Halloween tie in. This was far better writing with very solid characters that were fully illustrated.

Kudos to the folks that helped as well.

This really got me looking forward to more of your work.

A really good story for a change. Can't beat this one, with plenty of conflict, good people, nasty people, and a very happy ending. I appreciate this one.

I didn't get the sense that she learned her lesson all that well before their last conversation, it was pretty obvious she put more energy into preparing for her jobinterview than the meeting with John.

Also, her characterisation was a bit off in places, such as having her snicker a few times in a context where she had no reason to laugh at all.

Just seemed weird.

I really enjoyed this story and your style of writing in general. I am glad I read the Halloween series first. There was just one thing missing.....What happened to Linda? There could have been another paragraph or two describing the fallout. Or maybe you could do another story just on Linda and her relationship with her husband and her work? I look forward to reading more of your stories,

Can see that her emphasis in life was still work. She didn't even consider putting meeting them until she spoke with hubbie. Her actions speak louder than words. Yes she probably loved hubbie as she needed a partner, much like successful men need the little woman at home. She said it, she needed his stabilty to succeed at work. Feel sorry for him, he will end up like the hubbies in a church community I read about recently.

It was well written, good plot, good pace, good characters, really enjoyable to read.

Top marks for a great story well written. While reading I was looking for a true sign that Monica had made the full transition to Hubby first, work second. She missed the opportunity to bring her job offer to her Hubby for his review, input and agreement prior(!) to accepting. That is just a small plot device that would have reinforced the sense of her changeover.

Give him benefit

Although I liked Andrea

If you've worked in a large corporate environment, you've probably encountered the Lindas of the world.There are far too many of them. Asskissers, backstabbers, gossipers, intimidaters, men and women who will do just about anything to get ahead. Power, influence, status, entitlements can be evil sirens to many people.

Many years ago, I read an article in an engineering magazine about corporate loyalty. In essence it stated you can't be loyal to an inanimate object. It used as an example the huge layoffs that started in the mid '60s. Up until that time a job with a big corporation was considered a lifelong engagement. The longer you worked the more secure you were. Then the layoffs started. Thousands of men who had worked for the same company all their lives found themselves jobless. Steel, automobile, business machines, heavy equipment and dozens of other industries started to feel the impact of foreign imports. It was the birth of the rust belt.

Companies went bankrupt, pensions were dissolved, whole communities were affected. It wasn't unusual for suicides to occur. People felt betrayed. What happened to loyalty?

The concluding paragraph ended "remember when you get your paycheck the balance sheet is even. There are no debits or credits. You don't owe the company and they don't owe you anything." I've lived by that credo and never regretted it.

jmmj5's depiction of the ruthlessness in corporate environment is realistic. His reconciliation plot was weak.

Thank you! Wonderful story! Looking forward to more of your stories!

Killian

Well told, awesome! A cheating wife story without a cheating wife - sort of. Sigh.. this story strikes perilously close to my own life it made me seriously uncomfortable reading it, but I couldn't stop. Thank you for sharing it.

Liked this one a lot. Thanks.

No infidelity, just a neglected spouse due to long hours of work. That can certainly kill a marriage. 5 stars for original elements within the story.

Very good. It’s sadly a common situation. There are uncountable people whose career is their priority, but also many exploitative employers, people without a conscience, who make it clear that if you don’t accept their abuse, they’ll happily replace you.

I found the Donald Rodriguez character realistic for many lower-key areas, but highly unlikely for major cities like NY, Chicago, or LA. Where there is more money, there is more greed.

It is delightful to read a different type of story about a different type of "betrayal" if you will. I suspect there is more truth to this than to most of the breakup stories and I find it interesting that your reversed the usual roles.

One thing: There is a sentence that seems wrong, "She continued, "I may have a new job that would be more family-friendly, but I'll not take it if it keeps us together."" I realize now what you meant, but I stumbled over it the first (and second and third) time I read it. It seems to say the opposite of what you mean, but I do see the logic now.

Work related issues that are not related to infidelity are very real. This story illustrated that as well as meaningful solutions when both parties are committed to a relationship. Excellent story, thank you.

What a wonderful reading experience. Thank you @jmmj5 ... I really enjoyed your storytelling. And all from a thought of someone being left behind and alone on a cruise ship, eh? Yep, simply wonderful.

Well what happened to Linda?.Losing one of her best managers, a large client account and some staff being poached cant have gone down too well.

The marriage was already pretty contentious, why not grab her laptop and cell phone and toss them overboard while she is in the shower. If you do that at the beginning of the cruise, Linda can't even call her. From how she's described, Linda can't get the job done anyway, and Monica's absence will highlight that fact.

In my opinion though, if you can't put your family first, your priorities are severely messed up.

I liked this story. You get a 5

It is so rare- what with all the BTB stories - you begin to see a pattern - and it is kind of like all the 'FORM' romance novels of days past. This one was refreshingly different.

Great, Thanks!

You don't have much of story here, I wonder why you dragged this out for 5 pages. The happyend confrontation with Linda and now job is quite an abrupt epiphany and it feels really artificial. It betrays you as an author uncapable to make a convincing plot to go with your idea.

I mean idea is not bad but the realization is lacking and loaded with commonplace banalities.

I liked this LW/romance very much. Well done, 5* from me.

Just read this again and thoroughly enjoyed it again. Shames I can’t give it another 5 stars!

Now THIS is a proper Loving Wives story. No infidelity and two people working together to build a marriage.

*incapable. It’s incapable donut. I would think you were above such commonplace fuck ups. What kind of tightwad says banalities?

It was a wakeup call

2nd read still a 5*... But there is one short here and that is what happen to Linda after loosing Monica, key team members and the big account?

/

San Antonio Exec management would have wanted to know why and I'm sure Donald Rodriguez would drop names and tell them he did not trust or respect Linda or her methods. AND the Exec's would soon discover where Donald Rodriguez took his business and why and with WHO, Monica. Which would push Linda off the main promotion track into a stagnant but usable side track if they could curb Linda's attitudes.

/

Andrea was Monica's unrealized best friend she could ever have.

/

5*, Hooyah, salutes...

Ditto, Dubby49

Except, this is really a Romance LIT tale. There is NOT ONE adventurous socially-commited-female (wife) in this tale. Not Sweetie or Andrea … nor Linda nor Barbara… and We-The-Readers know shit about Stephanie.

Still, a clear FIVE in Romance!

Good story! Frankly though I think Monica would have been better off without John. He was a whiny little man. 5*

She'll eventually burn him in the end. He is a fool not to see it now, when he was smart enough to see it before. Not too tough to quit a job when you have the big dog client in your corner. That being said, you tell a good story!

Reading again. Page 1 - probably should have fucked up her computer day one without getting caught.

Linda was arrested in a massive real estate fraud scheme concerning timeshares at an underfunded development in the Hill Country. Her boss skipped to somewhere in Eastern Europe with the looted funds.

.

5/5.

and it had me thinking about a couple of bosses that I had during my working days

Great job. Well written and creative. I wish there was more story.

Reading again. One of my all time favorite stories because (a) the marriage crisis was not because of any sexual behaviors, but because of a workaholic, and (b) because the leaving of tne ship by John was one of the all time best wake up calls ever written.

.

Monica got very lucky.

.

5 *****

Decent story,though I don't think he should have stayed with her,leopards don't change their spots.Also,he should have told her to leave the laptop at home or not come on the cruise.As he had already lined the divorce papers up,it would have saved a few days and let him be a free man on the cruise.

Wonderful story. Glad to see they were able to resolve problems, and get back together. Just love 'happily ever after endings. LP

More please!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Well worth reading. Possibly the best story I've read on Literotica. Good job.

Five stars! And thanks!

There are very few stories I would read a second time, or maybe a third.

This is near the top of that short list. Don't miss it.

The Hoary Cleric

Nicely done. Thank you!

Like this story a lot - read it regularly

@dark2 You don't have much of a comment here. You took 68 words to say "I would have written it differently." My second reading, like it even better than the first time and I gave it 5* then.

Excellent and realistic story. I am a guy, now married for 30 years. In the last decade or so, I was the offending party with working too much, having co-founded a biotech startup and take it through an IPO. That company combined with raising two great kids, really sucked the life out of my marriage for quote some time. My wife focused her time raising the kids and teaching art classes to youths of all ages on a regular basis. We loved each other, and connected intimately from time to time, but the persistent 70 hours a week really drain one's energy especially in your 40s and early 50s, first to build the company up, and then to ensure meeting performance goals to satisfy Wall Street. Basically our marriage had fallen into a rut. We weren't as bad as this couple and there was never any remote issue with fidelity, but our marriage had become over time just "normal" and we both began to be unhappy about it. Ironically we reconnected on a trip to Paris in fall 2019. I had a one-day meeting therr after the European Society of Cardiology conference. Fortunately for our 9 days in Parisz except for working late at night while my wife was asleep and one day for the meeting plus some prep, we had a blast. I really tried hard to put her first. To take her all over the city, the sights, the shows, dinner cruise on the Seine, fine dining, Versailles, Louvre, the works. We had a blast. And that amazing spark that burned like a forest fire 30 years ago but had dulled to an ember over the next nearly two decades, guess what?, that spark reignited and we were very passionate and intimate back in our AirBnB every night and morning. It was beyond a doubt a best vacation (well.maybe second to our honeymoon years ago in Hawaii). It really made me re-examine my work-life balance. Ironically soon after the company got crunched by two things: (a) the primary cornerstone lead investor with a sizable fraction of the float, went belly up and closed his investmes funds due to poor risk managment relative to Brexit (didn't hedge, didn't believe the UK would leave the EU) which pinned the company financially for some time, and (b) then Covid-19 struck, right after the co-founders launched a successful leveraged buyout by management and ceetain employees, Those two events crippled the company and we took it back private (bad timing with Covid lock downs). But the pandemic, as hard as it is to say, along with becoming empty nesters, was the best thing for our marriage. I re-evaluated my work, my marriage, my life and realized my wife (and kids) were the most important things in my life and I needed to change asap. Paris set the match but I had to put serious effort into cultivating the flame. The pandemic made it much easier. Fortunately the company managed to resuscitate itself and get nee funding and take a successful detour, but except for focused bursts, the 70 hours a week became 50 hours (less at times during the covid lockdowns), and my wife and I really reconnected. We also went cord cutting, so nice. Suddenly with nowhere to.go, we actively talked with each other. She had tonstop teaching, and our kids were out of the house, meaning we had to spend together and really talk to one another. And boy did it work. Party of me is sad about all the bone-crushing work for over a decades that didn't materialize into a big wealth change, as I just sat on the bulk of my stock until the Investment fund was suddenly and unexpectedly closed and sent for liquidation (that was a helluva shock!). But I wouldn't trade it in a heartbeat as my marriage is practically humming right now. Regardless of work, our prime activity is making love, talking, walking, and streaming good shows. We couldn't be happier (well waiting for grandkids) and we are proud of our kids. But the 70 hours weeks will never be the norm. Life is too short.

..very nice and realistic....I too had a supposed holidays spoiled by my wife continuously called and calling her office....actually I let her dealing with her as I went trekking and having fun....

One thing my family learned a long time ago. I will walk, in bad weather, at night, long distances.

The Suttons and Andrea can go fuck themselves. Mark would definitely be happy to get his divorced daughter married again.

Très bonne histoire bien écrite. J'ai adoré. Continuez à écrire ce genre d'histoire. Merci.

5 stars - I like this story.

Yes, my life was almost parallel to this story.

At 65, I came very close to packing it in, but my youngest daughter finally managed to get pregnant and birthed the most beautiful little girl. My life changed over night and I recommitted the rest of my life focus on my grandchildren. The only thing I will leave behind after my death is memories and I want my family to have as many happy memories of their PAPA as possible. NOTHING is more important than family.

Have a nice day

There needs to be a new symbol on this site for stories that completely miss the "erotica" quotient needed to qualify for publication. This was definitely one of those stories that should be so flagged...

1 *star.

Good story but lots of unnecessary created content. Don’t see how the new job is any improvement over the old one. He’s going to have to raise the twins. Ha!

Good story but lots of unnecessary created content. Don’t see how the new job is any improvement over the old one. He’s going to have to raise the twins. Ha!

A good story sometimes we all need a "wake up " moment Keep up the good work (jaybee186)

Unfortunately in today's environment, Monica would probably chose her job over her marriage.

Women have been brain washed into believing that having a career, like men, is the ultimate lifestyle. Conversely, many men are walking away from the corporate world as being shallow, heartless and ultimately unrewarding. Yes, the toys can get bigger and better but at the end of the day, watching your children grow up as productive, well rounded individuals is one of the most rewarding experiences you will ever have. Many "Linda's" of today's world will eventually find themselves old, alone and forgotten. The day after you retire from the corporate world no one remembers your name. It's a bleak future for the likes of "Linda".

What happened to Linda?

Excellent.