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"I'm sorry, Michelle, I truly am, but you're a very smart woman; you should've weighed the possible consequences before jumping into bed with a sleazeball like Clayton."
She knew he was right. She couldn't even blame it on making a hasty decision, she had days to think about and went ahead anyway. She also knew the fallout from her stupidity hadn't even started yet. She lost the bravado she displayed at the kitchen table. She'd lost any hope of getting him back.
"Okay, Adam, I won't give you any more trouble. I thought by giving it one last try, you'd maybe consent to couples' therapy or something, but I can see that's not going to happen. I'm so sorry."
"I know you are, Michelle, me too. Believe me, if I thought there was a way I could get over this, I'd hang in there, but it's just not going to happen."
"I'll sign the papers when I get home and send them in."
It was probably the saddest voice he'd ever heard anyone use.
Epilogue:
That year, Michelle's parents got tired of Chicago winters and moved to Florida. Michelle got tired of catching every trivial, unimportant story the paper could find and started sending out resumes'. She finally got an offer from the Atlanta Journal and moved. It was a smaller paper and she hated starting over in another town, but at least it was closer to her parents. She never did forgive herself for being so stupid and losing the man she'd always love.
After the engagement announcement in the paper, rumors started to fly. Quite a few of them involved Terry. Just as Adam had expected, a reporter, out to make a name for himself, started to investigate. At Terry's press conferences, the reporter was constantly asking embarrassing questions. The political hopeful wound up losing the election by three thousand votes and bitterly blamed his brother.
Clay had a hard time with the divorce and started drinking pretty heavily. After showing up at a construction site half in the bag, his brother fired him. Feeling sorry for himself just pushed him to drink more. It got to the point where his ex told him he couldn't see the kids if he wasn't stone-cold sober. He finally stopped coming around at all just about the time his ex started dating a nice guy. Clayton just kind of faded from sight and no one really missed him.
It would be a while before Adam would jump into the dating pool again. It was just going to take time before he would ever trust a woman again. Ironically, Charlene, the campaign office manager, bragged so much about Adam's photography that he started getting inquiries and opened a profitable little sideline of shooting portraits. It would never replace his job at the studio, but he was building a nice nest egg for happier times in the future.
If you break it, you pay, Clay.
The end.
- COMMENTS
DukeofPaducah1 day agoThis was an enjoyable read for me. The incremental seduction was rife with anticipation and tension created by the discovery/confrontation was bowstring tight; two of my favorite elements in a LW story. Clay’s fall from apex predator to alcoholic drone was appreciated. Michelle’s apparent canny and level-headed character was difficult to reconcile with her sudden lack of propriety.
My pappy told me that a stiff prick has no conscience. I guess a throbbing lady-boner has none either. Once the fog of lust cleared, I thought perhaps forgiveness would be possible, but that was not to be. Michelle willingly stepped into that tar pit. She deserved a saber-toothed cat on her neck.
JRandyJabout 2 months agoIf you break it you pay for it, not true. Sure stores can post signs, but the law in most states state the store displays product at their own risk. So if you ever do break something that was displayed in any store accidently, you are not liable. They may try to convince you you have to pay, but you don't.
ncdeepdiver2 months agoI am a huge fan but after just reading "Why Can't I Be Loved", this story was an enormous letdown.
I am not a diehard BTB or RAAC person, but this story had so many opportunities for a much different ending.
sjmbsrf3 months agoWell written, a very believable plotline where an infatuated and somewhat naive young wife forgets about the real world and a real husband and tries to recapture the excitement of her youth, at the expense of her marriage. The characters and dialogue were all very well crafted and the whole story came together very well with a sad but credible conclusion.
TrainerOfBimbos4 months agoIt was an ok story. I felt like Adam was way too remorseless over the loss of his marriage. I know that you tried to foreshadow it with the antique shop story, but it didn't ring true when faced how he treated his wife before her betrayal. It's just... even the most hard ass of us (and I include myself in that category) don't act like this. It would have been more realistic if say, he was uncertain about reconciling, or even tried but couldn't move past it. The certainty that he had from the get go - it was too much for a human being that isn't frankly suffering under some sort of mental illness.
Anonymous5 months agoi;m not excusing or condoning cheating by either spouse ,BUT, the vow for better or for worse ?? the worse part could cover that ,IF the spouse could forgive the cheater .
dgfergie7 months agoI had read this story about 3 years ago and gave it 5 stars then. But after reading these stories since then I would drop my rating to 4. The fact I did not remember the story at all is telling, but then again I'm a bit depressed dwelling on the loss of two daughters' because of a LW story of my own that happened some 40 years ago. Yes, traumatic events like cheating wives and divorce are never forgotten. All the stories published here in the LW category claim to be fiction, but after you have lived as many years as I have many mirror, at least in part, real life stories. Read on and enjoy, but if you’re married make sure to follow the one true axiom about marriage: "Happy wife, happy life."
Anonymous7 months agoIronic. Despite the foreshadowing and high school crush the cheating pair could not avoid the sexual collusion and collision as if 'kismet'. Poor Adam, despite the uncomfortable intuition could not be proactive because of love and faith.
The rest is 'His'story.
