A Wife For Christmas

All that build up for a rushed, pathetic end.

That was simply perfect!

So much potential

I think that was brilliant, though I'm surprised she didn't interrupt him. I am enjoying the various outcomes that might follow and wonder what he might be getting for dinner!

Continuation?

It's clear that you didn't really plan on continuing this. However, I think it might be worth the effort to extend this and re-submit it as a longer "diatribe" (which this was simply too short to qualify as). Perhaps with an "I wish" from the wife's perspective!

good start

Good start. Looking forward to the rest of the story!

a good start

please continue :)

Nuff Said

I think you said it all well written

More...

Sounds very familiar to what my husband told me a few years ago. Due to my ego nothing has changed for us; I am curious to read how this wife handles the confession from her husband. I hope you ad more soon.

Sounds like

She either isn't the only problem in the marriage or hes just too stupid to move on. He thinks her embrace of depression is stupid but he is embracing it as well by changing nothing, either the relationship or a di v orce? Pathetic.

Sad

The last paragraph says it all, she knows she'll just continue to treat him poorly and has no interest in fixing things. The only gift she can give is to let him go.

Hmm...

Sounds like a normal wife to me...

An interesting story trying to make a statement. But not what I come here for. Especially this section.

My Suggestion

I suggest she buys him a gun so he can put himself out of his misery.

Last sentence could read:

She let the words sink in as she watched him for a few seconds, then with damp eyes she walked away and back into the living room where she sat down with a sadness overcoming her, but suddenly with a smile she realized that there was indeed something she could give him for Christmas, a lot actually.

Would this sentence not make it a better story?

a divorce maybe? set him free

To the anon who said

Hmm...

Sounds like a normal wife to me...

If your are being serious, then seriously seek help and either fix your marriage or divorce. If on the other hand your are just being facetious.... My bad, carry on.

by the sound

of it he wants to much, he made the situation now live with it.

I agree with @hansbwl ending! It would be much better...

I agree with @hansbwl ending! It would be much better...Why? because "with damp eyes she walked away and back into the living room where she sat down with a sadness overcoming her..."! If she really didn't care as some other comment said: "she knows she'll just continue to treat him poorly and has no interest in fixing things", why would she feel sad and would cry? She would just dismiss all he said and would go on with her selfish way, as nothing was said! 2*

I found this to be very well done.

I think it was unique, well written, and very well thought out. Nice job. This is one story that is true, or at least parts of it, for many couples and yes, it works both ways.

A good, 5* story that, sadly, is true to many lives, men and women

And for the anon who said: "All that build up for a rushed, pathetic end" is wrong.

It's my guess that DOMann1959 knew the ending of the story when he conceived the beginning of the story.

a speech

not a story

The ending was as it should be.

In real life, people do not have epiphanies where they suddenly change their personality and behavior. It doesn't happen. She could have mulled over being a better wife, but there is no quick cure for this ailing marriage.

Ouch

Ouch, well written.....

Great short story

Needs a different category - unloving Wives!

Why

If you and your wife dislike one another so much get a divorce. Why waste your life with someone who doesn't love you. Just stupid.

Left a little too open

A lot like life, though. Nothing is ever as good as it should be.

My ending:

She walked back into the living room, surprised that he had made her misty eyed. It was so unlike him to vocalize something so strongly. His usual comments were "Yes, dear," or "Whatever you think, Honey."

Then she got angry. He checked out on her years ago. The man she fell in love with actually had a backbone, some of their earlier arguments were epic, and there was a few times when she thought they wouldn't last the first year. But love and determination had won out, and the makeup sex, was, well, the makeup sex was great.

Then the kids came, and priorities changed. She knew she had pushed him into leaving a job he loved to take one that paid better, that his creativity and drive had been stifled as he became just another worker drone, but his duty was to provide the best way he could for his family.

Maybe I should take a lover, she mused, that would put him in his place. She knew though, that even if most of his character had been eroded away over time, there was a core there that would rebel, and things could get very messy. No, they were too close to achieving financial independence, the vacation home was almost paid for, there was a healthy balance in their savings account, and their investments were doing very well, no need to rock the boat.

Maybe she throw him a bone, give him something special. Startled, she couldn't remember the last time they'd made love, the last time she'd given him a blow job, the last time he'd given her oral pleasure(something he was very, very good at, if she remembered correctly) or even cuddled and played with their hands. Why wasn't he pushing her?

Her eyes narrowed. If that son of a bitch is screwing around, she'd kick him to the curb, take everything he had. Then again, while she'd never screwed anyone else, she'd done some pretty inappropriate things over the years during girl's nights out, and the few weekends away she'd enjoyed with her sorority sisters. Better let sleeping dogs lie. No, tonight he'd get a gift of pleasure from her. That was something she COULD give him. Satisfied with her plan, she reached for a magazine, flipping through the pages, the incident resolved in her mind.

He sat at the desk, watching her as she turned her back and stalked out of the room. Well, he thought he would give it one more try, but could tell he hadn't even put a crack on the wall between him. So be it. He went back to his work, thankful again for having a sharp accountant. They had carefully divided his assets, the accountant surprised he wanted full disclosure, and that everything be included.

"There's no blood to go after," he explained. "I doubt that any flows in her veins anymore. When the smoke clears, I want to be able to look my kids in their eyes and feel no guilt. Knowing her, though, she'll want it all. I told my lawyer to prepare, and that's why we're doing this. It's going to be hard for her to argue for more, but I'm sure she will. I don't expect this to be amicable, but I do expect it to be fair."

He looked over the printouts one more time before he was satisfied, then placed them in a manila envelope with the rest of the paper work. He looked at the words printed on it. "Petition For Divorce" in big bold letters. Yes, he decided, there WAS something she could give him for Christmas.

Sad

1*

why is this even allowed here?

This person needs an ass whipping for wasting everyone's time.

Got that T shirt

This is the life I have become used to so for me it was a 4*, simply because it hurt to realise everything is the same as above.

I'm sorry, but this was not well done or written

It is one long run-on sentence, mostly. It is very poorly constructed. It could be much better with a little glimpse into either character. This is not a story, it is a monologue with little context, emotion, tension or thought. It is a grocery list, with all the drama of that sort of document.

Feel better now?

I feel like I just listened in on someone's therapy session. If I were the psychologist, my response would be: you get what you give. If your wife isn't giving you what you need, it's because you aren't giving her what she needs. Marriage isn't a one-way street. If you aren't happy with your marriage, start by looking in the mirror.

A truly meaningful story

If only to make me remember quite how well off I really am.

Mawkish trash

Try one of the agony aunt pages -- not Literotica. This stinks.

one sad story

one sad story. most sad of all she will not even try even though he has made it clear what he wants. she could have at least made a start.

Follow up story idea?

Why do I think the 'next chapter' in this story has her finding him swinging from the rafters by the neck on Christmas morning?

Depressing.

confusing

If she was like he told her, she would never have asked him what he wanted for christmas in the first place. The woman simply would not have cared enough. If she actually could have been bothered with a gift for him, it might just be pair of socks. Sheer ones that only she would wear, of course

Then at the end, tears and sorrow would not be her response. Instead she would most likely shrug her shoulders, berate him for talking too much rubbish and then tell him what present he had to buy her.

In her mind he is a wimp and to stop feeling so sorry for himself. He should consider what she has to put up with being married to such a weak, pathetic male specimen such as he.

Certainly not a happy story

but a well written one anyway. Good effort. Thanks.

This is a great story!

This was well written, to the point, and a great look at the reality of a lot of decaying marriages. As a former marriage counselor I can say that many men need many sessions to get out 20% of what was written. His motivations for staying could be cultural, religious, or others. Does not matter. This is great on its own, or could be a chapter one. Up to the author. 5*, and thank you!

Liked it, hope there is a follow up

Yes the story was sad. Perhaps he was a wimp for putting up with it for so long. I think that it would be interesting to see a follow up with perhaps multiple endings. And yes, sometimes life is sad.

needs pt2

is she cheating? does she love him? does he love her? reconcilliation, btb or just divorce.

Great

Read it to my wife-we are not close to this, yet I see it other couples. Giving it to my Pastor. Think it might get to some couples where this may be starting.

The one that when a movie comes out, wants to see it with me instead of going with our daughter and son-in-law ...

Obviously she's not the only one who thinks so little of him.

It's a challenge to see both sides

It would be a challenge for the author to write an equally pithy vignette from the wife's viewpoint. There are, of course, two sides to every story and wives who have become as remote as this one is shown to be through her husband's eyes didn't start out that way (as he recognises when in effect he says he 'wants his old wife back').

She would perhaps see herself as having been driven to her current state of uncaring. She would perhaps see him as being insensitive to her needs and no longer worth the effort of trying to maintain a loving marriage relationship. Who knows?

He is shown in this clever little story as being bitter. A story from her viewpoint would probably be equally so.

Lue

I believe this author ...

Has done what most writers only wish they could.

He has readers actually reading his story! We readers identifying with it. But form various opinions.

While it was written from a male perspective it could have been from wife view just as easily. A very readable story for most adults to identify with.

If the author decides to continue I personally believe he will have a difficult time finding an ending that satisfies most. But then again he has ignited our thoughts with this beginning and maybe he wants to keep the readers commenting which ever way he goes ?

5*

Interesting.

I like the real emotion of this, even if is simply a complaining monologue. I would have liked to see this as more of a conversation between the two. I agree with Lue on being interested in the wife's point of view. I don't believe a person becomes uncaring without a reason to do so. Why did she give up on trying? Why isn't it worth it to her to give her husband what he wants? What caused her to be this way? A conversation would have given her side, rather than having her slink off into her corner like a chastised puppy.

The easy thing would be to set her up to be a spoiled, entitled, selfish, heartless, evil nag. 99% of Loving wives stories go that route, on both sides of the spectrum (cuckold and BTB). The challenge would be to actually give her a personality that provides real insight. A declining marriage is a two way street, with both people dropping the ball. A lot of Loving Wives readers enjoy having a saintly hero for a husband and a villainous, evil wife whose sole purpose is to be slain and beat up on for justice's sake. However, there is a growing number of people who enjoy a well balanced story with real perspective.

Either way, great job. You pulled out some emotional comments, which is usually a sign of a story well told.

NOW FINISH YOUR TALE!

A very touching piece of writing, but not really a story. It could be if you add a chapter from wife’s point of view, and another with the conclusion. Makes no difference if they reform and stay together or if they divorce. THE STORY MUST HAVE AN ENDING!

Been there, done that

Good encapsulation of what can and does happen. I was fortunate in that an unlikely series of events allowed me to upgrade (which can happen).

A couple of points on the last three comments

Javmor says he agrees with me. I also agree with his additional points. So many LW stories paint their wife character as an uncaring self-centred bitch without trying to understand how she may have become that way.

CarolinaDreamer says "THE STORY MUST HAVE AN ENDING!". Mr Dreamer, you and I both have said that authors should write for themselves, not for the readership. As one who (unsuccessfully and painfully) tried to write an ending for a story that wasn't intended to have one, may say to DOManne: Only write an ending if you really feel that you will enjoy doing so.

And to the Anonymous commenter who said "I was fortunate in that an unlikely series of events allowed me to upgrade" I do hope that what you are saying doesn't mean what it sounds like: That a wife is a chattel that can be thrown aside if unsatisfactory and you can simply upgrade to a better model. Surely not?

Lue

Sorry gatorhermit

I mistakenly referred to your comment as an anonymous one.
Lue

He should leave

He should leave her as she obviously left him years ago.