by TCct
Good story, Amy's silence was frustrating. Her behavior left unexplained was irritating not only for the Doctor and Chas, but also for the reader. 4* for being a well written first story.
I loved the twist on the age-old therapist rationalization crap reconciliation stories typically come up with. Keep 'em coming.
One comment, you started off with 4 affairs, then shifted it to 5 affairs. I'm assuming the 5th being the new lover the soon-to-be-ex-wife is shacking up with. However, for flow it would have been better to add some dialog from the doc to inject some clarification.
What the fuck was it with that cheating wife? She asked for the counseling and refused to participate and continued to fuck around? The ending made the tale great as the cheating whore lost out. I think. Oh well.
I hate all cheaters.
Had to give you credit on the whole damn thing! Who the hell cares why Wifey did it? She didn't talk to Hubby about it, and he had no clue that anything might be wrong with their marriage! Then she goes and becomes a slut. THEN she has the nerve to fight the Divorce. I'm glad you didn't go into the contrived "But it was only sex!" argument or some other bullshit excuse. You know there is NO excuse for cheating, and this one was very well thought out and written.
5 HUGE Stars! Keep writing. You excel at BTB.
No wimps here, which will piss off all the RACC wimps and non-men on this site.
just for the price of one, TK U MLJ LV NV
Loved it gave a 5. Just can stand seeing a cheating slut who pushes to stop a divorce and keeps spreading her legs for another man. What a cunt. I hopes she sobs to death!!!!
I would first like to say that I liked this and gave it *****. Chas should never have married Amy as explained by the author in this...."But you are free to date others, Chas. I don't understand why we need to stop seeing each other just so you can date others. We have fun together and the sex is great. I date several guys and still want to spend time with you. You are free to do the same and if you find someone special you want to get serious with than I won't stand in your way."
Either a man or a woman with this kind of attitude will never be faithful. Although not written in the story the likelihood that Amy strayed throughout the marriage is close to 100%. That is just the reality of the character draw by this author.
One thing I did not like was the stereotype the marriage counsellor is frustrating. I would for the military and from time to time I deal with marital issue such as these.
I can honestly say I have never counselled anyone to stay in a marriage like this one. Even when the cheated spouse wanted to reconcile I can counselled against it.
For someone who claims this to be his first story you have - in my eyes - done extremely well! Please keep it up. Most enjoyable. Thank you.
for a first attempt that surpasses a lot of writers on here,keep it up
great 1st story. would like to have heard a little more from Amy, but then again, Not. thanks please keep writing
Maybe this should be termed a flash story. A few minor errors that a good editor would likely catch. I don't feel there really was any revenge, and of course, the idea that a licensed counselor would throw away her career for a chance to date/screw the charming "Chas" is funny and trite, but it's a nice fantasy and fairly original. Good first story.
For a first story, this is a great effort. Much better than I could do in a short story, since I can't seem to get the short/flash story down right. Yes, it needed a little more to explain the final shift for the doctor, even if you just added a few pointed questions in her direction with the confused look of honest thought. But then again that is just my opinion. You keep doing what you like to do.
Myhands316
As a purging rant against half truths, mumbo jumbo psych-speak, this is a very cathartic read. Yet in terms of being a full blown story, the wife needed a turn at the tale's podium. Her minimal presence flew in the face of logic when she had forced the counseling sessions.
Right, wrong or indifferent- all functioning women have a POV & this one should have ' tried ' to express hers. Still the narrator's outrage and indignation was expressed eloquently and in entertaining fashion. This author has talent. It's my hope that next time TCct gives his narrator a more expressive & worthy spouse(/ opponent ). ****
great story, if only it were that simple to get rid of the sick fuck.
Loved it. However, it leaves me thinking that it should be a Chapter 1 - not a stand-a-lone. However, with his wife digging in even deeper with lover #5, I don't know where else the story could go.
Bill1104
I hope when I get off my ass and submit my first story that it can be as tight as this one. It could give a fuller point of view, but everything in the story served a purpose and was on point.
5*. In California the Doc loses her license if reported.
...and in my opinion the few errors are tolerable.
But what I miss is a bit of clarification about the wife's reasonings. Her behaviour is - as other commenters already stated - totally unreasonable. Not only does she virtually nothing to bring the counseling at least closer to a possible success - no, she even destroys everything by taking another lover and moving in with him.
Why did she ask for counseling at all and why is she uttering guilty sobs when confronted during the counseling sessions? Something is not wired correctly in her brain, and that needs some explanation. You as the author of this story must have at least a hint to justify this unreasnable behaviour. What about a sequel from Amy's POV?
(Nearly 5* from me.)
But it doesn't make sense.First of all,no marriage counselor would make a statement that a satisfied woman wouldn't cheat,because a)it isn't true,women often cheat because it is naughty or forbidden or simply there and b)it would be blaming him which is not the point of therapy.Likewise,faced with serial cheating with different men,a therapisr would realize it wasn't about the marriage sex,but some sort of pattern or addiction.Plus having been in counseling,they wouldn't support amy not saying anything,they require both to talk,amy.would be in contempt,especially if she asked for the sessions. As to the therapist hooking up with chas,she wpuld face all kinds of charges,including from the court,for basically throwing in the towel to get at him,or appearing to.I realize this is a flash tale designed to a crrtain fantasy, but the writer has potential to write something more powerful and real...I give this a 4,good writing,weaker plot.
Great first effort, well written with only a couple boo, boo's. The only part I didn't like was the very end. No therapist would take such a chance as to date a client, especially in that case where the wife could charge her with interfering with her marriage.
Your prose was excellent. I agree with the comments that the actual discussions were a little hard to take....no way a professional would let the client lead the discussion as portrayed, however it was an interesting read. The ending was forced and awkward. More could have been introduced about his wife's strange behavior, rather than the abrupt conclusion....but the flow was good, the read was easy and am looking forward to many more!
Very well done! I liked the shift from four Bulls - which precipitated the divorce petition - to a fifth Bull DURING the 'attempted reconciliation' sessions! Cold!
I also liked the counselor's pick-up of the flirty pick-up attempt ... Granted, that would mean professional sanctions if Suicide Sweetie blabbed, but it works for those readers who prefer (or need) their face rubbed in the obvious! (Just as it was obvious that the 'friend' with whom Sweetie's was residing was of the 'benefits' sort!)
BUT...gotta agree (don't I always?) with LSD on the 'more from the Sweetie side' ... but honestly, this was always between two people, and Sweetie was just a horny extra in this play! But the play WOULDA fared better with more lines from her, and fewer complaints that she was disinterested in the outcome!
4.47. Damn close - if LIT allowed reconsidering the stars after ranking, I could easily up it!
Been down the Counseling Road before. The story was pretty good till the end which removed all credibility. Weak...
I don't agree with any of the preceding commentators who thought that this was very well written. It's good, but not that good. I will give the author points for his use of dialogue, which is always a great way to tell a story. Although the dialogue is written well, at least better than most Literotica writers can manage, the author needs fine tune that dialogue. Missing punctuation and having more than one character speak in a single paragraph leaves us unsure of which character is speaking, which, in a story that depends so heavily on the dialogue, is disastrous.
As to the tale itself, I'll agree with anyone who previously said that it was good right up until the end. I'm not going to suggest how it should have ended, but will only say that the ending destroyed the story for me.
PS - For a first time submitter, this is pretty good. Please carry on...
Excellent first story, I do not write stories myself and would imagine that the negative comments are from "none writers". I'm looking forward to reading more. Very well done you!!
It is well written and a nice idea, but leaves reality by skidding on all the points that NJLauren made. Very good first!
I agree good start and a mistake at the twist. I give 5*****, but Bev may have etical problem and lost licence if Amy was vidicative.........
Good writing and plotting. But the ending was just too sudden and without the good Doc pressing Amy for any response, especially to the issue of her current "friend."
We readers always like to see the guilty party forced to face the music. Also as Amy fainted B4 the Doc answered, I do not see how she could face any legal risk from Amy.
The marriage counsellor would lose her licence, and why does Amy want to remain married so badly? I mean, she stands to make a killing from divorce and ae can also sue the "good doctor" which adds more money to the pile. Also, the counsellor is to facilitate conversation, not monopolize it and further, she would engage both parties, not just the husband.
Because you broke reality to make your story work, I give you 1/5. Next time, suspending disbelief is one thing, suspending gravity is another.
Story was weak but you did handle your storyline well and kept your thoughts in line to the end. Agree the ending was a little quick and not as thought out as the rest of the plot. For a first attempt it was OK and I feel good giving you 5* for your effort. Let's see more from you.
Great story until you fucked up the ending. Why the fuck would she want to lose her license for him, and why the fuck would he actually want to have any kind of relationship sexual or otherwise with a psychiatrist who has been spending their entire time together rationalizing his wife's cheating, potentially putting him on some seriously shaky legal ground? It's like it's supposed to be revenge, but completely fails to be revenge.
Excellent beginning, middle. Interesting, intriguing characters. A fascinating unique plot. Sounds like a great story...BUT
When it comes time to finish the damn story, it does not happen. We the reader are left to wonder what happened? Sure it is obvious that Chas and Bev may hook up, but what about the rest of the story??? Amy, the settlement, her future, his future. A lot more out there to write.
These are your characters, do them justice, and YOU finish their story. Dont be like the majority of LW writers who can't or wont do the job.
I almost considered liking the story except the incompentent so called doctor made me dislike it. Is Chas and Amy her first patients? I'm not a therapist and I could've done a better job then Bev. Then she is going to get involved with Chas...she is unprofessional.
I don't get why she wanted to reconcile.and that therapist was not qualified based on her opinions. But the end result was necessary. We still do not know why and what caused to turn into a whore.?
Need to know what happened that she screwed up her life into a serial cheater..?
No need to cater to the dumb cunts who don't have any fucking imagination.
Good story....next.
Thanks for sharing. Will be looking forward to your next submissions.
the wife never tried to stop her cheating. no reason was offered by her why she
cheated or did not stop. she wanted the court ordered meets but did not
talk at all. a one person tale about a wife gone crazy. ok tale no brainer
divorce her.
A fine tale and letting the dialouge play out the story worked.
Thanks for posting
My only comment in regard to the story is that there inst enough background on anything to form an opinion on in regard to current circumstances. Beyond getting the therapist to see his way nothing special here. Who were the men, why can't she stop, how did he find out, why is she do bent on staying together, etc. good premise and nice first effort but you need deeper stories to pull people in.
Good story and it flowed well for the most part.
I do have a comment on the style that I think would improve future stories.
The dialogue could be laid out a little clearer. A number of times there were two people talking in the same paragraph with no indication as to who said what. It was easy to figure out, but that detracted from the flow of the story just a bit.
All-in-all it was a very good first story!
I am looking forward to your next submission!
I liked the humor and some of the snappy writing. A bit of a monologue, with the doc and the wife acting more as props (and prompts) than anything else. Not sure the second act (how we met...) was needed in a story this short.
A little too intellectualized/bloodless maybe? But I've been accused of the same.
I think it's a really good effort for a first-timer.
The short format was nice.
I've never faced what the protag is facing, but I empathize with his state of mind completely.
Seeing as how hubby was forced by court order to go to the shrink and has zero reason to continue to see her seeing as the counseling is now over due to wifeys lack of taking part and continuing to fuck around, how is it unethical for the Doctor to have a relationship with a ex-patient?
VERY GOOOOOOOD !!!!! CINCO ESTRELLAS !!!!!
Journar, the therapist getting involved with a patient is unethical because the profession's regulatory agencies say so. In Virginia, for instance, a therapist (psychologist or social worker) can lose their license to be a therapist for having a sexual or romantic relationship with a patient or with an ex-patient for the first 5 years. Some places I'm sure it's stricter.
TC, you came at this with a serious writing ethic!
I have rarely seen a first effort as well played. This one should fit well in the 'best ever' category.
I also think about half the readers carelessly missed the offer to get together with the court appointed counsellor at some indeterminate time after the termination of the relationship.
That would not breach professional ethics or any of the state laws familiar to me, as some have stated.
At first, I thought the silence of the wife was flat and uninteresting. It played out so very well, when it was shown she was still 'at it' with her current (assumed to be one of many) paramour. The wreaking slut! Well, done again!
Looking forward to more examples of your fine writing!
Did not see that one coming. I suspect Amy is simply looking for a gravy train. Good first story.
Welcome to the show, my friend. This is an excellent place to post to, and practice as U will. Stories online is cool, but some what different, just a little bit wilder, and there is a squick factor to be considered....so, well written, and surely entertaining....Please accept these kudos, and I hope to see much more
Didn't feel you ended it well! Why is the wife not telling why she is a cheater? I just couldn't get past this so I gave it a 4.
But that's all we get. No participation from the wife means we have no idea what happened between them. Other than the fact she seems to have been a serial cheater. Did she have any reason or excuse? It was an okay story and it seems you wanted us to see the husbands reasoning, but that made it too one-sided to be of any real interest or a good read.
You have written what is essentially a monologue by the husband. It has a sardonic and irritated undertone that is perfect for the circumstance. A very well done for a difficult format.
Do judges really force people into marriage counseling after one of them has committed adultery? If this is real, it is one more reason to despise lawyers, judges and courts!
Oh yes they do! Judges are in control of their Courtrooms. And they act like they are God. Regardless of what people might want, a Judge can force long term marriage therapy if they want to. And you have to PAY! God forbid if you have children. Then you get into Court ordered therapy for the whole family. Both individually and separately. Therapists meet with the parents. Therapists meet with the children. And it goes on and on. And you're paying for it the entire time. And, of course, you're still married and paying for that too. It took a friend of mine18 months to divorce his cheating wife. And she ended up taking his 2 kids and moving 1500 miles away. With the Courts permission. He got to see the kids for a couple of weeks during the summer. That lasted about 2 years before she so brainwashed his kids against him that he hasn't seen them in years. But he STILL pays alimony and child support. NEVER get into a position that a Judge will be in a position to dictate to you what you need to do. If you do - you're screwed 99 times out of 100.
the writing is better than many who have been submitting for a long time.
well crafted, direct, succinct, and the point is made with no unneeded flourish.
she cannot even own up to anything, pretty pathetic women.
but am reading his stories one by one and find them damn good reading. I thought the ending was okay, a little sense of humor. Compared to what's been posted in this category lately, I hope this author keeps putting out the stories. We sure can use some new blood. I hate wading through tons of willing cuckold stories daily to find something erotic to read.Thanks for the read. 5* (ML)
Read it again. This just verifies that all cheaters are stupid. The cunt wanted counseling to save her marriage yet lives with a lover while attending the sessions? Fucking stupid. Good ending. Could have been a little longer but it had the required result.
Five Stars
Here is one detail.
When a person is speaking, it always gets a new paragraph. It differentiates if it is a new speaker or not.
Example:
"Do you think you are getting out of this room alive?"
"I am pretty much counting on it."
"And why do you think so?"
"Because you are standing by a window and there is a laser dot on your chest."
I didn't even need to title who is speaking, but by doing it this way, you know there are two different speakers.
The only other hint is that if you have a person speaking a long piece of dialogue, you can use new paragraphs when the same person changes subjects. But I would include a reference to the fact it is not a change in speaker.
Example:
He looked at the two people coming outside of the tent. She noted him, gasped and started twitching her face around, trying to not meet his eyes. "You know...one of the things I don't understand, at least on the visceral level that...people do, is this obsession with fidelity." Curtis stated. "I get that it is emotionally hurtful the way other people react to the stories and reality of it, but it's a technical mental exercise to me."
"I mean," HE CONTINUED, "it is not like a pussy is a diminishing resource. Unless you are spreading for someone graphically larger, it still works the same. Sex is, in fact, sex. There seems to be something I am missing."
Then when you go to the next person, you clearly indicate it.
She tried to keep her voice clinical. "It is because of the fear of pregnancy by another man and also seen as a gesture of disrespect. An attempt at subverting a relationship. An example...," she paused and gulped, "of someone not valuing a relationship."
Curtis nodded slowly. "Ah...disrespect. THAT I understand." He turned to the guy next to her. "Well, it seems that your day has just become a lot worse..."
Another story that shows the hypocricy of counseling after cheaters cheat. After the cheaters get caught, they want counseling to try and save their way if life. This guy sure laid it out for the both of them-and he was right-on.
Boy this TCct is one hell of a writer. He knows what he wants to say and says it with bravado. Thank You and I hope you write a lot more.
There are several stories that may have been worthy of a read that I quit just because of breaking this rule, to the point I was beginning to believe that it was some asinine editing rule of this site. You forgot to mention that if the paragraph changes with the same speaker the end of the paragraph does not get a quotation mark, but the beginning of the next does.
Well actually that rule is more complex than that.
I like the stories and I like the man only point of view. What I would recommend is more build up where the husband wonders what is happening then finds out about the cheating whore and that flows into the story as written. The build up gives the reader more of a reason to kick the cheating whore to the curb, makes for a more well rounded story. Don't really need nitty gritty sex in them just speaking of the act is enough. Write more stories please.
The doctor keeps threatening him with the end of the marriage – he WANTS it to end!
Amy wants to save the marriage and she’s STILL cheating?!
LOL, loved the ending, even if it treads on the edges of ethical.
you have to chum the waters, sometime with bait, others with words. TK U MLJ LV NV
I found myself picturing Chas as Sam Elliott, rather than the successful computer geek. And, why is the wife fighting the divorce?
I liked the idea of the story and rated it a 4. However, I would have given the wife more dialog. The ending came too fast with the 180 the good doctor did. Nothing up to that point created any chemistry between them. Good first story, but it was neither revenge nor reconciliation.
But knowing women as I do, I find it difficult to believe that the loving wife would remain mute during all the conversation.
But it was fun, thanks for the short atory.
Please writing.
What a sick woman! A little extreme and somewhat unlikely in her still fucking around. Most whores would allow the divorce to proceed and take what they could from the marriage and then move on.
Unless you don't mind seeing the therapist lose her license. Still a good story though.
good, but not realistic with the wifw wanting counseling yet still cheating?
Something wrong there. That is a major plot issue.
with almost (Sarah is now Peter) nothing changed other than opting for "plan b" in this version?
I see that this was submitted 2 years ago, and since you just submitted "Know Thyself..." I assume you are still checking on comments. It was difficult to begin this story, because we didn't know what kind of doctor Beverly was. It was a while before we learned she was a counselor. But I liked the ending, especially the "fifth" lover during this time.
Even if not 100% ethical LOL!
"Chas if you cannot accept your portion of the responsibility I guarantee your marriage will not survive this." – Since HE filed for divorce, and is only there because the court ordered it, it would seem that he would be just fine with that result!
It's also interesting that Amy never answered the question about what SHE would do if HE had multiple affairs to "balance the scales". I think we all know the answer to THAT one! No way would she accept HIM back!
As some others have said, SHE'S the one fighting the divorce and insisting on counseling, yet she's STILL cheating?!
@hindight2020 – Actually the switch at the end WAS supported by the story, her remark about what a good catch he would be sort of fore-shadowed the ending.
@ramonbrook – “Why” she is a cheater is immaterial. She just IS, it was possibly fore-shadowed by her reaction to being exclusive when they were dating the first time.
@FD45 – ACTUALLY, if you are using quotation marks, and the same person is speaking over two or more paragraphs, only the last paragraph gets closing quotes.
Ex: Jane said, “Blah, blah blah…….
“Blather, crap, bullshit……..
“Then, finally.”
This is a subject that has bothered me for a while. Does anyone know someone who was forced by a judge to go to marriage counseling prior to divorce? My good friend and coworker has a friend who has been practicing law in Ohio for nearly forty years. He does mostly liquor law but he handeled divorces early in his career. I asked him has he ever had a judge order counseling in a divorce case. He said where kids are involved yes and even though they can order they never do against the will of one or both of the parties. As he put it ; "What would be the point?"
There is this thing they had in Medieval times. Knights would come up to it and bap it about with their sword for training. It was called a 'pell'. Some were sophisticated and had actual body like shapes.
But the defining feature of a pell, which made it great for letting your Mall Ninja out but not actually sharpen your SKILLS was that a pell, however sophisticated, could not hit back.
So reading this, I did not actually meet a soon to be ex wife. I met a pell: something there to absorb the blows of our hero.
A villainess would provide a challenge to our hero so he could...um...be heroic.
I will refer you to JPB's excellent tale "Rob and Amy'. This one works because the woman HIT BACK! Our hero did not get all his own way.
And that is the mark of a hero: that despite his bruises and his set backs, he wins in the end. That story of JPB had me ENGAGED.
This woman could be dealt with with a dry mop.
Let me modify my prior statement. This is not to criticize THIS story. For a first story, this is not a bad effort at all. It takes some time to start getting the feel for good characterization and conflict.
Two of the best of Stangstar's stories was 'Hostile Takeover' and "Forever Gone, Forever You". Why? In both those stories, our hero was CHALLENGED by the other person. In one, he defeated the evil bitch. In the other, he reconciled. I don't care which you pick (though I have a pretty fair guess...) but it made the story much more interesting.
Having read three of your stories just today, it seems that ALL of your womenfolk are Pells.
So here is a plot for a better story: What does hero-boy do when HE is the one who walks into an empty house and SHE ran off with a million dollars? THAT story has potential.
Every guy running off with a million dollars and leaving a sobbing ex...not a lot to say about that.
really, really boring. I really hate counseling sessions.
and she has to be unrealistically stupid to be living with her lover while trying to reconcile.
You sound like you're right back to where the doctor was early on in the story... blaming him for the problem. 'He should have known better?' I thought that's what the breakup in college was about. He did 'know better.' I admit that there wasn't a lot of story details about what led up to the current state of affairs, but it seems that things were OK at home except that she was becoming distant after the son moved out. A major portion of the time spent in the sessions here were to establish the fact that she never talked to him about any problems that she had. My thoughts run more along the lines of she should have known better than to start riding any cock she could find before she came to him and said ' We have a problem.' One of the basic problems in most of these stories is that there is NO COMMUNICATION! If you don't talk, it can't be fixed.
But I find it difficult to picture a wife as dumb as that. I mean:
"Yes, well me too. Would it surprise you to know that Amy is still spreading her legs, Beverley; that the friend she is staying with is a new lover?"
Amy shrank lower in her chair and started softly sobbing. Doctor Karnes seemed distressed.
I would rather play Russian Roulette with a loaded pistol than to have to go to a Marriage Counselor. To the very last one, they enter into the session with the sole purpose of 'saving the marriage'. Therefore, they generally pick the side of the wife. They go into these sessions with blinders on. The husband is going to be determined to be to blame for the wife cheating. Like lawyers, Marriage Counselors should be lined up in front of a wall and executed by a firing squad.