All Comments on 'Alisha: A dark Romance Ch. 03'

Our hero's behavior here is inconsistent. He just accepts that girls is his daughter? You mention doubts that he has but don't follow up. As bitter as he was, I do not see him letting them on the boat. Certainly not sitting talking with his arm around her, playing with her hair. This guy is very inconsistent with the guy from days 1 and 2.

I love how she surrenders unconditionally, but then a solitary pea suddenly magically manifests under their common mattress and if the narrator's agenda can just be set aside a second ? Then some other niggling detail crops up and another. It's hilarious how various carrots are thrust under his nose to keep him under her majesty's adenda. Do it for the daughter, for the money , for Alisha's divine body.

She's a wizard at fobbing off the lion's share of blame on Sandy, Jamal, Tony the flunky agent , old boyfriend, accepting a minute fraction of fallout . The guy doesn't have a chance. His solitary life is history.

I envy and pity him simultaneously. Great read if one can suspend belief, relax and enjoy the sensuously detailed continental backdrops . This story is best read while consuming bagatelle smeared with Brie cheese, dousing as needed with sips of espresso with Catherine Deneuve circa " The Last Metro " on my lap.

Full marks *****

But Ali has absolutely zero redeeming qualities other than her looks, also the speed at which she end up in his bed again was far too fast imo.

Still very much enjoying the story.

5*

Is this the same Ben who in Ch 1 just had to leave Ali because of her actions during their last trip together. That guy surely would never have folded like Ch 3's Ben. Sitting there cuddling & playing with her hair; wtf. OK I get it he thinks/hopes Julia is his daughter but after wifies past actions he should be insisting on seeing the evidence or getting a DNA test done. Didn't enjoy this chapter, it just didn't seem to fit the previous 2 at all. Gave it 3 *** for presentation not content.

Ali could have made contact through the solicitor the parent's knew about but didn't? This appears very contradictory right now. I love the writing style though.

Loved your work , I'll finish up now with reading it on stories on line. Thank you for this piece compared to the trash put out here. The great story tellers are few and far between.

So let me get this straight Ali never cheated, made decisions (albeit poor ones) which she thought would help her career, and he left for thirteen years because is feelings got hurt! Never trying to get her side of the story, just leaves, what a pussy!

I'm sure I've read this before. If I haven't it's something very close to this storyline.

How does he know that J. is his daughter ?Because wife told him ?Where DNA testing ? The guy is naive or stupid, or stupid and naive. A typical cuckold. She could go with half the industry guys. She could sleep with Ludmila. The guy is so naive that he believes in everything.

1*

But Alisha is not a sympathetic character and Ben is just a little too laid back about all her bullshit.

I'm enjoying the storytelling and scenery but simply hate Alisha and am having difficulty in seeing any good reason to reconcile for Ben.

...Not because it is so implausible, I mean....crazy shit does happen. But because he let her on board his boat without her proving Julia is his daughter.

The writing is well done, though I would suggest some different wording. You seem to like the short phrase, "She Snapped!" A little too often.

But not bad. I am wondering how much of a RAAC this is going to be, or will it be a BTB, perhaps an odd mix of both?

Payenbrant

I usually don't comment on a series story until the end. The writing is good but Ben would have to be insane to take the evil, cheating bitch back. A relationship with his daughter would be possible but not the ex.

with PearDrop, i have read stories like this one before too. You know the ones where they are in love, he/she cheats, he/she walks away then x number of years later he/she shows with worth millions and yes the kicker a kid. To be entertaining fiction should reflect reality as much as possible otherwise the reader gets distracted by improbability of the story. Here's this woman who has more money than Trump, can afford a security detail that makes a Seal team pale in comparison, and she can't find poor old Ben?? So now after the loving wife finds her one and only love she falls for the bs story that he has a family of his own. Again, with all of her money and resources she just accepts what one person says? Then all of a sudden she walks away, ambushes Ben boy with her kid in tow. This makes no sense and for me really distracts from what might have been a good story.

plot holes galore. biggest one is he has family and lawyers, this secret child bullshit just doesn't work. it's not like he was lost in the Borneo jungle.

it will end with some dumb reconciliation. he left like a moron and they come back together like morons. it seems only right.

Is she telling the truth Is Julia really his. I like to see the proof first. What about the magazine article he read about being a friend who took the picture and did not mention That it was her husband. Someone with her kind of money could not find him in 13 years and it's because his so called daughter found him she onlycomes running Last chapter when she left a message only saying she had another shoot and would not contact him because she was mad. Lots of questions to be answered and what about the guy who tried to take her drunk up the elevator. Now he has another name and is an investor What about the statement Ali made about leaving her daughter with strangers Red flags all over the place

People doing things because of "reasons".

And after all that happened they talk like old friend. And what about the blackmail through the daughter? I can't stand this stuff.

He left to go home because she publicly slapped his face the immediately, in full view of all. Cuddled up to actor and allowed him to resume publicly groping her.

He waited at home for days. Sending numerous messages and left several voicemails.

He left after receiving brief cold message from her simply stating she would be on another shoot for two weeks.

She made decision to humiliate him

He gave her every chance.

Her ego and acts of betrayal were responsible for ending relationship, not his ego.

He simply chose to not wait around while he flaunted her extramarital trysts.

But hopefully the last ''love found'' has to do with father-daughter, and not with narcissistic manipulative hopefully ex-wife.

Guess what. Teenage girl just LUUUUURVE her daddy which she'd never hear from in all her life. Yea, I can totally see that.

This is one long-suffering man. It looks to me as if he has more to come. Well written, as always from this author. Great characters and the tension ebbs and flows nicely. It is very like another story by this author, but I enjoyed that one, too. Keep up the good work. I like that you are posting on consecutive days. Thanks for that. Good job. I gave it a five.

A really enjoyable author. I have no problem with reconciliation, but I worry how it can be done. Allisha just isn't right. She's suspected or known his location for years, yet has gone so far as to hold the grandparents hostage. Only when her daughter forces her hand does she seek him out. There's no behavior to backup the claim of love. Still, this is a fine author. Maybe "dark romance" is the clue.

I just have more of an issue with the 13 year gap from daughter.

Being upset for a few months okay. But she isn't getting tons of modeling gigs while pregnant. Forbidding parents from letting him know while she's pregnant, emotional and regretting driving him away? Forbidding them from contacting him even after being a new mom and those first couple years? Years, not days or weeks or wrestling with his leaving?

Then finds out where he is and doesn't seek him out. Instead sort of kind of looks to see what he's doing. Finds he has a family, but still doesn't divorce him? Still won't at least let him know he has a daughter. Finds out it is a fraud and still takes two years to contact him?

Way too many excuses for not reaching out in some way over 13 years and thus depriving him of his daughter... because it isn't about her relationship to him, it is his as a father with his daughter. She put herself first, including holding it over the grandparents. That'll drive a wedge between them and him too.

Something isn't quite kosher about it all.

Plot holes abound. He just accepts Ali back after 13 years as if nothing happened? He just blindly accepts Ali's statement that Julia's his daughter without proof? (Remember, she doesn't look at all like him.) Still, I await the next segment. --JRZ

I’ll grade after the last chapter. Has good potential just an awful lot of threads and “what’s?” in it.

Thx!

She did this guy so wrong and there's something she's hiding she was cheating on him long before they split up he should be able to move on with his life and with his daughter and she should have to burn that is if the daughter is even his

I agree with all the previous comments. Also, hard to believe Ricky and she had not slept together before Ben went AWOL. Is she also so easily deceived by others? Plus, she went to meet Ben with Julia; she knew, and acknowledged, that Ben would question his relationship with Julia; Ali said she left proof in her HOTEL!; why the Hell wouldn't she bring the DNA (?) results with her??? Too many questions and holes. If they do reconcile without many answers many of us will be sorely disappointed. However, since this is a rather competent author I suspect, or hope at least, that these are misleads to keep us involved and guessing. I'm betting, or again hoping, Andyhm will tie up all these loose ends. After all, this is "A Dark Romance". Samson

I remember reading a story very similar a couple of years ago. Has the author gotten permission to revamp the old story?

I love the writing, the narrative, etc. However, he acted as if he had been run over by a truck, but wants her back? She doesn’t tell him about their daughter for 13 years? Her long time bf is the guy she was with in the hotel headed up to his room? No effort to reach out to him, her one great love? He needs to cut his losses and kick her off his boat.

Seems like Ben, to this point, is blaming Ali for all the problems, when it's really more him, than anyone else. I can actually believe he never tried to contact her, but to not even be curious for 13 years doesn't wash. Ali seems to follow the typical woman in this case, but never filing for divorce isn't logical. You have done a great job, keeping it interesting, but you've also shown where this will go in the next 2 parts. I give it a 4, but actually leaning to 3.

While it is irritating to see 2 strong , likeable people battle like Ali and her husband do , this is a great story . The best I have read on this site in a long, long time ! I believe I am most serious readers when I suggest that the strength of the characters and their emotions is far more compelling than sexual descriptions . Perhaps I am just an old time romantic and out of touch , but this is the best story I have read in a long time , could easily be made into a feature film with the right actors and director ... and I look forward to the next chapter very much . 5 Star story to me ~~~~

Previous 5* dropped to 4* mainly because he let her back so easily. He spent years in bitterness at her betrayal and her only explanation was that she was too young to understand how badly she had been treating him. The daughter is just a red-herring to allow the author to skip the fundamentals of the first part of reconciliation.

There is no greater supporter of reconciliation than me but this one started way too easily. Ok he may find out the truth and split but the bit of truth he actually knows would already stop him behaving like this. She threw him away like a dishrag without a second glance. Reconciliation takes 2-5 years and it starts very slowly and painfully. Her level disrespect and treachery over several months would put this one at the high end of that.

Otherwise I love your writing and there are many excellent elements to the story. I could live with reconciliation but not with swapping partners as some of your stories end up with. Fingers crossed.

1. Not rational behavior to keep a child from father.

2. Impossible to believe she couldn’t hire detectives, couldn’t buy the secret of his location.

3. Not rational she’d show up like this with the kid at a lock on a canal. And then not to have a plan, like she doesn’t still know where he lives with all her resources.

Wow impressive story and to all the critics questioning anyone's action in the story they probably have never fallen in love. love makes you agree to the irrational and even makes rational absurd

Stop being a cynic. Enjoy pure love

Not usually too hot on reconciliation, but this is getting better. Keep it going.

Does she also plays the piano. Oh wait! It was only blowjobs when she is lonely.

Story too long, nothing exacting, nothing new, tiring and very very boring.

Put some heart and emotion on this boring sequel.

You re delaying posting here but, i read your full story on other site.

Have to say i did not like the ending at all, i just think that there re too many issues unresolved. I have to give it to the protagonist for taking so many hits, lies after lies, deceptions, countless lovers, humiliation, patronizing. It would have been really easy to cut the losses and move on.

I fail to understand what he loves about ali mac after 13 years, the way i see it she became more superficial and narcissistic. Did he really love her so much that he forgave her for like everything. She is cruel, manipulative and selfish. You never discussed major issues like why not come sooner if she loved him so much.

Keeping the ending same or similar, i think i would have loved a slightly different path leading to it.

Not your best.

I generally like your stuff but this guy is too much. He is such a whiny, anal, ass (is that too redundant?) and even though he admits most of it, he needs to become an adult. I'm not going to subject myself to any more of his ' o poor me!' daily abuse and wait to the end to look at this tale again. Hopefully that is only two more episodes. I know this is already finished but my ending would have him killed in grief and agony trying to protect his wife and daughter because he screwed up the security, but that's just me.

Thanks for your effort tho.

Totally disgusted with Alisha. There is nothing redeeming about her. But he wouldn't be the first guy here to take back a woman because she looked good in a couple of strings and a pair of patches! In another twenty years, he'll start thinking with the other head. But then it will be too late to have a loving wife and a normal family. I can't see the lives they have made for themselves meshing well at all.

Based on her actions at the last shoot and the people around she was definitely cheating. She was five hours late and heading to a room drunk with two guys and next night an actor has his hand on her ass and when hubby protests she smacks him goes back to him and never comes back that nights. She’s lying and DNA TEST and a lot of investigators to find how much she’s hiding. Like him I would’ve divorced her but the shot would’ve hit the fan way before that last trip. Actually I could’ve never married her even if I loved her because I personally could not handle a wife in that job and lifestyle.

"do you know how much it cost for us to hire that bloody thing." - She doesn't need to work any more, and they're bitching about the cost of renting the boat?

"I didn't want you to come back out of misguided loyalty to your daughter." - Except that NOW you do, and as he says, after robbing him of the chance to watch his daughter grow up!

Still two parts to go. Seems too long for a neat reconciliation, could already be wrapped up, or one more at the most. I figure there'll be some hiccup, then either a final reconciliation or a bitter breakup. Personally, I'd like a breakup with Julia getting pissed at her mother and wanting to stay with him!

"Her side of the story"? She totally humiliated him, blew off his concerns as if he was a child afraid of the bogeyman at night, and he was supposed to be a good little cuckold and wait patiently for her to bless him with her presence?

I agree. I can understand, maybe, the later blackmail over the parents, but I can't buy that his parents didn't contact him about her pregnancy. If she DID try to keep Julia from them, as the father he would get visitation, so they could see her then.

His curiosity was tempered by his grief, he had to try to forget her or be miserable.

Let's yell, call names, make accusations, point fingers, and ignore the thirteen years old on board.

Living on his boat I'm surprised he's not using terms like galley, head,

I've read one of your earlier stories, and you do repeat a few things. The idea of an outside party trying to wreck a marriage is the big one. If that comes from personal experience, I can understand why it has been a thing in two stories. Whether that is the case or not though, I'd like to see you abandon that theme in future stories. Every time I read an author I like (and you are one), and see the same marks hit in subsequent stories, I tend to lose interest in the ending. I already know at that point where it is going.

Why did the author want this story to be so predictable and lightweight?

And when does it get dark????

And so implausible.

Losing stars rapidly.

It makes no sense that Ben would accept so readily that Julie was his daughter, or that Ali was truthful, EVER. Why would he accept her word for anything? Why would he be so calm about all the CRAP?

Ambushing him like that should not have been so acceptable. Why was such a weak lump as to agree to everything she spewed out?

MAKES NO SENSE

Author really got me triggered with this chapter. So, well done, I guess.

It is a romance, rather than a LW story. And I am glad it is not a stupid BTB.

But, there is just too much that is implausible and stupid in the plotting.

Such as, there is absolutely no way his parents would not have contacted him about his daughter. NO FUCKING WAY

And, he is just supposed to take her word for everything? WHY WOULD HE?

This is okay but honestly I find it extremely implausible that his parents wouldn't tell him he is a father. Fuck its not implausible, it's preposterous. First, Alisha can certainly withhold visitation but Ben has rights too and quite frankly Alisha seemed way too self absorbed with her image and career. By could cause a lot of damage by getting the courts involved. The plot is really interesting but it requires suspending all disbelief.

I agree there are implausibilities here, but I’m just enjoying the reread. Trust but verify should be Ben’s motto.

""I can't leave you with a stranger." Very out of character words from someone who's trying to kindle a daughter's relationship with her father. Considering how well done the rest of the dialog is, there should have been some way to rephrase it so as not to take us out of the story.

Well, this chapter is the last one for me. I was ready for a reconciliation when he said "I had no idea if we were still married." That kind of statement is always a tip-off. But the story-telling is just getting too tangled with just too many ridiculous implausibilities. My head hurts so I'm going to quit.

I just don't buy that all this happened.

13 years passed. And he just let's her back on his boat, in his life, and in his bed?

Uhhh...hell no. Get the fuck off my boat bitch.

And you can make arrangements for me to see this child and get to know her AFTER you provide me DNA evidence that she is actually my child.

See you around.

That's the end of this installment.

She’s a cunt and a liar. Ditch her in the water.

Didn't like this chapter. She doesn't seem sincere and he acts like a door mat.

Previous 2 chapters were great though.

I've enjoyed the story. Well written. But this chapter just doesn't make any sense to me. How does anyone, man or woman, really stay "in love" after a separation and zero communication lasting 13 years. The dialogue between the Ali and Ben after 13 years apart doesn't seem remotely plausible by any standard. Still a 5 for me despite this.

I agree with other commenters how does anyone stay in love for thirteen years of being apart and obviously screwing around. There are too many un-answered questions and all her excuses are just that. They were aprt and living as single people. The fact she basically knew where he was for a couple years before the daughter forced her to 'find' him. She got everything she wanted and left her husband in the dirt and didn't give a shit. As the story unfolds I'm sure she screwed around on him even before he left. If he reconciles with her he's an idiot. I wouldn't even really 'sleep' with her what with the company she was keeping. The daughter I feel for as I miss the two my ex took from 40 years ago and it still bothers me. 4 stars minus one for her excuses.

I'm a big fan of yours. Woodworker's Wife is one of my very favorites on here; I also enjoy Wine Merchant and Trials of Love. Didn't you also write one where a missing-presumed-dead wife shows up at a resort with amnesia? That story is wonderful; I'm not finding it right now, hope I haven't confused you with another writer.

Anyway: as usual with you, the writing here is excellent. But some of the plot elements are tripping me up. The 13-year gap bugs me; and the detail that his parents had a way to contact him, tell him that he had a daughter – but DIDN'T?!? – that throws me right out of the story. I can't buy that at all.

Trying to accept that makes me aware of other things I hadn't noticed initially. He goes 13 yrs without speaking with his parents? With that little provocation? Disproportionate and a little weird. The daughter Julia isnt very fleshed out.

All that makes this one not work for me as well as some of your others. I kinda think narrator & Ali should just make the divorce official, and narrator gets some visitation with his newly-discovered daughter. Not very dramatic, but feels more convincing with the setup.

I do like Jamaal. He gets my sympathy. 🙂

I guess the daughter does too. Such fucked-up parents.

It fell apart. The dialogue was campy. The child putting on orphan charm was creepy and nonsensical. Its been thirteen years. You should have capped the timeskip to three years. It wouldve been more plausible. The dialouge was campy and oddly victorian. Thought i was reading Jane Austin or someting.

Story went off the rails. Cannot believe regardless of her threats that his parents did not tell him he had a daughter. Seriously would never happen in anything remotely like the real world. They would not care if she made good on her threat (clearly made in anguish) to never let then see their grand-daughter again. Bullshit. They had the means to contact him in an emergency through his attorney. So why the 13 year gap? That is insane. And ended up killing the story for me. The hackneyed reasons for why she did not contact him were mostly confusing or vacuous. I get at the beginning she was pissed at him and upset and had to face a pregnancy alone. Ok. I get thatbshe wanted him to return without needing to know he had a daughter. Selfish but human. But after she realized hoe much she had fucked up and he did not contact her and was not coming back, say when her daughter was a year old. Then etf, why not? Then we hear about how she looked and looked and then got busy with work. The book came out and made it big within what 2 years of their breakup? As I suspected she figured out where he was based on intimidating thre publishing company. Though timing on that is uncertain. She uses reading the book as a reason to prevaricate. She is fed false information that Sophie was his wife (umm duh the two of them are still married, wtf? It is Europe not Micronesia). She has an on again, off again relationship with one of the asshole who tried to get her drunk and date rape her? So yeah somehow that pushes out her decision. And that is AFTER she finds out she was lied to. Has to purge Ricky and his cronies from her business. Wtf? She must have had the worst therapist on the planet. She is obviously dicking around and is too afraid and cowardly to face him and tell "whoops you have a pre-teen daughter". There are other lame excuses the author coughs up. The timing of when an where is inconsistent. One case she is in the on and off relationship after like 8 years. In another case it is supposedly only several years after they broke up and she was then soon after lied to about his "new family" and it took until her talk with Rachael two years ago to realize the truth. But only when her daughter sees the picture on social media does she take action. Yeah again she has the worst therapist not just on planet Earth but on Literotica. Hands down. And it is just nuts that she falls in with Ricky. But hey then claims that Ricky is a terrible lover, a shoulder to cry on at first, but Julia hated him. Not to mention he played a role in her breakup and the MC running away. If she is even remotely self-aware or intelligent, she avoids the asshole based on that or dumps way before the "lie" is revealed. So many excuses, wound up in a tangled knot, with inconsistent timings. And again HIS PARENTS would never go along with the keeping the knowledge of Julia their son, unless they despised him. That is a huge plot hole. Don't get me wrong. After seeing the MC's craven actions, I had more sympathy for Ali because the MC just freaking abandoned her. I could imagine her pain and yes she fucked up but she didn't deserve that. But Julia at least deserved a co-parent. Her keeping Julia a secret and all these muddled excuses about how she woukd tell him, her relationship with Ricky, her being deceived, threatening his parents, etc. really start to bring her down to his level of cowardice. Not one of the author's better stories (The Woodcarver's Wife, the Accountant's Wife, Trials of Love (though the repeated oral sex in that story is hard to imagine a reconciliation), the Wine Merchant, Alison Found (Alison's Lament was hideous and ruins Alison Found). Suspect that further chapters will make the wife's behavior worse. Anyways the 13 year skip was way too large. Not needed. Make the girl 4 years old or something. Just makes it unbelievable on so many levels. First 4 stars I have given this author. Would have been a 3, but author writes so well. Sigh.

Uhhh...13 years apart. She's a super model. Worth literally a billion dollars. And "she's still so in love with her husband..."

And this fucking moron MC...doesn't require DNA tests of some kind? And he let's these strangers onto his boat with all of the messy security bullshit? Fuck that. And he takes them to an intimate dinner with friends literally a few hours after this bombshell? And then she sleeps with him on the boat? What in the actual fuck kind of nonsense is this?

Guys. 13 years. She's had so much dick and pussy in her life (I'm sure she's munched a few carpets in that life style)...she ain't coming back to some recluse who owns a vineyard in rural France.

And this guy is a millionaire in his own right. He lives very quietly and happily. He cruises the Mediterranean...hopping from the South of France to Italy to Greece and all of the Islands in between there. He's a decent looking guy. Well off. With a luxury boat. He's fucking more tourists (and probably a bunch of natives) than he can shake his dick at.

13 years people! Think about it? How much dick does a Jenner or Kardashian super model go through in 13 years? They are worth a billion. You think they are sitting around pining for some dude they haven't seen for 13 years? This guy would have been forgotten as soon as she got over pushing the kid out of her vagina. And she WAS cheating on him before he left her...the signs were all there. In real life she was probably fucking other models the first trip she took alone out of the country as a model. Coke. X. Alcohol. Models get in these binges and fuck each other crazy.

Sorry. This last installment?? Biggest load of bullshit I've ever read.

This guy in real life? After 13 years?

"HI dad." Steps onto the boat.

"Hey! I don't know who the hell you think you are? But get your ass off this boat."

"Hey lady...come get this brat off of my boat now!" He yells at the woman in the big hat.

Grabs the girl by the arm and drags her off the boat.

"Learn some manners."

Pushes away from the pier and motors off.

A few more stops up the canal. They tie the boat up.

The woman in the hat comes walking up.

"Ben how could you do that to our daughter?" Takes the hat off and he recognizes her as his cheating slut of an ex-wife.

"Bitch. I have no fucking idea what your crazy ass is talking about. Don't try and get on this boat. Cause I'll throw you into the canal. I don't know what's going on here, but if I wanted you in my life? I'da actually went looking for you. Go sell your crazy somewhere else and leave me alone."

"But Ben...I still love you. And you got me pregnant almost 14 years ago. She is your daughter."

"Hey stupid. IF she is my daughter. Which you are gonna have to prove with a DNA test btw...you've done a fine job with her for the past 13 years. You basically stole her childhood from me. Which is just selfish and unforgivable. Why you bringing her now? She doesn't look like me. I had no idea she existed. We have no connection. You'll continue doing just fine. And you are worth 100s of millions of dollars. You haven't needed me. And you won't in the future. So find another sucker to be daddy and go fuck yourself."

"But Ben I love you so much! And I miss you! And we are still husband and wife."

"It's been 13 years you stupid bitch! You love me and miss me? How many dicks have you had in that time? How much effort did you put into actually trying to find me? My parents could have gotten word to me...oh say...10 or 11 years ago pretty easily if you'd just asked them to try. So take your skanky ass away from my boat. And leave me alone!"

Then throwing the last comment over my shoulder as I turn away from her, "and since you haven't arranged for the divorce based on abandonment like any sane person would have done more than a decade ago...ypu know when I packed up my shit and left you, moved to another country 1,000 miles away? Don't worry. I'll have my attorney draw up some papers and get them to you. I don't want a DAMN thing from you."

That's it. Something similar. There's no happy reunion. There's no spending days together on the boat traveling the lockes. Reminiscing about old times. Bonding with a nearly grown person that supposedly is my child. Sleeping together.

None of that. Allow me to repeat it again...it's been THIRTEEN fucking years!!?

Nobody shows up and says "surprise! I know I showed you the ultimate disrespect possible that a spouse can show another spouse. And haven't tried to contact you for 13 years. But I still love you and miss you and let's be husband and wife again! Ok?"

Get the fuck out of here with that.

An exercise in futility. So much water under the bridge, ancient history and pain. Reminds me that when people say they have no regrets, they want to believe that, but actually...

Wasted time and energy. His daughter was a lost treasure/experience. His wife, full of herself...

It might be romance. But Ali seems like a psychotic, lying snake - is the sense I get. Still, engaging read.