All Comments on 'Imbalance Pt. 02'

Fundamentally EVERY one reading this story has to come to an decision as to whether not a spouse working too hard and neglecting his/her family is a JUSTIFICATION for the other spouse to step out and engaged a long-term affair. Taken in the abstract some may decide that stepping out on the marriage is justified.

But in this instance Complicating that question is the fact that the wife kept her intense dissatisfaction with her husband HIDDEN from him. She used his obsessive compulsive engineering behavior to hide her dissatisfaction ... and INTENTIONALLY decided to engage in a long-term affair with the husbands best friend. The wife either consciously or subconsciously intentionally decided NOT to bring her dissatisfaction to his attention and suggests some sort of marital counseling. As a consequence the wife again either consciously or subconsciously intentionally decided to destroy her own family and emotionally and psychologically heard her own children.

And to do so over six months is simply inexcusable.

My SECOND point is that at this point in the story is obvious that the wife has still no idea of the amount of emotional destruction and psychological damage that she has inflicted upon her husband. (And it is clear that Doug doesn't understand it either). Yes the cunt whore wife may be upset now that she is realizing what her despicable actions and behavior are finally breaking through to ever her. But she still sees this ONLY from her point of view.

No one stabbed her in the back with her best friend.

No one has been undermining her in the marriage while she ha sbeen working hard to support the family.

And no one is calling out another woman's name when she tends to have some shorter reconciliation sex with her spouse.

She is completely detached from any sort emotional connection to her husband in any capacity. I don't know if JAVMOR intentionally did this in the story or if this is just my own perspective but I think the evidence presented in this chapter clearly shows that as of right now.... If the husband were to drop dead in front of her... the wife would not in the least bit be upset.

THIRD the opening scene where the distraught devastated husband is brought to a strip club to buy his friend does not work. Given how to distraught the husband is at the end of chapter one... for him to suddenly star aand become Obessed with stripper / whore asses and tits 1 hour after wanting to kill Doug and his wife ... is really kind of ANTI MALE

Sorry Javmor men do have feelings and emotions and not all of us have our knuckles dragging on the ground.

Finally I enjoyed the confrontation scene between Doug and husband. I thought his counterargument was quite well done. - if Doug really cared about the wife and the two young daughters he would not have engaged in this destructive long-term affair to begin with.

So what happened to the marines ? I charged into the intro expecting sky high metaphorical body count buy javmor79 crossed me up and started to make Frank sympatico in my eyes for the first time. Mistakes have been made and the tally for damage done is still ongoing.

I will say Doug and Tiffany may believe in the story that they are truely in love. In real life, studies show cheaters rarely last long term post divorce. I'm very curious if these two last in javmor79's story.

The principal parties are behaving honorably as possible under adverse circumstances. No fireworks . It was a gutsy choice by author to mute the expressions of grief and anger as much as he has. Only the top shelf writers would have steered the narrative into relatively calm waters, willing to disillusion the eye for an eye faction.

Full marks * * * * *

About the way people react to situations.

Javmor has his characters reacting in ways that he wants them to and I found those reactions to be particularly well described. The problem with defining them so well is that the reader is almost invited to predict quite different human reactions.

For example, when Frank confronted Doug with personal questions about Claire and the girls, it surprised me that a man like Frank knew things like when his wife's period occurred. (Does even the average husband, let alone one like Frank, know unless she says "not tonight dear".) When reading that scene, I thought it might be Doug asking Frank the questions to show how much Frank was out of touch with his family.

I await Pt.03 with bated breath.

Lue

Javmor male character.

Absolutely no spine and not to bright to boot yet seems to have a good job.

just wondering where you'll be taking us next

I understand making him human and not some superman but I think you're going overboard and I fear we will see nothing happen to Doug. If nothing else he deserves to have the crap beat out of him.

I hope we don't have to wait so long for chapter 3.

"The Buck Stops Here" . That's what the placard prominently displayed on Harry Truman's desk when he was president . Frankly as a fan of Stephen Covey , ( author of 7 habits of Highly Successful People ) that should be the rule for any husband who accepts the role of the head of household. The responsibilities are heavy. You need to provide for your family, be a loving and sensitive partner to wife / significant other and set a responsible example along with giving both love and discipline to your children .

Frank abdicated the head of household role and dedicated himself to providing income and providing a laudable lifestyle for his wife. He ignored red flags like forgetting wife's birthday. He had minimal communication with his wife and missed any clues there was a serpent in paradise until she told him. Should she have warned him ? Yes ! But as head of household, the buck stops with him .

He needed to dial back the 10-12 hour days or get another job even if it meant dialing back the standard of life. In chess , you can be killing opponent in material, but in if your king gets mated , it's game over. The whole board must be monitored and managed. The opponent cannot be allowed to decisively advance on queenside, center and kingside as you implement your offensive plans and goals.

Concentrate too much on one area, ignore another ? Unpleasant and painful consequences ensue . Frank left his wife to manage the domestic facet of their lives. She was not an evil woman but also not a good manager when left totally unchecked and unappreciated in ways women deem important for years on end.

A conscientious husband and responsible head of household would have been alerted and adjusted the disastrous course the vulnerable and lonely wife sailed inadvertently / heedlessly the marriage into.

To your question , Harry , it all depends on your viewpoint. Do you see yourself as a head of your household ? Maybe you see your wife as a full and equal partner or even the decision maker ? In javmor79 's story , Frank reaping the whirlwind of ignoring the domestic end of his life and balancing his full responsibilities .

I do know that if you do indeed see yourself as the head of your household, for better or worse , the buck stops with you.

Well , this seemed to take six months ! Well played Laurel , well played .

I was not expecting this chapter to go where it went. When he called for the Marine at the end of the last installment , I expected the battlefield to be lined with bloating corpses . But instead , the marriage ended with more of a whimper as opposed to the nuclear bang that looked imminent.

I was actually glad that the author dialed back on the Frank the monster characterizations that so many commentators were painting him as. Yes he was a very driven man who got to where he was professionally by some nefarious tactics , and was truly a workaholic , but that is the nature of the business climate that our country is in today. Let's face it , we took up the Japanese work model in this country and not the French one.

I thought the scene with his daughters in the pizza parlor shed some light on his true relationship with his daughters , true he didn't remember her cheerleading plans , but the caring relationship showed both ways there. Children of that age are actually a lot smarter than adults give them credit for. I bet they understood some of the fine things that they had was a result of dad working long hours. In fact , they didn't seem to have much of a problem at all with him. It was the wife who came off more childlike , craving of attention than did the daughters.

The scene where Tony takes him to a stripclub , was a little odd to me. If I were faced with my life imploding , I can truly say that I don't think that's where I would go . But , it did seem to work I guess.

I do hope that Frank doesn't wind up with the all wise Yoda style stripper/hooker , that's been done too many times.

And I do hope that Doug doesn't get off Scott free in this whole fiasco either.

Looking forward to our next serving of this delicious story !

5*'s

First off, who waits until the day the divorce is final to tell the kids? Next, the asshole ex-friend deserves some serious retribution for stealing the wife, who actually just turned out to be another cheating cunt skank. As for our sad husband, the worst thing he did was going to the strip club to meet that whore, a real whore, looking for love. She's just a pro who gets paid to fuck, not to feel. Hopefully for his sake, that goes nowhere. What happens next I have no clue. We'll see...

If Doug gets away with no retribution its a 1* from me, if he is made to pay for what he did its a 5*, simple as that!

They kept it quiet up to the point of divorce for the sake of the girls and appearances. When Claire moves on with another guy, one that everyone knows quite well, but Frank doesn't move on quite so quickly, I wonder what reaction Claire will get. If Claire doesn't already have some serious misgivings about her actions she probably will when the girls aren't happy with mom wanting to have Doug around and dad being gone. Also, how will friends and family react to her spending time with Doug so soon after the divorce knowing he was her husband's best friend. Actions taken in the shadows are one thing, having them brought out in the open for all to see sheds a different light on things. I get the impression Frank will be the one getting sympathy while Claire and Doug get disdain. Being treated like a pariah can be quite the eye opener.

The "he doesn't give me enough attention" bullshit is hard to take. Thankfully, Frank called her on it. What is not mention is the fact that by the time you have two daughters, most wives would be consumed by raising them and spending time with them, often to the exclusion of the husband! Most normal wives would not think of cheating their daughters out of their father or happy home. What will happen now? In most cases, Claire and Doug would justify their cheating by getting married. That is usually followed by Doug becoming frustrated by having to go from zero, to instantly domesticated and raising some other guys kids. Gone is the romance, the sex on demand and now come the obligations to escort the love of his life through all her boring parental duties. Duties that he truly does not share, because he is not a father and never really will be one. Hell, he is not really a man, a man does not wreck his best friends home and ruin the childhood of two kids! This is why second marriages fail at a rate of 75%.

The real problem here is Claire, not enough time has been spent on her selfishness and total lack of love for her kids. Yes, her kids! How many people stay married and do not cheat "for their kids sake"! A whole hell of a lot! She wouldn't put her kids before her pussy and her ego. That makes her a shit mom. That fact also plays out as the kids grow. The will reciprocate the same level of love and respect that she showed them. They will not do this out of spite, they will do this because she taught them to do it by her actions. Kids learn what parents do. That is the real story here. Who really gives a fuck about some POS engineer who stole another guys work to get ahead and then neglected his family for his career ego trip? Cheating on kids earns you a special place in Hell. Until you get there, you get to live with the fact and the reputation of fucking your own kids over. There are a few analogies to it: abortion, child abuse, child neglect, ect. It is sick behavior. So far, there is not one person in this story that is a decent person with a drop of character.

I definitely hear what you are saying about the husband being the head of household and I strongly believe that the buck does ultimately stop with him. But the wife is also a "partner" in the relationship. True that he set the conditions for a relationship gone wrong, but it is also the wife's responsibility as a partner to let him know how she feels before she does something rash to ultimately ruin the relationship. A year of emotional adultry and 6 months of physical adultry without even giving her husband the slightest hint of a problem is definitely an indication that she didn't have his back and was also a shitty partner.

I've stated this before that working long hours and not giving the family the attention that they need is not a marriage covenant breaker. Those things can be fixed if they are communicating.

However, adultry IS a marriage covenant breaker. As a "partner", you owe it to the other "partner" to communicate a problem before making rash decisions to ruin the relationship.

This story is at a crucial crossroad. Can Doug successfully transition from lover to husband and father? Will Claire wake-up and realize her part in the destruction of the marriage?

Please apply your skill and craft a realistic tale that culminates in a plausible reunion for Frank and Claire and a satisfying punishment for "best friend" Doug. I would really like a scene where Claire screams Frank's name while climaxing in bed with Doug.

He is such an absentee father that his wife thinks the girls are missing, not that he has taken them out. He has no clue, nor interest, that his daughter is becoming a cheer leader, yet the girls think he is just a wonderful loving father? P.S. A cheer leader? They should be encouraging her to become captain of her soccer team. What air-head parents; it totally fits.

As others have mentioned, when did the wife have time to romance Doug while raising two daughters? And then she uses her soon to be ex-husband as baby sitter while she goes out for an evening's fuck, and hubby goes along with that? Hell, he couldn't be home in the evenings for dinner and family time, but he can be home to baby sit for the whore? And what does he do with his daughters during her outings? And despite their marriage taking on the atmosphere a cyanide gas, their daughters have no clue that something is wrong between their parents? Obviously the author no experience with children.

He failed to ask Doug the most important question: Why didn't you warn me that I was losing my wife? You say you love her, but you were supposed to love me too, as my best friend. You are telling me why Claire betrayed me. So tell me Doug, why did you betray me? I guess we will end up learning who and what Doug, and Claire, really love.

Then the whole introduction of the stripper/prostitute made no sense. Except that apparently she's a character from a different story that you wanted to fold into this story? And this is how his friend Terry relaxes and socializes, with strippers and prostitutes? Men who seek companionship from strippers and prostitutes are losers, plain and simple.

And I have to say Bravo to Sugna for illustrating the significance of the daughters in this whole story. He is exactly right, Claire might be frustrated and lonely, but her first concern should have been not that Frank is neglecting her, but he is neglecting their daughters. And choosing to destroy her marriage only makes things worse for her daughters. It is one thing to cheat on your spouse. But how do you look your children in the eyes one day, when they finally grow up and understand the concepts of commitment, and betrayal, and justify that you betrayed their other parent? She has given them an adulterous whore for a mother, for the rest of their lives. I wonder what sort of contact and influence they will let her have over their own daughters one day?

Thank you for your time and effort. I will wait to rate the whole thing when you are finished. So far Chapter One is a 4 or a 5. Chapter Two is a 3 or a 4. I will end up rating all chapters the same once the story is complete.

I think this javmor character is a woman.

And beginning to repeat, kind of losing ground here, sorry.

The first chapter is always the easiest to write. There are a great many multi-chapter stories that begin in a promising way and sputter to a halt. The setup is simple; put the characters in situation x and have them do y. What you do with them after that is where so many writers fail. The problem with this story is that the characters were always repulsive. It's difficult to write an interesting story about characters no one could like. Now the author's "lifestyle" supporters, swingerjoe, luedon, et al, will attempt to fan the flames and talk about "realism." The story will go out with a whimper, because, in the end, there's no one to like in this story.

IMHO I don't think that there will be a reconciliation,Doug will get out of the picture one way or the other,you could allready read in the last scene with Claire that she starts to regret her actions who in my opinion started as a wake up call to her husband but got out of hand,Doug saying he loves her is only one voice ,Claire never told the same

There could be in the end some kind of understanding between husband and wife aspecially about the children,maybe even a friendship but that i guess is up to javmor

Send in the Marine!

But I forgot to get her flowers....

Send in the Seal!

But I work a lot......

Could you send in a cute baby seal?

Actually I think you should just give her 3/4 of my shit and most of my future earnings - yeah that will show her!

Hey would I get in serious trouble if I hit Doug's desk? Not really hard, just a little hard with a mean spirited facial expression? - That will show him!

Thank God javmore explained how Doug and Clair are nice people or I wouldn't understand Frank's moving to and living under the bus.

Next chapter - Frank finally figures out that he actually likes whores - they are all nice people, just like his Clair. There will be one interesting paragraph where he thanks Doug for helping him. Try not to drag it out though, like this part it shouldn't take more than a 1/2 page.

But I don't like how this is going.

Which is what the BTB crowd hates--realism. They lust after fantasy and the author is giving them life instead. Bummer--huh?

Love it. Very real. Keep it coming.

Here are some points that I think people missed.

1. Kids go to school. There are PLENTY of opportunities for a woman to cheat

2. Doug came over, called, just to talk. More opportunities. They could talk on the phone, or do other things. Plus, how easy is it to get a babysitter to go on a date? Affairs aren't only about the sex. Doug fell in love with her, which means that he did more than fuck her. A year of listening to someone is more than enough time to get them to fall in love with you.

3. I know my girlfriend's period. It's the only time we can't have sex (vaginally). I know plenty of husband's who are asked to pick up pads on the way home. You may not know the dates, but you know when the time is getting close.

Claire had plenty of chances to cheat. No one found fault with this until Frank decided not to go the Marine route. And then, OH NO! If he had gone the Marine route, left his kids devastated from the fall out, then plot holes wouldn't have mattered. As long as she suffered, there is no reason to care. BTB crowd would pump their fists and say, "WOOHOO!" The kids will get over it. Better yet, just make them hate the mom!

Personally, I don't think these are plot holes. I find this chapter a bit of a letdown from the tension of the last chapter, but I don't think these are plot holes. Just life.

Can't wait to see what he next chapter holds.

have absolutely no idea where you can take this narrative that hasn't already been done a thousand times. Sure it's nicely written and it's got some obvious emotional hooks for the reader but ... I just can't see anything ahead except cliches.

There is nothing wrong with the story except that it doesn't really seem that there is in fact much of a "story" there.

You weren't Frank, you were a little shit.

I don't condone cheating like you seem to do, but in YOUR case I think YOUR wife was right to put the horns on you. We all know she did. But you are ok with that, right?

Very realistic, communicating feelings good or bad are so very important in marriage, listening is equally important. A feeling or opinion where one party does not attach much importance to can be very important to the other, to try and see the other point of view and make the necessary adjustments then the relationship evolves and moves forward. My observation of life is that this situation is all to common, the sad part is that they are not bad people they just lose their way on the slippery slope of life. A sad and well written tale, well done javmor79.

Having watched the divorces of my parents, of several friends and of my son it is my experience that the choice between sending in the "seals" versus sending in the "marines" is false. No matter what approach the lawyer uses the children are going to be devastated and the wronged spouse will have to carry psychological damage for years to come. And that is even before the court system financially screws over the husband. The author might as well have sent in the marines. It would have made for a more interesting narrative while leading to the same end result.

The plot devise of having the attorney take Frank to a strip club is about as unbelievable as possible. Had an attorney tried that tactic with me I would have walked out knowing that the attorney did not have my best interests in mind. The divorce was not yet filed. Did it not occur to him that Frank's wife might have had PI's following him to gather evidence for use in the divorce? Lawyers may generally be lying slimeballs, but they do know their professions and they don't generally advise clients to take actions that are stupid. So take him to Denny's if you want to talk him off the ledge, but don't go to a strip club when there is no reason to believe that Frank's character requires a strip club to calm him down.

The chapter strongly foreshadows the use of the "Prostitute as Angel of Mercy" narrative as a future direction for the story. If this is where the author wants to take the story then I believe he is making a mistake. That plot is already overused. It is going to take some brilliant writing to convince me that this is the best way for this story to go.

Bottom line: good first chapter, less than satisfying second chapter, much work to do to redeem the overall narrative.

I too worked many long hours and 7 day weeks for years while my sons and wife grew up around me. But yes, I knew her period, their birthdays, their schoolwork and schedule for afterschool activities. Although I could not attend often did not mean I was ignorant of my family's life.

So far the story is a little too sugary and routine, but close to real life as a pron story can take it.

And you can take that to the bank, Boy.

I thought the same as Wackdoodle when he asked Doug about Claire's period and the kids. 88 hours away from work including sleep, he would know precious little about their lives and what they did.

He actually then admitted to himself his work addiction and it's effect on his homelife. So he closed the laptop and took the girls out for dinner. He then saw how much he had missed of their growing up. But when he gets home can he admit it out loud. Good God NO. He blames Claire for not trying hard enough to save the marriage.

It is a good, well written story with a good plot - but I am getting tired of Frank and his obnoxious self pity. I wonder if he will be man enough to see the error of his ways and try to win his now ex wife back. At the same time he can even the score with Doug both mentally and physically.

Thank you all for reading.

I would like to make a couple of points, if I may. Many find the implementation of Sandra in this story as unrealistic, but I disagree. My wife and I watched a series called "The Girlfriend Experience" (I forget which channel it comes on, i.e. Showtime, HBO, or even Skinemax). In this series it was uncanny how many married men fell in love with her. They genuinely liked her company, and told themselves that the experience was real, even though it was all a sham. These same men went back to their wives like nothing had happened.

I also went to a strip club for a buddie's bachelor party. These women made us feel like kings. We were the sexiest, most desirable men on the planet. They cooed and purred in our ears. All of us, including those of us who are married, enjoyed the experience. (Just to be clear, I didn't have sex of ANY kind with any stripper).

There was this one stripper who told me of this regular that she has (you guys know how much I enjoy talking to people and getting their back story). He has told her that he would leave his wife and be with her. Is he lying? Who knows. But I think that it is possible for a man to have a low enough self esteem to propose to a stripper.

If a man is cast aside for his best friend, in my opinion, he will be at his lowest as far a self esteem goes. He will be MORE likely to project feelings onto that "relationship" than most men would. He would find more comfort in the flirting banter. At least, that is the way I see it.

I know in Lit world, the husband would shake it off, not be bothered with whores, and find a nice girl to settle down with. But I feel that in the real world, a man who has lost the desire of the one person who's opinion matters most to him, could find solace in a little extra attention. If not, then there would be no "regulars" for escorts who also take them on vacation, buy them gifts, or do other relationship type things.

Just my opinion. This comment has no bearing on the third chapter though. Once again, thank you all for reading.

Her reasoning for cheating is that he wasn't home & she needed attention, why didn't she force him into counseling seeing as their problem is a lack of communication? Why was running into another mans arm so easy? That's my problem with this story and her nonchalant attitude about the whole fuck'd up mess. She forgot she wasn't the only one lonely, he was too. The difference is he didn't fuck another woman.. My husband is gone a lot, I too get lonely--that's why I have a job and other hobbies. I know he has to work in order to provide for us. I have no problem sitting my husband down and telling him I hate his job, and it's messing up our marriage. Like the husband said she didn't really fight too hard for her marriage/family.. Marriage is tough some marriages are tougher than others, you can't just give up when shit gets rough. The fact that it was his best friend is so disrespectful/ultimate betrayal, how is she going to explain to her kids how uncle Doug became step-daddy Doug? That's the problem with infidelity it affects everyone. This bitch was only thinking about her pussy, her pussy started tingling so she ran to Doug. There's things she could've done until she exhausted her resources, but sleeping with her hubbies bff was just wrong on so many levels. How would she feel if the shoe was on the other foot. At least he was working to provide for his family and he wasn't out fucking his secretary all she had to do was threaten him with a divorce or shit threaten him with finding a boyfriend.. I guarantee those two options would've woken her husband up... There's absolutely NO EXCUSE for cheating... The first sign of problems she hops on the nearest dick, that's not someone I'd want to stay married to let alone fight for. Let doug have her. That's who she wants. If she had put just as much effort as she did to fuck her husbands best friend she could've easily used those efforts to save her marriage if she really wanted to. She was horny and Doug had a hard cock......point...blank...period..... Her excuses are just that.....excuses....

I know my wife's period. LOL. I have been forced to buy tampons and pads on numerous occasions. Plus, any married man knows that when his wife starts acting like a, umm, less than friendly woman, the first thing we do is go back to our mental calendar and say, "Yep. Its around that time!" Unless your wife is always this type of woman.

Good dialog.

Seen more than a few in real life where the spouse looks at what can the other half do to fix things. Never looking at what they themselves could. It's always someone else's fault.

Another very well-developed chapter. These aren't the one-dimensional cardboard characters we usually find in Loving Wives. These are realistic and relatable characters with depth and complexity. That is incredibly difficult to accomplish, which is why we don't see it often enough.

The confrontation between Frank and Doug was absolutely brilliant. It may be the first time I've ever read a story where that particular point was made about an illicit lover inheriting not only the cheating spouse, but his/her family as well. That's a powerful message.

I haven't read the comments yet, but I suspect that many will despise Frank because he isn't the typical heroic jilted husband that we see time and again in every BTB tale. He's a flawed character who is just beginning to understand his flaws and work toward correcting them. As he pointed out, those flaws aren't an excuse for Claire (and Doug) to do what they did. But the fact remains that if he hadn't had those flaws, they probably would not have done what they did.

So, where do we go from here? Will Frank and Starlet ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after? Will Claire introduce Doug to the girls as their new daddy? Will Frank and Claire get back together, attend couple's counseling, and re-marry? Will Doug realize that he was only into it for the strange pussy and leave Claire alone and miserable? Because you've developed such complex and relatable characters, I actually do care what happens next.

Thanks for your efforts

"jav - I know in Lit world, the husband would shake it off, not be bothered with whores, and find a nice girl to settle down with. But I feel that in the real world, a man who has lost the desire of the one person who's opinion matters most to him, could find solace in a little extra attention"

Did you actually write and think that? Seriously?

Thinking about it, over the last 20 years I know of at least 30 couples that have divorced (in the actual real world). Not one of the men (or women) ended up with a stripper prostitute. They actually for the most part "settled down" with someone they could.

The pretty woman scenario is so far in the fantasy world it would have to be made into a fictitious movie to be believed.

I have no problem with him leaving a whore (that he didn't know he had) and going to another whore, it is a fictitious story after all - but when you try to explain how it is the real world - I call bullshit. Seriously just call it what it is a "fantasy scenario" - and that is only the fantasy of the stripper. I don't know a single guy that would want a whore for a wife outside HIS bedroom in the "real world" (well actually you and joe seem to, but you are both virtual in this case).

At the same time there are actually people that like being pooped on, so what do I know.

You are able to bring out real emotions in your characters. This doesn't feel like the end though. A five.

and was surprised that the score was under 4 stars. And then I realized at least part of the readers were like me, confused by the Frank in this one. I like the fact that he became more self aware and I liked the fact that he noticed he had kids and that he really liked them. But I didn't like the breaking down and sobbing like a little bitch when he was with the whore. He might have done that or he might have continued on suppressing his emotions like his profile called for, especially in front of a stranger. Tears in his eyes, yeah, tears down his cheeks, maybe, but I can't understand why some of the writers on here use that ploy to denote self-realization.

That said, it was a well written story and definitely pointed out the ease with which someone who doesn't share problems with your spouse can be more attractive to them sometimes. Doug wasn't responsible to anyone, he didn't have a dedication to his chosen field and as I said before, he didn't possess a moral compass at all. Wifey on the other hand had a legitimate problem in that she had personal needs that weren't being met and she was unable to reach hubby to talk to him about them. If she was a weak person and had decided that she was alone and forsaken, she would have been ripe for his bestie's little plot. I don't for a minute think that Doug's happening to her was happenstance. I look forward to the next installment of your story.

It was for me a very dark chapter and not at all what I was expecting. There are not to many characters to like or cheer for. They all have feet of clay and seem to be sinking into hell on a greased roller coaster.

You definitely know how to twist a persons emotions.

Keep it up...

No bullshit simpering cheater-turned-doormats, no one lining up to tell us how perfect this guy is, no one magically getting away with extreme violence or writing a novel that (in spite of not being about wizards) somehow makes them rich, and (weirdest of all) tons of legitimate human emotions and journeys.

You must be confused. This is LW. ;-P

Honestly, I could do without the strip club-initiated stuff, but at least you are playing even that as a journey. Looking very much forward to reading the rest.

We all know just how this is gonna end. I also want to know in what world does the author think this is a fair divorce settlement. He pays childsupport plus alimony with her getting the house. What is the difference from this and a shitty settlement. In a 50/50 state she is gonna get this no matter what he does. If she wanted to be fair with him she should've given him co custody. Let her get a fucking job and see how much she likes it. In real life I've never seen a divorced wife in her 30s with 2 young kids be happier after her divorce. Yes she gets a chunk of he ex money but it's always a struggle for her and the kids.

One of the most emotionally true accounts of the turmoil of a divorce. There are no heroes or heroines. There are humans. Humans who make choices. Choices made to be satisfied. To feel good about oneself. To feel content/happy. Choices made that do not take into account all the consequences. His choices to problem solve lead to.... yeh we know. Her choices lead to immeasurable pain for all. Each was wrong. One maybe more than the other as so ably written about in chapter 2. This so like so many of the divorces I saw in my career particularly those who only came after the marriage was over. So few villains. So many ostriches.

This is a very interesting follow up on Ch. I. Clearly Frank has come to recognize how much at fault he is for what has happened. This has not (yet?) become a BTB story but a realization story of how a good worker in his/her field can get so carried away with their profession that personal life suffers. In spite of this, he has not taken steps to remedy the situation. As of yet, it is not clear how this has affected his children but it has and will. It is still a bit too long winded but I'm anxious for Ch. 3.

Tiny Tim

People keep saying that he gave her 2/3 of his money. He didn't. It said that the first proposal by the judge was 2/3. That's is what it would have been

At least know what you are angry about.

This is directed at the one anonymous person who asked me a question. Do I believe what I wrote?

I never said that a man WILL fall in love with a stripper. I said that at his lowest point, IT IS POSSIBLY to have his self esteem so low that the extra attention COULD go to his head.

I think you confused what I was saying. I know a lot if men that divorce and don't fall in love with strippers. But I know of a few guys who have rebounded with questionable women. And, speaking with the stripper that I spoke to, she had stories of men wanting more of a relationship with her and her coworkers. One of them even had a guy pay for breast implants for her.

So yes, I do think its possible. Will it happen all of the time? No.

Thanks for that comment.

Chapter Two answered some questions. Claire never made an effort to ask for counseling or fought for the marriage. Frank clearly was oblivious and equated supplying material comforts as his primary role and not giving his time to his kids and wife. His ego and self worth was so wrapped up in his job that delegated all of his family and emotional responsibilities to Claire, but gave her little emotional support, care and attention in return. Yet, he is at least aware to understand that Dough has no real idea of the responsibilities of being a dad.

Doug is no friend, but we already know that he and Frank were dishonest with the former colleague, so of course, each man would act in their own self-interest. A true friend would not have seduced his best friends wife, but gone to his friend and implored him to make some drastic changes. Perhaps it was jealously, but Dough found it easier to steal Claire away, then find his own woman.

Claire does not work, and while the girls are off at school, she apparently lacks other pursuits to keep her occupied. But we all do know that wives need care, attention and need to feel appreciated, as do the kids.

Liked the scene where he has the epiphany and takes his girls out to pizza and ice cream, the classic you don't realize what you have until it's gone. It's is finally dawning to Frank the emotional cost of not paying attention to his family and his destructive desire to always be in control of all things, regardless of how minor and unimportant they may be at work.

The interlude with the stripper and "Girl Friend Experience" is an interesting allegory given that most guys want it because their wife won't give them the sex and affection they desire. The other reason is the husband no longer finds their body/sexuality appealing.

Sandara has to explain to Frank, what he really is looking for. The irony is that when a relationship works between husband and wife, it's your wife that plays the "GF". Again, Frank is willing to pay for something he should get for free, as long as he pays with his "time" and his "attention".

We don't know much about Claire other than the fact that her communication skills are as bad as Frank, she never gave him an ultimatum to change and seems to want to avoid confrontation as much as he does in non business matters.

I await how Javmor shows the effect on the girls, the future relationship between Dough and her. This has been a very good story because you see how flawed both people are and the train wreck that results.

Look forward to Chapter Three.

Javmor79, thanks for your effort on this story, very good work.

Personally I believe that you can only fix yourself and so the kind of analysis he is doing after the fact is valid. The fact that his bff did him in with his wife makes it very painful for him and for us. Of course if instead of being an 88 hour mother she worked during school hours she would have escaped Doug and found another. If she refuses to open herself up with her husband there is no hope for her.

Is Chapter 2 the end or is there more to come? Couldn't really tell.

Frank warned Doug to watch his back. Best way to cause the same pain and hurt, take his wife and family back. Frank and Claire still have deep feelings for each other Frank has also come to the understanding he has taken family for granted and is changing. It happens often, been there.

the wife was looking for a replacement rather then working out her issues. There is something wrong when a scum has to chase a married woman. Then it takes two to Tango.

If Claire has her priorities straight she should be worried about the girls first. It doesn't seem like Doug cares about the kids except as a side note to Claire. This will get interesting for the aftermath really fast.

Look the wife wants Doug. The cunt whore wife said it SEVERAL times in chapter 1. She said that in MANY ways. She does NOT want to be marrieed to Frank anymore. OK... shit happens

So WHY is she crying over get the actual divorce papers? Frank is still in their lives as he seems to have woken up. He is treating the 2 girls better... she has the House ... she doesnt need to work ... has no interest in finding a Job ... has lots of $$ and now she can now fuck Doug 4 times a day if she wants . From what I can see she has come out the Bigger winner

so WHY is the wife crying???

Actually there are 2 of them. First at the end of chapt 1 we see Frank almost crazy with anger & rage and wanted to the marine or Godzilla or whatever. I mean lets face folks Javmor lied about that. In Fact in every one of his stories he never has the husband flipping out And in everyone of his stories Javmor ALWAYS has someone tell the husband

...." dont do anything stupid..."

... "well part of you stll love her dont you?"....

Yawn --

2ND (and this connects to the first) . Because Franks realizes that he has been a piss poor Husband and father for the wife and kids he "voluntarily" decides to give the wife the most retarded dumb fuck ridiculous divorce settlement of all time.

JAVMOR does this in all of his stories and it drives readers crazy. Yes person A may have contributed to the situation but the does mean Person B gets to walk away scott free. It is clear Javmore has some sort of mental issue about this.

But that was some years ago, and unfortunately two divorces. The third one works/worked as hard as me, but then we did'nt have any children. Horses for courses I guess.

A revealing chapter for Frank, both in regard to his own actions and those people he used to trust. Yet whilst he has begun to identify his errors and make changes, Claire still seems to be living two separate lives. For as the confrontation with Doug demonstrated, Claire the mother and Claire the unappreciated/indigent wife are two completely different people. If this affair were merely about the sex such a division might be understandable, however she claims to be with Doug for her emotional needs as well. It shall be interesting to see what happens when the scales fall from her eyes. Are the tears for the loss of her marriage, or what she perceives to have been taken from her? I wasn't sure.

I'm not buying Doug's protestations of love, not one bit. He's been close to Claire for a long time and sleeping with her for over six months, yet knows nothing about the kids? He's either too stupid or too selfish, neither are particularly good qualities in a partner.

I liked the Sandra character in Struggling to Survive (an astute and sassy woman), was even going to suggest that you write a story dedicated to her. How much time has passed since? I thought her earlier portrayal sounded less...jaded, mentally. Personally, I wouldn't be averse to Sandra and Fran k becoming closer.

Looking forward to Chapter 3.

Claire doesn't know it yet, but she is the real loser in this divorce. Doug may send her flowers and talk to her on the phone during their "courtship," but he is a cheater who has demonstrated that he is not to be trusted. Further, he has no idea of the stresses involved in having a family. Just wait until the girls start comparing him with their "real dad." I can see it now--"You can't tell us what to do. You're not our real dad!" And what about when they become ill or if Claire becomes ill? Is Doug ready to take on the responsibility? There's a reason why he's still single.

I can't wait to see how Frank gets his revenge on Doug. He's already promised and I believe he's a man of his word.

Has Harryin Va ever been in love? People in general rarely act logically when emotional, not logically, but maybe predictably. The wife has lost something whether she realizes it or not consciously, she instinctively realizes it. So she cries. Good story, well told. However, I assume that this is not the end, or at least hope that it's not.

Riveting, the dialogue top notch, all the stars are aligned (sorta, Frank needs to do more groundwork with the kids) for RAAC, but so what? The pain is real, I feel it from putting myself in his shoes. A sign of very high level writing. Very much looking fwd to the next installment.

I can actually feel Frank's pain, when he finally realized why his marriage fell apart.

We are walking on a log journey with Frank.

I just wonder how badly Doug will screw things up for everyone?

Long, not log journey.

i hope there will be a next part! this story has me hooked pretty damn deep.

is there a next one? and if yes do you have ETA for that?

thnx for sharing this story.

WOW! You really got me with this chapter! You did with the first one too but I was so pissed I only gave you 3. Sorry!

I'm hooked! Great story and absolutely love the characters from other stories!

javmor - In my humble opinion - you are one of or the best writer on this site because of the way you have been able to develop your characters and by the way you seem to be able to write believable stories.

Great expectations were lost in this part...He wanted the Marine, his friend make him chose the Seal...In the end the seal was a pussy...he gave in to all the demands her seal made...At a certain point he said the real truth: No matter what he did, that was no reason for her to cheat...He should have called the Marine...so from the 4* in part 1, this part just got 2*...

And tell her to come home? That's what he did in season 2...

Harry questioned Claire's crying, and an anonymous responder suggested that she had lost something, whether she recognised it consciously or unconsciously.

We are all taught as children to crave recognition, acceptance, approval and so on. As children it almost always comes from others. As we develop independence we need it less from others and develop a sense of self-worth. Like all human traits, self-worth ranges from one pathological extreme (narcissism) to the other (self-loathing) with most of us in the middle.

Those of us in the middle don't enjoy the feeling of being rejected, especially by those we are or have been in love with. Claire receiving the divorce papers was a visible symbol of Frank's rejection of her.

(Whether or not her behaviour had already shown her rejection of him is a much more complex question.)

All you have to do is read stories in the LW section, plus the comments from the myriad male commentators who have at some time been rejected by wives, to see how powerful the emotion can be.

Lue

Disappointed with this. Not was I wanted when he said call in the marines. Points taken for the conversation between them. She still could have called it off. Guess her loneliness wa on out after all. But Frank does tell the truth during it. She should have tried far earlier, counseling should have been brought up.

Was a good read but the stripper pffftt please. She more whore then the ex wife . Hsd a good story . But you cuvked out. He did what a husband does . She lonely . She going to be lonely when boyfriend runs from bagage . You fucked up what could have been a good resd . Have fun with it cucky boy . Fuck you and your story

You ACTUALLY wrote this " Claire receiving the divorce papers was a visible symbol of Frank's rejection of her."

So Claire fucking Doug for 6 months ... is that NOT a rejection of Doug?

So Claire saying she was in love with Doug... is that NOT a rejection of Doug?

So Claire saying she does not want to be maried to Frank anymore ... is that NOT a rejection of Doug?

so Claire INTENTIONALLY hidding her feelings about the marriage going down the drain so it could NOT be saved ... is that NOT a rejection of Doug?

The point here is that Claire is th one who has called ALL of the shots so far.

Frank is ONLY reacting to what she has done and said.

This is what SHE wanted. She has everything. So again I dont see why Frank sending her divorce papers should trigger this sort of reaction.

Someone made the statement that they thought it unusual that Husband knew when Wife's was. My experience is the opposite. When you have regular sex you do know the schedule of your wife's period.

I do find the story plausible. This episode had Wife expressing to H that she did in fact let him know that he was neglecting his family. This is contrary to the prior episode in which H said that W never complained. Either Javmor decided to try to deflect the criticism regarding W not giving H a chance or it is just a matter of perspective.

anon.1

I agree with everything you said in your last comment, with the small exception of the last sentence.

I'm sure that a 'Frank' would conclude that Claire forming a sexual (and possibly even loving) relationship with another man was a form of rejection. I did say that part of the story was complex.

But if you don't see (as you say you don't) how the very obvious and very final receipt of the divorce papers could trigger her crying reaction, then I suggest that your understanding of human behaviour would appear to be somewhat lacking.

Lue

Harry meets Luedon ! Now here's a true clash of civilizations !!! Lol.chuckle !

...oh, wait. What? You want an analytical critique?

Sorry, no. You already know that you write well. You already know that you characterize well. You already know, or at least have an idea where this whole thing is going next, so the loose ends have a purpose in perpetuating the world you're creating and the people that live there.

So, let's just leave it there. It's a really good story. I liked it.

Please continue.

Thank you.

As the one who raised this point originally, I still doubt that the average husband could accurately answer the question if somebody asked "When is your wife's next period" unless something happened recently to remind him. Sure, he might know if, as Javmor said, she asked him to buy pads or if it was recently passed. But its not exactly top-of-mind for the average husband.

(Husbands, give it a try. Let's say plus or minus a week. Although maybe it's a bit irrelevant for those of us who are post-menopausal.)

And since Dave was having sex with Claire as often as Frank was, he would be every bit as likely to know or not know the answer.

This is an interesting by-line to the story, perhaps, but somewhat irrelevant to the story's main theme.

Lue

Ok so when do we see chapter three and find out what became of this bunch of coconuts.

He was physically absent from many of the events in his family life, but he clearly was there enough and listening enough to what Clair and the kids were telling him and paying enough attention to remember. Because if he wasn't actually there, how else would he know all these things about his family? The conclusion this leads to is that Claire may have complained to him about the hours he was working and the vacations they weren't taking together, but she never told him she was so unhappy that their marriage was in trouble. Doesn't take all the responsibility off his shoulders for liking his work so much that he may have put in more than he needed to, and it certainly doesn't excuse him for conspiring with his buddy to cheat a competitor.

As for the Starlet thing, it's perfectly feasible for a man in Franks situation to become enamored of another woman, and if Sandra is a whore, Frank can rationalize that at least she's an honest one compared to what he's thinking about Claire. Hopefully, Sandra will have enough experience in her line of work to keep Frank from going over the deep end and complicating her life as much as his already is.

For those who question Terry's actions, remember that Terry is not Frank's personal attorney. His firm is on retainer to the company Frank works for and he is going to refer Frank to other attorneys. He and Frank have no attorney-client relationship.

And I still don't see any reason to care much who ends up "winning" here.

hits all the notes. looking forward to ch3.

Yeesh, all she had to do was talk to him. Maybe threaten divorce to really show him that his lack of attention is a deal breaker. Though, I guess that would make for a short and undramatic story wouldn't it?

Thoroughly enjoying & looking forward to the next chapter. Thank you !

I like the fact that we can feel sympathy for both Frank and Claire, and also see that they are both to blame for the failure of their marriage. I especially enjoy seeing that both of them are aware of this as the other makes particularly good points. Yes, Frank was clearly more concerned with work and neglected his family. But Claire also didn't put in that extra effort to save the marriage.

So I am interested to see where we go. Not sure if Sandra is going to play a role; that would feel out of place to me personally if all of a sudden Frank finds his dream woman in a strip club. But hey, who knows, crazier things have happened in real life.

One thing I do see happening is Claire and Doug not working out. Frank hit on a lot of truths in his conversation with Doug; once the thrill of the chase is over and the reality of being in a relationship with Claire and a potential step parent to her children hits Doug, will he stay? As they say, the fantasy is always better than the reality.

But I don't think I would want to see Frank and Claire reconcile if that were to happen. Some things shouldn't be rebuilt, and it feels to me like their marriage is one of those things. Better to focus on parenting their children through the divorce.

I gather from my comment and your reaction to it that I have not my point clear.

Of course i can see how and why in a typical situation that the wife would cry and be upset or emotionally shattered by getting the divorce papers.

BUT this is NOT typical end of marriage situation. Shit man this is not even a "typical LW stories.

You see...I am a fan of Marcus Aurelies... Ask what does it MEAN.?... What is its significance.

Claire did not just happen to fall out of love in the marriage. The wife had TWO different but INTENTIONAL paths she could take. ONE was to try and wake her asshsole husband up and try to save the marriage. ..TWO she could use the husband's cluelessness to INTENTIONALLY set up path to END the marriage take a lover and geta great settlement in the divorce.

Claire CHOOSE the 2nd path.

Did Claire ACTUALLY think that her husband would stay in the Marriage after a 6th MONTH affair? Did she that he would stay in marriage saying she wants out?.... That she is in love with another man? That he would stay in the marriage as his cunt whore wife moans Doug's name?

So again....WHY is crying when she gets the divorce papers....?

His flaws put food on the table and a roof over his wife and kids head, her flaws fucked him over, fucked her kids over and got her fucked. by all means could he have had better balance with work and home life, of coarse he could, balance is always key for everything. But his worse crime was still beneficial to his family, it gave to his family. Her on the other hand was pure selfishness. It was for her, to feel sexy, desired, to have her pussy filled. It wasn't for her kids. Doug wasn't doing anything for the kids, Anymore then hubby was, she showed to her children that infidelity is perfectly fine if your needs are not getting meet. And she has the audacity to say think of the children.

First of Marcus Aurelius was a stoic phylosopher and emperor who strongly believed in how to find a way in the midst of conflict by following nature as a source of guidance and inspiration.

In my humble opinion Claire choose both paths,she wanted to give her husband a wake up call about his behaviour,it may have gone out of hand i don't argue that point,however i think untill the very end she still believed that he could change and he did didn't he ? where did she ever say she loved Doug? Read the first page of part one and things may become clear to you

This allso explains the tears as she realises that the marriage is lost and she made some very wrong decisions,I don't think in the end Doug will be very relevant as he may face the adversity of the children and even Claire for that matter

Terry and the stripper are cameos meaning they are part of the story but without any significance as to the end

I don't really believe in reconciliation in this story but weirder things have happend on LW,they may find a way to have an understanding about the kids,who knows ?

Finally i may be wrong as i'm not the author

I think the first part made it clear that he wasn't exactly the comunicating guy and a kind of an asshole as well

Look man we are on different sides here ,i'm into reconciliation not at any cost but still,you on the other hand are not the forgiving kind,that is your right,i know that woman are people that go a long way to achieve what they want,besides that if she had an affair for over a year and he doesn't notice it then it seems to me that it says a lot about his commitment to his marriage,working 80 houres a week if he doesn't have to tells me he just doesn't give a shit,i think that he is just pissed because she had or has the affair with his "best friend",his partner in crime

Or will he stand alone ?? You sure are getting some great thoughts from everybody on this. More please,,,soon please.

Hopefully his wife gets dumped by Doug after the sneaky were just fucking behind my friend and your husbands back is over. Now it's a real relationship with kids, bills etc. she can never justify cheating be caused he worked to much, I've seen this with people I know . He cuts back on work but the family , her cant do or buy the things they are use to so that would be a different excuse for her to fuck someone else there is never an excuse. The time she spent fucking his friend should've been spent talking with hubby until she was blue in the face and very clear about finding someone else if he didn't spend more time at home and that money was not that important. She really deserves to feel the pain she caused. Reconciliation in this case is impossible. She fucked his only friend so she had fun and he lost the only two people he even considered friends, he couldn't even fuck a hot hooker . It's gonna take time mentally for him. I would've got the rough attorney, and dealt with it . Just like her fucking his friend time will heal him being mean in the divorce which is his right. His friend does need to get one good beating , he should not get off so easy. She should never be allowed to bring him in there house around their kids. Divorces are so one sided in no fault states. Cheaters should not be able to get alimony , just child support and the house should have to be sold and profit split. I get spiliting all marital assets but she should have to go out and support herself. I don't think I could handle my exfriend and wife hanging out in my house with my kids spending my money when it is the two of them that did wrong. Hope next chapter his kicks his friends ass, the ex gets dumped, and he finds a great girl to be with. He admitted to working to much so he will correct that to spend more time with his girls. His life is gonna get better he just doesn't know it yet and his wife's will get harder because she'll see what she gave up and regret it as she watches him do great. Great story so far

So to help offset this fool's comment and vote I gave you a 5 and would like to say this is a very good LW story!!!

Loved the full details of the evolving events leading to the rest of their lives. I hope there is a continuation because so many lives are being affected and there are so many possibilities for an outcome.

I think that what I really want is more of your skills telling their story

Excellent story that provoked a meaningful emotive response on my part. Extremely well done. I would like to see how the mess evolves going forward. Assuming the new couple stays together, it will be difficult for Frank and Doug to not have to interact.

Turns into a wimp. Pathetic!

I may get crucified for sharing this, but my wife's period is in between the second and third week of the month, unless she is stressed. Then it can be later. She has her premenstrual cramps a few days before, or at the beginning of the second week.

I hope she's not reading this. I may delete this comment before she does, but I had to accept the challenge. LOL

This story is excellent with realistic characters . I really want to see how it all works out especially since I kinda feel that both frank and Claire got played, if Doug was really a friend he would have encourage Claire to talk to frank about her feelings instead he inserted himself in-between them I think he had designs on Claire from the get go and took advantage of the situation.

5 to help the score.

I can't speak for "average husbands," but when my wife was still having periods I always knew when they were happening, because she TOLD me. Usually, it was some comment along the lines of "#$%^ I can hardly wait for menopause," followed a few days later by, "Thank God, that's over." So it would have been fairly easy to guesstimate when her next one would be by when her last one ended.

So getting back to my previous comment, since we know that Frank was often absent when things were happening at home, there really is only one way he could have known all the things he mentioned to Doug. Someone, either his wife or his kids or both, was telling him, and he was actually paying attention when they did. And if Claire had complained about his work hours and the family vacations they didn't take, how then did it come as such a surprise that her unhappiness had reached the point that she became open to an affair that would eventually end their marriage? What other conclusion can we reach, except that she never told him?

Nice, sensitive husbands who don't need to put a cross on the calendar.

Sdc, regarding your point about Claire telling Frank that she was unhappy with their relationship before she had reached the point where she was open to forming an extra-marital liaison, Javmor's story seems to make it fairly clear that didn't happen.

It's an interesting question, sdc, and it's a difficult conversation for a married couple to initiate. It's an emotional thing, and not in the same territory as a conversation about concrete things like kids' birthdates or wedding anniversary.

Claire's situation was even more an emotional thing than many of the examples we see in LW stories where the wife is seduced or mainly looking for sexual satisfaction. As I read this story, Claire saw Doug as offering her a warmer and more loving relationship than she was getting within marriage.

Lue

Granted, but is it a MORE difficult conversation to initiate than "I've been having an affair for the past six months and now it's time for us to get a divorce?" Because that's the only conversation that was left to have once Claire finally did get around to telling Frank how unhappy she was.

Clean Cut And Redemption, a more realistic marriage where both spouses have failed to different degrees, eventually divorce, but remeber that their kids matter most. Something they ..... in general and this story have forgotten. This story reminds me of how bored I've gotten with cookie cutter stories, no matter how good their authors. I love the fact that their is no snirking big dicked lothario, a woman with no reason for cheating (reasons dont justify) or saintly husband. My thoughts:

Doug. You reap what you sow, and this "best friend" was his co conspirator in ruining someone elses life. Its easy to forget a friends character flaw, especially when you're just as guilty. Doug never saw anthing wrong in his actions.... either time. The arggument was mind blowing goodness, though i wouldnt mind seeing Frank get fed up and take a swing or two later.

Terry. Amoral piece of shit lawyer, but with surprisingly good insights. Those are a job skill, and personal experience. I like seeing a lawyer shown the way they really can be rather than the usual good lawyer vs evil bullshit. The man is trash but essential to the story.

Starlet. Holy shit, a real hooker, not Julia Roberts. Awesome.

The company. I have to wonder what kind of shits encourage unhealthy working like Frank's and keep trash like Terry on retainer for the eventual divorce.

The girls. They're 5 and 8, school age, which probably explains where Claire got the free time. Kids, even that age, arent clueless. They adapt, but in the wrong ways. Example, an innocent request for two hundred bucks easily turns into scamming money for bad habits when kids realize mum and dad dont talk. They're also unable to communicate like mommy should be when daddy is neglecting them for his job. Or speak up for stuff they need when mommy has her head in the slut clouds. Divorce is sometimes for the best, especially when parents remember what really matters.

Claire. I have a low opinion of spouses who cheat, but a lower opinion of lazy author that dont bother with any real reason for cheating. A reason may be an excuse, but it is not a justification. Writers forget that. BTB commenters are the worst at not getting the distinction. Please dont let them shape your stories. She has an excuse, but is in total denial about her own failure. Sure, she may have expressed dissatisfaction, but that is not communicating. The tears show shes starting to get it. One can hope. Idont see a future with Doug, thank god for the kids.

Frank. Hes had his moment of clarity, step one. Working to exclusion of family, while not as bad as slutting, is a form of infidelty. Its blatantly obvious he had no need of a huge house for a little family, and it doesn't sound like the Lexus was something Claire asked for. Step two is realizing his job is as toxic as his attitude was. Yes, he did have an obligation to moderate, but that doesnt excuse her behaviour. A ral husband with flaws, not Saint Jesus the Billionaire Ninja Hacker. Thank you.

I don't see a future in their marriage. Loneliness is not reconciliation, and they're both dealing with it.

Donald. Yeah, he only got the paragrapgh, but my god, here is an underdog victim i want to see win. True karma? Company implodes under its own corruption, leaving Doug and Frank unemployed and not hireable by the upstart revolutionary engineer. Fuck yeah. Sorry, i have a thing for real non dbag underdogs.

Besides t he kids hes the only sympathy i feel here, but dont take that as criticism of your story. The characters have a real and original vibe. Loving that and looking forward to more. You've chosen the harsh category for comments. Dont let that get you down!

- end story comment-

PS if you are a commenter reading this wall of text, you may realize Im a BTB fan. A cheating wife story does not have to be BTB to be good. This PS is for the sensible among you. Most of the BTB people in LW are massive jackasses.

using the "grinded." You don't know by now that the correct word is "ground?"

She ground her pussy into me. They ground their pelvises together, etc.