All Comments on 'Man in the Mirror Ch. 02'

It's a solid , journeyman effort that I'm having trouble connecting to. Am I too familar and fond of javmor79's previous efforts which oft got automatic five star rating. That's a possibility. This character is such an unrelenting kvetcher ( moaner ) that I feel a backhanded sympathy for Paige deep-sixing their marriage.

Maybe I just hate this guy is high corporate muckety-muck for Wal-Mart ( see previous chapter ) and badly wanted a union sabotage or dicey overtime practices worked into subplot ? Artie is making progress and that's to be respected. javmor79 is taking pains to make that metamorphosis in small increments, but it's like " Groundhog Day minus laughs " with Nic Cage at his most indulgent angstiest in place of Bill Murray.

I respect and acknowledge the hard work inlaid with virtually every paragraph. The story isn't over yet. Where there's life , there's hope ... unless your a league worst Colorado Avalanche fan suffering under the Josh Kroenke ( Wal Mart heir ) regime.

I´m looking forward to the third part. 5* so far.

The pathetic husband and evil wife just are not interesting.

no sign of raac here. it's still crap, but there's no reconciliation at this point.

She was still in his brain , marred in like a tick , pumping in thone destructive parasites throughout his mental bloodstream.

I'll be very honest here with you Javmor79 , your protagonist is very close to something that I think I recall you saying once that made your blood boil , yes a Matt Moreau sad sack husband !

BUT , big ol hairy assed BUT , I think Arty will not end up there on Mt. Moreau with all of those testosterone and little Johnson deficient Moreau hubby's. Wheesshh !

Looking forward to chpt. 3

Still waiting for what this will bring in the end...Will he need psychological help too? Let's see what the author thinks about it...4*

Self-esteem is an interesting human characteristic. When it's gone, it takes a lot of work to get it back. Now, despite 'King Arthur's' new-found pride in his own body and the praise he is receiving from others, Javmor has his character still feeling insecure inside.

Roll on Chapter 3.

Lue

I understand he's hurt but fuckkkkkkkk. What is up with the pity party? The best way to get your balls back from that no good bitch is by getting a fabulous blow job equipped with wicked good fucking.. Please get this man into a psychiatrist office so he can talk to someone. His self esteem is shattered. That's what cheaters do, they try to take everything, your self respect, your self esteem, your kids, your house--she used him being overweight as an excuse to spread her legs and fuck.. His fucking couldn't have been that bad seeing as she married him and was reminiscing about them making love. His fucking didn't change she changed. I'm going to need him to forget the bullshit she was spewing and snatch his balls back from that horrid tramp. I'm getting sick of him and this poor me my slutty soon to be ex wife said I couldn't fuck attitude.. Why couldn't you just finish the story dude?

Are We There Yet?

Art's a twad, it's no wonder his wife fucked around on him. I hope you can grow him a pair in the next chapter.

is that the wife, even is she cheats on her husband, is never a whimpering, begging, pathetic character. She was caught cheating but was pretty much unapologetic. Most of us write stories where the husband is a wonderful guy and the wife tries to crawl back to him after she cheats and feels terrible. Javmor79 has men that are less than perfect and wives that realize that they can live without a husband. For the most part, it's a more realistic glimpse into married life.

You have skillfully shown how his wife practically destroyed him and left scars that are extremely difficult to heal. I hope he can recover but I also hope she can see what she did to him and show real regret, remorse and seek redemption.

" I know. I'm a big pussy."

He says it himself and he is right. I recognize there IS a transition going on but the author seems to delight in humiliating him no matter how much progress he has made. He has a toned body. He is acting more confident. He saves someone's life. He has a hot woman that wants him ... and he has a limp dick and runs away crying. Yuck.

Hope he moves on very successfully and the ex doesn't because she was such a thoughtless cunt. People really deserve to be punished for acting as she did. She should feel pain just as he did. She wanted to feel nastalgitic a year later, why she see now fucking others for the year plus the cheating time that she misses her husband and a real loving family relationship. Not just her getting her ass fucked , of corse new is great and everyone can say something about their spouse. He got heavier, maybe lost some hair and life got busy and a little more boring but even if she's hot looking to him she must of changed a little also . Maybe she's not as tight or won't explore and do different things in bed . That's not the go ahead to go fuck some younger guy . You hope the guy abuses her and dumps her after her get sick of fucking her and dealing with her baggage. Maybe just maybe she'll realize what she destroyed.

Give us a break Javmor79. Were trying to sympathetically identify with our 'hero' but you keep dragging him further down with every episode. He needs a good, kind woman to restore his sexual confidence. How about introducing that lady into the plot? Hope you're not thinking of reconciliation with that cruel, sadistic bitch.

she really fucked him up mentally.

really hope he can pull himself out of this. moving on is quite difficult but possible. he needs to get his self worth back and i hope he succeeds.

Some people will be put off by the honesty and the reality of what is happening, here.

They want quick resolutions to life's problems.

But that doesn't happen in real life.

i hope he tells paige just what she has done to his manhood and makes her feel real lousy and helps him get it back

I enjoy your writing style. I can feel your characters pain and triumphs. Please keep writing!

Feels very real.

You describe your prodagonist as a wimp archetypal!!! He deserves what is coming!!!

I dont know you as an author but that story seems to be written by an ugly old bag or real man-hater!!! If that the men at your circle of acquaintances then leave as soon as possible!!!

Fagmorewimpcuck is at it again. -2

This is one of the most unlikable "heroes" ever written. More like a Matt Moreau character, but not with the same ability to make you hate him. This is just a really bad, bland story about pathetic people. Two stars.

Yes I said WTF and that says it all

You have created a character that is so easy to root for that I find myself sharing his emotions as I read this story. I want Arthur to find happiness as if he's a real person. That's good writing. This, so far, feels like your masterpiece. Very well done.

“Now he is wondering if he is worthy of love.” – No way should he doubt himself! Okay, he let himself go, he wasn’t a great lover. SHE’S the one who cheated!

The kids are around eight. I would have said that MOMMY fell out of love with Daddy, not make it mutual. I know it sounds mean, but if things really went bad, I would say that Mommy cheated!

I really put a lot of blame on his parents. Obviously not for his current situation, although who knows how he would have been today with better parenting! But the sloughing off of his hard work and achievements while treating Lance like God’s gift couldn’t have helped his confidence!

“I didn't expect a parade, but I at least thought she'd be happy to get this process started.” – LOL, she thought that now that he had raised himself up to her standards that he would try to get her back. She’s bummed not that he’s casting her aside as casually as she did him!

I know you're setting us up for the next chapter, but he could/should have told her his problem so that she wouldn't think that it was her!

When I was younger, this happened to me with a wife that left me for a 'move up' in her perceived status. It almost took me down. I became impotent as I tried really hard to make my dick work, but my mind wasn't in it like I wanted. So don't go saying the writer is writing crap, it's not. It took me months to get my head straight and the help of a good woman friend who got me going again. She cared about me and kept the pressure of performance out of sex. She saved my life.

So if I could give Javmar a 10, I would because this rings so true. Maybe this isn't a BTB story, which rarely happens in real life. You get divorced and move on. There's very little revenge.

So Javmar, nice true-to-life story and I can't wait to read the rest.

Very sincerely,

Santacruzman

Guess the BTB people are screaming but in real life things dont usually go that way. Plus with kids, its a horrible direction to go.

If you had not mentioned that this Naomi was the same woman as that bitch in "To Have and To Cuckold", I would never have made the connection.

Why? Because that woman and this woman resemble each other only in both being Vaginaed-Americans who work in a gym.

THAT Naomi flirted with everything that moved, was a self absorbed alpha female who DEMANDED respect and only tolerated men. She did have a soft spot in her heart for Beta men she could abuse and twist to her will, so I guess Arthur fell into those parameters.

Reflective, warm, sacrificing, pleasant, and life affirming: All words I would NOT use for Naomi in that other story. What happened, did she get a brain transplant after a car accident?

THIS story is JUST FINE. I like the development of Arthur. Every plot point follows the previous. Things are nuanced and complex.

I AM sort of disgusted and disappointed that you keep trying to 'redeem' Naomi. Even after that comment section imbroglio. "Everyone raved about her and she had her own little fan club'. Really? The Starfish who, when she didn't get her way, cut her husband off from all the aspects of her personality that he loved the most? Who didn't care about how it affected her relationship? "This is what I feel like giving and I don't give a shit if you aren't satisfied' Naomi. HER? THAT woman is suddenly a Super Genius at understanding people and making them feel good and motivated? That woman who obsessed about her 'quality' and how she was above and beyond the Plebeians in her life as well as all social norms? Sure. A PERFECT fit (level with me...it was the brain transplant, right?)

I have to say, that as a character, I hope I never see Naomi again.

Really, really nice! 5*

I normally don't respond to comments, but yours is very intuitive. Besides, you have consistently been very insightful, so i feel I owe you an explanation.

The Naomi in this story isn't the one from the BEGINNING of "To Have and to Cuckold". She is one who has grown and matured. In that story, she just realized how selfish she was AT THE END. Her therapy helped her see that. This story takes place years after that story. In that time, she would have grown and matured even more.

That is how life goes. Are you the same immature person you were years ago? I hope not. I think people would describe who you are now and who you were then as two different people. Anyone who is the same as they were years ago isn't getting the most out of what life has to offer. At least, that's my opinion.

One other note. I don't try to redeem any of my characters. I just write them as i see them. It's up to you to interpret what I write. I learned a while ago that I can't control what you interpret. Everyone reads the same story and gets a different interpretation. All I can do is write the story as I see it, take advice given to me by insightful people (like yourself) and see if it applies to the next story.

Thank you for your comment. Always look forward to hearing from you.

Okay Paige hurt him badly, instead of going to counciling she went and started an affair. Arthur a good productive husband who let himself go physically was never aware of his failings. She destroyed him with her tirade over in inability to preform to her standards. Now he straighten out his body but his mind cannot get over what she said on his ability to satisfy sexually. So he started dating a nice women only to go limp at the ability to preform sexually. No self esteem ,this date might come back to him a if explains what was wrong I'm sure she can get him to preform. Or he needs phycological intervention. Or he will fall again. This is so true to life , as it is so complicated ,as indivuals we react in all different ways. Some strike out and wind up in jail others go out and fuck everything they can. Great writing from this great author.

My life trajectory is reversed. Fit to injured/fat. Tis true, many treat fatties poorly. Last minority it is ok to ridicule. Tis worse for women. As always, good psch analysis from you!

I think that's an important distinction. Artie isn't the guy all guys want to be and all women want. We are seeing a man slowly move forward from a devastating life event. He's made some progress but still has a long way to go. You know, like real people do. Eloquently written. 5*

Very realistic. It sure sounds and feels like real life. But please, PLEASE don't RAAC him with his bitch ex-wife. I'd be fine if he goes on alone, without Colleen or anyone else, just taking care of his job and his kids. That's real life. But if you reward the bitch, that'll be the death knell for this story.

I believe Jav had Naomi describe herself the exact way as FD45 says, and as Jav says, that was the OLD Naomi before she got her head on straight!

The characters seem true to life, at least as I have seen it. BTB fantasies rarely happen in real life. Long married couples tend to reconcile. People make mistakes and hurt each other, sometimes grievously, but forgiveness is a powerful thing. Those on the outside of a marriage can't know what goes on between two people in the deepest sense.

Things I didn't like that detracted from the story are the difficulty this otherwise accomplished (but not flashy) man had in showing his interest to Colleen. Is this high school? And, no mature men I know call each other "asshole", even affectionately. That's more high school. And mature men and women don't casually say "fuck". If they do, my respect and interest in them goes down, way down.

I liked how Derrick remains an abstraction. He's just a minor character, really. In so many of these stories the wife's BF of FB takes on a big role, but he's nothing but a symptom of trouble between a man and wife. Big trouble, to be sure, but really just a schmuck who has sex with married women.

Bravo, author!

I clicked to the last page to see the latest comments and there it was: "me and Lance standing side by side in our tuxedo's," in the seventh paragraph as Art was talking with Pumpkin.

So much for apostrophic pedantry. Now, a later thought about Javmor's story. I recall from Chapter 1 that while Art was upset by his wife's act of adultery and actually seeing it taking place, his major hurt was her denigration of him as a man who had let himself go. (It reminded me of Charles Aznavour's song to his lover "You've let yourself go".)

That set Art off on his project to recover his athletic old self physically. I wonder what Javmor has in store for Art to recover emotionally.

Lue

Ugh!! I knew I missed something. Well, I've never hidden my weakness for editing. LOL. Thanks for pointing that out.

You've written a compelling story so far, Jav, (hoping you don't go for the magic wand RAAC) but I have to thank a previous commenter for the best laugh I've had all day. Sure, screw around on your husband in his home behind his back. No biggie. Tell him cruel and hurtful things about himself. Water under the bridge. But if you ever sink to saying the F word...all respect is gone!

Classic.

Cog

i was a little disapointed in chapter1 you gave our hero the capabilty of violent actions yet he directed his anger at his brother rather than the asshole with his dick down his wifes throat, i found that a bit cowardly, to run from a confrontation with an interloper in his marriage yet attack an innocent party.having said that, im glad arthur is just a regular bloke suffering from dadbod and a bit rusty on the old flirting and dating game and not the usual rich, handsome, romantic ex seal studmuffin with a shark lawyer and best mate PI on speed dial that ruin so many good cheating wife stories.

There is no drama and tension if a hero is able to lightly trip over every problem in his life without breaking a sweat.

However, there is also the opposite problem, ala Matt Moreau where one wallows in the torture porn of the soul of the protagonist. Where you have a hapless man crying, drunk and running around parking lots pissing himself and knocking himself unconscious on immovable objects.

Where are we with this guy? Obviously he is having trouble adjusting. Too much trouble? Not enough trouble?

I am so far content with this story (leaving aside Naomi). If we are stressing the pathetic nature of this guy a bit too firmly, I am sure that at some point he will correct himself in the next few chapters.

The clue to this is in the first chapter.

And besides it fits this particular author's narrative of constantly sitting on anybody happens to be a male husband.

The husband for months and months is working out at a gym yet he never gets around to looking at his body in the mirror..... even at his own place? He never notices the changes in his body? After working out for months?

I also don't get the whole conversation between the husband and Naomi . What she did in her marriage is nothing similar to what was going on with the husband. If anything Naomi is similar to the ex-wife. I don't see why husband would develop some sort of special connection to her Naomi the bodybuilder and trainer.

I don't have a problem with the husband being destroyed psychologically and mentally given what the wife has said to him. I think that part of the story actually working out pretty well.

I see much of what is going on in this story many times. I'm not a gym rat, I'm a powerlifter. Because of that, it is difficult to recovery from even three days of moving heavy iron each week. Add a couple days hiking, swimming or canoeing, and the idea of a gym rat becomes dull.

Women really do pay attention to men that way. Before I made many of my gains, and it happens over years, not months like in the story, I wouldn't have believed it. One day I was at a picnic with friends and one of the nicest, most beautiful woman cleared her throat and looked at me nervously, before asking if she could ask me a question.

Not noticing anything amiss, I replied with an affirmative. This is the question she asked me, as God is my witness. "How do you take your shirt off?" My wife chuckled but I was still in the dark and didn't understand what she asked and replied with an "excuse me?" She repeated the question.

It seemed to foolish and I answered it that way, thinking maybe she was kidding. I was drinking but she wasn't, alcohol never passed her lips. "If it's a button-up shirt, I unbutton it, pull my arms from the sleeves and that's it. If it's a pullover, I pull it over my head and I'm done." It seemed easy enough to me.

Then something happened and people drifted in and out and we lost contact with the conversation. It wasn't until I got home when my explained what she asked, I understood. Her husband, a very nice man who recently had a heart attack in his 50s, had a sunken chest, big stomach and because of that, slouched. About the opposite of my 52" chest, 36" waist and 18" arms. All built with heavy iron.

My wife told me the woman asked her once if I were as muscular as my clothes made it appear. She replied positively to the question and then told me she couldn't understand how someone so muscular could remove their own shirt. This blew me away because I've never saw myself that way. I see a work in progress, never what is there.

I tell this story not to toot my horn, but to warn other men. Yes, women do notice. No, they usually won't do anything. I've always told my wife she's full of shit because women never 'come onto me.' Then a few days later I was waiting for her in the grocery store when she finally found the aisle I was waiting on. A woman stopped me and asked me to reach something high on a shelf and also asked where something was. I was nice, polite, then smiled and walked off. My wife saw the interchange and asked about it. After my explanation she told me she stood back and watched. The woman was definitely coming onto me but I'm blind enough to never notice.

Let me finish this way. Getting in shape isn't hard. Really, it isn't. Find a place online like startingstrength and read, study and ask questions. Learn what the big five are: the squat, bench press, deadlift, military press and bent row or chin. Use impeccable form and spread them out over three days, even two, and watch your gains start. No, fat won't turn into muscle but fuels it instead. Start with twice weekly and stick with it a year or two before making any decisions. It will probably be to add a day and try to figure out how to add a fourth! Me? I had to make that decision over 25 years ago and I'm now an old ironhead.

Now to toot my horn a little. I have squatted over 600 pounds, bench over 400 pounds and curl with 115 pounds dumbbells for ten reps. I rarely deadlift because of a childhood injury but can still handle over 550 pounds. All that weighing a little less than 240 pounds at 6' tall and closing in on 60 years of age.

Don't despair, we all have to take that first step. Where the difference comes is taking the second and third and fourth and so on.... Weeks become months, months become years and years become decades. It all adds up in the end.

I'll check back in a few days to see if there are any other fellow ironheads out there!

First off, to Iron Head: Good for you from another older gym rat who saw some good gains.

Three times a week for each major body set. An hour or two (including warm up, shower, and some cardio at the end for fat burn). If you can't carve that out of your week, you don't really want it. You will fall into watching your diet naturally so just focus on getting to the gym.

The only thing I would add is work enough weights to make you sore, not just sweaty. If you are not aching the next day, you've burned a few extra calories, but essentially didn't 'build' any strength into your body.

To Harry: what happened to the protagonist is true. It happened to me. I was at a high body fat level and took off something like 6 pounds of fat. Put that into perspective: think of 6 of those blocks of butter all in one place.

Did I see this? No. I was focused on all the bulges that were still there. It takes an outside perspective to actually see what you've built up.

This is two gym people telling you the same thing. Maybe you should trust us on this one.

....reintroducing workouts into my life....but I agree and thank you and a couple of commenters for their perspectives on seeing and acknowledging the changes...or not, as the case may be. We tend to get so caught up in the routines, we tend to stop paying attention.....and that's when things begin to turn brown and lumpy.

Paige is a shallow bitch. Her bullshit hurtful statements to Aurthur were a cover-up, an internal misdirection and were deeply dishonest. She never really tried to amend or address things with Aurthur. When she'd been unhappy for awhile, she simply went after another relationship, breaking her vows as early as she allowed herself to start looking abroad for interesting and attractive men. That was far easier and more fun.

She's not alone. Sadly, most people judge by looks first, last and only. Very, very few people ever put any effort into finding out much about those they encounter in life.....past their appearance. And it's true, the handsome and beautiful enjoy significant advantages in nearly every situation.

But Paige was supposed to be committed and avowed to her husband and family as much as Aurthur. She wasn't.

Like so many others, she conveniently put all that aside to pursue her selfish interests and distractions without even a token effort toward working things out.

Hopefully, something will turn up to give her cause to spend some time in front of that mirror of self examination and ask the hard questions. Hopefully Aurthur will work through the dents in his self-image and return to a robust, healthy sexual response to

Coleen...or any lovely, interesting woman.

Looking forward to the third installment. Hoping here that the resolution of his dilemma will not be trite or silly.

You've done such a good job with the characters, I'd be disappointed to have one or another do something, or experience something and respond in an uncharacteristic way.

He needs to "clean house" with Coleen, having left her sad, frustrated, confused and perhaps a little hurt....that is, if he wants this nascent relationship to continue.

Finally, he won't be back to his better self until he gets past his badly damaged self image. He needs his self respect back. No, I clearly said "self respect"....as I understand it, self esteem is too fragile a thing...too dependent upon immediate circumstances to have real, lasting value in the human psyche. Self respect is far deeper, more substantial and more able to sustain one through the rough spots in life.

Oh, and please mind your spelling and grammar with a little more care, if you can. I'd rather wait another day for a more polished posting than experience the marring and stumbling effects created by less than effective editing.

Thank you.

love reading this story as it could very well be happening in anyones life. in a marriage people change slowly and the problem is if they dont talk to each other neither realizes that they drift apart. a person doesnt see a problem unless his or her mate tells him or her that there is a problem. they go on thinking everything is ok with each other. people need to learn to talk truthfully to each other without cutting down the partner. keep writing as i hope to see the next chapter soon.

Her adultery is the symptom, not the problem. And the problem is not his physique or poor fucking skills. He married a shallow lazy selfish bitch, who's immediate gratification and lust are more important than her marriage, her children, and her self-respect. The dumb ass got what he married, and now he's surprised? This guy has been so detached and clueless he doesn't even know that his brother fucked his wife.

The focus on his physical conditioning implies there was little else in the marriage to engage these two people in a worthwhile relationship, so what's to mourn? The entire story is playing out on a child's playground, no adults here. She's out fucking around and then notices that her husband might be worth a fuck after all? And the children are just ornaments in this story. Why is there no interaction with her sister, his and her families, their mutual friends? The setting and interaction are so narrow that I am just skipping over the tedious pointless dithering and contemplation to see how this ends. And the sooner the better. There can be no good ending that isn't boiler plate cliche': He connects with a more beautiful better woman and becomes rich and famous, while the wife melts into lonely remorse and guilt; or he absolves the wife of blame because he became a blimp and forgives and reconciles 'cause he just loves her so gosh darn much (that's were I puke); or some tragedy takes place that forces them to reconnect and rediscover what a compelling wholesome deep relationship they initially had (until she got a taste of stranger and better).

You've already made the wife such a soulless bitch and the husband such a pitiful clueless dumb shit that whatever bad happens will be deserved, and whatever good happens will be contrived and unbelievable.

Not one of your better efforts. I hope you get over it.

Hope Arthur gets his self esteem and hard on back. I am sure he will, just hasnt been enough time yet to get over Paige's brutal assessment of his sexual prowess.

Had me on edge of my seat flying thru the pages.

You sort of turned into a real cliffhanger by giving him erectile dysfunction. That is an awful moment and has to require immediate aid. HDK made a highly relevant comment.

He is a male who is lost in life just trying to keep the family together and she finds some one to cheat with. I hope she wants her sis and back and tells her he could never satisfy her and she will be better to just continue to be an office slut. She is what she is. He will sometime need to clear his mind of the lack of skill in the bedroom and go out and find himself. I hope he talks to his bike friend and explain what has happened in his life and let her know it was not her.

Kroenke is KMart.

The Walton family is WalMart.

The heirs of the man who set out to put KMart out of business.

$tan Kroenke ( father of Josh who is ineptly running Denver Nuggets and my beloved Colorado Lanche' ) has been married since 1973 to heire$$ Ann WALTON ( niece to Sam ). Don't believe me.... Wiki it. Dude is blackbelt bootstrapper and businessman but the Kroenkes don't care if. their teams win..

They don't believe in paying top dollar for coaches and front office talent. Nuggets GM won GM of the.year - he left after that season to Toronto. Same year George Karl won coach of the year. They fired him before next season started over contract dispute. But trust me - the teams made money despite both missing playoffs for consecutive years.That's how the Kroenke- Waltons roll.

re:

@TwoCrOws ( respectfully )

$tan Kroenke ( father of Josh who is ineptly running Denver Nuggets and my beloved Colorado Lanche' )

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yeah, I missed on that.

Whether the teams win or lose the owners of major league sports teams always make money.

I have be one of your fans since "deployment." I still think you can do better. Your characters are too shallow and built upon one of your worst stories. Paige is a cardboard cutout who sacrificed her family to fuck the office stud. Artie is supposed to be a corporate executive who has the self-esteem of a high school kid. He claims to care about his kids but all you describe in your story for his interaction with them is dropping in unannounced to check homework and wait for his ex to come home after her dates.

There is no conversation between the family of any substance. The epiphany that he had transformed his body after spending nearly a year of working out is silly. The gym is full of mirrors so the claim that he didn't notice because of the small one in his apartment is stupid. He knew his body had changed because of how his clothes fit. Paige would have given him a compliment. She was fishing for one from him.

The Colleen situation is also weak. She saw him when he was fat. She shared her history and he his. It is only natural for him to tell her that she is the first since he caught his wife cheating and how she emasculated him. Think about your characters more and give us less about trivial stuff.

If you want to rework old stories, I still want to know how the wife in Deployment thought it would be ok to date Mr. Mike and expose her daughter to him. I still think you are one of the better writers in LW and you try new things but sometimes you fail. 3* from me.

reasonable man

the hardest is yet to cum and for this you need the confidence man, TK U MLJ LV NV

Great continuation. So our hero is getting himself in shape and the cheating wife is noticing how good he looks. But now he realizes that other women are now attracted to him. This is good. Having read countless tales I have an idea how this will go. I hope. Now waiting for ch. 3...

.....very nice. Could go a lot of different ways. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The story has such potential but, as written, is shallow drivel. If you're going to be a writer of stories... DON''T POST A STORY UNTIL YOU'VE WRITTEN ONE THAT'S BELIEVABLE.

I'll be generous and give this one 3 stars.

Please be sure and finish this story, it has some great potential for the husband to triumph.

But I'll withhold a vote because this author will go one of two ways based on his history. One, we end up in a RAAC. Two, it will end with little fanfare or resolution. It will peter out with both parties relatively unresolved and hanging. There is a hell of a good reason why Javmor's ending chapters have notably lower scores.

Are his stories realistic? The non raac ones tend to be extremely so. But, therein lies the problem. People read fiction as an escape most times, not to be jarringly reminded of just how shitty life can be.

You say: "Are his stories realistic? The non raac ones tend to be extremely so. But, therein lies the problem. People read fiction as an escape most times, not to be jarringly reminded of just how shitty life can be."

I suspect that the most escapist LW stories are those where revenge and retribution is wreaked on a wife who has had sex with a man who is not her husband. A lot of the readers who comment favourably on these seem to me to be men who wish they could have done something similar to an ex wife. Escapism writ large.

Unlike those people who don't wish to be "reminded how shitty life can be" I find the interesting LW stories to be the more realistic ones, and I think Javmor does realism well. I like his character development. For escapism I go to the Romance category.

Lue

Five stars. Can't wait for the continuation and to figure out what the wife was up to. Is she really having regrets? Hard to imagine. Please don't work some sex surrogate into the storyline. I'm done with that plot device.

I know what our protagonist is going through when he sees the imagine of his wife being fucked in his mind. It can never be forgotten.

My wife left me for another guy after almost six years of marriage. She chose him because he was bigger and in better shape. My 5"11" to his 6'3", my chubby 200 lbs to his fit 200 lbs. She was always shapely and fit. To see him on top of her pounding away was perhaps the most humiliating moment of my life and a reason not to fight for her. His grunts and groans while pounding away, their flesh slapping together, her urging him on and telling how good it was. That imagine can never be forgotten. Best always to divorce.

Thankfully I met a really cool guy who helped screw my head on right. Not to give too much of a back trail, but his old lifting partner is the guy who took our Olympic team to Athens. Like someone else in the comments mentioned, results from lifting weights is a slow process. But my friend started me out right and my results were slow but sure. Now, some twenty years later, I hold my State's bench press record for my age and weight category in three separate federations.

I have to mention my 'Paige' moment. It really happened. I hadn't saw my ex-wife in the eleven years since we divorced. We didn't have kids and there was no reason to interact with her. Besides, I moved to another State in a job transfer soon after it became final. She moved her boyfriend into our place, had two kids by him, one during another cheating episode, while he fathered two during affairs. How awesome is it when two cheaters get to feel that sort of heartbreak!

My company sent me back to my hometown for a short time to fix an in-house problem. Because I'm a muscle-head now, I don't miss a workout unless I'm sick or have a scheduled break. My hometown had only one gym and I needed three sessions for each successive week. At the time I was on schedule to come close to a powerlifting total and set a record (I came in third, 1st beat me by 6.5lbs and second by 2 lbs.) and was lifting hard.

It was my last week in town and I'd saw few people I recognized. Wouldn't you know it, it was on a Monday (universal heavy bench day), I was warmed up and starting to move heavy poundage's when my ex walked in. At home I lifted in sweats, top and bottom, but was only wearing a sleeveless T-shirt and shorts. Shoes too, of course.

She recognized me when I stood from an exceptionally heavy triple, working three sets of three that day. I turned my back hoping she didn't recognize me but damn it, here she came. Her name was/is Ellen and damned if she didn't hit on me. I'd never gotten over her betrayal and was fairly benign in return but she got a taste of what she lost. At first I was self-conscious about her staring, but before I left, I realized it was because of how much I changed. While it helped me with my self-worth, knowing she found me attractive again didn't erase what I saw that day.

It was nice to have my current wife there spotting me. No, she's not some supermodel or fitness trainer. She's an Olympic lifter and competes in the 106-117 lb. category and does very well. I think she beautiful, she's fit and looks great in anything. We kissed a few times, my wife admitted it was for my ex's benefit, before leaving.

Was my ex a budding lifter too? Nope, she was in the cardio room with the other fat ladies! Yep! She put on at least 50lbs. or more since our divorce!

Only one word to describe your story: EXTRAORDINARY!

I wish I have your skills at writing. That's why I humbly ask:

- Please make your protagonist confront his parents. That powerful scene would be simply awesome.

- Make the cheating bitch try to make amends. I'm sure his rejection would destry her.

5000 stars if possible!!

Okay, this is the upside, though he's sexually insecure. Too bad he didn't explain it instead of fleeing and making his date feel like crap. When you hit middle age, you are supposed to not turn into a quivering mass of nerves. I like the exercise regimen- he's not suddenly Schwarzenegger, and he still has a 36" waist instead of a 32" one. If you aren't a lifelong exerciser these things take time. Good story and good writing.

What a bunch of stupid crap!!!

I truly love this a Pygmalion type story. His out side transformation hasn't changed his inside self loathing. Inside he still feels he's useless anemic person he was throughout the years. The problems hearing the truth is that it becomes more of a anchor than motivation. He needs to stop listening to the opinion of his ex and love himself. The old axiom is true if you can't love yourself you can't love others.

Superbly written solid five.

Paige is so shallow. So superficial.

So much for the words for better or worse. She never really tried to stay in the marriage when trouble was on the horizon. It was all about her. No discussion of what she liked or what was wrong... Just jump right into an affair and not have the respect to end it. My guess is she never really loved him or respected him like a spouse should.

I’m hooked. This is so well written it’s amazing. His personal struggles with past failure is painful to read. It brings back memories from my childhood. Feeling inadequate and hopeless. Good thing we grow up and move on but those scars never completely go away.

Big 5 from me.

Seems you are full into cuckold/wimp!!

... that someone who posts ranting about how a character is a cuck/wimp and the author is horrible in chapter one will then dive into chapter two and say the same thing? I'm willing to bet that he also posted the same thing in chapter three.

Do you suppose that they think they are fooling anyone? That no one realizes that they have been absolutely destroyed by some woman and they are emotionally crippled? It's almost as sad as the men who read the Loving Wives stories and comment about how all women are whores and cheaters.

Maybe the comments section on Literotica are a primal scream therapy substitute.

Liking this series more after chapter 2. Artie is getting his life together and hopefully Paige will soon reap what she has sewn.

But you are a much better writer than is displayed here. Being a good father is more than showing up to spy on your wife and bark at your son to get his homework done. Believe me, I know. I live 3 states away from my daughter and her mother. I try to help her by phone with her homework. It isn't the same as being there. But her mother cheated on me and has three more children by two other men. Also a husband or wife can tell when a physical change has taken place in their spouse, even if that change is as little as 5 pounds.

....kill me now. Arty's behaving very wimpily and does need to get his head out of his ass. Obsessing over Paige isn't helping. If Chapter 3 is RAAC, then I'm coming back with a one-star rating

to cheer for. Rather than doom and gloom.

Why would you write a story about such a pathetic loser??

Great story 5 Stars 🌟

The emotional scarring that this man suffered from his soon to be separated spouse is so profound. It leaves him a shadow of himself. It’s so hard being a man sometimes as societal norm pressure us to go it alone, to be a rock and handle all adversity in life with a stiff upper chin. Yet no one even a man is an island yet there are very little in the way organizations, groups, friends, associates who can be there with the appropriate tools to help a man rebuild his sense of self. Worse so we seem to be moving in a direction where it is encouraged to emasculate the ID and the soul of a man’s spirit.

Great story. I love the emotions it stirs up. Just wondering is Paige so shallow that she now finds her husband attractive because he's lost weight. Also wonder if Paige does still really love him. She says she doesn't love him 'in that way'. Love between a married couple changes over time. I've been married to my soulmate for 50+ years. I would still die for her but I don't love her in the same way I did in the early years of marriage. The love has morphed into so much more and into so many different forms. I wonder if that's what Paige meant or if she just loves him in the way you would do an old friend.

Looking forward to the next chapter.

The guy has psychologic problems brought on by his wife/life. His parents denigrated him. His wife cheated on him instead of confiding in him about how she feels. Counseling is needed to get him over the disaster of his marriage. He needs the love of good people. LP

Glad I stuck around to see Art's renaissance. He was such a creep I didn't want to keep reading about his travails. Now I am rooting for him.

To the Anon. from ten months ago who said “Nope”. The better question, Anon., is why are you still reading this story if you dislike it so much? I think the second chapter is getting Art squared away physically. If he can just shake off all the doubts about his abilities in the bedroom that his cheating slut of a wife threw at him, he should be good as new in no time.

Riiiiggghht.

I still give it hope. I can feel for Arthur failing to obtain an erection. It's happened to lots of guys when they have many things going through their mind at the same time, and feelings of love for the ex. It is embarrassing to say the least. Now it's Colleens' time to be the understanding woman that can act with understanding and care for Arthur, in spite of the ED. Still think this is good tale, look forward to next chapter. LP

His resurrection was moving along well but women really no how to hurt a man and destroy him. I think it is programed into their dna. Well maybe not but it sure seems like that. Our MC was toatally emasculated by the ex and now it's coming back to haunt him when faced with making love with a new woman. So now we all wonder how this new woman will deal with his lack of confidence or will she just blow him off? 5 stars for this part.

Wow this guy is a true loser.

Oh, good grief! ALWAYS tell everyone the truth! Yes, even small children. You don’t have to explain what a blowjob is, you can just say:

“When Mommy and Daddy got married, we promised that we wouldn’t kiss anyone else. Mommy broke her promise, and she decided to kiss another man. That’s called cheating, and it’s very, very bad. Mommy has chosen that other man instead of us. Since she has betrayed the family, she won’t be living with us anymore.”

How difficult is that?!? Never, ever, let her push you away from the kids or out of the house. She cheated, she can leave.

ZK

This guy, dear lord.

First, I kind of like Anonymous directly below me, well thought out and said.

Second, if your dick ain't hard, make sure she gets hers. If you still ain't hard, tell her the truth, that your cheating wife fucked you up, you find her (your date) really nice/interesting/ whatever AND attractive/ sexy as hell, and this problem will resolve over time. Then give her a hug and follow her lead.

If you truly lack faith in the ability to get her off, try to find out from her or research on the internet, baby.

Make sure you tell her you had a good time, and this is not her fault.

Make sure you throw in a "Jeezus your breasts are sweet/ beautiful/ whatever," (she's sexy, this is not about her attractiveness) or "I could get lost in your eyes and smile when you look at me," or something personal about her.

If she is not supportive at that point, she's too much like your ex-wife to bother with.

Loved this part too. Can’t wait for the next one. 5-😊😊😊😊😊

What idiot takes a date to see Fifty Shades of Grey on the third date???... in fact, ever.

God, Art is a guy I love to loath! The man blames everyone and thing for total lack of self-respect, refusal to take any personal responsibility for his problems- "life's not fair!". Get a clue it isn't!. This dude needs SERIOUS counseling too work on the inner him. I give him credit for his gym success but his impotence is psychogenic and speaks directly to nearly a complete lack of internal substance, self worth and liking himself. His first response to being confronted with his inadequacies is anger.

That his soon to be ex now sees him in a more attractive light is meaningless. She is out of the picture and Art, even if he wanted to, would never give her a second chance.

I love the way it’s developing and how Arther is slow to realize his changes. Thanks and looking forward to then rest of the story.

Oh good one, what a place to end this part, but it sure gets us looking forward to the next part.

ALWAYS be truthful to your children. They WILL figure out the truth, regardless. If you lie to them, and then they figure the truth out, they WILL have less respect for you, as a parent. Rip the band aid off, and be honest.

In chapter 1, the MC admits that his relationship with his wife was strained, and she had fallen out of love with him. He, by rights, would not have much care when he finds the mens underwear or the toothbrush in the house. He should have the mindset of already being gone. Then, you also have the fact of the way he worked the divorce papers. He wanted her to sign immediately. -1 star for this plot hole.