All Comments on 'Now We Can Talk'

that was classic. very good.

With another embarrassing story. Story? Not much more than an extended joke.

More of a description of an asshole rolling.

I'm not sure why they're not on this site , maybe they're too short , but the great Pappatoad has several short flash stories . BG33 , this is on par with those .That's about as high of praise as I can ever give an author who writes in this subgenre .

short and to the point.

dam some of these assholes would complain if you hung them with a new rope

for the axe to fall is the worstest" form of torture, TK U MLJ LV NV

why should we not give you a score that's compatible to your effort.

Mega shoutout to all my fellow Crosby, Stills and Nash fans. If the narrator had waited an extra day and traveled twice the speed of sound instead of driving home a day early, Joanie would not have so easily burned.

The main character definitely knew how to compartmentalize and not let personal travails interface adversely with vocational responsibility and even home maintenance. His coruscant example is an inspiration to factotums and workaholics the world over.

I thank BigGuy33 for sharing his quirky talent in this epic bit of literary succinctness.

which was the 750th word?

was it fin?

I usually really like your stories so if you can't write a whole story WHY BOTHER.

Great tale. Short and right to the point. I've read a similar tale on this site but it takes nothing away from this fine tale. Keep up the good work.

Five Stars

Flash fiction is getting your story over succinctly. I for one am not interested in knowing all the ins and outs of his wife's lover, whether or not this happened just this once, as she tried to say it was, or every time the narrator had to go and work his socks off to provide early morning breakfasts for her lover(s). What this story did was short and sweet and I thank you for it and give you all the five stars it deserved. Well done, sir!

5*s. Keep up the good work!

Very good...I prefer to read a flash story several times than a shitty long one once! So keep the good work...4*

What I intended to write in the previous comment: "I prefer to read a good flash story several times". I missed the good.

Nice short.

Because it is not!

I don't see the point of the punch line.

love to start the morning off with a highly rated short story.. and this is that. I was on the fence as to a 4 or a 5... Heck a 5 is the answer for me thanks

Everything in its' place and time.

Nicely done.

Tho yesterday's I need to read again. I am not sure why all the negative comments on it.

a good old "husband comes home early" tale, its the emotions the anger the betrayal that is always missing from flash stories so for me they never work, but 5* to offset all the wankers who score low because the wife wasn't shot in the face.

Another story with a stoic, emotionless husband. I do appreciate the effort as a writing exercise. I imagine it's extremely difficult to write an entertaining story in 750 words. This one fell short of that goal, IMHO. But because the wife ends up with divorce papers, the BTB crowd will love it. In LW, it's not about the journey; it's all about the destination.

because the husband wasn't a cuckold. Straight to the point, no explanation needed. He saw them in his bed with his own two eyes. He didn't need to know the details, he didn't even go all Rambo and btb her. But there are those out there, that no matter what the with does, she's forgiven. You know who you are, The WACC and CLA . The president of the CLA has already comment his disapproval.

nice flash tale ,no BS she cheated . she is out the door.

Seems you have picked a few negative followers. Oh, well, can't please everyone!

Yes, it was short; that's what BG intended. Does EVERY story have to have the weepy wife, just so, SO sorry, but not sorry enough not to have done it in the first place? Or the bitch wife telling him how happy she was when he went on his trips so that she could finally have a "REAL man?" Or choose your LW cliche.

Short, not-so-sweet and to the point!

Nice to the point response, no violence, no bullshit and the man/husband shows logic with tact plus a "take no fucking shit" attitude. Superbly written with no "scorch the earth" but the just matter of fact, we are done.

BRAVO!!!!!

I once wrote a template for aspiring authors who are looking to write stories for the LW category that are guaranteed to be well-received. It seems that I overestimated the LW crowd, though. They don't need details about the husband or wife, nor do they need either character to display any sort of recognizable humanity.

They don't need any details about the affair or the husband's efforts to discover the affair. They don't need any drama or emotion or turmoil. They don't need any colorful characters or any character development whatsoever. They don't need any meaningful lessons learned or "moral of the story" or happy ending or tragic ending.

Given the reaction to this story and the one posted earlier this week, here is all it takes to please the LW crowd:

"Once upon a time, a husband discovered his wife was cheating on him. He handed her divorce papers. The end." There. I just wrote a praise-worthy LW story in only twenty words!

A flash story is not a novel. It is like a haiku poem, making its point with few, well-chosen words. While I prefer epics myself, I appreciate the craftsmanship of a good flash story. 5 stars. Thanks for writing. JPR

I've considered writing a short just to see how it rates:

"I came home early. My whore wife is fucking some guy in my bed, so I pulled out my Glock and shot them both. The End"

A good story is when the husband finds his wife with other and he turns back and he came home later again so he does not divorce almost at once. Instead of quick steps he organizes a fortune saveing provisions to hide more and more furtune to reach better rate than 50-50% and he divorce half years later....Why a husband should be generouse to a cheater wife, because the half of the people want either quick divorce (no wimp) or reconcilation (to be forgiving) ? The good story is to show the people how the author think to be possible to avoid 50-50%....

but the ending is identical to another one page flash story on the site. I can't remember the title, but its by one of the British authors,

No meat on the bones. I ranked your story from yesterday a 5 and this one a 2. This could have been done in 3 sentences instead the 10 or 12 that was done.

Nonetheless, he writes well, if only to provoke. There are stories here that are written as entertainment. Those are the stories that are enjoyable to read. This was entertainment.

Then, there are agenda driven stories. The author has some particular point to make or some message they want to get across. It's not just a story, it's a pulpit. Those stories are written to tweak the noses of segments of the readers.

Some writers are so delusional that they believe they are striking a blow for some cause or another by posting stories on an internet site with an erotic theme. Those are the pretentious, boring and preachy stories and authors.

Readers here favor a certain type of story. That story contains a marriage, infidelity, drama and confrontation, and the bad guys suffering the consequences of their badness. Most books that have ever been written follow this basic formula. Those fit the life expectations of most readers.

Then there are the stories in which there are no good guys and bad guys. Everyone in them is pond scum. Mutual betrayal and dirty deeds are done by all. These are unpopular. But they are presented under the guise of containing drama or emotion or turmoil, plot and character development. Being sketchy is presented as a superior literary merit. In actuality, they contain tawdry morality plays based on oft exploded notions from discredited 70's pop psychology movements, written by pretentious douche bags for their own self-aggrandizement.

Their story type is no less repetitious than those they disparage, only sleazier. Most people don't bother to read them. JOMO.

And I thought that I was a little too critical sometimes in my comments! But you take it to a whole new level of batshit crazy!

This story was entertaining and part of the entertainment value is that it is so predictable and that's half the fun. I appreciate it because it is not a cynical and pretentious attempt to justify a position under the guise of open mindedness or enlightenment. It is what it is without obfuscation.

That was my point, exactly. Anonymous missed the point. I thought this was an entertaining story. Which is why I said, "There are stories here that are written as entertainment. Those are the stories that are enjoyable to read. This was entertainment."

It was those sermons disguised as stories I was attempting to critique, poorly, evidently, since Anonymous didn't get the point.

Congrats to foolscap and kimi1990 for contributing the dumbest comments on this site today.

You contribute... well, nothing, really. That's it, nothing.

Did it ever occur to you that BTB/consequences stories are also "agenda-driven stories?" The agenda in those stories is far clearer than the agenda in other types of stories. The message is conveyed loud and clear: extramarital sex (without or without the spouse's consent) is bad, and must be punished. There is nothing new about those stories. The Bible is filled with them. (And, I'm sure you'd agree, were written with an agenda in mind.)

Must EVERY story in this hub repeat the same tired old agenda? Is there no room for variety? Twists? Surprises? Humor? Eroticism? Fun?

Must EVERY story be cheating --> divorce?

I mean, everyone loves white bread, but I wouldn't want to live on white bread alone.

To this author's credit, he seems to write stories in different genres. I didn't read his last story (too long, sorry), but judging by the comments, it was the opposite of a traditional/Biblical "consequences" story. Wouldn't you much rather click on a story and not know what it will be about? That's been one of my goals as a writer here.

The thing that allways infuriates me is the description of the adultress in most storys,most look without morals or conscience,more stupid then a rock

I am not a woman but can you imagine a woman that let's her lover sleep in the marital bed the day she knows her husband comes home?seriously ? having extramarital sex at home is testing the limits of stupidity unless the better half is in jail or on another continent,ignoring nosy neighbours,family visits and the danger of technologie are making these stories so unrealistic in my opinion

Hey, 𝐒𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐀𝐆, go eat your usual cum treat from wifey's pussy, and when you are done, do us all a favor and go eat a gun for dessert, you CUCK MORON.

No, EVERY story doesn't have to have cheating leading to divorce, there can be reconciliation, even RAAC, though not my taste.

Just because we don't care for stories where the cheated on husband thanks his wife for showing him his inadequacies, begs to clean out her pussy and get her bull ready for round two, doesn't mean that we don't like variety.

Short Sweet and to the point! She cheated, no kids, dump her.

Variety, you say? Every posted story of yours is the same genre. I don't have a problem with that because it's your gig, your fetish, your fantasy. If you don't like or appreciate the works of others, I suggest you not read them. I've read many of yours, didn't care for most of them but I've never ragged on you for lack of variety. Read or don't but if you do, don't hammer writers better than you for their version of fantasy.

For someone who constantly accuses me of twisting your words, you sure do twist my words a lot!

You've made what is called a "strawman argument": "Just because we don't care for stories where the cheated on husband thanks his wife for showing him his inadequacies, begs to clean out her pussy and get her bull ready for round two, doesn't mean that we don't like variety."

It's a strawman because no one (well...okay, I suppose there is a very tiny superminority) would ever like such a ridiculous story. You can write a story where a cheater doesn't get caught or doesn't suffer consequences, and it doesn't involve cum-slurping, bulls, inadequate hubbies, etc.. When I refer to "variety", I'm not referring to such a ridiculous scenario -- and I'm pretty sure you're smart enough to know that. It's not a binary choice. There are countless shades of gray in between.

Hell, you can write a "consequences" story that ISN'T predictable, and DOESN'T stick to the standard BTB template. It is possible. I've seen it done. I've written a few myself.

My point is this: "The author has some particular point to make or some message they want to get across. It's not just a story, it's a pulpit."

Sounds like BTB to me! How are BTB stories any different than other so-called "agenda" stories?

"Readers here favor a certain type of story. That story contains a marriage, infidelity, drama and confrontation, and the bad guys suffering the consequences of their badness."

Great, but how many time can you read that same monotonous plot over and over again? Other readers here enjoy stories where a wife acts a little naughty, has a little harmless "fun" with someone other than her husband, and everyone gets a thrill out of it. Others enjoy stories where hubby or wife strays and they find a way to work it out. Others enjoy stories where one of them strays and no one ever finds out.

Again: why does every F'ing story have to be a "BTB/Consequences" story or face the wrath of Kimi and the Sycophant Club? I find stories about cheating wives who get divorced incredibly boring precisely because that's what's supposed to happen! It's predictable and incredibly dull.

To each his own, but if a story doesn't fit your taste, how about just shut the fuck up about it instead of spitting witty insults like "pretentious douchebag?" How angry do you need to be to insult strangers over the internet over a story that you actually liked!?

Sorry to burst your bubble, but I've never written the same story twice. Check out my profile page. I even separated them by genre for you, to make it easier.

This "story" did not require effort to understand. The guy comes home early, finds the wife sleeping with someone, who remains nameless, and he files for divorce as soon as possible. Take that sentence and toss in some adjectives, verbs, pronouns, and conjunctions to increase the word count and we have what many feel is a brilliant plot and incredible writing skill. I don't see it. I see no real plot, no likable or believable characters, no explanations, no emotions, no real dialogue, and no reason to even react to the words thrown together to create this "story". The challenge here was not to tell the story in 750 words or less. The real challenge was adding the extra 730 totally unneeded words. It was a simply a single sentence drawn out so it could qualify to be posted.

We need to talk Jim. By Britease

If husband agrees to wife having sex with another man then it could be just harmless fun.

If it is done behind his back it is hurtful and destructive adultery.

Your moniker indicates your lifestyle choice.

Good luck with that decision,

Thought she was going to have her Cake. Did with a Dose of Reality. Called "Kick to the Curb"

Sometimes a flash story and this is one of the drollest is just perfect

To me, this onw was just that

I don't need it, but I do appreciate the sentiment.

Story #1: "If husband agrees to wife having sex with another man then it could be just harmless fun."

That's an interesting story.

Story #2: "If it is done behind his back it is hurtful and destructive adultery."

That, too, is an interesting story.

Story #3: "Wife cheats, hubby finds out, hands her divorce papers."

Not interesting. Sorry.

maybe not, but definitely a most effective nuking of a cheating ass slut.

No drama.

No bullshit.

Just the utter destruction of her world.

I rather like that.

The author did very well in this story.

He was very creative, great context, well written and the message was clear.

Congrats to the author....great job!

Couldn't agree with you more. There's nothing more boring than reading a swinging, hotwife, willing cuckold story. What's so interesting about them? Watching a wife fuck others is a fetish, but the idiots who read these stories can't see that and never will. It's actually useless to argue the point. Sharing wives turns them on. You're not going to change their minds. It's always about them rutting with somebody not their wife. That what turns them on, not the trials and tribulations of a marriage gone bad and the consequences thereof.

I would wager that most episodes of most hit TV shows follow a basic formula, yet people watched them week after week for years.

Why? Because talented writers came up with interesting stories that transcended the formula.

I would argue that one of the many reasons why Hollywood has sucked so badly in recent years is that screenwriters and producers insist on sticking to a formula that is predictable and repetitive, and yet a proven crowd-pleaser. The stakes are too high to risk funding any script that varies from the accepted formula, so we end up with a year's worth of movies that all look and feel exactly the same, featuring characters we already know, and plots we've seen a thousand times before.

If mass-produced, assembly-line, populism is what you're looking for in entertainment, then the BTB genre is where to find it. Granted, we see the same type of formula used in so-called "cuck" stories. How many times do we really need to read a story about a middle-aged wife who goes to a bar and dances with some complete stranger, at her husband's insistence, takes the stranger back to a hotel, where she sucks and fucks the stranger's 12-inch cock and experiences unprecedented orgasms while hubby watches?

That's why I reserve my "kudos" for the stories that veer away from the formula and offer some new twist or uniqueness.

That said, as a writing exercise, writing to a formula can be challenging and fun. I wrote "The Third Revolution" using the Hollywood formula, and it was insanely fun to write -- although a little too inflexible for my taste. I wrote another story (to be published tomorrow) that follows the modern-day sitcom formula. It's challenging, but that's why we're here, right?

I don't mind a formula plot as such. The point is whether the plot is any good.

The BTB formula is simply poorly conceived .. that's the problem. Utterly uninteresting from a dramatic or psychological perspective.

I read the story, and a lot of the bull shit comments, and enough is enough. The story was perfect. Quick, straight, and to the point. No crying, begging forgiveness, excuses, or any of the ''cuck'' bullshit you read on here. She cheated, got caught red-handed, and 2 days later gets served. That's the way it should be done. 100 stars to Big Guy33

It is very interesing some poll was performed about cheating. Against the high cheating rate, (55% and 60% minimum 1 extramarital event for whole lifetime for spouse, in these statistical figures are the serial cheaters and the once in thir life people) above 90% of the questioned people said they would not like their commited partner cheated on them. Do not mix a sexual minority with the all population! Here on the Literotica the sexual minority is overpopulated (swingers, cuckolding supporters, serial cheaters, etc.).

The people feel very well the majority of the people who cheat on their commited partners sometime the cheaters can reveal to the lover such family-common interest dangerouse secret wich could cause negative effect to the common kids, family and themselves.

The known dangers: STDs (from gonnorhea to hepatitises), bastard kids, to be known in the neighborhood, in the family and among the collegues/friends/aquantances same to the cheaters and the cheated alike.

Long time problems:

The eternal trust problem.

The kids grow up in such circumtances where the 2 spouses have an eternal skeleton in their cupboard which is detected the kids involutary everytime.

I do not talk about the kids after divorce problem..............

Against the reconciliation the cheated spouse will use the skeleton in the cupboard in small family debate after 20 years, the cheated spouse goes to his/her entertainment instead of visiting the deadly ill excheater spouse (emotional demage to each other...).

The most interesting effect the loss of the resistance of cheated on spouse against contracheating or spouse change after 10 years to the original cheating and reconciliation. (Why so few stories are in the story collections about these plots??????!!!!! Yes it is very difficult to write this type story, because first a reconciliation should be written and after this the author should write a 6-10-15 years later a change in the behavioral of the cheated on spouse.

(Unfortunatally I can not write reconciliation in story!!!)

Moreover the opposite story plot is more common. Several times authors feel very well the longtime problems with kids and they write the cheater spouse begins the divorce against the end of the cheating affair.

You said it yourself: "proven crowd-pleaser."

As much as we all say we write for our own enjoyment, we post our stories on a public, free site. Surely we want and expect them to be read.

We'd be lying if we said that we didn't want to please the readers. Now, I DON'T mean that we will change our stories to please, necessarily. But if we enjoy writing a type of story, and a large number of people enjoy reading our stories and compliment them, please don't expect us to change to suit your beliefs.

But a completely unfinished story. Maybe this was intended as a flash story, but it failed in that regards. Just can't give it a high mark. I simply detest unfinished stories.

Short story, but super for example: Seurat "Homecoming Call"

The fact that this site is free means we should expect to see more creative and "risky" stories because we aren't forced to cater to a certain (popular) crowd in pursuit of the almighty dollar. It's sad to think that any writer here would write any story to cater to anyone but himself (or herself.) What's to gain from it? The adulation of completely anonymous strangers? The status of being a popular writer whose real name no one knows? The fortune of $0.00 that we all earn from our countless hours of effort?

If I charged a fee to read my stories here, I would be a completely differently type of writer. I'm not ashamed to admit I'd be a sell-out. I'd crank out one story after another about brainless cheating bitches and their perfect husbands and the sweet, sweet revenge he gets against her. And I'd make a fortune.

I'm not asking you or anyone else to change the type of stories you write. Write whatever makes you happy. But if you write a story (in any genre) that is boring, with flat cardboard characters, that follows a worn-out template beat for beat, I'll call you out on it. I'm 100% positive that you, Bigguy, and almost every author here (with four notable exceptions) can handle my criticism. After all, who the hell am I? And who cares what I have to say?

I liked it. 5 stars.

Thanks for the tip, loved it!

...for pulling that off. Aside from that, the story took an interesting turn and did so without all the histrionics and drama that usually accompany the "early arrival scenario.

Thank you, well done!

Divorce is a great way to end a toxic relationship, but a self-defeating way to punish someone you still love.

So which was the case here? Either the husband knows why she did it, and decided to end a toxic relationship, or the husband just wants to punish her regardless of why she did it. Maybe drugs, maybe blackmail, maybe casual lust? But answering those questions would be the substance of a story. All we got was a report of what happened after he found his wife in bed with another man. How interesting is that?

"I found Joanie, as expected, fast asleep and I knew any attempt to get into bed would wake her, so I just went down the hall and crashed in the spare room. I was really too tired for anything else anyway. I was asleep in seconds."

He found Joanie "as expected," he was tired (of what?), he was asleep in seconds (no mental or emotional disturbance). I interpret this to indicate that the husband expected to find her cheating, and was simply resigned to the fact, and the consequences. Except he wasn't prepared in advance with divorce papers. And we don't know the terms of the divorce, so the wife may be better off. Its obvious her soon to be ex-husband no longer gives a shit about her.

So this was a weak flash story. Less requires more. This story leaves us scratching our heads and wondering why we should care anymore than the husband does? You cheated, I caught you, I'm divorcing you, have a nice day.

Its obviously too late to talk.

Even a quick story has to be factual.

For the read.

It's a flash story people, it's supposed to be short. Five stars.

"He found Joanie "as expected," he was tired (of what?), he was asleep in seconds (no mental or emotional disturbance). I interpret this to indicate that the husband expected to find her cheating, and was simply resigned to the fact, and the consequences." - He expected to find her in bed; he was tired from the trip.

Are you lacking creativity, or just plain lazy?

I want to reiterate my contention that this is not an example of someone having to economize his words to trim a story down to a flash story. This story was heavily padded to achieve the needed number of words. A good flash story is created when the writer trims needless words and happenings to make the story as succinct as possible. That is not the case here. It was a thirty to fifty word story with added words to achieve a certain number. Read it over and see how much is not relevant to the story. The following quotes are examples of "fill" to get to the required word count. Well done flash stories make every word count and deliver some sort of surprise, moral, or message.

"Work went smoothly, as it usually does. I processed orders that came in from my accounts and caught up on the office drama that had occurred while I was gone. There wasn't anything juicy this time."

"I went into the garage and fired up the mower, spending the next couple hours pushing it across the grass. Once that was done I got down and pulled a few weeds that had elbowed their way into the garden. Damn things."

Quite entertaining. The wife was tortured by his silence.

Your story "Not Guilty" is an excellent example (not only Seurat's "Homecoming Call") for good flash BTB story. I am curiouse...

Once again BG has accomplished what most writers hope to do when we sit down to stare at a blank sheet or screen; he’s produced two stories about as polar opposites as possible and yet managed to make both entertaining.

If one could believe comments made by the BTB crowd ‘Now We Can Talk’ should have pulled great scores from that quarter, and ‘Slow Separation’ should have almost satisfied the RAAC gang. And yet we find comment after comment analyzing the weaknesses in BG’s work—most of them are probably right on.

But who the heck sits down to read an erotic fiction for a study in human behavior? Obviously a lot of people. As for me, I can get all that crap I want observing the real world around me or thinking back over the years on the many ways I’ve seen people screw up their lives.

When I open Lit and click on LW or any other category, I looking to be entertained. These two stories kept me ‘turning the pages’ so I say BigGuy accomplished the mission for this reader. Of course others have different viewpoints, and they have expressed them in no uncertain terms, but I just want to say THANKS FOR A FREE READ. (I enjoyed it just as much as I did the $5.99 Kindle book I just finished.)

Don't you just love a story (in this case a very short story) that ignites a Comment Cascade of Epic Exclamation. My oh my oh my but we seem to have some opinions in need of airing. Jeez guys - been holding it in since the election?

First, BigGuy33 - nice story ****

Second, FLASH...the untold story of a sub-genre format that nobody seems to really know...or understand...or want for that matter. Back in the old days furtive websites, and ASSTR, and Celeste, and Ruthie's Club (sigh), and "oh let's just call it the Golden Age of Internet Erotic Stories", a FLASH story was 1000 words or less, or 500 words or less, and on those rarest of occasions 100 words or less. Sometimes challenges went out for FLASH stories based on a theme or scenario or "you must use thse specific words in your story." It was fun reading (and hopefully fun writing,) the creativity and originality were inspiring. But no matter the number of words, or the challenge theme, what a FLASH story did have (usually, almost always) was a hook or twist at the end. So, does "Now we can talk." qualify? Works for me...you're quanitifiability may very.

Third, I must hide my smile at certain authors of stories with endless "cut and paste" sex scenes quibbling about a shorter than usual story. Must we have a vivid description of every throbbing vein, every gushing orgasm, and the multitudinous ease by which any female above the age of consent, independent of familial association, friendship, or sexual preference finding themselves not just unable but unwilling to forego the life-changing opportunity to engage in various and vicarious joinings that defy any semblance to any life event I've heard told, or participated in, yet alone ever dreamed of - although a fantasy or two may have strayed close to the storyline at one time or another. Cue the SEALS, win the lottery, become a rock star, movie star, celebrity, gambler extraordinaire, raconteur, to say nothing of restaurateur. Oh, and don't forget cops, lawyers, authors, mega-huge tits, prodigious cocks, and last but not least voyueristic cuckold wimps happily humiliated desperately determined to make it all better if we can just talk it though.

I'm exhausted...

I liked this approach. I should be like this, Now that we are divorcing you can talk your ass off. I won't be listening btw. Great flash story

OK lets summarize this story? She fucked up got fucked then fucked over her husband he then fucked her off! Did I miss anything?

Love you all! GREG.

OH 100 % OF READING ENJOYMENT BYE.

You're exhausted? I'm exhausted just typing your name. Please next time you decide to write a flash story of your own in the comment section, please use paragraphs. It's exhausting trying to read your comment. lol

Besides that, I thought the story was entertaining. Not much substance, but for a fast "you fucked up-good bye" story, not too bad. No, not bad at all. (signed ML)

There is a lot of things I can work through and forgive but defiling the marital bed is over the top. To me it's a very sacred place. I have known people who swing and even they would do it away from marital bed. It looks like this has happened before, because she let lover spend the night. That shows familiarity and relaxation to the situation.

Ya, I like good BTB story, but this one has elements that I do not like. 3*

Misleading, innuendos, omission, deception for dramatic affect is not a mark of good story telling. I found the writing deceptive in trying to create drama by omissions and misleading.

Such as,"I found Joanie, as expected, fast asleep and I knew any attempt to get into bed would wake her," - ya think, NO SHIT as there was another man in the bed that you deceptively omitted - all to setup drama. But then again he expected to find this and came home to catch her - the first paragraph was another deceptive lie to bait in readers. Or he was a cuck in waiting to not have gone ballistic (verbally) in the bedroom catching them (likely spooning).

"I ran the rest of my errands and then headed for home, where a nervous Joanie was waiting." which we discovered later was to his lawyers and likely the bank - again deception by omission.

I think you're being a bit overly-critical.

Not mentioning the other man WAS deceptive, but NOT misleading.

While it IS possible that he expected to catch her, there is nothing stated to that effect.

If he went ballistic, then BG would have been accused of cut-and-paste boilerplate,

Because he didn't state up-front what his errands were isn't deceptive. Meanwhile writers who list things step-by-step are derided for their "dry" narratives!

What is rarely mentioned in these stories is what lies behind the act of cheating. While I am not justifying cheating, I believe that cheating is merely the exclamation point on the end of the sentence: "This relationship is dead!" Long before this death there must certainly have been a long illness. Perhaps, the "betrayed" spouse had not noticed the decline, perhaps it was denial. Either way, healthy relationships do not result in cheating. Healthy relationships are too valuable to be risked.

Good point, but it is the responsibility of the party that feels the illness to do something to cure the illness, or as with a mangled limb, cut it off and look elsewhere,

i agree that the "formula" doesn't matter, strange car in the drive, home early, we need to talk, all can be used over and over again. what matters is the different characters, degrees of respect or lack of, emotions, social standing, just the characters personality makes a massive difference to each story told.

i think too many writers get a bit "hung up" on thinking about new formulas. like different brands of beer, most are drinkable, some more than others but they all share the same basic ingredients, it's the brewers (writers) skill that makes or breaks the finished product.

EXCELLENT! I LOVE the beer analogy, it's an absolutely PERFECT description.

sugna The cheating has 2 types according to the future aim of .the cheaters.

1. The cheater wants to leave the marriage and the cheating is the start for this..

2. The cheater wants to cheat and wants to stay married together in the future.

You say: "I believe that cheating is merely the exclamation point on the end of the sentence: 'This relationship is dead!' "

I agree that the relationship has to be seriously unwell for something as serious as 'cheating' to be the response undertaken by one or other partner. My disagreement with your diagnosis is whether that action has to be terminal. I believe there can be occasions where 'cheating' acts as the 'exclamation point' that puts the relationship back towards even better health.

I understand that the original medical definition of the word "crisis" was the point at which the patient would either get better or die. Just as medical practice has found ways to tip the balance towards the 'get better' outcome, maybe we need to learn more about how to tip the balance towards better outcomes with marital 'cheating'.

Lue

I question your philosophy that cheating can in some instances lead to stronger marriage, but if the betrayed party manages to more than balance the scales perhaps that could come to pass.

In the particular instance this story describes the marriage s over. Yes, death is so final...not so much referring to marriage but trust. The betrayal of a spouse is bad enough, but to cheat in the marital bed and have lover spend the night and get caught...lower coffin and cover with dirt.

Consider she has not only cheated but ANNOUNCED HER BETRAYAL TO ALL IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD...and she wants to talk.

too short

Short, sweet and to the point! What is there to talk about? It was just sex ...

Crappy way to do it.

One of your better one!!!

Wow! 2 read through and still impressed with this skillfully crafted story. ⛥⛥⛥⛥⛥

I promise you though he would have walked out the house at gun point.

Loved it