All Comments on 'The Bridge'

As a snap story it's ok. At the end of it I was kind of left waiting for something important to happen. Must have missed something somewhere. Thx for sharing

This is a good LW story but lacking a good ending to the drama. Sure Lyle read part of what might happen over that weekend but that, by itself, did not prove anything. Gloria did let it happen and because she did, the rest followed. It was a good scenario and the guilty ones got burned. It would have helped to find out more about where Paula really stood and her full part in the story. She didn't quite fit the part of Robin and Sharon who did get burnt, as they deserved.

Practice and ask for some additional help.

Tiny Tim

Did Gloria sleep with the boss on Sunday night, too? Maybe a fleshing out of the Paula character in a sequel would give us the answer to that question and more.

a very sheltered life because I've never either witnessed or experienced a wife saying to her husband that she was going to spend the night with another man -- yet from Literotica it seems to happen much of the time. Against that background however this was well told and his reaction was easy to imagine even if it was indeed likely to get him arrested. The interesting part to these stories is the behaviour of the wife who really does seem to think that all will be well afterwards. On the other hand with about 50% of the Literotica male readership apparently only too keen for their wives to fuck other men (eg a recent story from the female POV was about being divorced because she refused to fuck another man!) it really must be so confusing for women to know in which section of the population their man is!

"it seems to happen much of the time"

I haven't lived a sheltered life, but I'm still waiting for photos of my friend's/family's wives cheating to be sent to my email (another frequent LW item).

Most of the stuff that happens in this story is far-fatched or impossible; it's just a simple revenge fantasy for beta-men (and closet cuckolds).

Similar to what you have written in past,

Its always about husband's ego. He is partly to blame for this.He can fight for his ego and pride but not for his marriage and family. What he did after cheating he could have done before that also. But then it would have been different one. He could have stopped her but he that time he was planning revenge.

The way the phone calls played out.

Exactly what were they calling about? She knew what she did. Was it remorse? And what was Gabe doing getting involved? What exactly did they think they were going to say to 'make things right'?

And if she is a weepy willow, why didn't she leave? Certainly their 'best bud' Paula would be HAPPY to drive the 'just fucked buzzkill' away from the festivities.

I was wondering about this when I read it. It didn't detract but it certainly made me curious.

I keep reading these cocksure people saying that fuel tanks that large are custom and/or they don't exist. Yet they did not bother to do a 2 second search on the internet to find out neither is true.

And most of them...they have wheels. No gargantuan muscles required.

A man with a spine! love it!

To me. , both Gloria and Gabe's call were made initially from a perspective of disbelieving arrogance . Not unlike your cheating couple Andrew and Allie of " Initial Public Offerings ' , Gloria sees herself as having transcended her husband and vows of fidelity. She and Gabe are two of the 1% ers and therefore though they know the weekend liason won't be easy for Lyle. It is clearly his role to stand aside and enjoy the scenery and nosh on high end chow at lodge as consolation for short term lease of wife.

Gabriel likes and respects Lyle vocational abilities just as Andrew did Jim's in your story. Allie loved Jim in condescending way that Gloria showed Lyle as she announced in kitchen the new sleeping arrangements. Well the two hapless husband's of 2 stories stood and unfolded themselves to their true dimensions.

That's when the disbelief/ arrogance hybrid turned to move rapidly down Kubler-Ross stages of acceptance. At the story's conclusion, Gloria is still mired at the anger phase There are credibility potholes to be navigated but the core of story is consumate Loving Wife storytelling, at least it is to my idiosyncratic taste.

Massive suspension of disbelief is required in most LW stories, so nitpicking anything out in this one is laughable - it is rife with plotholes, implausibilities, and character actions only believable by fellows who've never left their parent's basement.

I enjoyed the story, even though there was a lack of sex scenes. I thought the writing was good even though the plot was slightly unbelievable. I felt that a lot of time was spent on Gloria's feelings and not very much of Lyle's feelings. The story seemed to need closure of some kind. I do admire that the husband actually had a backbone and took action. It's something that I usually don't see here. Most of the stories show the husband as milk-toast, something not true in life. There are usually consequences of one kind or another. Great story! Keep them coming!

Great story. Keep writing. I've used such 20 gallon tanks - they are on wheels because that much gas weighs 160 pounds plus the tank. Lyle did some detail planning, but should have taken the sim card from their cell phones and dropped those in the fuel tank in the shed. Would have delayed Gabe more and Gloria could not have contacted her parents until Lyle told his side first. Again, keep writing!!!

I'm very happy the way this turned out. Our hero was rid of a cheating wife and her jerkoff er lover, who was the husbands boss. lost everything after the seduction.

Five Stars

before i read the sequal sombody posted.. Big fan of your work bc you never force a reconciliation and you have the husband actually have a pair of balls. Well written as well

Anon of 2/2/16 you need to recalculate. 20 gal. of gasoline does not weigh 160 lbs. Gasoline weighs 6.167 lbs. per US gallon, so 20 gal. weighs slightly over 120 lbs.

I'm surprised I didn't comment before, wanted to re-read before reading the follow-up.

Many thoughts:

Nitpick: “When she runs, she braids it into a ponytail” – If she BRAIDS it, it’s in a “braid”, she TIES it into a “ponytail”.

“He stepped over just before midnight with a passionate kiss under the mistletoe.” –Trusting his wife is fine, and her drinking a bit and enjoying the attention is also fine. That does NOT give Gabe permission to give her a “passionate” kiss, mistletoe or not, and, boss or not, he should have been called on it immediately.

I realize it would have killed the story, but he should have refused the trip!

“There was no pretense that they were not making out.” – WTF?Is he a complete wuss? The ONLY rational response is to pull her off, send her upstairs to get dressed and pack, and tell Gabe, “I QUIT!” and leave, with or without Gloria, and if it’s without, then go see a divorce attorney at the first opportunity! I guess he pretty much did, just without the warning!

“If not for my sake, then think of the kids” – Maybe SHE should have thought about the kids before unilaterally declaring a one-side open marriage!

“For once the prince wanted me. It was flattering.” – So what you do is divorce your husband, and when you are SINGLE go after the prince. You DON’T TELL your husband you’re going to CHEAT on him and that he HAS to accept it!

“you knew what was happening, and you didn't say no” – He shouldn't HAVE to say no! If HE has to stop HER from cheating, if she can’t control herself, then what kind of a marriage do they really have?

So, besides her own pleasure, she was fucking Gabe to further his career? Did she ask HIM if he wanted to be her pimp while she prostituted herself for him?

Actually the question is "Are you stupid Richy???" Gloria breaks her wedding vows, commits adultery, fucks her husband's boss, exposes the person SHE professes to love to dangerous STD's, cuckholds & humiliates him and you have the audacity to "suggest" reconciliation for the CUNT to your readers?!?

Not sure who is worse ... your despicable female lead or you???

You sometime read a story even though you have the feeling that it's going to piss you off. Well this one certainly delivered in that respect. SHE said that he could have stopped her! SHE told him that she was spending the night with Gabe, no discussion, she was letting him know that it was a done deal. The only thing that was a shame, that while he was setting things afire; he didn't burn the lodge along with the bridge (and all of the assholes along with it). It would have given them a head start on the reserved place in HELL that people like them deserve to spend eternity in.

It's said in the military, that you can sometimes go "a bridge too far". Well, her bridge too far was her weekend trip to the lodge that "Gabe" called her direct to set up and that he really didn't want to go to. Started humiliating him from the time that she arrived, ending up in the "big show" of the fuck-a-thon with Gabe. Guess it surprised her that her wimpy, underachieving, normal, cuck of a husband of 16 years didn't "lay down" and just take her shit.

Then to come back at the end and almost demand her "life" back, wow, what a piece of work. No, in this case it's fitting that she has to live with the realization of the true cost of her actions for the rest of her life; and what her weekend "fling" with the pretty boy boss of her husband (BOSS Dammit!) truly has cost her. How in the Hell could you ever stand to be around someone who treated you with so little respect.

No, this bitch deserves every bit of misery she will have to suffer, she put into action the consequences that caused the entire thing to go down.

Had something along this line happen to me many years ago, the hurt of the betrayal never goes away. I still hate the bitch to this day, so reading this story, certainly brought back many "wonderful" memories of the experience I had. NOT! ! !

He deserves to perish in self pity. He wasn't even strong enough to try and save his family. Never even gave a thought to if he let her continue without a word his kids would pay a price too. He never once communicated his anger or hurt or anything to anyone but himself. Yes he took action but way past the time to do so if he wanted to save his family. This is quite common with author's on here but I think it is far from reality.

A well written story that provoked strong emotions on my part. Well done.

....not because of the mess he found himself in, but the way he handled it.

To say he wreaked havoc in the lives of seven other people would be to say the Grand Canyon is an interesting geological formation. DAYAM!

But wifey seems a bit dim, if she thinks she was just "having fun" for the weekend.

Why do writers always make the cheating wives clever as foxes approaching the betrayal, then dumb as sticks in the aftermath? It doesn't make sense and makes them seem to be two different characters.

Some will say his foolish male pride is keeping him from a life of happy contentment. But others, including me, agree that his response was far less destructive than it could have been and she threw away their marriage and their life with her betrayal. It doesn't matter anymore what she wants. She is no longer his responsibility. She made that choice, against his wishes and in defiance of her own oath at their wedding. That she doesn't like and wants to avoid the consequences of her actions in no way changes the fact. She is divorced because she proved herself unworthy of the marriage she had and that she destroyed with her treachery.

At one point, I thought he was going to burn the cabin with everyone in it. I'm glad he didn't, but would have understood the motivation.

I hope you will continue the story if you can find it. If not, I hope you will add others to your collection.

I appreciate the restrained but decisive behavior in response to the outrageous and aggressions acts of selfish, self-centered, narcissistic, arrogant fools.

The big tragedy here, is what their kids suffer at their parents' hands.

Great stuff! I loved that happy ending!

I agree with the longer comment by anonymous and must say your story pumped my adenaline. I hope to read more in the future

Good read with a good cast of characters in the story.

Readers have posted some good comments regarding the plot and husband's actions.

This story induced strong emotions on my part. RichardGerald, please continue.

A RG Hubby who actually sticks to his guns?! Oh. My. GOD! o.0

Seriously, though, great stuff here, RG. It's good to see you getting away from the RAAC tales. It was touch-and-go there at the end, but great job keeping him away from the pitfall of a RAAC where he will never be able to trust her again. Great revenge on Boss Asshole, too. :)

5 Solid Stars.

Gave it 4 stars since a husband by this author was finally man enough to do the right thing and divorce the bitch.

Her arguments at the end was just her deflecting guilt away from herself. She equates her infidelity to a minor mistake that should not have any consequences.

Fuck her.

So she's unhappy, he's unhappy, and no doubt the kids are worse off. I think that you missed the whole point of the ending. So he's kicked her to the curb, and I don't blame him. But who's happy now? Apparently not the wronged husband. I think that the author purposely left us and the guy in a quandary. What would be better for him, and maybe for everybody else too?

one of the signs of a popular story is the furor in the comments. the shear number of comments is also a testament to the nature of the story.

Lyle was depicted as "everyman". he didn't do physical harm to Gabe, but certainly knocked him to the kerb financially. yes, he divorced his wife, but sought no humiliation or retribution in the process. eventually he regained his status and even elevated his position to that of a successful business man. all in a Harvey milquetoast sort of way.

the one character that stood out for me was the "regulator". it is difficult for me to accept her role in the business and personal aspects of the story. she was at the cabin to make sure no one rocked the boat. and her purpose in the larger world was to grease the way for the big players? that is not regulating, that is criminal facilitation.

Lyle established himself as powerless after the mistletoe kiss. I would have suggested that immediately after the kiss he said:

"I was shocked and disappointed in you, the way you kissed Gabe. What do you think you were doing? That was no way for a wife to act! I wanted to grab you by the hair and pull you away, then deck Gabe! But that would have embarrassed you in front of the crowd. They were all staring at you, anyway."

That would have given Gloria some hesitation that she would have had to overcome, to proceed further, and increased the interpersonal tension in the story.

Then at the first hot tub encounter, where Gloria was on Gabe's lap, he should have pulled her aside and asked, "What do you think you're doing? Are you planning to fuck him? If you fuck him, you're his whore and not my wife any more!"

This would give her further angst and emotional barrier to overcome, to proceed further.

So what? Of course everyone is going to be a bit miserable after the divorce. But it will pass. She'll probably move on and start dating men who fit her idea of princes. He'll probably start dating and find a woman who genuinely respects him. Children are pretty adaptable, they'll find a way to cope with the situation. This is best for all involved.

What's the alternative? Let her back in and chance her constantly looking for more princes and fucking them on the side? The kids would find out at some point and the whole thing would rotten the family. So yeah he might be better off divorced in the long run.

Blame everyone but herself. One thing that his boss should have remembered was two very simple rules. 1) never ever shit where you sleep! And 2) don't fuck over the goose that lays, or has access to the golden eggs. Ok I may have changed that one a bit but, still the truth. Fucking your employees spouse is bound to rebound on you in a bad way. That she acted that way, telling him not asking, tells me that she felt like she settled for him when she married him. Now she has a job and looks better so she felt she better get looking. How any wife can think that to do something like this cannot end badly is beyond me. And all of them forgot that he was a lawyer, and that he was the one who was wronged, even the shitiest lawyer knows more than the average, or even above average business men and women. That his regulator didn't see the signs when he was drinking coffee instead of alcohol should have set off alarm klaxons. Oh well, it is just fiction right? Thank you for not going the RAAC route.

I wish I had kept count of how many marriages ended because of some damn event or deemed event.. once the dye is cast it tough to rebuild a relationship 5 thank RG

short and succintly written, i like. i had some trepidation paula would be another younger woman in a cheating story meant to replace an ex-wife but she was promptly dropped out of the story as it progressed.

I lust read several of your stories, and I have enjoyed them all.

5 stars all the way. Keep up the great work.

Mike from Texas

5 star

I read this one yesterday, and it keeps coming back to me, a sign of a good story. I think the characters of the Wife and Paula could both be explored a bit more, or in Paula's case, at least her motivations explained a bit. She struck me as a sick puppy - i.e. she seemed to have a weird devotion to the creeps. I half expected her to try and push the husband off of a high ledge while they were hiking. In the wife's case though, what was she expecting to get out of this? I cannot fathom what she was thinking her husbands response would be to being trapped in a lodge all weekend being forced to watch her do what she did. That part I felt like wasn't explained enough - she couldn't have been that stupid. Good story though, thanks for writing.

MY EX-SLUT DID THE SAME THING FOUR OR FIVE TIMES BUT DID IT BEHIND MY BACK, THINKING I WAS TOO STUPID TO TELL THAT SOMETHING WAS UP. I DOWNLOADED A KEY STROKE SPY PROGRAM ONTO OUR DESKTOP AND GOT ALL HER PASSWORDS. I DISCOVERED HER SECRET EMAIL ACCT. AND FOUND OUT WHERE SHE'D ACTUALLY BEEN GOING AND WHAT SHE WAS DOING. I BUSTED HER ASS WITH A GREAT TWO HOUR LONG VIDEO OF HER GETTING GANG BANGED BY A HALF DOZEN UNDERAGE TEENAGE BOYS WHO WERE FUCKING HER AND CUMMING IN HER CUNT, HER ASS AND HER MOUTH. SHE WAS SUCKING THEM HARD... BEGGING THEM TO PUT THEIR COCKS INTO HER AND FUCK HER SOME MORE.

HER MOM AND DAD HAD THE PLEASURE OF SHOWING HER THE COPY OF THE VIDEO THAT LEFT WITH THEM. SHE DIDN'T KNOW THAT I'D TAKEN IT... JUST THAT I WASN'T HOME WHEN SHE GOT BACK. SHE'D CALLED THEM AND WAS BITCHING ABOUT ME NOT BEING HOME. (after she'd showered and cleaned herself up.) THEY TOLD HER THAT I'D STOPPED BY THEIR HOUSE A FEW MINUTES AGO AND HAD LEFT SOMETHING WITH THEM AND THAT IF SHE CAME OVER AND LOOKED AT IT, MAYBE IT WOULD EXPLAIN WHY I WASN'T HOME.

A loving committed marriage with vulnerable children is fractured beyond repair and we are left with no one except the children worthy of our sympathy. Gloria's infidelity was a blatant act of contempt that Lyle will never be able to forget. Moreover even the faintest hope of forgiveness has been undermined her refusal to accept the gravity of her actions. Dismissing her cruel cheating as a "mistake" is infuriating. None of this ,however, excuses Lyle who is both a fool and a coward. He had ample reason to know that Gabe was lusting after his wife but he said nothing. Obviously he was more concerned with keeping his job than in preserving his marriage. Then he delivered the woman he supposedly loved into the hands of predator and his enablers. He made no effort to try to remove her when Gabe's seduction became obvious. It was if he was more interested in blaming her for the divorce than in derailing Gabe's play time. Oh yes, Lyle ends up financially secure but really the bad guys win. Gabe, Paula and their buddies will still be wrecking lives while Lyle is trying to explain to his children what happened to their home.

The theme is very standard, but since the writing is excellent it stands out very well. I am not a real BTB fan- if the wife has a single indiscretion, I believe in redemption. Apply the pain, sure, but work it out. Sure her indiscretion was very cold-blooded and she fell into the trap of feeling entitled, but the lesson was clearly learned. Can't believe she'd scream a lot with her husband in the house, though- that was pretty heartless. The burning the bridge was a great metaphor as well as a great revenge strategy. A better ending would be to tell her, "look, I'm out of here and you feel bad about it, but suck it up- you got that body now and you can salvage something and just be a bit tawdry but find some shallow companionship. Have a nice downgraded life" you need her to see the long view and get a bit of schadenfreude out of it. He takes the high road and keeps his dignity, but his family life is still a sad shambles.

I guess Paula messed up by not watching Lyle when he went out to get the gas can. I like the revenge part (burning the bridge, moving the operating money, resigning, etc.) but I would have liked to see Lyle and Gloria reconcile. She was right, it was one mistake - a doozy of a mistake, but still only one. Counseling would probably be needed. But hey, Lyle destroyed Gabe and the others.

You can't betray trust and expect good things to happen.

Fuck you bitch. You decided to become a pig now wallow in the shit.

is always a fat chick. they are never gonna love a good man, like most women or fem-men on this sight they a full of shit.37bd

This is very realistic, and why should a husband have to compete with anyone for his wife's fidelity. She declared his intentions and he made a plea for her to consider their 16 years together. She didn't even blink before she was bouncing on Gabe's cock. She had rationalized her behavior and when he didn't play along it didn't fit the straw man she had built to justify her "fling". In truth she not only disrespected Lyle, but didn't think he had the balls or could do better than her so she did what was best in her eyes; husband and kids be damned. The payback was appropriate and total. She reaped what she sowed and didn't like well too damn bad. Well done.

Wolf_Man_1962

It's been a while, so some of these might be repeats!

"I put on a show. Men like that, need and expect it. I never behave that way in bed" - Well, why not? "Men like that, need and expect it". Isn't your husband a man?

Whew, for a minute there I thought he was going to wimp out and take her back!

It really pisses me off when the "ugly ducklings" who turn into swans feel that they are entitled to a "little fling". Even IF it was truly going to be a one-time thing (doubtful), how about some loyalty for the guy who chose you BEFORE you were a swan?

"you didn't say no," - LOL! "Do I have a choice?" I said. "Not really, it's decided. I'm just telling you, so you know," she said. So what the fuck good would his saying no do? At BEST, MAYBE he could stop her that night, but you KNOW she would have resented it and cheated with Gabe at the earliest opportunity!

"Fighting for us/marriage" - I don't think it was mentioned in the story, but a couple of comments have brought up the LW cliche that the cuckolded husband should have "fought" for them. SHE'S the one who should have fought by slapping Gabe the second he became inappropriate with her!

"Helping" his career - As someone else said, for a boss to hold a spouse's job hostage to the wife submitting to his advances has DEFINITELY committed sexual harassment and is subject to legal action.

no sorrow or remorse, TK U MLJ LV NV

Your writing is good but your women are truly one dimensional, pathetic idiots.

Like a moth to the flame. without regard for the consequences.

I don't make a point of defending authors, but I am amazed by what I see passed off as intelligent thought here. In the final act RichardGerald braves the "RAAC" mantle to actually give an errant wife depth, dimension, something other than the LW leitmotif of, "She have cunt. She cheat. She Eve. Burn the bitch."

Did you actually read the story, or...

The best thing about this story is the moment where the illusion is dispelled, and reality sets in. His wife was a human being. That meant that she had fears and desires. She also had choices. A choice to fuck another man, or a choice to show that she cared for /loved her husband. She CHOSE to fuck another man. That choice was a statement on the condition of their marriage. He could have interceded in her choice, but that would not have changed the facts, she still didn't give a shit about him. She liked the marriage. She liked the status of being married. She just didn't give a crap about her husband. When this was clear, her husband saw the reality of it. He was a clear headed man as many lawyers are, and he saw what he had to do and he did it. As far as the legalities have to do with it, you have to prove your case in a court of law - good luck with that one. As far as the end is concerned, is he better off? The answer is simple, if the illusion that his wife loved him had not evaporated, then no he was not better off alone. That he now knew her for what she is, the answer is yes, he is better off alone. To live in a marriage with a spouse that does not love you is a form of abuse. It is like letting the enemy into your camp. You never know when they will sabotage you and fuck your boss. The main problem with the end is that we are left with the thought that being alone is somehow a bad thing. He had a full life with work and kids. Even if he is not the most desirable guy out there, the fact that he was employed, and an owner of a successful real estate development firm meant that he would never want for female companionship. (Yes, women are always looking for a meal ticket. That is another reason why his ex was so upset!)

"You were just an ordinary guy, but I loved you with all my heart. Yes. You were a bit smarter than most, and more ambitious, but we were always broke."

Just an ordinary guy sure sounds like an insult there...

" I guess I let him convince me that you would benefit if I gave in to him. That's true but so is the fact that I wanted him."

Telling your (ex-)husband that you wanted another man isn't exactly the best way to convince him he should give you another chance... how long until you want another man...?

If she was really feeling bad about what she'd done, she should have been freaking out the moment she realized he was gone... and she should have known what he was saying to her when he literally burned that bridge...

Gabe is a predator and Gloria, even with her low self esteem issues would have seen this.

She wanted a bit of fun, pure and simple. And with Gabe being her husbands boss, lyle is not expected to make too much of a fuss.

It went horribly wrong for all of them ....good.

Nice story ..... and the ending was fine,

There was one minor editing glitch (conversation with Bernie - "broke our laughing"). However, the characters are developed enough to make me like or dislike them - a lot This was an interesting story told in a very entertaining manner. I wanted "more" out of the final conversation - "lower expectations", "didn't say no", were both lines begging for more argument.

In my opinion, the characters need an additional chapter. Heck - several of the characters could have another story - Gloria, Lyle, heck Gabe, and Paula all were interesting enough to warrant a tale, Thank you for this effort!

This brings up something I wish were available. A listing of all sequels. I just found another Bridge sequel.

JimC

Please write a sequel. I think it would have been nice to have a scene with Paula, in which she received a comeuppance. Where she had to face the fact that her lifelong assumptions of the natural order were incorrect and that sometimes the apparently mild mannered people who go to work every day and mind their own business can and do come out on top of the peacocks of the world.

anon.1

Why do people feel the need to write such massively depressing train wrecks?

In answer to "livetoread's" comments it is because we seem to be drawn to that that we fear the most. This genre is clearly not for everyone but lots of people love horror shows that make your skin crawl. I personally hate horror movies but do love a well written " loving wives" story like this one. I'll bet very few women read theses because it is a man's nightmare.

Thanks RG!

The character Gabe is a lot like Donald Trump.

I would think Gloria would have moved on to Gabe. Probably if this were real, she would have.

That's why people both read and write "train wrecks".

Also, occasional memorable phrases like the one below:

" We live in a society that supports the few over the many on the myth of some secret genius that they possess."--Richard Gerald

That's why I gave it a 5*

Dwhit, stop drinking the koolaid.

Trump is nothing at all like Gabe.

If anything he is Kyle cubed

He takes the ashes of something and builds an empire and rewards the help immensely helping them achieve too.

If you want to equate Gabe to ANYone, do it to the Kennedys.

That is the perfect match.

Super story, well told!

While I don't know your long term plans, I can see the possibility of a follow up to this. Regardless, I look forward to other stories of yours - hopefully soon!!

As to the politicization of this as I've read in the comments; it would be more accurate to say that politicians are like Gabe. What do they do besides write laws that affect everyone but themselves. They are the aristocracy. Donald Trump however, is much like our forefathers. He worked for what he has. He has real world experience and knows how to lead and motivate. All that politicians (dems and repubs and Gabe alike) know how to do is promise take money from one group to give to another (while keeping a healthy portion for themselves).

One of my favourite stories, a follow up would be most appreciated.

Really like your writing and story ideas.

Talk about burning bridges,literally!

Clever story where everyone loses.

Can't help but think that Lyle should have done much more to save his marriage before his wife slept with Gabe. He saw what went on at the Christmas party.He knew that Gabe was a slickster and got what he wanted.He should have made it clear to his wife that her flirting with Gabe was unacceptable. And he never should have agreed to going on that fateful weekend trip to the mountains.

Have to admire the way he got even with his wife and Gabe,but in the end ,ALL came out as losers.

"Hey, man if I've made a mistake here I apologize" - "IF I've made a mistake"?! If you need to be TOLD that fucking an employee's wife is wrong, there's no hope for you!

"If not for my sake, then think of the kids" - It's probably been said before, but if SHE had thought of the kids before cheating on their FATHER they wouldn't be in this mess!

"Ok, it was a bad and hurtful mistake, but it was just one mistake. You're the one who destroyed our family," - Blaming the victim is not exactly the path to reconciliation!

I KNOW these have been said before, but the whole "ugly duckling-swan/help his career crap" really annoys me! How about some loyalty for the guy who loved you BEFORE you were a swan, and as for helping his career, that implies 1) that he can't do it on his own, and 2) you're a whore and he's your pimp! Nice!

This line has bothered me from day one. "men like that, I had to put on a good show". Is hubby not a man? She'd stroke douche bag's ego and never his? Reconciliation can never happen with that whore.

There should have been more to the ending.

"I was not entirely innocent. "

What d'ya mean? ya idn't declare yer taxes or somehin???

I see a cheating whore and a faithful husband.

What's his sin?

I don't get

it

but yet I felt like there should be more

is it possibly to live for the future with the pain of are past

I loved the story, but like others, have some questions. I don't know how a husband who has been betrayed, can feel any closure without getting even with the culprit? He set the prick in a financial jam for awhile, but sure as shit will be back in the game. I normally believe in reconciliation if possible, especially if kids are involved. In this case, no, hell no. I don't believe in hitting women in general, and in principle, but there are times when, how do they say, "There is an exception to every rule". One of the reasons I loved this story, although it didn't say too much about his emotional state, is the way he did things. I originally thought he would set fire to the lodge, to make sure everyone got burned up, then burn the bridge.

Then, last but not least, there's Paula. Ah yes, peace keeper, the sober one, to keep hubby from making waves. That bitch needs enormous payback, but it's not here. Yet she can mend the marriages of the other guys, serious payback.

His wife doesn't deserve the air she breaths, the term kicking her to the street, should read to the next county, literally.

After finding out she was back, he should have made an anonymous call to the state about one of there employees doing drugs, then she would have been fired from her job. Let her try explain in divorce court how she is such a good mother and influence on children when she is fired for drug use. And let in-laws and kids know EXACTLY why the divorce is happening. BTB all the way. And find Paula and get revenge on her as well.

A sad story. Yes the wife cheated in a way that rubbed it in her husband's face. But he made no attempt to talk, to express how he felt until the very end of the story. That may have been the author's intention, i.e. to portray the end of the marriage that way. But I would have been happier had Lyle and Gloria attempted to work on their problem and a chance to be vulnerable with each other about the pain they suffered. There was a little of that at the end but not a satisfying conclusion. The story is well written, I will give the author that. But oh so sad.

DIE bitch die .let her rot in the gutter.....

RichardGerald when your on you are one of the very best.

This story and your " Jail Breaking" are two of the very best LW stories ever.

This one will stand for as long as folks read these type of stories.

5 *'s

I enjoyed how Lyle's character was continually expanded by his actions during the story. He is shown as a loving husband, by his taking a job he did not want as a career and then by supporting his wife to continue her education (something few husband do willingly). He shows he is a loving father by getting the children ready for school while his wife is "improving her self image".

I believe his real character is shown when he comes back from the mountain and discovers his wife willingly throwing herself at his boss. He patiently waits for his opportunity and separates himself from the illusion of his marriage. The burning of the bridge to me is a real significance of the separation of the

I believe the ending is what the author Wanted. Life continues on and does not end because a marriage fails. I enjoy the story as it is, would not change a thing

Illusion vs substance, this is very interesting story about those 2 mutually exclusive ways of life. Who wins in the end? I'm not sure anyone does. But once you've made your choice, you should have the follow through to stick it out, like the wayward Mrs. in this story didn't.

Finally, a man with balls enough to keep to his moral compass. She made her bed, let her lay in it. To bad she didn't listen to her husband in the first place, and think of all the possible outcomes...kids etc....

As I think about this story (2nd reading BTW) and of my life and the lives of others I have known both actually and in fiction, I wonder where is the ability to acknowledge that we are all fallible, make mistakes and then regret them. Is Lyle going to be better off without Gloria and she without him in the future?

These stories always imply the question: but how will I ever trust you again? How do you trust anyone? Where is the guarantee that Lyle's next foray into love and matrimony will be any more successful? When you flip a coin the odds are always the same: equally heads and tails. The history of your flips is completely irrelevant. You could say that every time you go into the mix of men and women you know a bit more and your odds keep improving as you get more expert at the game. But we all know that the improvement of our knowledge of the other sex with each new relationship is miniscule at best.

My take is that this experience has been horrendous to both Gloria and Lyle and although their future together will never be what it was in the past, they are probably better off trying again to see if they can piece something together than him biting the bullet and throwing her to the wolves. I'm not suggesting he goes for "three strikes and you're out", but one strike isn't the whole answer and maybe two isn't a bad compromise. 4*

In real life no man would take her back, I doubt even speak to her ever again.

She must have hated her family to do something that so obviously would destroy it.

Good story, but she needed more pain.

He asks his wife and she tells him no, she wanted to let him know that she was going to fuck his boss for the night (and who no's for how long after that). Don't write any more of this story if you intend to have him take his cheating ass wife back. At 38 years old he is young enough to find an honest wife for the rest of his life. He needs to tell Gloria that when she and gave went up those stairs and she turned and waved to him that she was waving away their marriage.

All the comments seem to feel sorry for him and to hell with her. How about him telling her and his boss NO fuck off and the n pounding him and Paula and TAKING his wife home forcibly. What a cheapass wuss story

I see no way around the divorce. A man cannot live happily with a woman who disrespects him in this manner. He will be unhappy either way, might as well go it alone and be happy with yourself. If he had raised a fuss, his wife and asshole boss would have done it behind his back. My thinking is when would she do it again with him? To continue working with the boss would an invitation to murder. No, the marriage is over even if they stayed together.

Nice story.

Quite the enjoyable parable. Thanks.

I enjoyed reading, you present a slightly different revenge story.

The revenge is well thought out and is effectice stricking at both ex boss and ex wife, so much better than beating someone up in the middle of the night.

Normally I like a happy ending but in this case the sad note fits the story, I can not imanine a happy ending after this betrayal.

I read many of the comments and some of them by good authors. We all agree, a great read from a gifted author!

My only contribution is the nagging lagging gut feeling Lyle had after the Christmas party and in the end...he would have to wonder if they had already been involved for the past six months? If not, by their admission, they had been flirting continuously (supposedly by phone) so Lyle had to now realize that there is a definite possibility that Gloria knew all along what was likely going to happen and possibly even fantasized about it.

I think Lyle handled everything with great common sense. Most men would have over-reacted at the lodge and a whole nightmare of conduct would have transpired there and continued when they were back home so...kudos to Lyle.

I had to walk away from a woman I loved totally, emotionally and romantically. It was almost life threatening in that I went months where I would break down 2-3 times a day, my knees giving out as I fell...very embarrassing. It was two years before I could enjoy a date with any woman and NOW - 35 years later...I still love what she and I had, I still hurt badly but, I made it. I think Lyle is the same, so good luck to him!

The children will indulge their mother and the closeness they had with Lyle will be cool but, the grandchildren need and like their grandparents!

Oh, with the education, life experience and family Gina experienced...her cheating identifies her as a slut, something she needs to realize. Her best plan would be to move away and just be a Trophy fuck for well off players, she liked that. Eventually, she could settle down...maybe!

Am I hateful - No, just realistic.

Great read, thanks!!

Not just good but a great tale. (2nd read) Reading some of the comments why should the husband fight for her. She didn't ask him, she told him she was going to sleep with another guy. Up yourself in his place. If your wife (or husband) told you they were going to sleep with another (not ask)! The marriage would be over at that point. I would begin making plans to get out in the best shape possible. This guy didn't do anything wrong. You did scare me at the end, I thought he might be weakening. Thanes for a favorite story.

5 stars for a non wimped out man.

5 stars

...and loved it just as much this time.

My wife didn't announce her infidelity, I caught her at it. Because we had two teenaged children, I ignored it. Yes, I walked in, saw her and she saw me, but I left and closed the door. My parents divorce when I was just barely a teenager and it destroyed my homelife with my siblings and forever tainted my relationship with both parents. It wasn't something I wanted for my kids.

Of course, there was a shuffling of feet, the slamming of a door and then a car starting and leaving. My wife came into the office where I was and tried to talk. I simply got up and went downstairs to my shop, locking the door behind me. The thought of what she had done had me balanced precariously on a tightrope of choking her to death.

I slept on the couch that night, telling the kids I didn't feel well. I neither ate dinner with them or spoke to my wife-in-name-only. The next day I was up and gone before my wife but called into work sick. When I saw my wife leave, I went back in, moved all my things to the basement shop and arranged the beginnings of my own little apartment. I say little, because it's 20'x24'. That includes the portion with my tools.

I had my old cot from my camping days set up for a bed until I could find a used one. Never again would I sleep in the one my wife sullied with her paramour. Sarah didn't know I had moved out until after dinner when she went upstairs to change and shower, by then I was in the tv room with the kids. When she came in, angry, frightened, terried, I simply ignored her. It didn't take long and I had realized one word answers to her questions worked fine.

When the kids left for bed, so did I. Sarah had chosen that moment to use the restroom and when she came out, I was already in my basement apartment cruising the internet with my computer. The next morning I was up and gone earlier than ever, figuring she might try and waylay me.

It didn't take long and the kids realized something was wrong. I told them both their mother and I were arguing and to keep the angst at a minimum I was moving to the basement but nothing would change between us. After two weeks of Sarah doing her best to talk to me, she finally gave up. Oh, off and on for the next year she still tried to involve me in conversation but it went nowhere.

That was 6 years ago. My daughter, our youngest is about to graduate from high school and go on to college the following fall. The two boys are already gone, one in school, the other in the service. We had a long conversation once, all three of the kids and I. It turned out they put all the dots together and understood what had happened. They appreciated I stayed at home for them.

Jennie, my daughter, has talked to me about her mom more than once. She also talked to her mother and said Sarah loves me more than life itself and she made the biggest mistake she could have. They both hoped that when Jennie left, somehow Sarah and I might rekindle our marriage and love.

The boys know much differently. Using my overtime money, yes, I worked a monsterous amount of overtime, I bought small place on the lake outside of town. Sarah can have this big old house, it's paid for, I'll take my little 24x30 cabin the boys helped me build on weekends, with it's 2.5 acres. Neither Jennie nor Sarah know about it and thankfully the boys know there is no going back to a marriage with a cheating slut.

The divorce papers are already drawn up. From time to time another thought crops up and we amend it. We each keep the house, she keeps everything but my tools and personal items, we each keep our retirements and salaries. Sarah makes more than me, she's a divorce lawyer of all things, so she'll be fine.

Next fall when Jennie leaves for college can't come soon enough for me.

What is a good author like this doing here...

LOL, Thank You, bill

At the end, that slut wife argued that sleeping with scumbag was meaningless and gave her expected B.S. version. Notice that not once did she ever apologize, but instead just keep up the B.S. She must be a sociopath if she couldn't comprehend the evil of her actions. Flame her ass and move on. Get custody of the kids, and find a better woman....maybe a young nanny?

was her failure to recognize what she had done. Her belief that she was doing it for their marriage and financial future placed her in a special category. I just wish it could have ended a bit happier.

Why did hubby let it happen, why didn't he just say no, now l know it's only a story, fiction, an it went the way the author wanted it to go, but still doesn't hubby have any pride, he could have said, when he is flat out told what is going to happen,

"No sweetie, if you do this, then there is no us, you will have destroyed our sixteen years of marriage, then you will never see or hear from me again, lets look at things from another angle, how would you feel if l was to go an fuck a much younger woman, practically in front of you, would you say go ahead an have fun, no you would not, and btw l did not appreciate the blow n go that you gave me last night, that is not how our or any marriage works,"

An lastly at the end when he came home to find her at the house, he should have called her a whore, an when she looks horrified at hubby, then tells her,

"Yes you are a whore, sweetie, you see l was told l was going to be compensated for the weekend, an that is the definition of a whore."

It's also the one tha begs for really good sequel, not the hateful one previously written. That sequel didn't depict the woman in the original. One factor missing was the two children. The Christmas scene at the end tore at my heart strings. She made a horrible mistake, and all but destroyed a good man. It's not believable that she didn't have an affair with Gabe between the Christmas party and the Memorial Day retreat, but an exploration of that could be part of a sequel, along with her life and his, in detail, after the divorce. I'll also give the writer a suggestion for the last line of such a sequel describing the beginning of a phone call. "Hello, Gloria? It's Lyle". Thanks to Don Henley, and "The Heart Of The Matter", we sometimes have to have "Forgiveness", not only for other's happiness (the children), but also, our own.

I too wouldn't mind a sequel to this story and hold it in high esteem like yourself. That being said, it is viably complete, on a note of poignancy and full(er )understanding ... yes it wasn't a happy ending . To me , Lyle learned the full extent of how emotionally tone deaf and the flood gate levels of self absorption that Gloria had that summer holiday and still possessed at that closing scene.

We must , however, disagree in terms of reconciliation viability and believe me - I ' usually ' root for that, if kids are involved. I loved the sequel by bobkc floated which introduced the element of ongoing affair and shared party drug use by Gloria and Gabe ; dulling their sensabilities to the point they thought Lyle would accept it. Yet there are other valid directions to take ' The Bridge from its original uber- melancholy conclusion.

Lyle has the right stuff to find something real with a woman who appreciates him. Gloria .... well I wouldn't mind seeing her take a few more hard earned lessons in terms of learning what she gave up . But no she's not deserving of being dammed for decades. It's ultimately the author's call in terms of any direction taken, should he be inspired - I trust him and his talent far, far more then the shrill, virulent critics.

,

I thought for sure you were going to have him take the cheating cunt back.

Thankfully you realized the the utter disrespect, dishonour and betrayal was too deep

Yet you still had him trying to say it was partly his fault.

Even when attempting to give him a spine, you make him out to be wishy washy.

A simple question ...