All Comments on 'The Bridge'

I have been reading stories on this site for over 10 years. This is still my favorite story of all time... number one. I still reread it sometimes. Thank you. rootforbama@yahoo.com

He/She who plays must pay! If he took her back he would always have to wonder when she would need to feel her worth again and cheat. 5*

Good story. I believe that if I were him I would let her move back in with me. Mostly for the sake of the children. We would still be divorced but we would live as man and wife. She would be on perpetual probation. One slip and she would be out the door. He obviously still has very strong feelings for her.

This was a great story. Gave it a 5. But I didn’t buy the actions of the wife. For many years, she was ignored by men. But her husband, treated her like a queen. Publicly embarrassing him, by sitting on Gabe’s lap, and taking her top off, would have made most men put an end it it there. Then telling him, she was going to fuck his boss, the guy he had to work with every day? I am sorry. Could not see this happening . At the most, she would have made plans to see Gabe on the sly. But when a woman starts to think it’s ok, to publicly embarrass you- She has written you off from her life-

Great story,5 stars Thanks

Her Knight in shining armor should have been Her Husband Not the Rich Prick Why in all these tories the wife thinks they can do like this one did, and their Husband will just ben over and take as a Cuck Boy should? But then I ask the question of When She first said She was going to sleep with His Boos He did not tell Her NO in the loudest terms ? The ring of Gas should have been around the Cabin Then to the Barn with the Equipment and then to the Bridge. Hey if are going to burn things why not Burn it all including the Enemy His wife included?

I'm sorry but I might have been beat to death but I would have already hit the SOB or left when she was sitting in the SOB lap. You need another chapter.

Every time I read this fucking story...and, it’s been many, it still leaves me with a knot in the middle of my belly as if I’ve been kicked there by a mule, and it seems as if I’ll never be able to breath properly, if at all , again. And that’s not mentioning the physical pain.

I’m still trying to decide which is a “better” story...”February Sucks,” by George Anderson; “A Promise Made, A Vow Broken,” by Hooked1957;

In other comments on here, it’s been said that Lyle should have said a loud and resounding NO!, and fought for her. To them I say....what good would it have done?

Why do every one of these stories have the wife tell the husband she is going to sleep with Another man and the husband run away instead of telling her NO we are leaving and yanking her ass to the car? Or when he saw his wife kissing Gabe and sitting in his lap, why did he not yell "what the fuck do you think you are doing and get over here bitch!!!" Then follow up with a fist to the bosses face for trying sleep with his Wife? I am sorry but certain situations in life it is ok for you to punch the hell out of someone and sleeping with your wife qualifies. Spending a night in jail is worth it to get the satisfaction of making them bleed. Allowing them to proceed to have sex in front of your face shows how pathetic you are as man and husband period. I don't know anyone I am friends with that would allow any of this to happen like in this story. So only 2 stars from me because it's not even close to realistic how majority of men would react unless they had an open marriage.

This story is one of the great treasures literotica has given me. Thank you Richard.

He turned her away.

She didn't do much to ask for his forgiveness. What she did was abusive and cruel. It was evil, in fact. Needless suffering is how I define evil. She created needless suffering, all on her own. She tried to get him back by what....shouting at him, a few tears, accepting partial responsibility, and a backstory about being insecure?

When you betray someone, you shatter an illusion...just like the main character says. She should be KNEELING on the cold hard ground, weeping, and accepting all the blame. And I mean ALL of it. You need to win that person's heart back, if you intend to reconcile. Shifting blame and accusations only harden their resolve that leaving you was a good decision. She burned her last bridge when she stood on his doorstep and accepted PARTIAL blame for her betrayal.

The only thing that would have been better would have been if the bridge hadn’t completely burned down. Then the asshole and the whore would have tried to cross it in their panic to get back and fallen through to their death.

Hey paula........fix that you miserable cunt. Figures a bottom feeder like you would wok for the gov,

.

He needed to box her ears, and I'm a hopeless romantic. No woman would ever be that cruel or stupid.

Hey, man if I've made a mistake here I apologize. I don't want anything that happened this weekend to affect our working relationship. That would be bad all round, if you understand where I'm going," he said.

Maybe, douchebag, you shoulda made sure that it was ok w/ me as well as the wife before you fucked her, eh?

what xrell said. one commenter mentioned why not raise cain as the plot developed and stop the scenario, good question, did mc believe his wife would not cross that line(despite the evidence showing she wanted to?)or did he intend to let her hang herself despite the pain it would bring?*

*many reads and still getting reread, one of my favorite stories. wife had a point about life better w/o me or w/ me, but he has his pride and his standards, maybe in a yr or 2, we'll take her back as a live in partner but no remarriage. rk

I understand those who are saying they would have flipped out, screaming "NO YOU ARE NOT!!!" and maybe even physically trying to remove her from the premises. I would have reacted the same way that he did, except I wouldn't have waited until 3am to leave. And I would file for divorce no matter what. Even if they didn't end up having sex for some reason, just the fact that my wife could entertain the thought of fucking another man, in front of me no less and tell me how she "deserves it"... Right then and there, the marriage would have ended for me.

Well written nice little plot with a very good ending, splitting up is never easy really for either party is it,

RichardGerald. Still the master. From her admission in the last conversation, it was apparent the Gabe character was a skilled seducer. But she went for it, and in a very public way that put her husband down. No self-respecting man would take her back after that calculating behavior. The nature of that "mistake" was quite deliberate, and his divorce reaction legitimate. Her revealing explanation for the mistake said there could be no future trust with such spousal reasoning. Not his best story, but still well told.

I consider this one of the very best LW stories. Worthy of multiple re-reads. Yeah, could've used a bit more editing but you could really feel the pain the MC was in when she betrayed him that weekend. The retribution was awesome. It was obvious Gloria would never apologize for sleeping with Gabe. Felt she was entitled to do it and it was Lyle's problem if he couldn't get past it.

After another of several re readings still one of my favourites

Thank you

Another time for me. I have honesty lost count of how many times I have read this story still one of the best of the best

Still a classic on my third read. The end discussion was a bit too peremptory for me though. My favorite touch was that he did not invite her in from the cold. Once she did what she did publicly, the marriage, or at least a normal one, would be over. The ex-husband was a pragmatic man to be sure: "We must live for the future." Indeed.

I like the story a lot. But I think there should be follow up to it. AAAAAA+++++

It took waaaaaay to long to get a hint of the meat of the story. You lost me early on with too much minutia. No stars.

This author is worth reading. The betrayal was of the highest order, and we had the pleasure of the confrontation with the interloper as well as with the wife.

Just look at society today and see all of the queers coming out. Then you might understand why there are all the cuckold stories. The only fault I think is he should have acted sooner. Maybe write another story about a guy that reacts faster. Thanks for letting us vote and comment! I usually look at a story first if I can't vote I don't read. If I can't comment I won't give it anything over 1 star.

Interesting story. Quite different, happily, from so many LW stories that feature a very angry, jealous man, who when he discovers his wife is screwing around, has to rush to the porcelain god and throw up. (Thank you!) Missing also, thankfully, is the husband’s self righteous preaching of how the wife has broken her wedding vows that she made before God, blah, blah, blah.

“I am not a jealous man,” is what Lyle said of himself. This is critical to understanding everything Lyle did. Without jealousy, he can afford to have no fear of losing what he has, (be it a relationship or his possessions.) He may not like losing them, but he knows that his happiness and wellbeing are in his control, and not something someone else can destroy. There is no need to be competitive, demand ownership of another person, their decisions or actions…as Gloria admitted; ”you knew what was happening, and you didn't say no.” In short, Lyle allowed Gloria to make her own decision to fuck Gabe, or not. He knew what would happen if she fucked him, (his humiliation and the painful understanding that she did not really care for him as he wanted, and believed she did,) he allowed what ever would happen, without control. This took great emotional strength under pressure.

Yes, life dictates there are consequences for every action, so once her decision was made, so was his. He would destroy Gabe in a way that would hurt him the most, (while not putting himself in any danger,) and Gloria would suffer life’s consequences without him having to do a thing except divorce her. The loss of her loving husband, her home, her security, the separation from her children, all leading to painful emotional feelings for a long time. This would be devastating. It was all her fault and she knows it. She can’t escape the pain by blaming him. She will live with this understanding for the rest of her life…every day of it. Meanwhile, “back at the ranch,” Lyle gets right back into work and life, with little more than some sad feelings to get over. He’s moving on.…Well done.

How refreshing to not have to read about some violent retribution with a baseball bat bashing in someone’s knees in self righteous anger. How great to read on LW, about emotional acceptance and understanding, while facing life’s bullshit, and dealing with it in a righteous and reasonable way.

Hmmmm…About the only thing Lyle did wrong was burn the bridge. But then, being the good guy he is, I expect he paid for the fixin’.

Thanks, RichardGerald, for your thoughtful and enjoyable effort. 5 stars from me.

Merlin

Second time I've read this story and still love it. Very thoughtful and well written. Especially like the lack of physcial violence but well thought out consequences, not revenge. Was a little surprised that Gloria didn't recognize what was happening given her education and profession.

One of the best stories I've read on Literotica. 5 stars!

Very well done

@Anonymous aka Merlin

Interesting story. Quite different

Why did you feel like it was your place to reiterate this story. Do you think you are the only one to see what a story is?

Top, straight foward original 5 star story

This is why you don’t go anywhere unarmed, but the author lives in the Barony of New York, where the serfs are disarmed, lest they harm their “betters”

In a better place, like Texas, they would be afraid to pull this shit, because he could shoot them all, and the jury would give him a medal for removing a cancer from society!

ZK

What Cracker270 said.

I loved this story. I was afraid that this would be a cuckold story of a husband married to a beautiful woman giving into her fucking other men and somehow getting off on it. But this is closer to how the story should end with Gloria telling Lyle that she was fucking Gabe and he was just going to have to deal with it. In high school and college, Gloria was the fat girl who did not attract the attention of the good-looking boys. She now had a good-looking younger man who wanted her, and she liked the attention, but she fucked him that weekend thinking that she could go back to her marriage after the weekend. No, instead of that, Gloria had to deal with being a divorced woman of a very successful ex-husband and having to deal with difficult visitation challenges and all the rest that goes with the divorce knowing that she was the only reason for all of this. Gloria threw away her 16-year marriage and her loving family, all of this for a fling with Gabe and now she has to pay to the piper for what she has done. I gave the story five stars.

Why is it that so many of the women in these LW stories think that their husband will accept them fucking someone else?

I love these fantasies. Which real life really happened like this…

He would only be a cuckold if he accepted it. Of course he is better off with someone who would not have the warped reasoning to do that to him.

what a bitch: "Answer me this," she said, "Are you better off alone without me or would it be better with me and our kids around the Christmas tree tonight?"

He doesn't have to be alone...He's alone by choice. The kids are one thing, being around her would not be a happy scene.

"This is why you don’t go anywhere unarmed, but the author lives in the Barony of New York, where the serfs are disarmed, lest they harm their “betters”

In a better place, like Texas, they would be afraid to pull this shit, because he could shoot them all, and the jury would give him a medal for removing a cancer from society!

ZK"

Texas: nothing works and then they come crawling to the government to bail them out because nothing works. Unregulated guns and a host of mass shootings as if it were the 1800s. They kinda got the 1800s going there, electrical grid-wise and intelligence wise. Frogs in a now boiling pot of water. Too bad they can't turn off the gas.

"Just look at society today and see all of the queers coming out. Then you might understand why there are all the cuckold stories. The only fault I think is he should have acted sooner. Maybe write another story about a guy that reacts faster. Thanks for letting us vote and comment! I usually look at a story first if I can't vote I don't read. If I can't comment I won't give it anything over 1 star."

Queers have always been there, they're called Priests.

I'd really hate to think that someone would care about something a person says who can't put their name to it. These macho guys, very moral ONLY when they get their little feelings hurt. THen, unlike REAL men, they look to a gun. Can't fight a man with just your fists. Because, let's face it, you're not really men, just guns with fat bodies attached.

most mass shootings take place in areas controlled by democrats

Most mass shootings are perpetrated by Republican thugs

A very well written story!

I love it when there are arguments from both sides and things end in a natural equilibrium. She showed her true nature boldly, He showed his true strength in adversity. Beautiful written!

Loved how the pimp Paula was sweating like pig in a slaughter house.

Wish there was some expansion on the erotic side of the story.

A very well written story!

I love it when there is argument on both sides and things end up in a natural equilibrium. She showed her true nature when she got a chance he showed his true metal in adversity. I loved how the pimp Paula was sweating like a pig in a slaughterhouse. My only wish is that you had expanded a bit more on the erotic side of the story. I’ll give this a five star.

Totally agree with the MC, never trust the slut again, marriage should mean something. Gabe needed to get punched out and get kicked hard in the balls a number of times. Totally go with the gun statement but unfortunately I am not American.

Good story but the rationalization bullsh-t at the end pushed it down to 4 stars. She had been carrying on an emotional affair for a while and expected her husband just to ignore the ultimate betrayal and disrespect. How could he ever trust her again? How could he possibly pretend that it never happened.

You build up this strong MC but then allude to him being a weak cuck at the end, or almost.

One of the best. No further words are necessary.

@BlueEyd2

How does the rationalisation take it down to 4?

Did he accept what she said? Was it a RAAC?

No. She tried to rationalise it, sure, but it meant nothing to him. He moved on and left her in his wake.

You can TRY and rationalise, but if it doesn't work, to bad. That's what happened here.

@blueeyed2. Something tells me you didn’t really read the story, because if you had there’s no way you could rationally make the comment you did.

You are indeed a dark person. The MC made his point vividly, wrecked his rival’s business, stole it from him brilliantly, and ripped away his cloak of supremacy, why not restore his family along the way, having so powerfully made his point ? Smart men learn not just how to fight back, but also know how to claim victory and put an end to the destruction, especially where innocents are, here — his children, are involved. Yes, he didn’t start the fight or resulting carnage, but he was surely in a position to end it., I don’t get it. Foolish pride precedeth the fall.

The answer to her last question is "'Witthout' You cannot be trusted."

Typical Richard Gerald story, he is the master of these 5* keep writing

I like most of this -- the characters and the plot. The one part that does not ring true was the apparent folding of the police after the apparent embezzlement of countryman funds, not to mention the burning of the bridge.

Nit picking a great story, especially as the revenge goes. The burning bridge? There was nothing to connect him to it. What else was there? The missing funds? Just a computer era. My third or fourth reading and still enjoyable. The question? Better of with or without the cheating wife? It was the ultimate disrespect and that is show here many times over, just read some of the February Sucks stories or try LET GO or maybe SEPARATE VACTIONS. Our society is getting worse, part of that stems from the many No Fault divorce laws. It should be a lot more difficult to divorce than it is. You sign a marriage document and it's a contract but not enforceable. All you have to say is I'm tired of you, I fell out of love or I need to go find myself. Duh! 5 stars times 3 because this is my third reading. Keep it up Richard!

I disagree with the commenter(s) who said it was foolish pride. The wife's disrespect was too fundamental to accept. Would the kids suffer for it? Probably. But I am betting they wouldn't suffer for material want. The wife was what my mother's Commonwealth family would call a "right cunt", and the dealing with the fall-out of the kids and managing the single parent household challenges would be a constant reminder of her "mistake". Deservedly so, like the women in RG's other stories- February Sucks comes to mind. He would find another desirable partner if his cynicism didn't swallow him. Her? Depends on how much potential ones know about her. Yet her ability to move with him as the joint custody parent would limit her moving away. So he could turn over a new leaf, but her not so easily.

So many people applaud this author for this revenge story. That's laughable, this is the story of a wimp. A man so weak that he allowed his wife to get away with kissing his boss at a Christmas party, and then at the getaway she was in his lap kissing him!. No real man would let even his boss threaten his marriage and his family like that. A real man would have drug his wife off the mans lap announce he quits and made his wife get her things then leave. No this wimp goes into the kitchen then to bed not saying A thing to them. Then the wife goes up stairs to have sex with him and does NOTHING! Weak loser. If they had an affair behind his back then this story ended appropriately. No the weakling let his wife tell him she was going to have sex with his boss and did nothing to stop it.

This would have been a great story, but she never acknowledged she was wrong.

I still believe that it needs another chapter and some how get back together.

I have other, longer, more gut-wrenching, tragic favorites. But, I keep coming back to read this one.

Not so good.. he had sufficient warning and he should have stepped in and stopped it. He should have grabbed her from the hot tub, got their things together and leave. If she refused, then she deserved what she got. His not taking action was implied approval. I did not like the story.

I believe I've read this story 5 times. I don't think I could behave like this husband but, I would like to think I could. MrBill

I love reconciliation stories. If I were to rewrite this story. the Main character would've taken a baseball bat up to that room and kicked the door in. Then in a threatening voice order his wife out and pack up. Not hitting anyone but slamming that bat onto a table. making a point that he wasn't kidding. Not exactly BTB but Burn The Boyfriend. after all, what Gabe did was to get her liquored up and drugged.

Two thumbs up.

I’m not sure why anyone would want a reconciliation. The narrator clearly tried to trust his wife with her fidelity. He did nothing to interfere because he trusted her.

She repaid the trust with treachery. As humans, we truly cannot control anything but our own actions. If, after 16 years, she cannot stay faithful, it was never going to work.

The wife was given her second chance after the Christmas party and a third chance after the first night of the weekend. She even had a fourth chance when the narrator returned and a fifth chance when they discussed it after dinner.

She made five poor choices and paid the consequences. As in life, all choices don’t redound to the benefit of all parties. The narrator knew it going in and accepted it. There is no foolishness or naivety on the divorce.

We make choices and have to live with them. It’s obviously acceptable to the narrator. It’s a sad conclusion, but a good and just one.

Why is it when a guy cheats he is a piece of shit scumbag that usually ends up physically hurt by someone but a woman cheats and it is a mistake, I was the fat girl and wanted to be the princess, it was just sex but I love you. What a load of shit.

Shows a lot of emotion from husband and ex wife.

I wish there was more of an ending over the kids.

STILL the master! No, she didn't deserve forgiveness or redemption. His explanation was a bit conflicted and convoluted, but who would expect it to be completely clear under such circumstances. Sadly, the minor children would be emotionally traumatized by their fragmented parenting there-after. And she would not be able to fix that given her record and his legal profession. Put succinctly, she had it coming. Disrepectful bitch.

Questions? What happened between her and Gabe after that weekend? Did she carry on sleeping with him in the mountains even when they knew Lyle had left? Did Gabe carry through with his threat of ‘tapping her pussy’ whenever he felt like it? 4*because of these.

For those saying, why didn't he go mad at his wife, if he had, he'd have lost the element of surprise.

Perfect revenge execution, I've said I'll never fight for the affection of anyone, if they choose another path, let them go. Considering the morals of them all, they were lucky the petrol didn't end up in the hot tub while they frolicked.

Personally, I'd have knocked out the villa power supply so they'd have struggled more, maybe remove all the tyre valves from all the vehicles, stabbed radiators, cut aux belts, just in case the bridge didn't fail in the fire.

Her comments about being "the fat girl" that's just self justification, he loved her through thick and thin, she traps him with pregnancy early on, then complains they are always broke.

I feel desperately sad about these stories, I'm a romantic at heart, reading of previously faithful wives falling for some golden tongued gobshite, makes feel quite bereft, and makes me wonder if she feels she'd settled......

Simon_Masters

The man, by his tolerant inaction. Tacitly told his wife she could cheat. He recovered himself in the end but remained a fool.

I have read this several times, and still think this is your best story. GREAT

One of the best stories in this site ever! The story is relatively short, but it packs a punch. It reminds me of the short stories of Roald Dahl. Thanks for this jewel of story. You should publish it.

I have read this many times and it gets better every time, 5*

Good premise but way too much minutia at the beginning. I almost stopped reading. Had the story been better presented I would have given it 5 tars. I only gave it three in it's current form.

Good story, wife is a foolish slut, but husband is a fool, he should have stopped his wife from sleeping with her scumbag boss when he had the chance but did nothing, now they both have to live with the consequences of his inaction, like all things in life, timing is everything.

I reread this periodically; one of the best of the rich man, wayward wife, distant cabin stories. Appreciate your works.

A fun return read between the crap appearing in LW these days

At my age of 73 I realize the MC should have been more proactive and refused the invitation. He had misgivings and warnings from the party, and knew something was up when told his wife had already agreed and talked privately

with his boss. But then you wouldn't have a story.

Same as Texican, I keep gravitating back to this story, personally, I can feel his pain, and stand by my previous post.

If he'd said no she wasn't going to sleep with the gobshite, what if she'd said she was anyway.

Brilliant story.

Simon_Masters

Good story until the non-ending.

Great start and middle but no ending and not enough BTB still 5*****

To pugg6963, how the hell is there no ending to this story? Did you even read it? They got divorced and the guy she cheated with lost everything. Good lord people are dumb

It's funny...

... to read the comments of the supposed LW elite nitpick and essentially trash a story that is far superior to anything they have written. I'm talking to you FD45, Luedon, HDK and Jedd haha. Jealous much?

Yeah there were some issues I suppose. But the story was fantastic.

A lot of comments on the weight of the gas can. Gas is lighter than water, so 20 gallons is about 150#. As an old man I could manhandle that to my SUV, especially in THAT circumstance. But he would definitely have trouble coasting in DRIVE LOL.

RG seems susceptible to factual errors, like Google Earth showing real-time images in another story. But his stories are far above the norm here on LW.

Otis

Psych PhD

Lots of folks also raising the issue of a PhD in psychology not being more aware. When I was young, I had this almost worshipful respect for professors and such. And then in my professional career I interacted with quite a few. There ARE brilliant ones, but many are pedestrian. They reached that level by persistence and ambition, with not nearly as much intelligence as I would have thought.

Otis

I've read this story 4 or 5 times now. Every time it's just as good. I enjoy some cuckold stories but, tired of wimps, I like to see a man strike back. Lyle did that in a spectacular way. At first I kind of liked Gloria but when she demeaned her husband like that I felt disgust. She had nothing coming and neither did his cull of a boss. Lyle did the right thing. It's far better to be alone at Christmas than with someone who casually tried to castrate you and that you can never trust again.

Paula was an interesting character, I'd like to have seen her fleshed out a bit, and how her noxious little world was shaken by one of the non-edgy little people. I would have liked to see that aspect explored.

There were a few typos the took away from the rhythm of this fine bit of story telling. Lyle's last words were great.

Someone else did a follow up on this story. I didn't care for it.

This story is the perfect antidote to stories like "Vows Made - Promises Broken" , February Sucks, and all those stories where the wife humiliates her husband with some entitled asshole while hubby just has to suck it up. In those stories there are no consequences to the predator and consequences too little, too late for the wives. This story gives me such a feeling of satisfaction to see Gabe destroyed and the wife blown off. I've read this several times, but I keep coming back when I need to get the right perspective on how a husband should act. Wish I could give it 5 more stars!

One of RG's few stories where the cheated and humiliated husband doesn't get back together with the wife. And the asshole she cheats with actually gets what's coming to him. 5 stars.

The real question you ladies should ask yourselves is. Would any warm blooded man stick his dock where his worst enemy has been! By unanimous consent the answer is NEVER! No writer has yet been able to write a believable alternative

This is one of the first stories I read on literotica.

When Paula brought him alone to the mountain peak, I thought she was going to try to kill him right there and call it a hiking accident. Was she armed with a gun/knife/stun tool? She's a mysterious character to me.

Still 5 stars from me. This is of the "February Sucks" variety, of course. And it is quite believable to me as basic human nature. "Power corrupts" and especially for newly powerful people. For many women, the more attractive they become, the more powerful they feel. If they attract apparently "powerful" men (rich, elected, famous - some combination of "princeliness") they feel more powerful themselves.

That "buzz" in her head was "corruption." And she wasn't actually powerful - but actually too weak to resist her corruption.

Hey @robby_d —the fact that you have to keep coming back to this story to learn how a husband should act just underscores how utterly clueless you are. A husband should do what he thinks in his heart is best for himself and his children, ths happiness, not be beholden to some macho poser rant you and the mass of insecures on this website cling so desperately to in an attempt to discern some meaning from your lost cause lives.

Top notch, well-written tale. All 'i's dotted. All 't's crossed. Five supernovas.

To the anon from a few days ago ranting to robby...your rant is written like the true cuckold you probably are in real life.

"A husband should do what he thinks in his heart is best for himself and his children..."

Translation: I'm a cuckold...a willing cuck because I found out my wife fucks other men and has zero respect for me...but I chose yo stay "for the sake of the children". I had to do what is best for me. And that is being a doormat for my wife.

We all get it. You are not macho. That's what got you all riled up. Defending men who have no self respect and stay with lying cheating whores.

Wish you the best of luck with your own whore. I hope she is cleaning herself out at least before you go down to do your cuckold duties. Or do you prefer the taste of other, better men?

How and why would he ever trust her again? And the total lack of respect she showed him. He is better off without her and the always wondering when it would happen again. Taking her back would just show her that there were no consequences for her actions.

Enjoyable reread. Bumped my vote from four to five.

Many comments chastise the cuckold for not stopping the impending adultery, but he felt she had already cheated on him by planning and flirting in secret for months and who knows what else with malice of forethought. He knew the damage was already done, and he wouldn’t be able to live with her cruel betrayal after so many years struggling together.

you could understand why it had to end that way, would love to read a part 2. Where did it all end with the kids?

Need part 2

Sooo, I guess that after 7 years there's not going to be a sequel where we hear about how great Lyle's life is progressing. We get an answer to the ridiculous "better with me than without me" question. Hell, not having to look at her as a daily reminder of disrespect and humiliation has got to be better for his psyche. Know he did what a man does, maintaining his dignity is definitely better for him and by extension, his kids.