All Comments on 'It's Been a Tough Year'

Sad, but totally believable. Some people just can't handle hardship.

no revenge needed. just divorce her and get on with your life im not sure if its true but i remember reading that divorced men have a much higher rate of getting remarried then women.i dont see how some people cant get over a divorce. yes you loved her, but that old saying about a thin line and love and hate is true. or maybe its just me.

For the most part this was an accomplished job by the author. The conclusion was a matter of taste. The author was shameless about going to extremes to affix firmly in the readers' minds, who was good/bad, who deserved the happy ending. In point of fact, if one looks beneath the surface , the husband deserved the major portion of the blame.

They made a lot of money and spent a lot of money, setting little or nothing aside for hard times. He was in charge of finances, but gave his wife free rein to indulge herself ultimately this came back to bite him when things got rough. They had luxury cars and an extravagant household, but nothing set aside for son's college with a six figure income. This was a situation ripe to spoil and it did in spades.

I give laptopwriter A LOT of credit for exploring the adverse fiscal theme to this story. The economic setback and symptoms on domestic front work described in first rate fashion. Money is the leading cause of domestic strife IRL. Kudos in terms of transposing that issue to fictition.

Yet the narrator was a terrible family leader and was let off the hook virtually scot-free by an author with an agenda . I do commend the overall effort shown throughout the story. That said effort deserved thought and critique on my part and for that intellectual exercise, I thank the author.

For the read.

Another one of those tales that sound as true to life as it can be. The silly wife had a stupid moment. She lost respect for her hard working husband and it cost her. No wonder he has a happy ending and she is just existing, regretting what she caused. No derogatory remarks needed here. She was just stupid. Great tale.

Five Stars

Nice flash story. For me it was very close to real situations I'm aware of. The sad truth is they all resulted in divorces. All but one of the ex husbands recovered very well. Can't say the same for the ex wives. Much like this story. Lori deserved everything she got. This one gives me a possible insiders view of a marriage in crisis and something to think about. Thanks for posting. 5*'s.

regret, sure, regret for the lifestyle she threw away

Husband had a strong will. Wife dates when time gets rough. Someone should have

gotten them to talk more. Pride and stubbornness led to thus divorce. No one wins.

Fine job as usual Laptop....

worthy of 5 thanks for the tale

The wife's lack of guilt and respect for him at the time was a bit over the top, but the main flaw was in the financial aspects. For sixteen years he is making over a hundred grand, plus often a hundred grand bonus with just one kid and no college. They should have been in a better financial condition, even in Chicago. You could have just played it as her looking to upgrade and jump a sinking ship. Four stars.

But, somewhat lacking. Seems Lori should of paid more of a price and some expansion on Skyler's life after divorce. Also, how did the son take it. Story far superior to usual Literotica garbage.

I was happy to see you submitted a story. Uou are a great writer and this one didn't disappoint. It was a short story so the ending seemed abrupt. Lori lost respect for Skyler and he treated her like an unnecessary expense. It does seem like if they had been happy together for @ 20 years with a grown son more effort would have been spent to try to save the marriage. That said, I thought it was a great story and gave it 5 stars. Thanks for your work.

Reasonable man

This had the feel of reality to it. I have seen the same scenario in many relationships. It is depressing that women seem to be so weak, and so desperate for money that any setback has them turning on their husbands and attacking them for their shortcomings. That is why men use the term "bitch". The best thing she did for her husband was to cheat on him. That set him free from her bitching.

but the sickos are going to hate you.

On the second page it went from first person to third with no reason. "He was surprised to hear a sob from the other end of the phone but it made no difference anymore. He continued"

great story and so much like real life. people can sometimes forget what reality is like and try to live like there is all kinds of money around. a person has to keep themselves afloat in life. keep writing

however, it is a colossal blunder when she won. TK U MLJ LV NV

and he divorced her? In your dreams. 2*

It wasn't the dinner...It was the lie, and what she later confessed: she had lost her respect for her husband. And she didn't show any glimpse of regrets. Marriage without trust and respect is over. She didn't know to wait for better days...They always come back...He did what he had to do...she didn't know or want to get him back...later on, was late for that...

five stars. Thanks for the offering.

Great story about getting what you deserve. She screwed up and is paying for it.

Please extend the story

Great story, I know because I lived it.

Except the part about getting my old job back. (sigh)

...Americans penchant for living above our means. If you're making $100,000 a year you should be saving/investing $40,000, but everyone has to have the latest, greatest, new, shiny shit. 5 flat screen TVs. New cars every other year... on a damn lease no less...

And don't even get me started on this bogus idea that your house is an "investment". By the time the thing is paid off you've paid 2 times it's value in rent (interest) alone. Worse, you pay the interest up-front so the argument that you're borrowing more valuable dollars now and paying back in inflated (less valuable) dollars later doesn't hold either.

As for the story, solid flash tale and, unfortunately, a tale that's oft repeated in the real world.

@LordSlammdawgg, I disagree that Skyler had the major portion of the blame. Yes, he managed the finances, but you make it sound like their family was a company and he was in charge of the spending.

He couldn’t force her to get a job, I’m sure he would have loved to have a less expensive house, we’ve seen her reaction to a few months without going out to dinner, how easy do you think it would have been to get her to agree to a lesser house?

As far as good/bad, he never betrayed their marriage, she started a relationship with another man, maybe not sexual YET, but even she admits it probably would have been, even as soon as that first “date”, if Skyler didn’t show. She totally disrespected him, lied to him about the dinner, wasn’t even remotely apologetic when found out, actually disrespected him MORE!

@Anonymous, I believe his bonus would put him over 100k, not that he made 100k PLUS 100k bonus.

I thought it all sort of made sense.

I agreed with one comment in that we should have heard more from our hero regarding the anguish and suffering he felt, and his subsequent slow but gradual recovery. Nineteen years was a long time; a man normally just wouldn't have been able to walk away. I wanted to hear and feel his pain.

There's a personal reason for my opinion. My brother-in-law suffered through a tragedy not too dissimilar; the job change, less money, boredom, and eventual infidelity while he was working two jobs. Over time he slowly recovered, but he wallowed in the pain of betrayal for a long time. I can't understate the pain he experienced. Eventually the right girl found him, she reinvigorated him, and now they're married and living the dream. She's just wonderful. He remembers and mentions his first wife occasionally. His second wife is incredible in her understanding.

Also like your character my bro-in-law's first wife lives alone, and her 'Jerry' disappeared. I talk to her occasionally; sadly, while my brother-in-law sees what happened as tragic but ancient history, his first wife is still grappling with it like it happened yesterday. I feel sorry for her, but not sorry enough to admit it to my wife. My wife would cut my dick off if she heard I'd even talked to brother's wife number one. Women-they're scary.

Like all your stories this was a five. Thanks so much.

financial hardship takes an amazing amount of patience, love, understanding, teamwork, (and perhaps MOST importantly) CREATIVITY!!!!

I loved his burn to her when he reminds her about the "richer or poorer" part of the vows. Sometimes "forsaking all others" ISN'T in the vows, but "richer or poorer" ALWAYS is!!

Here's the thing: A one time suggestion to go to the park, HARDLY qualifies as him doing everything he could to adress a problem he was well aware of. Interestingly enough, Sex with your SPOUSE is FREE as well! Those nights spent staying in, should have been turned into a gateway towards a sexual rennaisance for this couple. He talks about paying the bills and being stressed out, and sure, I can see that ISN'T good foreplay! However, this attitude that says "well baby. at least we still have all of this, and most importantly EACHOTHER! Everything will be all right. Now let me show you how much I love and appreciate you....." See....Nothing like that is happening for these two. And it IS BOTH of their faults. He is no saint in contrast to her being a shallow and materialistic betrayer. Sure her deception is worse than his lack of communication, but he absolutely could have more agressivly prevented her deception with a more pro-active approach to seeing to her needs. There is always a way. You don't have to be a hippy to understand that the Beatles were right when they sang that the love you take is equal to love you MAKE. If you feel financially screwed, at least take the time to get ROYALLY screwed, by your spouse. I really believe that is the secret to staying together, during the "poorer" times in life. You balance it out, by working towards making your love life RICHER.

So those who like this story bacause it all works out for him, and she has learned a lesson and is filled with unhappiness and regrets....(i.e. CONSEQUENCES!)... I agree that I prefer consequences stories too. But in his next relationship, LTW did NOT provide enough information to the reader for us to decide whether or not HE learned his lesson too. Will he make the same mistakes in letting his relationship faulter through poor communication, and being in denial that the romantic bond is starting to slip away? We hope so, but we just don't know for sure.....

Thanks LTW for a good thought provoker. I get it that it was meant to be a short and brief effort, but just a little more detail would have helped with the balance, and was needed to make this effort closer to perfect. As it was, a solid 4 star effort from you might as well be a five when compared to other drek routinely featured here. Thanks very much! Can't wait for the next.....

i gave it a 4 , it was well put together but......he must not have loved her much, he gave zero time for her to be able to realize what was important and what was the WRONG way.....she shouldnt be feeling bad .. he is a user and a punk of a man.

Money issues destroy marriages glad you explored that angle.

BTB !!! Been there, done that and didn't even get a

T shirt. lol

What story did you read? He made a quick decision but it is EASILY defensible. Blame the wife for his reaction, not him.j

*****

i get what you are saying. At some point she came to realize how wrong she was. She didn't cheat. He left her because she lost her love and respect for him. That's even worse. However, that can be restored. What we don't have is the details as to when she got back the love and respect. When he finally talks to her on the phone and tells her that he knows she has lost her love and respect for him, she never once tells him she loves him. At that point, she seemed somewhat resigned to the divorce. Didn't want it. True. Felt sorry. Yes. But she didn't fight it. I'm guessing she knew he was right. It was sometime after the divorce and obviously too late when she came to her senses. He saw where they were headed, and put an end to things. That is actually a more sensible course of action. Had she honestly come to her senses and worked her ass off to make things right, and then he refused to give it a try, then I would agree with you. But that simply wasn't the case.

a second chapter would be nice to where they do get back together

The grass is greener on the other side, why do so-many think that way? She had a great Life with a man that loved her. but when hard times came upon them she blamed him and was about to cheat.he did the right thing . Maybe marriage counseling would have helped,but she was determined to live her way. Now after the fact she realizes the error of her ways. But this man made a very good living and never prepared for a rainy day, so he also did not do right but he never would have known what a self centered ,selfish ,women he married.

But it was depressing as hell, probably because it was so close to the truth. We probably all know people that were/are in similar situations. That said I do think he was a little quick on the divorce trigger after 19 years of marriage. Yes she lied. No she didn't cheat sexually. Certainly she cheated emotionally. But maybe a little marriage therapy before a divorce would have been the reasonable response. We didn't really know how he was feeling about the strain of being out of work and then under employed. And if their kid was really going to stay in the military why not agree to sell the house, downsize into something nice, maybe closer to town, giving themselves extra cash to go out and a nice savings account to help supplement their income. Many, many possibilities other than a quick divorce. And given the disparity of their incomes I'm sure he would have been paying alimony and that alimony would have increased when he got his job back and she took him back to Court. So while I'm sure the BTB club liked this, I found it to be too depressing to really enjoy it. Good writing though. I liked "He said No" better.

And a bit melodramatic. 2 stars.

Thanks for this well done short read. Loved it.

But the old cunt of a wife still came out too good!

Trust is a difficult thing to get back. IRL if the ex wife is a good looking as the story noted, she would likely find another sap to support her. My ex isn't particularly good looking and she has gone through four...

No trust - no marriage.

A wife doesn't go out to dinner with another man, friend or not. Period.

Good story LTW. Keep them coming. 5*

I believe he said that WITH his bonus, he nudged over earning $100k per year, which seems more plausible.

It is easy to get into debt one dinner at a time, particularly with family, particularly with travel.

I take away the cautionary tale about spending.

Should be in Non-Erotic.

One star.

As always, the writing is good, but it seems like I've read this same story a few dozen times already. A one-dimensional and selfish wife inexplicably throws her long-term marriage out the window by doing something selfish, and the one-dimensional, hard-working, heroic, tough-guy hubby immediately files for divorce, and then lives happily ever after.

There is nothing in this story that is unique or out of the ordinary. Both main characters act exactly as you'd expect them to act, and the story unfolds exactly as expected. This is a Mad Libs story. Just change the names, and it writes itself.

depressing stuff , I read the news paper or watch the idiots in Paris.....

In the wedding they said in bad and in good. when wife or husband do not follow their oath with cheating or other as Lori did, they get sometime surprise...Laptopwriter does not give to write your stories and does not lisent to naysayers.

Repeat my words...Laptopwriter does not give it up to write your stories and does not lisent to naysayers.

I disagree with several comments. First of all, what is new in LW? Nothing, simply moving further and further toward each extreme.

That being said there were some ideas that have not been used much, especially with recent postings. There wasn't any intimate physical activity. A date, yes. Did she admit that she was planning on it? Yes again, but she didn't and while many writers would have let that fact drive the rest of the story to forgiveness this one did not. Instead of focusing on the physical act of adultery or trust (which are both important and valid) LTW decided to focus on the clear diminishing of a wife's respect for her husband as the real impetus for her, and in turn, his love changing.

Another point is the ultimate revenge, a life well lived. Hubby did not go begging for his own forgiveness and didn't wait to allow her to do either. Some would say it's not real life but I disagree, some people act just like that. A quick and methodical division of assets, formality of contract dissolution (which is shaft divorce has come to in today's society) and then moving on. Retribution was simply to allow her to know what she threw away, understand her severe personality flaw and have to live with the guilt. No master plan, no black ops training, no decisions that could land a character in prison, simply living with a guilty conscience.

Not for everyone but nothing in LW is even for the majority. Nice job LTW. For a piece written as a diversion I thought it worked exceedingly well.

All those years it seemed like his wife was living pretty high on the hog. Now just one year without frivolities is enough to make her lose all love and respect for him? Ironically if she had waited out another couple of months she would've been sitting pretty again. Most other husbands would be incredibly fed up with her attitude after a while, he was pretty understanding and could've been far more antagonistic with her. Especially with that crack about being stuck in their "prison house" that she just had to have when they were comfortable and ironically wanted to keep in the divorce.

All in all it was a good story. It reminds me of another story involving a well to do husband and wife couple that fell on hard times.

Creeperclaw got it right. I was going to say pretty much the same thing. Hubby didn't deserve her disrespect and verbal abuse. Wifey might not have cheated physically, but she was pretty damn close. She DID cheat emotionally, though. Going on a "date" and then lying about it to Hubby solidified the fact that she no longer loved or respected him. If she hadn't physically cheated yet, she was about to.

Hubby did the right thing by GTFO that marriage. She's what some would call a Fair Weather Wife. "For Richer and Poorer" to her registers as "For Richer". End of sentence.

Great tale as usual, LTW.

5 Solid Stars.

I can think of two cases with close friends where reality parallels the pattern in this story. In one case the friend was making $200k a year and for years had asked the wife to cut back her spending so they could save some money. Between her spending and sending kids to private schools & colleges they saved very little. When the industry changed and his company was going down the tubes she went from part-time to full-time. When times got really tough (after 30 years of freely spending money) she bailed and decided she could do fine on her salary without him. He never did recover financially or emotionally.

The second case was a construction company owner. After 9/11 his industry died and he went from $250k a year to nothing. She divorced him, moved in with a boyfriend and took all the rental properties they had planned to use for their retirement (based on his earnings history).

I much prefer laptopwriter's ending!

But in my opinion not worth throwing away 19 years of marriage for.

Problems that need communication yes.

Divorce worthy no.

But then I'm just one of the old fashioned guys that think something this important is worth fighting for, what do I know.

This story reads so much like real life that it is easy to draw comparisons. In real life people often eat dinners with persons of the opposite sex. They should not lie about it. If they are up front then all seems above-board, but if they lie, they have just opened a possible rift in their marriage. Some will argue that they were trying to protect their spouse from unnecessary hurt, so they just don't mention the 'date'. But in this story the wife did not try to hide the date very hard. She lied and said she was going out with girlfriends, but after twenty years of being together, she knew he wouldn't believe her. She dressed to the nines and tried to humiliate her husband in order to shame him into spending money on her. In essence she said "If you won't take me out on a date someone else will."

If that happened in real life, she would have had to have a second chance. There should be tremendous heartbreak on both sides in order for a divorce to be granted. Twenty years of marriage does warrant some leeway. To break a covenant with God, (or the state), you must have more grounds than going out on a date and possibly ending in infidelity. He would have had to get court admissible evidence to prove a divorce on grounds of adultery. He could have went for irreconcilable differences and been granted a divorce, but he may or may not have had to go to marriage counselling, if she demanded it. But this is a story and for maximum effect it must be told in an unflappable way. He can not be a pussy and put up with nonsense. No "I'm going out on a date with my girlfriends" and she has some pick-me-up dress on, and he says "please don't go." That would make a pretty wimpy story. We at LW demand action!

Some other comments suggest that he could have turned the negative cash-flow into a positive situation with romantic free dates and nights in. He did try with the proposed zoo outing. This is a flash story so we don't have the luxury of knowing more attempts, but in real life I would have tried innumerable attempts at romantic dates and such.

This is a thought provoking story and is great appreciated. Thank you *****

Nice quick take of economic hardship torpedoing s family. High marks for plausability factor. Although... Find a phone on iphones is faster than a cabbie dispatcher.. 😎

Well written, though.

I really think the husband in the story comes out of this too squeaky clean. It ends up a fairy tale for embittered middle aged men

Protagonist is an anti hero not someone to be a model of behavior. Too quick to judge. To condemn. Wife was shallow for a time. Perhaps would have continued. Maybe with more patience about boundaries she would have become the kind of thinker she was at the end. She was a twit. He was a officious oaf. Neither one worthy of a happy marriage. Really dislike plot lines.

Entertaining read. Boring? Only to the cuckies and swingers.Talk about reading their boring stories, same shit over and over, I get a kick out of sharing my wife and seing her fuck other men and then suck their leaving out of her cunt. Now that's fucking boring. Good job. LTW, write for us that enjoy your stories. Nobody is forcing the naysayers to read your stories. 5*

He really should have tested her declaration that she was not planning to have sex with Jerry. How? By asking to see her undies! He would probably have found a sexy thong that he never saw before, or perhaps she was going commando.

He really has his trust destroyed by the proven lies and without trust there is no reason to stay together. Her declarations over the telephone demonstrate that she no longer respected him.

very sad wow don't we all know couples that this Fits 5

Once he filed for divorce, he would have to pay her back the money he got for her car regardless of it being in his name. It's all community property. Stuff like that hurts the drama, but reality bites. The wife came from a wealthy family. She would have had a better life post divorce in real life.

once again, if she could not even say that she loved him after he cited that as the reason he was divorcing her, then what is there left to fight for?

She admitted later that she fell out of love and no longer respected him. Time to move on.

Excellent read. I don't get the readers that blame the guy for the dissolution of this marriage. Did they read the same story as I? Since when is it okay for a wife to meet another man for dinner and sex? To those that think that's okay, they must be swingers or even willing cuckolds. No way would a sane man tolerate that.She didn't even show remorse for doing it. Although I'm all for reconciliation when warranted, in this case he made the right call. 5* story. This story fits the loving wives category perfectly, unlike some who think only the swingers, cuckolds and cheaters should be allowed here. End of rant.

I liked it, but agree with several posters that the 20 years would have made one think that counseling or something would be attempted. I understand what he did. I am just not sure that in real life, for most, that his absolutist approach would really happen.

But fine read. Thanks.

Sad but she became a self centered bitch. But 20 years and a kid maybe a little more of a fight. How no contact in 2 years and they have a kid. Not possible . I get the anger from him and she had all the intentions but he put a stop to it before it happened and if she really wanted she could of found time during the work day to cheat so she could of done it anyway. They were never gonna make it if a little money issue would lead her to cheat after 20 good years. What a shame but this happenes often and there is always a snake to try to break up a family

Anondiot...can I begin to list characters in literature you've never met? You're a moron.

Another HE MAN WOMAN HEATERS CLUB story. Zero tolerance where the guy lives happily ever after is a fantasy that is an unrealistic as these stories. Walking out after he comes to a sudden realization like you wife lied to you is childish. A little effort on his part is what a real man would do.

I see Skyler putting up with a lot of shit and while struggling with the financial commitments driven by his wife needs. Without the big fun life style $$$ brings, she looking for and found sugar daddy to finance her preferred life style.

Seems to me he tolerated a lot for a year. Her lack of remorse when busted in several lies and about to give up to some other dude was just the straw that broke the camel's back.

Pretty far from Zero tolerance.

she was a selfish, immature, taker. he, while trying to be a good provider, did nothing to allow for the possibilities of a down-turn. even though it should not have been on only him. she was so wrong to seek her party girl entertainment from some one else it is off the chart.

If I were the son, I would re-up, and hope for an overseas posting. Japan, Germany, England, or even Korea, would be better than the home front.

I'm not sure what the point was but the narrative was good. Still, people go on this site to escape reality and you showered us with a massive amount of it. May I respectfully suggest that you be somewhat more imaginative the next time and make your story more titilating.

She douses herself with gasoline and all he does is get out of the blast zone before she strikes the match.

If they're in a no fault state, which is what most states seem to be these days, the cost of the divorce and incidental costs of separation, such as moving and the deposit on another domicile, might be split between the spouses in the division of property. If not, he could just sign over the remaining overpriced luxoboat to her and get himself something more economical that better fits his decision to cut back expenses until his situation improves.

She may have come from well to do family, but how that influences how well she lives after the divorce will depend a lot on what her family thinks when they find out why he divorced her.

Did you read the same story as I did? I don't think so. Please read it again, you might get a different perspective of what it's like to live with a woman like this. What makes it all right for her to go on a date with another man? Since when is this acceptable? She confessed to her friend that she would have slept with the guy. Is that the kind of wife you want? Nowhere did I read where he gave her permission to do this. I really don't understand where some of you guys are coming from.

Excellent read. A btb story that isn't too harsh, like so many of these type are. An excellent loving wives story. No humiliation, no groveling, no bulls, no whining, no bdsm and no fetishes. A good solid entertaining read. Thanks author. You and a few other authors, that contribute to this category, is the reason I click on loving wives.

This is another story that correctly emphasizes that disrespect is what kills a relationship. Cheating is an expression of disrespect. No she didn't have sex with Jerry. She lied to her husband. She dismissed his concerns and treated him like a child. She would have cheated given a little more time. She was a spoiled brat, chafing at the restricted life they were currently facing and blaming her husband.

He walked away and got divorced, just as he should have. Then, after some time, he got on with his life. Not so easy to do after being married so long but the way it should be. The "party girl" is broke and lonely, just as she should be.

My only complaint is that the story is just too boiler plate. Yes, everything is there. The story is reasonable and the characters actions justified and believable. But there is nothing else to give more life to the story.

Don't be sad it happened, be glad its over. Not Dr. Suess

*~*

Nice writting, a subject I think we all hope to avoid.

What big project, a long story for literotica ?

Respect and devotion is everything. Those that choose to marry, for what ever reason want the church, white flowing gown with long train and of course the bridesmaids and the whole glitz and glamor of the wedding. Did Lori forget her vows? Of course, 20 years together Lori forgot "for better or for worse, rich or for poor, sickness and in health" Lori's attitude towards Jerry was disrespectful but lying about her intended date and the company of that date was much worse. Lorie's actions following her shameful discovery permanently ruined her marriage. This author nailed it, on how in real life things happen and how they should be handled. I do not condone cheating, marriage is too important, this country is fighting over same sex marriage and the protections of all marriages. I am glad for once an author has the skill and desire to write what is really the truth. Lori got what she deserved, had she just stopped and thought of her vows and marriage first instead of herself their marriage would still be intact. This is one story that anyone in marriage should read and re read again. I also think that if you are in a marriage and look and feel the same way read this story, your real life drama may end the same way. If those that are like this couple don't care about your marriage only money and success then throw your marriage away, walk alone in life as Lori is doing. 5 stars should be a 10

Well written,but it has no eroticism

in wedding vows? No one ever left their spouse because they were too rich

LTW penned a fine tale that expressed the major reason for marriage break up-MONEY.

Well done IRL flash tale

Chris Rock said it best- "..when you tell your lady you lost your job and she says that it is OK, and that you both must get rid of what is not needed. She is talking about YOU!"

Are you trying to cure insomnia? This was perhaps the most boring "sex" story I have ever read. zzzzzzzzzz

Someone who critiques everyone one of my stories with a bunch of ZZZZZ's and states they are all, "boring." Is that the limit to your vocabulary?

Well, the other side of the fence is always better. She was a gold digger and lost her gold. Too Fucking Bad Skank.

I enjoyed the story. I once asked my buddy if he could forgive a single indiscretion of his wife, should she make one. He looked at me like I was an idiot and told me if he merely saw his wife KISS another ma, she was gone, and they've been married 35 years.

My own wife and I (married in our teens) have had many ups and downs over the past 40 years. Thing is, when you marry, it truly is for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. We had times when there wasn't enough money to even buy food after the essential bills were paid and had to rely on our garden along with our chickens and rabbits. Otherwise, we would have went hungry.

Then there was the time when I was in an industrial accident and was badly injured, at deaths door for a while. She took a leave of absence from her low paying job and sat beside my hospital bed holding my hand until I was released. When I got home, she tried to quit her job because she needed to take care of me for a few months. They refused to let her quit and her job was waiting when I was able to take care of myself during the day.

Marriage is a partnership. Partnerships are about sharing everything. When we marry, we cleave to one another, no matter what, cutting all bonds and ties with everything outside of our nuclear family. Folks have to learn that, unfortunately the hard way sometimes. But if you can hang on, you can eventually do what I did tonight, drove to my daughters house with my wife and we babysat our little granddaughters!

I can't believe some commenters blamed the husband. This tale gets better every time I read it. The wife was stupid and she lost in the end.

Damn

Nobody and I mean nobody would write this like this. They would have had him swinging in the cumulative from some other guy. Like she wanted him to do. Really good. Absolute best.

Let's face it, money problems equals marital strife; but Lori takes the cake!

Was he slipshod in managing the finances during the good years?

Obviously.

Is she a selfish and materialistic bitch?

Of course.

You need two to clap.

Savings is like a spare,in the ride that is life.

Thanx L.T.W. for bringing out a marital issue that doesn't concern just sex.

You play with the hand you were dealt & you don't know what other people have.

Also we realise what we had after we lose it.

I fucked up a few times in my life too.

Shit happens. (stupid cunt) Cheers!

Debtors” Prison – Yeah, I love how all these wives just HAVE to have a house that they can barely afford. Heaven forbid that they drop down half a notch and build up a little cushion!

"they're paying for everything." – Yeah, right! Someone as prideful as she is wouldn’t be sharing her troubles with her co-workers, so how would they know she needed to be treated? LOL, I wrote that, then read him saying the same thing!

Simple test – Tell her that if she REALLY loves him and wants to stay together, that they will sell their house and get something smaller that they can afford and will leave them a little extra for some fun times. If she’s the selfish bitch she seems to have become the thought of giving up her dream house will be abhorrent to her, if not, they have a chance. I was half right on that one!

“I'm sure that somewhere down the road he'd have gotten her in the sack.”

I see some long “lunches” in her future.

They always smarten up too late.

@LordSlamdawgg – Yes, he was complicit in their extravagant life-style, but given her attitude towards belt tightening when it was NECESSARY, how far do you think he would have gotten if he refused her when they HAD the money?

@starmanfive – Yes, women go out to dinner with other men, but not only do they tell their husbands, they pay their own way! Otherwise it is a “date”, and married women don’t go out on dates!

I have one question. Did you read the introduction to the story?

" There is no sex so if that's what floats your boat you'll probably want to take a pass "

In fact, the reason there was no sex, is because the protagonist was proactive enough to put a halt to his wife's "date" before anything could happen.

Great story LTW, thanks.

It was a good BTC. Forsaking all other, richer or poor. Good for her selfish cunt!!!!

I just hope that you don't know all of them. Wow, I say that because I think I actually do know some people very close to those in this story. Good read, as always, and very well written. Thanks for sharing your talent with us. Looking forward to many more stories from you.

In spite of your witty critiques, (mindless drivel) and impartial voting, (everyone of my stories worthy of a 1 bomb in your opinion) it is obvious to me that you have never read any of my stories. If you had there is no way you could miss the many Chicago land locations I reference in almost every one.

I was born, raised, and still live in the mid-west. The nearest I have been to the UK is when I visit friends in Ontario. I know this will not change your opinion of my, (drivel) but I just wanted to set the record straight.

for having to live in shyster town.

karma at its finest

Sadly it's a bit close to describing the real life of a friend of mine. My friend won't cheat but the expectations of their current situation are a bit unrealistic. Hats off to an engaging short story. Lack of sex keeps the realism.

Couldn't of happened to a more deserving bitch...lol

for a great story!!

It is easy to have a loving marriage when everything is going well. BUT how you act and behave when things are not going well is a better sign of your character. This wife had great character when things were going well, but after a bump in the road, we see her real character. She is a selfish cheater. She throws her marriage away because she wants to have some fun. She lies, disrespects and probably was going to cheat on her husband...why...because he lost his job. She did not love him. I was glad that she walked away from her. Thank you for a very good story.