All Comments on 'A Study in Scarlet Ch. 03'

I liked it very much ... the whole story, but especially the ending. Not just because he walked out, though that was the thing to do considering his philosophical position. I liked the way you reduced the whole matter to one statment: "I just can't live with suspicion......... regret is easier." Regrets were his to live with; suspicion was hers because she created it. That sums it up as well as any statement could when it comes to why some victims walk away from cheaters. It's not always what one does, but what one proves him/herself capable of that destroys trust and the security of one's relationship. Good work. Great ending.

Great dissappointment ending ---You had such a great stort line and the first 2 Chapters were great ---you need to encourage otherwriter to find a more suitable ending ---This one is really stupid

Blue, You are a superb writer, which you have repeatably proven. But this story, the relationship between Esther and John (as wife and husband),requires that preferably you, or secondarily another author continue the story. John is being a bit unrealistic. Esther actually did too little, and then for reasons, to warrant the end of their relationship on the basis of the one incident.

RAG

satisfied with your story. No mess with the names. Thats now ok.

Thank you for this impressive loving wives story, although there was no happy end.

Nucleus

*will look after your other stories

"Promised"

Good story with a reasonable and beleivable ending. John was a hot head. Loved the way you tied in an alcoholic father, a tough kid running in the streets and the transformation to an academic. You set the stage for John to evolve an emotional mind set that could not accept such a blatant display of marital disrespect.

Esther was a fool. Her little white lie of Jim's return to the firm grew into a scarlet deception that eventually destroyed her marriage.

Their mutual stubborness takes them to an unfortunately inevitable conclusion. Regret or suspicion? I'd go with regret every time.

It was little disconcerting having the names mix and mash so often. You might want to clean up your Esther/Irenne misplacements - it definintely took away from the story.

Revenge on the other man is needed. Even if she didn't fuck him he caused 1/2 the problem. The husband should have hurt the lover badly.

Finally

you got this one right!!! PERFECT.

Of course already the "reconcile at any cos/ happy endings only " crowd are complaing that JOHN is being too unrealistic OR that this story needs to be continued.

All who argue OR hold the view JOHN as being unrealistic or a hotheed etc have to keep in mind two aspects

1) that this was the SECOND incident

2) despite all ESTHER's internal agony remorse and suffering she never came to grips with the fact that IF john had NOT showed up she would of without ANY doubt fucked JIM.

anyone who wnats to "continue" this story HAS to solve those 2 key points.

Case closed.

I liked the story, it was well-constructed and moving, but the name thing... as good as the whole was, the name switching was especially maddening - especially when it happened a single paragraph! The quality of the story pushed me through, but jeezus.... fix the goddamned names. I almost gave up when it was Irene and Renee in the same paragraph.

Who are you and why are you using Blue's name?

j/k

Ok Blue, you got me. I have to admit, based on your flair for reconcilation, I didn't see this ending coming. It was kinda short, but it wasn't what I was expecting.

-I didn't like the story because they didn't reconcile, but to be honest I was finding it hard to see a believable way they could get back together.

-I didn't like it because of percevied or expected hurts. That he hit Jim early on and the wife was upset over him refusing to speak to her.

But you did something I honestly didn't expect you to put in the story.

Concequences.

My parents told me something that I try (and sometimes fail at doing) to do every day. It's think before I act or speak. Think of the concenquences of my actions before I act. They used to give me examples when I was a teenager that I still remember to this day: How would any girl feel if she told me no, or go away, and I kept trying to get her to like me? How would I feel if a guy did that to me, and as a male and I told him I wasn't intrested? Does it make sense to have unprotected sex with someone you don't know? Does it make sense to get behind the wheel of a car if you've been drinking? How would you explain to someone's parents that their 4 year old daughter is dead because you felt the need to drive after drinking? And if I ever think about doing that I should starting working my appology now so I have an idea what to say when I happens. Always think about what is the worse case that could happen, and ask yourself could you live with that result.

But that is missing in a lot of stories. I don't mean over the top revenge and pettiness. I mean "real" concequences. A lot of stories seem to be escapes from them instead of than facing them. Doing it sometimes is fun and a good read, but doing it all the time starts to become a theme and then makes all the stories start to have a "predictiable" feel to them. And by concequences for actions don't mean "I slept with my husband best friend a few times, he got mad, and yelled at me. But now we're all better once we got therapy". That not concequences. That's two people who have major problems they'd rather avoid than deal with.

I don't mind a reconcilation if its based on concequences and it makes sense when its all said and done. But if a reconcilation doesn't happen based on the actions of one or the other, while a sad story, may make sense as well.

-Risq

Punishment does not fit the crime. Makes the husband look like an asshole. The wife should be out celebrating the moron's departure.

At the last page of the last chapter the nows soon to be “exes” get to talk some. In what form this could be described as a study? The element of self examination, at least to the degree that it could be open to the readers was very minimal. Some pointed unstudied issues: At the last minute the soon to be ex wife repeats her ‘explanation’: alcohol plus happiness plus flattery made her cheat. Is that what she could come up with after months of self examination? Did he ever give any thought to the reasons for his own behavior, such as his snappy behavior even when she did try to communicate with him? No thought on his part on how he further distanced himself from her with his many pouting outbursts? Why wasn’t there any real discussion on the reasons for her sabotaging their relations even before they got married (the New -Year fiasco)? These are just some of the questions this couple would never know the answer to. Never mind study, if they were just allowed to talk with each other. If one may say that this is how the author chose to depict this aspect of their behavior I could answer in two ways:

1. Credibility wise, they did seem to be able to be more communicative with each other: intellectually capable and emotionally caring for each other

2. Esthetically speaking, closed, predictable and unchanging characters make for less interesting stories than open, communicative and less predictable ones. The rest is each author’s choice.

The last (unnecessary) self inflicted torment for the husband is an out growth of a false dichotomy: regret or suspect? Why would anyone ever experience any regret after leaving behind life of suspicion and mistrust? The ‘what if’s’ would be in his life no matter what he chooses!

I've got no argument with John's position in wanting a divorce - I'd be pretty pissed off too. And it was the second time around so John (justifiably) can't trust her, but the second time in what - 20 years? It's easy to see how she could fall over, an apparently well-intentioned error of judgement, the euphoria of finishing the contract, a predatory male plying her with booze. As she admits, she would have had sex with him if John hadn't shown up, but he did, and she didn't - that's how circumstances pan out sometimes. There's another story on Lit somewhere about a wife who cheated once then again 18 years later, both one-time incidents rather than on-going affairs, both due to a genuine subconcious need of hers. As I recall they reconciled, but got her "issues" dealt with. I'm not into reconciliation at any cost, but this seemed to me like a reasonable outcome given the circumstances and their history together. Maybe another chance for John & Essie - a year or two later? If it happens I'd like to see you write it rather than someone else.

I AM into revenge - Moriarty needs to be separated from his genitals

'Blue':

You are an accomplished writer. That's carved in stone. I didn't particularly enjoy this story. Is the "Esther/Irene" of the first chapter, the one who cast "come hither" glances at "Moriarty"; in the second chapter, the one who mounted such little resistance to "Moriarty's" advances; the same as the one portrayed in the third installment, the "Esther/Irene" who is beside herself with grief over her marriage gone bad? The confusion with the names notwithstanding, for me there was not one of your better efforts. I appreciate and agree with the ending, but for me credibility was lacking in the actions of the protagonists.

The wife was aware of her husband's reactions to any indiscretions on her part. Refer to the New Year's Eve party. There she was only swapping spit. Towards the end of the second chapter she's giving old "Jim" a hand job with most likely more to follow. Why? Twenty years later and she still has the hots for old "Jim"? Really? For me not credible.

Early in the story the marriage seems to be floundering. At the end the dissolution is described as following twenty great years. Yeah, I know that the mind can work like that, but so much of the story was devoted to his suspicions and her discontent that those were still fresh in my mind.

For me "Irene/Renee's" thing with "Tony," and her playtime with "Jon/John" in the hot tub so just so much "filler." Her meeting "Holmes" and hearing bells was a little too convenient. Possible, yes, but not probable.

Again, while I didn't really care for this story, I do anxiously await your future efforts. But, hey, there is a bright side. At least 'Harry's' happy.

And tell 'HDK' no more messing with your stories.

Philip

I didn't know part three was up already! Holmes finally gets Irene Alder! That's the good news we can take from this story. That and the fact that Holmes isn't gay! That's a rumor that's been hard to kill! I couldn't find any Bohemains in the story, either. All in all, not what I was expecting! Our hero wasn't strong enough to love her, or leave her. Puts him in a bad spot, doesn't it? I'm sure it happens a lot. Anger, pride, and fear are very strong emotions especially in a man. Watson was found wanting in this story, which is very human but not always admirable. I liked the story but don't much care for Watson. I hope he has better luck when he becomes Grahm Bell's assistant!

This story should be revisited at a later date (not too much later). What about the hand job he got while he was still married. Poor ending.

I hope the writer puts a corrected version up on the site soon. Hopefully, in that corrected text, Blue introduces his characters better so we can figure out who is doing what to whom with some degree of certainty.

Tolerable read but terribly flawed in a literary sense because of the repeated naming errors. The tub scene with Irene/Renee/whoever was dead space that did nothing to further the plot and the "love at first sight" scene between Woody and Irene/Renee/whoever was silly. The "no divorce til you agree to hear me out" thing is formulaic. That John wanted a divorce for something he thought she might do smacks of his insecurity. Given that and their inability to communicate, they're better off being divorced. I suppose Blue is saying "Avoid even the hint of infidelty or else." It's not an ethical position that I accept.

It's a sad but very realistic ending. One can only hope the two principals find happiness with another partner.

I wish I could give a higher a mark but I can't. Excellent fiction this is not. This 50's for you, Blue88, and I thank you for your effort.

as written on Lit. This just means I dont think many authors set them up or justify them enough in the body of the story. I do think there was room for one here though. Dont mean its a given that they should have reconciled, just that they could have without making the husband seem like a chump. The husband was correct in having his doubts and concerns but I think you carried his intransigence too far in this case. He did kinda seem like a bit of a dink.

When I say that I want real male leads with flaws and emotions, I dont necessarily mean they have to be jerks. Guess Im kinda hard to please. :)

Was still very good though even if I might have been leaning towards keeping them together. Thanks for writing.

PS - I hope you arent trying to prove a point here. You make the wife more likable and the husband less than in most of your stories. The wife's crime is less and the husband's is more (he was probably equally at fault for their not getting along in the months prior to the breakup when she was working such long hours - most posters would say the wife was unreasonable if it was the other way around and the man was temporarily working extra hours to get ahead). Even though things are much grayer in this story than most of your stuff, you have them still split up when you are sorta known for reconciliations in spite of everything the male lead thought/felt throughout most of the story. Hope this story was just what it seems (a more balanced and believable story where both characters are less than perfect), and not a shot at commentators you perceive to be anti-forgiveness. Some posters are against ever forgiving but most of us just think that the happy ending gets rushed in many cases and isnt warranted by the wife's attitude/character.

Blue88!! Nice to see some of you good writers posting again. Would have like to have seen him hunt down loverboy.

Jeez you say everybody knows that - but do they - really.

Here, she felt it & ruminated about it as it was happening and did nothing to stop it. She quietly admits to his question that bed and cuckolding him was next. She had been partially down this road with lover boy once before.

Husband had every reason to suspect and shadow - and intercede to make his point. He had every right to expect no better in the future as this was her rerun with lover boy but without any outwardly awared restraint unlike the first at the company party when she also chose to drink excessively.

Were either parties unlike the possibilities of life in their actions and responses? Was the consequence determined by the jury of one unreasonable and against the grain of reality - of life?

Respect, loyalty and trust are never so strong and expected yet so fragile as in the contract of marriage. each party has their head on the block at their partners whim through out their contracted life. No wonder failure hurts - each party.

Mr. Blue - no where have I seen the issues of respect, trust and loyalty defined so clearly and succinctly as you did in closing. It was to the mark and pertinent to him, her and their loss.

There is no perfect marriage, no perfect or totally predictable people, no perfect story but this came very close to life and it's realities.

With the divorce rate pushing 50% how can some people say this was unreasonable of him or untrue to life's possibilities? Lessor or greater offences have flopped either way but after the end of the story usually I feel that life was trafficked or not. This was.

Very nice work Author - you and your talent, imagination and theme are very much appreciated. More at interval is hoped for.

With Very High Regard

Blue, I've already told you how I felt about the name change issues, so won't go there! Of your many stories, this one could have had a "happy" ending, i.e., he could agreed to give her yet another chance, given that she did not actually screw Jim. But, considering their history, the Christmas party, I guess in the end, I would agree w/ DREMAN's comments, all things given, it would not have suited his character as you had defined him for him to allow that 3rd chance. As he said, and given the story structure, I would agree, it would be better for him to live w/ regrets, rather than that on-going suspicion. If not for the name changes, I would have given it a 100, this ranks right up there otherwise w/ "But Love is Blind". Good work, keep them coming... CTBFootman

3 years later, John was still wandering aimlessly, in goals, in dating, in life.

Irene/Essie/Esther has now been fucking around for real.

John calls out of the blue and confess he just couldn't move on, so she says, "Why don't you come over and we'll talk to drink to those good years so long ago..."

He drives to her house and she opens the door and there's another man. "John, this is Bill, he, errr..."

John turns around, screams to himself, "Why, why, why?"

and goes off to wander more for the rest of his life, being unable to focus or do any thing, including dating. he has a stroke 5 years later and died miserably, still cursing.

I must say that the ending was a shocker. Usually you have you characters getting back together, even though they should not. As I read closer to the end, I hoped that there was no way these two should get back together.

Even though there was twenty years between the incidents, in the last months, since her fortieth birthday, there was an undercurrent of disrepect from Esther. Choosing her career over John set up all that came later. Calling his suspicions 'paranoid'. This was not a spur of the moment occurence, it was building up and would have happened if not with Jim, someone else.

I still come back to the underwear that Esther wore with Jim. Telling John she would wear it on a special occasion. Obviously, John was not a special occasion, as he should have been.

Suspicion or Regret. How you spelled it out in black and white made it all the more satisfying in the end. Having ulcers and headaches or even starting to drink to excess, compared to being lonely, but relieved he does not have anymore worries about what she is doing. Regret wins out.

Thanks for making this story satisfying.

I must be a mind reader ...

I loved this ending as i said but I also made the comment that those who are obessed with reconcilation would Ignore the two key facts

sure enough there is Alvaron53 showing once again little grasp on the facts in the story

...."That John wanted a divorce for something he thought she might do smacks of his insecurity. ""

Lets see ... seeing your wife get finger fucked and then helping the other guy remove her panties... in BAR knowing that she has ben working /seeing Other guy for 6 months and reacting to it is a Character flaw on JIM's part?

are you fucking crazy?

....."Given that and their inability to communicate, they're better off being divorced. I suppose Blue is saying "Avoid even the hint of infidelty or else." It's not an ethical position that I accept....."

HINT?? HINT? God almighty

Note how Alvaron53 never mentiomns the 1st time.

and very well done.

I don't disagree that the ending fits the story, but Watson is far from an admirable character, as others have pointed out.

But to say that is in no way to excuse Esther's behavior. Keeping Jim's return a secret for six months; and the scarlet underwear that she was saving for a special night with her husband; that plus her behavior in the booth are pretty damning.

Clearly whether they reconcile or not, some readers will be disappointed. But this ending seemed true to the rest of the story, sad though it was. Great job!

ohio

I'm not sure that John framed his decision correctly. Given the choice between regret and lack of trust, he probably made the right choice. She already had one strike against her and her behavior sure indicated that she did not value her marriage.

However, there is a third alternative John did not consider. They could go ahead with the divorce, but then keep in contact - maybe something as simple as lunch every Friday and phone calls/e-mails once or twice a week. Then, if they enjoy each other's company, cautiously start dating - rebuild from scratch. Start all over and get to know each other again and see if they could rebuild the trust and caring that they have lost. Or, they might find that they'd grown so far apart that they just didn't care about each other. From Ch. 01, I'd say the latter, however, given the last part of Ch. 03, I think not.

Of course, either one of them could meet somebody new, but that isn't easy either with the baggage that we carry around after a divorce. Good thing they had no children; well written story Blue88.

Close your pie hole, Harry. You've whined enough and no one is interested in your sniping.

We thought the ending was quite appropriate for the lack of respect the stupid slut wife imposed upon the situation. She cries now but his choice of regret was a much more logical choice then waiting to get "screwed over" again by this slut. Simple but complex plotline - she is a cheating bitch who would do again under similar circumstances. The husband needs to start over and find someone who understands the concept of marriage. As it has been said before, "one can not un-scramble an egg, once the process has been started".

Hats off and bravo to the author who did a great job of sending the readers on such an emotional rollercoaster. Keep up the good work and thank you for providing an example where "reconcillation at any costs" is not always the answer. Respectfully in admiration.

There was no action against the wife's lover. The wife bore the brunt. The ending was weak.

I think it comes down to trust and respect. To me, this is really more important than whether she cheated or not ... or would in the future.

If they had reconciled, can you imagine the energy he would have to spend checking up on her?

Good story, Blue!

Regards,Jack

Interesting ending. I still think Watson still needs to pay back Moriarty for being the instigator in this whole mess.

Boyd

Enjoyed the story but wished there had been more of an explanation for Esther's two romps with Moriarty. Simply saying that she had too much to drink is not an explanation. After all, her first mishap with Moriarty at the New Years party came just a few weeks subsequent to her engagament. Just the previous day she had described Moriarty as a hunk to her fiancee. The author does not explore their discussion of what happened in any depth at all.

At the least John should have determined why she was attracted to Moriarty and how she came to be with him rather than John at the stroke of midnight. This would have given deeper meaning to the story. Instead we are treated to a superficial glossing over of the event with apologies and promises to not drink to excess.

The groping in the hotel booth was a bit too much. It was hard to picture their blatent behavior in such a public place no matter how drunk they were. The author notes that the booth was in the back. It would have had to be somewhere behind the kitchen to allow them to get away with what they were doing.

But in the end the marriage falls apart because Esther did not tell John about the return of Moriarty to her workplace. We are not given enough information to determine if the deterioration in the marriage is coincidental with Moriarty's return or if it is cause and effect. If Esther had been open and honest with John when Moriarty returned, who can doubt that John would have taken steps to insure that no one would tread on his marriage. The lack of honesty and communication opened the door to mistrust and misdeeds.

Despite all of the above I welcomed the return of a favorite author. I liked the story even with its flaws and relished reading all of the comments.

Thanks for writing.

I was so afraid he would wimp out. Very suspenceful, but a perfect ending. He married a closet slut who is getting in touch with her inner whore. Probably make a fine fuck buddy 'till he hooks up with a good women. To bad he missed the boat with Renee.

Liked the story. I agree with other posts about the names - takes away from the read. Would have liked to see more development of the rationale behind their decisions. Either through direct conversation with each other or from their own perspective. Seemed like a bit of fill as the story waited a time to show John's determination not to speak.

Thought the ending was good.

Some payback for Jim would have been good.

Good job.

1. Interesting story even if I think you could have delved a bit deeper into their marriage in the 6 months prior to the bar thing. Normally I too find reconciliation stories here on ls to be very forced and unrealistic, far too "romantic". I thought they could've worked it out over time, given the story construction. Ah well. Though one thing colored my judgment of John/Jon Watson such that I was a bit surprised at the ending.* I expected them to work it out somehow and could see it happening far more reasonably then a split. Lets face it, a guy going back to a wife who ties him up and makes him watch her fuck some dude who told her hubby had cheated... gimme a break but even with all the trust issues here, reconciliation is reasonable with a lot of work.

* See below

2. Ok, I get the whole Esther/Hester Prynn/Prymn, Scarlet panties/scarlet letter references. Neato, along with the Doyle references. But, Blue, or someone please just tell me if its some gimmick that I'm not seeing or an in-joke of some kind? Because otherwise, its all horribly confusing and annoying. Esther is Irene is Rene is Esther, a Serena is tossed in there as well along with a firm lawyer who is married to Emily, Mary is the dead wife of his lawyer and in the end, you know what? They're all wacko! :)

*: In chapter 1 or 2, hubby gets stopped by a flat and is told it will be 30-60 mins to get a truck out to him... what, he's a smarty professor of history and can't change his own damn tire? Friggin puss. I thought thats why he'd wimp out on his convictions.

-Hex (holder of a history degree .. ;) )

Would like you to revisit this couple in the future. Maybe they meet again at the wedding of Irene and Woody? But hey, I am a romantic, and I like happy endings. Don't mind me planting seeds, I really enjoyed the story!

Holmes and Irene have a son. They name him after their good friend Watson, once they determine what Watson's first name actually is. The son, John/Jon, becomes a BIG porno star and the rest is history, but with a sad ending. Are you up for it, Blue?

The point that justifies John's attitude to me is the underwear. She blames alcohol and euphoria for her actions in the bar. Was she drunk when she packed her bag before the trip? Was she drunk when she dressed for the day? In my opinion she had decided to fuck Jim before even making the trip.

I enjoyed the story, thank you for sharing it with us

Jimguy

The typos and name confusion aside this was a great story.

Esther had let her job consume to much of her and that is what set the stage for the mess that was created. Yes John could have been more supportive but it appeared to me that she wouldn't have respected that or him if he did.

There is such a thing as a lie by omission and that's what we have here. Esther omitting the information that Moriarty had returned. Wrap that up in the fact that her career had taken precedence over the marriage and it's easy to see why John assumed that the affair was already taking place. Had there been a 2nd reconciliation it would have already been poisoned by the past. Had Esther mentioned even in passing that Moriarty was back it would have at least left John forewarned. There may have been more fights but at least it would have put a different frame on the situation.

I found it surprising that Esther apparently hadn't faced the fact that if not for John's intervention she would have gone ahead and slept with Moriarty. It was a great moment when John made her face that. The thing I fault John for is not having the whole trust discussion with her earlier.

It was a good read and very enjoyable.

I owe you an apology for jumping to any conclusions as to the outcome of this fiction.

You have shown a man with no taste for doing the easy thing and take back a wife who has no idea she is totally responsible for her actions. She sees her actions as a slip of judgment not an action of her own liking at the time.

John is more a realist in that time can lead to forgiveness not forgetfulness. She had nothing to give him as she didn’t really care why she did this betrayal again. She was too intent on getting things back to where they were. She wasn’t into making a new life decision on what she needed to see in herself but just let it go back to were it was, the same place and circumstances unresolved.

Well done and to the point fiction. No stretching out the saga till it was talked to death.

Thank you for the great effort and entertainment.

PT

We had Renee, Irene, Jon, John, and who knows who else, all of them apparently in that hot tub together at one point.

I keep reading in the comments, John was a chump, or a jerk, or he was the real bad guy and not the wife. Could someone PLEASE tell me what the heck your talking about. I just didn't see it.

I did see two people who appeared to behave badly, but I didn't see it as one sided as some of you are commenting you did. Why do "some" of you folks say that John was the real villian? Was it because he didn't give her a third chance? The first being the New Years Eve party, the Second being him watching her make out with/Masturbate the same guy a few years later in public. Was it because he didn't give out more chances? What was it?

I'm not trying to be mean, I just want to understand.

-Risq

EXCELLENT point about the underwear!!!

Please forgive me for jumping to the conclusion that this story would end like so many others where the husband prevents the actual penetration of his wife by another man thereby leading to the crying and begging for forgivenness such that the husband takes her back.

Esther's belief that she can resist temptation even though John and her had had problems making love for months and Moriarity was bent on seducing her was foolish. That is also part of the problem that when you are caught once cheating how does your spouse trust that it was the first time or it will be the last time?

I have not read the comments but I am sure that the reconcilationists-at-all-cost will take you to task about how rigid John was about her near-fuck. But you nailed teh central point in these matters! Do the innocent spouse live with regret over the separation or suspicion that the cheating spouse may be unfaithful again.

In the end you could have written either outcome (divorce or reconciliation). What I appreciated most was the clarity and maturity of the John character in the end. At first, I thought it was so what immature for him to spy on his wife but Esther would have lied about fucking Moriarity by once again telling herself that it was in John's best interest.

Thanks for a great story!

This story was very good in the respect that it portrayed the feelings well. I agree with some of the other coments about the different names (the ones being inadvertantly switched around). Other than the grammatical and typo mistakes, I believe this was a very good story. I had the same reaction with my ex-wife. I forgave her for her indiscretion, but in the long run I couldn't get over the trust issue. I loved how he handled the final out come of that meeting. I might not have a degree in psycholigy, but I feel that a lot of men would have the same feelings. Not that they would all have acted this way or in any way the same as another man. The human emotion is at best a fickle thing. You can think how someone should act or behave in a certain situation, but until you have been there you really don't know exactly how you're going to react to any given situation.

As I like to say, Keep it up!

One of the problems in writing a story such as this is to create realistic situations that lead to conflict. On the other hand, people really do the damnedest things.

As to the first instance of ‘infidelity’, people marry for the weirdest reasons. People marry because family and friends say they should. A great many people marry the first person that pays any attention to them or as a commenter here once said, “People marry the person that comes along when they’re the most vulnerable.” Most people think they don’t have that many choices. So, I don’t find it unusual that John would marry Esther after a cooling down period. But, they don’t appear to have seriously discussed Esther’s behavior. Point against John, as most women will discuss almost anything. It’s a chance to enhance a ‘relationship’.

As to the second instance of ‘infidelity’, let’s start with the underwear. This was a literary device. Obviously, no wife would do this. They’d either bring standard underwear or, if they intended to be unfaithful, they’d have bought and brought some new ones hubby had never seen.

Esther’s only two instances of ‘unfaithfulness’ were with Moriarty and were twenty years apart. She was not going to go after every Tom and Harry’s dick. She was not otherwise an unfaithful wife. Keep her away from Moriarty and alcohol at the same time and there was no problem. In general, John had no need for suspicion or a lack of trust. Point against John, as he never considered this. Obviously, it was another literary device to serve the story.

John didn’t explore the concept of ‘regret’ to it’s fullest. He considers regret for what once was. He does not consider regret for what will be. As another commenter said, “... (John) goes off to wander .... for the rest of his life, being unable to focus or do any thing, including dating. He has a stroke 5 years later and dies miserably, still cursing.” Another commenter here once said that he divorced his cheating wife, she remarried and is happy and he is lonely and miserable. Most people find little solace in what they did in anger. Go to BAN ( www.beyondaffairs.com ) or www.marriagebuilders.com and read some of the stories. Many men find that after about a year they long for what had been and desperately wish they had not divorced so fast in anger and had tried to come to some reconciliation. Read the stories of the 911 widows. Most have not remarried and they are lonely beyond comprehension. All that and more are in John’s future. He will die bitter, lonely and prematurely. He may or may not be a jerk but he’s acting like a insecure, petulant, and whining teenage boy who didn’t get his own way. Point against John.

Does that mean I’d have reconciled under the same circumstances? If I’d have really thought instead of acted, I’d have tried some form of reconciliation. More likely, at that age, I’d have been so pissed; I’d have blown them both away. Now that would've been a real useful solution, wouldn’t it. No wimpy stuff there.

Terrific read and kept me eagerly waiting for the next chapter. As others have said, it’s a really sad story. There are no winners in this one. Good to see you back, though.

Phil

You seem to place all the blame on the husband... but lets look at the wife:

1. She gets a job and 'tells him to accept or else' - you don’t DICTATE to the person you love; you work WITH them.

2. At a Holiday party she not only gets drunk but also starts making out with another man, while her brand new fiancé is watching. - Hmm can we blame it all on the drink...maybe some, BUT she was also under the influence from the stud and his attempts to seduce her. Even their boss said so.

3. Now you would think that she would find out that stud man was out to bed her after that party…but alas we don’t know that for sure.

4. The stud man returns to the main office and what does she do? She decides that husband is too immature to ‘handle’ that information and it will only cause more problems so…she doesn’t tell him.

5. He doesn't have a pal or friend at her work place that knows that the guy that almost tanked his marriage is back AND working with her? Are their loves SO split that they have a yours and mine life, not an ours?

6. Then she goes off on this trip, gets drunk, KNOWING what she did the LAST time, fondles him in public AND lets herself get molested - Not her fault? Nope it’s ALL her fault…she KNOWS how she gets when she is ‘drunk to excess,” but does it anyway.

7. And you CAN NEVER dismiss evidence as a ‘literary device.’ Otherwise seeing the wife in any story entering the hotel room with another guy while having her panties removed, is a literary device and should be dismissed. The fact that ‘no real person’ would do X or Y can be discounted time and time again by the old saying of ‘truth is stranger than fiction’

8. She was wearing her sexist underwear. It’s in the story. Underwear she never wore for him. And she took it off for the guy. WHY? We can ONLY assume that she wanted to fill sexy and powerful after her ‘big win’ OR she knew that hubby had NO idea of what she was up to, wanted to see what she missed, consciously or unconsciously.

9. BUT she WAS wearing the red panties, AND she took them off FOR THE STUD. In fact, a pal of mine who has FAR more experience in life than I do said this:

“You don’t just happen to have extremely sexy underwear in a contract negotiation, you wear relaxed but professional clothes so you can keep your full concentration on business, I know, I’ve been there many times. I never wore and thing that I could feel and might distract me. Usually, sexy underwear is tight underwear, can’t imagine that being comfortable all day. Tight uplifting bras, yea, that would let my mind stay on business, every time someone stared at my chest. Panties so tight they ride up my ass or rub my crotch, yea sure, that’s all I need for eight hours of negotiations”

10. She even admitted to herself that if hubby had not have shown up, she would have cheated.

11. She never had a real thought about her husband. For her it was ALL about her and what made her feel good and having fun.

12. BEFORE the trip, she never thought about really sitting down and DEALING with problems. She just blamed him. They never really talked. Take a look at their lack of ability to have children. They never talked about it. She just had to ‘accept’ it. NEATHER sat down and shared. You would THINK that they WOULD want to talk on this but the story says; they never did. She only had some silent tears late at night.

The facts are:

1: she ‘forgot’ about him once.

2: She thought of him less of a partner and more of …well ... something to have.

3: they had no REAL communication, from either side.

4 she thought it best that he doesn’t know that the guy that was seducing her is back at her work place. This goes back to points two and three

5: she went out drinking with the guy, KNOWING how she got.

6: she dressed as sexy as she had to go drinking

7: she was engaged in a VERY public sex act with the guy. What, would she suddenly wake up and NOT screw him?

8: even she admits that she would have had sex with the guy

9: she never thought of the pain and problems of her actions.

10: she was even trying to manipulate him in the divorce… make him told to her OR she bankrupts him.

The thing is…. THEY didn’t have a marriage. And I think he knows it. With the extremely fragile relationship they had, it couldn’t live past his feelings that she WOULD lie to him again.

This story is really about the husband, not the wife. Obviously, the wife is responsible for her own mistakes and I don't excuse her in the least. Your points are valid and I take no issue with them. The story is about the husband's reactions to the wife's actions. She's no prize but neither is he. There are no winners here.

We all have different personal reactions IRL. Probably, like you, I would never tolerate her behaviour. Obviously, that's an assumption based on your thoughts. I don't drink, so any woman that would get drunk and humiliate me as Esther humiliated John would be gone. I'd have walked out then and there and left her to find a ride home or whatever.

Some of my wife's relatives have been alcoholics and she's seen associated deaths so alcohol has no fascination for her and that's never been an issue between us.

Phil

she purposely packed that panty set which as he stated he gave her but she never wore for him that tells me she meant to show them to another man all along. none of her denials are true she got caught in a situation that a MARRIED person has NO business being in if they wish to continue with the marriage.

story would be easier to read if you didnt keep changing her name was tough to follow who she was.

I found the final conversation about regret vs. suspicion to be very telling and real. It reasonably explains why reconciliation, at least at that point in time, is not possible for John.

A side comment about the lingerie and the reviewers that take it as evidence that Esther planned to have sex with Jim Moriarty.

This story was written from the third person omniscient point of view. (Definition: A method of storytelling in which the narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all of the characters in the story) What this means is that the description of Esthers thoughts during her final conversation with John are true. She didn't plan to have sex Jim. You may think that it was unrealistic but that is a facet of the story as intended by the author.

Personally I did find it unrealistic which is why I couldn't give this story the 100 I would have otherwise.

"The point that justifies John's attitude to me is the underwear. She blames alcohol and euphoria for her actions in the bar. Was she drunk when she packed her bag before the trip? Was she drunk when she dressed for the day? In my opinion she had decided to fuck Jim before even making the trip."

Comment posted previously.

Ah, that is pretty teltale isn't it. Here I was thinking maybe John should take her back but now I have rethought that idea myself. I think she expected to party with Jim all along. And her betrayal in the bar would have lead to a complete betrayal too as is pointed out in the story.

Blue, are you sure you are Blue? You actually had John leave? Something is not right in whoville!

I thought it was a very good story. The mixups of Esther and Irene was a bit disconcerting but the quality of the story allows me to overlook that. As to Irene and Renee is the same person. I know an Irene and she is indeed ReeeNeee to everyone.

Thanks for your great effort.

Charleybear

Blue = I'm one of your biggest fans but I have a few points I'd like to make on this story.

1. I don't find it credible that an intelligent woman, no matter how drunk, would remove her panties in an upscale bar and then leave them on the table. Or for that matter would indulge in the things she was involved in a public bar.

2. I believe that too much has been made about the 'special' panties. It may have been they were her last clean pair to take with her on the trip.

3. There were 20 years between the two incidents and its hard to understand his pig-headness about wanting to disolve a marriage that could have been put back on track with counceling.

4. He didn't take into consideration in his decision to divorce that she had given up having children early in their marriage in order to be with him. I think he owed her something for that.

It seems to me that a sequel to the story could put things right.

I only give the author a 50 because he did not take the time to read what he had written at least once. If he has no more pride in his work than not proof-reading it, then he does not deserve a high score.

she packed a bra & panties that were a gift from John but she had NEVER worn for him that was a deliberate act planned ahead of time. she fully meant to sleep with jim, end of marriage.

Alvaron

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in your free for alls with Harry in VA I almost alwasy agree with you. This time you 100% wrong

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In this story JOHN sees his wife voluntarily remove her own panties at a Bar she had no business being in and then saw her get finger fucked by the other guy.... to which you wrote

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That John wanted a divorce for something he thought she might do smacks of his insecurity. Given that and their inability to communicate, they're better off being divorced. I suppose Blue is saying "Avoid even the hint of infidelty or else." It's not an ethical position that I accept </i>

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Come on dude. This was far more than something she Might do. She was going to fuck him.

This story is well written and it is scholarly as if it were written by an academician (John is a Professor History). Blue does not leave much out of this story, i.e., all the motives presented are transparent. But I didn't really like the ending because I feel that while John's reasons for divorce are solid, Esther's motives are, on balance, equally convincing. It all seems to boil down to the hypothesis that Esther would have gone to bed with Jim had John not intervened. But what able the flowers that John had sent to Esther's room the day before. Would Esther think twice before allowing Jim into her hotel room with the flowers from John setting there in the room?? RAG

The author' efforts are always appreciated but spoiled by the drivel from professional commentators like the idiot, Alvaron53.

to this story. Just because the lives of these two are not explained until death, their life has been explained until the death of their marriage. Essie admits, finally, what the outcome of the last encounter would have been. This outcome was completely unacceptable to John, and that is the end of the story. Most of the time, the end is just the end. Anything else is a new story in itself. extremely well written story!

Spoiled for the rest of us. What an asshole! Has that idiot done this before? Yes, of course the asshole has. We hope that idiot crawl back under his rock quickly.

Well, first of all. You're coming down on her mighty hard here. she may be an adulteress in training but hers is not all the blame..In what way does she not deserve the same support her husband expects from her.. Sh* both work and both behave disgracefully in my eyes.. But I still like your writing though :) anyway she has my sympathy here and her husband is ahh 'snotty?' whatever ::)) Cheers Yoron.

You are fast becoming one of my favorite authors here.

anon jerry

This falls into the Readers Digest class. Long winded story in a erotic site with no sex??. Good story but after 200 chapter it gets boring. Good luck.

What did he do about Moriarity?

She was stone sober when she deliberately packed the pearls & the lingerie that was a gift from her husband a year ago that she said she was so nice that she would save it for very special occasions, that says this whole incident was premeditated. She fully intended to sleep with Jim before she ever left home.

Gosh, what a skank! Perhaps she is a twin cousin the "saint debbie" from DQS's novel? Ah damm, now that fucking fag shoe-no-IQ will be defending this slut also - what a dilemma.

I guess that being she had no respect for his profession from the beginning...she considered her job more important than his. Clear up to working for 6 months with the asshole that got her in trouble the first time. Still no respect for her husband and her marriage because that contract and working with Jim was more important than improving her relations with the husband.

It was confusing because the writer kept us thinking she knew she had neglected her husband and was going to do something about it because she really loved him. The part about the red underwear she never wore for her husband was actually the key indicator, wasn't it? Along with being with Jim all that time without telling her husband, because she just knew he would overreact. So, if you only follow those leads and not the dialogue...she was cheating and about to fuck Jim!

No matter that she says she loved him and didn't intend to.

Good job Blue88

he turns in his man-card next chapter and eats creampies anyway

where more truths are revealed to be faux. TK U MLJ LV NV

I wish all stories could be this honest.

The only problem I have is that love isn't always pure especially love taken by a woman and sometimes a husband must be forsaken but not forgotten.

but where the author has found resolution at least for John I find for me conflict. The actions of the wife were not that hard to explain. Her inability to tolerate large amounts of alcohol (which Jim was well aware of) and missing from the story was John's knowledge of this for over 20 years. Also a glaring hole in the stories logic is the assumption that the foreplay in the lounge would result in both in bed. His supposed ability to accurately predict the future who make him a star on Vegas but we cannot in reality say with certainity or even with much likelihood that that would be the most logical scenario. At the end of the story John proves himself to once again be a boneheaded jealous freak and walks away from reconcillation with a truly contrite woman that he will find future life become quite unbearable.

Bottom line: the author with false conclusions, both partners in marriage majorily flawed and a huge couple of fucked up scenarios to a real idiotic end.

Renee, Irene. Irene, Renee. Irene, Renee. Renee, Irene. WTF? Not a bad story, but please proof.

MichaelG

The Writer did a very good job. She admitted that she would have gone to bed with Jim. And she was not drunk when she put on the sexy red panties that her husband gave her, but would not wear for him. That says volumes about her intentions. She knows what happens when she drinks and she uses it every time as an excuse to act just the way she wanted too, as a cheating slut. You cannot blame John for her actions. Which prove she did not love him enough. Good ending.

Such a shame you couldn't make up your mind about Renee and Irene, what happened? Liked both names so decided to use them for the SAME person?

Turned him into a wimp. No doubt she is lying.

I liked this story. I LOVED the ending. It was so real. It was true to his character. He thought about the problem logically and put hurt feelings aside. That is what he did throughout the story. While I admit that I love reconciliation, but I am not one to want it at all costs. And for those who say that the punishment did not fit the crime missed the meaning behind his final words to her. It wasn't about punishing her. It was about him evaluating what he was willing to deal with in his future. Regret or suspicion. He made his choice just like she made hers.

And for those who say that she was drunk and should be excused, you need to realize that being drunk is NOT an excuse for violating your vows. Especially when it was the second time she made that hiccup. She was well aware of what could happen. She knew she was attracted to him, and that he was attracted to her. She knew that when she drinks too much that she makes bad decisions. At any time she could have gone up to her room. She CHOSE to stay. Sometimes people want to tightrope on the line between faithfulness and infidelity. They want to get just close enough to the fire to feel the heat. They misjudge their willpower and then when the dust settles they want the other person to just forget about it. Life is rarely that forgiving. And forgiveness is not a synonym to reconciliation. Though you need forgiveness for reconciliation, you do not need reconciliation for forgiveness.

Definitely not how I expected this to end. Would Holmes allow Moriarty to best him? There is no resolution to the sub plot. I am also surprised that he did not highlight the fact that this guy appears at the two worst moments in their life together. I wouldn't expect him to leave because he is willing to live with regret. I'd expect him to leave because she apparently is destined to fuck this one guy. He also does not highlight the fact that for six months their marriage suffered. All because this guy arrived on the scene. Five stars for incredible writing.

There was no real conflict here. She fully intended to cheat on her husband and actually did the moment she knew Moriarty was transferring back and didn't tell her husband. The stupidity of that decision was based on the fact that she still wanted to fuck Moriarty. If she had not, she would have told her husband instead of worrying about him getting upset and possibly screwing up her intended affair. Then when she was working closely with Moriarty and he was coming on to her she kept that a secret too. (of course the rest of the office knew about the New Years Eve party disaster, so again double the guilt) Then the overnight trip with Moriarty, still no disclosure. She was going for the cock and lying to herself all the way. (in the immortal words of George Costanza, "Remember Jerry, it isn't a lie if you believe it!")

No, this isn't about love it is about the lack of it. It is also about self deception. Typical among lawyers sorry to say, they tend to be cynical narcissists with nothing but contempt for most people they come in contact with. The funny thing is that they are rarely the best or the brightest in any group.

The one issue that is not brought up in these childless couple stories is the fact that they are childless and never learn how to really give unconditional love to another human being. Love, even between a husband and wife has some degree of selfishness in it. There is the desire to be loved more than the desire to truly love. With your kids, it is much easier to truly love them.

Very good exposition of why you can destroy a marriage without consummation of the sex act. However, these friends should be shot as stupid meddling busybodies.

Why should he be supportive of her career ?

Most of her co-workers are very disrespectful of his career and she seems not to care so does she respect his career either ?

As he saw it her career was becoming more important to her than her marriage,

that is enough reason for divorce.

Better than the first 2 but, why don't you proof read everything. Irene holding "Irene's" hand not Esther's , small things but they spoil the overall effect. Hence 4****

nice work, in the end, I see immature husband, despite all that previously happened. the fact that she did not complete the act, and his acceptance of what would have happened. I would have tried again personally, but it wasn't me.

Esther did a masterful job of communicating her true feelings for John at the New Year's Eve party; and John actually replied honestly, and without self-delusion when he ground her engagement ring into the floor. Sadly, he wimped out and married her anyways. Twenty years later, they finally communicate honestly again. They never should have married! Yeah it's sad; nobody should waste that much of their life. But it won't really hit home until he find someone who actually respects him.

Why did she take those underwear on the trip in the first place? She already planned to

cheat before they even left on trip and just needed alcohol and the completion of the project as an excuse. In fact there problems only started when jim came back. The reason she didn't mention he was back is because she knew what she was planning. She was just looking for a way to cheat where she could just put the blame on the deterioration of the marraige. The fact of the matter is that she has no respect for her husband or his intelligence. She brings him to HER company's party and does't stand up for him with her colleagues. at the stroke of midnight on new years eve when she's supposed to be kissing her husband, who she knows is the party, she's shoving her tongue down Jim's throat. and when he confronts her; and jim pushes him and then he punches Jim for it she slaps him. Even after all this and he forgives after she swears to never drink to excess again while crying and begging for another chance she immediately brakes that promise after 20 years with a little prompting from jim.

Trying again might have been possible if this event happened in isolation.

But this is a woman who since before they were married condoned her colleagues belittling John's career, who gave MUCH more than a New Year's kiss to a pussy hound, then when her fiance reacted to Jimbo's assault, slapped John!

Then she conceals the return of Jimbo for months, all the while letting her marriage decay ( and yes, John had a hand in that, too, but she did her share!).

Then she goes on an overnight trip with the pussyhound, bringing sexy underwear! And let's her elation at the successful completion of the contract override her caution with alcohol.

What will happen the next time she feels John isn't supportive enough and she celebrates a case with a little too much alcohol?

As he said regret is easier than suspicion.

Instead of trying to belittle her profession and try to make himself smarter by using words like prop inquiry...seriously...who uses words like that? He could have been more supportive. Plus once she found out he couldn't have kids. Would have been a deal breaker, but she stuck it out...

Not saying her behavior was excusable, however he could have handled it better. Fucking idiot.

He was a college professor you idiot, he can use all kinds of big words. Lawyers aren't the only ones with a vocabulary dick wad. She denigrated his profession, she lied to him about the guy coming back to town. Omission of something that sensitive to their marriage was a lie. She got close to Jim again, went to dinner with him after their success, went to her room and changed clothes for him and was jacking him off in public when her husband walked up. That made her look really classy, didn't it ass wipe anony. I smell RAAC on the next add on chapter to this, so I guess you will get your way and the only one who will lose in the story is the one who didn't do anything wrong. Except expect his wife to be true to him, loyal to their marriage vows and act like she had some class. All of the flirting and innuendo in the office was cheating, also. At least the intent was there.

Devotion given away is devotion never re-earned.

I agree with your comments about Anon, I'm sure he( she) is also the person who made the stupid comments after the 1st chapter; talk about not reading the story properly.

This chapter was good but lacked the intensity of the first 2, especially the 2nd which I thought was excellent. 5 *****

"I think that I've hurt him badly, Renee," Esther whispered, as much to herself as to her friend."

Fuck, you're a goddamn genius, Gump.

I have little sympathy for this woman, but we also have to temper our rage. My own sad story happened only a month after the love of my life and I were married. We were young and so in love. I came to our wedding bed a virgin but my wife did not, she had carried on with a guy for a couple years, having monkey sex it sounded like, whenever he wanted. He had taken her cherry then left her after about a year.

We went to a party, the last one of the summer and also our childhood. We were done after that night with our beer drinking friends and their childish antics. Unfortunately, my wife's ex was there and somehow they ended up together.

I hadn't even realized Tom was back in town, let alone at the party. But when I started missing my new wife, I went looking for her and found her in a big sloppy kiss with her ex and about to cum. His hand was under her bikini bathing suit, one up above tweaking a nipple, the other down her pants and by the speed his hand was working her clit, it was no wonder she orgasmed as I walked up. He didn't have time to react to me, neither of them did and I broke Tom's jaw with my first punch. It went downhill from there. I really beat him, although he was a little bigger than me, breaking a collarbone, some ribs and ruptured his spleen. I worked hard to get at his nuts but was pulled off instead. My wife was incoherent with fright and horror at what happene. The ambulance was called and the police showed up too.

The crux of it was that I was found guilty of basically going overboard. Tom spend a month in the hospital, had reconstructive surgery and it cost a lot. I went to jail for 9 months, lost my job and had no where to go when I got out. My wife was waiting for me the day I got out but I asked to be and was ushered out the back door where I walked over 28 miles to my folks house. I wanted nothing to do with my wife. Tom had left town again and I heard my wife rarely left the house except to go to work.

I talked my dad into selling me his old truck, it was a 1972 Chevrolet 3/4 ton 4x4. It was old but only had 19,000 miles on it and a new(er) 10' camper that fit in perfectly. It gave me a place to live until I figured out what I was going to do. A few days later my folks got all sort of calls and visitors looking for me, namely my wife and her family. Jose was going out of her mind, wanting to know where I was and when I was coming home. My folks said as near they could tell, I wasn't going home to a cheating wife. My FIL took exception to that and the police had to be called.

My folks contacted me about a week later. Jose was in ICU after an attempted suicide that was almost successful. They wanted to know if I wanted to see her. I told them no, but gave the info to my lawyer who served her while in her bed, cold, wasn't it. I feel terrible about it to this day. She became catatonic and a few days later, died. The Docs couldn't say why, just that she gave up.

I will live with that pain until the end of my days. I hope heaven will let me see her if they let me in.

Of that there is no question. But to be honest I find it difficult to have any sympathy for John as he came across as a sanctimonious, self righteous prig.

" But to be honest I find it difficult to have any sympathy for John as he came across as a sanctimonious, self righteous prig."

He cheated on Esther with Irene and cried about it but he gave Esther no break. Could she ever trust him. Could she ever have really loved such a "sanctimonious, self-righteous pig". One wonders if that is not why she cheated in the first place, living with such a hard ass wimp.

Anyway although I am happy generally with reconciliation as it is often the mature way to deal with infidelity I would be against it in this case not because of the instance in the hotel but the incident at New Year. She made out with another man at 12.00 on New Year's Eve and then slapped her fiance in the face as he defended himself against the interloper! To me that is a greater betrayal.

Still love it. Still a favorite. Still five stars. Expected a bit more action and conflict in the end. We knew going into the meeting that he wouldn't take her back. The meeting was just a formality, and left the story's end on a bit of a down note. Still. Brilliant stuff.

She was incredibly stupid and irresponsible.

She played with fire twice for fuck's sake! She got burned. Duh....

As you read in previous chapters, the scarlet bra and panty set she had never worn for her husband despite the fact he had given them to her for her birthday nearly a year before because she wanted to keep them for a special occasion but she just happen to be wearing them that night with Jim but she had no idea what was going to happen.

She planned to cheat & she got caught. She got what she deserved!!!!

Great Story, 5 stars

That piece of shit needs dealing with!

I agree with silentsound!

Great story. My only complaint is that this writer, along with many others, NEVER seems to be able to keep the names straight. One wonders about proof reading ?!?!?

A good story, not great but good, It's pretty standard not counting the whole Sherlock references. You didn't avoid most of the cliches in this kind of stories. I always wonder why writers make characters think some things but don't say them. I also wonder how long a husband can't be without sex without having a serious talk, weeks? Months? In my case, in real life I wouldn't be no more than one week (of course if there is no illness or so). Her cheating started when she lied about Jim being back, when she started to disrespect her husband, when she started to dream about fucking Jim, what happened that night was simply the next step in her cheating. John was right about her, she didn't deserve forgiveness. She remebered she loved her husband and wanted him AFTER she was caught, she is not remorseful, she regrets being caught and having to face the kind of person she really is. She made lots of empty promises but not real heavy lifting to save her relationship, no counseling, no giving up her work, nothing. Once a cheater always a cheater.

The thing with Irene annoyed me, they should have continued on without John's sissy fit in the tub (also one correction , they were in the water so she wouldn't have felt his lubrication) . Irene's epiphany felt like a cop-out, and makes little sense and her reaction to Woody an obvious way to take her out if the picture.

John and Irene should really have at least tried a relationship.

Was this a good story? I don't know. Did I like it? Ehhh.

What struck me was how the story unfolded were consistent undercurrents of toxicity, sometimes hinted at, sometime overt in open dialog or internal musings. Namely,

Two people with almost identical character flaws: a) Narcissism and its companion enabler -- a sense of entitlement. b) And the worst one of all: Pride. Either one will preclude an intimate relationship between any two human beings. Pride is the antithesis of genuine, self-donative love. They can't exist in the same time and space. Both of these flaws taken either individually or together, form very early in life. If not corrected and then taken into adulthood, there are serious and sad consequences, just one of which is what we see in these two characters: a persistent emotional immaturity -- it's a constant thread. Another is so-called "magical thinking" (e.g., she decided not to tell her husband that 'ole Jimmy was back in town.) Blue adroitly tried to portray Dr. Professor John as a highly rational, analytic being, as if that would help him deal wisely with a situation that had virtually no rational/analytic context! Somebody can be a PhD in astrophysics but with these character flaws only superficial and selfish relationships are possible unless/until corrected. Not easy to do either.

My take is that your story illustrates these underlying dynamics. It hardly matters how you ended it or the other flaws (god, man, do a search for each name and see of they're the right ones that go with the rest of the words! Have some pity!) Also: your vocabulary is refreshingly complex and not one that the average person who is trained in the American education system over the past 40+ years would use. British system trained is different. BTW: American English usage is to say "She was the first to go to A university." or I'm going to attend the university in my home town. It always is used with a definite or indefinite article before the noun 'university.' Dead give-a-way.

is pretty awful. Otherwise a good story.