All Comments on 'Pop Quiz'

Captured the thoughts and emotions in a poetic and compelling manner, great read.

You have real talent as a writer. This story was so well written and poignant. Made me think about marriage and how the familiarity and mediocrity undermines the relationship.

The ironic thing is that Nicole had a fine husband but was looking for the love of her life, which of course after marriage would also be ground down by the tedium of married life, with the same predictable result. Rather depressing when you think about it. So few people are practical; so many believing in foolish fantasy.

The truth is she could have been very happy with Tom if she had put her unrealistic expectations to one side.

Thank you for the incite , the entertainment, and the thought provoking story. Mike from Texas

Brilliantly put together and I can imagine that this was a very realistic tale. The tempo was excellent and left me wanting to skip ahead to see what happens next, but knowing that this story is too short to do that so I'd redouble my efforts to not miss anything on the way.

Very well written. Thank you.

Sensitive without being wimpy, I love when that happens.

I'm a big fan of torching the bitch but I'd rather read a story like this than a cuck/wimp or reconciliation story.

Some people under the pressure of marriage crumble and others firm up and become more striking and beautiful.

Unfortunately they convinced me that they just were not good marriage material! Great work.

a great story!!

A story worth telling and well told.

No more to say than that--except, "Thank you!"

ohio

You really nailed the ending here. The images and her final thoughts were both poignant and perfect, and now I'm pissed you didn't share them with me earlier!

Your pen name is now in that area in my brain that lights up when I see a story with that name behind it.

The flow makes sense. It shows the gift of creativity and insight often missing when a tale is told.

The simple loss of a relationship is often far more complex than deceit or betrayal, yet in the end it is. The discovery, illumination and understanding is that part of me that learns from the things I read.

You've made a difference. Thank you.

Rob

A great development of love that fades..

For a first effort a very good story. I liked how you brought the wife to understand the marriage was over. Made me feel sad for both of them.

John remmitj@aol.com

A good story, but pretty sad...that's life I guess!

It's not often to see a story written by the wifes/adaulteress perspective, and the way the story is told here does do well to convey the scenes and emotions.

Very good. Thanks.

Is this a story? Closer to real life!

I wonder of some of the bozos who were blaming Dan in THAT story are going to blame TOM here...

In this story Nicole kept a LOT of secrets from TOM and she gave up on the marriage. Fundamentally she really thoight that if the affair with

This is a truly brilliant story in an extremely well written and stunningly realistic in so many ways. This is why men/ Husbands have to occasionally treat their women in a somewhat harshly. Once she takes you for granted the marriage is in trouble and IF that goes on for too long it is over.

Fundamentally Nicole believed that if she changed her mind about the divorce and she did not want it to go through... TOM would take her back. She never actively considered that any of her actions might have an impact on Tom.

The 1st big turning point in the marriage was the ITALY trip event. Nicole failed to see that her actions to fight AGAINST a Marriage saving trip to Italy MEANT something. It told TOM she did NOT want to be with him and that she did not WANT to put effort into the marriage.

It speaks volumes that Nicole was stunned Tom would not agree to reconcile. She actually thought that More LYING to Tom was a basis to repair and save the marriage.

wow.

The Italy Trip thing reminds me of a True story that is similar in some ways.

This guy I know was a member of the local STAY AT HOME DAD support group. His wife had a high powered job but she she claimed to think it was very cool and great that her husband was staying home and raising the kids while she had the fabulous career. At least that is what he said that the office and to her friends and family.

Along comes the 10 year anniversary... And this guy- a friend really- had started the business online and was soon making pretty good money (almost as much as his wife was). So on the 10 year anniversary he took the wife and 2 kids on this very fancy family oriented vacation 1st class Vacation where he spent a lot of money. He wanted to show off and show her that he had made it. He bought her this $2000 the diamond ring with Safire's and rubies. She absolutely adore and love the ring and wore the ring all the time.

He kept looking for his anniversary present. He got nothing. Not a card ...not a gift certificates... Not golf clubs.... NOTHING. Eventually the wife's friends at the office who were so impressed about this deal for reading began to ask her what she-- thew wife -- has gotten him. They were all stunned by a her open admission she got him nothing.

A few weeks later she felt enough guilt that she stopped off at the local supermarket and bought him the cheesecake ... for $9.

$9. That is what he was worth to him.

Not surprisngly he began to saw other things... like why they only had sex once every 2 or 3 months. He figured out that in the end the wife thought he was not worth the effort....sort of like Nicole and what she thought of TOM.

As soon as the kids graduated from high school... He walked out of the marriage and filed for divorce.

All I ended up with was a major headache. I enjoyed the tie-ends to the classic soul sounds of the great divas but neither Nicole, Jake, or Tom elicited much harmony. Who cares what a round heel slut thinks?

An interesting read, thank you for submitting it.

and very well written. a different take on the cheating wife tale.

truly remarkable! thanks for writing.

How I wish I'd had the same letter to give to my wife when my first marriage failed. It's almost word for word what I would have wanted to say to my wife but just didn't have the words.

Thanks for an excellent story and I hope there are many more.

In my private practice I have too often heard the kind of thoughts and deeds recounted as in this story. More from the women than the men although some of the men had such times. The reason for the men to fall away from the marriage were more usually somewhat different as was the reasons for infidelity. I am thoroughly impressed by this slice of real life and all its ramifications. So well done. A 5 for sure. Hope you continue to write.

Thank you! 5* from me. Please keep on!

In all its complexities and awfulness.

A most remarkable piece. Thank you.

A,

Edited perfect story. Storm over and then life's lesson learned.... it goes on. Thanks R, for help too. Great collaboration with tremendous emotional (conflict) results.

Thanks for sharing on Lit.

x

This was a great read. The simple questions that meant so much more than they seemed to. The thought process that brought enlightenment. And the final stark awareness that love had died. <br><br>

There have been other stories written about infidelity where a counselor makes the observation that the marriage is strong but a bad thing happened. That means the underlying strength of the marriage can be used to overcome the bad thing. There is hope. <br><br>

But in other cases, like in this story, the marriage is dead and the bad things that happen are a symbol of the broken marriage. In that case love, trust, and respect are lost and without those to work with, nothing can be rebuilt. She was looking to go back to a place of familiarity and comfort but that place no longer exists. They let it die. He through some neglect. She through neglect and actively strangling it. His quiz made her realize it as he already had. <br><br>

Very thought provoking piece.

Too little, too late! It's a shame when we take our spouses for granted.

Boyd

The wife"s reflections in answering her soon to be ex-husband's questions were simply a stroke a geneous. The questions forced her to acknowledge her primary role in the destruction of their marriage.

I can now clearly hear the bell tome for .....

Great, just what we need: another story vindicating the cheating slut wife. This cock slut screws over her husband and we're suppose to feel sorry for her? I swear this is...

Haha I had you going, didn't I? Imagine my surprise when I randomly decided to peruse the new section (which is something I rarely do) and saw you, my friend. Aruban, you have delivered another first rate tale. Incredibly realistic, incredibly moving. You have a knack for making your audience connect with the characters.

In short, I'm very glad to see a new story by you. I have waited a long, long time. And you didn't disappoint. Congrats.

It works on many levels. Even though the marriage was broken, he knew how to reach her so she would come to the same conclusion. Thanks for the story!

in todays society this story you wrote has as much a chance of happening as bin laden returning from the dead. The wife cheats constantly and in the end of the story the husband looks more the bad guy. Cheating is cheating and the entire story tried to gloss over that and lay blame at the husbands feet. Why do writers who write many affair stories always lay blame on the husband? Somehow he isn't trying because he's working and being a good husband but its his fault she cheats? Just like the tunnel of love, which wasn't even different from the seducer series, you seem to get a hard on on wimping husbands down then making them take the blame for the affair. You're writing is good and the grammar is well written but the plot is weak.

Thank you.

Reading the best of stories by the best of authors reader can see how author reached inside him or her self and looked hard and clear, pure introspection, and then mastered the writer's craft to get that introspection on paper. In our case here on screen. The literate device, a true false quiz, is briliant for the plot line and executed flawlessly. Binary solutions force the decision up or down on very complex interpersonal issues. Such is life.

Aruban has dealt well with the issues and questions of marriage, love, sexuality and interpersonal relations. The simple truth answers Nicole was looking for were excruciating to consider. Even the questions, stark and simple they were, were not obvious and clear. I think the mark of this story is not necessarily the introspection author showed, but that same introspection author enforced on his readers. I have a feeling that each of us reading as Nicole struggled with her consideration looked into our life, our past, our current relations with close others and tried to see Nicole and Tom's struggle filtered through our struggles.

This is an impressive story. It ranks with the best of current LWQ authors, Rehnquist, Ohio and DQS; it compares with some of my favorite earlier Lit authors, Longhorn1, Kathi and Salamis. I hope to read more of this quality and learn from Aruban's contributions.

If you get some sort of revenge in a story, even just a divorce without ripping the balls off the wife's lover, the story will do fairly well. If it is well written, it will do even better. This story had that. It was well written and the wife wound up divorced. That gets the writer a 4.25, or so, score from the peanut gallery, regardless of whatever else he does with the story. I read this and it was okay, but rather slow paced, predictable, and uninspiring. I need more than a divorce, or some simple revenge, to make a story really good. It takes that extra something. Stang had it last Thursday in his story on SOL. The Judge has it, Ohio has it, Steele has it but has some trouble keeping it focused, KK has it, as well as several others. This story just seemed steeped in mediocity compared to the really good ones. It was not bad, and the writing was pretty good. It just lacked that extra kick to take it over the top.

The author did an amazing job in making the female character ponder out all the things that lead her to cheat. Things that looked bright once just got faded in her opinion. All she had to do was to clean the surface and the love that lied within would have blossomed out. I totally agree with one amazing point the commentator below has made that the author not only made her think about all those questions but some of the unanswered questions were for us, readers, to look upon as well (of course i can't write it as well as he did).

What i like about this story the most was the fact that the purpose of the quiz wasn't about circling true and false but to look inside for the answers. It was about realizing that there was no True or False answer to each of the question asked and the author brilliantly brought it out.

I gave you a four and not five on this submission simply because of one thing. I felt so much anger at the point where i read that after her affair seemed to lose its shine and she began to miss what she ran away from she thought she could just say "Hey buddy i am now ready to come home." and then the happily married life she just ruined would be back to normal. For that alone i wanted Nicole to suffer a lot of pain. And then i get to read the husband saying SORRY. Although i understand he was saying sorry for the fact that he wasn't as perfect he wanted to be but dude who is? That's not even an ounce of a reason for her to cheat. So, when the husband realized that he suffered for no reason, when he thought it was because of him that his wife went away, he shouldn't have been feeling sorry at all.

Nevertheless, this story is amazing on so many levels. i thank you for writing this and i hope to read quality writing like this from you, in the future.

I really enjoyed it. It was the explanation of the feelings and emotions that were touching. It was no surprise that Rehnquist had some input. Well done and thank you.

I just added you to my favorite authors list. This was a masterful story, sad yet introspective. I wish more LW stories looked into the souls of the characters like you did. I don't care what anybody else thinks or says, for me this was excellent. Keep up the good work.

I liked it. It is good to know what HDK and other writers really think of us, the readers...the peanut gallery. I am pretty sure of the reason SS06 submits every two weeks now, we are not worthy. Fuck it.

Well thought story, hindsight is a clear vision at times. I think some of the commentators are being somewhat overly critical, there is a finite list of events that typically contribute to marital failure, why are youall so disappointed when some of these elements reappear? The quiz amongst other elements added a nice twist to the story of this couple... That should be enough to make to separate this story from others. I thought this story painted an adequate picture of families where both parents work too much, and sometimes the stresses fracture that family. Thanks for the story.

because of the tremendous insight you have about the way human relationships are built and destroyed. Thanks for a very mature and thought provoking story. Now, back to your lengthy one.

use of phrases ... metaphors ... well put together!

Now I have to go read your other story (series)!

Thanks for sharing

Well done.

In relatively few words you took me for quite a ride. Emotions and intellect are manipulated masterfully by this story. It seems you and Rehnquist make a brilliant team. Hope to see more.

I disagree with HDK - for me, the last question that wasn't a question put this one over the top - I didn't see that coming. Harry's parenthetical comment was also interesting.

Now that's a well written story!!!!!!! Thank you for the best read of the year!! so far to me.

So much has already been said. But it was very emotional and very well written, great job.

is that all these other great writers are reading and commenting on them instead of doing their own (especially you winterfoxx). One of the few times I disagree with HDK. I thought that story was quietly great. And thanks to HIV for your little true story. Maybe an outline for something by you? A lot of people would love to see you write just to get some revenge, but I think you have at least a few good stories in you. Thanks to all.

A very adult read.

A very well written and touching piece of work. I look forward to many more. I will admit it was a tough story to read, but it was well worth the read.

Because the bitch didn't die by her own hand or her husbands. Somehow she should have payed for her cheating with her life. She selfishly destroyed Toms life and the family. When people do that they should pay for it.

The world has gotten far too soft on the pieces of scum known as cheaters, but men and women. They just get say with it with no real sacrafice. This is wrong. They should suffer greatly, and they should die for what they've done.

Harsh? Yes, but no harsher than betraying your marriage vows and killing another's soul.

Good story, and a pretty good response from the commentariate. Although I wish Harry (dude - he gave you the ultimate shout out) would write that story and not simply toss it off in a comment.

The affair was not the cause, but just one of the many nails in the coffin. Well written, but I think the second letter summarized the story much better than the test. The only problem is a zen sort of thing, that the person has to find the answer, and not be told the answer. The test was effective in doing that. Thank You.

Lots of emotion and sadness in this story, and even though the story didn't have a happy ending, the story it did have a ending, and not leaving the reader wondering what was going to happen next.

Thanks for the read.

I gave this a four, mainly because of the slow pace of Nichole's soliloquy. This was reasonably well-written but is hardly something we have not seen before in various forms. Nichole's behavior smacks of depression, nearly 5 times more common among women than men. This in no way excuses her actions, but it could explain why she saw her life and family as "gray," and a turn-off. The world looked a lot better at work, almost a high that a bipolar individual might experience; no wonder she got involved with a co-worker. Even if her therapist found some psychobabble explanation for her behavior, it is unlikely Tom could forgive the pathological lying that demonstrates why he can never trust her in the future.

This story has elicited some penetrating comments from excellent writers; there's no need to repeat them. The wife's intellectual background seems permeated by the words of popular songs--are they a sufficient base for an integrated personality, for a successful marriage? I think not. And, alas, I found the story a bit long, regardless of its high interest level.

What a good job you have done!

I was surprised by the excerpt by HiV. That would be good story to write, Ohio, HDK, anyone?

with that aside, I look forward to more stories of this caliber from you!

Quite moving and, I dare say, remnant of a true life experience?

Aruban puts reality into a melancholic and easy-flowing prose that makes this a somewhat touching read.(Peanut #376-out of the shell again)

Thanks for a great story that was well written and touched just about every emotion. Looking forward to your next one

Really? Peanut gallery, HDK? That's what you think of people commenting on your stories?

Unlike HDK, I thought this story was pretty good. Different from the others in the fact that it COULD easily have happened like this in real life. No over the top revenge stories by ex Navy SEALs, no unimaginably slutty bitch wife whom the husband could not possibly have married.

I think it's the slow descent to ruin and decay that does it. In a way, emotionally painful to read.

Having just gone through a similar situation (no kids thank G-d), the emotions and relationship have a strong feel of reality. The story was quite believable and well presented.

I look forward to future submissions. Have you considered revisiting the story from Tom's POV?

Parts of this story were moving and endearing and parts were just plain awful. There really was no character development of the two (or one?) characters. Certainly the reader had no real feel for Tom as a person. He came across as a transparent stick figure without any personality. I found that so frustrating...but I suppose, maybe it was intentional by the author. Nicole's character was equally undeveloped. The author seemed so hell bent on weaving a "lyrical" story, he/she failed to give any depth to any of the characters.

The analogies of the female Motown diva songs were painfully juvenile. I felt like I was listening to my sister telling me about Brittany! How important Brittany was to her...how she spoke to her heart. The final analogy at the end of the story with the rose...Zwieback! Is the author "Smarter than a 5th grader"? A rose is a rose is a rose!

And yes I get the title....oh so clever...actually it was clever...shame on my cynicism.

The quiz itself was a further example of a slightly immature writing process...where was the drama? Certainly not in Nicole's excruciatingly long drawn out and unfocused answers that went on and on like a literary Bataan Death March! Because the reader felt no real sympathy to the wife (again...the lack of character development) her neurotic indecisiveness was agonizing and annoying.

My God, every question was "puzzling" to Nicole. How moronic was she? Hamlet in diapers or Depends!

The Italics bothered me, because there were too many passages of italics versus non. As a reader, I found it "overused" & "confused".

The set up, dragged with no real tension, so the reader was left with unfocused sentences that jumped like an old LP. For Christs sake, the quiz was supposed to be TRUE or FALSE. It was supposed to be simple...not mind numbing verbosity and pseudo angst!

This type of story is very easy to write, very derivative and very difficult to pull off successfully. To write this type of story, the author must be focused, disciplined and BRIEF. Too many paragraphs and the reader sees through the process...boredom ensues! OH and all those flashbacks...like a Gothic style black and white English "B" movie. Yikes!

Look, I applaud the effort. I came very close to liking the story. The letter written by the husband was very poignant. The idea of trying to get away with an affair and then wanting a reconciliation and having the "tables turned" was interesting. But in the end, my "perceived" sense of pretension with this story mitigated any warm and fuzzies. Sorry!

I thought that it was well written, and how you had Nicole figure things out, ( to me anyways) was a stroke of genius.

I gave you 5 stars. I think that this story deserves it. Not all stories do.

As for the people complaining about how they didn't like it, well that is their opinion. They are entitled to it, but in the end, it's how you feel about it that should matter most.

In closing, I will say this (in response to the complainers,haters,etc).

Like I'm sure many of you do, I have my favorite writers - Stang06,ohio,HDK,Renq, and others. They have all put out some incredible stories (stangs on SOL last week, like HDK said, was awesome and he hopefully will post it here someday) but not every story is going to be great.

Every one of the aforementioned writers has written a story that I had either did'nt like as much as some others, or in a couple of cases, hated them. But I still respect them as authors & I'll continue to read their submissions. If you can't at least be respectful of someone's work,(whether you like it or hate it) then go and write something that you think would be better.

Aruban, please keep writing. You are now one of my favorites.

However, the peanut gallery is not complete without the delusional drivel from shoe-no-IQ or is the new alias "Clueless Wondering_One?

When I began reading this story I worried if I would become exhausted or bored with your storytelling technique. I wasn’t.

I read every emotion of the wife, every private thought and justification. She was so open with us and so open even with her friend and especially her lover. Her ability to express both her thoughts and her feelings was remarkable.

And yet, for one so gifted in communicating, she could not talk plainly with her husband. She was further from her husband at the end of this story than at the beginning. She seemed lacking in an understanding of him. The word I immediately thought of was tartarsus. That was her state.

Thank you for a creative, distinctive and very adult narration.

This just proves the theory that women think too damn much. Like that joke photo that's been going around the internet for awhile now. The one with a mechanical/electrical appliance of some sort. The top half represents men and has a single On/Off switch. The bottom half represents women and has all kinds of complicated buttons and lights and knobs to turn (oddly enough, no mute button darn it).

A guy simply saying he wants to watch the game for a woman means immediately that she starts thinking, "Does he really want to watch the game or is he tired of me? Is so tired of me that he's ready to have an affair? Or is he already having an affair? Perhaps I should go sit with him and talk this out right now." This could go on and on, but the guy just wanted to watch the damn game.

I say again, Women.Think.Too.Damn.Much!!

wel done

and a huge welcome back to the Pistol. (sure you were dyin' for someone to roll out the carpet ;)

I guess I've known too many people who built their relationships on sand and then had neither the strength or foundation to hold the relationship together. The quiz was a nice plot device and well used. Thank you.

that's what every married couple need to learn the grass is not greener on the other side it is just a mirage.

a top class story / superb in every way / well done

...while arrogance rears it's ugly head (well, other than the thc tainted skull resting on MY shoulders)- and Demontoid's comment is mostly that, at least the first part (the two paragraphs I read). THIS is a "letter" story, and even then has a plot device that almost precludes character development,the whole point is that this "letter" applies to all relationships, no specific characters needed. DUH! And a shout out to the anons that still carry the torch of speaking candidly. Now just match that with a moniker for tracking confirmation and transparency and you too can join the ranks of the most hated readers!!!

Then there was much rambling that I skipped much of the 1* story.

I got the meaning even though some moron's didn't. Last comment being one of them.

Some people seem to only be happy when they are self destructing, dysfunctional, or giving themselves grief. I'm imagining June saying to Ward, "You're too predictable and boring, and having this suburban homelife, bills and routine is starting to suffocate me. Watch Wally and the Beaver while I move out, get my own apartment and start screwing the milkman. Then when everything falls apart, I'll get some stupid rose, erect a shrine to it and act out some drama ritual in front of it on a semi-regular basis."

from shit - too bad. Well written tale, good use of imagery and temporal transitions. Pea-brains and mental midgets simply do not have the capacity to understand nor appreciate good writing; they should stick to reading "Garfield" cartoons.

Regret. Regret is like a bit of undigested pork pie that just won't go past and your tummy boils and roils till you finally have that explosive projectile vomit that brings relief.

This gal understands that now....

Emotionally told.

Excellent work.

tom is moron

I HATED IT

What a waste of a read. Where's the happy ending?

I think it should end like: she was sat in the office, crying because she realised she did actually love him, some random guy came in and asked if she was ok. And she bursted out saying she loved him, she always has and always will, and then her husband walks in and she sees him and says she is sorry and that she will do anything to please him. He says she needs to go home and and pack her stuff of she really loves him, she will be at his by 5. (Which is an hour away) she smiles, kisses him and rushes out. When she gets back to get house she realises she can't pack in that time, so she leaves it all cuz she realises all she needs is her husband. It gets close to 5 and she just makes it to the house. She knocks on the door but there is no answer so she sits at the porch and cries again. He comes out and says how about a door key so you can come in yourself. Holding up a door key.

This is the wrong site for depressing stories.

A little long-winded, but otherwise well-done

I like how the story made me really hurt for the characters.

of the end of a marriage. The pain of the base realizations of truth, and reflections of consequences, are simple and effective. One of the best insights of a marriage's demise.

you are very, very good! Pls write more

This was a happy ending don't know what that anon was talking about the guy is divorcing a cheating slut thats pretty happy to me, means maybe he can find that woman that truly appreciates him.

thanks for sharing!!

The worse thing that could ever happen to a marriage happened. Indifference.

Nicole felt it and she acted on her feelings; with someone else.

Tom felt it after being made aware by Nicole's filing for divorce.

Then Nicole realized she made a mistake but by then it was too late. Tom was mortally wounded and the love never returned. Maybe in the next life things will work out differently.Who knows.

he smoked the meaty cock, got buggered by the fat one, betrayed!

also foreplay and mood changers, TK U MLJ LV NV

I loved this story--even though it was being told in flashbacks.

Nicole fell out of love with her husband which is no biggie because this happens all the time; but her approach of this revelation wasn't very nice nor lady like. Tom hasn't realized it yet but he too no longer loved her at least no as a wife; just as a mother of his kids. when Nicole was telling her friend about her big bad husband I really didn't sense any love & I also sensed there hasn't been any love for a very long time but neither had realized this as of yet, the way she was bashing her husband to her friend was wrong; I'm married, I've been with my husband for 10 years been married for 4, I get annoyed with him, I think my hubby is a little bit of a slob but I known this before I married him, I knew that he loves to play video games & he'll ignore me for hours sometimes days when he's playing them, I knew he loved sports & he'll sit there for hours watching them, but I don't get mad I don't feel as if he loves me any less, my husband works very very hard & him playing his video games & watching sports is his way of relaxing just like mines is shopping or opening up a bottle of wine & watching t.v or reading-- Nicole seemed to take offense to Tom wanting some "me time" she assumes that he's lazy & didn't want to help around the house when that was false. See, we women are weird creatures, we want the man to bring home the bacon but we also want him to help around the house & take us out & sometimes we forget that the husbands are busting their asses for us. Nicole only had a part-time job, so she had absolutely no idea that Tom was exhausted, instead of trying to rekindle the spark in the marriage she decided that fucking jake was more suitable . She decided that she wanted a divorce because she didn't love Tom any longer, what she should have down is sit Tom down & help him realize that they don't love each other anymore & it's best that they moved on but instead she sleeps around & then is shocked that the sex with jake isn't really all that. I don't think Nicole knew what she wanted, she sounds a bit selfish, everything was about her. She was complaining to her friend about her husband needing to be told to put a lightbulb in , I thought she was just making a mountain out of a mole hill, I have to ask my husband 10-20 times to take out the garbage, the only thing he'd immidiately do is get rid of spider, roaches, mice any creepy crawllies ( I'm deathly afraid of bugs especially spiders & snakes) that's husbands, they don't feel that the world is going to come to an end if they don't do what you've asked them to do a dozen time--they'll get to it when they get to it. The divorce was inevitable, she no longer cared about his wants & needs, she no longer cared about his hopes & dreams, I think her affair was what finally opened her their eyes, I also think it was a slap in the face ;he's the father of her kids they've been together for a long time, she owed it to him to come to him as an adult & as a woman & tell him she wants to try new things in her & she doesn't love him anymore before she had an affair & the fact that she hurriedly jumped in the sack with jake without any hesitation or remorse should've became painfully clear to her that she no longer cared for Tom. I think Tom should've realized that the indifference , lack of intimacy, lack of respect, lack of communication, lack of quality time all meant the marriage was over its just no one called in a lawyer yet. When my husband & I got married we actually sat sown & talked about things like this, if it ever comes a point in our marriage where we no longer loved each other we'd divorce --& I'm catholic! I rather get a divorce than have an affair & turn into an adulterous slut. People grow apart all the time, no one gets married & expect it die after years of being together but that's life. I think Nicole is a very fickle person when it comes to love I don't think she knows what love is.

the pain of stupidyty emerges...alas..... TK U MLJ LV NV

I'm reminded of those Seinfeld episodes where they played around with the concept of time. Telling the story backwards or by hopscotching back & forth with flashbacks. Here pathos & betrayal are substituted for the humor of course. A challenging but very worthy read !

One last note ... l LOVEHDK as a writer but in his comments - this great author can do a first class imitation of a convention bound, prim, thin lipped twit a-cluck, cluck, clucking at away because something different was tried. You're a classic HDK, as are the Beatles but more then a little behind the commenting curve.

Now get out of here you Liverpoole-phile knucklehead get drunk, I'll buy the first round and write a story. Fess up. That's why you've been Debbie Downer . Writer's Block.C'mon give us a smile. That's it. What would McCarteny do? It's getting better all the time ! ( it couldn't get much worse )

This is a very evocative story. I love the simplicity of the quiz's prompts, and Question 5 was of course elegant. I do think some of the musical references were a little close to problematic, since I didn't think they all contributed (Gladys Knight did, I think Tina Turner didn't). But this was a great little piece.

Really good.

One of my absolute favorites. Emotionally moving. Loved the perspective and the raw honesty.

Very well written and believable. Nicole is a tragic figure.

In the end just a cheating fucking cunt that wanted a husband to support her while another man got the good sex.

Don't give a rats ass about the wife!

5

This story deserves a sequel deteailing Tom' POV.