All Comments on 'The Dark at the Bottom of the Stair'

Bravo.

That got me worked up. Highs, lows, anger, hate , love, you seem to have covered it all lin this one. Thanks for bringing it to us,

What could be more perfect then getting your enemy to self destruct.

Although when Grace collected her inheritance I would make sure everybody knew how and why she was entitled.

Then Raleigh and Grace could take little Susie for a walk around the cemetery, and all take turns pissing on the sluts grave.

Well-written, a sympathetic character, great dialogue and so, so hard to read. This was grueling. I don't feel that the daughter he regained (but never really had) and her daughter (I won't call her his grand-daughter), and Morrison's money make up for a sham marriage and the growing realization about what his wife really was. I don't demand happy endings, but I found myself wanting you to cut him a break. Would loved to have seen him find a woman to help him move on and put his faithless wife behind him. I guess that's what my imagination for. I wouldn't care so much if it wasn't such a good story. Thank you.

are still sins no matter when found out. TK U MLJ LV NV

excellent story line and development. It always amazes me how writers continue to sparkle with new tales and plots. Yours is one of the best on this site. Well developed and yet concise. Thanks.

Very well written. I was riveted 2 my seat the whole time....

This was a well written but grueling story. Everything he is subjected to is after the fact. His wife cheated but she's already dead. It also sounds that when he looks objectively at his wife she was a bitch to their daughter. Telling her a horrible secret and then telling her she would have to keep quiet or be responsible for the breakup of the family when it was the mother's cheating that would have been responsible? What a HORRIBLE mother. She was also competitive with her own daughter. No wonder the daughter was screwed up. His daughter isn't his. He had a granddaughter but really doesn't. And the granddaughter has a terrible disease. His daughter being enamored of the creep was disgusting. I guess like mother, like daughter - horrible judgment.

There is nothing he can do to rectify any of this. His wife will never be faithful to him. His daughter or granddaughter will never be his. His daughter will still have suffered at the hands of his wife and slept with the asshole. His granddaughter will always be ill. None of it can be changed. Getting the asshole to kill himself may have been necessary but in the end almost pointless. The guy was a smarmy creep and his loss was like the squashing of an insignificant bug. The only good thing was that he used the guy's pride against him and got him to commit suicide. But it changed nothing.

The story ends on the note of "You're about as happy as you make up your mind to be". I'd have a problem that my "daughter" sought out and screwed the man who cuckolded me and fathered a granddaughter. He was screwed over THREE times by the asshole and he considers the balance even once the guy is dead? No way! He has the power to destroy the guy's reputation. Do it! And welcoming his "daughter" back to live with him after her actions? Sorry, that's a bit tough as well. Visit her and keep in touch, sure. But bringing her back like they are all one big happy family? It's a ghastly lie. But I guess he's made up his mind to be "happy".

It's a powerful and valid story but very unsettling,

Sorry Author. After reading the uplifting saga from cpete earlier in the week, your story has successfully annoyed me. So - well done to you I guess.

How is your story any different to the no consequence stories which many of us love to flame? There is no difference. Your story sentenced Raleigh to a living death and the Old Man died too easy!

The apologists are smirking at the idea of her laughing at him from beyond the grave. And then I take a deep breath.......hey Zed0 - if they piss on her grave, they will hear the urine sizzle. That's because she's already in Hell and if you listen hard enough.....you can hear her screams and Old Nick cackling.

Your writing has merit - 3*** from me but personally.........the story sucked! 25 years of his life down the drain.

This should have been under humor / farce because there was no darkness in the story only illogical plots, convoluted sub plots and simplistic one dimensional characters.

I can't say I enjoyed reading the story, but it grabbed my attention and held it all the way to the end. 5 stars.

All considerations of what could-should be done is long after the fact. Even destroying that guy's reputation post mortem would only expose his "daughter" and her child. Given the circumstances, he took the high road and did really well. No other need for a pointless revenge. It should have been different five years ago if Grace would have come clean with her "father" and clued him in at that time.

I couldn't stop reading this well written and sad tale. I felt Raleigh's pain and left the story unsatisfied as he would have after learning about his wife. Please tell the story from her pov. How did she get seduced? How long did the affair go on? Who else knew? Did her lover tell her that their daughter was the mother of his child? Why didn't she do something to fix things?

You are a talented writer and I look forward to reading your work. Thanks for your efforts. Another five stars!

glad the bitch died

Enough said.

Jasonnh was right on the money.

There is nothing, NOTHING he could about ANYTHING. Maddy had lied to him, cheated on him, and cuckolded him, even got pregnant and made him raise a daughter not his own. And what does she say on her deathbed? "I've always loved you." One big, fucking lie.

He can't even confront her with her lies, can't rebuke her, NOTHING. Because she's already dead. She's gotten away with it.

Same goes for Morrison. He got off easy. He got the best of everybody. He was rich, handsome, fucked a lot of women, including Raleigh's wife, his OWN daughter (who doesn't seem at all angry at Morrison), and utterly fucked over Raleigh. Killing himself after the stroke was actually a stroke of genius (no pun intended). He would NOT have to live through the shame of being exposed. He would NOT have to answer any questions about Maddy, his daughter, or incest. He wouldn't even have to live out his stroke. Live fast, die young, leave a beautiful corpse. And a trail of ruined people...

And in the end, Morrison is STILL viewed as the rich, handsome man who had it all, because Raleigh never exposed him.

Raleigh was SURROUNDED by utterly horrible people.

This is as dark a story I've ever read.

The whole story lacked resonance, akin to one of those facile network soaps that are fast becoming obsolete. The narrator got effortlessly played for a chump & it was nigh impossible to believe he would turn the tables on a man who cuckolded him for over two decades.

This was a grade b execution of the movie ' Chinatown ' , where they worked in a theme of the birth of L.A. On addition to the society scion debauches daughter theme. This is far better, though, then the usual Literotica submission and I'm probably holding the author to a higher standard because he's written some of my favorite stories.

In reading this story it was transparent the wife had been unfaithful. Perhaps her character could have been developed to a greater degree to understand why the narrator was so easily duped.

Regardless I do look forward to F. M.'s next submission because though his Plots might veer towards the shopworn end of the scale - the stories are all told with care and err on the side of decency & good taste, akin to JPB on Xanax.

interesting, but very frustrating, story. I can't imagine being thrust into a situation as described -- perhaps a tad too realistic? I'll be thinking about the story for some time to come. Thanks for sharing.

I am amazed again!

Now and then I watch a movie that is very well written and acted, yet I feel depressed at the end. That always makes me wonder if it was a good movie or not. It stirred up emotions, but left me agitated or even unhappy. This story compares to that type of movie. If creating emotions is the measure of a good story, this one was quite good. If feeling any sort of pleasure at the ending is a yardstick, this one failed. It was very well done and I thank the writer for all the effort. Now I'm going to go kick the dog.

As stated here the things that are done are done and can not be changed.

All he can do is make the best of a bad situation. I read somewhere that anyone can be a father, it takes someone special to be a daddy. This man was the daddy.

The child ran away from her mother, not the daddy and brother. This is simular to the story of the Prodigal Son. A daddy who raised and loved their child would not stop loving that child unless there was a character flaw. They may deny, they may bluster about indignity and try to misdirect attention; but there would always be the love. A daddy who truly loved the child would not drive them away.

In this story the daughter and daddy still care for each other, that is the important part. They should be entitled to continue their relationship as it always was. Why should everyone have to suffer for the sins of two dispicable persons.

The revenge might have been minimal but it was the best you can get against 2 dead souls.

Good story, well presented.

PTBzzzz

the daughter got the best revenge on her mother by leaving and only contacting the daddy and brother.

Unaware for so long... that's some powerful blinding love I guess, which the wife the not deserve. Good story, though.

A sad tale but very engaging and well written, thank you!

Great story!

Sometimes the best you can manage in life is to keep moving under one crushing load after another is dumped on you. It doesn't matter how virtuous you were how well you lived your life, none of it matters. It's how you bear up under that load an keep it from crushing you into the dirt that is the true measure of a man! Excellent writing as always loved the emotion displayed and your ability to write such in depth characters.

One of the best stories I have read here. Good character and plot development. Well done

Great job, but too bad mummy escaped without having to explain anything to dear old dad herself but left the chips to fall where they may. I look forward to good authors like yourself concoct plausable reasons for cheating on a good spouse. I know u did it thru the daughter but i think the readers like to see the cheating spouse on the hotseat. Although the stress of the secret likely did damage to her as well as the cancer as per the foreshadowing in this stories title. Perhaps our intrepid hubby can find a hidden diary in chapter 2 ?? Thanks for writing...

I can only add another positive comment with all the others! Well written!!

...and moving. Truly a distressing tale but the emotions were skillfully described.

As Grace said, he'll always be her daddy and he'll be able to dote on little Susie, who will surely need it.

It's not all sad - in fact with a positive spin, he has a healthy life in front of him, provided he can consign the love he once felt for his wife to the appropriate receptacle.

It wasn't a 'feel good' story but I don't think negatively about either the story or Raleigh's future prospects.

Good writing FM.

It's good to see a story with some substance and darkness compared to the large amount of stereotypical pap we see here.

Change of style from your previous ones, but interestingly different and equally brilliant.

The story was excellent but the wife should have had to pay while she lived.

I agree with Stang, but not his conclusion. I believe she suffered highly, and ultimately gave up her will to live because of what she had done to her husband. She knew she didn't deserve his love. And because she was also gutless, she had no option but to die. She left, knowing what she had done to him and her daughter. I'm also betting she knew she was a grandmother.

i rated it one star as the wife dint pay at all. The daughter should have told her father the truth atleast when she heard her mom was dyeing. That way the father could have had some revenge. The woman cheat's dosent get punished and dies peacefully. It was a peaceful death in a way. Just hated it.

Loved the story, both despite and because of the strong emotions it raises in me. I disagree with the comments asking for a sequel or for the wife's POV. This is *his* story, as he realizes in the midst of his Hell. As such, it's complete.

First it all IT WAS AN EXCELLENT CRUEL REVENGE STORY. I prefer the Romantic and the Modern Figaro Type Revenge stories, but this is an outsanding example of the Cruel Revenge Stories. You are great in the all spectrum of the Revenge stories: Cruel, Romantic and Modern Figaro Type.

I agree with everyone else in saying that this is one of the darkest stories that I've read on this site.... it is also one of the best. I too wish that the whore of a wife had suffered more when she was alive but you can't have everything. This was a very compelling, thought provoking story that keeps you thinking even after you've finished reading it. Can't wait for the next story by this author.

I agree more commenter, the wife was punished by her daughter when she abandoned them and Grace connected only with her Daddy and her bother. She punished her mother.

This guy was like the guy who got run over by a truck while sitting in his living room.

His bad dream suggests that he had and inkling of problems. Maddie paid by losing her daughter and he was lucky that he did not find out anything before she was dead and buried. People have been known to have heart attacks after such revelations.... FM is a really fine author!

Well written but difficult to live with. Kind of like life in general.

most unerotic story of the year, the most depressing story ever read. a world of just spineless human beeings if you can even call them human. from wife over daughter over lover to husband, if that's your world, rot in hell and before that tell us the erotic point in this story

For me, the category telegraphed what he would find out about Maddy after her death, but it didn't matter. The story never let up until the end. One of the best I've read here.

He can move forward with his life, but his memories of his wife will always be tarnished.

Very sad and dark story. Would Non-erotic have been a more appropriate category? This was vey well-written but predictable, considering the category. Ohio and other writers have written stories where a man finds out, after his wife's death, that she was unfaithful. But this story builds the suspense and creates some distractors very skillfully, so we don't learn the truth until the middle of the story.

What is hinted, but not really spelled out, is the lover was very charismatic and skillful at seduction, so Maddy falls from grace as does, well, Grace, her daughter. What is not spelled out concerns Raleigh's failings. Why would his wife seek to have an affair in the first place? Was he working too many hours? Was he inattentive?

A woman usually seeks a lover when she feels she is missing something at home -- lack of attention or appreciation by the husband, lack of feeling loved, too long a separation, abuse, or whatever. It's not usually her curiosity about trying a bigger cock, as some LW stories suggest. In this story, the reader is clueless about the circumstances. It might have been nice to have developed some plausible reason other than she was pretty, and the rich art philanthropist was charismatic. Thanks for writing.

Very dark and interesting. Thanks for sharing.

You get credit for trying to expand your parameters but that is about all. Not only was the whole story so totally unbelievable, it was inaccurate to boot.Not only was it not his daughter but it certainly was not his grand daughter. The whole you are my daddy thing is silly when you kept telling the reader she would only contact the guy every several months and did not tell anyone about her child.

You are a wordsmith. Story flowed well with just enough uncertainty to avoid formula. Good choice to avoid character-development of the wife. Kept focus on protagonist. A couple of editng snafus in the early paragraphs. Just subtle little things. You are above this site. Shoot higher.

You can either hold onto the pain or you can choose to let it go. You'ld think dad would have told Grace that the past is past and considering HER mom is dead, time to let go.

Beyond that, it was boring. Maybe she loved her husband and maybe she didn't. So he wasn't her biological father, but he was her dad nonetheless and she can choose to accept that he is. Frankly, I found the whole "poor me, my mom cheated on my dad and now I'm going to be miserable and ruin my life because I'm mad" more than a little....pathetic. Seriously, grow up. Life can suck, but winners keep their eye on the prize, not the shit in the way. They cover ome the obstacles, not whine about it. And they sure as fuck don't run from trouble but face it and beat it into submission.

Too bad Grace never learned that lesson until she got what she wanted....to get back at her mom who passed beyond caring. Perhaps the actual title should be: be careful for what you wish for, you might get it.

Wow.

Well done, Left me quite depressed. You painted a hell of a picture, and really screwed around with our emotions.

Posters who wished an explanitaion on "WHY" the wife cheated-what difference would have made to the main character? The Author did a marvlous job painting him into a corner. There were no right answers. Revenge by slimeing the wife and rich dude..so what..the dead don't care.

Old saying "The man got mad at the Mountain, but the Mountain didn't know."

Dark and expertly written .

Excellent.. Crisp, just enough detail and description. Wish we could have heard Maddy's justification .

Woodbine 68

Are you immplying Susie's CP is a product of a reinforced bad recessive gene due to incest? Cyctic Fibrosis (CF), hydrocephalia, autism and mental retardation are more likely. Most common CP causes are prenatal trauma, neonatal trauma and maternal malnutrition. (Mother to be suffers an injury, baby suffers an injury and mother not getting needed nutrition)

I have CP and have had to deal with the "genetic birth defect" idea in the common society all my life.

The rest of the story rates a 5.

I was thoroughly engrossed by your story. How Raleigh dealt with Morrison was a classy, high minded way to go. My version of Raleigh wouldn't have warned Morrison. The cops would've arrived to arrest him for incest, with local TV crews at his gate, with photographers and microphones. But, then I respect the power of Karma. And Morrison and Grace, so some extent, would've gotten just what their actions deserved. Now, that said... I am eagerly awaiting your next Miss Sarah Chronicle and her Agnes Scott College graduate assistants.

so you thought you'd try your hand at a bit of Greek tragedy - eh? Yeah man...very dark indeed.

Well done - please don't do it again.

let me see If I have this right ...

Your 18 year odd daughter runs away FOREVER and he NEVER even THINKS about asking his wife what the fight was about ?

this is joke story right ?

I have a teenage 15 year old son... And whenever he gets in a big fight with my wife ... with screaming and shouting going on ..I immediately TRY to figure out what's going on and what's causing the fight.

Yet This idiot husband loses his daughter forever--- at least it seemed that way to him-- yet he never asks is wife what the fight was about?

Not one time in five years? who the FUCK lives this way?

Even worse is the idiot husband's inability to think or figure out the significance of his wife's cheating. The wife's cheating began only one year into the marriage!!! Go back and reread a story Morons. It is obvious that the cunt whore cheating wife never REALLY loved the husband at all.

Not if she's going to engage in a long-term affair then gets pregnant by another man one year into the marriage.!!! But there's not one single sentence about this in the entire story. Just four pages of shit.

Even when the wife is dying she doesn't apologize to him or confess to him... She apologizes to the daughter.

How do you Live with that ?

And how was the old guys suicide in the least bit equaling the scales? He's dead and does not have to suffer.

The only persons suffering is the idiot husband. His wife humiliated him and cheated on him for decades... His daughter is daughter is NOT his granddaughter isn't his granddaughter.

And the old guy who did all this to them is now dead...

All what's left is the husband's pain. Well that and the agony of having to read another idiot story from this author

Superb! I would not change a word of it. They are your characters, acting as you wish them to act. A gripping story. Entertaining. I tip my hat to your amazing skill as a writer.

Imagine my surprise when after 20 years of marriage my wife told me she was Chinese and didn't speak a word of English type of stretch of the imagination.

thanks for writing...

Terrific short story. I loved the setup and then the tantalizingly slow exposition of Raleigh's trip to Hades. Stephen King...eat your heart out! Thank you Francis Macomber.

In one sense, the husband is an idiot. Why he doesn't get mad at his wife after he learns everything is just weird. The fact that even in her dying bed she said she always loved him, that is loved as in past tense. She doesn't even confess of her affair even though she knows she's going to die with her husband doing everything in his power for her. That's just wrong. To use the theme of the story, maybe it was divine punishment for her for her cheating and deceitful ways that she would die from cancer.

And I make it simply to try it on for size.

The wife died not confessing because it would have ruined every single happy memory her husband had of 'his faithful wife'. She could already feel the flames coming for her; why did she need to definitely ruin his life when she could (hopefully) have him avoid that pain.

And every time she saw her husband's face when he thought of or mentioned his daughter, she probably felt another shovel full of coal added to her oven in Hell, knowing SHE did this, she COINTINUED to do this by not confessing, and if she cared about her husband at all (and I believe she did) she had to continue to hold that lump of burning coal in her heart forever because anything she did WOULD JUST MAKE IT WORSE!

The Eryines were already chasing her, to use FM's metaphor. A nice little ladle of oil on her personal fire in Hell was (an imagined) call, the ONE call I can see her daughter making to her mother. Telling her about the mole on the rich bastards' thigh...

Take that mom!

But we don't know the mind of the wife. We don't need to know. But somehow, I doubt she came out of this unscathed. There are no winners in a Greek Tragedy.

Too much suspension of belief for me...

The rich man doesn't know. He has no idea if his reputation is ruined or not. He can't. He's dead. So he died thinking that instead of being eternally the bon vivant that was his lot, he will forever be known as...worse then Woody Allan. At least his 'daughter' was a hot little Asian thing, not his own blood.

Incest is all fun and games until someone let's the pussy out of the bag...

I have to agree it was quite a story of deceit, despair and deception. Paints an ugly picture of the rich, which they seem to be able to do on their own if you follow the news. As a reader the only thing I really felt was unresolved was the betrayal by the wife. Since she was dead and seemingly didn't have much remorse, even at the end, I feel like the character would never quite have closure. As I was reading I found myself considering "burning" the word whore with gas into the grass on the grave. Might not have anything substantive but perhaps some piece of mind could have been granted. Sad but compelling read.

Normally, most readers come here looking for one type of story or another. Burn the bitch, reconciliation or whatever floats their boat. On rare occasions instead of a regular story, we actually find a piece of true literature. This was such an occasion. Pay no attention to the man "behind the curtain" known as Anonymous who complains of too much suspension of belief and awarded a 1. True literature is a suspension of belief. Anon would probably give "The Wizard of Oz" or "Antigone" 1 star because he had to suspend belief. This story was five stars all the way. Other than that, I don't believe I can write enough in praise of this tale.

But well written as a tragedy.No one wins here,it is like something out of Chinatown.

It would be interesting to hear about why the wife did what she did but I disagree that it was probably Raleighs fault.Yes women cheat for a reason but there are plenty of clues in this tale.She was seduced but I don't think it was Morrison's cock or looks,I think she was seduced by his power and what it brought to her.She became a bigwig at the Museum because of him and you assume his gifts let her pay for things she wanted.The story doesn't say but the bogus inheritance could have been payoff for keeping quiet about the daughter ,or simply it allowed the wife to assuage her guilt by thinking.it helped her family.

I think it was more she was self centered and wanted it all;I think she got the love and family with raleigh but got what she craved ,the power and feeling of being "it" from morrison.I doubt she didn't tell Raleigh,or even leave him a letter,becausevshe wanted to protect his feelings,I think she thought he would never know and therefore it was not a problem;of course she didn't think that it was likely he would find out,she never seemed to think.Interestingly her character fits greek tragedy perfectly,characters are brought down by a fatal flaw, and a biggie is hubris(which fits morrison as well).She arrogantly assumed her cheating had no consequences which led to a train wreck of epic proportions.

Always making obvious observations but with no point being made.

Every time I read something from from Harry I think back on the Saturday Night Live skit with Chris Farley's interview with Paul McCartney.

Harry's comments are about the same level of intelligence. Hey watch it on YouTube. You will agree.

(as always): it leaves you wanting to go kick the dog. Unfortunately, we don't have a dog, and my whole family is away right now so I can't even kick them!

Maybe I can go knock over the garbage cans in the garage....

Thanks, ohio

Well written and engaging.

Time to tell the other two stories........

The lifetime of infidelity and the claims of love, the depths of debauchery mom went to and the competition with here illegitimate daughter that led to a syndrome baby of that sick union and her even lower descent to win Carlton away from mommy.

Then again if we all were such faggots there would be no war because we would forgive each other for everything and wimp out. Then again we would have been long exstinguished because we'd be too busy fucking each other in the ass to make any women pregnant.

(Sorry for that comment but after your wimping out after a story that is as sordid as this just makes me angry as hell.)

Once again you have shown your outstanding writing ability. I think the lesson learned from this story should be 'Whether you are the dumper or the dumpee, we are ALL just supporting actors in the movie called Life.'

As someone already write before me, the ending is wimpy, Raleigh should've sent the incriminating proof before he confronts Carleton if really wanted revenge (and closure). One more thing, I found it curious that Carleton didn't just get Grace to do an abortion; maybe because it's needed as a plot point, but the way it's being treated it made the story seems to happen in the era before abortion is legal nationally in the USA.

Mother & Daughter both simply life support systems for their pussies with no other redeeming qualities what so ever. Very well constructed story

The wife was a slut untill the day her worn out pussy died. That bitch wouldn't have said a word. I'm glad she died. And the husband did the right thing, I wouldn't step foot in Grace's house again either. The thing that gets me is, Grace could have told her dad the truth. Instread she goes to confront the asshole and ends up fucking him. Like mother,. like daughter. 25 stars

Economy of words. Read like a true professional story. You may be the best pure writer I've ever read on this site.

Sad fucking tale. But, glad the vengeance will be extracted.

3 disconnects for me.

One, the wife carried on an 18+ year affair. Even if it was very periodic in nature (a couple/few times a year), it seems so incredibly vile. Hubby claims his marriage was wonderful. He had no sense of her cheating. Is this fricking possible? I can get her being brought under the sway of a rich, powerful, charismatic, charming man (maybe handsome, too?), but she also is holding the knowledge that the daughter is not her hubby's. How can that not torture her? How can that not poison the relationship?

I found myself really hating the wife. When her daughter left, clearly because of the issues of the wife's infidelity, how could the wife not come clean at that point? How could it not have haunted her to the point of insanity. There is some reference to her being haunted and blaming herself, but it never really comes out.

I also had a bit of a problem with the timing of the affair. Even if wife is smoking hot, she started the affair sometime before daughter's birth. Daughter was 23 or so when wife dies. Couple had been married 35 years. If married at 22, affair began no later than wife's 34th birthday, and continued until daughter left, when wife was around 52. This super-rich guy who screwed starlets, etc., probably would have dropped a married mother of 2 when she hit her mid-40's, wouldn't you think?

Second, I don't get the daughter becoming seduced by the guy. I don't pretend to know that much about female mother/daughter psychology, but it seems weird. She hates her mom enough to run away and break off all contact, but then engages in a long-term affair with the asshole who was equally responsible for the horror? I don't get that phychology at all.

Nevertheless, I accept it as the fictional assumptions to make this incredible story.

I felt for the hero. His life became a nightmare.

You are a massive talent, FranMac

@ Dear BTTap If the wife was not serial cheater only a simple cheater with a not DNA test proof daughter her 1-2 affairs could remain in the dark and the husband could remain clueles about her cheating.

I'm not saying hubby would have caught her, if she was being careful.

I'm saying that she had an on-going affair for over 18 years. It started before the daughter was born (perhaps a few years before-remember, the other man was her first big donator, a year or so after the son was born, so perhaps the affair was 22 years long...) and continued, at least periodically, until daughter was 18-she caught her mom talking dirty to the man on the phone when she was 18.

Even if it was 2 or 4 times a year that the wife hooked up with this other man, and assuming no other men or cheating, it seems very unlikely that wife's attitude towards husband could remain unchanged. She had hubby do the DNA test shortly after her daughter was born-she had suspicions. She therefore held this secret from him for two decades. That guilt must have weighed on her. I cannot imagine how that guilt would not have either poisoned her relationship with hubby or driven her to call off the affair. Just unbelievable to me.

@ Dear BTTap The wife job was to look for money funds to gain the collection of the museum. This work was a very good to hide the affair of the wife with many business travels. Grace told his daddy Morrison was very attractive and seductive personality and he was a womanizer. I think her seduction is believable.

First, Grace can along 7 years after they were married and she left upon graduation so that was 25 years into the marriage. Some readers may have been confused by the five years reference but I took that to mean that Grace stopped calling 5 years ago probably with the birth of her daughter. The author noted that several years had lapsed and then Maddy got sick. As to Maddy's motivation for the affair remember Grace's comment that her mother was so "superior." I do not think she had any remorse over her affair until later when she got sick and her husband stood by her side. The affair had been over for many years so what was she going to do - confess? I suspect given her job and the ype of people she socialized with she viewed her husband as one of the "little" people and she deserved the good life especially when she went out of town. Grace fell into a love-hate relationship with the man who put her in that situation and she was totally dependent on him for her well being. In a way she became her mother. Great story!

From a literary sense this was far and away better than 99% of the drivel in this category: incoherent rants by trolls and anons proof enough of that. Those of us with working brains understand that stories which cause strong emotional reactions are good stories.

Good Story FM.

Fuck, it's a good story. Had to read it again.

I see more justice done on reflection. Daughter leaving causes pain to Daddy, but more to Mom, who knows why she left, has to deal with the guilt, and cannot share it with Daddy. Daughter also gets Asshole to break it off with Mom. So, Mom is left profoundly lonely. Her guilt drove her to illness, which robbed her of her vanity, robber her of her will to live, and robbed her of her life.

Asshole get confronted with his crimes, and kills self. Stroke or not, who wouldn't give up half their life to live it as he got to? I'm a young guy, and I would seriously consider trading places with Hugh Heffner right now. But, faced with public humiliation and criminal sanctions or suicide, he chose the latter.

I felt hubby's frustrations and suffering, but I feel better that some justice was done.

His dignity was astounding.

While wife's motivations interest me, they probably wouldn't matter, much, and wouldn't make a worthwhile story. She did it for money, she did it for excitement and glamour, she did it because she has a high sex drive and was introduced to a rich-man's kinks, she did it for career advancement. Whatever, she did it, and probably did always love her husband, in her own way, nonetheless.

Now I'm really done.

In order to have closure, it would be important to tell why Maddy committed adultery and why she "whored" herself out. She professes to love Raleigh but her treacherous actions fly in the face of reason and make her loving statements difficult at best for the reader to believe! An explanation of her reasons for betraying her husband would provide a "needed" conclusion for your audience. This reader "simply" ask that you not put the blame on Raleigh and you NOT make excuses for her to hide behind ( drugs, menopause, hormones, etc ) ... she's a cheating slut and not a faithful spouse for goodness sakes!!!

Thank you for an interesting read!!

Personally I think Maddy got off easy. Had her cake and ate it too. So she died. Sorry; doesn't move me. How about the grief she left to her husband, child and grandchild for her ongoing adultery. Seems a little more justice for Raleigh and a lot more grief for Maddy was in order.

...almost worth the crap I read first. Thanks.

THANK YOU...You are truly a gifted writer.

I know Morrison shot himself, but why not go on to destroy his legacy. Then people would not be tempted to name art museums and public buildings after the rich jerk.

Why didn't Grace tell Raleigh about Maddy's cheating. She let Maddy continue with her cheating and deception. Cheating for more than 18 years and Maddy got away with it in part because Grace didn't have the guts to tell her father. If Raleigh had been told about the cheating when Grace found out he might have been able to find closure with his wife while she was living and move on to start a new life.

Like "Camryn's Baby" this story makes me crazy, but I will keep thinking about it for a long time.

kinda depressing

2 stars

One unavoidable problem -

Once we knew she liked sex - a lot - went on trips for work - Grace was unexpected - the rest was just filling in the details -

Mom was a skank who could not keep her legs closed for decades - knew she deceived her husband and deserved to suffer - never got the character to confess and let Grace off the hook right up until the end - selfish and died in pain - I am OK with that -

She never repented she deserves no pity - she never even stopped it.

What an awesome job you did here. I'm noticing not just the range of reactions to this story, but the emotion behind the comments. The story has really gotten into people's minds and hearts. As for me, I am tormented by the incredible pain caused by her infidelity, willfulness in concealing the consequences, and then the pain from his daughter's acts. How he could function with all that pain is beyond me.

How can ANYBODY have the nerve to call a story which highlights a cheating wife and a slut daughter as "awesome." In reality, any relationship to Raleigh should of been chiseled out of the tombstone, her body exhumed, cremated and the ashes flushed down a septic tank so she could be shit on as she shit on her husband. Do i have strong feelings on this? Damn right I do.

excellent story, but leaves one unhappy.

I bought the characters and the story, though there are some things that one might question, as has been pointed out. But the story was told so well, and let us feel Raleigh's anguish so fully, that I have to appreciate it. It's just hard to enjoy something so dark.

So I'm off, like HDK, to kick the dog. Except that I don't have a dog, and my wife doesn't appreciate being kicked. Guess I'll just have to kick HDK's dog. After all, someone has to pay for my dissatisfaction, and Morrison is dead.

As for the writing: Really Strong! As for the topic: So twisted and dark, it is hard to imagine that kind of reality in any way. But kudos to you on this one, because I feel you accomplished all of your goals with it. While I always think of what I might have changed, here or there, or what was lacking and I wished for more of, I am forced to admit there is nothing that would have made this story anymore effective than it was all ready. Good Writing!

Tears of my own over all the suffering and pain and lies and hate and ...

Loved it!

hire a necromancer, bring her back to life and torture the bitch to death. i hope she was in a lot of pain when she died.damn man im crying like a girl here . that bastard did not deserve this. poor bastard.

The comments are better than the story. It was predictable and so righteous. Funny how people get worked up about though so it must touch quite a few readers. If there were stars awarded for pushing buttons this one is off the scale. I found it boring except for wondering how many elements of self pity the author could introduce, No.

After inflicting a lifetime of humiliation on the father, the asshole gets away with a painless death. Some revenge. You should write an alternative ending where the prick is made to suffer and the cheating dead bitch is dragged through the mud. Please consider.

Leave a bad taste with me. No doubt that's one reason cantbuyme is so bitter and twisted. I'm not a BTB guy but when there is no chance to have it out with the protagonist it just leaves a big whole in the story. Can't BTB can't reconcile.

Just my 2 cents worth

Pathetic story. Waste of time.

I agree with cantbuymy's comments. No loving wife here. Just an evil cunt who hated her husband. But then again he was a clueless loser. And it made no sense when Graces' excuse for not telling her Daddy that mom is a hateful cheating cunt was "oh I didn't want to break up the family by telling you" She obviously loved her mother more then her daddy by keeping mommys secret. It was too weak an ending. Hubby should have killed himself for being such a pathetic loser his whole life.

Anything other than a GT is for girls, but since you're tossing cansellyou's salad maybe the LX is just your speed.

If and when your balls drop, move up the GT.