All Comments on 'The Engagement Meeting'

but well told story. Thanks for sharing your work.

A very different and interesting story. Well told and well done.

Wow, Audrey was a real bitch. Tim did TJ a huge favour saving him from the ungrateful little shit.

He knew how fucked up his daughter and her mom are. He saved this young man life..........BULLY, BULLY, BRAVO!

Well written, but total downer of a story.

Sad, but different.

Children of divorce often ‘lose’ one parent, the non-custodial one, and thus in some ways, this story seems truer than all of those in which the children all side with the cheated on father.

Still, for a father who supposedly loved his daughter, he took out his BTB revenge not on his ex wife but his daughter. Was he really a good guy, protecting TJ, or an absolute asshole, sabotaging his daughter? To me, he was both. However long he’d been divorced, and however long he’d been remarried, he was still a very bitter man.

I give you credit for shaking up the formula, but I found it very hard to follow. I felt as if I needed a program to keep track of all the characters and events, and the lack of dialogue tags made it difficult to know who was speaking. The story ended giving less information than was needed to make it easily understood. I appreciate brevity, but not at the expense of clarity. Try again and I'll read another.

kind of a sad story.

i can relate to the feelings of loss when you lose the relationship with your children.

I couldn't give you an Honest answer to this story. Because I can't believe how that Family tore each other apart...Sheesh and what gives me the Heebie Jeebies...I have witnessed the very same thing with my Cousin and her Mom and estranged Dad..

Thanks for sharing this Brilliant story with us! 5 Stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ WOOF!

So, he mother convinced her that her father was off "licking his wounds," and it didn't occur to her to reach out to him?

A simple test of whether she could change would be for TJ to stand up to her and TELL her that he was going to stay and work with his father.

So, though she appreciates his help in raising her, she no longer needs him, so he should no longer try to see her?!

Any pain he inflicted at the meeting as FAR more offset by the pain he saved them.

@ReedRichards, she didn't LOSE one parent, she threw him away. And he wouldn't have taken out his "BTB revenge" on his daughter if she had been a loving daughter and shown signs that she would be a true loving wife. He was "sabotaging" his daughter because it had to be done, he took no pleasure in it.

Refreshing to have something new

One has to read carefully to put it all together--but it's a gripping, emotionally powerful story, and unlike any I've read on Lit before. Great job!

Thanks, ohio

Couldn't do anything about his ex but live well. Nicely done.

Saved another from going through what he had. Nicely done.

A different take and awesome to see.

Still the story felt a bit "flat" emotionally.

5*

Don't know how you conceived the story but I enjoyed it. Sad.....yes but stimulating. Thought provoking. I am old and truthfully have seen several families self destruct like this. His fault....her fault who cares but when children are involved, hard and even bitter choices are made.

Thanks again

Ed

5* good plot, well executed. The writing was good overall. There were some needed dialog tags. The Barcelona hotel characters were a little confusing. Yes, it was sad but I don't think Loving Wives is, on the whole, a happy category. NO one who does a BTB or has to consider reconciliation is doing it because they're happy. Something bad had to happen first. (There are exceptions).

What a great story. I almost didn't read it. One of the best. I was somewhat estranged from my two Sons at one time and can appreciate his pain.

The idea was pretty good, but holy shit! You introduced a few dozen people in two paragraphs, none of them especially memorable. Maybe try a description with a name and spread out the names over several paragraphs with some action or dialogue in between.

Fred, a big guy with hairy knuckles, told Martha, his wife with the biggest tits I ever saw outside a DQS story, and her sister Sue, a woman with only one arm, to go get him some coffee, cream but no sugar.

... 'Cause, whether you want it or not, there's a fairly good chance the kids you would have would also turn into cunts.

Glad to see the good guy prevailed and ultimately gets his happiness... but, still, a very sad story. It's always awful to read about parents losing their children; it's even worst when those children aren't even dead.

Great story, overall... but the hell was that:

"Tim and his family stayed in Pittsburgh for several days that weekend..."

I think there's a 'AFTER' missing in that line there...

Just some little nitpicking. As I said before, overall, kudos.

One of the hardest mental diseases to treat.

Your story resonated with me over the family estrangement issue. I haven't seen my grown children in over 25 years and probably won't see them before I die. Not my choosing.

I agree with most. Overall, it was original and well done. I enjoyed it. I do agree with others who said all the names in the beginning was confusing. I had to read it 3 times to get them all set in my brain. I also think you went a little overboard when describing Tim's achievements. For a while I thought his photography was going to win the Pulitzer and he would go on to cure world hunger and create world peace. At least you didn't go quite that far.

Still, like I said, well done.

I kind of saw what was coming, but was still a good read. Sad story though.

A tale of love and sacrifice.

Let's look at this objectively. Tim hasn't seen his daughter for 13 years, since she was 17. So he shows up to her engagement party and completely trashes her? It's one thing if he had access to her recently and had first hand knowledge that she had issues. However, people change big time between teenage years and 30 years old.

I don't believe it was his place at all to do that. Plus, if he truly loved his daughter, that he raised till she was 17, he would want her to end up with a good man, so that she would have a chance at a happy life (if her mother had steered her wrong like he believed).

It's one thing if he sat down with TJ and said "son, my relationship with Yasmine went downhill because of this, this and that." And IF TJ saw similarities or things to worry about Audrey acting that way then TJ could connect the dots. But you don't throw your daughter under the bus, especially when you haven't had contact with her for 13 very formative years. Almost all teenagers are narcissists, moody and assholes. He has no way to know how she has turned out since then.

With fathers like that who needs enemies? Imagine if your dad who had gone through a bitter divorce, hasn't seen you for 13 years, trashes you like he did BEHIND YOUR BACK to your future in-laws, based on how you were at 17 and how he assumes that you took after your mom who he hates. Imagine if you were a trouble making teenager, but had completely reformed yourself, and your father who hasn't seen your reformation or knows anything besides you as a teenager back stabs you like that.

Tim gets in the middle of the conversation about how Audrey should cut Beth some slack. He hasn't seen her for 13 years. How does he know that there aren't reasons that Audrey is suspicious of Beth's motives? How does he know that Audrey hasn't seen Beth flirt with TJ and that Beth hadn't even told Audrey that she will steal TJ from him? He makes so many assumptions based on how he thinks Yasmine was, and that Audrey must be just like her. In fact, the fact that Beth ended up with TJ makes one think that there were reasons to be concerned about Beth's motivations towards TJ right?

The other "proof" that she was narcissistic. She is an attorney interested in the political world and he has a degree in mechanical engineering that he could do anywhere. If her interest is in staying in DC then she tries to convince TJ to stay there too. And obviously she had done that. If TJ didn't want that then he could either try to convince her that they go back to Pittsburgh. If they cannot settle the impasse then they separate. But if he tried to convince her that they needed to move to wherever because that's the only place that he could do his job is that a sign that he is a narcissist?

Bottom line she could have major issues, and maybe she doesn't. He wasn't in a place to be able to tell having been completely separated from her for 13 years. On top of that you don't throw your kids under the bus like that. It's not like she was a serial killer or something. At worst, if he was right, she MIGHT make him unhappy and he will want to divorce her.

This is a story that I haven't read before in LW. It was not a pleasant story, but a very good one. It's difficult to imagine the pain a father would feel after having to do this to a daughter. Even the feeling of having done the right thing would be bitter. It would have been great to read that letter from the daughter. It must have been something to force him to make the decisions he did.

You leave and tell her sorry not interested in having anything to do with you.

it is Mellon, not Melon.

There are many ways a woman can be a bad wife.

Though most colorful, cheating is only one of those ways.

Nice to see a story dealing with other ways.

The only problem I have with this story,

as with many other stories here,

is that the plot is so black or white.

More colors make a story more believable.

4 out of 5 from me.

"He smiled as his daughter danced with the groom.'' Took me a little while to work it out.

the dubious pleasure of knowing a male version of the daughter. He has almost precisely the same attitudes and behaviour. Fortunately, I have managed to excise him from most of my life...I say most since my wife continues to forgive him again and again, citing "mother's love" as her motivation. I am very thankful that he is no spawn of mine, thank goodness.

I;m hesitant to reply, since you obviously have your mind made up, but I feel that I have to point out some facts to you.

1) When his daughter is told that he's "off licking his wounds," it NEVER occurred to her to go to him and give him some comfort?

2) They haven't spoken in SIX years, and NOT by his choice.

3) He's had no contact? You DID read this line, didn't you? "she addressed me as Tim, not Daddy, and requested that I no longer try to see her."

4) He accurately pointed out aspects to her personality that TJ's parents had already seen themselves and were concerned about.

First, it doesn't matter why they didn't have contact. The point is that they did not. Second, they haven't spoken in 6 years, but haven't met for 12-13 years. A birthday card or notes passed back and forth a few times a year doesn't mean he is privy to what's going on in her life.

We are hearing his version of events, right? So we don't know why she chose not to have contact with him. Was it because he was a bad father? Was it because her mother made her choose sides? Was it because she blamed him for the divorce (fairly or not)? Was it because she felt abandoned him having left for another city, and wasn't there for her on a regular basis, so she didn't want sporadic contact? Lots of kids feel abandoned by a parent during a divorce. It doesn't matter if her feelings were illogical, the point is she for whatever reasons didn't want to have contact with him.

But bottom line is you don't scuttle ANYONE'S marriage or life based on assumptions, and not having concrete facts, much less your own children's. There is no way he would know who she at this point. Especially when 13 years ago was when she was 17 years old.

What he did was purely out of revenge against her and her mother. He came there with an agenda. From moment one he was pissing over his ex. And then he kept on butting his nose into things that were none of his business, not being aware of the situation. TJ was an adult. Audrey wanted to live in DC and she had convinced TJ to live there. What is it of any of his business to butt in that "I thought you would want to be in business with your father" bullshit. He was going to read anything she did as her acting out like her mother.

If your father happened to be a heavy drinker and someone who knew your father, but hasn't seen you since you were a teenager saw you at a gathering with a beer in your hand, and he says in front of everyone "wow, you're a drunk like your dad, huh?"

Bottom line it doesn't matter why he didn't have contact with her, the point was that he hadn't between 17 and 30. He had no way to know how she was now. He came there with an agenda which was evident from the very beginning going after his ex. And then when the daughter leaves he totally throws her under the bus. It was pure revenge. Nothing else.

At the very beginning of a story, we readers depend on statements of RELEVANT fact to establish setting, characters, etc.

So when I read "daughter dancing with the groom" I expected his daughter to be a prominent bit of the story, and have some sort of non-trivial relationship the with groom. Why else would such information be in the first paragraph?

Setting behind the parents? A meaningless statement attempting to draw some, any, inference that might disorient the reader. At a wedding, ALL guests set behind EITHER the parents of the bride or the parents of the groom. Setting WITH the parents would be important and imply family/social relationship.

A couple of paragraphs later it became clear that the author was deliberately lying to the readers, wanting them to assume incorrect facts.

My understanding of who was who and what they were involved with dropped dramatically. My confusion never ceased until virtually the end of the story.

The author may try and count coupe on me for staying hoodwinked. I trust the great judge in the sky will void the mark as blatant, not subtle.

The "daughter" is a person listed in a family tree the MC married. Nothing more than a name.

The "relationship" is no more than the groom doing his social relationship at a wedding by dancing with non-eligible women.

Setting "behind" is irrelevant, except by its inclusion which tries to make the irrelevance relevant, which it isn't. Did you want us to falsely assume only a casual relationship between MC & TJ?

You had enough impact by announcing the painting and the education/job assists the MC gave TJ, (who was actually the main subject of the story). Setting the context before presenting the letter was excellent, if not the primary key to the story.

DON'T TRY TO BE SO CUTE. If I weren't a compulsive reader, my confusion would've never let me reach the end. Cut the first paragraphs and start the story with "After how the engagement meeting..."

What we need now is for Yasmin to write her version of events leading up to the divorce, and Audrey to write her story from her early childhood onward.

Our unhappy Tim character here is really feeling the hurt from times gone by and his version of events can hardly be considered to be dispassionate and objective. For somebody to do as he has done here is extreme, to say the least. When somebody does something like this, are they really doing it out of concern for others, or to wreak revenge on somebody who they feel has done them wrong?

To give Jmmj5 his due as others have done, it is a different story from the usual LW effort, and generally well written.

Although, as Kimi and HDK indicated, a bit more separation of all the characters in introducing them in the story would have been helpful. I know a couple of Tims who are called TJ, and that alone was a problem, without all the others being tossed in so quickly.

Lue

Outstanding story - a first of this type I've ever read [Ohio's comment nailed it], a definite solid 5*, just for originality! The comments just show all that THEY need to READ and COMPREHEND before writing foolish comments.

Complaining comments missed the logic & common-sense(s) (disclosed later in the story), i.e. the dancing daughter had to be Loren (most assumed other), sitting behind the parents was due to his involvement with TJ's Eagle Scout project and the marriage was NOT to Audrey. Which 'not paying' as the brides father was a dead give away - but the readers ASSumed Audrey - then cried when their logic was flawed, funny actually!

I did have to go back and find 'Beth' as I lost track of who she was. But no Audrey visitation in ~12yrs, rudely snubbed on the graduation/trip, no talks in +6yrs, she was her mothers child and he paid dearly in the divorce. Then to discover Audrey is a lobbyist lawyer... Run Dr. TJ run.....

Tim was a man of honor in saving TJ from the glitter of a wedding by informing the groom of his past associations with Audrey - that took some real guts to admit Tim's failure and spare TJ the same fate. One thing all commenters seem to miss is Tim was just the messenger it was up to TJ to act upon the message or not. Obviously, TJ looked and rightfully ran! Hooyah, Salute!

So, his daughter DIDN'T say she went on vacation with her mother so she wouldn't have to be alone, although mother's boyfriend was going with her?

His daughter DIDN'T tell him not to try to see her any more? Before anyone tries to say it was because he was a lousy father, her greeting when he arrived at TJ's parents' doesn't indicate that.

Knowing that, according to her mother, Tim was off "licking his wounds," she DID go and comfort him?

She WASN'T trying to control her fiance?

She DIDN'T have little care whether the new laws she was helping get passed were good or not?

Much of what he said about her was confirmed by TJ's parents' own observations.

Some of the things were told by the 3rd person narrator, not Tim.

Was he lying about doing all the good father things? She "appreciated his help in raising her," not exactly an indication that he was anything less than a good father.

Audrey and Yasmine DIDN'T ostracize each other? Again, that's from the narrator, not Tim.

There was no indication that when TJ confronted her about her lack of a relationship with her father that she denied or defended it, again, from the narrator.

The bottom line is, we can SPECULATE all we want about what WASN'T written, but the only information we have is what WAS written, and that's what we have to base our judgement on.

"One thing all commenters seem to miss is Tim was just the messenger it was up to TJ to act upon the message or not." - EXCELLENT point! Presumably TJ looked at some of the things Tim mentioned, like her reaction to arguments, and talked to her about how she treated her father, and didn't like what he saw/heard.

IF, as others have posited, it was all just Tim being bitter, TJ was intelligent, would have seen that, and gone through with the wedding.

There was ONE Tim, the MC. TJ was Theodore.

@KRD19254, your point about Tim being the messenger, but TJ making the decision.

Let's switch the story around a bit to two different families, but similar scenarios. Wife comes to her son's engagement party. She has been estranged from her son for 13 years, since he was 17. She sees the son have one beer while they are together. And she finds out that her son and his fiance just graduated from college and her son wanted them to move Miami because he was a marine biologist and he needed to be there instead of Pittsburgh.

So when the son and his fiance leave, she tells the future in-laws I can't believe David is drinking. His father was a heavy drinker and alcoholic and David had so many of his characteristics growing up, it looks like he is on the road to be a heavy drinker as well.

Then she goes on to say how her ex moved her from her city and that isolated her from her family and friends so that he could control and abuse her. That she is so worried about her son's fiancee, since she sees this move as an attempt to isolate her as well.

Now wouldn't the in-laws and the fiancee be concerned at this point? After all his mother has these concerns, and they didn't know his father was an alcoholic. Forget that the mother hasn't seen him or interacted with him since he was 17, and he is now 30.

Bottom line, it's possible that Audrey has issues like her mother, could have had mild issues, or none at all. There is no way he would know if she did or not since he hasn't been in touch with her for 13 years since she was a teenager. He had no business throwing a daughter under the bus like that. TJ and the in-laws had much more recent interactions with her (years' worth) than he did at that point, and they were intelligent and well-educated people. Rumors and innuendos, especially when coming from supposedly inside information, can wrongly poison people's minds.

@Sbrooks103x your point about the narrator giving his viewpoint on certain stuff. You missed my whole point. A story is an author pushing a certain point of view. This author obviously was pushing a certain point of view. So the narrator is not a neutral third party first of all. Second, even the narrator (as biased as he would be) never tells us why Audrey decided to cut off contact with the father. We only have his perception. A 17 year old not considering that her father may be "licking his wounds" and needed her makes her a narcissist? Who knows what happened back then anyway.

However, we do know one thing about the father. He is a vindictive dick. Can you imagine your father, who hadn't seen you between 17 and 30, fucking you over like that to your fiancee and in-laws based on his assumption that maybe you're a narcissist like your mother? Not that you exhibited signs of being a sociopath killer in the past (were setting things on fire, torturing animals, etc). That you must be controlling and selfish like your mother and you should get away? The only person they should have immediately asked to leave was the father.

It's the Tim and the TJ that's the problem, not the Theodore. In my mind, as reader, I have also known a couple of Tims that were called TJ in conversation. The confusion occured in my mind as I was reading it.

A bit of consideration on the part of an author will give the characters distinct names that are less liable to be confused in a reader's mind.

Add to that to the introduction of all the characters within one or two paragraphs as Kimi and HDK said, and you have an unnecessary difficulty created for the reader in reading the story.

Lue

Short, unique, effective. As a kid from a family with one bad sibling, I will point out sometimes people are untrustable/ignoble even with two good parents.

So, YOU know some Tims called TJ, therefore the author shouldn't have a character named TJ in a story with a Tim? At the very beginning, TJ is introduced, "TJ, the groom, also known as Theodore Johnson Fritz." I don't believe that your attention span couldn't remember that for two pages.

I really enjoyed that story! so much so I wish there was either a prequel or a follow up to it. My only point that I would add is that if the daughter truly sank to the same level as her mother(which she obviously did) her narcissism would want to stay connected to her dad simply because of how successful he became. Narcissist are users and a rich dad with famous friends seems like a gold mine for someone like her.

Another case of Johnadp spouting nonsensical drivel.

your fucking funny and not in a good way. your just pissed that the dad had balls enough to save another from the bitch he was going to marry. It happened to be a well trained bitch he helped sire. So he felt obligated to save another from dying a slow pain full death. Hell every part of your comment happens everyday on this website, that's why its called "loving wives". Its just in the case a man won and that pisses your cuckold lover ass off. So don't go away mad......just go away!

I enjoy the comments you write given your ethical sensibilities. So, if you think the father was wrong to share his concerns the way he did, what would you do given the evidence that you have and the inferences you made of your daughter and her behavior towards you and others over the years?

On a related point: You blow right by the father’s experience of his daughter. Why? He hands the parents her letter to him written when she was 22. That doesn’t sound like the doings of someone who is the age of being a “self-absorbed narcissistic teenager who could grow out of it” to me; does it to you?

The nail in the coffin of TJ and his parents behavior is the evidence of her letter to him which he gave them. If anyone has an unfulfilled ethical duty it is these people. They should have shared the letter and it’s contents with the young woman and asked her about what the father had said. They didn’t and the question as to why is critical here. Sometimes the absence of information is as important as its presence. Why did they not confront his daughter? What is your inference about that decision? And that is my last question to you ...

Ah, cuckadp white-knighting for evil bitches yet again.

"It was pure revenge. Nothing else."

No, idiot. Once again, you prove just how stupid you are, by entirely missing the point of the story.

"I have no doubt that if TJ marries, Audrey, he will very shortly be terribly, terribly unhappy; even miserable."

This is not about revenge. Tim is heartbroken that Audrey has turned into a clone of her twisted mother and cut him out of her life... but he doesn't want TJ to suffer through the hell he endured.

All your arguments about Audrey being young and changing over the years are nonsense. Why? Because if she had changed, and was no longer a narcissistic little bitch, she would have reached out to her father after all this time and apologised for treating him like shit. Instead, she's focused on controlling and manipulating her fiancé.

When a woman gets married, her relationship with her father is always going to be front and centre in her mind. The father has a pivotal role in a marriage and any fiancée planning the big event, would be constantly reminded of that fact. Tim should have been walking her down the aisle, sitting at the head table, giving a father-of-the-bride speech, and having a father and daughter dance.

But has Audrey even reached out to him? Taken this opportunity to mend bridges and repair the relationship she burned so that he can attend?

Of course she hasn't, because she's a conniving little cunt just like Tim feared she'd turn out to be. Audrey has lied her ass off to the in-laws about her relationship with her father, because she knows that her treatment of him reflects very badly on her.

"She appreciated my help in raising her, but she no longer needed my help and hadn't for some time."

Audrey had no clue that he'd remarried, or that she had a 10-year-old half-brother, because she didn't give the slightest shit about her father or his life. She's a sociopath that uses people as tools and tosses them aside when they're no longer useful.

And you're actually defending this monster?

"Let's switch the story around a bit to two different families"

The really amusing thing about these examples you come up with, is that they're like shining a spotlight on just how stupid you are.

"She sees the son have one beer while they are together."

"she tells the future in-laws I can't believe David is drinking. His father was a heavy drinker and alcoholic... it looks like he is on the road to be a heavy drinker as well."

Yeah, that would be unreasonable. But that's not what happened in the story.

Tim asks the parents if they've already witnessed incidents of Audrey's narcissistic and controlling behaviour. They have. To use your alcoholism example, it would be like asking if the parents had ever noticed any signs of David's excessive drinking. They then confirm that he's been hammered on several occasions and their daughter mentioned finding empty whisky bottles stashed in the bin.

"Then she goes on to say how her ex moved her from her city and that isolated her from her family and friends so that he could control and abuse her. That she is so worried about her son's fiancee, since she sees this move as an attempt to isolate her as well."

Err... what? Your example was about the son becoming an alcoholic, not controlling and abusing. Did you forget in the space of one paragraph?

"Now wouldn't the in-laws and the fiancee be concerned at this point?"

If the behaviour they'd observed confirmed the mother's concerns about alcoholism... yes, of course they would! That's exactly what happens in the story. Tim asked if they'd seen evidence of Audrey being a controlling and manipulative narcissist... and they realised they'd experienced it several times.

Audrey hung herself here. Tim just pointed out the warning signs to the parents who already had concerns!

Wow just been reading the comments here, you guys get really worked up over a couple of pages of prose don’t you lol.

Lighten up for christsakes, you didn’t like the story? Big deal just move on.

Most of you wasted more time writing your comments that it took to read the story.

There is never going to be a perfect story on this site. If you didn’t like it take heart in that you only took half an hour reading it.

Yes it was obvious after a couple of lines what was happening, so maybe predictable is a fair criticism, but for all that it was still an enjoyable journey.

There’s a cliche saying those who can’t write, teach. It would be more fitting here to say those who can’t write, criticise.

I would have preferred that Tim have a little more backbone when dealing with his ex-wife and daughter and possibly meted out some revenge on the two of them, but this was a well told story. Not too often that a Father sinks his daughter's engagement. In the end why wouldn't Tim feel that he deserved to be happy? The best laugh in this story was the cat fight in the comments! Too funny for words.

Thanks for the fresh plot and interesting character interplay. Excellent clarity of characters given a two page format. A full development of this plot would be novel or movie worthy.

Approaching the parents like that was an unbelievable bit of courage by Tim. A good guy indeed.

Is a Life Well Lived!!!

The world needs a lot more men like Tim.

No one should have to go through what his Wicked family put him through

He did the brave and right thing saving TJ from years of misery.

It would be interesting to see a follow up story on Audrey. Her side of the story, perhaps karma does a number on her and she wises up to the fact that she was a not a very nice person and reconnects with her father.

Reading again. This excellent story caused a lot of interesting comment. This is a very solid author and a favorite.

Read this again just now and remember what a touching story it is. It would be useless to do any sort of revenge tale on his daughter or ex-wife. Their self-centeredness and narcissism would just deflect any negative tales back on Tim. That is something he does not need or deserve. It's so enjoyable to see TJ end up in a loving marriage instead of the misery Audrey would have brought him.

I would have recommended that Tim and Yasmine undergo counseling. Tim should have requested it. Why? Narcissism is on the Psychological Book (can't remember proper name of book). It is a diagnosis that could have cost her custody of her daughter regardless of Audrey's preferences. Yasmine would be considered mentally ill and unstable and unsuitable to have custody.

Concise story.

Good story.Wojld have liked to know what happened to Audrey.

As an Eagle Scout since 1961, thank you. Lots of the old scouting values espoused in the story. Well written and entertaining. Thank you (gee, that’s 60 years)

Another superb work! What a unique plot. I felt Tim's pain while reading. Lobbyist was the perfect job for someone of Audrey's character.

Little story with unique albeit meager plot really short on details. Using a lot of stereotypes to paint "Audrey" shallow and selfish but I guess that was the whole idea of the story.

I think the prequel would be in order to understand "Yasmine"'s motivation.

By the way, I am not so sure that relationship between expected bride and her father would stop a wedding, regardless of the circumstances. (See Meghan Markle and her family for a reference.

Again, just a great story. Don't think I've ever seen another one like it.

What a great story, not only a father’s love, respect for a good boy and the mother and daughter from hell. Really well worked and unusual plot. Riveting and a great finish.

Agreed with Johnadp.

All the people insulting him and claiming the MC is some kind of stand up guy.

Blood is thicker than water.

You DON'T shit on your kids, no matter how much they hurt your feelings.

Any so called man who does that is the lowest form of weak mindless filth.

Some here so desperately want to see the birches burned at any and all cost.

Not a single one of them will ever approach being a real man, they are pathetic and I truly hope none of them have kids because the kids deserves infinitely better.

Interesting story about a pathetic worm of a man 4*

Skip whatever brain damage swedishreader1 thought was some great universal truth. Seems he took it a might personally, perhaps his worthless ex turned his equally worthless brat against him and he begged like a little pathetic worm to allow him to lick their boots.

Nothing he did was wrong, might be a bit over the top, but beyond that, sorry kid, when your child dumps on you like trash only a truly pathetic worm takes it. You can love your child and still make sure they take their lumps. Not sure but you may make a good cuck Swedishreader1. You really, really would.

There are children who never really growup/mature and actually do treat a parent this way. Audrey was a 30 y.o. adult who was just a terrible person. End of discussion. I've witnessed this first hand and it almost ALWAYS involved a parent who was intent on treating their Ex in as shitty a way as possible. No matter how decent the other parent tries to be, if one party is determined to erase the other one from existence and make it difficult for them to see the kids...then it's no wonder the kids end up resentful or hateful. Seen it happen to several families. And no, the ostracized parent did nothing awful, just the normal shortcomings and failings that EVERY parent has.

Sad story.

Are people really like Audrey, it's like she's without whole gambit of feelings. She has only the negative kind, anger, jealous, etc.

Very accurate description of young women in the USA 🇺🇸 there’s always hope the next generation will see the light

Ouch. That was a grim story. I've never thought I could sympathize with someone who cut off his own children, but in this case it was warranted.

Really like this author’s stories - the emotions always seem to be true.

For get Swedishreader1’s stupid comments. If your children turn on you after you try for years to repair the damage caused by divorcing your narcissist cheating wife, then they are no longer YOUR children. They are only YOUR cheating ex-wife’s children. He did the right thing by warning TJ off from marrying his narcissist daughter!

Ouch. The story was/is a reflection of my first marriage. I did escape after 10 years, thank God. Found a real lady and am still married to her.

Well done.

This story was painful for me.

My son, to whom I gave all of heart, wrote off one day without so much as a thanks and goodbye. Simply ghosted me.

I cried for two years before I could let go.

All I left of him is the little boy that had lived me so much.

This story brought back that pain but, aside from that it was wonderful.

Thank you

Highcountryrider

A truly nice story.

Narcissism is a silent and deadly deprecator of human lives. 5/5.

Good story. 2nd time reading.

And @swedishreader.

I wonder if Jose and Kitty Menendez wondered about how "blood was thicker than water" right before their psychotic sons murdered them? I lean they were family. Right?

See sometimes no matter how hard you try...family members turn out to be bad people. They do bad things. They hurt people.

So...if in fact you KNOW a family member is a horrible and awful person? And that family member is going to do something that will harm other people. And you know this is the case? You are just supposed to not "shit on them"? Let them harm other people?

In my opinion if this is how someone is? Then you are a gigantic piece of shit.

In cases of physical violence. Confirmed narcissism or sociopathy. Mental health. Abuse. Or criminal activity. Then fuck you. I'm gonna spare the innocent and turn in my family member. Call it betrayal. Maybe I'm an asshole.

But if one of my kids was a sociopath and incapable of actually having feelings for anyone else but themself? If they were incapable of empathy? I would cut them out of my life. As would most sane and rational people.

So I think that tells us something about your sanity and rationality?

So sad, but very common in this day. Judgement day: "Honor thy Father and Mother"!

5 stars

There seemed to be a real disconnect in Audrey's behavior. As she was finding out all the amazing things her Dad had done since she last saw him I got the impression that she was kind of sad and shocked that she didn't know all these things about his life.

Them all of the sudden she's a manipulative, narcissistic bitch who treats her fiance like crap.

Good story but, the portrayal of Audrey was very uneven.

I find several of the 10 commandments to be conditional, the marriage ones that don't have exceptions are adultery, coveting, stealing and bearing false witness. All the others are up for editing (some people need to be dead, bad parents don't deserve respect, etc...) get my drift?

I disagree with @miket0422 and did not think Audrey's behaviour uneven. Her being schocked about her father's life doesn't make her less narcissistic, nor would wishing she was a part of knowing famous people.

AUDREY WAS A REAL BITCH!! TIM DID WHAT WAS RIGHT.....WHY LET TJ SUFFER LKKE HE DID

This needs the front story.

Poor Swedishreader1.....I think he finally realized his kids are actually mine. Also, tell your partner she left her thong on my mailbox again.

An ok story missing some important background information and a part of the epilogue concerning the daughter.

Wow talk about eating a bowl full of Dogshit even in a first person telling this authors protagonist is a fucking Cuckold Pussy🤣🤣

excellent

Thanks for sharing...

I’m glad that I found this story once again, it s refreshing with a well thought out scenario that differs from the mainstream.

My 2nd time reading this short, amazing glimpse of a self-centered woman, men are this way too. Reminds me of a statement I read on this site. Young children of divorced parents have sad life long wishes of what could have been. Young children that are survivors of a parent's death have happy memories of that parent. Not sure I worded this correctly, but it gives "us" something to think about.

Some strong words from Swedishreader about how nobody should betray family no matter what.

It begs the question about Swedishreader? Did this fucking moron actually read this story and pay attention to the details?

It leads to the next question...if he did? His reading comprehension level must be on par with a 3rd grader. Which means he must be mentally challenged as an adult and maybe we should cut him some slack?

Because if an adult level of understanding is applied here...you learn that this cunt of a "daughter" had already shut him completely out of her life a half dozen years before. To the point she no longer referred to him as daddy or dad or any other term of endearment. He was just "Tim" to her and she actually wrote him to tell him to never contact her again.

From the story you learn he raised her and was a good father. Sacrificed. Put up with a horrible marital situation. Was deeply involved in her life until he divorced her mother when she was 17. She cut him completely out of her life. Like a sociopath. Like a narcissist. Like a failure as a human being.

I have 5 children. If any of my 5 children ever treated me this way? Did this to me? I'd do exactly what this man did. I'd warn their future spouse that they were about to marry an evil, unfeeling sociopath.

Lucky for me my children all turned out to be fairly well adjusted, empathetic human beings. Not perfect. But good people, kind and capable of learning from their mistakes.

But I guess because of my feelings on this...that in the same situation...a child I raised who turned out to be a sociopath...who felt nothing for anyone else. Cut me out of her life? Told me she never wanted to talk to me ever again? That I'd warn her potential spouse before they married? Well...I guess that makes me "a worm of a man" as well?

Nope. It makes me a decent human being for doing the right thing.

Now...allow me to regress my comments down to a level that Swedishreader's comprehension level will understand.

Hey you fucking idiot. Learn to actually read and pay attention to the details of a story before you post comments that make it clear you are emotionally and intellectually retarded. Better yet. Just go away and never comment on here again you moron.

Did you get that pumpkin?

There is a big difference between self-centered and narcissism. The latter is truly devastating in a family member. *shudder*

Very sad, but well written, and true to that sort of person. Those of us who've lived it know exactly what sort of soul-sucking exhaustion those people cause, no matter how much energy or love you try to pour into them.

As you said at the introduction, it is not the usual LW plot but it was a good read because it took such a different viewpoint. I like your writing. Thanks

Swedishreader, "blood is thicker than water" is arguably the most bastardized saying of all time. The correct saying is " the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb". Its the exact opposite of what the corrupted saying means. It's the not people we are related to that matter, but rather, the people who WE chose to be on our lives that do.

5 stars - I really dislike narcissistic, bullies and self-centered people in general (basically Trump wannabees) and this story highlighted those characteristics rather well.

Please keep writing.

Have a nice day

Boy, you guys were right about swedishreader, he (or she) really is a piece of work. Not much better is xhristianj, who is no more than a one-trick pony. If a sentence doesn’t contain the word “cuck” he doesn’t know how to write it. Oh well, one in every crowd.

Great story, jmmj, thanks for sharing. I’ve been in a similar situation with my older daughter and it’s painful as hell. But I really enjoyed this story.

Five stars.

Wow! Superb writing. Great plotline. Fantastic understanding of the human condition. Five superhypernovas.

LPN is right on the money about narcissism.

And as for blood being thicker than water, that saying was used in an attempt to beat me into submission for years. I utterly reject it today - along with "Family" when capitalised and used as a club. Of course Cain demonstrated just how dysfunctional a family member could be.

Awesome story really enjoyed it! You have to be from Pittsburgh to know the term Sister Bridges. Clemente, Warhol and Rachel Carson. Thanks!