All Comments on 'The Envelope'

You need to work on your narrative. It comes across somewhat mechanical. It's almost like reading a history book or non-fiction, rather than fiction. It's as if you're being too direct and "just the facts". There needs to be more feeling in the writing.

It's pretty good for your third story. One thing that I felt was it was too repetitive. Having her refuse to talk about it so many times without really providing anything new, was too much.

Keep it up!

KB

Sorry good story and all but all I can say is Brian is one lucky total jackass. Any man who acts this way as he did needs a life. Why can't she see how much this hurts me, It didn't happen to me but why can't she see the pain it causes me.. Boo hooo booo hooo. Wake up and smell the roses Brian, she was the ine that went through he'll and was too ashamed to tell you. She was the one that not only got hurt by Mark but also by you. (I know the story isn't real. just taking time to say how stupid this point of view is. ) like I said good enough story but any guy that acts this way needs to pull his head out. Brian is lucky this story has a happy ending , in Zero thanks to him.

Definitely one of the best, in a long while. No finger pointing, just honestly

Thanks again 5*

. . . why didn’t Brian get a PI himself? If he was that suspicious, and wouldn’t believe Hayley, that should have been the obvious step.

what a cad both men were

Brian is one giant flaming Asshole ! he had No reason to believe she was cheating on him..he chased,wooed,and married a widow w/ two kids and now is outraged by things that happened before he married her? i think he damaged their marriage,they may still stay together but it won't be the same...sad....stlcris

the tradition cuckold man. gets off on it, ruins families, blackmails women. the usual 'progressive' male feminist. (hey, the stats of sexual abuse and political affiliation don't lie) And the accidental cuckold man. "I AM their father...." Poor guy.

Yes, he has a nice fuck buddy. Yes, she honestly seemed like from her story, she'd make a lovely wife and mother BEFORE she got poisoned by 'you are fierce gurl' culture.

Now she's a lost cause. Two kids, different fathers, single, older, and less fertile. I mean the warning bells are all there. She's even 'career oriented'. Best case scenario is this poor man grows up a little, and his current waste of space girlfriend tries her most to make her kids and man feel like number one. It's all she has. She'll never get a better deal. That's all he can hope for. He's too nice to get a little on the side, or treat her like the side.

Good story. Moral of the story is don't seriously date single women with kids.

Why are men so stupid and insecure with themselves

I can see how this would be in real life. Not all the whoring and swinging but the idea that someone is hiding something and that makes the other suspect and can cloud their mind. You bring out the human nature and show how communication is very important in any relationship. Well done and thank you for writing.

She wants to save her marriage, but won't talk to him, driving him away.

It's only when it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and he file for divorce that she talks to him.

..fucked the complete arsehole off. It was NONE of his Business!

It’s one thing to need answers but if he accused her of cheating and he didn’t believe her then the marriage is over.

Lack of trust is the death knell and she deserves better. If he can’t accept that her past is HER past, then he might as well call it quits because he does not have the right to force her to surrender to him.

As far I’m concerned, she should divorce him and enjoy the alimony and child support he is going to have to pay.

Brian deserves the legal beatdown he would get.

If Hayley wanted so much to be a "one man woman", why did she keep the envelope with the pictures? Didn't it occur to her that Brian might find it by accident, which I guess is what happened, and come to the reasonable conclusion that his wife was very capable of cheating? Maybe she wanted to relive her experiences with other men from time to time? Or she just got used to living dangerously!

2/3 of the story was spent on a slow motion buildup to their relationships and him saying "Talk to me." and her saying "No.". Considering the trauma she went through it's probably somewhat realistic but tedious to read. Then at the end, she tells her story, which I had guessed already, and he just says "OK.". It's all kind of ho hum.

First she marries a guy who persuades her to have sex with a lot of other men. Then she reluctantly gets persuaded to marry again, this time to a genuine half-wit.

First, Mr. Cuck-Me-Please, then Brian, who immediately jumps to illogical conclusions.

Not a very believable story. And what's with all the random apostrophes and quotation marks? And who's Kayley?

Her relationship with Mark was with Mark, apparently quite different, and like most prior relationships private and raised at peril. Is he so unstable he doesn't know that?

I hope you next story has Brian getting Hayley back to being a slut!

Brian comes across as a complete asshole.

Even at the beginning, he's fairly pushy when she politely shuts him down, and then "nice guys" his way into a relationship. But after he wears her down, she actually gets into him, so it's all okay, right?

His bullheadedness in refusing to even try to contemplate anything other than "she's a cheater!" when she keeps trying to tell him it's complicated and she doesn't want to talk about it, is asinine. Was this supposed to be set back in the 1960s? The idea that they were swingers or that her husband was producing porn (or even just that she was being abused) seems so obvious that he comes off as an idiot for not even trying to figure out what other options there were.

Yeah, she should have been a little more straightforward when he threw the pictures in her face, but his level of reaction is so over-the-top that it feels like she would have been much better off without an asshole like this in her life.

I understood his reaction. Doubt can grow like a cancer. You told the story well and it was a new idea here. Congratulations.

has serious mental problems 0*

Original story, I liked the story and the spinning the author did to the cuckolding issue. It shows even though cuckold marriages do exist and the fetish is real, the dynamic of it seldom works for all involved. I can see the effort of the author in creating something different and original regarding a cuckold marriage. I can say, the author was in my opinion successful. You certainly got my 5*. Thanks for the story.

I enjoyed the concept you are trying to establish here. There were a few little mistakes. eg. Part the way through Haley's name changed to Kayle then back to Haley. There were a couple of times when she was meant to be a he and vise versa. I did feel the "Poor Me" part from Brian dragged on a little. As did the non explanation from Haley . And at times I felt that the conversation part of the story was too mechanical. Keep on writing as the more you write the more you improve and the more you will find the style you are trying to accomplish. Good luck with everything.

Apparently neither of them knew the original and traditional definition . . . where the husband DOES NOT KNOW about his wife's liaisons. They only know the modern, corrupted kink definition. That says something about them . . . not sure if it's good or not.

Good story though . . . he turned out to be somewhat okay . . . but his automatic assumption she cheated on Mark, and his need to know at the cost of his marriage doesn't bode well.

Creative plot idea, but the exe ution needs work. Still, I think good plots are rare here, so I am giving high marks. Stay at it!!!

Hey the guy is a good pseudo cuck, sterile and loyal to a whore of a wife.

Story didn't make sense. If Mark was pimping her, why did he have to hire a pi to get picture of her fucking other men, when hes the one that had her doing the fucking? After all he was there when it was happening. As for Brian what an asshole, he finds the pictures, confronts her, she tells him its in the past she doesn't want to talk about it, shes ashamed, he puts 2 and 2 together and comes up with shes cheated on Mark so shes cheating on me. So he moves out in a snit for weeks. If I recall correctly he persuade her, not her him.She actually told him she didn't wasn't a relationship at the moment, but he was relentless,to the point of being obnoxious, in my opinion. So when did he become the love of her life? In real life she would have agreed to the divorce, on what grounds, who knows. maybe, she woudnt tell me about her past and move on with her and her children lives. poor story, hard to believe.siG

Your writing can improve and it looks like you are working on it.

This was an interesting plot device and sparked ideas.

Thank you.

Great story! What a refreshing take on the "incriminating photographs" theme. In a relationship, when a doubt is created, it eats away the trust and confidence. The sooner the doubt is cleared conclusively, the better.

The Envelope raised serious doubts. A woman who had extramarital sex with several partners, even if it was in her past marriage, would raise serious questions about her fidelity in her current marriage. Here, she was hesitant to tell the whole truth because though she was pushed into cuckolding her previous husband, she too, no doubt enjoyed it - no smoke without fire. What changed the dynamic was that when she wanted to stop, she was blackmailed by her previous husband into continuing it until his death.

However, there is no evidence that she didn't continue the "liaisons dangerous" in her new marriage. So, I guess it is just love conquering all because her explanation about the envelope and its background was sure to have lead to a divorce anyway, which is why she allowed the divorce to proceed so far, believing as such.

Loved the story.

I think he found them in her late husband's papers. I think it's reasonable that she never went through them, though now that I'm saying that, she KNEW he had them, why didn't she destroy them?

The basic plot has merit. Your story of how they met and all that shit that went before the actual marital problem just bogs the story down rather than improve it. You switched tenses now and then. You need to use some sort of designation for the thoughts a character has. You need to repeat things less often. Add some action and emotion. It was a decent effort that could have been much better. Keep posting!

There are many "esteemed" writers on LW who are gifted writers technically, but who constantly rely on tired plot devices and stock characters to turn out a story. It's like having a Big Mac served at a "white table cloth" restaurant. Unfortunately, many readers reward "slick" but empty writing. While the technical side of your writing needs work, you have shown some interesting creativity. My only substantive criticism is please try to avoid bringing in the "magic counselor". It's the modern equivalent of visiting a witch doctor. Counseling is not more based on any verifiably effective discipline than casting horoscopes is. It's just a modern superstition. Someone who is "esteemed" and deserves it is Tod172. He ought to have a major publisher. No one should try to copy another writer's style, but he is a good example of someone who combines technical writing skill with substance....so does Creativitytakescourage.

A positive story, unfortunately a whole lot of nothing.

The message and the morality involved were good points. The method of taking a pebble and building a castle of it shows the level of embellishment involved. The story needs more beef to it.

I can understand his soliciting a lawyer to get her to open up. I can understand her reluctance to open up. It just goes to show that honestly is the BAST policy, especially in marital issues. The spouse should feel safe enough in their love that anything could be discussed. Yes, emotions can get in the way due to predetermined biases, but love should be enough for the two to openly discuss and reason things out between them.

A nice try.

Smokepole

good story I liked it,, one or two mistakes but that dosnt make it bad,, having the courage to post it Is a good thing,, id like to see more ,, don't give up,, thanks for sharing

He's such a total asshole that all I wanted to do was get my gun and blow a giant hole in him. People entering into second marriages have to know their partner has a past. BEFORE they get married they should talk about those pasts, decide and mutually agree as to exactly how much information they will share. If they can't agree -DON'T GET MARRIED! He has no reason and no excuse for acting in the manner he did. If he doesn't trust her, hire his own PI and get a report on her activities. That should be enough to put his concerns to rest. There's a special place in hell for men like Brian. But at some point the girls are going to have to know that they have different Fathers. As a Doctor and a Nurse their parents should understand that fact. In the end, my hatred for Brian killed any chance this had of being a good read. Some would say that a story that provokes that strong a feeling must have been well written. This was well written. I simply hated it. Go figure.

1 star

When the troubles began Brian says he met Hayley 10 years earlier when she was engaged to Mark. She was married to Mark for 7 years, 1 year later she and Brian start dating, and they marry one year after that. At the beginning of the story it says Brian found true contentment six years earlier when Hayley and the daughters came into his life. If he meant since he married Hayley then he must have first met her 15 years earlier. If he meant since they started dating then it’s 13 years. Either way it’s not 10 years. Sorry I’m a math nerd and that stuff just jumps up at me without me looking for it.

Haykey’s Name changed to Kayley a couple of times.

Not sure why commenters were so hard on Brian. Her past sexual history are none of his business, UNLESS it could affect him if she repeats the behavior. If she had cheated on Mark then the stats say she is more likely to cheat. And when she refuses to answer, but to add to that says if he knows the truth he would leave her for sure just adds fuel to the fire.

Not saying she is wrong and he is right. She had a valid reason to suggest it’s none of his business and wouldn’t affect him, and he had a valid reason to want to know. The incongruity was that each based their reasons on two sets of information, instead of the one each thought they had. What she knew to be the facts was critically different than what he assumed were the facts. Luckily Hayley wasn’t too stubborn to hold her ground, and he too old school to understand her lack of culpability. As to her enjoying the fucking by the other men, I would worry if my wife didn’t enjoy the sex. And he also had a wife who went far out of her comfort zone to please her husband (Mark). That’s a good thing to have in a wife.

The question remains though with mark blackmailing her did she have anything to do with his death? Umm, part two next question???

Just a thought statestreet, but do you think it’s possible that Mark, not intending to get killed and intending to continue blackmailing Hayley, had the pictures hidden someplace in the house and Brian just happened to run across them. What makes you think Hayley had any idea where they were?

Int…J I think this is a good story given it’s one of your first efforts. You did dwell too much on Brian’s hangup about knowing what happened before he was married to Hayley. If all men acted like that, the divorce rate would be even higher. Not only that, but it was beginning to get boring.

Everyone is calling Brian an asshole over his suspicions. It's not a great idea to be so secretive within a marriage, at least once the photos were out there. If she found a hidden picture of him smiling, covered in blood and surrounded by corpses while brandishing a butcher knife, it would be pretty dumb of him to refuse to answer any questions and he'd only have himself to blame when she then jumped to conclusions he could have stopped if only he wasn't so embarrassed of the c-grade horror movie he worked on in college.

good story. Real life. I do think she could have left out the part about enjoying it unless he directly asked her.

It was missing some logic. He professes that it does not matter since it was before, yet he never apologized for his gross lack of faith and his obsession with the envelope.

3*

not going to say it was a bad story, like beauty, it in the eye of the beholder. a lot of writing errors but what got me the most was u made the female too dumb to believe and the male was a bit dumb as well. if they were in their early 20s maybe, a 30s something nurse with 2 kids should have to much life experience to be that dumb. the dialog was a bit awkward as well

Any man who found pictures like that in her late husbands possesions is going to be suspicious. That’s a given. Unless he’s also looking to be a cuck. Leaving like he did seems over the top. I’d think normal would be to hire a pi, wire the house and have a pi follow her a bit. Since you make him a doctor, I’m assuming he could afford it. The commenters who denigrate him are deluded. Yeah everyone has a past but when you see evidence in first husbands possession that she may be a cheat, it’d be suspicious to have no suspicions.

you asked for C.C.

What stood out most for me was the constant repetition. I know sometimes you want to emphasize things but you have to find a way to do it without repeating the same words and phrases over and over again. I can't count how many times she said he would hate her and wouldn't want to touch her again.

The way I write dialogue is by talking to myself. I'm sure my neighbors think I'm crazy because at times I am playing both parts in an argument. I don't know how many black eyes I've given myself from fight scenes...(just kidding.)

Keep writing and working at getting better.

I agree, I hate back story that has nothing to do with the story. If there HAD to be back story, have her experiences with Mark described, no need to hide it from us!

Better, IMHO, tell the story from her POV. She's shocked that he has the pictures, can't figure out how to tell him, tells us in flashback how they came about, we go through her turmoil with her.

Resolution was too quick. Less time on back story leaves time to work on the resolution. Maybe they seek out the PI who can hopefully confirm that Mark knew exactly what was going on and it was all a set-up.

Hard to believe the characters don't trust enough to communicate with all that love but I've been married long enough to know it can be complicated and fearful sometimes. so, good twist.But I pat myself on the back for anticipating something like that though, - Still, Good read!

She kicked him in the balls and walked out of the party. She filed for divorce very soon after.

I thought the plot thin for such a long story. For example you might have had her change her hair style and hair color when her husband died, and have a guy recognize her from her gang bang days when she was with her second husband.

Logically her husband should have been in at least one picture. Most folks wouldn’t introduce boy friend to their kids unless they were getting serious. Him bringing gifts to the children should have resulted in her reaming him out. He should have asked her first

Oh well

Chilleywilley

Hell of a woman you described!

Nice story with a different twist. Thanks! 5*

of a man trying to relate the thoughts and emotions of an mentally and physically abused woman coerced into sex slavery. It was kind of awkward, and embarrassing.

Haley was intelligent and honest, and she would know she was entirely a victim of the scumbag Mark. Haley knew Mark had the photos and films, she had over a year after he died to find and destroy them. So Brian just happens upon them in Mark's old papers? Lame, and stupid.

It is a good plot idea, but the execution was without merit. Haley should hate Mark, and there is no reason why she would hide that from Brian. She may not tell all the details, but Brian should have already known that Haley was grateful that Mark was dead.

Thanks for the effort, but it was unnecessarily harsh on the wife, and unbelievable in terms of normal human thoughts and actions. Haley might as well have thought Brian would leave her for being raped? And the idea that Haley secretly loved all the sex she was getting is preposterous. I mean, a medical doctor coercing his wife to promiscuous, with strangers? You really think a condom is a guaranteed barrier to sexually transmitted disease?

Ridiculous.

".....and then I had Mark killed."

Seems it was her only way out of her private hell.

... and has no bearing on the kind of relationship Hayley has with Brian. He's acting like a baby, with the way he's blowing the whole thing so out of proportion (Having her served with Divorce papers? Oh, please!!) and he's lucky she didn't simply sign the papers and tell him to sling his hook!

It was clear that the events depicted in those pictures were very traumatic for her; events that she found so upsetting that she wanted to forget about them completely and destroy any evidence that they'd happened. The fact that Brian wouldn't let the issue of them drop indicates serious trust and self-confidence issues, on his part, and I do think that those issues will resurface in the future; despite them (seemingly) being resolved at the end of the story.

As to the story, itself, as others have said, it was pretty repetitious and went over the same ground several times, but I don't think it was a bad one. I did find I was rolling my eyes, at Brian's repeated stupidity over those pictures and his insistence on being told about the inner workings of Hayley's marriage to Mark, on more than one occasion, though. It's a 4*, from me; sadly, I can't compare notes (as per normal) with my "book worm" wife; 13 months to the day since I lost her.

Get an editor that can count 7+1+6=14 or hadn't they been together 6 years or wasn't 7 years after he met them that Mark died?

Brian was a bit of a dick not being clear why he needed the explanation and walking and serving her without further discussion. He's lucky she loved him as much as she did or his antics would have seen him single. It may not have been his business, except his wife was fucking 3 guys and the report said she was cheating, so just explain it and trust him not to hate you for how you acted before you were together. If he doesn't then he didn't love you as much as he claimed.

Overall I enjoyed it, it was an unusual angle for a LW story.

BTW a cuckold is any married man whose wife fucks another man. End of story, whether he knows or not. Every man that has divorced his wife for adultery is a cuckold.

Modern cuck fetish is usually portrayed as what is properly called a wittol, a willing cuckold. It is often, but not always, associated with elements of submissive behaviour specifically to the wife, sometimes to the wife's lover too.

Get the meanings correct if you are going to pull someone on them in the comments.

....stupid ending...the husband just gave in to easily. She said that her first husband wan blackmailing her with those pictures but she had tons of people who knew she was not been unfaithful, they were having an open relationship, so if she really wanted the divorce she had witness on her side.

I don't think a husband will trust a woman with her history.

Not a bad story at all. Liked the way you tell it. You can only get better.

I like the way you play with emotions.

sorry dude, but the ending was too quick and painless, great build up but the ending sucked... nothing more to say

I like this tale of woe and redemption and you write very well. However, I don’t feel that you stuck the ending. I do look forward to more of you stories.

Thanks

Brian is a first order wuck fit. He pursues Hayley relentlessly, gets her, then wants to divorce her because she has a secret from before they got together? FFS

Finish the Damn Story, Black Randi, and even Matt Moreau, I think how easy it is to write several pages. Then I read seething like this, and see how disjointed, stiff, amateurish most stories are. The emotionless repetition of Revelations do NOT make for pleasant reading. Stories like this make clear the difference in ability and craft in expressing even a simple tale.

What a screwed up story. He persued the woman who was not into him at the beginning. He knew she had been married and had children. What did he want? A born again virgin with no past? The past belonged in the past unless he asked a specific question before their marriage. I am glad he isn’t my doctor which jumps to conclusions without knowing the facts. This will be my last looking at your offerings. Yuck!

Brian needs to grow a couple , bit insecure or what

That dude's supposedly a doctor, and he's a complete flipping idiot!

People have histories, and have lives before meeting their life mates. So what? That's what dating is about... a shakedown and compatibility-check. Apparently that went okay, and they marry, making him a 'loving' husband, and 'Dad'.

Then an invasion of privacy ensues wherein he 'discovers' an envelope, leading to him demanding the backstory. She declines to explain, which 'obviously' means he's entitled to an assumption of 'former-cheater' = 'current-cheater'? Sheesh! Then there's 'asked-and-answered' question: "Are you cheating on me?", the answer to which he cannot accept at face value, him having already concluded that his wife is a liar. (So, why did he bother asking?)

Doctors, who deal with the public at large, and 'have seen it all', are generally pretty worldly, but the main character in this story is clearly an anomaly.

Made for a difficult read... but I laughed at this absurd tale.

I enjoyed it. It has flaws, but I'm not expecting a master piece. 4.3*

Brian had 'lived the life of a bachelor' before he met Hayley. Assuming from that he had many girlfriends and was no virgin. Did he explain it all to her? Why did he not go to the counsellor with her from the start? Seems an obvious thing to do. This story is the opposite side of many of the stories on this site.

Fuck those rock throwing ass-wipes, IJ. Not one of them is intelligent enough to realize that one of their feet is already inside of the shoe they're trying to put their other foot into.

Just one thing about your story.....

When will you decide what her name is and stick with it??? You sure as hell didn’t proof read your story before posting it, did you?

THESE FUCKUPS CAME RIGHT ON TOP OF EACH OTHER.

(((( "I'm sorry it has come to this Hayley.

He had no idea what Kayley was going to say.

It was something Brian loved about Hayley.

Brian wasn't sure if Kayley being a former cheater was a deal-breaker for him. ))))

I had 75 stories posted on xnxx before I took them down. I did my own proof reading and there was a total of only two fuckups ever found. I was PISSED at myself for making and then not catching those two errors before posting the stories.

Typos aside, the story was different from the usual fare and well presented. I gave it five stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ... Pay attention to your work before you post it so you'll look like a proud craftsman, instead of a schmuck.

***SSB

So he married slut - whore. Everybody is like leave the past in the past. She liked getting all that dick. He wifed up a slut with two kids. Great real!

Sure, she has a plausible explanation - her husband Mark was into it, convinced her to do it, and then got pics and video to blackmail her to stay in the marriage. Which very possibly is true - but how can Brian ever know that for sure? Especially since she wouldn't tell him that story until weeks later, after he initially confronted her. And, after he made it very clear to her that just leaving the issue to lie undiscussed would end their marriage. She has zero hard evidence that her version is reality. Unless he could find some of Mark and Kayley's other friends (or possibly the PI), who would confirm that Mark was into the cuckold thing, all he'll ever have is her word for it. On the other hand, he has pics and a video from a PI contracted for by Mark to catch her cheating. Maybe Mark used that material to blackmail her into stopping the cheating?! The people blasting Brian are awfully trusting of her story, and I don't see why almost everyone seems to accept it a face value. Interesting story, with some twists not seen before!

TY

If she had it it was probably buried... deep somewhere. How did he stumble upon it. It certainly wasn’t in a top drawer in her desk. And why did she keep it? If it was sent to him who sent it and why? Blackmail? Revenge?

I can understand him being confused and getting angry, since she was keeping the details hidden. Since it was all in a previous marriage, as he came to find out, he should be able to, eventually, let it go.

Except for the how and why of the envelope, I find this a believable story.

4-Stars.

She will prob fuck around on him again as she liked the fucking around. He needs to cut loose and get one thats normal. She couldve said no and left right off the bat with her first hubby. No one held a gun to her head. 1 star

First and foremost, as it's been stated a few times, you need a better editor. The story isn't horrendously unreadable, but it's quite clear that it wasn't proofread.

Second, as it's also been stated, you need to work on your narrative a little better. All that flipping around in perspective without context can confuse your readers.

Third, and this more directed towards the other commenters, I disagree with Brian being an asshole for reacting the way he did. And had that been me, it would've ended in a divorce. Why? Because this woman didn't have enough faith in Brian to share something sensitive and have him be understanding about it. Instead, she chooses to bury it. No successful and pure marriage thrives on secrets between spouses.

Overall, the story wasn't bad. I'd say a solid 4-stars and is what I voted.

Joe Moe from Chicago.

I really liked it! Strange circumstances but realistic behavior by husband and wife. I will never understand the willing cuckold thing so can’t say much positive about Mark.

Keep writing!

First who were the guys she was fucking at the hospital that he works at also.? Are they still around? They did move to her house and guys would come to fuck her , is that still an issue? She should’ve explained that her first marriage wasn’t a good one and he pushed her to do things

this one is underrated, despite not being as slickly written as much of the high scoring dross in LW is.

What happened was before they got together, so I maintain that it was none of his business and she was under no obligation to answer any questions. Her past is her past; just as his is his. The fact that Brian was so willing to throw away what had, until that report came to light, been a good marriage, says more about him than it does about her.

As for the suggestion that she should've trusted Brian enough to tell him the truth, maybe he should've trusted her enough to believe that she was being truthful, when she said she'd never cheated on him or on her first husband; particularly, given the lack of any indication that she may have been unfaithful during their time together.

I was lucky enough to be married to someone (Rest In Peace, my little "book worm") who regarded herself as an "open book" - who I could ask anything and she'd answer truthfully. But, if there was anything that she wasn't prepared to answer - no matter what the reason - I wouldn't have pushed her to and certainly wouldn't have tried to use it as a "deal breaker", as far as the marriage was concerned. I trusted her enough to know that, whatever it was, she'd have had good reason to not want to discuss it with me.

I think some of you are missing the point.

It isn't what SHOULD be relevant; I, for one agree that it shouldn't.

The fact is that it WAS relevant to HIM, and once she realized that it was a deal breaker for him, she had two basic choices: tell him or leave him.

She obviously didn't want to leave him, as evidenced by her reaction when HE filed for divorce, which brings us back to choice one, that she did ultimately choose.

If you found that your wife apparently cheated on her last husband, why would it be a stretch to consider she might do it do you ?

The stupid wife should have come clean immediately, and for some raving lunatic reason did not. As was apparent by her husband's actions once she DID get off her ass and tell him the truth, he would have understood. Her pain, and his, was due to HER not being honest.

"Honey, you don't understand. My first husband was an asshole who WANTED me to screw around, he got off on it. After a while, I got tired of that sick shit, and told him 'NO MORE.' "

How hard would that have been ?

Great story. Didn't even need the 6th fleet to dod a bit of btb. Oh well, can't have it all the time.

5* effort.

this story should have been done in three paragraphs, but the author needed to fill three pages, so he made the wife act like a dumb fuck for no realistic reason whatsoever.

Doctors are supposed to be clever,but I suppose Brian is the exception to the rule.What an arrogant self opinionated arsehole he is.

It brings up the interesting problem of knowing anything about another person, especially a partner. The PI report is a perfect example of this. Personally I feel that if you do not trust somone you do not want to marry them, But even though you are all in, it feels good to be able to discuss any peculiar circumstances that poke their heads up.

Fiction, or not, the story is dumb.

Too bad...you have the makings of a good story teller. Hope you can get your act together, and keep posting.

Sorry 1*

Brian was a total asshole for the shit storm he put her through. It had nothing to do with him yet he could not leave well enough alone. She should have divorced him and taken him to the cleaners.

What an asshole.

Comments? Not so good! although mixed...

mark73107 IS SO very wrong. When you make a large investment in something or someone it is not only your business BUT YOUR DUTY to ensure you know as much as possible about it or him/her.... mark, YOU HAVE A LOT TO LEARN! The other commenters who, anonymously agree with mark73107 are in the same boat. If a married couple can not talk about things like this, THEY ARE NOT MARRIED! as for divorcing him and 'taking him to the cleaners", THAT IS THE LOWEST 'GHETTO' idea I read in these comments!

Whether in business or marriage the time effort, love whatever is an investment, If you dont talk honestly there is no point. You clowns try applying what you put in the comments in real life see how that works out for ya. 4 stars story wise very good

The plot was fine storyline was good. But the repetitive buildup was annoying and overdone

Interesting and GOOD.... She obviously did not know Brian well, she loved him but did not understand his commitment.

Once Brain discovered the photos (that were actually Blackmail) he had a right to know IF she would do that to him as she apparently had done to Mark. Once Brain knew the facts of the history behind the photo's he judged she was not a cheater but a manipulated submissive wife to an egotistical tyrant cuck-doctor. Brain manned up and put it all behind them to be a family man with no regrets or concerns.

Mark was an over-privileged nut case orchestrating his wife's impregnation by a five man train - sick.

Now the $64K question - "who drove over Mark killing him?"

Brian was a nosy and bitchy pseudo-man. People can have a life before meeting someone and EVERYONE is entitled to have secrets.

After finding the PI's report and evidence, Brian asked his wife what they meant. How refreshing to finally see logic play a part in a LW story! If you want to know what was going on; ask her. Simple really, yet so rare to see it happen in a story. Unfortunately, Hayley refused to answer any of his questions, leaving Brian's imagination to run through many possible scenarios.

Once suspicion and doubt are introduced to a marriage, they're almost impossible to eradicate. Brian struggled with it until finally deciding he had to have an explanation from her. The shame which made her reluctant to talk about it, almost destroyed their marriage. Brian listened to her story, realized she was more of a victim than anything else, and then he took her home. Problem solved. Marriage shaken, but still holding strong.

I liked the story because it shows how secrets can create suspicion and doubt, and how that can kill a previously-strong relationship. We watched as the marriage faltered, weakened, eventually in it's death throes, before the air was cleared. I'm happy they stayed together. A good story, well told. Thanks for posting, IntuitiveJ. Well done.

Very clever! These stories are variants of she cheats, he reacts. First one I ever read where “cheat” is with former husband. Well told,

People have lifes before us. Brian was a whiny bitch

I have read all IntuitiveJ stories except two. It would have been all but one ("Really?"), if he had not submitted another today (yay!). I thought his first ("Too Predictable") was the best, but this story may now have supplanted that one.

The comments vary from incisive to clueless to ludicrous.

First, is the notion that Hayley should have already destroyed the envelope. This comment overlooks that her first reaction when it is dumped in front of her is "Where did you get those?" not, "oh, you finally found them." After the flashback to how they met and married, the confrontation resumes, including her question, "where did you find them?" The story relates that Brian found them in a bunch of Mark's left-behind papers. Later she proclaims, "They should have been burned a long time ago." If so, why didn't she do it? Obvious answer: you can not destroy what you do not know exists. Or, if you do not know WHERE it exists.

Next is the notion that Mark did not need a PI's report, since he was fully aware of his wife's extramarital activities. However, she was not cheating, but acquiesing. Devious Mark got a PI's documented report that she was cheating (gross misrepresentation), in order to blackmail Hayley.

Next, the figment that Hayley's past is irrelevant, and therefore, of no concern to Brian.

Then why are counselors/psychologists probing into the past of lives, even into childhood? Because the past influences (and, therefore, helps to explain) the present. That is, what we are, is explained by what's happened to us, and what we have done. So, what IS Hayley? Brian is shrewd enough to realize that past occurrences may enlighten present realities. The Envelope's data (as Mark had so construed it) pointed to a woman MORE likely to cheat. The factual data (which only Hayley could relate) pointed to woman LESS likely to cheat.

Brian did not ASK to come into possession of information that had been designed by a manipulative, cruel, deceiving blackmailer. But, once having that (mis)information, he correctly and wisely went to the only one who was able to explain its deception. Unfortunately, due to demons and fears of her own, Hayley unwisely persisted in withholding from Brian the very information that would have set him free. Of course, that is what made the story. What some commenters regard as tedious repetition, is, in fact, reflective of Hayley's persistent refusals.

All's well that ends well. I like happy endings.

Paul in Oklahoma

This tale was on my list of “don’t know if I really like it”. So I did a reread.

Couple of points from my prespective:

1. Brian was a whiney bitch. This affected both him AND her.

2. Don’t understand why Brian was so hung up over this. That was never really explained.

3. The end was more of a “Whack! It’s done.”.

Like many of your tales, it has a great plot. The execution of telling of that plot is a bit lacking. From a reader’s perspective.

I wanted to write what anon said, but he/she said it better than I could've.

... read earlier comments. Anon "Brian was right to question her" and HardDaysKnight, in particular.

I ended up skimming your story after the first page. Your writing is a bit mechanical and repetitive. You had at least one instance where you switched from 1st to 3rd person in the same paragraph.

The problem with Mark's blackmail is that too many of her partners knew of his predilections. A good attorney could have got a restraining order ASAP. I am amazed at how many stories here start with "if you don't, then ..." and just get themselves deeper in.

I do write, just not stories fit for this site (minimal sex). When I raise conflict, I try to answer, as best as can be, "Why?" You did it for the wife but not for Brian. Why did Brian think that her behavior prior to marriage was indicative of her cheating now? If you added something in his past that accounted for it, it would have made him a more likable character.

5 * for the effort, thanks!

You are a very good writer. Please continue submitting new stories. 5 stars.

I enjoyed the story. I understand the motivations for both Brian and Hayley behaving as they did. In the beginning, had Hayley sucked it up and trusted Brian to understand, the story would have been a lot shorter, and less interesting. But she was so ashamed she couldn't bear to do it. Obviously her self esteem had taken a big hit. I have a good deal of sympathy for Brian too. He's always trusted his wife, but he's confused when he finds the envelope. Her stonewalling complicates matters unduly.He has no idea what really happened, and that leads him to imagine the worst.

I don't think your plot is all that complicated and neither are the behaviors of the characters. You write well and told the story well. Anyone with reading comprehension on a junior high level ought to be able to get it all. Maybe that's why you had so many critics. They're so busy being morally outraged that they haven't the intellectual wherewithal to actually read what you have written. It certainly wasn't because of the quality of your writing. You dotted all the ayes and crossed all the tees.

I can't see anything but five big stars for this submission. Nice job!

Wife's previous life before marriage exposed to her husband changes everything. At least for the husband. How much should one reveal about their previous sex life before marriage? Guilty until proven innocent tale. That alone is 5 stars.

Hard story to stomach. Not because of the tale she told or anything, but that the mc was so unlikable. He was pushy at least, self centered, showed the startings of being controlling and egotistical. By the end I was just wishing after she told him her story she would have just said bye and walked out of the Dr's office and his life to contemplate his misgivings of which he had a lot. Decent told story I suppose if you were out to make us hate the main character and empathize with the wife from the start. She went from one controlling relationship to another. Crazy

At some point she should have recorded Mark setting her up. Recording his ultimatum would have been better. Aborting the child she knew wasn't her husband's would have removed that as well. That child was a product of rape.