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Click here"But what am I going to do, where am I going to live?"
"That falls under the category of Not My Problem.'"
He heard her muttering to herself and thought she was about to explode. Instead, she changed to yet another topic. "We still have to talk about Kyle. We agreed to joint custody."
"I'm glad you finally got around to remembering your son," he said sarcastically, "But you don't need to worry about him. Kyle has adjusted to the changes in his life. He's doing well in school, he has new friends, and he's living in a stable environment. And given that you're essentially homeless and about to move out of town, I'd say joint custody is off the table. Maybe later on, after you've relocated, if you want to talk about him coming for a visit, I'm happy to discuss it."
Then his voice grew menacing. "But don't even think about asking for full custody. Throughout our whole separation and divorce, Kyle has spent way more than half the time living with me. I've kept a record of every time I had to pick him up and keep him because your work took precedence. I seriously doubt any judge would award custody to a parent who's been out of her child's life that much."
He heard her sniffling on the phone. "I can't believe you're being so heartless, John. I didn't think you were like that."
"You shouldn't be surprised, Martina. After all, I learned it from you." With that he disconnected and sat there thinking. I have to admit: I don't feel any sympathy for her at all.
As he sat there thinking about his conversation with Martina, he remembered he had an important task to accomplish. Picking up his phone again, he opened the text he'd received from Nadia Ingersoll that morning. "Thank you," he wrote back. "Now it's my turn to do you a favor. Can I come see you tomorrow?"
It was almost the end of the day before she replied. "I don't have a lot of time, but I can see you if you come at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow." He quickly confirmed.
With that, John left work a little early to pick up Kyle. The two of them were waiting in the after-school parking lot when Allison drove up to pick up Stevie. With a big grin on his face, John marched over to her car. When she got out to greet him, he grabbed her and kissed her soundly. The teachers who were watching laughed and cheered.
Stevie and Kyle had been watching too, and they were agog at the sight. "Daddy kissed Mommy," Kyle explained to his friend. That brought smiles to both John and Allison. The latter turned back to him. "Not that I'm objecting, but what brought that on?"
John smiled. "First, as of today I'm officially a single man. Second, I think my schizophrenic life is about to get a whole lot simpler. I'll tell you the details later, but how about we all go out for dinner to celebrate?"
That suggestion brought more cheers and smiles, even if the boys were a little uncertain what they were cheering about.
Back at his house after a big dinner at a family-style restaurant, John told Allison about the day's events while the boys were playing. "The big news is that Martina may be moving to the West Coast and leaving Kyle here with me. I'm not saying that everything's going to be smooth sailing from here on, but a lot of the chaos in my life is going away." He reached over to take her hand. "And I'm hoping you and Stevie will let me spend a whole lot of my new chaos-free time with you. For starters, I'd like you two to spend the night here again." He lowered his voice to make sure only Allison could hear. "Only this time, I don't want to spend the night on the couch."
She took his face in her hands and kissed him. "That's very good news indeed, John, and yes, I'd like to stay here very much."
When the boys were finally asleep, John led Allison back to the master bedroom. Dimming the lights, he began to undress her. Once he was done, he quickly shed his own clothes, then picked her up and deposited her on his bed.
As he sank to his knees and began to caress her, she surprised him by interrupting what he was doing. "Not now, John, please. I've been wanting this for so long. I'm so, so ready -- please don't make me wait any longer."
When he heard that he climbed up beside her, then spread her legs so that he had access to the intimacy they both wanted. As he finally entered her, she gasped and held him tightly as though afraid he'd get away. After that, the semidarkness was filled with soft sighs and quiet moans, as both partners tried not to wake their sleeping sons.
As they built toward a climax, he whispered, "Should I pull out?"
She grabbed him and pulled him fully into her. "I'm on the pill" she whispered, "I have been for weeks." After that, there were no more words, just the urgency of two people finally experiencing what they'd both been wanting for so long. Neither was disappointed.
After lunch the next day, John made the drive out to the Ingersoll estate. When he rang the doorbell, Nadia herself was waiting.
After they were seated, she proceeded in her usual curt manner. "I did not expect to see you again, Mr. Meadows. I fulfilled my promise, as you're no doubt aware. So why are you here today?"
"Mrs. Ingersoll, it was obvious to me when I visited before that you love your son very much."
"Of course I do. Rodney means everything to me."
"Am I correct that he suffers from Down Syndrome?"
"He does," she said defensively, "but that in no way affects how I feel about him."
"That was also obvious to me," he said, nodding, then went on. "I've done some reading on the topic. As I understand it, children born with Down Syndrome can now be expected to live a full lifespan. Is that right?"
"Yes," she said warily.
"But, of course, he will need lifetime support."
"That's correct, and before you ask, I've made careful provisions to ensure he gets that support."
John nodded. "Please forgive me for asking, Mrs. Ingersoll, but are you older than your husband?"
"I'm not ashamed to say that I'm fourteen years older than Ivan. Candidly, he wanted a partner with the financial resources to support his ambitions, and, thanks to my inheritance, I fit his needs. Likewise, as a widow who was still young and attractive, I wanted a piece of arm candy who was worthy of me. It was a marriage of convenience, but it's worked out well for both of us."
"Statistically, of course," John went on, "it's likely that you will pre-decease your husband."
"I know the actuarial tables, Mr. Meadows. So what?"
"And one can never discount the possibility of a fatal disease or accident."
"I know very well that I'm not immortal, Mr. Meadows. What exactly are you driving at?"
"All I'm saying is that that at some point in the future, it is likely that Ivan will take over sole responsibility for caring for Rodney."
"Yes," she acknowledged after a moment's hesitation.
John reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a sheet of paper. "Mrs. Ingersoll, you told me you had no need to review the evidence I had collected about your husband's affair with my wife. But I think it's vital that you read this. It's a page from the transcript of their time together. The section I've highlighted pertains to Rodney."
Apprehensively she took the page from him and began to read.
Martina Meadows
"When we get married, I'm thinking about asking for full custody of Kyle. Are you okay with that?"
Ivan Ingersoll
"Sure, as long as you do all the parenting. I'm not much good at the father-son thing."
Martina Meadows
"What about Rodney, do you want custody of him?"
Ivan Ingersoll
"God no! Have you seen him? The kid is damaged. Nadia dotes on him, but if it were up to me, I'd slap him in an institution in a heartbeat."
Nadia gasped in shock.
"You see why I had to share this with you, Mrs. Ingersoll. I could tell how much you love your son, and I felt you should know what is likely in store for him down the road once you are no longer around to protect him."
Obviously shaken, it took the woman a minute to regain control of her emotions. When she finally did so, she stood up. John did as well. Clutching the transcript in one hand, she extended her other to shake his. "Mr. Meadows, you have indeed done me a favor. Please leave now so that I can consider how best to deal with this development."
"Good day, Mrs. Ingersoll, and good luck to you and Rodney," John replied before turning to leave.
As he drove back to work, he couldn't help thinking, I don't know what that woman has in mind, but I wouldn't want to be Ivan Ingersoll.
It would be three weeks before John learned the answer to his question. And for the third time, his source was none other than Clare Garrison.
This time she called John, and she started talking before he could even say hello. "Remind me never to piss you off, John. When you get revenge, you go nuclear."
"What is it this time, Clare?"
"I guess you already know that Nadia Ingersoll is the real owner of Triple I?"
"I do," he admitted cautiously.
"Well, this morning Nadia shows up at the office and calls us all together for a special announcement. And guess who's missing: Ivan. Anyway, she tells us that Triple I has been sold to some big consulting firm in New York. Our new owners will be flying down tomorrow to let us know who'll be offered jobs and who'll get the axe."
"Wow!" John exclaimed. "I did not see that coming."
"Uh-huh, sure," Clare shot back sarcastically. "Anyway, that's not all. Nadia also told us that Ivan has been fired for violating the company's policy on sexual harassment. The two of them are getting a divorce, and she told us she plans to devote herself to the care of her son Rodney."
"So what do you think will happen to Ivan?"
"Frankly, I think he's toast. Nadia told made a point of telling us their pre-nuptial agreement means he'll get very little from their divorce. As far as him finding a new job, nobody is going to hire a guy with a reputation for sexual harassment. And I can't see any venture capitalist investing in a new company Ivan might try to start." She snickered. "If you want my guess, he'll probably wind up as a barista at Starbucks."
"Interesting. And what about you, Clare? Are you going to try to get back together with him?"
"Well, he's kind of lost his appeal, if you know what I mean," she admitted.
"What about Triple I -- are you going to stay if the new owners offer you a job?"
"I don't think so," she told him after a moment's hesitation. "Honestly, I don't know why I hung around after Ivan dumped me. I'll probably look for something somewhere else." She laughed. "Maybe I'll go out to Seattle and see if I can team up with Martina again. At least we've got something in common now -- we're both Ivan's exes!"
"Well, I wish you luck," John told her. After he'd disconnected, he added, "and it won't break my heart if you leave town." Then he sat back, savoring the news. Clare thinks I'm a badass because I made Martina and Ivan pay for what they'd done. And I guess I did play a big part in their downfall. But she was wrong about one thing: the person you really don't want to piss off is Nadia Ingersoll!
By the next summer, John and Allison were married. At Christmas he had given her a ring and she'd accepted his proposal. In January, when Allison's lease was up, she and Stevie moved into John's house. The couple had a small wedding ceremony in John's backyard on the first day of spring.
As far as Martina was concerned, John had neither seen nor heard anything from her since she'd phoned him after getting fired. So he was startled when she unexpectedly showed up on his front porch one Saturday morning in August. He almost didn't recognize her: she looked tired and there were gray threads in her dark hair.
"Martina, what are you doing here?" he asked.
"I came back to town for a couple of days to sign some papers. I hope you don't mind me dropping by -- I was hoping I could see Kyle."
Reluctantly, John let her in and then went to get his son. When he came back with him, Martina stared at Kyle in wonder. "Wow, you've really grown. You're quite the young man now." Then, seeing his hesitation, she went down on one knee and held her arms out to him. "Don't you remember me?"
Before the boy could answer, Stevie walked into the room. Seeing Martina, he asked Kyle in a loud whisper, "Who's that?"
"That's Old Mommy," Kyle answered.
His words hit Martina hard. Quickly she stood up and turned away from her son to hide her tears. "Maybe I'd better go, John. I don't want to upset him."
"I think that would be best," John agreed and walked her out the door.
Before she got in her car, she turned and looked at her ex-husband ruefully. "It looks like your life is going well, John. I promise, I won't do anything more to disturb it. I just hope you'll remember the good things when you think about me."
She waited a moment, but he said nothing. She quickly turned, got in her rental car and drove away.
He was watching her car disappear when Allison came out to stand beside him. "Are you okay, babe?" she asked.
He turned to her. "Yeah, I'm fine." He looked at her thoughtfully. "It's funny: seeing her reminded me of a business school lecture I heard about bankruptcy."
She looked at him uncertainly.
"Our professor told us Ernest Hemingway was asked how he managed to go bankrupt. He answered, 'Slowly, then all at once.'" John smiled at his wife. "I think that's what happened to Martina and Ivan. For a while it looked like they could do whatever they wanted and never suffer any consequences. But there were things happening behind the scenes that they never noticed. When it all fell apart, there was nothing they could do to prevent it."
He put his arm around her shoulder and reached down to pat Allison's belly, which was only just starting to show. "I think the same thing applies to us, only in reverse. We both went through a long period of hard times. But there were good things happening, even if it was hard to see them sometimes. And then, all at once, everything came together for the best."
She nodded and he kissed her.
"Let's go inside and see what the boys are up to."
- COMMENTS
Ivan could/should have been crapped on a little more, so the story only gets 4 stars!
Good Read nothing reaches out and grabs you but all good mate! **** Think this one is a BURNT light Really do enjoy a good scorched earth every now and then. Hope you might expand your horizons some day?
In all honesty the MC was a feminized coward, he should have sued for mental cruelty, alienation of affection, and the company for moral failure and his ex's boss seducing her can't remember exactly the charges but there are several that they were guilty of. This story like so many others written by women or extremely feminized boys leaves the ex wife with no consequences, oh sure she had shitty things happen to her but they were related to her actions completely separate from him, the whole karma thing doesn't exist and her disgusting betrayal and horrible treatment of him had no consequences, leaving the scales completely unbalanced as per usual. Women skirting any responsibility for their actions nor facing any punishment is a grave injustice in modern society feminist propaganda has basically made them untouchable, giving them gendered immunity, leaving the only true justice being them spending eternity in the pit, we can only hope so!
For those other writers out there that want to write about a hubby getting revenge on some asshole screwing his wife. All it takes is a good friend, who is big and strong to be of assistance. A couple baklava's, a couple bats and a little patience to observe the person of interest. Once you get a little of his routine and habits it isn't hard to be where he is and surprise him. A dark parking lot as he leaves a bar by himself. NO witnesses is primary concern, No evidence to prove it was you. It will just look like it was just a drunk getting mugged, what does that have to do with you?? Cuz you have a good alibi for that evening. It is easy, just be quick. Jus' sayin'. Buster2U
10 Big Blazing Stars for a great BTB Story. Whoa, hubby comes out smelling like a rose with a happy family, two sons and one on the way. New Loving wife that is devoted and kind to him. Great Job, cheating ex wife in misery! LOL Wow, too bad life can't always work that way. Very Very good job and effort my friend. Thanks, Buster2U
Excellent. Well written with few, if any, mistakes. No violence, just a happy future life for a decent man.
Wonderful. Glad the strong moral characters endured, found each other and happiness for their new family. As for the other cheaters; "...Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn...". (Sleepless in Seattle?)
Well written story. The flow was good and while the theme was a well used one, it was handled smoothly so it did not feel trite. 5 stars.
A story as old as time. Wife decides to “upgrade her life”, by screwing the boss. He has more money and a posher lifestyle to offer. She plans to divorce hubby, and live happily ever after. Her boss has second thoughts about divorcing his wife, mostly due to monetary concerns, and how it will affect him. She loses both her husband and her lover. Let that be a warning to all you who think you can jump from middle, to upper class by screwing a married man. He is not going to marry you. And if for some reason he is divorced by the wife, his monetary situation is going to change drastically, and he will blame you. 5 stars.
Nicely put together with an undercurrent of reality flowing through the story that makes you feel this could be lifted from someone's real life
I gave this story five stars. I felt the author wrote this as happening recently, so in current USA. I feel that the author has the MC man, going about BTB, in a much more believable way, what with divorce laws so fucked up in this country today.
I also liked that the low-level actions MC man took to try and get some traction in revenge, without burning himself away at same time...and still protecting, loving his young innocent son, is what I liked most about this story! That MC man was surprised that those actions he took, limp as they seemed to him at the time, had good outcomes later, he hadn't heard about, yet! I liked that writing part of this story! I also liked that, as story ended, MC Man got his BTB in and really burned both cheaters away! I liked the fact MC Man gave cheating Boss's wife the ammo, and went on his way, getting well out of no mans land and out of harms way, and let cheating boss's wife, do the actual BTB for them both!! I thought that was real clever, good writing!
The best line in the story, was delvered to MC mother, by her young son...when asked who she is, he replied, "That's old mommy!" Even better was how old mommy reacted, chocking on her sons innocent spoken true words!
I agree with many comments here, that this story, as well written as it is...and it IS...really doesn't cover any new territory. But then, I also consider the fact that with likely millions of stories posted on this very huge site, it would be like trying to compose a completely new original song, just not possible anymore! I mean...part of the melody will sound like another song...some part of the words will sound like words to another tune.
What I mean about this story, is: unless you are a world class writing talent, like say: Oshaw, Carvohi, HDK, ST1956, or several others here, I can think of, who have the ability to pull a great written original story out of thin air, the plot-lines and writing, which just strike awe, and flat blow the minds of the rest of us peons, completely away! So, to my way of thinking: it takes a lot of effort for the rest of us story tellers, to come-up with a good story, well written, that has a more original plot to it, like this story, that we haven't seen the likes of, in a long while. posted here!
I agree with one comment as well, by story summation, author tying-up all loose ends, if he'd had the original office slut, who screwed the boss first, when Boss and MC cheating wife were already fired and gone...if author had her find another job in the tech field, somewhere else, like San Jose, or Silicon Valley, CA area near SF, in stead of in Seattle where cheating wife Martina moved too...that would've been more believable.
But, it was a good story, on the whole, that was a good BTB and still believable, as a cheated on spouse would have to be so careful today, to get some revenge, and not run afoul of the screwed up laws of this land, particularly family court law!
I thought this was a real well written, fine story! Thanks author! Write us another!
Once again MC comes over as a moron and a wimp. Once Ivan arsehole was ousted that would have a perfect time to hunt him down and beat the bastard so badly he wouldn’t be getting it up again ever. I know what the law says but let’s face it, no one getting punished for doing something wrong is how we end up like we are.
Like the old saying that what goes around comes around, this time it just took long enough for the maximum effect. We all knew that John and Allison were going to be a thing so it worked out well for them. The item about Clare and Martina teaming up again was a bit too much to believe, but worth a chuckle. Five stars and thanks.
Happy endings for those that deserved them and comeuppances for those that deserved them. Good story flow and well written and edited. Five stars.
I had a close experience with my ex wife. What she left me and the kids for didn’t exactly end well within a couple years.
Excellent story. I admit I'm a tightwad with 5* ratings and this story is one of the few the hit the top.. Well done...b
I felt that the title was more apt as a metaphor for their marriage. But honestly depending upon perspective almost everything happens slowly then all at once.
Spent too much worried about divorce and son
Want a cheating slut around your kids half the time
With all her travels while cheating he was major parenting influence on son
How could she have son half the time as exactly what happened was going to happen
For Martina to go off on one like that I can only wonder what was wrong with the MC.
Liked it. Not the same old BTB. Ex was heartless though. All premeditated, yet never a thought to the spouse or son. WTF
I liked the confrontation with the photo's scene. Kept the pace moving nicely.
Just like the willow tree he bent, was not broken; he and loved ones was left standing and healthy from his divorce storm.
What more could a man ask for during this trial.
Well written and I liked the story.
Your MC is not much of a man/husband.Every action had to be promoted by others for him.He simply could/would not make decisions about how to respond or take positive action to anything tossed his way.Very tired of reading about such gutless wonders..really disliked this story due to that..2 stars..
From the mouths of babes: “That’s Old Mommy!”
Burn.
She’d been a dreadful parent for a long while as her affair built up steam, all those scheduled times absent (and not for work, which could be argued to be for the family’s prospects, but selfish extramarital fun!).
Her callousness in dropping the divorce papers on him without preamble, and thereafter her messing her kid about (never mind the other parent’s schedule) … nope no properly motivated family court would ever prefer her as custodial parent.
Good riddance!
A truly excellent piece of work that had a nice slow build with a few reversals which made it even better. Very well thought out with characters t(at you could really understand and emotionally get behind or hope for their destruction depending on who and when. I shall enjoy coming back to indulge in this wonderful story many times in the future. Thank you for all you put into the creation and editing of this finely authored tale of love and despair. You show serious talent as an author and it is appreciated.
J.D.
What a really good story, not over the top , not be the standards on here, well written, though out and done with style.
i liked the slow build up the long slow burn the chartactor development made us hate the bad guy and love the good guy... well done 5
Martina was an execrable bitch and terrible mother with inscrutable and opaque reasons for her cheating and then "falling in love with" Ivan. Whatever. Also her filing first doesn't change much in modern family court. Unless she is filing for abuse or mental cruelty, etc. Why Ivan remotely went "extra" long and serious with Martina made zero sense. And now destitute Martina has a clear case of sexual harassment and wrongful termination. But in the end the biggest negative was that besides her able to cheat and get Ivan away from Claire, there is no reason given as to why she did what she did. Pretty hard for a cheating wife to act so badly that they lose their custody. Ffs.
Nothing new here. Loved how you tied in the slowly then all at once title. Nice LW story. Thanks.
He should sue nadia because she knows the affair and tolerate it he could earn millions
What a load of horseshit: Ivan was fired for sexual harassment, to whom, most likely, Martina. Martina could have very easily sued Nadia's company for sexual harassment and Nadia herself because she was aware of the affair and allowed it to proceed. Martina could have made millions. This story is so sophomoric and stupid; I don't how anyone could give it a positive score. 2/5.
Amazing BTB with HEA for main character, easy 5 stars and thank you to the author.
Quite good, as it rolled along to an enjoyable conclusion
I never really got that Martina loved MC, there was no intimacy that spoke to their bond or common ground besides the child, or even sexual compatibility.
Without that, her inner motives were opaque, she just seemed like she changed her attention from her family to her boss, upon hearing that he WOULD fuck employees, and she obviously should get him.
How wrapped up Martina was in herself and her love affair was amazing, she was clearly no longer really married at all, and she acted like that through the story, which made for a good through line.
Wow, that was all about Martina! I enjoyed the other characters, and MC's thoughts, plans and actions, but, I'll let others go on about the rest!
I liked it, good story
Full Marks
More sex!
Great story but despite it all he should not have been so cold to his exwife over meeting Kyle. Now he's living large, be a little magnanimous. For good or bad, she is his mother for quite a few years.
Excellent SLOW roll while lacking any real surprise. Also no real spindle fold mash smash or other wise roll over the problem! Reminds me of my favorite song love you Bobby (Don't Worry Be Happy)
Except for the slut being the MC in the start,
I really liked this story.
As for it being a cliché finding a new woman after a lousy wife,
that's what happens to good guys, if they don't wallow in self pity.
It happened to both me and a friend of mine.
So if that's a cliché, it's a good one.
And gets my vote every time.
Top ratings from me.
Nicely done - 5 stars - for a non-violent, but no less deadly BTB & B ( Burn The Bitch & Bastard) story, where the cheated-on spouse wins everything that matters !
Kept his son. found new love, totally destroyed his ex-wife, and arranged for her lover to ALSO be totally destroyed.
Win/win/win/win !
"Martina has a valid sexual harassment and wrongful termination claim"
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it was the slut wife to seduce and harass his boss, and everyone on the job knew that. So, maybe no 'valid sexual harassment" in her favor.
I liked the story but a few things was really messed up.
Like why wouldn't his attorney file a alienation law suit against his wife's AP.
why after finding out the APs wife was a where of what her husband was doing and seen nothing wrong with it, why in the hell didn't he sue the company for fratinasation laws especially since APs wife owned the company and didn't care who her husband hurt .
I would have sued the hell out of her.
Well written except for Martina becoming Martha for a short time. However, kind of cliche, with even a new love waiting in the wings for MC.
"If Ivan was fired for sexual harassment, then Martina has a slam dunk case against the company."
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not certain, because it was the slut wife to harass sexually her boss.
" I realize that what we read on LI is fiction, even fiction has to have some relation to reality."
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that we should say to the millions of femdom-fetish-cuck fantasies, that are filling this LW to the brim, with totally unrealistic cartonish no-male cuck husbands.
"What motivation did she have to pursue an affair with her boss aside from some vague curiosity and a friendly but competitive relationship with her coworker? There was no significant conflict in her marriage, and she had a child to consider."
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in a few words: blind selfish narcissism.
"If I hadn't read even one similar story, it would be enjoyable, but since there are a hundred others like it on the site"
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And since the other millions are almost all identical cuck fantasies, what would remains to read in LW ? Nothing. The BTB tales are almost inexistent, here in LW, some of them are fake-BTBs, and others just flat, so a good BTB is a very, very rare event, and this one is certainly a masterpiece.
"the BTB jackals will probably love it"
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That's for sure. The same is also true about the millions of femdom-fetish-cuck fantasies, where "the Fetish-Cuck jackals will probably love them".
"More an LBL (living best life) than a BTB"
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First comes the well deserved BTB for the slut wife and her boss and only then, comes the 'living best life' part. Without the Justice-BTB payback, the so called 'living best life' is rarely possible: how many, after the destruction of a marriage and family, are able to 'living best life'. Too much often, in the too many RAAC unrealistic fantasies, we can see the biblical 'turn the other cheek' and 'forgive & forget' unrealistic behaviour, in extremely cheating-betrayal situations. Even if the MC was not directly responsible for the BTB, he certainly contributed enough.
Enjoyed your tale, a family suffers when one person puts themself first. Thank you!
somewhere east of Omaha
"They are mentally detached from the real world - oblivious to everyone and everything around them. They do not see, feel, or care about the pain they are bringing to those previously important to them. They just aren't thinking clearly. In their mind, they are able to completely rationalize everything they are doing. Which also means that they tend to blame others for their own behaviors."
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An almost perfect description of the Narcissistic mind. Sadly it's very much real, so, better be aware of these very smart and extremely evil people.
"The author did an excellent job of portraying Martina's state of mind - showing her to be completely infatuated and in lust with Ivan."
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Not at all. She was just a selfish narcissistic slut wife trying to compete with her friend.
"You should have added that the SLUT managed to get a decent out-of-court settlement for sexual harassment, so she could move on with a small bit of security. "
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That's not the case, since the slut wife was responsible for the "sexual harassment", systematically seducing her boss, and in plain sight in their workplace. The boss didn't harass her in any way, he just accepted her 'offer'.
"I found it hard to believe that Martina chose to pursue Ivan just to compete with Clare. There must have been something lacking, at least in her view, in John or their marriage, for her to go so rogue."
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Typical femdom pro cheating-without-consequences excuse, already seen in other LW tales. This slut wife was just a selfish narcissistic and irresponsible bitch, that decided to swap her brain with her genitals.
And the worm doth turn slowly but surely...
And all that is left is for the fat lady to sing, karma and all that?
Thank you, the good triumphs over all. high five to the right!
All five stars turned golden... I love the italics used for the stream of conscious thoughts. Well done.
Point of order. Martina has a valid sexual harassment and wrongful termination claim against III and against Nadia as owner, for failure to enforce their own sexual harassment rules. Her termination for "performance" would show up as a sham.
Martina was looking to "upgrade" right from the start. Fair enough. The author didn't go to a lot of detail about that except to comment on her seductive behavior. Then because this story wasn't about her, she sort of gets dropped from it pretty much from when she serves hubby.
There could be a whole other story from her perspective. Including her angst and getting terminated and finding out Ivan was in fact on a very sturdy chain. Then losing contact with her son and her whole orchestrated life.
Another 5 for Monsieur Bovary. The last line reminds me of the last line of the Randi story I re-read most often. I referenced that story in my comments on "He Loves Me Not." Didn't name it then, and won't now. But eventually I'll comment on the story itself. Anyway, back to this. Tajfa was quick off the mark in noticing the same thing that struck me (and many others). To say it again, this time in my own words, I found it hard to believe that Martina chose to pursue Ivan just to compete with Clare. There must have been something lacking, at least in her view, in John or their marriage, for her to go so rogue. Don't get me wrong. This story is still a 5. But had this been added, it would have been five-plus. Franceman's comment that Martina was "fat" in the last scene is incorrect. She may have added a touch of grey, but that's not necessarily "grown old," though with Kyle happily living with Daddy John and new Mommy Allison, "childless" is apt. Dummy2069 is no dummy. Correct that Nadia firing Ivan for sexual harassment cause opens the door for Martina to sue. Clare, too, for that matter. So maybe those two musketeers can join up in Seattle with the wind at their backs, at least financially. Silentsound cautions that the mother-son bond wouldn't be so easily erased. But since Allison had already been filling that role when needed due to Martina's absences, there was already a transition going on. And since John and Allison got together right away after the quickie divorce finalized, and Martina continued to be absent, the transference from "Old Mommy" to new Mommy isn't surprising. Note the approvals from two giants (Laptop and Hooked). Happy to tag along on their coattails.
Excellent story!
Now for a couple of nitpicks, if you ever revise it:
1. The title quote is actually from a Hemingway character, I believe Mike Campbell in The Sun Also Rises.
2. Other commenters are correct: As you wrote him, Ivan could get backing for another startup.
3. You also could add a line as to why he couldn't just go out and be a successful individual influencer himself.
Pretty good. It went through some of the tropes but it wasn’t trite or over the top.
Pretty good technique and emotional recovery story, but why wasn't the wife's character better illustrated and explored. You portrayed her as some sort of sociopath, fucking over her husband and child to prove she was the better seductress than her office colleague, seriously? Her ego and arrogance made her a soulless monster. She obviously cared little for her child, and essentially nothing for her husband, and appeared to act with complete contempt and abandon for her previous life and family. Why? Was her marriage that bad? It was never made clear why she so casually and carelessly sought and succeeded in destroying her marriage. And even when she realizes she was in turn deceived by the Ivan asshole, her only real regret is that she lost her job and a place to live. So she proposes sucking even more blood out of the man she fucked over with such energy and disregard?
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Yeah, the unanswered question is, why did she turn into such a heartless cruel monster, and with such nonchalance? Is that the woman he ignorantly married, or is this another Martian Slut Ray plot? And apparently she had no living parents or other family, not even friends who would be asking questions and trying to help the husband with his son? Kind of a thin story when it comes to the humanity of the characters. Good action, but not much substance or depth. Please keep trying.
There was almost zero depth to the wife’s character. And very little to the husband’s. I was waiting to be drawn in but it never came. And using that same boring trope of the new woman just conveniently being right there all along, boring.
Honestly, it seemed like a more real life model story. Unfortunately, real life can be fairly dull. I just didn’t feel a lot of emotion. There wasn’t really any conflict either. 3*
Clare … This character is not presented to We-The-Readers as married nor unmarried. That leaves her urge to inform Sweetie open to question. Any woman who is not in a committed relationship might tell a ‘bestie’ about a new sex partner but not identify a senior executive. A married woman would usually be circumspect. Unfortunately, the rule of “Don’t get your honey where you get your money” is too often overlooked! Clare’s willingness to search as far away as Spokane suggests she is single.
10 Big Blazing Very Excellent BTB story. Ha What a super Burn on the Bitch in this case! Just what she deserved. It was beautiful. Buster2U
Great story, please keep writing!
I had a hard time understanding Martina's actions. Her friend tells her "I'm fucking the boss!" and she suddenly decides that she has to do it too?
5 stars for the good stuff. should deduct for the missing sexual harassment suit wife would have against her company and supervisor. With hubbies P I info would be a slam dunk and even new owners of company would be on the hook.
Thanks for the story!
Decently written, though I had a hard time following in parts. It's probably me & not the author. It's the phone call with his ex that pushed my ratings solidly into the 4 star. It was a bit longer than should've been, but worth the read. Bob
What hurt the most with Martina is when Stevie asked Kyle who that was, “that’s Old Mommy “
That is Martina realized she lost everything. Good one.
Loved the story. Was is perfect, from reading the comments apparently not, but I gave it a five star rating.
"She even included some intimate apparel that John had never seen." - Why hadn't he? Nothing was said about her buying it new, so she apparently had it, so why not wear it for him?
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"any video evidence we collect will not be admissible in court." - I agree with that for any video obtained inside the hotel room, but video in public spaces should be allowed.
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"As Kyle's mother, I could easily get him full time," - Not necessarily, given her traveling.
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"Ivan is a very clever fellow, and he's made Triple I tons of money." - So, why couldn't he go off on his own?
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His wife cheated for months, has filed for divorce and is living with her paramour, and HE'S worried about dating before the divorce is final?
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"if I wind [up]relocating"
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I don't think she was old and fat. A few gray hairs doesn't make you old.
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, I agree that Martina has a great sexual harassment case.
A very good example of how the narcissism can influence the behaviour of normal people: a total blind selfishness that make these kind of people destructive and auto-destructive. In this rare pearl of a tale, Justice has been served in a very realistic way, pushing the good guys to react to the evil ones. Well done and more on this path. 5 stars.
Hands down, one of the best LW tales seen in months. Well written, realistic and balanced content, coherent characters, and more than one twist that make this medium-length tale interesting enough to reach the end without skimming (and it's rare). No BTB here, since the MC husband wasn't a vindicative type. And to make this great tale standing, among the countless monothematic cheating-cuck-raac tales, it doesn't end with the usual unbelievable RAAC. Needless to say, a well deserved full 5 stars is inevitable.
3 stars - and only because he divorced the SLUT.
The story followed the LW standard guidelines, but the plot had a fair number of gaping plot holes.
You should have added that the SLUT managed to get a decent out-of-court settlement for sexual harassment, so she could move on with a small bit of security. Plus, John should have pursued the bitch for their comments in the PI's report regarding Kyle and Rodney. He should have reinforced the fact that she would never be allowed to see, or be alone with Kyle ever again.
What I don't understand is that Martina would have had a strong case against the consulting company, citing sexual harassment, after being fired for performance flaws while the affair was still going.
Yeah.... I enjoyed this one. The author did an excellent job of portraying Martina's state of mind - showing her to be completely infatuated and in lust with Ivan. When a person is in that state of mind - everything is fresh, new, and exciting. They are mentally detached from the real world - oblivious to everyone and everything around them. They do not see, feel, or care about the pain they are bringing to those previously important to them. They just aren't thinking clearly. In their mind, they are able to completely rationalize everything they are doing. Which also means that they tend to blame others for their own behaviors. They completely abandon any measure of accountability. People in this state of mind cannot be bargained or reasoned with. It takes an absolute shock - or a jolt of some sort - to release the cloudy veil obstructing their view of how the world actually is. In the end, the fairy tale ending envisioned by the infatuated person rarely happens. The shine eventually comes off the apple. The "real world" with work, and finances, and family, and friendships, and the duties of daily living, eventually intrudes on paradise. It's just human nature. Only then, might they see the carnage their solipsistic actions left behind. 5/5 BRB
This was a bit long-winded but it had zero black helicopters or special forces operatives. It was well-constructed and life-like. I gave 5 stars. Well done.
Great story that well laid out enough to make it plausible in real life. The crazy thing is in 2024 this crazy sexual harassment shit is still going on in Fortune 100 companies. 4.7*
This was weak. She didn’t care that her husband destroyed marriages and he was contrite on her behalf when he gave her evidence.
This was a classic LW tale told well. Frankly, I think I prefer it when tne cheating wife is a remorseless, conniving, selfish bitch rather than a stupid, silly, MSR victim.
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I thought the final scene with Martina lacked a little punch, however. As written, she had zero contact with Kyle after she departed for Seattle. So when she shows up at the door, I think I would have enjoyed John just ripping into her rather than being so stoic.
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Finally….Ivan was a pretty stupid tool, wasn’t he?
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5 *****
The wife is kind of a cardboard cut-out: we never see what attracted the husband to her in the first place, and her treatment of him in leaving him seems really cold for a character who apparently has no special motivation to be cruel, but her cruelty nevertheless catches him completely by surprise. The replacement wife isn't very clearly drawn, either; all we know is that she's very accommodating, which is convenient. That being said, it's better than the run-of-the-mill for this site, and the BTB jackals will probably love it.
Good story, but I thought the MC going to Mrs. Ingersoll to give her evidence of the affair before the divorce was final seemed out of character. That was stupid, as it risked Ingersoll dumping Martina, causing her to renegotiate the terms of the divorce while there was still time to do so. Also, I think Martina would have sued for wrongful dismissal and sexual harassment when she was fired, and gotten a big settlement. But thanks for posting. 5 stars from me.
it nice when they burn themselves also one of the nicest endings i have read in a long time. left me satisfied and without lingering thoughts very nice ty for the read
women are oblivious to how their decisions impact others because far too many of them are self centered and narcissistic.
Well, Martina was certainly a villain but it would have been more human and real if Kyle had not been so removed so quickly.
By that, I mean a mother son bond isn't wiped away by absence that quickly.
5 little gold pointy things awarded. Good to see Old Mommy got her comeuppance. As others have mentioned very little time is spent on Old Mommy but in my opinion the story is more about dad and how he reacts rather than about her. Glad to see Dad survived nicely. Also glad to not see over the top gorgeous moms and Holmes length men. Just average people surviving a difficult time.
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Grammatically a few words missing here and there but overall very well written.
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OG46
GarySmith69, you hit the nail on the head.
That's exactly what has happened to society.
You may know that about 52% of marriages now end in divorce. What you might not know, is that 75% of divorced are now initiated by the wives, and a high proportion of those are for women who are 'trading up'.
There was a story I heard that came out of the GFC. When everything crashed, although the bankers got "bonuses" and a free pass, other professions still suffered. Trading houses still took a hit. Developers were clobbered. From all this chaos, there was a massive uptick in women leaving their husbands because they were no longer raking in the big bucks.
One 'successful' couple who were not impacted by the financial chaos were listening to some report or other, and the husband said "If I lost everything, you'd stand by me, right?"
She spoke before her brain caught up to her mouth...
"God no!"
He divorced her.
Martina's decision to cheat seemed really, really shallow, selfish, and narcissistic. Hard to imagine that aspect of her personality wasn't evident to her husband before then.
Well written, realistic perfected story with an unrealistic tool perfect ending forth ending for the innocent spouce
A good story, shame about the obvious editing errors, but perfection is desired not expected...just like marriage. Thanks.
That was excellent, well done!
It was satisfying to see Martina and Ivan get destroyed post divorce, but even more enjoyable to see the faithful husband get a well-deserved happy ending.
You took a normal story of a wife being seduced by money and status and made it far more interesting with all the machinations behind the scenes. Loved it
Great story ! 5 stars , I do like a good BTB but this was a good way of dealing with the problem.
A great story beautifully told. Characters were believable and their behaviours congruent. Thank you for a well written, well plotted tale.
Jesus his ex is horrible.
I like the. realism while also dishing out some serious consequences.
Come to think of it this was very realistic. The fast fair divorce so they can remarry. Hardly ever used in these stories but very much real. His big plan to get back at Ivan the first time fell flat. It's rare for that to happen, usually things go off without a hitch and have epic results. And again, very much real because I had almost the exact same thing happen to me. APs woman didnt give a shit but was sympathetic. Fuckin weird. Oh and the wife turning into satan instamtly. Very real and its the shit of nightmares.
3 things that bug me though. Clare said she was having an affair which made me assume she was married. Sounded like she wasnt but if she was the husband should have nuked her marriage.
How much time passed until hisnex came back? It's weird the kid would have forgotten her.
Also I feel like his Ex would have sued the company herself after getting fired as she only stood to gain. Plus she would have had a valid case.
It started off well and I loved the fact that John was told that the law doesn’t care about photos and even having them might place John in legal jeopardy. I loved the fact that everyone basically told John: “suck it up. File for divorce and move on.”
But then you turned the last page into utter bullshit. Martina gets played, fired (which could be construed as wrongful dismissal since she was having an affair with her boss) and fat and lonely while Ivan gets fired and John and Allison live happily ever after.
That turned this fro a 5 star to a 1 star. You murdered this story for a BTB ending when it didn’t need it. You reduced Martina into a nothing character and it ruined a great story.
Same old clichés, zero creativity, almost no emotions, just plain average. If I hadn't read even one similar story, it would be enjoyable, but since there are a hundred others like it on the site, decidedly not.
The story had a smooth and skillful arc. It was nicely paced. The dialogue was well crafted. There was a problem, however, in the development of the wife's character. What motivation did she have to pursue an affair with her boss aside from some vague curiosity and a friendly but competitive relationship with her coworker? There was no significant conflict in her marriage, and she had a child to consider. Nonetheless, upon hearing about the coworker's intimate encounters she immediately began working on the seduction of her boss, and never once stopped to think about the consequences of the actions until it was far too late for her to adjust course. Why would she have believed her lover would divorce his wealthy wife? How could she have thought herself special to him when he had been fucking her coworker when she caught his eye? There is much of importence left unexplained and unsaid despite the submission running well more than four Literotica pages.
Well written! I would have liked more of a final confrontation, but 5 stars from me, a satisfied customer.
What a fairy tale. No man is going to come out anyway like this in a No Fault divorce state. Don't know of any woman naive enough to think that she has to give up her dominate position in a divorce so it goes through quickly so that she can marry a man still married. I realize that what we read on LI is fiction, even fiction has to have some relation to reality.
If Ivan was fired for sexual harassment, then Martina has a slam dunk case against the company.
4 stars and well written. The MC seems kind of wimpy, but your take on current legal standards for divorce was a relief. No cliche of the Mom gets everything and the dad gets screwed.
The twist for me was the info he gathered from the transcript had two points that would make me go nuclear. 1 that she intended to get full custody of their child and give him visiting rights . 2 Ivan having little or no intention of providing any care or affection to either boy. Growing up in a loveless home takes a toll on a child's mind.
Nicely done. The wife thought she was trading up and wound up out on her ass - Karma is truly a bitch. Thanks for sharing, CB.
Nice story. I gave it a Four.
But I kinda have to admit... it all sounded VERY familiar, even if I can't point to a specific story. I kept having déjà vu from the time your MC tried to confront the wife with the affair evidence, and the part where AP's wife was fully aware, didn't care, and had a disabled son herself, was the most familiar piece.
I like the subtle foreshadowing of the disconnect between husband and wife. Martina and John have about as much chemistry as Megan Markle in any scene requiring depth. Ivan seems like a typical Silicon Valley douchebag and probably likes quinoa in his coffee.
Entertaining story. Kind of odd though. After Martina heard about Clare's affair with Ivan the only thought she ever had about John was that she needed to be slow and deliberate about transforming her work appearance so that John wouldn't notice and get suspicious.
Since we were given no prior information about the status of John and Martina's marriage prior to the beginning of this story it makes Martina's lack of guilt or any other emotion difficult to comprehend.
Good story with consequences. One thing about 95% of these "Cheating" wives, why are the wives always so oblivious to how thier cheating affects people? Not just the husband. There is a school of thought that says "Fiction mirrors Reality" if that is the case going by these wives in these stories us men and their families are in trouble. Thanks for the story. The good guy one the bad guy or woman lost. 5 stars ☆☆☆☆☆
Good stora, but only 4 stars from me because I'm missing more of what was thinking after starting the affair. Why did she so easily discard her husband. Was it his money or the reputation that influenced her?
Very touching and satisfying story. Too bad things never quite go that way in real life. D
Very good story even if the ending with the woman having grown old, fat, childless, .......... was absolutely unnecessary except to satisfy BTB's need.
BTB's need: I know that some people live by it, and even need it to hold on and move on.
But in the end, your life becomes beautiful and wonderful thanks to your happiness, and not on the misfortune of others.
Thanks for sharing.
I gave you 4 stars. However, what was Martina all about? Is she totally heartless? Why when Clare told her about her affair and her decision to pursue Ivan was made did she never once given any thought to her son and husband? Was he such a bad person that she had no feelings for him or her son? I think hearing something from her as to her feelings or lack of them would have helped the story. She was painted as being icily cold with no heart. If so how did her marriage last 9 years? Still good writing.
Very familiar theme but brilliant writing.
Very believable stuff. No over the top revenge.
The MC used a mother's love for a special child brilliantly.
The wife is a bitch and shows no remorse till she is burnt completely.
I loved it
A great BTB
5/5