(What follows will be what I am calling short "Reaction" stories. In the real world I am a stoic and probably some people would call me old fashioned. My ideas about marriage are probably not up to date. But one of the ideas I believe is that a couple should not stay together just for the sake of it. If trust or respect are lost by either person then its time to go their separate ways.
In my view going outside the marriage never solves the problem it just covers over the cracks in the marriage. However, I am an old Romantic and if a wife or husband has a one and done lapse in the marriage and if the wife or husband can prove they are trustworthy, then maybe just maybe the marriage can be saved.
These "Stories" that follow will be stand alone short stories. If short stories or Romantic endings are not your thing stop reading here. Yes this is a Romantic story and No it isn't BTB story. If that is what you want move on to the loving wives category.)
(Reaction #1- The Wedding.)
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My name is Gary Smith and I have been married for 25 years, I am currently sitting at my sons wedding main table. I am ill at ease in my hired suit and tuxedo. My job as a warehouse manager means I can wear anything I like, I choose not to wear a suit it makes me feel uncomfortable.
My son, David, is currently dancing with his bride, a beautiful young woman called Anna. They are both 22, my wife and I got married at the same age.
I have no idea where my wife Carrie is at the moment, I last saw her over an hour ago talking frantically to a colleague from her work place, it seems he invited himself. And she didn't look happy he was there.
Everyone in the hall looked surprised when the man in question, Steve Walker, a Director of Sales where he and my wife work. He was trying to drag my wife onto the dance floor and wanted to dance with her. I got the impression he was under the influence of something. I'm not sure how he got in but I will talk to the organisers very soon.
It was evident my wife didn't want him there and didn't want anyone to know who he was. She frantically looked at me for help. Even in my pissed off mood I couldn't let him ruin her in public.
He was very surprised when I stood up walked over to him and punched him in the face then in his stomach and then raised my knee and caught him in the balls.
Then I dragged him moaning and groaning outside and threw him in the pond just outside the hall. He looked very embarrassed and crawled out of the pond and still in pain got into his car and drove off. Carrie, my wife ran off outside to apparently get some fresh air.
My wife is the same age as me 44. I am 6ft tall stocky with close cropped grey hair. My son looks like me in looks and he has my temperament. Once everyone had applauded my actions everyone got back to celebrating the wedding there were questions but I deflected them saying he was just an unwanted guest.
My daughter, Mary, looks like her mother, short with curves and long black hair. I looked over at her and her friends in a corner of the room laughing and joking about something, possibly my actions.
She must have sensed me looking her way and excused herself and lifting up her bridesmaid dress walked over to the table. She bent down and kissed me on the cheek.
"Dad, what are you doing here by yourself?" She said looking around obviously for her mother.
I picked up my half empty beer glass that had been half empty for an hour.
"Your mother is somewhere else, she went outside to get some air, after seeing her boyfriend get beaten up and drive away. As soon as this is over we are going to have a talk, if I don't like the answers then sadly these papers in this envelope will be given to your mother."
I saw her face drop, "Dad, seriously? Today of all days?"
"Mary, I'm sorry but I have tried to get some straight answers from your Mother but she has not been honest with me as yet, by contrast I have been very honest with her."
"Dad, she loves you, she wouldn't throw away your marriage for a bit of fun with another man."
"Mary, I'm glad you are so optimistic. For two weeks your mother has supposedly been going out with some of her female friends from work. In actuality she has been having dinner and dancing dates with the man I threw outside."
Mary looked shocked, "Dad, how do you know about this?"
"Well one night last week she came home much later than expected, she was drunk. She just took off her clothes and fell asleep on the bed, no apology or recognition of me, she smelt of aftershave, not mine."
I paused briefly and took a sip of my beer.
"Then one night this week she did the same thing, your Aunt and a friend brought her home, she was very upset and very drunk. Your Aunt just said she and a friend saved your mother. When I asked your mother about it she just said she had a good time dancing with a few people and drank a bit too much and then came home. But I have it on good authority it was not just dancing."
Mary looked at me then looked around for her Mother, "Dad, I'm going to look for her and when I do I'm going to find out what's going on. Dad, you aren't cheating on Mum are you? No late nights at the warehouse? No late nights at the pub you and Uncle John go to occasionally?"
I took my daughter's hands in mine, "No Mary, I would never cheat or disrespect your Mother. I would only ever go out with another woman if I was no longer married. It's not me who is looking outside their marriage, I love your Mother and I thought she loved me, but maybe I'm wrong."
"Okay Dad, I believe you, but I can't believe Mum would cheat on you. Anyway I'm going to get a search party and find Mother."
With that she got up and hugged me and then walked back to her friends. She spoke with them and they all got up and circulated around the hall. I finally finished my beer and then joined the search.
It took me fifteen minutes to find my wife. She was outside on the decking at the back of the Castle, she was staring out over the rose garden of the Castle where the wedding breakfast was being held.
She looked beautiful in a classic business suit, the skirt was just above her knees and the jacket hugged her upper body. The blouse she wore was low cut showing off her breasts. It was a daring blouse and I didn't really approve but on the other hand the other women were wearing more daring outfits so I shouldn't worry about it too much.
The door creaked as I opened it and she turned around and saw me. I could see she had been crying, her make-up was running down her face it made it look like army camouflage paint. I saw she had an empty champagne flute in one hand.
She turned towards me, "Gary, I am so sorry. I have been incredibly stupid. I almost threw away the best thing to ever happen to me."
I stood next to her but didn't touch her, "Did you have sex with him?" I said bluntly.
"What? No, never, I wouldn't do that to you." She looked a bit shocked I was so blunt.
"Carrie, let me define sex and fucking to you, in my book apart from another man putting his cock inside you, kissing you, touching you, stroking your vagina, touching your tits, touching your arse. You touching him, you giving him a blowjob. All of the above for me is fucking another man. So, I will ask again, did you fuck him?"
Carrie flung herself at me, I just about caught her.
"No Gary, I didn't. He wanted to fuck me, and yes I admit he touched my arse a couple of times and we kissed on the lips. He tried touching me under my clothes but I stopped him. I remember he even tried it the last time I went out with him. But someone threw a glass of water over us, it was of course your sister, Diana, she was at the same club.
Dave was obviously trying to seduce me, and I stupidly allowed myself to get drunk. Luckily for me she saved me from my own stupidity. And of course your sister saved me again from my brain malfunction. It was a good job she was there to save me. And also kick the bastards arse."
"Yes my sister took some photos of you and him last week and this week. A couple of photos while you were dancing and a couple of photos after you got drenched and then two photos where you slapped him around the face. And she followed you and him last week that is when she really saved you. You owe her big time."
"Yes Gary, it was that night that woke me up. I should have never let Steve talk me into going out with him. I have disrespected you and I am so sorry. This is all on me, you have been a great husband to me and a good Father to our children. I think I lost sight of that, I should have known you wouldn't put up with me playing around with someone else. Honestly I had no idea what he thought coming here today."
She hugged me very tightly as if she thought this was the end of our marriage.
"Carrie, listen to me in this envelope I have some divorce papers. It states we split everything equally and then we move on with our lives. The children know about this and they are still going to talk to you and be part of your life. But they are finding it hard to understand why you almost cheated on me, well actually you did emotionally cheat on me. Am I such an arsehole that I somehow lost your love, was I so bad making love to you that you would look elsewhere for it."
She suddenly stood up straight, "Gary, don't you ever say any of those things again. I never thought of you as an ogre. You have always satisfied me in bed, you are a caring loving Father and husband. Yes your ideas are a bit out tune with modern thinking, but that is you. I wouldn't change you for the world. I'm just sorry I let things get this far and hurt you and our children."
"I have to ask, is he the only one?"
She looked shocked, "Yes, Gary he is the only man other than you to touch me. It will always only be you from now on if you can forgive me."
"So, you didn't fuck him?"
"No."
