I really wasn't going to put my ending on this story. I received approximately 58 alternate endings from the readers. Many of you gave good reasons for your endings. I read all of them so I know most won't agree with mine. Some readers even called me names for not finishing it. So I will give an alternate ending from where I left off. That's what I asked of the readers so I will do the same. For anyone who has not read the story 'Double Standard' it's a must to understand the ending. Thanks goes out to 'Techsan' for his editing of this story.
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I beginning with the last half page of the story:
"Harry, I know you have cheated on me for years. I remember finding condom wrappers in your pockets even though you had a vasectomy years ago. You suits smelled of perfumes that were not mine. Even cum stains in your underwear. I turned my back on your affairs hoping that you would stop. You never did. That is why I made up this affair lie to you. I wanted you to get a taste of how I felt all these past years. I was hoping that after you heard my made-up story that you would say that you forgave me. That you still wanted me as your wife. But that didn't happen, Harry. Instead you grabbed your whiskey and ran to the bedroom."
"Miriam, I was having nightmares seeing you with other men. I had to get up and throw up it bothered me so bad."
"How do you think I felt whenever I knew you had one of your flings. I threw up many times too, Harry, knowing that the sex you were giving these women belonged to me, Harry. But last week when the stranger called and said you were fucking his wife and he had the pictures to prove it, how do you think I felt, Harry. You have now brought your sexual affairs home to roost. That's when I said enough is enough."
"God, I'm so sorry, Miriam, I'll do whatever it takes to make it up to you."
"That's why I gave you the affair test, Harry. So you could still say you love me even after I had the affair. You failed, Harry. After all the affairs you have had you wanted me to forgive you. But when it was me having one affair for revenge against you, you needed to think about it. Sounds like a double standard, Harry. I believe a lot of men use that standard."
I had tears in my eyes. She was right. I wanted her to forgive me but was I ready to forgive her? I guess I did have a 'Double Standard.' I told her I needed to face Steve, that is why I came to see him. I was devastated knowing he had sex with her. I brought the gun not knowing whether I was going to use it or not. I remember her saying Steve talked about blackmailing her for sex and it really bothered me. I was ready to go to prison for shooting Steve if necessary.
Miriam looked at me and said, "Harry, yesterday you had the choice to save our marriage and was unable to come to a decision. Well, Harry, I'm making the decision for us both now. I choose that we . . . ."The End (except for comments) (New Ending starts here)
"I choose that we stay together and do our best to work it out."
She walked up to me to put her arms around me. I stuck my hand out to stop her.
"What's the matter, Harry? I thought you wanted us to stay together." She looked worried.
"I did, Miriam, there was nothing I wanted more than to get back with you. But that was before all your lies, Miriam. I'm not a cuckold, a man to be stepped on and laughed at."
"What do you mean, Harry? Steve and I explained everything to you. It's over now, Harry, it's over. Nothing happened."
"Stop lying, Miriam, please stop lying. You have always been a wonderful woman but you have always been a very vengeful person. During our whole marriage if things didn't go your way you always got even."
"What are you saying, Harry?"
"I'm saying that if you found condoms in my pockets years ago and never said anything to me about it, you would have done something to get even with me. I don't recollect any getting even, Miriam. One time when you smelled perfume on me and I explained it was an elderly customer who hugged me and the scent stayed, you didn't believe me. You needed proof so I took you to meet the elderly woman so you could satisfy yourself that I was being truthful."
Miriam was looking more nervous.
"The night you said you overheard a woman in my room. Why did you not ever say anything to me, to my face. Maybe I was at a party, maybe there were a number of people in my room, and maybe it could have been the TV set. You automatically assumed the worst, Miriam. Why, Miriam? Why would you think the worst and not even mention it to me? I'll tell you why, Miriam, you were having affairs. I also believe you had affairs with Steve."
Steve went to stand up until I said, "Sit your sorry ass back down, Steve, or I'll shoot your fucking nuts off." Steve sat back down without saying a word.
"Then there's my good friend and brother-in-law, Steve, who wouldn't even tell me that my wife suspected me of cheating on her. And why wouldn't my good friend say anything? He says because my wife asked him not to. Wow, what a good reason not to tell your best friend something as important as being suspected of cheating."
I looked over at Steve while still holding onto the pistol. "Well, brother-in-law, you get one chance to be honest. Did you fuck Miriam?"
Steve looked over at a crying Miriam and his distraught wife. "Yes," he answered.
"Yes, what? You wife fucker."
"Yes, I fucked your wife. I fucked Miriam."
"For how long, Steve?" Miriam started to butt in... "Shut up, slut wife, I want Steve to answer. His life depends on the truth."
"For years," was Steve's reply. Miriam burst out in tears.
"Why did you stop? I'm only asking you these questions once."
"Betty caught us in the act." Steve replied.
"Okay, Betty, your turn and it better be the truth."
Betty was in tears as she spoke. "One night when we still lived near you Steve went to check on Miriam like he always did while you were away. I happened to be in the neighborhood and walked in on them. They were on your couch." Betty was now crying. I waited for her to get her breath back.
Betty continued, "Miriam was saying, 'Fuck me, Steve, fuck me,' as she rode his lap. When they saw me they stopped. We all had a huge argument. I stopped talking to Miriam for a long time. Eventually for our mom's sake we finally agreed to at least be civil to each other. It put a big strain on Steve and my relationship. We separated for a few months and eventually got back together. That's why we moved to Peoli, to get away from you and Miriam. We heard very little from Miriam until she called today saying you were coming over with a gun."
"You see, Miriam, I gave it some thought all the way over here. If you would have told me the truth, I could have forgiven you. No 'Double Standard.' If you would have never said anything, I probably would have never known. But no, Miriam, you had to try to extract that last ounce of revenge against me. That vengeful nature that I mentioned you had. As I told you yesterday, I could have had the new territory and hardly ever stayed away at night. We could have been together. But that was not good enough, was it, Miriam?"
Miriam was sitting with tears in her eyes. "We can still do that, Harry."
"I'll admit to having one night stands Miriam. Yes, I did it. No love, no affairs. I don't know how many, Miriam, I didn't keep track or have a little black book. I wasn't out to hurt you. I always hoped you would never find out. But, Miriam, if you did and told me you knew, I probably would have stopped and even changed jobs to save our marriage. But you knew and said nothing. All so you could go get yourself fucked and blame it on me. Isn't that right, Miriam?"
Miriam looked at me and said, "Harry, we can still work this out. Let's go home and talk and salvage our marriage. If you love me like you say you do, I know we can work it out."
"Are you willing to tell me about all your affairs during our marriage, Miriam? Are you willing to tell me why you chose to have other men instead of coming to me and trying to work things out? How far are you willing to go and tell me the truth, Miriam? How many of my friends and associates have you bedded down? Are you willing to tell me everything, Miriam?"
