For Better or for Worse

This is another unwilling cuckold story. Don't read it if that offends you.

It is neither a BTB nor a RAAC. There is no explicit sex either so if you're looking for that you should pass.

Oh yeah, and one more thing. This is just a short one so if you are one of those folks that need to know everyone's back story and what characters had for lunch, or even the bust size of the cheating whore, you won't like this one either.

"I'll tell you what I don't want to hear out of you. I don't want to hear that you're sorry; everyone is sorry after they get caught. I don't want to hear why you did it. I don't even want to know if this was your first affair. None of that shit matters one iota to me! What matters is that you did it. You shit all over your family. That's right, you didn't just cheat on me, you cheated on our four children. They won't have a chance at a normal childhood. You cheated on both sets of our parents. Now the kids won't have a normal grandparent grandchild relationship. You fucked your entire family and for what? A dick 2 inches bigger than mine? Fuck you, just fuck you!

"As far as I am concerned, you are a lying, cheating piece of shit, but I talked with an attorney like you suggested and she confirmed that what you threatened me with would be the likely outcome. So my life will be miserable for the next ten years. Imagine my shock when I discovered that according to the law, you were the one who ruined us, yet I would be the one punished.

"Rick honey please, I didn't 'threaten you.' That's not how I meant it, you have to believe me, I was trying to rationally point out the reality of all our lives. Ok so I am a lying cheating whore, but do our four children deserve to pay the price for my behavior?"

"I understand that the kids come first but I guess in your world then, the ruination of my life is just collateral damage? And please don't call me honey; you don't have the right any longer. It's just Rick.

"And just for laughs, I'd like to hear how you telling me that I should let you continue your affair despite being married to me, so that I wouldn't be a part time father paying alimony and child support for the next ten fucking years isn't a threat?"

"I didn't handle that very well yesterday. I'm sorry, but it's hard for me to explain. It's not a slam on you, but Troy does things to me, he makes me feel things I've never felt before. I don't love him, but right now I can't let him go."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You told me, he has a bigger dick and blah, blah, blah. I'm sorry that what I was born with wasn't enough for you. But in my defense, we had sex before marriage, so if my dick wasn't sufficient enough you shouldn't have said yes to my proposal. And, in the 15 years and four children since I never heard a single complaint from you about my abilities in the sack, not once. This is all on you, not me!"

"I know it is Rick, but please let me try to explain it better?"

"This should be good. I love fairy tales, please go right ahead." He waved his arm ceremoniously and flopped back down in his chair.

"In the year since this started, have I ever once turned you down for sex, have you ever noticed the slightest decrease in my attentiveness to the entire family, have I ever cancelled so much as a lunch date with you, is there anything at all you could point to that you or the kids have suffered for because of my outside activities?"

The truth of the matter is he couldn't. But it only served to make him angrier because she just didn't get it.

"Tell me this then, if you were so good at hiding it and taking care of my needs and being a good mother and all to our kids, why tell me now? At least I had the bliss of my ignorance. Now you've even taken that away from me!"

"I had to tell you Rick, because someone close to us saw me in a compromising position, and I didn't want you to find out from them. I had to tell you."

"How noble of you. Who saw you with your fuck buddy? I want to know because no one has said shit to me about it, and I'd like to know just who my good friend is."

"I'm not going to tell you that. I can't."

"Why not? You won't tell me the name of your lover either, so this just keeps getting better."

I won't tell you who saw me, because it doesn't matter and all it would do is to hurt you unnecessarily. I won't tell you who my friend is because I know you, and you would try to hurt him. I can't have our children's father in prison, they need him."

"With all the sarcasm he could muster. "Gee you seem to know what's best for me in every aspect of my life so I guess I shouldn't be upset at all. Is your next step to explain to me how good it will be for me to sit in a chair like a good little cuckold and watch the two of you fucking, so I can clean you both up when you're finished?"

"Just stop with the sarcasm Rick. It doesn't become you. And stop being so childish; what the hell is a cuckold anyway?"

"No you're the one being childish Kat. Do you mean to tell me that not once in this last year the two of you haven't laughed at me, made fun of my dick size, or taken advantage of a myriad of other opportunities to belittle me? How many times have you fucked him in my bed or let him drink my booze laughing all the while I was out of town?"

Rick never even saw the slap coming. It almost knocked him off his feet and in his anger he instinctively started to strike back. Somehow he managed not to, but it was a close thing. He stood rubbing his cheek and exercising his jaw to make sure it still worked. He was in a state of shock. Shocked because she hit him, and terrified because he almost hit her back. He knew it was time to go. He had to get distance between them. For her part Kat was just as stunned at her violence against the man she loved, she was wide eyed and had her hands over her mouth unable to speak. She started to cry. Everything was coming apart. This isn't at all how she wanted this conversation to go.

When she snapped out of it, she apologized profusely and tried to hug Rick but he pushed her away.

"Rick I am so sorry. Please forgive me. I know you don't have any reason to believe me, but he has never been anywhere near our family and home. And, neither of us ever said one word about you. I don't know if you believe me, but I can compartmentalize my activities. When I'm with you he doesn't even exist. And when..."

"Right." Rick quickly interrupted, "which also means when you're with him me and the kids don't exist, right?"

Kat put her head down and said softly. "Yes Rick, but that is a good thing. I was going to add how you could think I would do such a thing as to humiliate you, but under the circumstances I guess there's no point in arguing it. But it's true, none of that ever happened."

Fuck you! Isn't this where I need to say that I'm also going to get a DNA tests done on all the kids?"

Kat wound up to slap him again, but he saw it coming this time, he caught her arm and spoke menacingly. "Don't try that again, I'm working hard to maintain my composure. And frankly based on what you been doing to me all these months doesn't give you the right to be shocked about anything I would ask."

"Ok Rick I understand, but we have to work this out somehow. My friend is outside of us."

"You mean the dirtbag." It was a statement not a question and all the venom building inside of him was included in its delivery.

"He's not a dirtbag Rick, he's a nice guy."

"Of course he is. He's just a nice guy who fucks other guy's wives? By the way, since we are on the subject, do I need to get an STD test done? I mean how many other wives is he fucking? There is not telling what sort of putrid diseases is he carrying around is there?"

"Of course you can do that if you want. But he and I have both been getting weekly tests done since this our friendship started. I insisted on that so that you wouldn't be at risk."

"That's great. I certainly don't want to hurt your feelings, but you'll have to forgive me if I get one done anyway. Thanks for also letting me know that you're fucking him bareback. You made me wear condoms after our youngest was born until I got snipped. I know you too well Kat. What was your plan if the shit head got you pregnant, just more collateral damage to my life, raising someone else's kid?

"I seriously want to know since I had my vasectomy would I have gotten the same speech? Look Rick, you'll raise this kid as one of your own, or I will take everything you cherish from you. Is that what I would have to look forward to?"

"Of course not, that would never happen. Can't we just focus on how we will work through our problems like adults?"

"You mean work through our problems so that you can have your fuck buddy and still stayed married to me, that kind of working through?

"Just fuck you Kat! "I'm getting out of here before I do something stupid. If there is an emergency you can reach me at my parents. I'm going to stay with them until I can figure out what to do. I will think about what you've said, but right now I see divorce as the only option. Please don't contact me to give me any more bullshit about how we have to 'talk' about this. There is nothing more left to say. You've made your position perfectly clear."

Rick did stay at his parents. He was an only child which always carried its own set of burdens but he did manage to stay for almost two whole weeks in what was a surreal experience. He laid everything out for his mom and dad, exactly as his conversation with Kat went down. His father was shocked and supportive. He didn't try to sway Rick's decision one way or the other. He just told him he would be there for him whatever he decided. On the other hand his mother was relentless. Even as a small child Rick never had any confusion about who was in charge of the family. His mother ran everything. And she started her assault on him the moment he finished his story.

"Oh come on now Rickie." She never stopped calling him that. "It can't be that bad. You have four beautiful children that need you very much. You just have to find a way to co-exist with Kat. I know she loves you."

"Ah Mom you get it right? She is having sex with another man, and wants me to be ok with that!"

"Rickie listen to me, divorcing her would be a permanent solution to a temporary problem. In a few months she will get over her infatuation with this other man and realize what she has at home. Don't divorce her. I know you can work this out." She went on and on about it day and night. Often times she would be crying as she pleaded with him to reconsider the divorce. Sometimes she even broke out the old "I'm very disappointed in you Rickie, we raised you better than that."

The worst thing she said, and admittedly she apologized right away, but it still hurt him terribly was, "Rickie if you don't go back to Kat and work this out together, I will never forgive you."

Rick knew his parents loved their grand kids to death but he also noticed that whenever his mother started in on him that his father had a tendency to disappear from the room. When they were alone together his dad would remind him that he would support whatever decision he made, but he never said anything like that when his mother was around.

Ultimately Rick did come to the conclusion that keeping his family together was the best thing. It wasn't like he had a lot of options anyway. He felt like a bird trapped in a cage. He could see the big world outside but couldn't find a way out. So he just decided to suck it up and make the best of a bad situation. So he went home.

"Listen Kat, I have decided to stay. I'm only staying so our kids don't have to grow up in a broken home and because I know if I left, your fuck buddy would be moved in to my house in a heartbeat. I will not expose our children to that. However I'm only staying until little Amanda turns 18, and then I'm gone. I'm going to turn the den into my bedroom because I don't think I want to be in the same bed with you after you have fucked your 'friend's' brains out."

"No, no, no." She stomped her foot. "You are going to sleep with me. I've been with my man friend for a year now, have you ever once seen or smelled anything on me that made you suspicious. No you haven't. You're sleeping with me and that's final. Besides, what would the kids think? Since you are going to be staying for them we have to keep up appearances.

If you want to leave after the other kids are gone and Amanda turns 18 so be it. But in the meanwhile, we sleep together." The way Kat figured it; she knew that Rick loved her and that over time their relationship would be fine. She wasn't going to give him any reason to distance himself. She vowed to herself that she would be more careful with her lover in the future to make certain Rick didn't see or smell anything that would make him angry or hurt.

Of course the kids were overjoyed to have him back home, but Rick was even happier. He hated being away from them. Even when on his business trips he made it a point to contact them every day. He never failed to bring small gifts home for them either. Seeing their euphoria gave him hope that he could get through this.

Things didn't go well at first. And although Kat didn't bother trying to convince him that all was well any more, she did put on a full course press to get him to make love to her. But Rick couldn't do it. He tried his best to act normal, but it was difficult for him and an uneasy truce settled between husband and wife.

Rick found it very difficult to not get angry anytime Kat left the house alone. Although she told him she only saw her friend once or twice week, in Rick's mind it was every time Kat left the house alone, and it hurt him deeply.

Kat tried everything to make him more comfortable but it wasn't working so she decided that having lived through a few rough few weeks after Rick moved back, that going to a marriage counselor would be a good idea. Kat felt Rick wasn't adapting to his new situation fast enough and it was important to help get their relationship back on the right track. The children were starting to get suspicious too.

Rick was flabbergasted when Kat brought up the idea. "Wait, let me get this straight. You want me to go to marriage counseling with you so I can get more comfortable with you fucking other guys, seriously?" He was laughing so hard he started to hiccup, but suddenly Kat saw a dark expression cross his face and he immediately got quiet and very serious, he said. "You know what Kat, maybe that isn't a bad idea. We should do that." Rick had a couple of reasons for agreeing. Mostly he was curious as to how Kat was going to sell her having a boyfriend to the counselor as a way to make their marriage stronger. If nothing else, it could be entertaining. "But, I get to choose the counselor." He didn't want some new age air head child of the sun extolling the virtues of polyandrous relationships to him.

Kat readily agreed and for some unfathomable reason was giddy with excitement and looking forward to it. All Rick could do was shake his head in wonder at the depth of her delusion.

Kat was amazed at the success of the counseling. After two or three sessions Rick was much more affectionate at home. He didn't yell or scream at her and he didn't pout anymore.

Frankly the counselor was amazed too. Basically all he did was point out to Rick that it didn't matter what societal norms were, it only mattered what he and Kat considered normal. He was seeing more and more of these type situations in his practice and they never worked out well. Once the 10 sessions were over he thought he should write a white paper and submit it to "Psychology Today." Maybe it could help couples all over the country.

So life went on in Rick and Kat's household. You couldn't call their marriage, story book by any stretch of the imagination. But they got along well and worked together to give their children the best childhood experiences they could. To a casual observer it looked as if their marriage was better than most.

Almost immediately after completing their counseling their lovemaking returned to normal levels. Rick and Kat never even spoke about her man friend again. Rick knew he was ignoring the obvious but saw no good reason to bring it up.

There was a serious incident that upset Rick so tremendously he almost trashed their agreement. About six years into their ten year arrangement Rick got a call from his father and asked him to come to the house alone, right away.

Kat saw the serious expression on his face. "Rick is something wrong? You're scaring me."

"I don't know, but I think my Mom might be sick. Dad said I needed to get there right away."

"Well hold on, I'll go with you."

"No he said to come alone."

Kat looked worried, because she loved his parents almost as much as hers. "Okay but please let me know what's going on as soon as possible."

He promised he would and headed over to his childhood home.

When he arrived both parents were seated in the front room. His dad looked angry and his mom had obviously been crying. This only heightened his concern. His dad spoke first. "Rick, I want you to know I only found out about this yesterday and I'm very angry at your Mother." And he left the room.

"What's going on Mom?"

"Rickie I have to tell you something and it's going to hurt you. I never meant to, I just wanted to keep your family together. You know I love the grandkids so much."

"Just tell me Mom."

"It was me that saw Kat with her boyfriend all those years ago. I saw them coming out of a hotel room one day when I was meeting Doris for lunch."

"What! And you never told me. How could you do that to me?"

"Honey, the kids were just babies, they needed both parents...."

She kept talking but didn't hear the rest of what she said. He was stunned. His own mother. Rick got up and left without another word.

When he got home Kat nervously peppered him with questions, but he just said that his parents were worried if we would have enough money to pay for all the kids' college costs. I told them we were still working on it, but we were trying. They told me they would help anyway they could. They're just getting older and they worry. I guess that's what old people do."

"Well thank goodness. I hope you told them not to worry anymore."

Rick just nodded his head and went to the back yard.

Rick's relationship with his mother was never the same. Oh they still saw each other, usually with the grand kids and Kat, but the close relationship she had with her only child was gone forever. The same was true with his parent's marriage. His dad actually left home for about a month he was so upset with his wife's deceit. Unfortunately his father passed away about a year following that meeting. He died a sad man and it truly bothered Rick. He had some dark days following the funeral. To Kat's credit she was with him every step of the way and helped him come out of his depression.

Rick's resolve to leave his wife began to wane. He still struggled with it, but he realized his wife loved him and that she was trying, so he was having second thoughts.

Before either one knew it their oldest left for college and the next two followed in successive years. Amanda didn't turn 18 until a couple of years later, but she graduated high school and was all set to attend the state college. It was true what everyone told them. The child rearing years, especially high school went by in a blur.

It was about that same time that his mom was gone too. As an only child it was left to him to close out their estate. Dying is a very complicated and time consuming process. There's a saying that as an only child the good news is that when your parents die you don't have to argue with siblings about anything. The bad news is you don't have siblings to share the burden with either. Ironically it turned out that his parents had left him enough money to insure that all the kids would be able to get college degrees without having to absorb the burden of student loan debt.