Rules of Marriage Ch. 04 - FTDS

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Sam's Decision - my ending to thecelt's series Rules of Marriage

http://www.literotica.com/s/rules-of-marriage-ch-01

TheCelt's own resolution of the story (chapter 4) was distasteful to me. The woman had become a total bitch. In my version of the ending, I've decided to keep the personality he'd envisioned for her, even borrowing some of her phrases from his chapter 4. I do it to capture the same attitude he portrayed for her, and mean no disrespect.

In this version, which follows immediately after chapter 3, Sam behaves a little different.

I like finishing stories. I guess I'm a little weird. Sometimes they are stories that have been abandoned. In cases like this, it's a story where the author has invited others to continue their work, in The Troubador's tradition.

When offered the opportunity, I'll give you my idea of an ending. Fair warning though, I don't write about total wimps. May not be BTB, all nuclear and shit, but no voluntary cucks, or whiny simpering wimps.

Some of you won't like my endings. That's fair enough. I'm happy to hear your reasons. This is only one author's idea of a fitting resolution. You're welcome to try your hand at writing your own. I hope you enjoy this one.

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I saw my wife waiting, my two little girls standing with her, each holding a hand.

I had expected as much. I dropped my bags and got down on one knee to welcome my little girls. Melissa and Jennie were excited, hugging me tightly. I felt a tug at my heart, and a tear in my eye. This would be hardest on them.

Kristen walked up to me, arms extended. "Welcome home, Sam, we've all missed you."

She tried to kiss me, but I turned away. She looked surprised, but accepted the rejection gracefully.

"Do you have much luggage?" she asked.

"None checked. This carry-on's all I have. I do need to wait a few minutes. Can we sit down here and talk a bit?"

We were outside one of the airport bars. I got the girls Shirley Temples, and ordered myself a beer. Kristen moved them to the small table behind us. I guess the time I was allowed to spend with my daughters was over.

I could sense the attitude. I knew the central issue in her cheating had been lack of respect. I don't know why I had hoped it might change, but the repentant wife I thought might be waiting was absent. I could see the irritation in her eyes, when everything didn't go her way. When I didn't take her in my arms and instantly forgive her. When I preferred time with my children to time with her

"Long trip?" she asked. "I'm not even sure where you were coming from."

"Afghanistan." That's all she needed to know. It wasn't like I'd been on vacation.

I checked the gates, waiting for the next wave of people to walk through.

"Is this it?" she asked, regaining my attention. "You're gone a year and can't even look at me? Abandoned us for twelve months, thinking only about yourself. You left me here to fend for myself and the girls. Yes you sent a little money, but it wasn't you. And now, 12 months later, you're here, but you're still not here."

I couldn't believe the anger and disrespect. She was the cheater. Serial cheater, who had no respect for me or the family. She and her father whining because I'd never amounted to anything. I get what she calls a "real" job, and of course, she's still not happy. Every time she opened her mouth, she reassured me.

"How do you want to begin this, Sam? I don't know quite what to say or how to start, but I want to say right off that I have considered all that you asked me to think about when you left and I realized my mistakes. First, I am so very sorry that I behaved as I did. It was wrong, it was cruel and it dishonored you and our marriage. I understand what I did wrong and I have learned some hard lessons. I didn't put you and the girls first. That has changed. I did not honor my marriage and that has also changed. I know my priorities and I know what is important. My marriage comes first and everything I do is based on that simple fact. I am willing to go into much more detail and to answer any questions you may have, but I don't think that is going to solve our problems unless you are willing to take steps to be a part of the solution."

"And what steps would those be, Kristen?"

"It could start with a little respect. I cheated. I'm sorry. You've punished me and the girls. I was willing to do anything to fix my mistakes, but you didn't even give me a chance. You left. Left me with the kids, and with nobody to talk to!"

"I didn't leave. You drove me away. You cheated and betrayed me. I told you this was a chance to come to terms with your own unique idea of what a loving marriage entailed. I would live by your terms, and you'd get to decide if what you had is what you wanted."

"What do you want from me?" she whined. "I still don't understand. I said I was sorry. I worked my ass off to understand why I did what I did, taking care of myself and the girls, playing the part of mother and father. I even spent time in the hospital, blaming myself until I was able to understand why I did it. I did my part. How about you, Sam? What have you done during that time, besides run away, like a coward."

There it was. My vindication. I smiled, standing up and seeing the answer to her question striding our way. I reached my hand out, and Erica slipped into my arms, kissing me.

"Erica, this is my ex-wife, Kristen. Kristen, my fiancée Erica."

The Nordic beauty smiled, a touch of humor in her eyes. "Pleased to make your acquaintance. He's said so much about you," she smirked, and hugged me tighter.

Kristen looked surprised, stunned.

"I told you I'd be living by your rules. I did. You want to know what I've done? This is what I've done, Kristen. I met the most beautiful loving woman imaginable. She respects me and honors the work I do. She is the most amazing individual I've ever met. It's been a year, and I wanted some time to see my girls, but you had to hijack this meeting, when you knew it was them I wanted to see. You had to make it about you. It's always about you, isn't it? I guess I'm glad you're here, so I can get this over with. Tell you face-to-face. It's over."

"But—"

"No buts. You may think you love me, but you've never shown me an ounce of respect, and it's obvious nothing's changed. I sent cards and presents, but did you ever once think of having the girls send me anything in return? I wanted time with the girls, I called your mother, not you, told her what I wanted, but suspected it would be like this, holding them hostage. No, I see no repentance, no change in you whatsoever."

"You never even gave us a chance!" she snapped, obviously embarrassed and angry.

"No, Kristen. You never gave us a chance when you betrayed me so coldly. Going back to that bastard, for another cheap fuck, never caring what you were doing to our family."

"But the kids! You can't leave me. What about the kids? It's not fair to them," she whined.

"It's not. You're right about that. I'm glad you've had the opportunity to learn what it's like to be both mother and father, because when you discarded me and my love so easily, that's the role you accepted, like it or not. They're yours now. I'm starting my own family." I reached over and rubbed Erica's belly, and she giggled, placing her hand on mine.

"You got an apartment—"

"For one month, to close out business here. I thought I might see the kids, let them know what's going on, as much as they can understand. Close the books with them. I'll be returning to Stockholm, my new center of operations."

"No, Sam! You can't do this! You can't leave again!"

"It's done. I'm not going to fight with you and your father any more. You didn't want me, someone else does. Very much. Her gain, your loss. Take care of the girls, Kristen. They're good kids. I hope you find someone who can live by your rules of marriage and learn to accept them. There are plenty of spineless wimps out there. You're a decent looking woman. You should be able to con one of them into your bed."

"You bastard! I'll take you for everything—"

"By all means. The house. The cars, whatever you want. I've taken what I want from the accounts. Thanks, by the way, for selling the Beemer. I've taken that money as well. You're welcome to everything else."

"You'll pay—"

"Sure. Send me what you think I should pay. I'll consider it. I'll be staying overseas. Spend as much as you want on lawyers, and see how well you can enforce any judgment against me. My skills are highly sought after abroad. My willingness to travel has opened the doors kept closed when I was more concerned with being around you and our children, tied in place by your job. Erica travels with me, assists me. It's pretty damn wonderful to be honest. To be number one for once. Not fourth, behind your work, your lovers, and our kids."

"That's not fair," Kristen almost screamed. "You know how important my job is!"

"Important to you getting laid. You're still working there, right? Three times it contributed to your cheating on me. Couldn't stand to get away from there, could you? Where would you find your next pickup?"

"You bastard. You know that's got nothing to do with it."

I sighed. "This is getting us nowhere. Erica and I are running behind. We have to board our next flight in less than twenty minutes. I'll be back, on and off, for the next few weeks, while I pull some loose ends together. I'll call you ahead of time, and see if you can find some way to let me see the kids. You don't have to. You can fight it, but it will certainly impact our final resolution. You'll never see another dime from me, if we can't work out a mutually acceptable way for me to remain in their lives.

"You gave me 13 pretty good years, so I want to thank you for that. I hope you have a great life. I plan to. Good luck."

She sat their stunned, unable to respond as I turned and kissed my girls goodbye. It would be difficult, but I wouldn't have them living in a house without love. Nobody deserves that. I wouldn't fight a losing battle, with the bitch and her family. No, I'd cut the ties, and move on. I would fund their trusts, and if the ex couldn't do right by them, I'd make sure they went to college and had a good start on life. With the money I was being paid I could certainly afford it. Who knows, she might even be reasonable about sharing time with them. A few weeks in the summer maybe. I'd be willing to reward her if she did.

"You were really married to that ugly bitch?" Erica laughed, hanging on my arm as we left.

"Don't be mean. She was a decent wife, except for the whole slut, whore, disrespect thing," I teased.

"You want I should go back and kick her ass?"

I knew she could do it. We make a great team. She's the best hand-to-hand female instructor I'd ever met. Our first sparring had been almost vicious, neither wanting to give an inch. She was tough, as tall as I was, strong and wiry. Tricky as hell, too. Fortunately, in the real world, the toughest woman there is will never quite have the same strength as the toughest man. It's nature. Erica can kick the ass of 99% of the men in the world. I'm lucky to be in that last 1%.

Our battle was hot and sexy, and when I mounted her, forcing her submission, I was so turned on I couldn't think straight. She almost killed me in bed that night. Even now, two months pregnant, a third of our love sessions are battles. I let her win on occasion, especially now in her condition.

I looked over my shoulder, seeing Kristen watching us, tears streaming down her face. I almost felt sorry for her. But I had warned her. I was going to live by her rules of marriage. I would do it for one year, and I was up front about it, telling her I may discover someone else, and if I did, our marriage would be over.

I gazed on the stunning Erica, 5'10" inches of Swedish sex appeal. Long blonde hair, big blue eyes, that round Nordic facial structure. A body honed to perfection through relentless exercise and training. A passion for life and love I had thought never to find.

It was at my second station, that I met up with her. We worked together for the full three months. She quit her own job, and followed me to my next station, where I convinced Josh to hire her on as a consultant. Together, we earned nearly $400K that year with minimal, shared expenses. After our last station, we had shopped ourselves out as a team. We'll be making so damn much money, I'm embarrassed to even say it.

"No. Don't kick her ass. It wouldn't be much of a challenge would it?"

"Not her. Old and fat."

"Let it go, Erica."

"I want to kick her ass. Punish her. She hurt you. Nobody hurts my man."

She was a feisty thing. I loved that about her. Hell, I loved everything about her. "She'll never get another chance."

But I was sure as shit happy that I'd gotten mine.

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That's it. Short and sweet. I know it's hard on the girls, but I envision delightful summers in Europe, being spoiled by Daddy, and playing big sisters to the newest family members.