mackenzie kln

For the side story to work, Lucien would have had to experience personal growth. He was always running away and hiding like a coward. His AP was less of a coward than he was and confronted his wife in the hospital before he did! He’s a weak-willed, selfish man who avoided his responsibilities to live out a fantasy. People like that will always find a way to justify their actions, and their guilt is centered around themselves. If the side story is another, how many chapters of him lamenting endlessly, running away to contemplate, having others do his dirty work, being the last person to take action, avoiding his responsibilities, and using another letter to hide from the hurt and destruction he caused — then it’s best not to write a side-story. His guilt must be all-encompassing and greater than his feelings for Lilith. 

I read your story a few days ago and I'm still processing it!  Firstly I would like to tell you that your writing was amazing.  But your story gutted me!  I have to rant and get my thoughts off my chest!  I still keep thinking how could they devastate someone so bad and just walk away with there HEA! It was a matter of few months with like two weeks of actual in person time they had compared to the 10 years he had with his wife!  That's not love they had it was lust.  Keep thinking that Lilith has like mental issues.  I mean she went to the hospital when Clara was on bed rest.  That's unhinged and the fact that he didn't see that that confronting her in that setting was unforgivable is just sad.  Keep thinking once lillith is chosen and that she feels like she won that the infatuation will fade.  She just takes me as the type of person that can't stick to one thing.  Then ther is him who kissed his wife pregnant belly he was invested and then had a total midlife crisis and forgot what was really important.  He needs time to process his life and not get into another full on relationship.  He definitely was confused.  He didn't have time to fully process everything.
          I just keep thinking of the saying the grass is not always greener on the other side.  Relationships in the beginning are exciting and new it's like the honeymoon phase.  But as time goes on that fades.  I just hope in your follow up story that karma hits them a little bit harder.  He gave up his wife, son, and sister for a moment in time he had with Lilith.  
          In your follow up Keep thing maybe something happens like to his sister and he has to go back to the hometown and he goes into Clara new shop and sees that mural.  He see how amazing she did in his absence.  Ok enough of my rant I can go on and on.  Just had to voice what I have been thinking.  I'm invested and can't wait for the follow up.  Praying for karma to hit hard.  lol 

I feel like this is actually karma, dying without actually dying. guilt is powerful weapon. regret. i really like your story. how you portrayed it. 

Creator’s Note
          
          Dear readers,
          
          After a long period of being offline, I finally had the chance to sit down and read through your heartfelt comments. Your passion, reflections, and critiques have resonated deeply with me. While I understand that the main characters in "After She Said 'I Do,' I Met Him"—Lucian and Lilith—have left a bitter impression on many, I want to acknowledge that this was intentional.
          
          Lucian and Lilith were written to mirror real-life infidelity—not with dramatized remorse, but with a disturbing sense of moral awareness that is ignored for selfish desire. Their guilt is not redemptive but performative—a mask to convince themselves and others that they are still ‘human,’ when in truth, their actions betray that very claim.
          
          That said, I’ve heard your voices.
          
          As a response, I’ve decided to create a "side story"—one that will stand apart from the main timeline. This new narrative will explore a chance encounter: Lucian crossing paths with Clara and his now-grown son. Unlike the main story, this will not attempt to redeem Lucian, but rather lay bare the guilt he never truly allowed himself to feel.
          
          If you have suggestions or elements you’d like to see in this side story, please feel free to share them in the comments. While I may not be able to include every idea, I promise to read each one and consider them with care.
          
          With gratitude,
          Mackenzie Kln

Wow,this epilogue was sad. After all that Lucien and Lilith did to be together, they can never love and be in love with each other with pure abundance and complete freedom. Their love is not pure even from their perspective. Their love is tainted and built on lies and a very very shaky foundation. Do I think their happy ever after is forever?...No. But a happy for now?... Yes. That's my personal perspective. 
          
          Having to not be able to tell how they met with joy or fond memories,or having to always wonder if their AP would cheat on them, or the biggest one for me...to trust implicitly that their love is built on foundations that are so strong,it would stand the test of time,as well to NOT be free to indulge and wrap themselves in their so called love and GROW from and with that love completely and utterly, is a huge Karma to have hanging onto you...EVERY DAY of their lives. So yeah,Lucien and Lilith may ride off into the sunset apparently untouched by the devestation they created to their exes,but can you imagine choosing someone who has the same void inside of themselves like you have and finding out later down the path that they were never going to fill that void because the only one who can do that is yourself. 
          
          Where as Clara gets to build a love that she can be proud of. She and Eli get to have a Hea with the one that chooses them,and you best believe that their Karma will be filled with so much blessings. Hindsight especially from Lucien is 20/20 but it will too late. Clara and Eli are not even glancing at him. 
          
          Lucien and Lilith got the Karma that was perfect for them. So I am a lil bit pleased. 

Just want to say I enjoyed your story very much.

Hey when you are going to upload 

Thanks for the update and the bold direction that the story is going. It sucks that cheaters sometimes get their HEAor HFN.  That’s real life. Do I wish that they wouldnt be happy of course but sometime karma comes in other ways. I hope we see a time jump and Lucian sees her and his son happy without him. That would be karma, because even if he is happy that would crush his soul.

Hey author... awesome story.... when's the next update?

Wow, after reading the post from the author I must say I'm truly disappointed that the cheaters don't get any karma. Lucian just leaves with his smut into the Parisian sunset with no consequences. Leaves his child, has no care in the world other than being with that smut.... I'm truly disappointed. I understand Clara will get her HEA as well, I guess I have to see how it plays out before I feel cheated. 
          
          PS: I will say I've been obsessed with this story since I found it 2-3 days ago. Read it in one sitting so the author is definitely onto something big. Great job