Horror Story

[ML]

Spouse went to early dinner with a gal who is from another country, but not FSU.

I know the husband fairly well.  They met while he was on business trip to her country and he had returned for visits several times.  After a year or 2 they decided to get married.

Later, I met up with spouse and the gal at a small concert in local park.  Her husband was out of town.

I had only been around the gal and her husband as a couple a few times, but we never really talked too much about anything personal.  Everything seemed OK to me.

This guy's first wife tragically died about 10 years ago.  I had also met them as a couple just a few times but also had not talked about anything personal.

The big shocker.

The gal tells us that when she arrived in US and went to the husband-to-be's house, the deceased wife's wedding dress was draped over a chair in their bedroom !!!

And even now, 5 years later, in the lower (finished off basement) level of the house, are many pics of the first wife covering the walls and other of her items sitting on shelves, etc.  Only after 3 years would he agree to let new wife remodel the kitchen as she wanted.

He also will not move from the house because it was 'hers', not in an ownership sense, but in a personal sense.  He reminds new wife frequently how first wife was near perfect, they never had a single argument, etc., etc.  No children.

I told I was very surprised because this guy has degrees in the social sciences, and most certainly would include some psychology courses etc.

The new wife is quite bright and said, "Yes, people can read and study about appropriate behavior and even teach appropriate behavior . . . but they can't practice it when it comes to themselves."

This is a "Dear Abby" story for sure.

I can't see myself ever trying to give this guy some 'friendly advice'  because (1) I don't want him to realize the story came from his wife, and (2) it would probably just make him mad at me anyway.

[BillyB]

Read a story similar to this years ago about a husband not letting go of the first wife. Husband would recommend new wife to wear certain clothes, wear her hair a certain way and dye her hair a certain color. One day the new wife found an old photo album in the house and seen the first wife for the first time. She then understood her husband was trying to mold her into looking like the first wife. Making love to him from then on must've been spooky.