The Hidden Truth

She walked towards the living room, over stepping the brown boxes that trailed in a uniform line from the living room down the hallway. She had spent most of the day preparing for a yard sale with her husband, and with her back aching, the task of cleaning and pricing her treasures completed, she sat down on the couch.

The television channel was airing the Dr. Phil show and the topic for the day regarded something like, how to save your marriage when your spouse admits he had cheated on you. As they both sat quietly listening to the show, something the woman on the screen had said struck a wrong cord with her. Alyssa turned to look at her husband.

“How many times have you cheated on me?” she asked.

Her husband surprised by the question responded none. But she knew he was lying. As she watched him open another beer and take a drink, Alyssa decided to rephrase.

“I remember years ago when you went to a party, and the girl that was hosting it told you her name was Alyssa. Your friends told me that your mouth dropped open. Did you sleep with her thinking to yourself that hey, I can have an affair with two girls named Alyssa?”

John just smiled and took another sip of his beer.

“What about all those times you went out with your friends for a guys night out? The excuses you would give me for not coming home until the next morning. Do you want me to believe that you were doing nothing wrong? Our friends told me that you always acted like you were single when you were out.”

“I did act single,” he responded. “We weren’t married.”

“We were living together,” she replied, trying not to seem upset because she still wanted more information.

“We didn’t always sleep with other women when we went out. There were times when we just partied.”

Alyssa could not believe the bluntness in his statement. What she had thought for years, he finally confirmed. As she sat staring at him, his words turned over and over in her head.

“Someone’s here,” John stated as he got up, walked to the door, and stepped out onto the porch. Alyssa could see through the half-opened door that he was talking to Nick, and old friend from his childhood, however she did not care too much for. Nick had always been nice to her, but it was Nick’s lifestyle that she did not appreciate.

John invited Nick in, offering him a beer as he made his way to the refrigerator. Alyssa watched as John talked with Nick while making his way back to couch. And as he sat down, John turned and looked at Alyssa.

“Don’t act like such an angel, you know you weren’t innocent back then.”

“I never cheated on you,” she blurted out.

Alyssa picked up her coffee mug from the table and walked to her office.