Tell Her or I Will
Daniel woke up a happy man. Things were going great at work, he was in the best shape of his life, and his first child was a month away from being born. He smiled at his sleeping wife beside him, planted a gentle kiss on her cheek, before carefully sliding out of the bed. Twenty minutes later he was ready to head to the gym for a workout before work.
His car was backed into the driveway, facing the street, so he didn’t see the note attached to his car until he got in and sat down. Spotting it he stood half in and half out the car and reached over and grabbed it. It only had 5 words, Tell her or I will. “What the hell?” He looked up and down his quiet suburban street seeing no one. He got in the car and closed the door, his morning happiness punctured by concern. He ran over things in his mind, the dinner with Tisha, his co-worker, followed by drinks at her place and the near breech in his marriage. “Nothing happened, so there is nothing to tell. This must be a mistake.” He tossed the note on the passenger seat, dismissing it.
Continuing with his morning routine, he worked out at the gym and then went to work. He’d all but forgot about the note until he ran into Tisha standing outside of his office. The look on her face was a clear indication that she was not happy with him.
“Good morning,” Daniel said as he walked passed her into his office. He was hoping she wouldn’t follow him in, but she did and closed the door. “I’ve already apologized Tisha, let’s not make this awkward.”
“Make things awkward. Do you mean like ignoring me and my ideas in the last two meetings awkward? Or the what if I happened to tell your wife about how you are coming closer and closer to cheating on her? Carmen told me about the Christmas party last year.”
Daniel cringed, “That kiss was all Carmen, she caught me off guard. Look, I am and have been faithful to my wife so you can stop leaving threatening notes on my car.”
“Leaving what? Notes saying what? You know what it doesn’t matter, cause I am not the one. All I’m asking is that you stop trying to tank my career because of one near miss. This isn’t about me trying to get with you, this is about me wanting to get my career back on track.”
Daniel looked at her trying to determine if she was playing games or telling the truth. Even though he was no where near convinced he said, “Fine, business as usual from here on out.”
She smiled and looked relieved. “Thank you,” she pulled the door opened and walked out. After Tisha left he shook things off and got to work. He was heads down and working through lunch. An hour before quitting time the office manager stopped in and handed him a large manilla envelop. “This was just delivered.”
After she left he opened the package and found another note, Tell her or I will. He looked down in the envelop and felt ill. There were two pictures. One of him having dinner with Tisha and one of him entering her apartment building with her. “Damn,” he stuffed everything back in the envelop, packed up and headed home.
Forty minutes later he sat across from his wife. He told her about how close he’d come to breaking their marriage vows. “I came close but I didn’t cross the line,” he explained. He then added, “I love you too much and I promise it will never happen again.” He waited for her to react.
She looked at him with an unreadable look then spoke clearly “Just so we are clear, cheating is a deal breaker. Now, please give me a moment.” When he opened his mouth to say something else, she said firmly, “I need a moment.” He stood, reluctant to leave the room until things were settled, but did it anyway because she needed him to do so.
As he walked away she reached into her pocket and crumpled the note inside, it was no longer needed. She’d been told.