Fiction:
After seeing a cheater, I cannot unsee it... pretending not to notice is almost worse than noticing, because not only am I feigning ignorance, I’m committing negligence by deliberating evading the issue. In a way, I’m lying, by pretending I do not know about it. Do you think people would hand me a free pass, close one eye, and let me off the hook by lying with me that I can abstain from speaking up? Yes, the person who did the faux pas will be elated I have entered the grey zone.
Once upon a time, I was standing with a colleague K., at the hired cab for transport for the night shift staff, when another colleague walked over and asked K., “Which place do you want to be dropped off? I’ve to tell the driver so that he can plan his driving route.”
I wasn’t aware K. had two homes but there and then, I discovered he had a neonatal home and a matrimonal home. That was none of my concern. Except he was two-timing a female colleague, who wanted to grow close to him, to start dating.
K. stared at me, asking that unvoiced question. I was surprised but kept my peace. He understood I wasn’t going to talk about it. He said “Thank you”, without any reference to what his thanks was for. You know, I know; no need to elaborate.
I mulled over in my head about what I should do. These were the possibilities –
- I could ignore what I heard.
- I could hint to the female colleague that perhaps K. was already attached.
- Maybe I could tell K. that he shouldn’t be leading that female colleague on.
I chose the first option because I didn’t want to ruin the careers of two colleagues. They were both ambitious, making it common knowledge they liked their jobs and were gunning for the next rung up the ladder. There were other people in the company who may be privy to the fact that K. was attached, but kept mum to avoid the confrontation.
I wonder if I was being fair to the woman who was cheated on. She didn’t behave like an angel but still, …
Related
Violet chose this literary quote as a writing prompt:
“pretending not to notice is almost worse than noticing.” ― Sara Gruen, Water for Elephants. She writes this prompt into her story at https://violetslentz.home.blog/2026/04/30/filed-away/
My old post – https://artmater.com/infographics-on-dreams-of-husband-having-mistress/