Contemplation

After seeing everything I immediately pull the door shut, careful not to make a sound. For a second, I can’t process what I’m seeing. My mind races through the past few hours—the dinner, the jokes, Jeff sitting beside her, completely comfortable and trusting. Then I look back at the room and realize what’s happening. She’s cheating on Jeff, and Chase is part of it.

I stand frozen in the hallway, my heart pounding so hard I can hear it. I glance toward the living room. Jeff is still asleep on the couch, only a few feet away, completely unaware.

I slowly walk back and sit down, staring at the floor. My hands feel tense, and my thoughts are all over the place. Part of me wants to wake Jeff immediately. Another part tells me to stay out of it. And then there’s the uncomfortable realization that I’m hardly in a position to judge either of them.

I look toward Jeff, sleeping peacefully, and feel a knot form in my stomach. He trusts the people around him—including me. I sit there in silence, wondering whether telling him would be the right thing to do, or whether I’d only be blowing up everyone’s lives because of something I happened to see.