Her honesty surprised me.
For the first time, she wasn’t trying to win an argument.
She was admitting that she had allowed her own insecurity to become cruelty.
“I am sorry, Ella,” she whispered. “You didn’t deserve any of it.”
I looked at her for a long time.
“I don’t forgive you yet.”
She nodded.
“I understand.”
“But I hope you learn from this. You are about to become a mother. Your child deserves better than being brought into a life built on lies.”
She placed a hand over her stomach and began to cry harder.
“I know.”
We sat quietly for a few minutes before she left.
I didn’t feel victorious.
There was no satisfaction in watching another woman discover that the man she had trusted was dishonest.
There was only sadness.
Two women had been hurt because one man had chosen deception over honesty. We had responded differently, but neither of us had gained anything from his promises.
