Sometimes we are faced with choices. We have to decide whether to hurt someone and tell them the truth or bring that information with us to the grave.
We are left to ask for help when we can’t figure it out on our own, like telling a dying friend that her husband is having an affair.
Rachel Hancox recently talked about the situation she was in.
At their children’s primary school, Rachel and Jane met. Many parents attend school events and meetings and share experiences with their children, but the two were not close friends.
Jane was diagnosed with cancer.
Many parents discussed how brave Jane was for battling cancer at such a young age when word traveled fast about her diagnosis. Jane was in her 30s according to Rachel.
John was also affected by Jane’s diagnosis.
John was struggling with his wife’s cancer diagnosis. Many mothers would talk about how supportive John was throughout Jane’s treatments and how he must be struggling.
One day, Rachel saw something that made the situation more difficult.
John was at a cafe with another mother. The mother was going through a divorce that other parents were aware of.
At first, Rachel thought it was a friendly exchange.
Giving John the benefit of the doubt, Rachel thought maybe he just needed support during this trying time. She knew it was more than that when she spotted them again.
She spotted them again two weeks later.
Out with her parents and her son, Rachel saw John and the other woman. The two were holding hands. John kissed her as well.
The situation was weighing on Rachel.
Rachel didn’t know what to say. She wanted to tell someone. She didn’t want to hurt Jane or make her situation harder than it already was.
The friends of the family made it worse.
Other parents would talk to Rachel about how wonderful John was to Jane. Rachel was made very uncomfortable by their sympathy and praise of John.
Jane passed away a few weeks after Rachel caught her husband.
As many gave their sympathies to John at school, Rachel decided to stay quiet. She thought telling Jane would make her last moments worse.
John went public with his new relationship after Jane’s death.
John and the other woman went public with their relationship after Jane’s death. Many people said he didn’t wait long before moving on. John said that Jane would have wanted him to be happy.
Rachel wondered if it was the right choice in the end.
Rachel wondered if keeping the affair to herself was the right thing to do. Would John have left her if Jane had made a recovery? Is it continuing cheating? Should she have told Jane after all?
