Let me tell ya, my Betty and I have been together for like forever. But this time she really shocked me!

Came home last night to a sight that nearly stopped my heart—Lord, all my stuff, a heap of my life scattered right there on the front lawn! My favorite recliner, books, my clothes—everything I owned had just been thrown out like trash! And there was Betty, standing on the porch like a storm about to break.

Well, I had something to tell her too!

“Have you run mad, woman?! What are my things doing out on the lawn?” I yelled, more bewildered than angry.

Betty’s eyes were blazing. “Mad?! You are the one who’s mad! That’s it, Donald, I’m done! I’m kicking you out. I’m divorcing you!”
“Hey, hold your horses, lady! YOU WANNA DIVORCE JUST BECAUSE I WAS LATE COMING HOME OR WHAT?” I shot back, trying to piece together what had caused this explosion.
Betty took a step forward, shaking with fury. “Late? Late, you say? Donald, you’ve been hiding something from me. Something big!”

My mind raced. What could she be talking about? “Hiding what? I’ve told you everything!”

She took a deep breath, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and hurt. “I got a call today. From Linda.”

Linda? That name struck me like a bolt. She was a colleague, someone I had worked with closely on several projects. But why would Betty get a call from her?

“Linda? What did she say?”

Betty’s eyes narrowed. “She told me everything, Donald. She told me about the affair.”

My heart sank. “What affair? Betty, I swear, there’s no affair! Linda and I—we’re just colleagues!”

Betty threw a crumpled piece of paper at me. “Explain this then.”

I smoothed out the paper and read it. It was a love letter, from Linda, confessing her feelings for me and saying how much she missed our ‘secret nights together’. My stomach churned. Linda had written this letter, but it wasn’t true. We’d never had an affair. She must have mistaken my kindness for something more.

“Betty, I swear to you, Linda’s delusional. I never had an affair with her. She must have misunderstood our working relationship.”

Betty shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “You expect me to believe that? After all these years, I thought I knew you, Donald. But this? This I can’t forgive.”

Desperation clawed at me. “Betty, please. You have to believe me. I love you. Only you. Linda’s just a coworker. Nothing more.”

She looked at me, and for a moment, I saw the flicker of doubt. “Donald, if you’re lying to me, I swear—”

I stepped forward, taking her hands in mine. “I’m not lying, Betty. I’ve never been unfaithful to you. Let’s call Linda together. She’ll tell you the truth.”

Betty hesitated, then nodded. We went inside and called Linda on speaker. She answered, and her voice was smug, almost triumphant, until she heard my voice and realized what was happening. I confronted her, demanding she tell the truth in front of Betty.

Linda’s voice trembled as she confessed. “I—I’m sorry, Betty. I lied. Donald never cheated. I was just jealous of what you two have. I wanted to ruin it.”

Betty’s face crumpled in relief and sorrow. She hung up and looked at me, her anger melting into regret. “I’m so sorry, Donald. I should have trusted you.”

I pulled her into my arms. “It’s okay, Betty. We’ll get through this. Together.”

As we stood there, amidst the scattered remnants of my life on the lawn, I realized that our love was strong enough to weather this storm. Betty and I had faced many challenges together, and this was just another one we’d overcome. Together, we picked up my things, piece by piece, knowing that our bond was unbreakable.