Page 80 of Unfaithful

“But why me?”

“Because they know about me and Isabelle,” he said finally. And it’s just as I thought. There were texts and emails that would have left little to the imagination.

“What else did they ask about me?”

“Where you were, what time you came home.”

“What did you say?”

“Babe, what could I say? I told them the truth! But it’s okay, it’s okay because you were with June so there’s no problem, they won’t even suspect you.”

“Suspect me of what?”

“I don’t know, they didn’t tell me anything, they just asked questions.”

I nodded, feeling lost.

“But you were with June, so it’s good, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it’s good.” I said.No, it’s not good. Not good at all.

On the way to work, I confirmed with HR that there are no claims against me, so that’s something, I guess. There never was, they said. Just as I thought, it was a hoax. Geoff must lie awake at night thinking up new ways to torture me, turn the screws that little bit tighter, just so he can watch me suffer.

I stand outside his office. The door is ajar and I can see him staring at his computer. He types slowly, looking at the keyboard, then at the screen then back at the keyboard. He types the next letter or two then he pushes his glasses further up his nose and does it again. I stand there, my eyes burning. I could walk in right now and tell him I know everything. That his career is over and he is going to die in a rat-infested jail where the only way to tell the difference between rice and maggots is whether it moves or not.

No wait, that’s me.

“What are you doing?”

I spin around. “June! Hi, I was day-dreaming.”

She looks toward the office.

“About Geoff?”

“You could say that.”

“Takes all sorts, I guess.” Then she leans closer. “What happened last night? Did you find him?”

I grab her arm and pull her into my office, closing the door behind us.

I sit her down and tell her everything. I have to go back to that day in the store cupboard for it to make any sense. I have to go back further than that, to Chicago. The conference Geoff and I attended together.

“You know, I really don’t want to make excuses here, I really don’t, but the next day Geoff kept joking about how drunk I was, how much I knocked them back. But I don’t remember doing that. Maybe I was tired. Maybe that’s why the alcohol went to my head. Not that it’s any excuse.”

She actually wipes a quick tear. “I can’t believe it. I mean, I can. He’s such a creep. He’s always trying to get me to go out drinking with him in a suggestive way that makes my skin crawl. And I hate the way he’s always standing too close when I’m in his office.”

“No! You never said!”

She shrugs. “What’s there to say? That’s what he’s like.” We’re both silent for a moment. “So what will you do?”

“I don’t know. What do you think I should do?”

“Will you report them to the police?”

“I don’t think much will happen if I do. It’s Ryan’s word against mine whether I was aware of him taking the photo or not.”

“But you can’t let him get away with it!”