Part 4: The Question I Was Afraid to Ask

“Sometimes the hardest question to ask is the one that might change your life forever.”

The phone hit the floor with a dull thud.

For a moment, no one moved.

Not me.

Not David.

Not even the air in the room seemed to move.

My ears rang as Grace’s words echoed again and again in my head.

“Your husband tested positive for HIV.”

It couldn’t be true.

It had to be a mistake.

My eyes slowly lifted to David.

He still hadn’t said a word.

His face was pale.

His hands trembled slightly.

And suddenly the silence became unbearable.

“David…” My voice cracked.

“Tell me she’s lying.”

He didn’t answer.

The absence of his voice felt louder than any confession.

My chest tightened painfully.

“David!” I shouted.

Tears blurred my vision.

“Tell me she’s lying!”

Finally he spoke.

But the words barely came out.

“She’s not lying.”

The world seemed to tilt beneath my feet.

I stumbled backward until I hit the wall behind me.

“How?” I whispered.

“How is this possible?”

David covered his face with his hands.

“I didn’t want you to find out like this,” he said quietly.

My heart twisted.

“Find out?” I repeated.

“You mean it’s true?”

He nodded slowly.

My entire body went cold.

“How long have you known?”

“A few days.”

“And you didn’t tell me?”

“I was going to.”

“When?”

His silence answered the question.

Anger began rising inside me.

Hot and uncontrollable.

“Do you realize what this means?” I cried.

“Do you know what this means for me?”

For our children?

For our marriage?

My mind was spinning with fear.

Only one question burned above the rest.

The question I was most afraid to ask.

I forced the words out.

“David… did you cheat on me?”

The room fell completely silent.

And the look on his face made my heart sink even further.