There are many times in life when we are faced with choices . Sometimes, we find out information we wish that we hadn’t because we have to choose whether to hurt someone and tell them the truth or bring that information with us to the grave.
Many situations are much too hard to figure out on our own and we are left to ask others for advice and guidance—like, telling your terminally ill friend that her husband is having an affair.
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Author Rachel Hancox recently opened up about the situation she had found herself in.
Rachel shared that she had met Jane, another mother, at their children’s primary school. The two were not close friends, but they shared experiences together, as many parents do when attending school events and meetings.
Unfortunately, Jane was diagnosed with cancer.
As it goes with many schools, word traveled fast about Jane’s cancer diagnosis and many parents would discuss how brave Jane was for battling cancer at such a young age. Rachel shared that Jane was only in her 30s.
Jane’s husband, John, was also impacted by Jane’s diagnosis.
As it goes with any husband and wife, John was struggling with his wife’s cancer diagnosis. Many mothers would talk about how supportive John was being throughout Jane’s chemotherapy treatments and that he must be struggling so much.
However, one day Rachel witnessed something that made the situation that much more difficult.
Rachel had witnessed John at a cafe with another mother from the school. The mother, ironically, had been going through a rather public divorce that other parents knew about, as well.
Rachel thought it was just a friendly exchange, at first.
Giving John the benefit of the doubt, Rachel thought maybe he just needed support from people during this trying time. But, when she walked outside and spotted them again, she knew it was much more than that.
Two weeks later, she spotted them again.
Out with her parents and her son, Rachel saw John and the “other woman” out again together. This time, the two were holding hands. And, to her surprise, John leaned in and kissed her, too.
The situation weighed heavily on Rachel.
Rachel was unsure what to do or what to say. On one hand, she wanted to tell someone. On the other hand, she didn’t want to hurt Jane or make her situation harder than it already was.
Friends of the family only made it worse.
Other parents would talk to Rachel in the schoolyard about Jane’s condition and mention how “wonderful” John was to Jane. The sympathy and the outward praise of John made Rachel very uncomfortable.
Sadly, Jane passed away only a few weeks after Rachel had caught her husband.
As many gave their condolences to John at school, Rachel decided to stay quiet about the information she knew. She thought that telling Jane would have made her last moments more painful and intolerable.
A couple of months after Jane had passed, John went public with his new relationship.
After Jane had passed, John and the other woman went public with their relationship. Many people made comments that he didn’t wait very long before moving on. However, John made come remarks that Jane would have wanted him to be happy.
Although she made her decision, Rachel wonders if it was the right one in the end.
Deciding not to say anything and keep the affair to herself, Rachel wonders if it was the right thing to keep it to herself. She often weighs what would have happened if Jane had made a recovery—would John have left her? Told her? Continued cheating?
Or, should she have been honest and told Jane after all?
