Upon requesting access to his father’s computer, Brian saw a password-protected “PRIVATE” folder. He was able to figure out the password for the folder since his curiosity got the better of him. But he was shocked by what he saw inside.
The Greenwood house was silent, and 18-year-old Brian, a college student, was focused intently on his research. When Brian got home from college, his teacher and renowned economics professor, Alex, appeared worn out. “You look exhausted,” concerned Brian’s mother Amanda.
As he discussed what was expected at the end of the semester, Alex sighed.
The subject of Brian’s experience in college came up over dinner. Brian said, trembling, “The classes are going well, but Elizabeth White seems to be avoiding me.”
Alex tensed at her comment. Elizabeth White? Brian, you ought to stay away from her at all costs. He said, “She’s not a good influence,” with an unusually harsh tone.
“Why, Dad? What’s wrong with her? Brian asked, seeming surprised.
She is thought to be quite fantastical. witnessed with several different boys.
Brian was dejected. He found Elizabeth to be quite appealing. Whatever. Dad, may I use your laptop later? He moved the conversation, seeing as how weirdly he was acting.
“Of course, you can use it anytime,” Alex remarked.
The following morning, after he had the home to himself, Brian sat down in front of his father’s laptop. He couldn’t resist exploring and found a password-protected “Private” section. Recalling “Rocky0710,” their dog’s birthdate, he was taken aback to discover what was within the folder when it finally opened.
Brian’s heart rate shot up when he opened the first picture. It was an image of Elizabeth and his father cuddling up together with the ocean as the background. In a different picture, Elizabeth was pecking him on the cheek.
The reality of the situation hit Brian hard; it was obvious why his father had always opposed Elizabeth.
“How could he have done that?” Brian mumbled, shocked and heartbroken.
As Brian kept thinking about how his father had deceived his mother, his rage grew. He feared his mother would find it difficult to accept Alex’s situation. But Brian also wanted to exact revenge on his father for what he had done.
Weeks passed, and Brian still did not express his feelings while he figured out a plan. He decided the graduation ball would be the perfect opportunity to wreak his revenge.
On the eve of the ball, excitement was in the air.
Brian stood onstage at last, but he did so with his secret weighing heavily on him.
As Alex got up to approach the platform, whispers began to spread across the audience. “I’ve been unfaithful to both my son and my wife for a long time,” he blurted out. He was having a hard time swallowing his confession.
Principal Carla Thompson tried to stop him, but Alex wouldn’t stop talking. It’s not what you think, though. I’m not the girlfriend of Elizabeth. His admission that “she’s actually my daughter” shocked everyone.
“And her mother is Mrs. Thompson, the college director,” Alex remarked.
As everyone in the hall tried to take in what Alex had just disclosed, they were all feeling a variety of emotions.
It turned out that 18 years earlier, when Brian was still a baby, Alex and his wife, Amanda, had a very intense argument. He was furious with her after finding out from his friend Adam that she was seeing someone else. How could you make me put up with this? To us? I looked at the photos you took of him. It was Alex who yelled at her.
Amanda feigned shock and denied any guilt. But in reality, she wasn’t. She even tried to explain that she was at a friend’s house and that it was all a misunderstanding.
But Alex would not hear of it. Furious, he walked out of the house and made his way to a nearby bar, hoping to forget about his troubles. The drink waitress tried to cheer him up, but Carla, a former colleague and instructor at the college where Alex was the principal at the time, invited him to her birthday celebration at the bar that evening in an attempt to distract him.
After the party came to a close and the evening drew on, Carla saw that Alex wasn’t feeling well. Then she extended an invitation to visit her home. After overindulging in alcohol, they ended up sharing a kiss and spending the night together.
When Alex woke up at Carla’s house the following morning, he felt awful about everything that had happened, especially in light of what he had said to Amanda.
When he got home early in the morning, Amanda became worried. “Alex, what’s up with you? You have an alcoholic scent,” she said, clearly upset.
To cover up what he did, Alex told lies about where he was. He continued, “I was just at a mate’s place and lost track of time,” without turning to face Amanda.
That’s when Amanda spoke the truth. “Do you recall the photos that that guy and I shot at the hotel? “Well, he was planning a surprise for your birthday,” she said, pointing to some receipts to clear things up.
After realizing Amanda hadn’t done anything wrong and felt awful, Alex apologized to her. “I really sorry. I should have believed in you. But he decided not to admit his own mistake to her, not wanting to aggravate her any more.
They decided to start over after Amanda said, “From now on, let’s promise to believe in each other.” Amanda made it her goal to ensure Alex had an amazing birthday, and she worked really hard to make it happen. Carla, along with everyone else at the event, was having a blast. Everyone was laughing and telling stories—friends, family, and coworkers included.
However, everything changed when Carla pulled Alex aside. When she said, “We need to talk,” she seemed really serious. Then Alex followed her outside. Then, she shockingly revealed, “Alex, I’m pregnant, and this is your baby.”
Alex was shocked. He would lose his reputation if anyone found out about his one-night stand. Then Carla had an idea: “After I move away and have it, I’ll give the baby to a shelter.” When I return, I want to become the principal. This is not the child I want.
Alex agreed. Okay, Carla. He made a big decision that would change their path in life when he said, “We’ll do it your way.”
Brian’s eyes started to well up with tears as Alex finished narrating his story to the students and teachers. The hall fell silent as everyone realized what they had discovered.
Elizabeth’s anger overcame her completely. “You told me that my mother died and that you never knew that you had a daughter when I found you,” the woman approached Alex.
I was terrified, Elizabeth. Alex begged for her pardon, saying, “I was unable to accept the reality about the shelter and about leaving you.”
But Elizabeth slapped him back and turned away. She did not want to work with a man who had lied to her and his family.
“I never want to see you again,” Brian fiercely shouted to Alex. “You are a liar and a traitor.”
He too walked out of the corridor, shaken. In the middle of all of this, Amanda started to cry out for help because she was so shocked by what she had discovered that she was having a heart attack. The crowd fell silent in shock and panic as the rescue squad rushed in.
As the paramedics brought Alex away, she sobbed by herself while seated. He tried to improve things by being honest, but doing so just made everything worse. The tension caused Amanda to become very sick, Brian could not forgive him for betraying her, and Elizabeth could not see through his lies.
One quiet evening, while he sat there, Alex realized how many people had been offended by his choices. Order seems to be hard to reestablish. He knew he had to apologize for the hurt he had caused and rebuild their trust one small step at a time.
Tell your friends about this story, please, and let us know what you think.
If you enjoyed this story, you should read this one again: When Margaret learns that her husband has two cell phones, their marriage is threatened. In an effort to save her marriage and give her beloved girls a complete family, she battles for it. She still isn’t sure what’s best for her and her children, though.
Inspired by real-life experiences of our readers, this essay was written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is coincidental. The purpose of every image is merely to provide an example. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. Please send your story to [email protected] if you would like to.