William had always known that guilt would catch up with him eventually, but as he stood in front of his wife, Linda, the weight of his actions became unbearable. Her anxious gaze told him she sensed something was wrong, and for a brief moment, he considered keeping his secret. He knew the truth would devastate her, but there was no turning back now.
“I’m seeing someone else, Linda,” he finally confessed, avoiding her eyes. “I didn’t want it to come to this, but I… I couldn’t help it.”
Her face fell, and disbelief washed over her. “What do you mean, William? You’ve been with another woman? You have a mistress?”
William couldn’t bring himself to look at her. “I love her, Linda. She’s younger… different. We just clicked,” he muttered, as if those words could somehow justify his betrayal.
Linda’s anger erupted. “Do you even hear yourself? We’ve been married for twenty years! We have a daughter! How could you do this?” Before she could continue, her phone rang, interrupting the intense moment.
It was a call from the court. Their home was about to be seized. The beef jerky business they had started together had failed, and they were drowning in debt. Linda hadn’t known that the mortgage payments were overdue. Her face went pale as she hung up.
“What’s your excuse for that, William?” she asked, tears welling in her eyes. “Were you going to leave us homeless while you played house with your mistress? We owe $80,000! Where are we supposed to get that?”
William fumbled for words, offering weak excuses, but it was clear he had no plan. He had neglected everything—their marriage, their daughter, and their future.
“Get out of my house!” Linda screamed, her voice breaking. “Out!”
Years later, William was still haunted by that day. He had left Linda and their daughter, Isabelle, and for what? The life he had envisioned with his younger mistress had crumbled, just like everything else. He had lost his job, his home, and his sense of direction. Now, struggling to piece his life back together, he found himself heading to a job interview at a beef jerky production factory. Ironically, the very industry that led to his downfall was now his last hope.
As he waited nervously for the interview, memories of his past gnawed at him. He had applied for a position as a packaging operator—not glamorous, but it was work. To his surprise, he was hired on the spot.
On his third day, as he labeled boxes, his manager, Mr. Dunn, approached him. “Big day today, William. The CEO is visiting for an inspection. Might want to make a good impression.”
William wasn’t particularly interested. He had more pressing worries than impressing some faceless CEO. But as he continued working, the factory grew quiet—the CEO had arrived.
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