The Truth Hurts

“You see,” Liam began, faltering. “It’s like this…”

He sat across the table from Rhiannon in the dimly lit pub and felt a twinge of nerves watching her smile slowly fade into a frown.

“I’ve been hurt before. I know that should come as no surprise to you, but it’s there.”

Rhiannon’s expression remained unchanged, still frowning. He couldn’t read her eyes, but she nodded as if to encourage him to keep talking.

Liam cleared his throat and continued. “My ex, Barbara, well you see, she cheated on me. I never saw it coming. I guess I was too boring for her or just not enough. What’s worse, she cheated a lot. Like more than once. I never knew or never noticed or maybe I just didn’t want to see it. But once I knew for sure, the damage was done. I couldn’t pretend anymore. And she was so damn good at it. I felt like a fool. I moved all of my sh*t into the garage and I slept in the basement until I could figure out a way to pay for my own place. We kept up a good front for the neighbours and our families, but deep down, I guess I knew that they all knew what she’d been up to. I was the last to know. And that made me feel like an even bigger fool.”

Liam paused then to get a sense of Rhiannon’s reaction. She said nothing, her face still frowning, her eyes watering maybe? It was hard to tell. At one point, she had bitten her lip. He couldn’t tell if it was because she’d wanted to say something or because she was so helplessly bored by his story that she had to hurt herself in order to pay attention. Liam wasn’t particularly good at reading people, especially women. He decided to keep going.

“So as it turns out, all of our friends knew. And they were only too happy to tell me after we finally parted ways. I had been such an idiot, blind to her deception, and stupid to believe she was actually out with her crochet club. Nope, Barb was out banging half the guys from her office. I’m not saying I’m a real cowboy in the bedroom, but I guess whatever I had to offer simply wasn’t enough for her.

He stopped here for a moment to take a sip of his beer and to try to get a bead on Rhiannon. Nothing. This woman was a pure old school poker player.

“So anyway, it’s been 10 years. I know I should move on but it’s hard to trust people. This is a small town and everybody knows everybody and all of their business and it’s hard for a guy like me to catch a break. I don’t want to get used again and I don’t want to get hurt again and I don’t want to be embarrassed again.

“So that’s my story. It ain’t pretty, but there it is.”

Liam sheepishly placed his hands on the table, tentatively leaving them there for Rhiannon to latch onto, please god.

As if on cue, Rhiannon gently placed her hands on top of Liam’s, raised her head, and looked him straight in the eyes.

“Liam,” she said softly. “Firstly, I want to thank you for telling me your story. I’m sure it wasn’t easy, but I thank you sincerely for your candour.”

Liam felt the tension in his shoulders lift and he could feel a grin begin to spread across his face. “No thank you, Rhiannon”.

She patted his hand gently and continued, “Secondly, though…” and here she paused for dramatic effect before leaning forward and then loudly proclaiming:

“What a crock of s*it, though. I mean seriously? F*ck off.”

Stunned, Liam could only stutter and stammer, “But but but…”

“No ‘buts’ here, mister, “ she interrupted. “You think you’re the only one who’s ever been lied to, cheated on, or hurt? Give your head a shake, man. Maybe you were a fool? But maybe you were also a real dud and she had enough of your bullshit and wanted something more exciting. I’m not saying that what she did was right or fair, I’m just saying that relationships are a two way street, pal. What was missing from your marriage that made her think that banging half of her office was a nice alternative? Get over yourself for being ashamed at what other people think they know. Look inward and figure out what your role was in all of it. And then commit to doing better. Nobody likes a sad sack with zero balls.”

Liam was gobsmacked. He was absolutely unprepared for this type of reaction. This story was usually met with sympathy and maybe the promise of pity sex or even a consolation hand job, but what the hell was this? Rhiannon was in a class of her own. And Liam was reduced to being a student in what he thought was his own classroom. Merciful Jeezus, he didn’t know what to make of her. And he could only hang his head in shame at what she made of him!

He raised his hand as though waving a white flag towards the wait staff.

“Cheque please,” he gulped.