I Turned a Blind Eye to Betrayal and Lived to Regret It

Dont tell me youre seeing her again, Zoe said, her eyes flashing with hurt.

David gulped and knocked his spoon off the table.

The watch! she pointed at his wrist.

Yes, thats right, David waved a hand, trying to hide the timepiece with his cuff.

I found the box in the bin, Zoe said, and there was even a receipt inside!

David dropped his gaze, staring at his plate.

We promised you wouldnt go back to her, Zoe said, her voice edged with disappointment. You swore to me, David! You gave me your word!

Listen, Zoe, David began, she begged me. I know I promised, but shes still my boss. How could I refuse?

Politely, of course, Zoe kept her composure. Im married. I love my wife!

Then I had no choice. And with all due respect, Zoe sighed, shes not the only employer in town.

Lets think logically, Zoe, David tried to steady himself. Shes offering me the best deal because of my past achievements, he said. Zoe clenched her teeth but stayed silent. Would another firm give me the same? Probably not.

Being a burden on you is something you dont want either, David continued. Shes making an exception, just for oldtime loyalty. And the watch isnt the only thing I brought.

For you and for little Emily, he added, gesturing to his daughter, gold chains with zodiac pendants.

What a pretentious gift, Zoe replied sarcastically. Youll sell it and give me the money. Neither I nor Emily will ever wear those things!

Ill just return them to the shop, David shrugged. Valentina Grigorevna left the receipt.

The watch! Zoe repeated, pointing again.

Fine, fine, David winced. Ohno, the box and receipt are gone!

Zoe placed the empty packaging on the table.

Alright, David said curtly, Ill give them back. Happy?

And dont see her again. Find a way out of this, but never let it happen again, Zoe demanded.

David clicked his tongue, turned his head, and exhaled. Zoe, she promised it was the last time, but you have to understand our livelihood depends on the salary she pays. If she

Youll have to refuse, Zoe snapped. Fine, it was a forced measure. We dont need it now.

—

People never truly know how far theyll go when desperation grips them. In those moments we hear the phrase theyll do anything, yet often its bravado. There is always a line you wont cross, even in dire need.

David and Zoes life was never easy. Their childhood offered little comfort; they werent orphans, but they grew up in large, crowded families.

Some luck, some not, placed them in the middle of the social ladder. The weight of responsibility didnt crush their young shoulders, yet work was never scarce.

Prosperity meant simply: not hungry, clothed, shod, and warmbasic happiness. A small slip could mean losing dinner or sleeping in the shed.

From an early age they had to hustle, survive, lie, grab, and defend themselves. Psychological wounds were a foreign concept then; no one spoke of trauma.

They were strung together like beads on a string, each bead a promise to leave their parents home and never return.

Both could have moved to a nearby larger cityManchester, for instancebut instead they chose to travel a thousand miles and settle in a modest town, hoping to be hard to find. They cut ties with family for good, leaving no warm hearth behind.

At the crossroads of their separate journeys they met. It could be called coincidence, or perhaps like attracts like.

During their first conversation they exchanged life stories and were shocked at how similar their paths were.

Maybe its just human nature, David mused. Our families are two thousand miles apart, speak different accents, yet weve been broken the same way.

Shared pain can bond more tightly than a common goal, and soon their wedding became inevitable.

The early days were tough, but together they could move mountains. David and Zoe began a joint quest for happiness.

They studied, took parttime jobs, then held steady positionsthough never at the same firm. They chased everything denied in childhood: good food, new clothes, decent shoes, little luxuries, and finally, their own home.

Saving for a deposit proved a nightmare. Every advert seemed to tempt them with something they felt they needed to live.

Their spending habits werent healthy, but it became a shared quirk, never sparking a fight because both were alike.

When Zoe discovered she was pregnant, the pressure mounted.

My love, well have another soon, and renting with a baby David said.

I know, Zoe replied. Lets save for the downpayment.

They were overly optimistic. Still, they managed to find a secondhand flat, though it needed a lot of work.

Lets renovate, David shrugged. London didnt build itself overnight. At least its ours.

Yes, Zoe sighed, in her final month of pregnancy, and then well pay it off for twenty years.

Exactly, David replied, rehearsed.

After baby Emily arrived, they sat down with a calculator. The math showed that trimming unnecessary expenses could make the mortgage manageable.

They accounted for inflation, unexpected costs, and even the rare chance of a sudden price rise. Their confidence gave the future a hopeful shape.

Yet fate still had tests. Zoe worked as a checkout clerk at a supermarket, while David was a middlemanager at a marketing agency. Both hoped for promotions that would lift their income.

When Zoes boss gave her a modest raise, Emily fell ill. Doctors struggled to diagnose the twelveyearold, eventually tracing the illness to an exotic disease contracted at a travelling petting zoo.

Treatment was long and painfully expensive.

We secured a mortgage holiday, David told Zoe, but its only for a year. We cant count on more.

What do we do? Zoe asked, tears streaming.

I dont know, David admitted, our director sold the firm. A new boss took over and froze all raises. Ill have to beg her for a promotionany chance I get.

Go to her, Zoe encouraged. Shes a woman; shell understand. If needed, Ill go too, promise!

Three days later, David returned home late at night, exhausted. The next morning Zoe asked what had happened.

Zoe, I cant explain fully, David said, shaking his head, but the new head, Valentina Grey, is a lonely woman. She wants services. She offered to boost my salary and pay extra.

Is she mad? Zoe gasped. Youre married!

And Im not the only one shes approached, David said, trying to laugh it off. She says Im healthy, reliable, and shell keep it strictly professionaljust money for work.

Zoe stared, torn between her daughters health and this unsettling proposal.

What do you think? she whispered.

Whatever you decide, Ill follow, David replied.

Zoe realized that if David deferred the decision to her, he was already mentally prepared to comply. Hed spent sleepless nights debating over a bottle of whisky.

Finally, he chose to protect their daughter. He didnt reveal the whole truth to Zoe because it involved another woman.

He dug up Valentinas social profile: fifteen years older, childless, a classic businesswoman whose heart seemed replaced by a wallet.

David, you have to tell her, Zoe began, but the words felt impossible. Tell her its only for Emilys treatment and that it ends once shes well.

David blushed. I told her that. Ill be a mans man, but Emily must be saved.

It took four years for Emily to recover. During that time Zoe endured constant worry while Davids calls to Valentina became a monthly ritual.

At last, David earned a promotionfirst department head, then deputy regional manager. His salary rose, and Valentinas gifts grew: cash, designer shirts, a goldstudded watch that eventually turned up in a trash bin with a receipt.

When Zoe finally opened the box, she shouted, What a load of presents!

David, aware of the dubious source, tried to defend himself, but Zoe had had enough.

What are you doing? she cried. Were living in a cramped flat, saving every penny, and now youre tangled with her? I cant stand this any longer. Leave.

David never understood why Zoe drove him out.

It doesnt matter, he muttered. If its for our daughter, its fine. Im doing it for the family, for you, for the future.

Zoes eyes widened as the flood of realization hit her like ice water.

Really, she said slowly, youve used every excuse to justify hurting us, yet you never think of yourself. Im grateful you helped Emily, but I wont tolerate this any more. Go.

David walked away, bewildered, while Zoe stared at the watch on his wrist, a symbol of everything that had been lost.

In the end, they both learned a hard truth: no ambition, no salary, no gift can replace honesty and trust. When you barter your integrity for a fleeting gain, the cost is far greater than any pound saved. The only lasting wealth is the love built on respect, not the glitter of a counterfeit promise.