** This article is a work of nonfiction based on actual events as shared with me by a friend who experienced them firsthand; used with permission. **
My friend Hilary was married to a military man. Hilary was very proud of her husband, James and things seemed to be going well for them. Hilary had a part-time job as a cashier at a local shop and James was stationed nearby. They shared an apartment near the base and Hilary thought everything was great.
One afternoon, Hilary decided to run home for lunch. She had a 45-minute lunch break and had forgotten to bring a lunch that particular day. She had plenty of time to run home and grab something to eat and return to work.
When Hilary arrived home she saw her husband’s car. Wondering why he was home early, she went inside. Nothing could have prepared her for what she saw. James was in bed with another woman. Their bed.
Hilary was horrified; however, she tiptoed out and returned to work without having anything to eat. That evening, after work, when Hilary arrived home, her husband called and told her he was sorry, but he was going to have to work late. Then he asked her if she had a few minutes and if so, could she sew some new patches on his uniforms.
Hilary didn’t let on that she knew what was going on, instead, she got out her sewing machine and proceeded to sew the patches on her husband's uniform sleeves where they belonged; however, she sewed them to both sides of the sleeve so that when James attempted to put his arm through the sleeve he couldn’t, they were sewn shut.
She sweetly pressed his uniforms and hung them in the closet. Then, she went to the bank and emptied their bank account. She packed her things and left for good. Two days later she received a phone call from James. He was very upset that she had sewn his shirt sleeves together because he was late to his next shift and had been reprimanded and wound up having to stand watch.
Hilary sweetly told him that if it was so very important to him, he could have his girlfriend sew his patches on from then on. She told him she had filed for divorce and that he would be hearing from her attorney in the very near future. I had to laugh at Hilary’s ingenuity. What do you think? Would you have quietly left the house, or would you have confronted James when you discovered his infidelity?
© Lefty Graves. 2023 All Rights Reserved.
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