The Manager Asked Whether Everything Was Okay

Mark said yes.

Rachel said:

“We’re leaving.”

Mark stood.

“Rachel, please.”

But Rachel wasn’t finished.

She looked at Diane.

“How long have you known?”

Diane answered:

“Since the beginning.”

Seven months.

Rachel nodded slowly.

Then she turned toward Mark.

“Did Lauren know I didn’t know?”

Mark didn’t answer.

Rachel asked again:

“Did she know?”

Eventually:

“Yes.”

That was the moment Rachel stopped arguing.

Rachel Went Home Alone

Mark followed her into the parking lot.

“Can we please talk?”

Rachel kept walking.

“We are talking.”

“Not like this.”

“What way would you prefer?”

Mark reached the car first.

“Nothing happened between me and Lauren.”

Rachel looked at him.

“I didn’t accuse you of sleeping with her.”

Mark was quiet.

Rachel continued:

“You lied to me every month for seven months.”

“I didn’t lie.”

“Did you tell me?”

“No.”

“Then every time we talked about how much money we’d saved, you let me believe something you knew wasn’t true.”

Mark had no answer.

Rachel drove home alone.