Another Dealbreaker

Summary

The narrative recounts the author's decision to end a relationship after discovering a small lie about waking up, suggesting the potential for larger deceptions.

Abstract

After spending her first night at her partner's apartment, the author wakes up early and observes her partner's behavior. She catches him in a lie when he claims to have just woken up after she heard him sneeze earlier, which contradicts her knowledge that people do not sneeze while asleep. This incident leads her to question his honesty and ultimately decide not to continue the relationship, as she wonders what other lies he might be capable of telling. The story emphasizes the importance of trust and the impact of seemingly minor dishonesties in a relationship.

Opinions

The author believes that honesty is a cornerstone of a relationship and that even a small lie can be a dealbreaker.
She implies that lying about something as trivial as sneezing while asleep could indicate a pattern of deceptive behavior.
Trust is considered fragile and once broken, it may be impossible to fully restore.
The author values transparency and prefers to end a relationship rather than risk further deception.

One small lie will lead to another…

from depositphotos.com

The morning after I finally spent the night at his apartment, I woke up before him, at 7:30 AM. I let him sleep, moved to his couch, scrolled on my phone.

At 8:15, he sneezed. Then at 9, he emerged at last. “Why didn’t you come out sooner?” I asked.

“I just woke up a minute ago.”

But we don’t sneeze while we sleep. I’d googled it, earlier on my phone: that pleasure’s reserved for waking hours.

I never spent another night with him. If he’d lie about a thing like that, what else might he lie about?

This 100-word story is by Melissa Balick, a writer and nanny in Oakland, California who loves to walk around town pushing a young charge in a stroller, watching people and inventing situations for them, large and small. You can see all her microfiction and more here:

Another Dealbreaker

One small lie will lead to another…

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