We thought we were being careful and perceptive, but we were really building a story from assumptions. Small details—late meetings, closed doors, quiet moments—became “proof” of something that wasn’t true. When his wife said she already knew, it exposed how wrong we were—not out of malice, but because we chose an easy explanation over the right one.
The real lesson wasn’t the mistake, but how quickly the mind fills gaps with fear and imagination. Now, instead of jumping to conclusions, there’s a pause—a willingness to sit with uncertainty. Because truth is often