Josephine had been with Charlie for as long as she could remember. Childhood sweethearts who created a life together and had two children, their union appeared picture-perfect on the inside and out. What Josephine never imagined was that a single bottle of men’s hair lotion would bring her fairytale to an abrupt end.
Sharing her experience, she revealed that her husband’s scalp was as bald as a billiard ball, so when she arrived home one day and discovered a bottle in the bathroom labeled “Potion for Thick Voluminous Hair,” she was perplexed.
She picked up the bottle and showed it to Charlie, who was seated on the couch and flipping between TV channels. When he spotted the bottle, his face lost color faster than a sink full of dishes. His initial quiet was disheartening. “Charlie,” Josephine inquired. “Whose hair lotion is this? You never informed me you were undergoing hair growth treatments?”He tightened his jaw and questioned his wife, “Where did you find this?”
“In the bathroom, where else?” She replied, her temper rising. “Care to explain?” “WHAT??” he shouted, blaming the whole affair on Josephine. “So you’ve been cheating on me?? “How else could it have got there?””Are you accusing me of cheating?” Charlie?? “Come back here and explain,” she demanded, but Charlie simply turned away.
The days that followed were peaceful. Josephine couldn’t help but wonder about the bottle and how it got there. But then she remembered witnessing their neighbor, an 18-year-old girl named Susie, buy the exact same bottle a few days before. She also remembered Susie stopping over and asking Charlie to help them fix their faucet, so it’s possible she left it there. Not unexpectedly, Josephine considered Charlie’s relationship with Susie, even though he could be her father.
To clarify her doubts, she decided to inviteJosephine was crushed. She felt as if her entire life had been a lie, and that all she had built with the guy she loved was nonexistent. “So after all these years,” she coughed out. “You were living a lie?” “It wasn’t a lie, Josephine,” he insisted. “I love you and our children. “I couldn’t ignore this part of myself any longer.”
“And you decided to act on it with Susie’s dad??” She sneered, wrath rising alongside the hurt. “How could you betray me like that?” Susie and her father came over for supper one night. As they talked, she casually mentioned the hair lotion, and to her astonishment, Susie’s father revealed it was his and that he had left it there when he came to mend something for Charlie.
In her pursuit of answers, Josephine went to inspect the cameras the next day. She realized that Susie’s father paid them frequent visits, something she was unaware of. After this, things became even more complex for her to disentangle the truth, so she decided to confront her husband once more. “Charlie, you’ve got some explaining to do,” she remarked, not anticipating the truth she was about to confront.
Charlie panicked and said, “He was just helping with repairs.” “Repairs?” she inquired, her voice full of mistrust. “Every time I wasn’t here?” Come on Charlie, be honest with me.” Charlie ran his hand over his head, his face etched with dread. He thought for a long time before blurting out, “Okay, alright. There is more to the story, but please… He trailed off, his voice breaking. “Please believe me, Josephine…” “I never intended to hurt you.”
Charlie confessed to him, “I…I’ve been having an affair.” Charlie’s admission seemed like a huge blow. “An affair?” “With Susie’s dad?”His remarks read like a cruel joke. “You’ve had an affair with a MAN?” How could you do this to me and our family? She yelled. “I love you, Josephine. Always have. “But…” he attempted to explain. “I’ve struggled with my sexuality for many years. I didn’t want to admit it to myself.
Josephine was crushed. She felt as if her entire life had been a lie, and that all she had built with the guy she loved was nonexistent. “So after all these years,” she coughed out. “You were living a lie?” “It wasn’t a lie, Josephine,” he insisted. “I love you and our children. “I couldn’t ignore this part of myself any longer.” “And you decided to act on it with Susie’s dad??” She sneered, wrath rising alongside the hurt. “How could you betray me like that?”
“It wasn’t planned,” he said. “We just…connected.” He is lonely, Josephine. His wife died a few years ago, and—”Josephine lacked the strength to dispute or accept reality, so she requested Charlie to leave. His footsteps faded into the room upstairs, and she cuddled up on the couch, screaming her heart out. A few days passed, and Josephine received a telegram from Susie’s father. He wanted to meet and converse with her. With a deep breath, she responded, “Alright, I’ll be there,” and a surge of unease twisted in her gut.
They met at a café the next day, and he admitted, “Your spouse isn’t the only one at fault here. I pursued him. I knew he was struggling, so I took advantage of it. “I am sorry.”Josephine, angry, informed him, “You wrecked my family. “Do you know that?” He apologized while nodding and staring at the floor. Josephine understood that simply saying sorry would not solve the problem. All she knew was that she couldn’t be with Charlie any longer. Her marriage, which was based on secrets and unspoken truths, was over.