The Burden of a Hidden Truth

I (24M) have never told anyone this, but the guilt still keeps me up at night. Three years ago,

I was home alone looking for batteries in a junk drawer when I found an envelope with my

dad’s name on it. Inside were bank statements, a hotel receipt from a time he said

he was on a work trip, and a burner phone number. I didn’t ask questions.

I assumed the worst. I showed everything to my mom (46F). She was devastated. She confronted my

dad, they fought constantly, and within a month he moved out. Not long after,

they divorced. My sister thinks our dad abandoned us. A year later,

my dad got drunk and told me the truth. The hotel and phone were for secretly