Have you ever been unfaithful to me?

A man lay on his deathbed, his frail hand clutching his wife’s. With a trembling voice, he said,

“Martha, my time is almost up, and before I go, there’s something I need to know. In all our fifty years together, have you ever been unfaithful to me?”

Martha hesitated, then sighed deeply. “Henry, I want to be honest with you. Yes, I have been unfaithful—three times over the years. But each time, I had a good reason.”

Henry’s eyes filled with pain, though his tone remained calm. “I never suspected… What do you mean by ‘good reasons’?”

Martha began softly, “The first time was soon after we married. We were about to lose our home because we couldn’t pay the mortgage. Do you remember that evening I went to talk to the banker? The next day, he called to say our loan was extended.”

Henry nodded slowly. “Yes, I remember. You saved our home. I can forgive you for that. But what about the second time?”

She continued, “Years later, when you were so ill and needed heart surgery, we didn’t have the money to pay for it. I went to see your doctor one night, and the next day, he performed the surgery for free.”

Henry’s eyes softened. “You did that for me—to save my life. I can forgive you for that too. But tell me, what about the third time?”

Martha hesitated for a moment, then said gently, “Do you remember when you ran for president of your golf club… and you needed 73 more votes?”