Hypotheticals

A friend posed a hypothetical question to me today: "Would you rat me out if I cheated [on my wife]?" This friend knows that I am militantly, nay, violently, anti-cheating. Before you ask, it's because I'm atoning for past sins. I only ever cheated on one person, but it was one too many. I was lucky that he forgave me.

My first reaction was to get indignant that he would put me in that position. Just because we are friends doesn't mean that I will automatically endorse everything you do. I may be predisposed to take your side in certain things, but there's no carte blanche here. Especially knowing my thoughts on the subject.

Finally, I answered his question. Would I go out of my way to rat him out? No. Would I have trouble looking him in the face? Yes.

Notice I state above that I wouldn't go out of my way to rat him out. The reason that the qualifier is there is because I've never met his wife. I wouldn't know her from Adam. Well, from Eve, but you see my point. The chances of her ever asking me point-blank are practically nonexistent. That, however, is not the issue. The issue is the possibly irreparable damage that would be done to our (his and my) friendship.

Yes, I am aware that it is a hypothetical situation, but I have some sort of disorder or something. All I can think about is how fucking disappointed I would be in him, and how I would miss him, but couldn't look at him the same way. Having been the deliverer of such pain, I can't in good conscience bear witness while it happens to someone else. Even to someone I don't know.