I Found Strange Pictures of My Dad in My Roommate’s Bedside Drawer – Story of the Day

I was close to Emily, my roommate, until I discovered pictures of my father in her nightstand drawer. She insisted they were harmless, but the close embrace I witnessed later between Dad and her gave me doubts. I hurriedly intervened to keep them apart after feeling deceived.

I was crying uncontrollably in my poorly lit dorm room as I looked at old family pictures that seemed like artefacts from another era. “We’re getting a divorce, Claire,” my dad said to me, shattering my world and making pictures of our once-happy family appear far away.

Even though I had already started college, the divorce nevertheless came as a shock. All of a sudden, I thought of Emily’s hidden alcohol stockpile. Our friendship had grown to be my comfort during my time in college, and she had become more than simply a friend.
I went into her disorganised side of the room in a desperate attempt to uncover a concealed bottle. I was torn between a craving for relief and guilt for violating her privacy as I looked through her belongings.

My quest led me to Emily’s bedside table, where I was surprised to discover, hidden away in the second drawer, old pictures of my dad taken around the campus.
He taught at our university and was referred to as Professor Gallagher by his students. I scowled while holding the pictures, my mind racing with questions and scepticism.

I recalled Emily’s remarks regarding my father’s classes. She would exclaim, “He’s just the best teacher,” with enthusiasm. However, my interpretation of her remarks was altered upon discovering these pictures in her drawer.

I began to perspire, the space felt cramped, and odd ideas raced through my head. Emily appeared wary of the admiration she had shown for my dad and my parents’ divorce. I had to ask her, though.
She entered at that same moment, her happy smile disappearing as she saw the pictures lying across the bed. We looked at each other, and she swallowed.

Emily trembled and added, “I can explain everything.”

“What are my father’s photos doing on your bedside table?” Standing in the centre of our room, I made my demand.

She raised her hands and remarked, “I don’t know what you’ve thought, but it’s not like that.”

“Then tell me how it works. Emily, you are my closest buddy. I’ll get it,” I insisted.
She didn’t say anything for a moment, but I could see her eyes flickering, as if she was considering an explanation. She finally sighed. “The truth is, I’m in love with your father.”

“In love?” I spoke again, barely audible. But I asked, clearing my throat. “You mean you’re having an affair?”
“Oh my god, no. It’s merely a crush. That’s it,” Emily explained. However, I informed her that my parents were divorcing, and her admission just made matters worse.

A tiny solace in the craziness that was my life was Emily’s condolences and her assurance that nothing was wrong. She then advised that we get drunk to divert our attention, and as that was my original intention, I agreed.

I was still thinking about Emily’s confession when I dragged myself to a class the following morning while suffering from a hangover. But I was unable to focus, and I eventually realised that I needed someone to lend me their lecture notes.

I tried to clear my mind by sending a classmate a message about my troublesome ideas. I then tapped on the photo gallery and sighed at all of the pictures of my family. I realised at that moment that I had to act quickly. I had to try to make things right by seeing my father.
I knew exactly where his office was, even though it was in a separate department building. Just as I was going to enter the building as if I owned it, I noticed him inside through the tiny door window. My world broke and my feet instinctively retreated.

Dad had been holding Emily tenderly in his arms. As I fled, drowning in my roommate’s treachery, I could feel my heartbeat in my ears.
I came to a stop and saw that I was close to the dean’s office. I felt comfortable telling Dean Brown everything because he had always been kind to me. I knew he would understand.

“Are you certain of what you observed? “Occasionally, things may be misconstrued,” Dean Brown inquired politely, but I was unambiguous. I even offered to bring him Emily’s pictures since I knew what I saw.
He let out a sigh. “I am aware of your parents’ impending divorce. I heard from your father. Claire, I really apologise. No matter how old they are, children always find divorce difficult. Maybe that’s why you’re seeing things too drastically.”

“What I saw has nothing to do with their divorce,” I remarked angrily. “A student and a professor have a relationship. How come you can brush it off so lightly?”
Dean Brown made another attempt to reassure me by saying he will speak with Dad and Emily to allay my worries. I had doubts. There, he didn’t seem to be serious about me.

My father wasn’t in his office when I made the decision to confront him directly. I glanced about to check if there was something wrong with his area, something to calm my fears. I found red women’s pants instead.
But there were footsteps outside, and I had little time to process it. I ran behind Dad’s desk and hid. It was only the two of them. I became queasy at the sound of Emily’s voice.

How much longer can I lie to her? I’m not sure. Emily whispered, “She’s my best friend.
It’s difficult for me to keep the news to myself, especially when it’s such good news. However, we must hold off until the divorce is finalised. Dad answered, “Claire is taking it very hard.”

I felt like throwing up. They continued to discuss me and my suffering. Hehe! Like they give a damn! Nevertheless, they finally moved on.

I discovered a notification regarding grant presentations as I came out of hiding—the grant I had been working on nonstop. It was that evening, and I had completely forgotten the date.

The culmination of all of my efforts this past semester was the final project. I had to pay attention to that. Everything was set up, but I felt like practicing.

Back in my dorm, I worked to gather my thoughts, going over my notes and reading my speech again. I was motivated to do well in my presentation, even if my personal life was in disarray.

Dad came up to me in the auditorium while I was waiting for my turn. “Claire,” he spoke first. “I talked to the dean. I have to tell you something essential.”

I was ready for him to admit it. However, I had to deliver before we could get started.
As I stepped onto the stage, my will to succeed clashed with the weight of the betrayal I felt from Dad and Emily. Fortunately, my enthusiasm for the subject took over, and I made an engaging presentation that drew loud applause.

After that, Dad came up to me. I was left feeling bewildered and divided between his real pride and my feelings of betrayal. I looked back to the stage as the picture of the red pants suddenly appeared in my mind.

I took hold of the microphone once more and made the hardest decision of my life. With my voice resonating throughout the hall, I shouted, “Thank you, thank you to everyone who came today for the presentation, to everyone who supported me.”

“I feel that I need to share something important with all of you,” I said. “I was betrayed by two of my closest friends today. My flatmate Emily and father, Professor Gallagher, are having an affair.”
I presented the red pants as proof. Everyone gasped, and I watched as Emily ran away, sobbing.

The crowd whispering and my own feelings engulfed me as Dean Brown stepped in and led me offstage. When my father confronted me outside the theatre, I cried and yelled like a crazy person, accusing him of ruining our family because of his affair.

“Claire, I didn’t sleep with her! “My daughter is Emily.” Dad cried out, and I kept my mouth shut. My entire universe was flipped upside down by this realisation.

“What?” I gasped.

“I recently learned about it,” he said, sounding much more composed. Before I met your mother, I was with Emily’s mother. It was a period in my life that I regret. I acted carelessly. Therefore, until lately, I was unaware of Emily.”
“So, you’re not divorcing mum because of Emily?” Sniffing, I inquired.

“Obviously not,” my father sighed.

“However, you continued to have affairs with other people,” I charged, clinging to the last vestige of my dispute—my red pants.

“They are your mother’s, Claire,” he clarified.

I shook my head and said, “Dad, I… I’m so sorry,” realising the devastation I had brought about.

In a grave tone, he replied, “I appreciate your apology, but the damage has been done.” He turned his back on me. I had to stay behind even though I wanted to chase after him and apologise even more.
We were summoned back to the theatre at that very moment. I was not one of the grant recipients who were announced. After the event, Dean Morgan came up to me and told me that my outburst had eliminated me from consideration.

That’s when I started crying more, and I didn’t stop till the next day. Emily never returned to our room that evening. But when I arrived at Dad’s workplace early in the morning, I was informed that Dean Morgan had forced him to resign.

“There has to be something we can do, Dad. Please. “I know I’m to blame,” I sobbed even more.

Retorting, “It’s too late, Claire,” “But, honey, errors are inevitable.” It’s crucial that we take what we’ve learned from them and work to improve going forward.

“I’ll do my best to correct this. I vowed to find a solution to this.

Dad smiled sadly and said, “I know you will.” “You have a strong sense of resolve. Just keep in mind to consider your options the next time. Keep your emotions in check when making decisions.”

Since then, I’ve kept those words close to my heart.