Dear Prudence,
My guilt is tearing me up. My sister had several sexual encounters with the husband of one of our oldest friends. While she was in chemo. My sister would volunteer to drive her to treatments and then return back to the house and have some “afternoon delight.” I caught them in the act. My friend had asked me to clean the house for her and I switched my days off. I saw them and ran out of the house. Both of them left several terrified voicemails on my phone. I never deleted them.
My sister convinced me that the affair was just “stress relief” and did I really want to burden our dying friend with this? I bit my tongue. There was a very grim potential future, but she pulled through. And is talking about having a baby with her husband. My sister is joking about being an auntie. And she is very affectionate with the husband. All the time. I wouldn’t think twice if I didn’t see what I did. My sister is very touchy feely by nature. And we all grew up together.
Someone I love is going to get destroyed here. I would want to know if it was me, but I am not married nor have ever cheated or been involved with the “extended” family. Our grandparents went to grade school together. I see them all, at every family function. Help!
—Secret Keeper