Start your story with a character telling their best friend that their spouse is having an affair, only for their friend to “shoot the messenger”.

Posted in Dramatic on Sep 23, 2022

Submissions are closed

Sorry, we are not accepting submissions for this prompt as it is not part of an active contest. Make sure you don't miss our next contest by creating your free Reedsy Prompts account.

Or create a new Reedsy account:

Why not check out our active contest?

✍️ 29 stories

“The Affair” by Richard Morris

Submitted to Contest #165

“I'm not sure how to put it delicately, so I’m just going to be blunt and say I heard your wife, Mandy, is having an affair.”Anton Case and Percy Goodfellow were sitting at a table in the clubhouse of the Wren Feather Tennis Club, drinking a beer after a singles game. Percy continued, “Because we’re friends, I thought I needed to tell you. Actually, it’s worse. She’s a member in some sort of secret sex society, and it’s not just one guy.”Anton rolled his eyes, shrugged, and sipped his beer. Then, after a long pause, he said, “How did you com...

9 comments 9

Read story

“First Impression” by John White

Submitted to Contest #165

Where I come from, a good first impression is crucial. My mother always said you only get one chance, so you have to make the most of it. Of course, this demand has doubled in the age of online dating. You now have to make two first impressions: one in your profile and the other in person. I was so nervous when I first signed up on an online dating site. My wife had passed away 5 years before. My kids had moved out of the house, and I had recently downsized to a bedroom plus den condo. I have never had many friends, especially none t...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Instintos ” by Simone Cannon

Submitted to Contest #165

(Contains sexual content) I sat staring at her for a second, uncomprehending. I suppose, if I had been brutally honest with myself, I would have admitted that I had suspected as much all along. She was an old friend from Seattle, who loved travel as much as we did and had asked if she could join us for part of our trip. He had been particularly inattentive toward me and moody since her arrival in Mexico, picking fights with me for no discernable reason. Hearing the actual words, my suspicions brought to light, felt like a bucket of i...

2 comments 2

Read story

“A memory of bliss ” by Robert Stjepanovic

Submitted to Contest #165

Sitting across from the benchtop, I can see my friend, her energy reminding me of fonder years. I can see her family photo hovering over her head like a halo, a picture by the fence. With her spouse, they had long, flowing manes woven of gold, a handsome pair, young and free without a care in the world. Memories of sunshine and delight that felt as real then as it does now. It was heavenly, was being the very special word. She rushes from washing a tomato to wringing her hands in the tea-towel, moving with the excitable energy of youth. She...

2 comments 2

Read story

“She Had it Coming, Right?” by Darren Daynard

Submitted to Contest #165

“I just… I just don’t know what to do Serg” Frank shuffled uneasily in his seat, looking both ways across the sparse populace of Squires Public House to ensure he hadn’t pulled anyone unintended into his confidence. “I know she is fucking around on me” Serg leaned back against the shortened back of his bar stool, an exhale of breath escaping in a half burp. “I don’t know Frankie – I mean I have known Sheryl a long time, I mean we grew up on the same block and she has never been known for anything more than sticking by the people clos...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Betrayal” by Kit Minden

Submitted to Contest #165

I worked hard to ace my grad school entrance exams and got a full teaching and research assistantship that covered most of my costs at an Ivy League college. The school was a pressure cooker where every word I spoke or wrote had to be justified, every idea had to be defended, and every minute’s worth of work had to be crammed into only 20 seconds to be sure to meet each deadline on time. This made for a fraught competition between students most of the time, but when we worked together, it was an incredible experience. I knew it would pay off...

0 comments 0

Read story

“A liar” by Jennifer Lieneck

Submitted to Contest #165

A liar. Something Aria never called me. We have been friends forever. Our lives were an open book with one another. We knew everything about everyone in our lives. I was her maid of honor and godmother to her first child. We told each other everything. Aria thought she had the perfect life. She thought she did everything the “right way.” She married her first boyfriend. She had a big beautiful backyard wedding, an expensive honeymoon, and a gorgeous home with a white picket fence. She had two amazing children. A boy and a girl. ...

1 comment 1

Read story

“The Photo” by Faith Lyons

Submitted to Contest #165

“Listen, I don’t know how to even tell you this, but Jake was with another girl last night. I saw him, at the concert.” Jenna’s head spun as she tried to process what her best friend in the entire world was saying. Bea wasn’t one for pulling punches, but she also had a heart of gold and so if she was saying that Jake was with someone else last night, Jenna knew it was killing her to say so. “Explain this to me like I am stupid, because I truthfully do not understand. Jake was at the concert last night?” Jenna’s mind reached for wor...

2 comments 2

Read story

“The Cheater” by Corrie McCue

Submitted to Contest #165

Sue sipped an Americano she’d drowned in french vanilla creamer and gazed out the window of the cafe for a moment. Outside on the patio, a teenage couple flirted, laughing and scribbling in a notebook, taking turns with a Sharpie. Sue couldn’t help but smile to herself, wondering if they would be together after high school, still meeting up at the cafe, or if theirs was only a fleeting moment never meant to last. She pressed her hands to the warmth of her mug and looked down, watching the steam swirl for a moment before glancing up. Acr...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Lucy loses her friends, and her softball game” by Kylie Griffey

Submitted to Contest #165

I never knew how getting punched in the face would feel. I figured I could imagine it pretty well, I’d been hit on accident before, tooth bloodied by a softball to the mouth at my second ever game at eleven years old. I remember my face flushing hot as I touched my mouth with a slightly shaky hand, pulling it back to see red blots on my fingertips. Tears welled in my eyes as I sobbed an ugly childish cry, teammates running over to comfort me. This was different. Maybe it was the intention behind it, or the impact of a human hand rather than ...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Courier of Misery” by Pageant Ashford

Submitted to Contest #165

“I’m sorry,” Sheila said with an incredulous look on her face, “what now?” This day had started just like any other day for Sheila. She woke up to a kiss from her husband, Kevin, who was getting ready to head to the office at his law firm. He had been spending quite a bit longer in his hours at the office lately, some big case she had not bothered to ask about. She had a lunch date with one of her best girlfriends at a local café. It had been some time since they had been able to catch up. This, however, had not been what she was ...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid” by L Starner

Submitted to Contest #165

The leaves were starting to turn and you could feel the change in the wind, fall was definitely here. Mary Jane stared out of the bay window as she sat in the kitchen of her best friend's house, wondering if she is doing the right thing. Beth had to run upstairs to check on the baby and would return any minute, was this really a good idea? Mary Jane and Beth had always agreed that they would tell each other the truth, no matter what.Beth came downstairs looking a bit exhausted " Hey girl, what brings you over so early, want some coffee? I've...

0 comments 0

Read story

“The Last Lone Earring” by Liza Blake

Submitted to Contest #165

This is the final straw. Yet another lone earing I’ve never seen before. One more bobby pin on the floor, attached to a few strands of long blond hair that does not grace my head. At least once a week another piece of evidence falls into my lap. I almost wish I’d never fired the house keeper. I was much happier living the last three years in ignorance. Well, that’s not entirely true, I’ve been neither happy nor ignorant. It was just easier to keep pretending he at least loved me when I couldn’t see the evidence of his adultery. ...

0 comments 0

Read story

“When in Venice?” by Kim Fernandez

Submitted to Contest #165

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Kathleen sputtered, as I dropped the bomb on her. “I always figured you were jealous of our relationship. But this…this is unbelievable!” Her face was red and angry. I’ve seen this look before, but never directed at me. “Kat”, as I’ve called her, since we met in middle school, “why would I make this up? What do I have to gain by shattering you with this information”? I knew Marcus was with another woman and I had to tell my best friend what I’d seen. I knew it wouldn’t be easy. She was so in love with M...

0 comments 0

Read story

🌟 Similar prompts

Begin your story with somebody getting (or taking) the blame for something they didn’t do.

High School – 41 stories

Write a story that includes the phrase “This is all my fault.”

Adults – 97 stories

Write a story where a murder occurs — and the suspects are all pointing the finger at one another.

Mystery – 26 stories

Write a story about a corrupt politician trying to avoid blame at all costs.

Adults – 10 stories

Contest #165

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: The Blame Game

$250

Prize money

203

Contest entries

106

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Sep 30, 2022 EST

Won by Scott Christenson 🏆

Title: Liability in Lingotto

View details

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

Menu

CONNECT

BLOG

APPS

TOOLS

ABOUT

Start your story with a character telling their best friend that their spouse is having an affair, only for their friend to “shoot the messenger”.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 29 stories

“The Affair” by Richard Morris

“First Impression” by John White

“Instintos ” by Simone Cannon

“A memory of bliss ” by Robert Stjepanovic

“She Had it Coming, Right?” by Darren Daynard

“Betrayal” by Kit Minden

“A liar” by Jennifer Lieneck

“The Photo” by Faith Lyons

“The Cheater” by Corrie McCue

“Lucy loses her friends, and her softball game” by Kylie Griffey

“Courier of Misery” by Pageant Ashford

“Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid” by L Starner

“The Last Lone Earring” by Liza Blake

“When in Venice?” by Kim Fernandez

🌟 Similar prompts

Begin your story with somebody getting (or taking) the blame for something they didn’t do.

Write a story that includes the phrase “This is all my fault.”

Write a story where a murder occurs — and the suspects are all pointing the finger at one another.

Write a story about a corrupt politician trying to avoid blame at all costs.

Contest #165

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

203

Contest entries

106

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: