{"id":2038,"date":"2026-10-18T19:13:32","date_gmt":"2026-10-18T19:13:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?p=2038"},"modified":"2026-10-18T19:13:34","modified_gmt":"2026-10-18T19:13:34","slug":"he-cheats-once-and-he-cheats-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?p=2038","title":{"rendered":"He Cheats Once and He Cheats Again"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fiction \u00b7 Written by Anica Angela Nicole Modena Hill<br>The Soft Protocol<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mara was writing a shopping list when Adrian\u2019s mother called about the curtains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI found the spare pair,\u201d she said. \u201cYou can take them when you visit.\u201d his mother said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDid Adrian see them last weekend?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A pause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe wasn\u2019t here last weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mara stopped writing. The pen rested beside the word <em>coffee<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOh,\u201d she said. \u201cI must have mixed up the dates.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They finished the conversation politely. His mother described the color of the curtains. Mara promised to measure the window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After the call, she sat at the table for several minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Adrian had left on Friday with a small overnight bag. He had sent her a photograph of a roadside caf\u00e9 and complained about the traffic. On Sunday, he had come home carrying oranges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFrom Mum,\u201d he had said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The oranges were still in a bowl beside the sink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Eight months earlier, Adrian had told her he had cheated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He described it as something that had happened once. He cried while telling her. Mara remembered passing him a tissue, then wondering why she was comforting him before she had understood what he was saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She stayed with her sister for four nights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When she returned, they talked about what continuing the marriage would require. Adrian agreed to end contact with the other woman. He promised to answer her questions honestly, even when the answers embarrassed him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mara asked those questions more than once. Sometimes she remembered something while brushing her teeth or waiting for a delivery, and they would have another difficult conversation at an inconvenient hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gradually, their days became easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They argued about ordinary things again. They bought a lamp. They planned a short holiday. One afternoon, Mara realised she had spent an entire day without wondering where he was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She had been pleased with that small discovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now she opened the email account they used for bills and household bookings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She searched the dates of his trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There was a hotel confirmation beneath a receipt for their internet payment. Two nights. Two guests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mara read the message, closed it, then opened it again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When Adrian came home that evening, she was still at the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHow was your day?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYour mother called.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He set his keys down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cShe said you weren\u2019t there last weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For a moment, he looked towards the hallway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mara had expected an explanation. She had even imagined several on his behalf during the afternoon: a change of plans, an argument with his mother, something foolish he had been ashamed to mention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then he said, \u201cI was going to tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She pulled out the chair opposite her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He sat down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWas it her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mara pressed her palms against her knees beneath the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDid you ever stop seeing her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAt first.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFor how long?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He rubbed his forehead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cA few months.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She looked at the calendar on the wall. There were dinners on it, appointments, a reminder to renew the car insurance. She tried to remember which of those days belonged to the months he meant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhile we were planning the holiday?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd when you said you were working late?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She got up to fetch a glass of water. Her hand shook as she filled it, and she put it down before drinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Behind her, Adrian began to cry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI love you,\u201d he said when she returned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mara sat down carefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI heard you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThen please let me fix this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat are you asking me to do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cGive me another chance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She watched him reach for the tissue box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first time, she had spent weeks explaining what she needed. She had found the words when he said he did not know how to begin. She had made room for his shame while trying to understand her own hurt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now he was waiting for her answer again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI haven\u2019t worked out everything,\u201d she said. \u201cI found out this afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe can talk all night if you need to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI need to stop talking for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He followed her as far as the bedroom door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAre you leaving?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019m staying with my sister tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd tomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019ll decide tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mara took a bag from the top of the wardrobe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She packed clothes for work, her charger and the book she had been reading. Then she stood in front of the open drawer, unable to remember what else people took when they left home unexpectedly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Her sister answered on the second ring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cCan I stay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI don\u2019t want to explain it on the phone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou can tell me when you get here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMaybe not tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAll right. I\u2019ll make up the bed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mara sat on the edge of her own bed after the call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She still loved Adrian. She wished, with an intensity that embarrassed her, that he would come to the doorway and say something that changed what she knew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From the kitchen, she heard him move a chair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She checked her bag. Wallet. Charger. Work clothes. She added her toothbrush and booked a car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Adrian stood when she came into the hallway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPlease don\u2019t give up on us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mara held the bag against her leg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI spent eight months trying,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Her phone vibrated. The driver was downstairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She picked up her keys. Walked away. Never went back to Adrian.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fiction \u00b7 Written by Anica Angela Nicole Modena HillThe Soft Protocol Mara was writing a shopping list when Adrian\u2019s mother called about the curtains. \u201cI found the spare pair,\u201d she said. \u201cYou can take them when you visit.\u201d his mother said. \u201cDid Adrian see them last weekend?\u201d A pause. \u201cHe wasn\u2019t here last weekend.\u201d Mara [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2039,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[42,43],"class_list":["post-2038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-writing","tag-english","tag-fiction"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO 5.0.2.1 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Fiction \u00b7 Written by Anica Angela Nicole Modena HillThe Soft Protocol Mara was writing a shopping list when Adrian\u2019s mother called about the curtains. \u201cI found the spare pair,\u201d she said. \u201cYou can take them when you visit.\u201d his mother said. \u201cDid Adrian see them last weekend?\u201d A pause. \u201cHe wasn\u2019t here last weekend.\u201d Mara\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"max-image-preview:large\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"author\" content=\"annef6429@gmail.com\"\/>\n\t<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?p=2038\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"generator\" content=\"All in One SEO (AIOSEO) 5.0.2.1\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Soft Protocol - The Soft Protocol\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"He Cheats Once and He Cheats Again - The Soft Protocol\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Fiction \u00b7 Written by Anica Angela Nicole Modena HillThe Soft Protocol Mara was writing a shopping list when Adrian\u2019s mother called about the curtains. \u201cI found the spare pair,\u201d she said. \u201cYou can take them when you visit.\u201d his mother said. \u201cDid Adrian see them last weekend?\u201d A pause. \u201cHe wasn\u2019t here last weekend.\u201d Mara\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?p=2038\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-10-18T19:13:32+00:00\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-10-18T19:13:34+00:00\" \/>\n\t\t<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n\t\t<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"He Cheats Once and He Cheats Again - The Soft Protocol\" \/>\n\t\t<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Fiction \u00b7 Written by Anica Angela Nicole Modena HillThe Soft Protocol Mara was writing a shopping list when Adrian\u2019s mother called about the curtains. \u201cI found the spare pair,\u201d she said. \u201cYou can take them when you visit.\u201d his mother said. \u201cDid Adrian see them last weekend?\u201d A pause. \u201cHe wasn\u2019t here last weekend.\u201d Mara\" \/>\n\t\t<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"aioseo-schema\">\n\t\t\t{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"BlogPosting\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/?p=2038#blogposting\",\"name\":\"He Cheats Once and He Cheats Again - The Soft Protocol\",\"headline\":\"He Cheats Once and He Cheats Again\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/?author=1#author\"},\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/Ivory-Olive-and-Hidden-Keys.png\",\"width\":1672,\"height\":941,\"caption\":\"ivory, olive, and hidden keys\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-18T19:13:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-18T19:13:34+00:00\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/?p=2038#webpage\"},\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/?p=2038#webpage\"},\"articleSection\":\"Writing, English, Fiction\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/?p=2038#breadcrumblist\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/#listItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/\",\"nextItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/?cat=35#listItem\",\"name\":\"Writing\"}},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/?cat=35#listItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Writing\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/?cat=35\",\"nextItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/?p=2038#listItem\",\"name\":\"He Cheats Once and He Cheats Again\"},\"previousItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/#listItem\",\"name\":\"Home\"}},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/?p=2038#listItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"He Cheats Once and He Cheats Again\",\"previousItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/?cat=35#listItem\",\"name\":\"Writing\"}}]},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"The Soft Protocol\",\"description\":\"The Soft Protocol\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/?author=1#author\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/?author=1\",\"name\":\"annef6429@gmail.com\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/?p=2038#authorImage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1b8f0e3a21750ba5f5bb406a818edeffd36c555d98ec1067580bfab7aae9cb68?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"width\":96,\"height\":96,\"caption\":\"annef6429@gmail.com\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/?p=2038#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/?p=2038\",\"name\":\"He Cheats Once and He Cheats Again - The Soft Protocol\",\"description\":\"Fiction \\u00b7 Written by Anica Angela Nicole Modena HillThe Soft Protocol Mara was writing a shopping list when Adrian\\u2019s mother called about the curtains. \\u201cI found the spare pair,\\u201d she said. \\u201cYou can take them when you visit.\\u201d his mother said. \\u201cDid Adrian see them last weekend?\\u201d A pause. \\u201cHe wasn\\u2019t here last weekend.\\u201d Mara\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/#website\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/?p=2038#breadcrumblist\"},\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/?author=1#author\"},\"creator\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/?author=1#author\"},\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/Ivory-Olive-and-Hidden-Keys.png\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/?p=2038\\\/#mainImage\",\"width\":1672,\"height\":941,\"caption\":\"ivory, olive, and hidden keys\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/?p=2038#mainImage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-18T19:13:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-18T19:13:34+00:00\"},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Soft Protocol\",\"description\":\"The Soft Protocol\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\\\/#organization\"}}]}\n\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO -->\n\n","aioseo_head_json":{"title":"He Cheats Once and He Cheats Again - The Soft Protocol","description":"Fiction \u00b7 Written by Anica Angela Nicole Modena HillThe Soft Protocol Mara was writing a shopping list when Adrian\u2019s mother called about the curtains. \u201cI found the spare pair,\u201d she said. \u201cYou can take them when you visit.\u201d his mother said. \u201cDid Adrian see them last weekend?\u201d A pause. \u201cHe wasn\u2019t here last weekend.\u201d Mara","canonical_url":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?p=2038","robots":"max-image-preview:large","keywords":"","webmasterTools":{"miscellaneous":""},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?p=2038#blogposting","name":"He Cheats Once and He Cheats Again - The Soft Protocol","headline":"He Cheats Once and He Cheats Again","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?author=1#author"},"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ivory-Olive-and-Hidden-Keys.png","width":1672,"height":941,"caption":"ivory, olive, and hidden keys"},"datePublished":"2026-10-18T19:13:32+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-18T19:13:34+00:00","inLanguage":"en-US","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?p=2038#webpage"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?p=2038#webpage"},"articleSection":"Writing, English, Fiction"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?p=2038#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/#listItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/","nextItem":{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?cat=35#listItem","name":"Writing"}},{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?cat=35#listItem","position":2,"name":"Writing","item":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?cat=35","nextItem":{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?p=2038#listItem","name":"He Cheats Once and He Cheats Again"},"previousItem":{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/#listItem","name":"Home"}},{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?p=2038#listItem","position":3,"name":"He Cheats Once and He Cheats Again","previousItem":{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?cat=35#listItem","name":"Writing"}}]},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/#organization","name":"The Soft Protocol","description":"The Soft Protocol","url":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?author=1#author","url":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?author=1","name":"annef6429@gmail.com","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?p=2038#authorImage","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1b8f0e3a21750ba5f5bb406a818edeffd36c555d98ec1067580bfab7aae9cb68?s=96&d=mm&r=g","width":96,"height":96,"caption":"annef6429@gmail.com"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?p=2038#webpage","url":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?p=2038","name":"He Cheats Once and He Cheats Again - The Soft Protocol","description":"Fiction \u00b7 Written by Anica Angela Nicole Modena HillThe Soft Protocol Mara was writing a shopping list when Adrian\u2019s mother called about the curtains. \u201cI found the spare pair,\u201d she said. \u201cYou can take them when you visit.\u201d his mother said. \u201cDid Adrian see them last weekend?\u201d A pause. \u201cHe wasn\u2019t here last weekend.\u201d Mara","inLanguage":"en-US","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/#website"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?p=2038#breadcrumblist"},"author":{"@id":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?author=1#author"},"creator":{"@id":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?author=1#author"},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ivory-Olive-and-Hidden-Keys.png","@id":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?p=2038\/#mainImage","width":1672,"height":941,"caption":"ivory, olive, and hidden keys"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?p=2038#mainImage"},"datePublished":"2026-10-18T19:13:32+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-18T19:13:34+00:00"},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/","name":"The Soft Protocol","description":"The Soft Protocol","inLanguage":"en-US","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/#organization"}}]},"og:locale":"en_US","og:site_name":"The Soft Protocol - The Soft Protocol","og:type":"article","og:title":"He Cheats Once and He Cheats Again - The Soft Protocol","og:description":"Fiction \u00b7 Written by Anica Angela Nicole Modena HillThe Soft Protocol Mara was writing a shopping list when Adrian\u2019s mother called about the curtains. \u201cI found the spare pair,\u201d she said. \u201cYou can take them when you visit.\u201d his mother said. \u201cDid Adrian see them last weekend?\u201d A pause. \u201cHe wasn\u2019t here last weekend.\u201d Mara","og:url":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?p=2038","article:published_time":"2026-10-18T19:13:32+00:00","article:modified_time":"2026-10-18T19:13:34+00:00","twitter:card":"summary_large_image","twitter:title":"He Cheats Once and He Cheats Again - The Soft Protocol","twitter:description":"Fiction \u00b7 Written by Anica Angela Nicole Modena HillThe Soft Protocol Mara was writing a shopping list when Adrian\u2019s mother called about the curtains. \u201cI found the spare pair,\u201d she said. \u201cYou can take them when you visit.\u201d his mother said. \u201cDid Adrian see them last weekend?\u201d A pause. \u201cHe wasn\u2019t here last weekend.\u201d Mara"},"aioseo_meta_data":{"post_id":"2038","title":null,"description":null,"keywords":null,"keyphrases":{"focus":{"keyphrase":"","score":0,"analysis":{"keyphraseInTitle":{"score":0,"maxScore":9,"error":1}}},"additional":[]},"primary_term":null,"canonical_url":null,"og_title":null,"og_description":null,"og_object_type":"default","og_image_type":"default","og_image_url":null,"og_image_width":null,"og_image_height":null,"og_image_custom_url":null,"og_image_custom_fields":null,"og_video":"","og_custom_url":null,"og_article_section":null,"og_article_tags":null,"twitter_use_og":false,"twitter_card":"default","twitter_image_type":"default","twitter_image_url":null,"twitter_image_custom_url":null,"twitter_image_custom_fields":null,"twitter_title":null,"twitter_description":null,"schema":{"blockGraphs":[],"customGraphs":[],"default":{"data":{"Article":[],"Course":[],"Dataset":[],"FAQPage":[],"Movie":[],"Person":[],"Product":[],"ProductReview":[],"Car":[],"Recipe":[],"Service":[],"SoftwareApplication":[],"WebPage":[]},"graphName":"BlogPosting","isEnabled":true},"graphs":[]},"schema_type":"default","schema_type_options":null,"pillar_content":false,"robots_default":true,"robots_noindex":false,"robots_noarchive":false,"robots_nosnippet":false,"robots_nofollow":false,"robots_noimageindex":false,"robots_noodp":false,"robots_notranslate":false,"robots_max_snippet":"-1","robots_max_videopreview":"-1","robots_max_imagepreview":"large","priority":null,"frequency":"default","local_seo":null,"breadcrumb_settings":null,"limit_modified_date":false,"ai":{"faqs":[],"keyPoints":[],"schemas":[],"titles":[],"descriptions":[],"socialPosts":{"email":{"subject":"","preview":"","content":""},"linkedin":[],"twitter":[],"facebook":[],"instagram":[]}},"created":"2026-10-18 11:43:31","updated":"2026-10-18 22:26:31","seo_analyzer_scan_date":null,"focus_keyword":null,"additional_keywords":null,"truseo_locale":null},"aioseo_breadcrumb":"<div class=\"aioseo-breadcrumbs\"><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/\" title=\"Home\">Home<\/a>\n\t\t<\/span><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb-separator\">\u00bb<\/span><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?cat=35\" title=\"Writing\">Writing<\/a>\n\t\t<\/span><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb-separator\">\u00bb<\/span><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb\">\n\t\t\tHe Cheats Once and He Cheats Again\n\t\t<\/span><\/div>","aioseo_breadcrumb_json":[{"label":"Home","link":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/"},{"label":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?cat=35"},{"label":"He Cheats Once and He Cheats Again","link":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?p=2038"}],"spectra_blocks_featured_image_url":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ivory-Olive-and-Hidden-Keys-150x150.png","width":150,"height":150},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ivory-Olive-and-Hidden-Keys-300x169.png","width":300,"height":169},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ivory-Olive-and-Hidden-Keys-768x432.png","width":768,"height":432},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ivory-Olive-and-Hidden-Keys-1024x576.png","width":1024,"height":576},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ivory-Olive-and-Hidden-Keys.png","width":1672,"height":941}},"spectra_blocks_author_info":{"display_name":"annef6429@gmail.com","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1b8f0e3a21750ba5f5bb406a818edeffd36c555d98ec1067580bfab7aae9cb68?s=96&d=mm&r=g","author_link":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?author=1","description":""},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ivory-Olive-and-Hidden-Keys.png",1672,941,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ivory-Olive-and-Hidden-Keys-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ivory-Olive-and-Hidden-Keys-300x169.png",300,169,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ivory-Olive-and-Hidden-Keys-768x432.png",768,432,true],"large":["https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ivory-Olive-and-Hidden-Keys-1024x576.png",1024,576,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ivory-Olive-and-Hidden-Keys-1536x864.png",1536,864,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ivory-Olive-and-Hidden-Keys.png",1672,941,false],"woocommerce_thumbnail":["https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ivory-Olive-and-Hidden-Keys-450x450.png",450,450,true],"woocommerce_single":["https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ivory-Olive-and-Hidden-Keys-768x432.png",600,338,true],"woocommerce_gallery_thumbnail":["https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ivory-Olive-and-Hidden-Keys-100x100.png",100,100,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"annef6429@gmail.com","author_link":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/?author=1"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Fiction \u00b7 Written by Anica Angela Nicole Modena HillThe Soft Protocol Mara was writing a shopping list when Adrian\u2019s mother called about the curtains. \u201cI found the spare pair,\u201d she said. \u201cYou can take them when you visit.\u201d his mother said. \u201cDid Adrian see them last weekend?\u201d A pause. \u201cHe wasn\u2019t here last weekend.\u201d Mara&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2038","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2038"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2038\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2062,"href":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2038\/revisions\/2062"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2039"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2038"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2038"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesoftprotocolcompany.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2038"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}