Guilty or not guilty?

Some 7 years back, I was caught in a dilemma. I got to find out that a friend’s boyfriend could have been cheating on her. I say “could have been” because I wasn’t an eye-witness and can’t confirm the act that really constituted a betrayal, you know what I mean. Anyway, I debated within myself whether or not to tell her that he’s been seeing this other girl frequently behind her back.

In the end, I decided to shut up. I was afraid I would ruin a relationship that could have worked if I told her, and they ended up with a sour relationship, or worse, broken up. In my mind, I justified my silence by thinking that guys could sometimes stray, but it doesn’t mean he will not do the right thing to redeem himself. I can’t be sure if he was really such a scumbag to cheat on her, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt.

And so my silence stayed with me for years on, and she never knew. In these 7 years, I’ve felt guilt whenever I recall what I’ve done, or rather what I’ve not done. It doesn’t matter how their relationship is now, I still feel guilty for “betraying” her by not saying something. Sometimes, I wonder whether she would’ve wanted me to tell her, or is ignorance really bliss?