Henry lies dying, the ticking clock echoing his final moments. With a trembling voice, he asks his wife, Martha, if she has ever been unfaithful. “Yes,” she finally admits after a long pause, “three times.” Shocked but curious, Henry asks her to explain.

Her first confession dates back to when they almost lost their home. “I went to see the banker,” she says quietly, and the next day their mortgage was extended. Though hurt, Henry realizes she did it out of desperation and forgives her.

Her second revelation hits even harder. Martha reminds him of his life-saving heart surgery that they couldn’t afford. “The doctor did it for free,” she admits, “after I spent the night with him.” Henry, struggling to process the truth, once again recognizes her sacrifice.

Finally, Martha reveals her last secret with an unsettling calm. When Henry ran for president of his golf club, he had been seventy-three votes short. “Do you remember how you won by seventy-three votes?” she asks with a faint smile. Henry’s eyes widen as he understands the meaning behind her words.

The story ends with dark humor—Martha’s unwavering devotion, twisted by moral ambiguity. Her love saves Henry’s home, life, and pride, but at a cost that leaves him stunned in his final moments.