He hadn't been stronger than me.
I had simply discovered my greatest fear and had taken advantage of it.
Richard turned to Tyler.
"I know an apology is not enough," he said. "But I'm sorry. For everything."
Tyler stared at him for a long time.
"I admired you. For me you were not just a coworker. I thought you really cared what happened to me."
"That makes it even worse."
Richard had no answer.
"It's over on the weekends. The games are over," Tyler said. "The calls are over. And if you ever try to use me to reach my mother, I'll tell our boss exactly what happened here."
For the first time in the entire evening, Richard looked like a man who perfectly understood the price of his decisions.
I had recovered what I had come to look for.
But he had destroyed a trust he could never regain.
