Dog Barking Exposed A Secret Affair

The sound of a barking dog jolted me awake in the middle of the night. I glanced at the clock: it was 12:15 AM. Normally, I would ignore the barking from the neighborhood dogs; they always seemed to be around. At any hour, one dog or another would bark, sometimes from a distance, barely audible during a restless night. But the barking that woke me was close and loud, not the kind that comes from a dog barking at shadows.

I got up, pulled back the curtains slightly, and peered outside. There was nothing to see just an empty street and a neighbor's dog barking and jumping around as if it had spotted an intruder. I thought to myself, “What a crazy old fool. Why disturb the peace of the night for nothing? But then again, why would Hayford keep a dog in a place like this?”

My sleep was shattered, and I struggled to drift off again. Lying on my back, staring at the ceiling, I pondered how a barking dog could ruin my peaceful slumber. I remained awake for the rest of the night, lost in thought. Just as I was about to doze off, the dog barked again, even more ferociously than before. It continued for about a minute. Reluctantly, I opened my eyes, pulled the curtain aside, and looked out again. Still nothing—just the empty street and Hayford’s dog barking wildly. I checked the time: it was a few minutes past 4 AM.

In the morning, there was no sign of Hayford. I went to the office with a scowl, eager to confront him about his dog’s disruptive behavior. I asked a colleague where he was, and he replied, “Hayford is on an outstation project; he’s traveled.”

Hayford is a coworker, and we live in a company estate. His flat is directly across from mine, separated only by a street. My bedroom window faces his, so when I lift my curtains and turn on the light at night, he can see into my room. He’s been married for over a year and lives there with his wife. So, when the dog was barking so fiercely that night, I wondered if she was disturbed too.

Two days later, it happened again. The dog was barking loudly. I didn’t even bother to look outside; it was just a crazy dog that took pleasure in disturbing the neighborhood. I fell asleep again, but later in the night, the barking resumed. I pushed the curtain aside to see what was happening. Again, nothing except that the front light of Hayford’s house was off. I watched closely, hoping to catch a glimpse of someone lurking in the shadows. But again, nothing.

A few days later, Hayford returned to the office. I told him, “Your dog has taken a liking to disturbing my sleep. You need to find a way to handle it, or I will.” I was just venting, but he understood the message. He replied, “If it’s barking, it must have seen a threat. Dogs don’t bark for no reason.”

While Hayford was home, the dog didn’t make a single sound to disrupt my sleep. I completely forgot about the dog that had once disturbed me. Then Hayford traveled again for another project, and that same night, the dog barked at dawn, waking me from my slumber.

I looked outside; once again, the front light was off. I began to suspect something was amiss. The dog usually barked twice, so I stayed awake, waiting for the second round. At exactly 4 AM, the dog started barking again. I pulled the curtains aside and saw a male figure darting out of Hayford’s room. He didn’t take the main road between the two buildings but dashed into the shadows next to Hayford’s wall. Then I noticed a silhouette of a female figure retreating back into Hayford’s room.

The pieces began to fall into place.

Someone a man had been sneaking into Hayford’s house while he was away, and the female figure returning inside was Hayford’s wife.

I stayed awake for the rest of the night, contemplating how everything had gone wrong. I began to ask myself questions: “Who could that be? A new lover unaware of her marriage? Could it be someone living in the estate? But why would a marriage of less than two years face such infidelity?”

When the mind is filled with questions, the heart embarks on a quest for answers. Fortunately, I didn’t need to consult an oracle; the answers were right outside my window. I just had to follow the dog’s lead to uncover the truth. Yes, I was prepared to lose some sleep to discover who that person was, but it was better than lying awake, wondering.

So, in the following nights, I slept with one eye open, becoming a silent observer in search of answers. Around 11 PM the next night, the front light went out. I remained vigilant, my gaze fixed on Hayford’s front door as if it were the focus of my prayers. Minutes later, the dog began barking, and the male figure hurried inside. I didn’t get a good look at him. Hours later, the dog barked again, and he slipped into the shadows. Again, I couldn’t see who it was.

This continued every night until Hayford returned.

I stopped trying. No matter how hard I looked, it became increasingly difficult to identify the intruder. I considered informing Hayford, but as a thirty-four-year-old unmarried woman, I understood the challenges of finding a partner, though I had no experience in maintaining a marriage. I remained silent, watching Hayford as he moved about the office, blissfully unaware. Innocence truly is bliss.

This went on for several months until one day, I grew tired of not knowing. The unfortunate part was that the dog had stopped barking. Dogs don’t bark at someone forever; eventually, they become accustomed to the presence of a person and no longer perceive them as a threat. The intruder came and went freely, without any resistance from the dog. But there was one more dog he hadn’t managed to tame, and that was me.

One night, as the male figure entered Hayford’s house, I stepped out and began walking around the estate. Later that night, I saw Obed entering his room at the exact moment the intruder left Hayford’s house. I thought to myself, “That’s him! There’s no doubt.”

Obed works under Hayford in the engineering department. How could this be?

It became a pattern: Hayford’s front light would go off around 11 PM, Obed would enter, and later leave around 4 AM. This happened every time Hayford was away.

One early morning, while Hayford had yet to arrive at work, I anonymously slipped a note under his computer keyboard detailing everything I had witnessed over the months. I concluded with, “You don’t have to believe me. You just need to find out for yourself.”

All day, he was restless, asking me and other colleagues if we had seen someone leave a note under his keyboard. He was clearly disturbed and didn’t know what to do. A week later, he traveled again. I smiled to myself when he announced his trip to supervise one of his projects. I knew what was coming and couldn’t wait to witness the confrontation.

That night, when the front light went off, I crossed my fingers but wondered, “What if he kills them?” Fear began to creep in, but there was nothing I could do. I pushed the curtains aside slightly to observe what would unfold. Not long after, the shadow dashed in. I sat on my bed, waiting to see how Hayford would react. Soon, I saw him tiptoeing toward his door.

I didn’t know what to expect, but I trusted Hayford’s humility would prevail. He opened the main door leading to the hall and stepped inside. A few seconds later, I saw the bedroom light turn on. I could only make out the movement of their shadows. Their voices were muffled, but the struggle was evident, accompanied by screams and cries. The sound of the wife’s cries was louder, while Obed’s voice was softer but clearly distressed.

About thirty minutes later, I saw Obed bolt out of the room, nearly naked, clutching his clothes. He didn’t take the shadows; he ran down the main road, allowing me to see him clearly under the night light.

The next morning, Hayford didn’t come to work, and neither did Obed.

I called Hayford, but he didn’t answer. When I returned home from work that evening, I knocked on his door, and he answered. He was alone, so I stepped inside. It was evident he had been crying. I told him, “I slipped the note under your keyboard. I’m the witness.” He broke down, crying out loud, “Mercy, why didn’t you tell me sooner? How could you keep something like this from me? My wife is three months pregnant. Who is the father me or Obed?”

I tried to console him, but nothing I said made sense to him. He continued to cry, repeatedly asking why. I urged him to speak to someone before it was too late. That someone turned out to be our human resources manager. Weeks later, Obed was terminated, and Hayford was given some time off to address his family issues.

I haven’t seen Hayford’s wife since that night. There may be a divorce, but if the paternity test proves Hayford is the father, perhaps he will forgive her and take her back. Anything is possible in love and war. I can only hope for healing and genuine forgiveness from all parties involved.

—Mercy

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