The Truth Pill
What if you could know the truth? Would you want to?
"Why would somebody want that though? It's an invasion of privacy." My wife’s lip curled.
"Why would somebody not want it? What would they want to hide?" I asked. "It's not permanent anyways."
"Even so," she said. "I don't like it. It's stupid."
I shook my head then went back to reading the article about this truth pill. It was a brand new technology developed by RadioLabs. A pill that contained trillions of nanorobots that would last a week before running out of juice and your body disposing of them naturally. An anonymous individual in the government was quoted as saying they would potentially start using them to narrow down selection on recruits to all military branches. This pill would make polygraph tests a thing of the past.
I flicked my finger on the phone screen, traveling to the bottom of the article where it described in more detail what the robots did. Finding the description, I read it again. The nanotruth technology will access your neural network, deciphering if what you are saying is truthful or not. When it discovers that you are telling a lie, it will transcribe the word “liar” on both of your cheeks. It will then access your memories for the correct information and write it on your back. This writing appears like a temporary tattoo. Fascinating. There was also a large section about the amount of neuroscience advancements that happened to make this technology possible. A true treasure trove of data. Color me curious, I wanted to try it out.
My wife, Alexis, had already moved back to the kitchen where she had just pulled cinnamon rolls from the oven, the smell wafting through the air. It was Sunday breakfast again. A few months after we got married, Alexis started making Sunday breakfast every week for me and then also our twin girls, Clementine and Valencia, who were now thirteen years old. Both of whom were currently sprawled out on the couch with their noses buried in technology. I could faintly make out the sound coming from each of their phones as they scrolled YouTube Shorts, TikTok, or whatever it was that kids watched on their phones these days. Skin care, makeup, fashion. I rolled my eyes. Not for the first time, I wished there was more testosterone in this house. If one of them chased after me one more time with lotion or the desire to pop one of my zits, I might take a vacation I never return from.
I went back to the article, spotting a link that would take me to the company’s website. I clicked on it and scrolled, looking for an option to purchase. There it was! The pill could be mine for the lovely price of $100, or $180 for two. I entered in all of my information, putting it on my credit card so that Alexis wouldn’t get an alert. The shipping details finally came up and the pill would be here in a week for no extra cost, or for an additional $20 it would have overnight shipping. I lingered there for a second, chewing my lip as I weighed the options. What the heck. Tomorrow’s better.
I could pop the pill with my breakfast. Then I would just need to figure out a way to have Alexis take it. Maybe break it open and mix it with her oatmeal. Say that I added chia seeds or something. I could see her waving her fists at me when she discovered what I’d done, the skin tightening around her eyes and her shrill voice echoing throughout the house. Then would come the silent treatment, but I’m used to that. Worth it.
I closed the website on my phone as a platter of food was placed before me. Swinging my feet off the table, I dug in. We had thirty minutes before we had to rush off to church and I still had a film on my teeth that squeaked against the eggs I was chewing. At least I would still be ready before the girls who would need to apply numerous products on their faces. It’s not like I would mind missing service anyways.
Monday morning arrived with a package on my doorstep. I ripped off the tape, flicking my fingers apart to make it fall to the floor and opened up the cardboard box. Inside there were two small white boxes, packaged such that they could give Apple a run for their money. I considered doing an unboxing video, maybe this could be my lucky break to becoming an internet celebrity. Then I would be the video on my kids phones. I discarded the thought and peeled off the plastic wrap, sliding open the first box. There it was. A black pill, cushioned on light gray fabric just like an engagement ring.
I took it out and held it up. It was the size of a vitamin and firm to the touch. I put it back in the box and went to the kitchen to pour some of the strong black coffee that Alexis had prepped to go off at 6am. I headed back to the dining room table, blowing on my coffee to cool it down. I popped the pill in my mouth and slurped the coffee. How long was this going to take? I probably should have read the instructions first. I checked the box and saw a little manual, reading that it would take five minutes before going into effect. That’s fast.
I went over to the fridge and checked if Alexis had made her overnight oats. She sure had. It was sitting on the shelf in a mason jar with a plastic lid on top. She had even added chia seeds! I grabbed the jar and a spoon, opened up the other truth pill package and split the pill open. I carefully poured the contents into the jar. It sparkled like black sand as it made a small pile on top of the soaked oats. I stirred it in and put the jar back in the fridge.
I got rid of the evidence and reminded myself that I couldn’t lie at all this morning. Not even the smallest fib. Otherwise she would know I bought one. And then she would suspect that I had bought two. I made a bowl of AppleJacks and scrolled Facebook while I waited for her to get out of the shower and come downstairs. A little after 7am she walked into the kitchen, wearing only a towel. Wet hair dripping on the floor. I rolled my eyes, the water always left a mess I refused to clean up. She was just making more work for herself.
Alexis came over and gave me a kiss, asked how I slept, then grabbed her jar of overnight oats and headed back upstairs to our bathroom. My chest was tightening as I forced myself not to laugh or smile, I was becoming quite giddy. I’d like to blame that behavior on the pill, but this was my normal personality. I loved playing tricks. Everyone needed a little excitement in their lives, and what kind of person would I be if I didn’t provide it for them?
I waited ten minutes before going upstairs to get dressed. I had decided on what I was going to ask yesterday during church. It had been a sermon about infidelity. She had nodded along and said ‘amen’ at all the right times. Even looking at me and saying “the shame of those people” at one point. I knew she would never cheat on me, it’s not like she had the time. But I was curious, and now I just wanted to know.
I walked into our bathroom, saw an empty mason jar but no wife and turned to go into the closet. She had just started getting dressed, with only her underwear on. The closet light glistened down from her hair to the twin dimples in her lower back.
“Hey honey,” I said. “So I was thinking about church yesterday.”
“Yeah, what about it?”
“Well. They were talking about infidelity. Then that made me think. And I just wanted to know, you’ve never cheated on me right?”
Alexis looked at me with raised eyebrows, pulling her bra on. “Of course not. Why would you even ask that?”
She turned back away, but not before I saw black starting to appear on her cheeks. My heart stopped as I looked at the mirror in the closet reflecting her face back to me. In the reflection I saw the words “liar” written backwards on each cheekbone. My eyes turned towards where she was clasping the bra straps together on her back as names began to appear on her left shoulder blade. It was like an invisible mad man had chosen her back for a little bit of calligraphy.
The names began with my name, but they didn’t stop there.
James Jacobson
Donald Danielson
Richard Wilson
Ashley Brown
Taylor Miller
William Anderson
My lungs were tight, my fingers curling into fists. I knew those names! Donny, Dick, and Ashley were her coworkers. Her and Dick had lunch together every week. Taylor worked on the force with me! And Bill had just moved in down the street two months ago! A vein began to pulse on my forehead.
“What. The. Fuck.” I said.
Alexis looked at me, eyes widening when she saw my face. “What’s wrong with you?”
“You’re a fucking liar!” I screamed. “Look at yourself in the fucking mirror!”
She backed up, clutching the dress she had been about to put on in her hands. She didn’t look in the mirror, instead she was staring at me like a caged animal.
“Go ahead! Look in the mirror!” I waved at the mirror in the closet and stormed out. Smashing my fist through a wall as tears burned the sides of my eyes.
The drywall gave easily under my knuckles and the white dust sprayed out over my hand. I felt the stud next to my thumb as I pulled my hand back out. What was I going to do? What was I going to do? I was trying to force myself to think, but all I wanted to do was scream. I wanted to roar like a lion! Or hide in a corner and sob! All of these years she had been cheating on me!
I looked at my badge resting on the nightstand next to the bed, right next to the wedding picture of us fifteen years younger. I felt my heart cleave in two. Memories flashed through my mind like the lights on my cruiser, scene after scene of arriving on married couples who had just discovered the other had broken their vows. I had always thought it would never happen to me. I couldn’t swallow as my vision became blurry and I tried to hold it together. I chose to focus on my anger. Specifically on that asshole of a neighbor I had invited over for a BBQ when he had moved in with his pregnant wife. Time to go fuck up their morning and ruin his life too. Anything was better than being here right now.
I pulled on the jeans I had left next to the nightstand last night. I had dropped them to the ground before joining my naked wife in bed. Fuck!
Alexis came out of the closet wearing her dress, mascara running down her face. “I’m so sorry James!”
“Why? Why did you do it?”
“I’m so sorry! I couldn’t help it!”
“What do you mean you couldn’t help it? We have sex all the time! Was I ever good enough for you?”
“Of course you were!” Alexis said. The words liar traced out again on both of her cheeks.
“Liar!” I screamed. If the kids hadn’t heard us yet, they would now. “Tell the truth!”
“You weren’t here all the time,” she said, snot dripping from her nose. “Please! Please don’t leave me!”
“What do you mean I wasn’t here? I have a job! How else do you think we have this roof over our heads!”
She wiped her hand across her nose, leaving a shiny trail across the back of her hand. “You weren’t here! You’re never here even when you are here!”
I shook my head. She didn’t make any sense.
“And how could you make me take this pill?” Alexis said. “What kind of person are you?”
“Someone that wants to know his wife! Don’t try and turn this around on me!”
She struggled to catch her breath as she collapsed to her knees, her hands cradling her face.
“I need to get out of here.” I said.
“Where are you going?”
“Bill’s.”
“No!” Alexis grabbed at my pants as I walked by. “You’ll destroy Mary’s world! And what about Johnny?”
“You should have thought about his wife and baby before you let him fuck you.” I kicked my foot and dislodged her hand.
I walked out of the room and straight into Clementine and Valencia. Clem stood there with a forgotten toothbrush in her hand as toothpaste dribbled from the corner of her mouth. Val had a green face mask on that contrasted with the neon orange sleep shirt she was wearing.
“Is Mom okay?” Val asked.
Clem didn’t bother asking, she just walked straight into my room. I stood there like a fish out of water, my mouth opening and shutting. Then I just walked down the stairs and out of the house. I walked down the sidewalk, the concrete grating against my bare feet, distantly observing the layer of frost on the cars. I marched over to Bill’s house and rang the doorbell. I took two steps back and tapped my foot until Mary answered the door with newborn Johnny wrapped up in her arms.
A tap tap tap sound came from inside the house and looking past her I saw Bill jumping rope, wearing only his briefs. His body made me hate him more.
“Hey James! What do you need?” Mary said.
She probably hoped that I would say I needed some eggs, or maybe some milk. I knew she didn’t want to hear what I had to say. She had got back from the hospital only three weeks ago.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“Sorry about what? Everything okay? You don’t look alright.” She moved her body so that the baby was further away from me.
“I’m sorry,” I repeated. “Your husband cheated on you with my wife.”
Mary said something, but I didn’t hear what it was. I just turned and walked away. And kept walking.