Editor’s note: The author of this article has chosen to remain anonymous so that their name doesn’t come up in Google searches alongside cheating. Their father-in-law would kill them.
It wasn’t supposed to happen. I didn’t mean for it to take place. I couldn’t stop it. I’m sorry. Baldur’s Gate 3’s Shadowheart stole my heart.
Things started innocuously. A rescue from the Nautilod, a combined desire to remove the tadpoles from our heads, working together to defeat enemies and protect the innocent. But, little did we know, we ourselves were not innocent.
Glances at one another were followed by deeper conversations. I learned Shadowheart could not swim, she told me about her favorite flower. It was clear this was moving in one direction, yet I could not put a halt to it. I was a passenger, and Shadowheart’s bedroll was the final destination.
A night together under the stars after saving a group of refugee Tieflings resulted in the first kiss, and I was hit with a flood of guilt. Yet, I still did not stop, and soon enough, a very private swimming lesson was provided.
My darling wife, I do not have the words to apologize. I do not know how to make this up to you. So, I turned to Shadowheart herself, hoping that, as a woman, she would be able to provide empathy for the situation.
Unfortunately, I was wrong.
Shadowheart isn’t sorry, so should I be? In a virtual world, does it constitute cheating? Would you do the same? Perhaps I’ll never get the answers to those questions.
I’d like to promise it won’t happen again, but a second playthrough has begun. I promise nothing will happen with Shadowheart this time, but my eyes have been drawn to a fiery Tiefling named Karlach.
Disclaimer: Jennifer English on Cameo provided a fantastic video for this article. Check her out here.
