The Gentleman
June 18, 2025 - Reading time: 22 minutes
The Gentleman is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The Gentleman is tall, handsome and in very good shape. He is in his mid-40s but looks younger because he exercises regularly, drinks multiple glasses of water throughout the day, and maintains clear skin. He is unmarried and childless.
The Gentlemen is the most coveted bachelor around and the envy of all his friends. Men aspire to be like him; women desire to be with him. Despite his popularity, he is humble, respectful and speaks courteously to everyone.
The Gentleman is eloquent but doesn't speak like a Thesaurus in an attempt to impress. He makes eye contact during conversations, nodding and humming to show that he is listening.
The Gentleman is very good at reading body language and social cues. He is verbose when he needs to be and reserved when the situation calls for it. His versatility allows him to adjust and match his energy to those around him, making him the perfect companion.
Despite the relaxed dress code at work, the Gentleman makes an effort to dress prim and proper. He wears clean, crisp shirts, creaseless trousers, and shiny, polished blucher shoes. The Gentleman is fashion-conscious and understands the importance of coordinating and matching his outfits. He knows to match his belt with his shoes, never wears loud colours to work, but will wear them on casual outings with friends.
The Gentlemen is not swayed or offended by his colleagues who wear jeans and t-shirts — he respects their right to.
The Gentleman is polite, very polite. Chivalry lives on through the Gentleman who holds the door for his colleagues when they tail behind him to enter a room. He says, “After you,” when you both arrive at the coffee machine for your morning coffee, and he always says thank you and wishes you a good day or evening when he bids you farewell.
The Gentleman always acknowledges you and gives you a warm smile when you cross paths.
The Gentleman is generous: he tips well at restaurants, and he will donate to charity if you ask him to.
The Gentleman is the epitome of grace and suave. He doesn’t command attention when he walks into the room, but you feel compelled to give it to him anyway because of his alluring demeanour.
When the Gentleman announces his engagement to a woman he met at a sip and paint event, joy and well wishes envelop him. His friends and colleagues wonder why it took so long for such a catch to find love. He beams as he shares stories about his future wife. As he shows off pictures from his surprise engagement, the women swoon at the extravagance of the proposal and at the breathtaking custom-made ring that now adorns his fiancée’s finger. The men acknowledge the Gentleman with pride, playfully patting him on the back. “You are making the rest of us look bad,” they tease.
One morning, you are hunched over at your desk when you hear thudding against the office tiles. You wonder why anyone would wear boots in the middle of summer.
When two policemen arrive to arrest the Gentleman for attempted murder, he is cordial and cooperative.
The Gentleman remains calm and composed as the two large, muscular men tower over him at his tidy desk. They tell him to stand up and put his hands behind his back.
As the Gentleman rises to his feet, he casts you a reassuring smile which contrasts with the disbelief on your face.
“Nice and slowly, sir,” one of the policemen says. “Is that blood on your trousers?”
“Yes, officer, apologies. I made a bit of a mess,” the Gentleman responds in the jovial tone he always has.
“Oh, the knife is in my left pocket, officer,” he says casually, like someone recalling a trivial detail. “You might need gloves; you wouldn’t want to soil your hands.” He punctuates this sentence with a laugh.
The Gentleman keeps still as the officer reaches into his left trouser pocket and pulls out a knife. Its silver blade, roughly the size of your palm, is covered in red patches.
“Careful, it’s really sharp,” he says with concern.
You watch and listen to the absurdity of his continued politeness in the precarious situation.
The Gentleman is led out of the office, his hands cuffed. The Gentleman gives warm smiles and nods at you and your colleagues as he walks past.
The office manager announces a few hours later that the Gentleman has been arrested for violently attacking the woman he married less than two months earlier. You met his wife at the wedding; it was a beautiful ceremony, and she looked beautiful and happy.
The wife sustained serious injuries to her torso, but she will live. One of the Gentleman’s neighbours found her in a bloody crumple on the ground in front of their home.
There is footage from the Gentleman’s doorbell camera showing the violent incident. You watch the video with your colleagues, huddled around the office manager’s phone. You see the Gentleman, but it is not the Gentleman that you know. The man in the video is a wild beast, a brute, with the same nature as the violent offenders from those true crime shows you enjoy watching. The man in the video is not graceful with his movements like the Gentleman is. The man in the video is rough, ferocious, impatient and brusque.
Towards the end of the video, you see the Gentleman’s face turned towards the camera, his wife beneath him. The Gentleman’s face is twisted and unfamiliar to you. Fear ripples through you as you see the harsh lines etched on his face, his dark eyes accompanying an ugly scowl of disgust. You marvel as you watch his evil mask slowly soften and revert to the all too familiar face you know.
You watch as the Gentleman relaxes; his lips cease their vicious twist, and the kindness returns to his eyes. You see the Gentleman you have known and adored for years. The weapon in his right hand seems so misplaced and vulgar in his benevolent hand.
“Have a nice day, honey,” he says cheerfully to his wife before walking away.
You look up from the phone and exchange looks of trepidation with your colleagues. You exhale deeply as the deception of the Gentleman settles into your world.