My Lie of Convenience

I’m a doctor, and I pride myself on honesty and integrity. However, there was one time where I bent the truth just to avoid an awkward situation. Last month, my partner needed me to cover her shift because she had family visiting from out-of-town. I agreed but told her it would be difficult for me since I’d already committed to taking a vacation day to attend a medical conference in another city. In reality, I was staying home that day to catch up on paperwork and sleep. It felt wrong as soon as the words left my mouth, and now every time we talk about future plans or past ones, I feel guilty for lying. This small lie has cast doubt over all of our promises to each other.