**Las Vegas.**
**Caesars Palace.**
Amidst the noise and excitement, everyone received their room assignments.
- Chandler and Susie.
- Monica and Phoebe.
- Joey and Ross.
- Rachel had a room to herself.
"Adam, can we talk later?"
Chandler whispered to Adam.
"OK."
Adam understood immediately and nodded. He then turned to the group and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, the night in Las Vegas has just begun. Enjoy yourselves!"
"Whoo!"
Monica clapped and cheered, "Las Vegas, baby! Here I come!"
Adam couldn't help but laugh as he led Chandler out of the suite. He reminded him, "Make sure to keep an eye on Monica tonight. You know how she is."
"OK."
Chandler was momentarily stunned but then nodded in understanding. "I will."
Both of them knew Monica's personality well. Tonight, she would either lose everything—including her pants—and return in embarrassment, or she would party all night. There was no third outcome.
Outside Caesars Palace
The dazzling city of lights showcased its unique charm to everyone.
"Something on your mind?"
As they strolled down the avenue, Adam glanced at Chandler.
"Yeah."
Chandler sighed.
"Tell me about it."
Adam already knew what was bothering him, but he had no intention of bringing it up himself.
Due to his special relationship with Nora, both he and Nora had agreed not to reveal the truth to Chandler.
Sometimes, a well-intentioned lie is necessary.
People who claim that absolute honesty is a must—especially immediate honesty—are often just unable to control their emotions in the heat of the moment.
Take Leonard, for example.
He had pursued Penny for years, finally got engaged, yet never followed through with a wedding. Then, one day, on a whim, he suddenly suggested, "Let's go to Vegas and get married."
Las Vegas is the quickest place in the world to get married. All it takes is a simple vow at a chapel, and it's legally binding—not just for fun, but an official marriage.
Fast, efficient, and hassle-free.
Penny agreed, and the two of them drove to Vegas.
However, on the way there, Leonard suddenly blurted out a secret: during a research expedition at sea years ago, he had once drunkenly kissed a female scientist.
It was just a kiss—nothing more—because he stopped himself in time.
Penny, looking completely dumbfounded, asked Leonard why he was bringing this up now.
Leonard sincerely explained, "We're about to get married, and I don't want to keep any secrets from you."
Penny took a deep breath and ultimately forgave him, but the excitement of their impulsive wedding was completely ruined.
Adam agreed with Leonard's mother, Beverly, on this matter.
When Leonard and Penny had been engaged for over a year without any wedding plans, Beverly had pointed out that deep down, neither of them actually wanted to get married.
And when Leonard suddenly confessed his long-hidden mistake on the way to Vegas, it was likely his subconscious trying to sabotage the wedding.
His whole "I don't want to lie to you about anything" reasoning was absolute nonsense.
Come on—what couple doesn't have secrets?
Are there wives who don't have hidden shopping splurges?
Are there husbands who don't stash a little personal money on the side?
And it's not like Leonard couldn't keep secrets.
For instance, when Sheldon's favorite Chinese restaurant shut down, Leonard bought a whole trunk full of takeout boxes from different places just to make Sheldon think he was still getting food from the original restaurant. He kept up this ruse for years!
And what about their apartment's central heating system? Officially, it followed Sheldon's strict temperature rules, but in reality, Leonard had secretly adjusted it long ago—and successfully kept it hidden for over a decade.
The proof?
There was that one time when Sheldon, hearing a cricket chirping, calculated the exact species based on the sound frequency and the room temperature. He even wrote out the equation on a whiteboard (which was mathematically correct, though they didn't show him writing it on screen).
But Howard disagreed, insisting it was a different species. He claimed he knew because he had been collecting and studying crickets since childhood.
The two argued endlessly until they finally caught the cricket and consulted an entomologist.
To everyone's shock, Sheldon lost the bet and had to give Howard one of his prized comic books, which he had locked away in a bank vault.
Sheldon, thrown off by the entomologist's loud and intimidating reaction, never thought to question his calculations.
But mathematics doesn't lie.
Sheldon wouldn't have miscounted the chirps, and the apartment temperature should have been constant per the roommate agreement. So, the only explanation was that Leonard had secretly adjusted the thermostat, causing Sheldon's calculations to be wrong.
And that was just one example—Leonard was great at keeping secrets.
So why did he suddenly feel the need to confess at such a crucial moment?
Because deep down, he regretted his decision to marry Penny. He wanted to derail the wedding but didn't want to be the one to back out. He was hoping Penny would call it off instead.
But to his surprise, Penny forgave him.
So, in the end, his confession did nothing but ruin the mood for the day.
Back to Adam and Nora
When Adam and Nora first met, Adam hadn't yet met Chandler and had no idea that Nora was his mother.
By the time he found out, their relationship had already ended, and they never rekindled it.
Over the years, they occasionally kept in touch and even discussed the situation, ultimately agreeing that keeping it a secret was the best choice for everyone.
If Chandler ever found out, it would only cause unnecessary pain.
His perception of Adam as a close friend and role model would be completely distorted:
*"So, there's no such thing as pure friendship after all? I thought you considered me a brother… but you were actually my 'dad' all along?"*
Of course, knowing Chandler's personality, he would eventually forgive Adam.
But why put him through that?
In truth, this wasn't even a "well-intentioned lie"—because a lie has to be told. Chandler had never even considered the possibility, so the topic never came up.
Since Adam had no intention of ever hurting Chandler, he felt no guilt about keeping this secret.
"Did You See Joey's Show?"
Chandler asked, "Did you happen to see a drag queen named Helena Handbasket?"
"Yeah," Adam nodded, keeping his response short.
Tonight, Chandler needed to talk, and Adam was here to listen.
"That's my dad."
Chandler smiled bitterly.
"Huh?"
Adam feigned perfect surprise.
"Yeah."
Feeling safe confiding in Adam—who had always supported and encouraged him—Chandler poured out everything about his father.
"I see…"
Adam nodded, genuinely enlightened this time.
*(End of Chapter)*