On a serene evening, Catherine found herself in the supermarket parking lot and decided to give her husband a call, hoping to share a coffee with him. Aware that he often stopped by the supermarket on his way home, she anticipated a familiar routine.
However, her attempt to reach him resulted in a straight-to-voicemail call, and a subsequent text message from him revealed that he was still at work.
Parking her car, she retrieved a shopping bag from the backseat and stepped out, weaving through the parked cars. An SUV grabbed her attention – could it be her husband’s? The rear bumper suggested so, but his whereabouts remained a mystery. In that moment, thoughts of his recent late nights at work, secretive phone calls, and peculiar behavior flooded her mind.
Opting to confront him, Catherine retraced her steps to her car, deciding to wait for her husband to appear. Shortly after, an old, modest car pulled up beside her husband’s SUV. To her astonishment, her husband, Dylan, emerged from the old car, clad in shabby attire. Catherine was left bewildered, struggling to comprehend the situation.
Dylan then changed into his work suit, got back into the SUV, and drove away. Catherine, in shock, hurried home and chose to withhold her discovery, opting to wait for him there without revealing her knowledge.
“So, how was your day?” she inquired, sensing his disconnection and lack of interest in the meal.
“Oh, it was the usual… meetings, paperwork, the standard routine,” he responded, delivering the answer with an almost rehearsed tone.
“I thought you might have taken a break?” she remarked.
“Nah, today was hectic,” he replied, and a wave of disappointment washed over Catherine. Was he fabricating tales because of infidelity? The desire to confront him gnawed at her, but she resisted, needing concrete evidence.
The next morning, she rose early and opted to wait for him in the supermarket’s parking lot.
Seeing her prepare to leave, Dylan questioned, “Where are you off to so early?” dressed in his typical work attire.
“Oh, I booked an early morning massage session, remember? The back pain has been unbearable,” she fibbed.
“Skipping breakfast?”
“Yeah, I’ll grab something on the way and see you in a while. Sleep in,” she assured him as she exited the house.
After some time, she observed her husband arriving at the parking lot in his SUV, only to switch to a sedan.
He changed into old clothes and set off, prompting Catherine to follow discreetly.
At one point, their eyes nearly met in the rear-view mirror, but a passing bus interrupted the potential connection.
Catherine’s heart raced, palms sweaty, as uncertainty hung in the air. She had no inkling of the unfolding events and felt a mix of anxiety and anticipation.
As their vehicles departed the city’s outskirts, traversing a less-frequented route marred by cracks and potholes, Catherine found herself amidst a wooded area.
Dylan veered onto a dirt road leading into the woods, prompting Catherine to venture on foot, hoping to catch a glimpse of her husband or his sedan deeper in the forest.
After navigating the dense woods, she emerged into a clearing where a wooden house stood, Dylan’s sedan parked nearby.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Concealing herself behind bushes roughly 30 meters from the house, Catherine observed Dylan on the porch, engaged in conversation with a man in tattered clothing.
Upon witnessing their laughter, she approached and exclaimed, “What’s happening here?”
“Catherine? Wha-what are you doing here?” Dylan asked, visibly surprised.
“Who is this beauty?” the other man, Harry, inquired, eyeing her.
“I’m his wife!” Catherine shouted. “Explain everything, Dylan! Why lie about the office meeting? Why switch your SUV in the supermarket parking lot and come here in that beat-up vehicle? And WHO IS THIS MAN?”
Dylan froze.
“Wife? You never mentioned her! You said you were a poor man working at the gas station!” Harry glared at Dylan. “You’ve been lying?”
“Harry, please. I-I can explain!” Dylan stammered.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
Enraged, Harry grabbed a bottle from a nearby table and smashed it against Dylan’s head, rendering him unconscious.
When Dylan awoke moments later, he found himself in the basement, tied to a chair, alongside his wife.
“Start talking, Dylan! What the heck is happening?” Catherine demanded, fear and confusion evident in her voice.
“I should’ve told you everything, but I wanted to protect you from my past,” he confessed. “I-I had a son, Catherine, and it all started when I went to a doctor with him…”
Nineteen years in the past, Dylan emerged from the doctor’s office, cradling his infant son. The doctor had just delivered the gut-wrenching diagnosis of a rare condition, necessitating immediate surgery with a staggering cost of around $100,000.
Facing this daunting reality, Dylan called his then-girlfriend to share the distressing news, urging her to await their return home. However, upon reaching home, he was met with a note on the table that shattered his world. It bluntly stated, “Don’t look for me. I didn’t want this child, Dylan! Bye!”
In a desperate bid to secure the funds for his son’s surgery, Dylan reached out to his friend Harry. Together, they devised a plan to rob a bank, rallying a crew to execute the risky endeavor. While Harry and his cohorts carried out the heist, Dylan nervously waited in the getaway car.
On the fateful day, the crew proceeded with their plan, and Harry hastily entered the getaway car, barking, “DRIVE NOW!”
“Where’s the rest of the crew?” Dylan inquired.
“They’re gone! Drive!” Harry ordered.
Following Harry’s instructions, Dylan accelerated. However, the police, with flashing lights in the rearview mirror, closed in on them. Bullets flew, and Harry sustained a shoulder injury while the car suffered damage.
“Keep driving!” Harry groaned, but the realization of the vehicle’s compromised state prompted a change in plans.
“We’re not going to make it, Dylan! Listen to me,” Harry urged. “There’s a narrow alley up ahead, about 300 meters. Drive into it, and you’ll find a sewer hatch. Ditch the car, get into the sewers, and follow the markings. Don’t worry about me. Take all the money with you. But keep my share. I expect to be paid when I get out of jail.”
Although Harry faced arrest, the police failed to locate the stolen money, leaving behind a tale of desperation, crime, and an unexpected twist of loyalty.
Dylan found himself in a position to proceed with his son’s operation, only to be confronted with a cruel twist of fate – the cost doubled. Despite anticipating the potential repercussions, he made the difficult decision to use Harry’s share as well.
“I spent Harry’s share to cover the surgery costs, but, unfortunately, my son didn’t survive. His passing left me shattered. When I met you, Catherine, everything changed. I felt the possibility of a fresh start. I never thought Harry would find me, certainly not 20 years later. That’s why I kept the truth from you,” Dylan confessed.
“How did he manage to track you down?” Catherine demanded, her shock palpable.
“He called me, claiming he was out of prison. I have no clue how he got my number. I pretended to be financially strained because I didn’t want to return his share. Everything I’ve earned has been through my own hard work. I devised a plan to deceive him,” Dylan explained.
“$100,000 might seem insignificant to you, Dylan, but it’s a massive deal for us. You could have just given it to him. How could you play with our lives like this? I hate you!” Catherine exclaimed, her disdain evident.
In that instant, the basement door swung open, revealing Harry with a sinister smirk. “I paid a little visit to your comfortable abode,” he sneered. “Quite the palace you’ve got there, though not many valuables. Makes me wonder where all the money went.”
Seizing the opportunity, Dylan implored Harry to release Catherine, promising to transfer a million dollars from his bank account.
Harry agreed, issuing a warning, “But if you dare to pull any tricks or involve the police, I won’t hesitate to expose your dark past. Remember, I’ve got nothing to lose, and plenty of allies in jail. Cross me, and you’ll pay the price.”
As the duo entered the bank, Dylan quickly realized that Harry was far from trustworthy. Fearing for Catherine’s safety, he decided to take matters into his own hands.
Approaching the bank clerk, Dylan declared, “This is a robbery!”
Panic ensued among the bank occupants, leaving Harry bewildered. In retaliation, he threatened to unveil Dylan’s past to the police. Unfazed, Dylan replied, “I’ll tell them everything myself, but at least Catherine will be alive!”
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