America is well-known for the phrase “To protect and serve.” However, there is a good reason why. Thousands of armed forces members and troops are forced away from their loved ones on a daily basis. They would spend years, or even months, away because of deployment.
It was a demanding lifestyle to navigate, but it didn’t help to deal with lies and secrets, too.
What He Loved
Matthew Wilson knew from a young age that he wanted to join the military. He wanted to serve and protect his loved ones while he defended his country. It had become his life’s purpose.
Wilson loved life, but there were two things that he loved more. He adored his wife, and he loved his career.
An Important Job
Despite how much he loved his wife, she and Wilson knew his job's importance. His wife had come to learn that it took priority, but it hadn’t been easy. Once again, it had its effect.
It was recommended by many to keep one’s distance from a military man because of how demanding their careers were. But Rebecca couldn’t follow the advice because she had known Wilson for years.
Meeting In High School
Rebecca had met when she and Wilson were in high school and had fallen for him. They married shortly after he joined the military. They found a beautiful home in suburban California and had children. They had a happy marriage, and their hearts were full of love.
Wilson had just come home from his second tour when he noticed Rebecca was seriously affecting Rebecca. And it wasn’t good.
Change In Behavior
It was some time before the changes were noticeable. He had been married and in the military for five years before Wilson Rebecca started to behave differently. She wasn’t as happy as she once was and had become less affectionate. He had no idea what caused it but didn’t question her about it.
He ignored the warning signs despite indicating that she may have something to hide.
Unhappy
Wilson was to be deployed for the third time, but when Rebecca heard about it, she was unhappy. He would be spending six whole months outside of the USS Carl Vinson.
Times have changed, and its easier to stay in contact with loved ones, but long-distance relationships still have challenges. Things often go wrong when communication has been broken. This couple would experience the unimaginable.
Fed Up
Rebecca was fed up after hearing that Wilson would have a long deployment. She had grown tired of how committed he was to his career, so she moved back to her hometown. She had packed her bags and taken the kids.
She had spent months on her own and couldn’t take it anymore. She was exhausted after spending the year prior alone with their newborn.
He Had Believed Her
Always doing his best to understand, Wilson sometimes found himself in tricky situations.
He knew his wife had been dealing with hardships and understood she needed a break, so he forgave her. She had told him her only problem was his job, and he had believed her. But that didn’t mean he didn’t have a strange feeling that there was more she wasn’t telling him.
Divorced
Wilson knew what it was like to be a child of divorced parents, and it wasn’t an easy situation to be in. He vowed he would never follow in his parent's footsteps.
He couldn’t help but wonder what he would do if his wife was unfaithful and had a gut feeling that she was keeping something from him.
An Honest Man
It hurts to be lied to, especially by someone you’re in a relationship with. Secrets and lies often mean the end of relationships. Wilson was an honest man who valued transparency. He could never tolerate someone lying to him.
His relationship was important to him, but he had no idea how much his wife had kept hidden.
Bad Signs
He couldn’t help feeling that his wife moving and keeping secrets were bad signs but what was she up to? He hadn’t done anything wrong as far as he could tell.
He couldn’t piece together the puzzle now that he was deployed. But he knew that he needed to get answers.
Was It That Bad?
He thought it through and convinced himself that little white lies weren’t so bad. There were different levels which meant that things might not be as dark as he thought.
Maybe Rebecca could have been forgiven if what happened wasn’t so appalling. However, he couldn’t believe what she had been up to all this time.
Acting Strangely
One of Wilson’s friends messaged him a few months later and informed him of his wife’s strange behavior. She hadn’t spent as much time with them as she used to.
She had built a bubble around herself and avoided Wilson’s friends. It left a sour taste in his mouth when he found out she had been selling his furniture. Wilson was shocked!
What Was She Doing?
His mind flooded with questions, and he asked himself why she had avoided his friends. It hurt him to think she hated him enough to sell his furniture.
He could get by her not wanting to spend time with his friends anymore, considering they technically weren’t her friends. But it sounded strange to him the way his friend described it.
Flying Back Home
Wilson loved his wife wholeheartedly but could tell something wasn’t right. He grew more anxious thinking about flying back home. It wasn’t too long to go, and he decided to confront her as soon as possible.
He knew he needed to uncover the truth but was unsure whether he was ready for what she would tell him. And he may have had good reason to be.