They say love is blind, and I believe I was living proof. When my husband, Kyle, quit his job claiming illness, I trusted him without question. I worked harder and gave him every dollar I had. But the truth I discovered? It shattered everything.
When you love someone, you never expect them to lie. Especially about something as serious as their health. But in hindsight, I should have seen the signs.
I ignored them all until a stranger rolled down her car window and said something I wasn’t expecting.
A woman in her house | Source: Midjourney
Being a mother and wife has always been my pride and joy. My days were a whirlwind of work, housework, and family time, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
I’m a project manager at a software company, and I really love my job. It allows me to support my small family.
Our two boys, Liam and Jake, are my biggest motivations.
Two brothers in solidarity | Source: Midjourney
Liam, 12, has an inquisitive mind and a knack for science. He’s always tinkering with gadgets or asking a million questions about how things work. Meanwhile, Jake, 10, is our little athlete. He’s the kind of kid who’s always kicking a soccer ball around or racing his bike around the neighborhood.
And then there’s Kyle, my husband of 15 years.
Kyle has always been my rock. He’s the calm in my chaos, the steadying presence that keeps our family grounded.
A man looking straight ahead | Source: Midjourney
He worked as an operations manager for a logistics company, a job that kept him very busy but allowed us to support ourselves.
I would sometimes look at him at the table, see him laughing with the boys or talking about his day, and tell myself that I was very lucky.
Life was good.
But everything changed one afternoon when Kyle walked through the front door, folder in hand and looking like he’d seen a ghost.
A worried man | Source: Midjourney
“Hey, you’re home early,” I said, looking up from my laptop. But as soon as I saw his expression, I knew something was wrong.
His face was pale, his lips pressed together as he placed the file on the table.
“Kyle? What happened?” I stood up and walked over to him, my heart pounding in my chest. “Is everything okay?”
He looked up at me, and his eyes had this look in them that I couldn’t understand.
Was it fear? Regret? I still don’t know.
“Laura,” he began, his voice trembling, “I have muscular dystrophy.”
A worried man staring straight ahead | Source: Midjourney
I froze. “What?”
He sat down heavily, rubbing his face with both hands.
“I haven’t felt well for months. I’ve been to the doctor, I’ve had tests done… That’s why I’m so tired.”
I didn’t know what to say.
“I can’t work anymore,” he continued. “I’ll need expensive treatment, but this is my only chance.”
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. Muscular dystrophy. The words echoed in my mind, twisting my stomach.
I sat down opposite him and grabbed the file.
A person holding a folder | Source: Pexels
Inside were test results, doctor’s notes, and medical documents. Everything looked serious.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean to tell you like this, but… I have to start treatment. I think we’ll have to cancel the trip with the boys. I hate to do this to them, but…”
I reached across the table, taking his hands in mine. “Kyle, stop. The boys will understand. We’ll figure this out. You’ll get the treatment you need.”
Tears welled up in her eyes. “I hate that you have to deal with this.”
A man looking into the distance | Source: Midjourney
“I’m your wife,” I said, squeezing her hand. “We’ll get through this together.”
But as I sat there, staring at those papers, a cold, creeping fear settled over me. How could we allow this?
Later that night, as we lay in bed, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
“We’ll need more money,” I whispered, staring at the ceiling.
Kyle turned to me. “Laura, I don’t want you working your ass off for me.”
A worried man looking at his wife in bed | Source: Midjourney
“I can take care of this.” I turned to him, determination in my eyes. “I’ll find a part-time job after work. We’ll cut back on our expenses. You’ll quit your job and focus on your health.”
Her lip trembled. “Would you do that for me?”
“Of course.”
The next day, I went to a local restaurant and found a job cleaning tables in the evenings. After finishing my shift at the software company, I would head straight there to clean.
It was exhausting, but I didn’t care.
A person cleaning a counter | Source: Pexels
I gave almost all the money I earned to Kyle for his treatment. And I saw how much he changed. He seemed happier and more relaxed.
Seeing this gave me the strength to keep going, even when I felt like collapsing from exhaustion.
The routine has become second nature: working all day, cleaning tables in the evening, and going to bed exhausted.
I was operating in slow motion, but every time I saw Kyle smile or heard him say, “Thanks for everything, Laura,” I felt it was worth it.
A couple holding hands | Source: Pexels
He continued to take his treatments during the week while I was at work.
“It’s better if I go alone,” he said. “I don’t want you to miss work because of this.”
I never asked any questions. I trusted him completely.
But one evening, something strange happened.
I was walking to the restaurant, clutching my coat against the chilly wind, when a white SUV pulled up next to me. The window slowly rolled down, and inside sat a striking woman with dark glasses and perfectly styled hair.
A white SUV | Source: Pexels
She leaned into the passenger seat. “Are you Laura?”
I froze, tightening my grip on my bag. “Yes… Who’s asking?”
She took off her sunglasses, revealing bright, piercing eyes. “Is Kyle your husband?”
“Yes,” I replied. “Why? Is he okay?”
The woman tilted her head slightly, a knowing smile playing on her lips. “Oh, he’s more than fine. But you should really check where he’s going for his ‘treatments’. And while you’re at it, check his bank statements.”
I blinked, stunned. “What? Who are you? What are you talking about?”
A worried woman | Source: Midjourney
She pressed her lips together as if wondering what to say.
“Let’s say I’m doing you a favor,” she said before rolling up the window. The SUV then drove off, leaving me standing on the sidewalk, dazed.
What was that story?
Throughout the walk to the restaurant, her words echoed in my mind. Why would any woman say something like that? And how did she know Kyle?
A woman walking down a street at night | Source: Pexels
When I got home that night, Kyle was already asleep.
I sat at the kitchen table, staring at the clock, my mind racing. Something about this encounter didn’t sit right with me.
The next morning, Kyle grabbed his usual bag and kissed me on the cheek before heading out the door.
“I’ll be back around three,” he said. “I have two surgeries today. The other one is in the evening.”
“In the evening?” I asked.
“Yes, my therapist has scheduled a special session today.”
“Okay,” I said, forcing a smile. “Take care.”
As soon as he left, I went straight to his laptop. My hands shook when I opened his banking app. I told myself I wasn’t spying. I just needed peace of mind.
A woman using her husband’s laptop | Source: Pexels
But as I scrolled through the transactions, my stomach dropped.
There were no payments to medical facilities. No hospitalization fees. No doctor’s fees. Nothing.
Instead, I saw restaurant bills, golf club memberships, expensive clothing stores, and even a payment for a weekend trip to a resort I’d never heard of.
But what is this?
I scrolled faster, hoping I’d missed something. But it was all there, black and white.
Kyle wasn’t paying for treatments. He was spending our money on luxuries. Things we never discussed. Things I never approved of.
A woman looks surprised while using her husband’s laptop | Source: Midjourney
The moment I closed the laptop, I was shaking. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
Later that evening, I decided to follow him when he left for his “special session.”
I stayed a good distance away, my heart pounding with every step.
But Kyle didn’t go to a hospital or clinic.
He went to a small bar downtown. The kind of place people went to relax and unwind.
A neon bar sign | Source: Pexels
I stood outside that bar, frozen in place, watching Kyle laugh and joke with his friends. I felt like I was watching a stranger. The man inside wasn’t the sick, struggling husband I thought I knew.
It was someone else.
I took a deep breath and moved closer to the window, just in time to hear him speak.
“I told you I wouldn’t be able to do anything for three months,” Kyle said, raising his glass. “And you were wrong!”
His friends burst out laughing, clinking their glasses.
A man laughing | Source: Pexels
“Dude, I still can’t believe you pulled that off,” one of them said. “Did your wife actually believe it?”
Kyle laughs and leans back in his chair. “I took her at her word. I told her I was too sick to work. Now I have all the time in the world to spend with you.”
They laughed again, loud and carefree, as my heart broke into pieces.
“And she still gives you money?” asks another friend, shaking his head in disbelief.
A man sitting at a bar | Source: Midjourney
“Yep.” Kyle took a swig of his wine, looking smug. “She even got a part-time job to make sure I’m covered. I have to say, being married to someone so gullible has its perks.”
His words pierced me like a knife. My mind raced with images of him sitting at home, watching me rush from job to job, while he had fun with his friends.
I couldn’t take it anymore. I turned around and walked away as tears blurred my vision.
A woman standing outside a bar | Source: Midjourney
As I was about to head home, I saw the same white SUV in front of the bar. The woman from earlier rolled down her window when she saw me.
“Have you seen him?” she asked me softly.
I nodded, unable to speak.
She sighed. “I’m sorry you had to find out this way. My boyfriend is one of his friends. When I found out what they were doing… I couldn’t stay silent. You deserve to know.”
I wiped my eyes, trying to compose myself. “Thank you.”
An upset woman staring straight ahead | Source: Midjourney
That night, I didn’t say anything to Kyle.
I sat through dinner, listening to his usual stories of “difficult procedures” and “promising results.”
But the next morning, I took action.
I called his office and told them he was well enough to return to work.
Then I went to the bank and froze our joint account. With the remaining money, I paid off our mortgage and opened a new account in my name.
A woman walking down a street | Source: Pexels
When I was done, I sent Kyle a message.
He said, ” Kyle, cure your vanity and cruelty—that’s your real illness. Don’t bother coming home.”
Then I packed my things, changed the lock on the front door, and took the boys with me to my parents’ house. I didn’t want to see Kyle’s face again.
He tried to call me for weeks, but I didn’t speak to him. Instead, I filed for divorce and am now waiting for it to be processed so I can get rid of the man who betrayed me in ways I could never have imagined.
A young woman | Source: Midjourney
Read also: After 60 years of marriage, I discovered my whole life was a lie – Story of the day
This work is inspired by real events and people, but has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the story. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims regarding the accuracy of events or character portrayals and are not responsible for any misinterpretations. This story is provided “as is,” and all opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
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