As they reached the security checkpoint, they seemed to blend into the flow of passengers.
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I managed to reach the security barrier just as they placed their bags on the conveyor belt. I tried to follow them, but a security officer stopped me.
“Ticket and ID, ma’am,” he said firmly.
“Look, I need to get through. It’s urgent!” I explained.
But the officer didn’t budge. “Without a ticket, I can’t let you through.”
I watched helplessly as Jane and the man made their way through the checkpoint.
Noticing my defeated expression, the security guard softened and asked if I was worried and needed help. I shook my head and stepped back. It was too late.
My best friend and ‘dead’ husband approached the boarding gate, showed their tickets to the gate agent, and disappeared out of my sight. Yes, the man was Dan.
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I stood there, watching the plane taxi to the runway and lift off, soaring into the sky until it was just a speck of clouds.
I was heartbroken once again. But this time, the heartbreak didn’t make me weak. I was bent on getting to the bottom of whatever was happening.
I drove to a police station and explained everything to a detective. Detective Martinez, the officer on Dan’s case, looked into Dan’s accounts and said, “Your husband’s accounts are currently frozen due to the outstanding debts. If those are settled, the accounts will be unlocked, and we can track him… in case he makes any transactions.”
I reasoned that I could repay the debts if I sold my house. It was risky, and I could lose everything, but I was prepared for whatever happened now.
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I sold my house to settle the debts and rented a small apartment. The cops were already watching Dan’s account for any activity, so all I had to do now was wait.
Finally, a break came. One afternoon, my phone rang when I returned from the grocery store. It was Detective Martinez. He asked me to come to the station, and when I arrived, I learned the cops had tracked the money withdrawn from Dan’s accounts to Austria.
I was baffled. “Austria?”
“Yes. It’s a significant lead,” Detective Martinez told me. “But all the money’s gone. It was taken out in cash.”
I feared losing Dan again. “Wha-What does that mean for finding my husband?” I asked.
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“It means we have a location to work with,” Officer Martinez replied.
But it was a risky operation. The days that followed were a blur. I took a part-time job at a local bookstore to keep myself busy. Then, one day, while I was shelving books, my phone rang again. This time, Detective Martinez had good news.
“Your husband has been in touch with someone in Austria, Mrs. Johnson. We found an email. It was encrypted, but we cracked it. We think it’s about… relocating again. But don’t worry, we’re working with Austrian authorities. If he tries to leave the country, they’ll know.”
I felt a flicker of hope, and a few days later, I got the call I was waiting for.
Dan and Jane were arrested while trying to cross the border into Switzerland.
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I was at the station, watching them confess. Dan revealed he was desperate when his business failed. He couldn’t handle the failure and the debts.
So, he and Jane planned to fake his death using a homeless man’s body. They apologized and said they felt helpless. Dan also confessed he was cheating on me with Jane. He thought by faking his death, he could start fresh with her.
Well, I’m glad he and Jane faced their karma. While their deceit caused me pain, I had closure and a chance to start fresh and move forward with my life.
2. I Hid in My Husband’s Rear Seat to Uncover His Dark Secret
As Daniel and I drove home that day, my mind was plagued with worries. I had hired someone to see if Daniel was being unfaithful to me, but my husband had managed to buy the guy’s silence.
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Why would he do that if he was innocent? However, I thought knowing about the private investigator would make Daniel change and focus on our relationship. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Sitting in the passenger seat of our car, I glanced at him. He looked too calm like he didn’t care that he had hurt me.
“Did you remember to pay the electricity bill?” I tried to make conversation and forget my troubles.