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My Wife & Best Friend Framed Me — So I Let It Destroy Them | TRUE STORY
A story of betrayal, heartbreak, and ultimate justice.
Bartholomew was a respected engineer, loving father, and devoted husband. But one day, everything collapsed — framed for fraud, abandoned by his wife, disowned by his daughter. Pushed to the edge, he almost ended it all. But what they didn’t know was… he wasn’t done yet.
This story is about losing everything — and taking it all back with patience, quiet strength, and undeniable truth.
🎧 Listen till the end — you won’t forget this one.
—
💬 What would you have done in his place?
Drop a comment and join the conversation.
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📍Set in Perth, Australia.
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0:00
A few days ago, my world was a
0:01
predictable, if slightly strained,
0:03
tapestry of work and family.
0:06
As the senior engineer at my firm in
0:08
Perth, Australia, my days were a
0:10
predictable cycle of blueprints,
0:12
deadlines, and the quiet satisfaction of
0:15
building things that lasted.
0:17
My wife, Kelly, and I had our rhythms,
0:19
our shared jokes, our silent
0:21
understanding, and the small irritations
0:24
that come with two decades of marriage.
0:27
Yet beneath the surface, a discordant
0:29
note had begun to sound.
0:31
A growing unease, a tension that I
0:34
initially dismissed as the stress of my
0:36
demanding job. But the small
0:38
disagreements with Kelly became sharper,
0:40
her once warm presence now distant and
0:43
erratic. Every attempt to bridge the gap
0:46
was met with a shrug or a cold silence.
0:50
I knew something was wrong, but my mind,
0:53
trained to solve engineering problems,
0:55
couldn't fathom the catastrophe that was
0:57
already unfolding. Now I was a prisoner
1:00
in my own home, a shell of the man who
1:03
had built this life. I sat on the
1:05
bedroom floor, the once plush carpet, a
1:08
point of pride we had chosen together,
1:11
now a modeled wreck, a testament to the
1:13
ruin that had consumed us. The world
1:16
outside the window was a blur. My hands
1:19
trembled, the shakes and echo of the
1:22
chaos in my mind. On the bed, a half
1:25
empty bottle of booze and an empty pill
1:27
container lay in a silent, damning
1:29
arrangement.
1:31
The notes I had painstakingly written,
1:33
meant for the people I loved most, were
1:35
on the bedside table, safe from the
1:37
spilled liquor. I had wanted them to
1:40
understand. What the hell am I doing? I
1:42
thought, my voice a raspy whisper. I'm
1:45
better than this. But the thought was a
1:48
lie. The man who had been a rock for his
1:50
family was gone, replaced by this
1:53
broken, shaking wreck. The memory of my
1:56
daughter, Grace. Her vibrant, joyful
1:59
spirit filled my mind, and I felt a
2:01
fresh wave of bile rise in my throat.
2:05
She's going to hate me for this, I
2:06
thought. A new kind of pain lancing
2:09
through my heart. But she probably
2:11
already does. My wrists throbbed with a
2:14
dull, persistent ache. the physical pain
2:17
a small insignificant thing compared to
2:19
the torment in my soul. I closed my eyes
2:23
and let the darkness take me. A final
2:25
surrender to a world that no longer
2:27
wanted me. Just a week ago, I was a
2:29
different man. I was laughing, spinning
2:32
my 19-year-old daughter, Grace, around
2:34
our living room. Her infectious joy a
2:36
balm for my spirit.
2:38
Her boyfriend, John, a kind and steady
2:40
young man who had been in her life since
2:42
middle school, had just proposed.
2:45
Dad, he proposed. She had shrieked, her
2:48
eyes shining with the kind of pure,
2:50
unfiltered happiness that makes a
2:52
parents heart swell with pride.
2:55
I had known it was coming and had given
2:57
my blessing with a full heart. The next
3:00
day, over breakfast, she told us about
3:02
the treasure hunt John had orchestrated,
3:05
culminating in his proposal under a tree
3:07
in King's Park. Her joy was contagious,
3:11
a beautiful, vibrant thing that
3:13
momentarily chased away the shadow of my
3:15
unease. I hugged her tight, marveling at
3:18
the beautiful woman she had become. The
3:20
next morning, as I admired the elegant,
3:23
timeless engagement ring on her finger,
3:25
I turned to John and said, "You did a
3:27
great job picking it out." It was then
3:30
that the first crack in my perfect world
3:33
appeared. Kelly, my wife, a beautiful
3:36
woman of 42 with warm brown hair and a
3:39
tanned complexion, snorted, raising her
3:42
wine glass with a casual smirk.
3:45
"You should thank me," she said, her
3:47
voice laced with a subtle, uncomfortable
3:49
mockery. "I helped Jon choose it."
3:53
Grace's face clouded over. "Mom, that
3:56
was inappropriate," she said, a sharp
3:58
edge to her voice. It's okay, sweetie,"
4:02
Kelly replied, her tone condescending.
4:04
"I know you made the final choice." Her
4:07
words hung in the air, a drop of poison
4:09
in an otherwise celebratory moment.
4:12
Kelly had been acting strangely for
4:14
months, little comments and actions that
4:16
didn't fit the loving woman I had known
4:18
for 21 years.
4:20
I tried to shake off the unease, but it
4:23
clung to me like a bad smell. That
4:26
night, after Grace and John had left,
4:28
the weight of Kelly's comments settled
4:30
on me. A heavy, cold dread. The next
4:33
morning, the dam of our life broke. As
4:36
we lay in bed, I tried to reconnect with
4:38
her to find the woman I loved. But as I
4:42
reached for her, she pulled away, an
4:44
expression of disgust on her face. She
4:47
walked into the bathroom, leaving me
4:48
stunned. "Kelly," I called out. "What's
4:52
the matter?
4:54
Is there anything for me?" she replied
4:56
from the bathroom, a new cruel edge to
4:58
her voice. "I'm already getting cleaned
5:01
up." Her callousness was a physical
5:04
blow. I got up, showered, and found a
5:07
note in the kitchen saying she was gone
5:08
for the day. Anger, cold, and hard,
5:11
coiled in my gut. In all our years
5:14
together, she had never been so openly
5:16
disrespectful.
5:18
A dark, insidious thought wormed its way
5:20
into my mind. Is she cheating on me?
5:24
My friend Roger called that day. He was
5:27
my program manager at work and we had
5:29
been a dynamic duo for years. Our
5:31
different strengths complimenting each
5:32
other perfectly.
5:34
"Hey Bart, what's up?" he asked, his
5:36
voice cheerful. I tried to hide my
5:39
distress, but he heard it anyway.
5:41
"Something's off, mate." I poured out
5:44
the story of Kelly's bizarre behavior.
5:46
Roger, however, was unsympathetic.
5:49
If she's cheating, there's not much you
5:51
can do. divorce is 50/50 and she's out
5:54
of work. She'll take you to the
5:56
cleaners."
5:57
His words felt like a stab in the back.
6:00
"This isn't helping," I thought, hanging
6:02
up, feeling more alone than ever. The
6:04
next day, Monday, Kelly was back,
6:06
attempting to act as if nothing had
6:07
happened. But I couldn't pretend.
6:11
"It's not going to happen, Kelly?" I
6:13
said, getting out of bed. "You're saying
6:16
no?" she asked, figning surprise. Her
6:20
tone was a mockery. After your
6:22
disrespect this weekend, I can't. If
6:25
you're cheating on me, the words died on
6:28
my lips. What are you going to do,
6:30
Bartholomew? She sneered. There's
6:33
nothing you can do.
6:35
Her condescending tone broke me. I left
6:38
for work, disgusted with the woman I had
6:40
married. At the office, my assistant,
6:43
Myra, noticed my distress immediately.
6:46
Bart, are you okay? You seem off," she
6:49
said, her concern genuine. Myra had
6:52
worked with me for 10 years. She was a
6:54
woman of fierce intelligence and a
6:55
strong moral code, and she had earned my
6:58
respect over a decade of partnership.
7:00
I told her about Kelly, and as I spoke,
7:03
her face hardened with a mixture of
7:05
sympathy and anger. Before we could
7:08
discuss it further, Roger walked in, all
7:10
smiles and cheer. "Ready, buddy?" he
7:13
asked. I confronted him about some
7:16
alleged issues with the Pemrook projects
7:18
pipes and concrete, issues Myra had
7:20
mentioned. He waved it off, a dismissive
7:22
gesture that now, in retrospect, felt
7:24
like a warning. The meeting with the
7:26
Pemrook owners was a disaster. As I gave
7:29
my progress report, their faces grew
7:31
dark with anger. "What about the
7:34
concrete and pipe overruns in the
7:35
Northeast?" Peter, the CEO, demanded. I
7:39
was stunned. My weekly reports had shown
7:41
everything was on track. Roger, however,
7:44
just shrugged, a knowing look in his
7:46
eyes. Peter shoved a folder at me, his
7:49
voice a low growl. Then why have I
7:52
signed off on over $200,000 in extra
7:54
costs? I was speechless. In another
7:57
room, Roger handed a folder to our boss,
7:59
Clarence.
8:01
They asked about the missing materials,
8:03
just as we expected, he said, his voice
8:05
flat. Clarence turned to me, his eyes
8:08
burning with fury. So, this is the story
8:11
you're sticking to? he snarled, a venom
8:14
I had never heard before in his voice.
8:17
We have requisitions for $26,000, Roger
8:20
said, and the payments went to a bank
8:21
account in your name. I was fired on the
8:24
spot, Myra along with me. As I was
8:27
escorted out, I saw Roger's smirk, a
8:29
flash of pure malice that confirmed my
8:31
worst fears. Outside, Myra was crying by
8:33
her car. "You prick, Bartholomew!" she
8:36
shouted, her face contorted with anger.
8:39
You committed $200,000 in fraud and
8:41
ruined my job. And that story about
8:44
Kelly, was that a lie, too? She slapped
8:47
me hard, calling me a liar and a thief.
8:51
I was stunned, my world spinning out of
8:54
control. When I got home, Kelly was
8:56
waiting. The cheating husband returns.
8:59
She sneered. She seemed to be enjoying
9:01
this. Later, a thick envelope arrived.
9:05
Divorce papers. Kelly laughed in my
9:07
face. I'm seeing someone else. He's
9:10
everything you're not. You've lost your
9:12
job, your family, and soon your freedom.
9:14
The next few days were a blur of
9:16
despair.
9:18
I tried to call Grace, but when she
9:20
finally answered, her voice was cold and
9:22
harsh. "Just stop, Dad," she said. "Mom
9:26
told me everything about your cheating,
9:28
your affair with your assistant. You've
9:30
ruined so many lives. I don't want a man
9:32
like you walking me down the aisle."
9:35
The words were a knife twisting in my
9:37
gut. "You're dead to me," she said, and
9:40
hung up. I collapsed, the last vestage
9:43
of hope draining from my body. 2 days
9:46
later, the police came. They arrested
9:48
me, interrogated me about the fraud, and
9:51
released me with a court date. Alone in
9:53
the house, staring at family photos and
9:55
Grace's trophies, the pain became
9:58
unbearable.
9:59
As an engineer, I was a problem solver.
10:02
But this was a problem with no solution.
10:06
My wife had left me. My daughter
10:08
disowned me. My career was in ruins. And
10:10
my friend had betrayed me. I was utterly
10:14
alone. A few days later, a restraining
10:16
order arrived, barring me from Kelly,
10:18
John, and Roger. It struck me as odd
10:21
that Roger was included. The detectives
10:23
came back reprimanding me for violating
10:25
the order, even though I hadn't. They
10:28
just wanted me in jail. Frustrated and
10:31
defeated, I downed three shots of booze
10:33
and decided to write my final letters.
10:36
To Kelly, I wrote a note full of rage
10:38
and curses. To Grace, I wrote a plea for
10:41
her to see the truth, urging her not to
10:43
let Roger walk her down the aisle, the
10:46
man who had orchestrated my downfall.
10:49
And to Myra, I wrote an apology,
10:51
explaining that I believed Roger was the
10:53
real betrayer, and telling her I had
10:55
always admired her beauty and strength.
10:58
After placing the letters on the bedside
11:00
table with a note for the detectives to
11:02
investigate Roger's finances, I drank
11:05
the remaining booze and swallowed the
11:06
pills. A straight razor clenched in my
11:09
hand as the darkness took over. But I
11:11
didn't die. I woke up in a private
11:14
hospital in Hollywood, my body weak, my
11:16
wrists bandaged.
11:18
Myra was there, her hand in mine, her
11:20
eyes filled with tears. "Bart, what were
11:24
you thinking?" she asked, her voice
11:26
gentle but firm. I've never seen you
11:28
give up so easily. I was overwhelmed
11:31
with shame.
11:33
When Kelly, you and Grace turned on me,
11:35
I felt trapped, I admitted. No one asked
11:38
if I was guilty. I was just condemned.
11:41
Myra listened, her hand holding mine
11:43
tight. "I'm sorry, too, Bart," she
11:46
whispered, her voice breaking. "I was so
11:48
angry and I was wrong." A detective,
11:50
David Roundlight, entered the room, a
11:53
large, confident man with a sympathetic
11:55
gaze.
11:56
Mr. Other," he said, using my alias.
11:59
Myra and I found you. I've been assigned
12:02
to your case, and some things don't add
12:03
up. He told me that he believed I had
12:06
been set up, and he was determined to
12:08
find the truth. Myra, ever the
12:11
protector, insisted I get a lawyer. Her
12:14
cousin, Reagan Brown, a sharp, confident
12:16
woman who radiated competence, was on
12:18
the case.
12:20
The next few days were a blur of
12:22
recovery. Myra visited, bringing me a
12:25
book and her gentle company. She told me
12:27
she had gone to my house with Reagan and
12:29
the police and found Kelly and Roger
12:31
living together. "They weren't expecting
12:34
visitors," she said, a small ry smile on
12:37
her face. She saw the blood on the
12:40
carpet and a fresh wave of tears came to
12:42
her eyes. "Don't ever do that again,
12:45
Bart," she pleaded. "I promise," I said,
12:48
holding up my bandaged hands. When I was
12:51
discharged, Myra took me to her condo in
12:53
King's Park. "You don't need to spend
12:55
money on a hotel," she said, her
12:58
kindness a warm blanket on my raw soul.
13:01
"Stay in my guest room." Reagan met us
13:04
there and delivered the good news. Roger
13:06
and Kelly had been caught on video
13:08
fraudulently opening a bank account in
13:10
my name. The charges against me were
13:13
dropped, and they were the ones with
13:15
warrants for their arrest. With each
13:17
passing day, I began to heal, both
13:20
physically and emotionally. I turned on
13:23
my phone for the first time in days and
13:25
found texts from Kelly taunting me, but
13:28
there were no calls or texts from Grace.
13:31
I wasn't ready to talk to her. Not yet.
13:33
One night, I woke up screaming from a
13:36
nightmare. In the dream, Kelly, Roger,
13:39
Myra, and Grace were all mocking me,
13:41
leaving me to die.
13:43
Myra and her daughter Tilly rushed to my
13:46
side, comforting me. "It's all right,
13:48
Uncle Bart," Tilly said, her small hand
13:51
on my stomach. "You just had a bad
13:54
dream."
13:55
In that moment, surrounded by their
13:57
love, I felt a glimmer of hope for the
14:00
first time in days. The next morning, I
14:03
told Myra about my nightmare and my need
14:05
for a counselor. As she sat with me on
14:08
the couch, she said, "Bartley, I'm in
14:11
love with you." I was stunned. She told
14:14
me how she had admired me for years, how
14:17
I had been a father figure to Tilly, and
14:19
how my love for my family had been a
14:21
shining example.
14:23
If Kelly was foolish enough to throw you
14:25
away, she said, "I'm here to pick you
14:27
up." She kissed me, and the world
14:30
shifted on its axis. Over the next few
14:32
months, our love grew stronger. Roger
14:35
and Kelly were arrested trying to flee
14:37
the country. They were brought back to
14:39
Perth where we testified against them.
14:42
Roger was sentenced to 15 years and
14:45
Kelly for her role as an accessory and
14:48
for the mental cruelty she inflicted was
14:50
sentenced to 20 years.
14:53
After the verdict, I agreed to meet with
14:55
Kelly one last time. In the
14:57
interrogation room, she looked defeated,
15:00
her shoulders slumped.
15:02
"I'm sorry, Bartley," she said, her
15:04
voice quiet and small.
15:07
Are you Kelly?" I asked, a hint of the
15:10
bitterness I was trying to suppress in
15:12
my voice. She looked at me, tears in her
15:14
eyes. "Yes, Bart," she said. "I'm so
15:18
sorry. I knew then that the healing had
15:21
truly begun."
15:23
My past was a nightmare I had survived.