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I Followed My Wife to Her College Pub... And It Destroyed Everything | Reddit Stories
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Jun 16, 2025
#redditrelationship #aita #redditstories I Followed My Wife to Her College Pub... And It Destroyed Everything | Reddit Stories Welcome to Reddit Unheard Stories — where we share the most powerful, emotional, and raw real-life stories found on Reddit. Today’s story is a gripping emotional rollercoaster. Tom thought he married the love of his life, his teenage sweetheart Lauren. But everything changed when they returned to her college town. One night, one bar, and one secret unraveled a marriage built on love and trust. 💔 A story of betrayal, heartbreak, and uncovering a past you were never meant to see. This is a long one — 6,000 words of truth, emotion, and life-changing realization. Grab a blanket and settle in. 🔔 Subscribe to hear more unfiltered real-life stories every week.
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0:00
hey everyone welcome to Reddit Unheard
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Stories where we dig into the raw
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unfiltered tales that hit you right in
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the gut stories of love betrayal and
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those moments that change your life
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forever
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today I'm sharing a story that's been
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heavy on my heart for years it's about
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me and my wife Lauren and how one night
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flipped our world upside down this is a
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long one 6,000 words of a roller coaster
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ride so grab a snack maybe a blanket and
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settle in
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let's dive into it my name's Tom and six
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years ago I married Lauren the woman I
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thought was my soulmate
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you know how people always say their
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spouse is one in a million
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lauren was that for me gorgeous warm
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with this laugh that could light up a
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room we go way back all the way to our
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teenage years in our small hometown of
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Maplewood i was a few years older so to
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me she was always the sweet girl from
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down the street always hanging out with
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her friends full of energy and mischief
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but when she was 14 something happened
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that brought us closer than I ever
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expected it was a chilly October evening
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and I was 18 just weeks away from
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heading off to college
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i'd been out with my buddies at the
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local diner scarfing down burgers and
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milkshakes joking about girls and our
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big plans for the future
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it wasn't late maybe 9:00 p.m but the
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sun had gone down and the streets were
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quiet i decided to cut through Maplewood
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Park to get home faster a shortcut I'd
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taken a million times that's when I saw
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her lauren this skinny 14-year-old with
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her long brown hair was backed up
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against a tree by two guys her age they
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were laughing pushing her around and she
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looked terrified her eyes wide and her
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hands clutching her backpack like a
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lifeline
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my heart started pounding and without
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thinking I walked over stood tall and
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told them to beat it they sized me up
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saw I was older and bigger and took off
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running lauren looked at me like I just
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saved her life her big hazel eyes filled
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with gratitude and something else
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something that made me feel 10t tall
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to her I was a hero the guy who swooped
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in at the perfect moment to me it was
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just what you do when someone's in
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trouble that moment stuck with her all
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summer long Lauren was everywhere I went
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i'd see her at the ice cream shop
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scooping chocolate fudge with her
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friends or at the arcade giggling over
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the claw machine she'd show up at the
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park when I was playing basketball with
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my buddies always finding an excuse to
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say hi or flash me that shy smile my
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friends gave me a hard time teasing me
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about my little fan club i mean I was 18
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she was 14 nothing was going to happen
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you know it wasn't like that but I'd be
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lying if I said I didn't notice her even
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at that age Lauren had this spark this
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way of carrying herself that made you
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pay attention she was pretty no question
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with these long graceful legs that made
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her look like she could have been a
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dancer i tried not to think about it too
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much she was just a kid after all but
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there was something about her that
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stayed with me life moved on though i
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headed off to college and Lauren and I
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lost touch i was busy with classes
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parties and trying to figure out who I
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was 3 years later I came back to
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Maplewood after graduating ready to
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spend one last summer at home before
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starting my first real job i ran into
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Lauren at a neighborhood barbecue and
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man she'd changed she was 18 now about
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to start college herself and she'd grown
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into this stunning young woman her hair
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was still long and wavy her smile still
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lit up the place but there was a
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confidence to her now a way of moving
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that made it hard to look away we got to
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talking and it was like no time had
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passed she still looked at me like I was
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her hero from that night in the park and
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I was hooked all over again we started
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hanging out grabbing coffee taking walks
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by the river sneaking kisses under the
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stars
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it was like something out of a cheesy
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romcom but it felt so real
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lauren was still careful about taking
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things slow physically and I respected
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that to me she was still that girl I'd
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protected and I wanted to be the guy who
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kept her safe i was falling hard and
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from the way she looked at me I knew she
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was too but life had other plans she got
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accepted to a university in a big city
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Westfield a couple hours away and I
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landed a job in a different town
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Riverton
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long distance was tough we tried to make
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it work i'd drive up to see her when I
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could crashing on her dorm room floor
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stealing moments between her classes but
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college changes you the last time I
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visited I could tell she was living a
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different life one full of new friends
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new experiences and a world I wasn't
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part of
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we drifted apart and I thought that was
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the end of our story fast forward a few
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years and I'd moved back closer to
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Maplewood
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i dated around had some fun in Riverton
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but no one ever quite measured up to
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Lauren then out of nowhere her parents
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invited me over for dinner i walked in
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and there she was older wiser and
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somehow even more beautiful she'd
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graduated landed a solid job as a
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graphic designer and was back in town
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we started talking and it was like the
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years melted away that spark was still
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there stronger than ever we started
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dating again and this time it was
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different we were adults now ready for
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something serious i proposed under the
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same oak tree in Maplewood Park where
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I'd saved her all those years ago and
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she said yes with tears in her eyes we
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got married in a small ceremony
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surrounded by family and friends and for
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6 years we were happy really truly happy
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we'd talk about starting a family maybe
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moving to a bigger house someday life
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was good or so I thought then my job
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threw us a curveball i got a big
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promotion more money more responsibility
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but it meant moving to Westfield the
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city where Lauren had gone to college i
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was excited thinking it would be a fresh
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start for us
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lauren seemed on board maybe even a
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little nostalgic about going back to her
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old stomping grounds
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we packed up moved into a temporary
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apartment in Westfield and started
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settling in the first couple of weeks
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were great i was getting the hang of my
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new role and Lauren was exploring the
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city reconnecting with old memories but
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then one night she suggested we take a
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tour of her old haunts from her college
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days she had this gleam in her eye like
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she was chasing a piece of her past i
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was like "Sure sounds like fun let's do
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it." We started at a couple of student
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bars near the university they were
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packed with kids half our age blasting
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music and chugging cheap beer but the
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places weren't what Lauren remembered
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the decor had changed the bartenders
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were new and the vibe was off she seemed
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disappointed like she was looking for
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something she couldn't find
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we grabbed a bite at a diner she used to
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work at but even that was different new
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management new menu no familiar faces
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i could tell she was bummed but then she
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got this spark in her eye and said there
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was one more place she wanted to check
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out a little pub on the edge of town
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called the Blackthorn
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she'd worked there her last year of
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college and she talked about it like it
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was the best job she'd ever had full of
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quirky locals and late night laughs i
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wasn't thrilled about driving to the
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sketchy side of town but she was so
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excited I couldn't say no we parked
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downtown and walked handinhand through
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the city laughing and reminiscing but as
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we got closer to the Blackthornne the
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streets changed
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the bright lights of the city center
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gave way to dark alleys crumbling
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warehouses and boarded up shops
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i raised an eyebrow but Lauren just
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laughed and said it was always like this
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that she used to live nearby in a cheap
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apartment with a few other girls she
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pointed around a corner and there it was
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the Blackthorn a dingy little pub with
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two big old-fashioned windows etched
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with colorful designs it looked like the
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kind of place you'd avoid unless you
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knew it but Lauren was practically
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bouncing with excitement she was wearing
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a short skirt that night not her usual
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style but I figured she was just feeling
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nostalgic
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i teased her about reliving her college
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days and she just grinned and pulled me
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inside the inside of the Blackthornne
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was like stepping into a time capsule a
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long dark wooden bar ran along one wall
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with a big ornate mirror behind it the
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colorful windows cast a warm glow over
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everything and the place had this cozy
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if a bit worn out vibe
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lauren's face lit up the second we
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walked in she spotted the bartender a
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tall skinny guy with a scruffy beard and
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ran over shouting "Hey do you remember
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me?" The guy turned around and his face
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broke into a huge grin "len holy crap is
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that you?" he said and before I could
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blink he was hugging her and planting a
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big kiss right on her lips i froze my
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stomach twisting i mean sure maybe they
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were just old friends but a kiss like
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that it felt off
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i stood there waiting for Lauren to
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introduce me but she was too caught up
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in the moment laughing and chatting like
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I wasn't even there then another guy
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walked in a stocky dude with a buzzcut
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and it was the same deal he saw Lauren
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shouted her name and pulled her into a
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hug kissing her like they'd been best
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friends forever
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i'm standing there feeling like a total
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outsider my jaw clenching tighter with
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every second
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they were all reminiscing about old
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times throwing out names and stories I'd
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never heard before and I'm still waiting
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for Lauren to acknowledge me then they
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started talking about someone named
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Derek and Lauren's whole demeanor
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changed her eyes got this glow and she
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blushed when his name came up i didn't
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like it not one bit who the hell was
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Derek and why was she acting like that i
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tried to stay cool but I was starting to
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feel invisible
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i cleared my throat coughed loudly
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anything to get her attention but Lauren
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was too wrapped up in her old friends
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the bartender finally noticed me leaning
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against the bar looking like a lost
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puppy and asked what I wanted to drink
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i said I'd get a pint and something for
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the lady pointing at Lauren the guy's
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smile vanished and he got this weird
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defensive vibe like I was some creep
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hitting on her i don't think the lady
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takes drinks from just anyone he snapped
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i was like "Dude she's my wife." But he
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just gave me this skeptical look and
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poured her drink on the house lauren
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barely glanced my way just waved a hand
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and said "Oh he's with me." like I was
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her plus one at a party i was pissed but
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I didn't want to make a scene not yet
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then Derek walked in and everything went
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downhill he was a big guy broad
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shoulders tough-l lookinging with this
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cocky grin that made my skin crawl
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lauren lit up like a Christmas tree
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practically throwing herself into his
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arms they kissed longer than I was okay
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with his hands sliding down her back in
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a way that made my blood boil i stepped
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forward ready to say something but
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before I could a huge guy must have been
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Derek's buddy grabbed my shoulder and
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told me to back off he was built like a
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linebacker and his grip was like iron
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lauren waved him off saying I was fine
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but she didn't even look at me i was her
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husband and she was treating me like I
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didn't exist i started noticing things
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about the pub that I'd missed before
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there were women hanging around dressed
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in tight skirts and low-cut tops coming
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and going with guys they'd chat for a
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bit then leave together and it didn't
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take a genius to figure out what was
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going on
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this wasn't just a pub it was a front
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for something else something shady and
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Lauren she was right in the middle of it
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laughing with Derek and his crew like
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she belonged there i couldn't take it
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anymore i walked up to her told her we
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needed to leave but she just shook her
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head and said she wanted to stay and
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catch up with her friends i was like
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"Are you serious right now we're going
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home." But she brushed me off giggling
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with Derek like I was some annoying kid
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i lost it i grabbed her arm told her we
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were leaving but Dererick's buddy shoved
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me hard i swung at him but it was like
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punching a brick wall
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next thing I know I'm on the ground
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outside gasping for air after two
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punches that felt like they cracked my
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ribs i lay there staring at the dark sky
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my head spinning just an hour ago I'd
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been walking hand in hand with my wife
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thinking we were solid now I was beaten
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up humiliated and alone in some sketchy
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alley i dragged myself up dusted off my
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jeans and sat on the curb for a while
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trying to wrap my head around what had
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just happened
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i couldn't just walk away not after that
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i loved Lauren even if I was furious
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with her i couldn't leave her in that
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place no matter what she'd done so I
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took a deep breath and went back inside
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not knowing what I'd find
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what I saw broke my heart into a million
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pieces
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lauren was up on a table with another
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woman doing some kind of performance in
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front of a crowd of cheering guys
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she was down to almost nothing her skirt
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hiked up and they were eating it up i
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felt like I'd been punched again but
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this time it wasn't physical
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i pushed through the crowd grabbed her
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arm and shouted her name she looked at
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me her eyes wide with shock and all she
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could say was "Oh Tom no please no."
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Before I could do anything someone
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clocked me in the face and everything
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went black i woke up hours later in a
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parking lot a few blocks away my face
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throbbing my body aching like I'd been
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hit by a truck i barely made it back to
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our car and drove home collapsing on the
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couch i didn't know if Lauren would come
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back and at that point I wasn't sure I
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cared
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my phone rang the next morning and it
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was her sobbing saying she was sorry and
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wanted to come home she begged me to
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understand said it was a mistake going
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back to that pub that she'd gotten
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caught up in the moment i was too angry
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to listen but I told her to get her ass
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home i waited hours turned into
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afternoon then evening she never showed
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my anger turned cold like ice running
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through my veins i couldn't let this go
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i'd been humiliated beaten up and made
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to feel like nothing in front of my own
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wife i grabbed my rifle yeah I used to
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do clay pigeon shooting as a hobby had a
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license and everything and drove back to
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the Blackthornne i wasn't thinking
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straight i was just done being pushed
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around standing outside I aimed at those
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big colorful windows and fired the glass
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shattered the sound echoing through the
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empty streets like a thunderclap
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i loaded two more rounds and waited my
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heart pounding so hard I thought it had
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burst out of my chest
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guys poured out of the pub but they
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froze when they saw me standing there
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with the rifle derek came charging out
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screaming curses with his linebacker
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buddy right behind him i aimed low i
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didn't want to kill anyone just make a
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point and fired
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dererick went down clutching his legs
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and his buddy followed both of them
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screaming in pain the crowd scattered
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and I walked back to my car shaking but
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feeling like I'd finally taken back some
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control i drove home expecting the cops
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to show up any minute i didn't even
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bother hiding the rifle it was still in
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the trunk of my car but the call I got
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the next morning wasn't about me it was
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about Lauren she'd been arrested along
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with a bunch of other women from the pub
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for
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well let's just say it wasn't just
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serving drinks
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the pieces started falling into place
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and it hit me like a freight train that
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pub wasn't just a job for her back in
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college she'd been one of Derek's girls
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part of that shady world and she'd never
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told me the woman I'd loved the one I'd
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married had a past I knew nothing about
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it explained everything her excitement
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to go back the way she lit up around
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Derek the way she'd brushed me off like
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I was nothing i didn't go pick her up
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from the station i couldn't face her not
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after everything she was prosecuted lost
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her job and her life fell apart
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i heard through the grapevine that the
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stigma of her conviction made it hard
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for her to find work especially as a
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young woman with a degree
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i didn't stick around to find out more i
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took a job offer in the Middle East
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needing a fresh start as far away from
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Westfield as I could get i sold my rifle
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gave up shooting and started playing
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golf instead got pretty good at it too
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got my handicap down to six if you're
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curious i dated a bit but no one
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compared to Lauren for better or worse
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eventually I met Angie a kind funny
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American woman I met in Dubai
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she brought light back into my life and
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we've been together ever since we never
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married i'm still technically married to
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Lauren never bothered with the divorce
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but Angie's okay with that she's not big
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on marriage anyway years later I found
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myself back in Westfield for a work trip
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i couldn't resist driving by the
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Blackthornne one last time just to see
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what had become of it the colorful
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windows were gone replaced with cheap
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modern double-lazed ones i parked across
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the street and watched for a while a guy
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in a wheelchair rolled up big tough-l
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looking but heavier than I remembered it
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was Derek the guy pushing him had a bad
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limp and I knew it had to be his buddy
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from that night a group of women came
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out to talk to them and one caught my
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eye she was pretty slender with long
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legs and short neatly cut hair it could
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have been Lauren but she looked so much
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older like the weight of the world had
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worn her down the smile I'd loved so
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much was gone replaced by a tired hollow
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look i didn't stick around to confirm it
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was her she'd said it herself that night
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she wasn't 14 anymore and she could take
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care of herself as I drove away I
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couldn't help but think about how things
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might have been different
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if we hadn't gone to that pub if Lauren
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hadn't been chasing her past maybe we'd
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be at home right now raising the kids
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we'd always talked about maybe we'd
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still be happy and I'd never have known
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about her secret life but that night at
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the Blackthornne changed everything it
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broke my heart but it also showed me who
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she really was and who I could be when
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pushed too far that's my story folks
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it's raw it's messy and it's left scars
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that'll probably never fade
19:41
thanks for listening to this one on
19:43
Reddit Unheard Stories if you've got a
19:46
story that turned your world upside down
19:48
share it with us in the comments maybe
19:50
we'll feature it next
19:53
until then take care and I'll catch you
19:55
in the next
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