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The Secret That Destroyed a Family After 20 Years | Reddit Unheard Stories
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Jun 26, 2025
#redditrelationship #aita #redditstories Hey Reddit Unheard Stories fam, Today’s story is about Tom Harper — a hardworking dad from Pennsylvania whose life shattered when he uncovered betrayal, lies, and heartbreak in his marriage after 20 years. From lifelong love to shocking secrets, this is a raw, emotional journey about trust, family, and fighting to protect what matters most. 🔹 Did you ever face betrayal from someone you loved? 🔹 How would you handle a breakup when kids are involved? 🔹 Drop your thoughts and similar stories in the comments! If you liked this video, please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and SHARE for more true stories from everyday people. Thanks for listening!
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0:00
hey there Reddit Unheard Stories
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community i've got a story for you today
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that's going to pull at your
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heartstrings and maybe even make you mad
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it's about a guy named Tom Harper a
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regular dude from Pennsylvania whose
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life got flipped upside down when he
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stumbled into a mess of lies and
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betrayal this is a tale about love
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heartbreak and finding a way to keep
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going when everything you thought you
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knew crumbles so grab a snack get comfy
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and let's dive into Tom's world tom
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Harper was the kind of guy you'd call
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salt of the earth he and his wife Lisa
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had been together forever since they
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were 10 years old chasing each other
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around the playground in their small
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town of Reading Pennsylvania they were
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that couple everyone rooted for the ones
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who seemed like they'd beat the odds
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after high school Tom skipped college
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and went straight to work landing a job
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as a draftsman at Desmond Engineering it
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wasn't a corner office gig but it kept
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the lights on a year later he and Lisa
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got married and soon after they had twin
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daughters Emily and Ava
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life wasn't always easy but it felt
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right they bought a little house in a
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quiet neighborhood drove two cars that
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weren't fancy but got the job done and
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Lisa got to be the stay-at-home mom she
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always wanted to be tom worked hard
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climbing a few rungs at Desmond and they
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made it work even when money was tight
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tom was a big guy still built like the
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right tackle he'd been in high school
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football broad shoulders strong hands
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lisa just over 5t tall had dark brown
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hair with bangs that gave her a bit of a
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retro vibe like a young Marie Osmond
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she'd gained a little weight since their
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wedding day but to Tom she was still the
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girl who stole his heart they were
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healthy raising their girls with love
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and life seemed pretty darn good but
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about a year ago things started to shift
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a new guy Mike Reynolds showed up at
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Desmond Engineering as a surveyor
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mike had just moved from Lancaster with
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his wife Rachel a redhead with a big
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personality tom and Mike clicked right
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away they'd played football against each
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other in high school and had a blast
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swapping old stories they started
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hanging out after work watching games
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shooting the breeze it was a nice break
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from dad life lisa and Rachel hit it off
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too becoming thick as thieves
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they were always off somewhere shopping
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hitting up parties or going to club
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meetings rachel didn't have kids but she
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and Mike were great with Emily and Ava
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stepping in as the cool aunt and uncle
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when Tom and Lisa needed a night to
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themselves for a while everything felt
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like it was humming along but then Tom
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started picking up on little things that
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didn't sit right lisa's schedule was
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getting weird pta meetings which used to
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be a once a month deal were suddenly
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happening every week tupperware parties
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magic chef demos book clubs they were
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popping up all the time but Lisa never
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brought home a single plastic container
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or novel she'd spend hours shopping with
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Rachel only to come back with maybe a
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scarf or nothing at all and then there
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was the lingerie lisa's drawer was
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starting to look like a Victoria's
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Secret catalog black lace silk fancy
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stuff Tom had never seen her wear not
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for him anyway it started eating at him
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like a splinter he couldn't dig out one
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night Lisa came home late from what she
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called a basket party
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tom was tucking the girls into bed when
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he heard the front door creek lisa made
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a beline for the shower which was odd
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she'd already showered before she left
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something in Tom's gut told him to check
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it out
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he wasn't the type to snoop but he
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couldn't shake the feeling
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he found her basket by the couch and
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tucked under some napkins was a pair of
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lace underwear they were damp sticky and
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definitely not fresh from a store his
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stomach twisted into knots he slipped
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them into his pocket his mind spinning
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while Lisa was still in the bathroom Tom
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grabbed her phone he'd never done
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anything like this before and his hands
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were shaking as he swiped it open her
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call log was full of numbers labeled
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Rachel C Rachel H Rachel W cell home
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work but there were others kc KH KW
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same number different extensions it
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didn't take long to figure out they
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weren't Rachel's
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tom dialed the KW number his heart
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pounding a voicemail picked up this is
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Ken Sanders at Gilbert Engineering leave
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a message tom's world tilted gilbert
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Engineering was where Rachel worked as a
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secretary lisa was calling some guy who
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worked with Rachel a guy named Ken that
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night Tom didn't sleep
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he crashed on the couch staring at the
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dark ceiling replaying their life
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together what had he missed was it his
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fault he kept circling back to the same
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questions but no answers came by morning
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he was wiped out but ready to face it
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over coffee with the girls already off
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to school he sat Lisa down at the
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kitchen table he tried to keep it casual
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asking about her novel hoping she'd come
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clean lisa played it cool saying there
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was no romance in her story her voice
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steady but Tom wasn't fooled he asked
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about the PTA meetings and Lisa said she
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and Rachel were just hitting Rosy's
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Cantina for ladies night sipping two for
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one margaritas she claimed they kept it
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quiet to avoid misunderstandings with
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Tom and Mike it sounded like something
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she'd rehearsed in front of a mirror
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then Tom brought up the underwear lisa's
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confidence wavered her eyes darting away
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she said she wore the fancy stuff to
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feel dressed up at parties that the
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extra showers were because of cigarette
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smoke from the other women
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tom's blood was starting to boil he
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pulled the lace from his pocket holding
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it up explain this," he said his voice
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shaking with anger and hurt lisa
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squirmed muttering about a mistake but
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Tom wasn't letting it slide he pushed
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harder demanding the truth "this isn't
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mine Lisa don't give me some BS about a
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yeast infection
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the lies were stacking up and Tom
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couldn't take it anymore in a flash of
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rage he chucked his coffee cup across
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the room it smashed into the microwave
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shattering the glass door lisa froze her
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eyes wide
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tom leaned over the table his voice low
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and sharp who's Ken Sanders
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she tried to dodge saying he was just a
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friend but her voice cracked tom kept at
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it and finally she broke tears streaming
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down her face she admitted she'd slept
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with Ken the night before she begged him
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to stop sobbing apologies but the words
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felt hollow when her phone rang and
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Ken's name lit up the screen Tom hit
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speaker and said "Hey Ken." The guy
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sounded rattled mentioning a call to his
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work number the night before
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tom told him he'd be swinging by later
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then hung up lisa was trembling pleading
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with him not to go but Tom was done he
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told her to pack her bags and get out in
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a shaky whisper she admitted Rachel was
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seeing someone too a guy named Calvin
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Bostik who worked with Ken at Gilbert
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tom drove to Desmond Engineering to find
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Mike he figured his buddy deserved the
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truth mike was stunned but they started
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putting two and two together
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rachel had met Calvin at work and she'd
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probably introduced Lisa to Ken it was
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like a punch to the gut for both of them
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tom couldn't think straight so he went
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to HR and asked for a short leave
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passing his projects to another
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draftsman
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later Lisa's phone buzzed rachel's name
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on the caller ID tom answered pretending
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to be Lisa rachel thinking she was
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talking to her friend apologized for the
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mess and said she was coming to pick
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Lisa up she let slip that Lisa was
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packing to move to her parents' place
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tom played along then told Rachel to
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warn Calvin that Mike was coming for him
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the panic in her voice was almost
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satisfying tom canceled their joint
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credit card and changed the PIN on their
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debit card
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he wasn't sure what to do about the
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checking account so he left it alone
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hoping Lisa wouldn't clean it out later
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Mike called from jail he'd chased Calvin
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out of Gilbert Engineering and roughed
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him up in the parking lot calvin was in
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the hospital and Mike needed his brother
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to post bail
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tom called Mike's brother then headed to
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Taco Bell to clear his head he stopped
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by his parents' place spilling
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everything to his mom and dad his mom
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offered to watch Emily and Ava during
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the week with the girls staying at their
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house on weekends
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knowing the twins would be okay gave Tom
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a sliver of peace next Tom went after
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Ken Sanders he got Ken's address from a
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guy at Gilbert and pulled up to a small
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ranch house a white Lexus sat in the
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driveway trunk open like someone was
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ready to skip town
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ken came out with an armful of clothes
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saw Tom and dropped everything bolting
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back inside
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tom tripped over the pile but caught a
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glimpse of Ken slipping out the back
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door he couldn't help but laugh ken was
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running like a scared rabbit inside Tom
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found Ken's phone passport and a laptop
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on the dining table he grabbed them
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resisting the urge to mess with Ken's
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car he did let the air out of one tire
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though just enough to make Ken's day a
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little worse back home Tom dug into
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Ken's laptop what he found hit him like
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a sledgehammer
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emails showed Ken had landed a job in
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Spain with some alternative energy
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project starting in 6 weeks worse Lisa
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was planning to divorce Tom and join Ken
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claiming Tom was an unfit dad to take
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the girls she'd even gotten a family
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passport for herself and the twins
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without telling him
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photos on the laptop showed Lisa and Ken
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together at Olive Garden Red Lobster
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places she'd lied about tom printed out
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the emails and photos tears rolling down
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his cheeks after nearly 20 years
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together he didn't know his wife at all
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the next morning Tom woke to the smell
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of coffee and bacon his mom was up
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cooking breakfast for the girls emily
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and Ava were chatting away oblivious to
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the storm in their dad's head tom sat
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them down and explained that he and Lisa
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were taking a break and she'd be staying
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with her parents for a while to his
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shock the twins weren't surprised they'd
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heard whispers at school kids had seen
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Lisa with a guy at Nebles's Grove and
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one girl had a photo
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another time a friend's parents spotted
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Lisa Rachel and two guys at TGI Fridays
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in Allentown the girls had suspected
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something but didn't know how to tell
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Tom britney put a hand on his shoulder
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trying to comfort him it was weird a
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12-year-old trying to hold her dad
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together tom knew he had to protect his
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girls
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he headed to the family services office
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and met Jodie Mitchell a case worker he
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recognized from high school
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back then Jod was a goth kid with pink
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hair and black lipstick part of a crew
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that kept to themselves
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now she looked like any other
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professional but her smile was familiar
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she teased Tom about their football days
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lightening the mood he explained Lisa's
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plan to frame him as unfit and take the
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girls to Spain jod checked her records
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no reports against Tom or Lisa she
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suggested Lisa might be gathering
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evidence like medical records or police
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reports to build a case tom showed her
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one of Ken's emails admitting he'd taken
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it illegally jod couldn't use it in
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court but promised to help she told him
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to come back the next day tom found a
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lawyer in the phone book and paid
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upfront in cash he wanted a quick
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divorce offering Lisa the house since it
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was worth less than the mortgage his
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only hardline was joint custody of the
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girls with the option for full custody
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if he could swing it he agreed to child
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support but said no way to alimony
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over lunch at Taco Bell Mike shared that
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Calvin's wife had shown up at the
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hospital causing a scene when she found
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out about Rachel calvin's wife was
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trying to fix their marriage but Calvin
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wasn't interested mike was crashing with
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Tom for a bit since his mom was already
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there helping with the girls later Tom
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got a call from Lisa's dad Cameron
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asking him to come over to talk it was a
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heavy meeting lisa her sister Carla and
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Cameron were there lisa insisted Tom was
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blowing things out of proportion
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claiming she'd done nothing wrong tom
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laid out the proof over 80 calls to Ken
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in a month a text from Lisa to Ken
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apologizing and saying she loved him
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photos of them holding hands at
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Neelles's Grove cameron was livid
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realizing Lisa had lied to him too lisa
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broke down sobbing but Tom walked out
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leaving Cameron to deal with her back
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home Tom found a passport in the mail
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for Lisa and the twins he called Cameron
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saying he'd only hand it over to Ken in
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person cameron said they'd kicked Lisa
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out and she was staying with Carla at
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dinner the girls mentioned Jod had
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visited their school talking to them for
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over an hour
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they liked her giggling that she seemed
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to have a crush on Tom carla called
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later meeting Tom at McDonald's to
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explain Lisa's side she said Lisa found
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their marriage dull craving the
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excitement Rachel had with Calvin ken
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swept Lisa off her feet with stories of
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his travels promising a new life in
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Spain lisa didn't want to leave the
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girls but knew Tom wouldn't let her take
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them so she planned to paint him as
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unfit carla asked for the passport but
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Tom wasn't buying it he told her to tell
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Lisa she'd never get the girls and to
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back off the next day Jod served Lisa a
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restraining order stopping her from
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taking the girls out of state or cutting
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Tom off tom felt a mix of relief and
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pain he drove around aimlessly ending up
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at Starbucks trying to wrap his head
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around it mike moved in for a while and
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Tom's mom kept things steady with the
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girls jod started coming over regularly
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hanging out with the twins and Tom's mom
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one night over a bottle of cheap red
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wine with the screw cap Jod admitted she
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was visiting to see Tom not just the
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girls
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she teased him about her old goth
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tattoos and they played a quiet game of
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find the tattoo laughing softly so they
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wouldn't wake the kids
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tom felt a spark he hadn't felt in years
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lisa left for Spain sending the girls
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postcards of windmills no one knew what
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that was about but Tom figured it was
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her way of holding on to something the
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divorce was finalized and Tom and Mike
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started a small surveying business with
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Tom's mom pitching in some money from
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her and his dad's savings
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the girls spent the summer with their
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grandparents and Tom's dad's health took
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a turn landing him in a nursing home jod
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kept visiting growing tight with the
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twins
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by summer's end Tom's mom moved in for
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good and his dad passed away the girls
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got birthday cards from Lisa but no
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calls christmas brought embroidered
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dresses too small but the twins didn't
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mind a year later Tom and Jod got
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married quietly in Maryland they're
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expecting a baby and the twins are
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stoked joking about their goth sister
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mike's divorce from Rachel went through
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and he's killing it with the business
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gilbert Engineering became their biggest
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client calvin's teaching electronics at
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a vocational school a big step down
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rachel remarried and moved to California
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ken Sanders flopped in Spain and is back
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in the States but no one knows where the
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girls still get windmill postcards from
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Lisa now at a travel agency in Barcelona
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her parents visit the twins often
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keeping the family tied together tom's
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life isn't picture perfect but it's his
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he's got his girls a new love with Jod
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and a business that's keeping him busy
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getting betrayed hurt like hell but it
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didn't define him he learned to lean on
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the people who matter and trust himself
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again
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if you're out there dealing with your
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own drama know you can make it through
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thanks for listening to Tom's story
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Reddit Unheard Stories share your
16:38
thoughts in the comments have you ever
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been through something like this i'd
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love to hear your take catch you in the
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next one
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