A Family Secret

Every family has some secret or the other that tears them apart. This is the story of Mark and Sara, who have been together for seven years and even shared two children together. Everything was going on fine till the time Sara stumbled upon Mark's secret.

Sara had been suspecting that there was something going on in Mark's life that she had no clue about and this pained Sara. They have been together for so long, that she believed Mark owed her the truth. Even if he was having an affair, Sara had to know that, the uncertainty was killing her!

What's On Marks's Computer?

Sara gets hold of a paper that has seen better days, this is where Mark had written down the password to his computer. Sara was not someone to look into somebody else's computer and find out other personal stuff.

She hoped it would never come to this. She has to find out what are these photos. Otherwise, she would be losing her mind if she does not find out exactly what was there in the folder. She was going to do something that she has never done before, look into her husband's files.

A New Folder

After Sara did a little bit of searching, Sara exactly found the folder she was looking for. She took a deep breath and finally opened it. She suddenly felt a wave of nervousness, almost knocking her over.

She certainly did not know exactly what she expected to see, instinctively, she clicked on one of the photos, and then she suddenly saw it. Something that caught her eyes almost shocked her and she didn't know what to make of it. Her hands were trembling as she studied the screen.

She Can't Believe It

She just couldn't believe what she was watching on screen. Was Mark really doing this? Is he really capable of doing something like this? Never in her wildest dreams did Sara think that Mark was capable of doing something like this to her to their family. She started crying as tears started streaming down her cheeks.

But to understand what was going through Sara’s mind, we need to know more about the story and find out what is the story of Mark and Sara and how did it come to this?

A Normal American Family

When you meet the Millers, they seem to be a completely normal American family that had Mark and Sara, and they had 2 young children. Although the family at first glance seemed like a happy family, there is so much more to the family than met the eye.

Behind the amiable facade of the family lay many stories buried under the surface. We certainly would like to know more about the love story of Mark and Sara. Was there a different angle to their story or was there something different in their love story?

Growing-up Together

Sara and Mark have been together since they were in their teens 15 years old and the couple has almost grown up together? After the duo met, they struck up a conversation and soon discovered that they had a lot in common.

The first few days went by in a rush, the duo started meeting on a regular basis. Love started blossoming and the duo soon believed that they had a deep connection which only started getting stronger with each day.

Their First Meeting

Sara first met Mark when she was hanging out with a couple of friends at an old warehouse where it was a hub of many young people, who spent time there chilling and whiling away their time chatting with each other.

This was a local spot that came under the police’s radar and attracted a lot of young people to this position. This was also the favorite place of Sara and Mark. They started meeting each other at this popular haunt too.

Mark Was Quiet At Start

Till the time Mark and Sara met, he had been living at the warehouse for just a few weeks. When Sara along with her friends came to the warehouse and spotted Mark, he seemed fairly quiet.

He preferred to just sit there alone deep in his thoughts. Sara felt that he chose to stay there and almost meditate, refusing to mingle with the others. Sara knew that she had to do a lot to break the ice. Sara knew it would be difficult but she had faith in herself.

Just A Teenager

The other people who had stayed in the warehouse for much longer had told Sara that Mark had been like that from the first time he had set his foot in the warehouse.

Although, most of the people weren’t very happy with his unfriendly behavior they still did not want to drive away the 16-year-old away, especially when he didn't have any other place to go. It would have been too cruel to send a boy like him away. Sara now knew that he was like this with everyone, it was not just her.

It Was Love At First Sight For Sara

The more time Sara spent in the warehouse with Mark, she recognized the chemistry that was there between them, perhaps Mark couldn't recognize the fact just yet but she vowed that she would definitely get through the facade.

The more she talked with Mark, the more attractive she found him. There was something mysterious about his demeanor that pulled her toward him. She felt that she certainly couldn't stay away from him and wanted to keep conversing with him. Yes, it was a magnetic pull, the one she couldn't ignore.

Making The First Move

Sara then decided to take Mark away from the warehouse and the group to get him to be more voluble.

Thankfully, the warehouse was a big place and they had a lot of space to roam about and talk and talk they did. Sara wanted to know more about Mark and little by little the conversations though stilted at first began to flow and soon they knew a lot about each other, certainly a foundation that helped them to build a relationship.

What's With His Past?

Slowly but surely Mark got rid of his shy nature, at least with Sara and soon he was as interested in Sara as she was in him. They talked a lot about their past and their present and what plans they had for the future.

Mark was still not as friendly and as open as Sara and he was a little reticent to share information about him, he only revealed a little bit of information to Sara which she thought was a little odd, but decided to overlook as she was so much into him.

Relocated To Another Town

Mark revealed that he had moved from one town to another, he also said that he was here for good and didn't harbor any plans of going back. However, he didn't reveal exactly from where he had come from. He was very secretive, Sara had realized this many years hence.

She wished she had persisted and asked more questions about him. But she was caught in the moment and completely besotted with him. Whatever Mark said didn't seem strange to her at all, such is the power of love.

Sara Falls in Love with Mark

When Sara eventually headed toward her him, she was so enamored by Mark that she kept thinking about him. In fact, Sara kept thinking about him. She wanted to meet him again, soon at that.

They continued to go on long romantic dates and the regular meetings ensured that the duo was completely and hopelessly in love with each other. They believed that their future was with each other and the next step was meeting Sara's approval to seek their approval. Will they finally give the lovebirds the seal of approval they so wanted?

Meet The Parents

Sara fixed up a meeting so that her parents and Mark could meet. Sara's parents quite took to the boy who seemed shy and polite.

But they realized that professionally Mark was not at a great place and needed help to start from scratch. There were also a few things that made them a little suspicious about Mark, was he hiding something? They had no idea, they were also a little worried about Sara and the fact that Mark was a completely unknown person. 

Suspicious About Mark

Sara’s parents detested the fact that a 16-year-old boy squatting in an old warehouse and had spent time with a bunch of strangers.

After giving the situation a lot of thought Sara finally convinced them that there was a deep connection between the duo and they needed to take this to the next level. Mark needed their help to establish him in a professional capacity. Perhaps they could help him find a footing. Sara knew that her parents would certainly help him, in fact, she was banking on it, even praying that everything would turn out just right.

Staying With Sara's Parents

Sara's parents invited Mark to their home and as they spent more and more time at Sara's house, their relationship grew deeper. Eventually. Mark even found a job that could fund his future prospects in his profession.

It was his dream that he wanted to be a photographer and he was so glad that he was able to shape his future and he was doing it based on his own prowess, this gave him a lot of hope and strength to move on in life. Finally, he was this close to his goals.

Finally Finding Work

Finally, with a photography degree under his belt 3 years later, he got a camera from Sara’s parents and he began his job as a freelance photographer. Soon he became successful in his newfound career.

He became more serious than ever in his chosen career and he was so happy that the career he had been hoping for had suddenly been realized. He knew it was because of his hard work and talent and of course with encouragement from Sara's parents, he was able to get closer to his goals.

Living In An Apartment of His Own

He started earning good money and he was finally able to afford a down payment on a small apartment. He was really happy that he could make a living and afford an apartment where the couple can stay and build a life together.

It was a great beginning for the young couple. But come to think of it, not everything seemed as it were. In fact, instead of being very happy, Sara was feeling sad. So, why was Sara not happy? Was there something bothering her?

What's Bothering Sara?

The couple was invested in building their lives together over the next couple of years, but not everything was right for their lives, there were certain things in their lives that was not all hunky dory.

There was something that was bothering Sara, in fact, it was something that had been bothering her from the start, but she chose not to think about it at the onset. But now, it was all coming back to her and she just wished she had spoken about it earlier. Was it going to affect their relationship?

Digging Into His Past

Sara and Mark had been together for years, but he was getting secretive about his past and this seemed to worry Sara. Sara kept on thinking about what was he hiding, and what was there in his past that seemed to still impact their lives.

Sara did not know what to think and where to dig information from. She just wished Mark would open up a little more. It has been years in their relationship, yet Mark has been as evasive as before. Didn't their relationship deserve a little more time a little more nurturing? But clearly, Mark did not seem to think so.

Reluctant Responses

Sara had asked him time and again about the very situation, but each time, Mark had chosen to be reluctant to answer.  Sara had wanted to ask him about his family, but each time Mark had chosen to keep quiet, in fact, he had even snapped at her for asking him too many questions about his family.

Mark had said that he didn't want to speak about his family. It was his past and he chose to keep it the same in his past, speaking about them hurt him. He requested Sara not to bring up the topic anymore.

The Reality of The Situation

Sara had finally accepted that it was going to be just like this in the near future as try as she might she was unable to break the barrier.

Mark had been always like this from the beginning, and although so much time has passed, he refused to change. Despite his evasiveness, Sara didn't want to give up their relationship, it was one of the few flaws that he had and Sara didn't want to let go of him, just because of this character trait.

Marriage On The Cards

The couple had been together for almost 7 years, they also had their first child together, and they were going to have their second child. They finally decided to get married.

Sara was secretly hoping that since they were going to marry, Mark’s family would be there at the wedding and finally she would have an answer to the questions that have been bothering her for so long. Perhaps Mark's family would be more open to her and not be as reticent as Mark was or still is. She was putting all her faith in Mark's family.

Where is Mark's Family

But, perhaps Sara’s wish to see Mark's family was just not to be. But to her surprise and to her extreme disappointment, she could not see anyone from Mark's family, in fact, Mark had only invited his friends over to the wedding.

And, strangely, she had only seen these friends for the first time. Nobody came from Mark's past, from the time when he was younger, or when he was a toddler. Why was there no one from his younger days? Did he have something to hide?

The Family Was In a Great Space

Sara took the situation in his stride. They had a fantastic wedding without any of his family and since it all went well, it was no use thinking about the situation.

Mark was making giant strides in his life, smashing career goals and now he had no financial woes to think of, everything was sorted. She was married to the love of his life and she shouldn't think about this niggling issue. In fact she should concentrate on the finer things in life, she had a lot in her life to be grateful for.

Mark's Professional Success

Things have only gone better for Mark since the time she had graduated as a photographer, his reputation too had gone bigger and better. His customers too were willing to shell big bucks to get clicked by him.

So much so that if there was money, he would click any type of picture. This was one aspect of his profession that bothered Sara, who could simply not accept the fact that he was willing to click any type of picture. She did not know what to make of it.

Less Comfortable About Work

Sara was happy for Mark personally but this also meant success meant that the money was never a big issue for the growing family.

But there were some aspects of his career that seemed to bother Sara, she was not able to accept this aspect of his career. She knew she was never going to accept it, so what could she do? Telling Mark about it was useless because he was never going to accept the fact. This would lead to a big argument. Sara was thus dreading talking about the same.

Living Alone to Do It All

One of the other things that bothered Sara was that Mark was a frequent flier and she often flew all across the country for his work stints. This also meant that Sara had to stay alone with their son for many days, it was the same for their later baby daughter too.

Sara was a mom and a homemaker so she was able to handle it, but she missed Mark dearly and she wished Mark would be there with her more and also be their children. But would it ever come true? Will Mark be there for his family in the true sense of the term?

Photoshoots With Models

Sara was particularly unhappy about the kind of pictures that kind Mark was clicking. His photograph assignments were covering big sporting events or photoshoots with models.

There were some photographs that were rather indecent and this bugged Sara. She believed that Mark was a talented photographer and can always say no to these types of photographs. But Mark never did and this bothered Sara to no end. She wished she could knock some sense into Mark's head, somehow he seemed so distant to her now. Was it ever going to change?

Mark, The Lensman

An established photographer, Mark, was handling a lot of assignments in all these years. He was a regular when it came to shooting for magazine photos, and similar such work. But sometimes, the shoots went for prolonged periods, or were a tad risqué!

Sara, Mark's wife knew the type of work that he did. And some of these pictures often made her quite uncomfortable. She used to be worried about Mark shooting them or having bold photo sessions. His nature of the job was obvious. So Sara had no other way but to observe.

Bold And Beautiful Snapshots

Sara loved her husband dearly. So it was no surprise that she grew insecure about her better half. Even when she knew that Mark was devoted to his work and didn't bother much about the models, she couldn't stop procrastinating. The jealousy started building inside her.

Several times she heard odd stories about what usually occurs between photographers and their models. Not everyone however would indulge in such acts, but it was her thought only. She had faith in her husband. But shaking off the possibility ultimately wasn't possible.

Fearful Of The Future

Sara's worries wouldn't disappear anytime soon. She constantly ruminated over the shoots and how things would turn out if Mark grew weak over any of his fellow models. But at the end of it, she knew these were not impactful enough to complain to Mark. He might just rubbish such thoughts and even grow angry about it.

Most of these photo shoots, on the other hand, were lucrative assignments. So Mark would not give up such work, simply because his wife harbored negative thoughts. The positives were so many that all her weird ideas would be pushed to the background. Besides, she trusted her husband.

A Complete Homemaker

Sara had to take care of her two kids. For the most part, they romped around and she was the only one to look after them. As a result, she had to take a break from work herself. There was no way she would; despise and keep complaining about Mark's assignments, simply because of her insecurities.

Often when she used to be by herself, she kept thinking about certain negative things related to the photo shoots. But since she had the larger responsibility of tending to the kids and couldn't supplement the family income, hence she didn't discuss much. And then something happens one day.

Grocery shopping at the supermarket

Much like any other week, Sara went to the local supermarket. She was buying all such grocery items and products that she felt necessary for the household. Besides these, she also spent some time doing impulse shopping - mostly those that caught her eye!

After she finished purchasing all the goods, she went to the accounts section. Of course, she spent more than the normal day, but she had no idea what would await her at the register. She stood there and was just about to make the payment. And then it happened.

No Money In The Account?

When she took out her card to make the payment, suddenly her card declined. The machine flashed the words 'insufficient funds' at that moment. She was shocked. How could it be? There was ample money in her account. But why would something like this happen so soon?

Previously, something like this never happened. She was quite confident that there would be plenty of money in her account. Though she lost hope initially, but somehow regained faith and tried a few more times. Even the shopkeeper tried a couple of times more. Sadly, nothing changed even then.

Leaving The Cart At The Store

Sara had no other option but to leave the cart there. The groceries and all such items she purchased had to be put back. She made no mistake and called the bank immediately after such failed attempts. Of course, she deserved to know what went wrong.

The bank authorities checked for the records. After a point, the person on the other hand shared the fact that morning all the money present in the account was withdrawn by her husband! Sara couldn't believe what she heard. Why would Mark do that? And that too, without discussing with her or stating any reason?

Travel For Work

Mark was not home. He was not even in the city. Often, he had to travel frequently for work-related assignments, so Sara called him without any delay. She wanted an explanation from him immediately. After all, she couldn't do the basic grocery shopping from the mart either!

When Mark received the call, he told her about an amazing investment opportunity he got. This was after he had spoken to a few people at the photo shoot. The cash mattered to him at all costs. So even before anyone else would beat him for availing the same, he couldn't lose time.

It Was Mark!

Seeing that there was no other way out, Mark did not lose time and took out the money from their spending account. It could have been anyone else's, so he had to make haste. Sara heard every word of his but still failed to relate to this side.

Though Mark had already put an order for some more money that would be transferred to their savings account, it didn't reach Sara by then. Even if it would, it was late. The groceries and items she wanted to buy had to be put aside since she couldn't pay.

Investment Of A Different Kind

For Sara, this was one side of Mark that stumped her. All through these years, Mark never demonstrated any interest in investing. Often Sara felt that managing the household meant they should put in extras and that too when they had the money. Surprisingly, Mark showed zero interest in it. He had other work to complete, so devoting time was next to impossible for him.

On the other hand, Sara was clueless about the process. She did hear about investments from different corners, but managing it was a different ballgame together! Also, there was something strange about 'investment'.

Suspecting Her Husband

The little that Mark could reveal about the investment and the money he put into it was that it was a very basic start-up. Also, it was in the early stages, so he couldn't divulge much about it. Things were mostly hush-hush and he preferred to keep it that way.

As per Mark, there was no such information that was circulated publicly or even published online. Sara hoped that Mark would tell her something about it, but that didn't happen. And this kind of set a few alarm bells for the wife. She started growing suspicious.

What Was Mark Doing?

This moment made Sara aware of practical things around. She became extremely vigilant about whatever Mark told her. She had to do some research work, lest something occurs and they would lose the money.

The way how everything unfolded - from the money going missing from the account to calling Mark and getting to know something bizarre to even learning that no such information about the investment was doing the rounds – all made Sara very suspicious and highly anxious about what Mark was up to.

No Match With Certain Acts

Sara noticed something was fishy about how Mark conducted himself. Of late, his travel stories didn't match what he confidently claimed. He often gave her stories of how he flew throughout the country but had never been to the same place. But was he lying by any chance?

Coincidence or not, when Sara checked through the details - Mark's flying history showed something else. She re-read the details several times to be sure. There was one particular airport that Mark visited frequently. Was that clue enough? Is that something to worry about for Sara?

Questions Galore

Mark and Sara stayed together as a couple for a long time. While there was mutual trust and cooperation, at least what Sara felt, now she started doubting! Maybe Mark could have a customer that he didn't want Sara to know about. Or else why would be lying about it?

That wasn't all that occurred to Sara. She started delving into greater details, which kind of shook her. What was so special about the customer? Or was there something else that she should know? Perhaps, it was not even related to photography.

No Interest In Romance

Often when Mark returned from his shows or shoots, he appeared very exhausted. Aging is normal, but that wasn't the case here. It came to Sara's notice that when he would stay back home, he often seemed less interested in staying close to her or doing anything romantic for his partner.

Was he thinking about this investment? Or there was someone else that he was hanging around with? It could be that he started devoting less time to his marriage for this very reason. This wasn't the scenario earlier when he came from long trips - but over time, the trends have changed markedly.

Sara's Friends To The Rescue

Sara's mind was racing. Initially, she thought that maybe over some time, the relationship between the couple was showing its usual wear and tear. And that was understandable for they have been together for a long time.

However, she wanted to be sure of what was happening to her. So she visited a few friends and they seemed quite worried about her and her future with Mark. The only explanation that they offered was aligned with what Sara feared the most.

Dots Now Connected

It was no surprise that Sara was engulfed with such thoughts, and worries that kept intruding on her very functioning. Things kept building up and she was pushed over the edge. Even when she didn't think of the worst, there was no reason why she wouldn't do it.

Often, Sara spent hours thinking about some possible reasons. She connected all the pieces of information and hoped that her fears wouldn't run true. When all the dots were then connected, there was only one possible explanation that she was left with.

What Was This Number?

It was late night and Mark was traveling to another place for his assignment. On one of his trips, the home phone started to ring. Sara finished her work and came towards the phone to receive it. She took the call and stated her name. Strangely, the line was disconnected.

Sara had no idea why something of this sort happened. Why would someone hang up the phone listening to her voice? Does that have any indication with Mark's trip? She found this entire state of events quite strange, and immediately noted down the number.

Frantic Phone Calls Made

She sat down calmly and kept thinking about the unfamiliar number. This time she went ahead and called the number a few times. Peculiarly, the number disconnected after every second ring! She went a little further and checked the number on Google.

Repeatedly she checked to see who the owner of the number was. Thanks to Google, she found some information. After all, someone calling her at that time of the night was odd enough. So she had to walk the extra mile. And at last, there was a shocking discovery.

Failure To Look For In The Search Engine Results

Sara was hopeful that Google would help her more. But she couldn't trace the exact number, even after repeated searches. The little information she got wasn't enough.

This time, she went a little further and then tracked the area code. Sara sat there dumbfounded. When the code was before her, it matched directly to the city where Mark flew out so often. Sara was always worried that there might be problems in paradise. But she never thought all her fears would now start manifesting. And this was the last straw for her.

Taking Into Note All Such Red Flags

Even if it was too much for her, Sara knew she had to somehow find the answers. Her life was tied with that of Mark. So she couldn't and shouldn't take in anything that would demean her. She had shown enough respect for Mark's privacy. This time, enough was enough!

Several red flags were visible before her. But will she consider all now? And what if these were her speculations only? No, that was not to happen! She knew she was on the right track and hence kept her search alive. This time she went to the only place she knew she had to reach somehow.

Finding The Password

Sara didn't waste a minute. She tried and logged inside Mark's home, computer. She wasn't very proficient with technology, but she chose to try. There was a password that Mark used but never revealed to her. Probably she would have been surprised, but now she isn't.

Maybe Mark thought that Sara would never come to know about it. But she was a smart woman. She had followed every move of Mark and months back, she discovered a crumbled piece of paper. There it was written. And now, it matched the one that the computer password section wanted.

Finally, The PC Was All Hers

She managed to unlock the PC and there it was. Mark was quite organized as a person when it came to his computer documents. She was confronted by a series of separate and well-organized folders, which were full of pictures. Should she open them?

For a split second, Sara was overwhelmed by the volume she saw. She was petrified, but at that time, she knew she couldn't do that to herself. She made herself calm and composed. And then, she looked through each of the files that were present.

List Updated Timely

Sara had all the details of Mark's flying history - something that Mark lied to her frequently. She checked through the updated list and saved it on her phone. That made her search hassle-free and she went through each of the photos that were present even a couple of days before, to the ones that were there from the start in the city that Mark visited often.

That was the same city from where Sara also got a call the previous night. And thankfully, she could connect the dots, owing to the code of the area. After the search process was over, Sara was surprised by what she found.

What Were These?

To her utter dismay, Sara couldn't find any photos from the separate periods that were mentioned and arranged in separate folders. She put some pressure and remembered that Mark always came from his job and inserted those new photos inside the computer.

And if that was the case, then there's every reason to believe that he didn't go for his trips to click snapshots. So where could he possibly go? And for how long has she been hiding this from Sara? Till now, Sara's instinct didn't let her down. This time too, she was possibly going to hit the bull's eye.

Unbelievable

While she was thinking along these lines, Sara suddenly came across a folder that had all such contents that she was looking for. Arranged neatly amidst the numerous other folders, this was dated exactly after a recent trip that Mark made, for one of his assignments.

Sara was shaking already. And in anticipation, she clicked on the folder to open. She was still hoping that she didn't land on anything that would not let her stay calm anymore. No matter how bold and strong she was, she was not prepared to see anything like this.

Mark's Separate Family

All the photos that Mark had taken and stored in the folder were not one, or two, but many. And the clicks were quite lively and spoke volumes of Mark's happiness. Wasn't that natural? The photos were not just of Mark alone, but he was posing with another family.

Never had Sara seen the other members who were present in the clicks, but she guessed who they could be. She had no idea that her husband was doing something of this type, behind her. A wife and 2 children? Like, really? She was still muttering to herself that it just can't be true!

That Couldn't Be Mark

While there was no doubt that she understood a great deal about Mark's changed behaviors, this was the last thing that she had in mind. He was up to something, but another family? That was too much for Sara to gulp down.

Most importantly, why would Mark even do this? And how? Did the family also know about her? This could explain everything. Sara was not in a condition to think on logical lines anymore. And as a spouse, it wrecked her emotionally. She simply went into a blind panic.

But Why Would He Do That?

There were so many questions he had in her mind. And to get to the root cause of what led Mark to take such action or cheat on her could be best answered by her husband, Mark. So she waited to confront him and ask for a proper explanation.

Mark was about to return the next day. It would be best to ask him directly face-to-face, rather than bring this topic over the phone or via message. Also, he might decide to escape and never answer questions that he had successfully avoided, all these years.

Next Step - Divorce

Often, Sara spent sleepless nights. But that day, it was different. She felt guilty about having suspicions in her head and chose to never speak to Mark about it since those were mostly baseless. But now, her life was completely falling into pieces, before her own eyes.

She devoted seven precious years of her life to a man who had been happily living a double life. She was having trouble believing. All she hoped for was if whatever she saw never really happened. There was no reason she would stay in the toxic marriage. So she decided to file for divorce.