Informant
Lt. Chris Wilson’s friend informed him that his wife had been selling off all their furniture while he was stationed abroad. Feeling concerned, he decided to cut his deployment short to surprise his family and see what was going on.
When he returned home, despite his doubts, what he found was worse than he imagined. The conditions his daughter was living in were far from acceptable, and he knew he had to take action.
While Deployed
While deployed, Chris's mind was consumed with thoughts of his wife. Her love was his sole motivation, keeping him grounded through the challenges he faced. One day, he received an odd text from his friends back home, leaving him puzzled and uncertain.
Determined to understand the truth for himself, Chris decided to take matters into his own hands. A month ahead of schedule, he boarded a plane home, convinced that if there was nothing to worry about, he could surprise his family with an early return.
Planning A Surprise
Chris thought he was the one planning a surprise for his wife when he returned home. He had no idea that his own return would lead to an unexpected revelation.
As it turned out, his wife had been keeping a secret one that involved their daughter. It was something Chris never could have anticipated, and the discovery would change everything.
Heartwarming Reunion
Chris had imagined a heartwarming reunion with his family when he finally returned home. However, upon entering, he was shocked to find that much of their furniture was gone.
The situation only worsened as he took in the scene around him. It was clear to him now that leaving for such an extended period had led to more than just empty spaces it had caused a noticeable strain on everything he valued.
A Sense Of Regret
Chris felt a deep sense of regret for missing the birth of his daughter, a moment that was gone forever. Though the absence weighed on him, he took comfort in the connection he had with her, finding peace in the love they shared despite the short time spent together.
He often wondered if his wife fully grasped the weight of his emotions. Although he couldn’t undo the past, he hoped their enduring love would help heal the distance his absence had caused between them.
Missing The Birth
Chris deeply regretted missing the birth of his daughter, a moment he would never get back. The absence weighed heavily on him, but he found solace in the love and bond he shared with his daughter, despite their limited time together.
As for his wife, Chris wondered if she truly understood the depth of his feelings. He couldn’t change the past, but he hoped the love between them would help bridge the gap created by his absence.
Enduring
Chris believed that, after all they'd endured, his wife understood why the country needed him. Still, he couldn’t shake the nagging hope that she truly believed in his purpose.
But with his constant absence, he wondered if she had started making her own choices. Was she selling furniture, hiding things from him? Eventually, Chris knew the truth would come to light.
Financial Contributions
It was still possible for Chris to send most of the money he earned back home for financial aid, though he couldn't always be at home.
Despite her own work, he knew they weren't going to be able to live comfortably at home without his contribution. Hopefully, it will be good enough.
Staying In Touch
After three months on active duty, Chris got a surprise. It was a message from a friend back home. In spite of his best efforts, Chris found it difficult to keep in touch with all of his friends.
There were times when he couldn't talk to his friends back home. But he couldn't figure out what to do when he saw the message from an old friend.
The Updates
Every time Chris left his hometown to serve on duty, he left a lot of good people behind. Kenny, his closest friend, always kept him up to date with the news in Dallas, Texas, where he grew up.
There was just one weird thing about that. His message was expected to contain a weather update or some local drama. His wife was involved, and he couldn't believe what he had heard.
Usually, Small Things
Kenny usually updated Chris on minor things just as a way of keeping in contact. It was normally what had happened on the local news, or the day-to-day felt in Dallas.
That's why when Chris peered down at his phone between shifts and read the message. He knew he had to get home as soon as possible. It would have him going to an administrator to request leave immediately.
The Message
The reason why the message was so concerning was that it had to do with his wife. Kenny never said anything to do with his wife. He never had any reason to, until now.
But it wasn't just the fact that it concerned Chris' wife that bothered him. It was the nature of the message that raised his suspicions and would have him asking for leave.
Moving Furniture
The message simply read, "Chris, I just thought you should know your wife is selling the furniture out of your house." Chris' eyes went wide. What was she doing with everything?
Alarm bells rang out in his head. The issue was that he wasn't scheduled for leave for another month. But he'd put on his best smile and see what he could do about it.
Asking For Leave
Chris requested leave from the administration office on the army base. He just hoped that they would give it to him due to his stellar record.
They told him they'd have to process the request, and he'd have to wait a day. The entire time, he worried about what was happening at home. Was she leaving him and didn't want to tell him?
Overthinking
Despite all of Chris' good characteristics, he was a bit of an overthinker. While he was waiting for his request, his mind over imagined what was going on at home.
He lay on his bunk that night thinking about everything that could go so wrong in his life. Even though he wasn't home much, it was still his life. Everything he cared for was in his house back home, but would he even have one to go back to?
Approved
The next day, Chris busied himself with the normal tasks on the base while he waited for the result to come back. By afternoon, he had gotten an email from just the faculty he was looking for.
It was about his requested leave. He opened the email and breathed a sigh of relief. His leave was approved immediately.
Flying Home
Chris chartered a flight back to Dallas and was happy to be coming home, even if it wasn't for the right reasons. He just hoped that it was nothing and that he'd be able to enjoy his time with his family.
He sat on his flight and pulled out a photo of his young daughter and his wife. Nothing made him happier, but what would he be met with when he got back?
Getting Home
After his flight, Chris got a cab back from the airport to his house. He felt a pang of anxiety as he pulled into the street where his house was. He expected to see it in shambles or maybe even a for-sale sign in the front yard.
But as the cab pulled out in front of the driveway, he looked at the house that he hadn't seen in three months with scrutinizing eyes. What would he make of it?
It Looked Normal
To Chris' surprise, the house looked just the way he had left it, at least on the outside. But as he walked towards the front door, he felt an uneasiness creep over him.
With every step closer, he felt dread slowly creep up his spine. He got to the front door and turned his key in the lock. But he had no idea what he would be met with once he walked inside.
His Friend was right.
Chris walked into the living room and noticed that the couch was gone. A lot of the other furniture was missing too. He then turned to walk upstairs to check out the bedroom.
He knew his daughter would be at school. But he didn't expect his wife to be home. He was about to walk in on something that would have his blood run cold.
The Voice Of A Man
That's when he stumbled into something that he would never have thought possible. He heard his wife's voice from the bedroom. Then he heard the clear voice of a man. She definitely wasn't alone.
He started questioning his whole world. He couldn’t help leaving for months on end. Did she really replace him?
Furious
Chris felt his blood boil as he approached the door. He hated confrontations, but this was the last straw. He kicked the door open and looked into his bedroom.
His military training had kicked in, and he was ready to take on any threat in the room. But then he noticed that his wife wasn't in trouble. It was actually quite the opposite.
The Bed
Chris's eyes went to the bed in the corner,
where he saw his wife and a stranger. He couldn't say or do anything. He just
stood frozen at what he saw in front of him.
He didn't quite understand what was going on. His wife would have to give him a really good explanation to get out of this one. When she saw him, tears rolled down her cheeks.
Happy To See Him
The scene that Chris stumbled into was his wife standing on the bed without any sheets or duvets on it. It had been wrapped up like it was ready to be moved.
But that wasn't everything. There was also a man in a boiler suit with her. It must have been the man that belonged to the voice he had heard. But what was he even doing here?
Strangest Thing He’d Ever Seen
Chris just stood in the doorway with his mouth open. It was like a scene out of a drama show that his wife often made him watch.
It was one of the strangest things he'd ever seen in his life. His wife, however, just seemed happy to see him. Tears streamed down her face as she went in to hug him. But she needed to explain herself.
What Was Going On?
Chris was a little relieved that the man seemed to be there for professional reasons. But what was going on?
Chris needed answers. And he would try to get them out of his wife. Before he could say anything, though, she told him that it would be better if they spoke in the kitchen. That was her first mistake.
Looking Into His Daughter's Room
As Chris turned to walk down the stairs, he couldn't help but peer into his daughter's open room. That's when his anger flared up again. He saw something very distressing.
Her daughter's bed was gone, and in its place were a few pillows on the ground. Was his princess really sleeping on the floor? What was going on?
Demanding Answers
Once in the kitchen, Chris demanded to know what was going on. Where was all of the furniture, and most importantly, where was his daughter's bed? Why was she sleeping on the floor?
"Well…" his wife started as she looked at the kitchen floor. "She has been sleeping on the floor, but don't worry about it." How could she say something like that? Then Chris' mind went to the worst thing it could.
Moving?
Were they moving out, maybe? It would explain the man upstairs moving out their beds and the furniture downstairs. Were his wife and daughter secretly moving away while he was on duty?
He mustered up the courage to ask her in a hoarse voice. But what he was about to tell him would break his heart more than any of his military-related injuries could.
Excuses
He was ready to hear what she had to say, but before she could, the man from upstairs came down the stairs with the bed wrapped up. He told his wife that he was ready to leave with it.
Chris still wanted some answers. But he thought of a brilliant idea. He told his wife he’d help the man pack the mattress into the van parked outside. As a soldier, this was his way of gathering more information, so he knew what he was up against.
Going Outside
Chris followed the mysterious man with the bed outside under the guise of helping him with the mattress.
As he helped carry it to the van, he thought about what he was going to do next. He was thinking on the fly when the idea came to him. He would ask the man outside, out of earshot of his wife, an important question.
What’s Going On?
After he finished helping move the mattress into the van, he turned to the man and pulled out his wallet. His eyes glinted as he flashed a friendly grin.
He pulled out ten dollars and handed them to the man, thanking him for his help. Then he said, “Where’s this thing going anyway?” The man looks confused for a moment before falling right into his trap.
Some Of The Truth
The man said, “My house, actually.” But now Chris was the one that was confused. He now knew some more of the truth, but it had backfired on him. Why was his wife giving their couch to some random guy?
Did she know him more intimately than he initially thought? His head was spinning even more than it was before.
Asking Who He Was
Chris’ subterfuge didn’t work out as he intended. This time he’d use a much more direct technique. He just outright asked the man how he knew his wife and what was going on.
The man looked even more defensive than before, but once again, he began explaining, “I dunno what you’re talking about…” But would it be enough for Chris?
I Bought It
“...I bought it from your wife because she offered it to me cheap, and my wife had been complaining about ours for a while now.” The man explained.'
Chris immediately understood what was going on now. He was thankful that it wasn’t what he thought it was, but he still had a burning question in his mind.
Why?
Chris stood there in the driveway, lost in thought for a while. He was thinking hard about all of the facts laid out in front of him. Why on earth was his wife selling their furniture?
He now felt confident in confronting his wife, who was still waiting for him inside the house. He just wondered what could have possessed her to make his child sleep on the floor.
Confronting Her
He walked back inside the house and saw his wife waiting in the kitchen for him. She looked down at her feet and didn’t look happy. This made him wonder what was going on even more than before.
He sat down next to her and knew he couldn’t delay the inevitable any longer. He asked the important question.
The Fateful Question
He looked at his wife and mustered up the courage to ask her, “Honey, I spoke to the man outside, and he told me you were selling the furniture. Why would you let our daughter sleep on the floor?”
She abruptly burst into tears in front of him. That’s when he knew that it must have been much worse than he initially thought.
A Matter Of Money
His wife explained in a sad tone that it was due to financial problems. Chris couldn't understand and asked her what she meant by that.
She broke down and spilled everything. It had been a long three months, and Chris clearly didn't know what was going on, but his wife was about to enlighten him on the grim turn of events.
Fired
"I had to take a pay cut from work, and that meant that we've had to scale back a few things in order to afford groceries, water, and electricity." She finally told Chris.
He couldn't believe it. So they weren't moving out. But it was almost as bad since it meant he had failed his family, and his own daughter had to sleep on the floor because of their financial situation. He understood why she didn't tell him. She was as proud as he was when it came to her career.
Devastated
Chris was devastated; he had no idea that it was this bad. He had to think of a way to fix things. As the man of the house, he couldn’t bear to let his wife and child sleep on the floor while he was on duty.
Then he thought of something that had come up a few months ago. It was something from his work that might actually save them after all.
A Solution
Chris pondered a solution until it came to him. He reassured her that he would make a plan that would mean that they could at least sleep on beds like most people.
He had already devised his plan. He had saved it for a happy moment, maybe over dinner or champagne. But now he would have to let the cat out of the bag. He’d have to tell them the startling truth.
Things Were Changing At Work
Chris’ work had also been changing, just like his wife’s. It seemed fair that if he hadn’t shared his news, why should he be angry about her hiding it?
But thankfully, his news wasn’t nearly as dire as hers. His was going to be a simple change in the chain of command. But would it be able to save the day he was hoping it would?
Explaining His Career
Although she knew that Chris was a military soldier, she knew little about what he did. The stereotype of a typical soldier didn’t exactly help, either.
To tell her what would save them, he would have to explain his position in the military. Up until now, Chris was a lieutenant, but a recent mishap during a training exercise showed that he was no longer capable of that position.
Unfit As A Lieutenant
Chris hadn’t wanted to tell his wife, but he was recently found to be unfit as a lieutenant after an accident during a training exercise. He didn’t know how to tell her in a way that felt right.
He decided that he would just go out and say it. “Honey, I’m no longer a lieutenant. During a training exercise, there was a terrible mishap. Here’s what happened:”
What Happened
Chris explained how he had diffused a dangerous situation when a rookie enlisted soldier failed to throw a grenade after throwing it. The rookie was his responsibility, so he took it upon himself to fix things.
He grabbed the live grenade off of the floor, where it landed just feet away from everyone else, and tossed it as far toward the explosive range as he could.
No Consequences
The Major on the base saw what had happened and approached Chris. He expected the worst chewing out of his life. But there was something different about the way the Major walked towards him.
He congratulated Chris on his bravery and told him that not only was he not going to be in trouble - he’d put in a good word to get him promoted.
A Promotion
He had been offered a promotion in rank along with a raise. He was going to wait and talk to his wife before making a decision. But now, it was a no-brainer. Everyone would be financially secure, and his daughter could get her bed back.
Chris had already ordered his daughter and wife new beds by the time his daughter came home from school. She was happy to see him, to say the least.
Smile On Her Face
Chris surprised his daughter when she got home. She was shedding tears of joy over seeing her dad after months without him. But that was only the start.
How have things been while I’ve been gone, honey?” Chris asked, his bundle of joy, but that’s when her smile stopped, and he noticed tears form in her eyes. Clearly, things had been harder than Chris thought.
Tears
“Things have been hard, but mommy promises that things will get better. I’m really happy that you’re home.” Chris knew that no child should ever have to go through what his daughter did. But he knew his wife was trying her best.
He had a surprise for her. He knew she must have had many aches from sleeping on the floor. He was about to give her the gift that she didn’t expect. She just thought her dad was home.
Things Will Get Better
“Of course, things will get better, honey!” Chris said. In his defense, he genuinely thought that things would get a lot better than they were. But then his daughter said something she wasn’t supposed to.
“So now I can have a bed again? That means Mommy doesn’t have to punish me anymore!” A switch flipped in Chris’ head. What was she talking about?
Punished?
Chris thought about all of the times that he was gone. Was his wife doing things to their daughter that he wouldn’t have agreed with? He needed to quickly find out what his daughter was being punished for.
“What do you mean by being punished, honey?” Chris delicately asked. But he made a mistake being so blunt. His daughter immediately withdrew. What was going on?
Not Supposed To Say
“Why was mommy punishing you, honey?” Chris rephrased, putting on a smile and soft voice. But all he could get out of his daughter was a mumble under her breath, saying, “I’m not supposed to say.”
This set off alarm bells in Chris’ head. A parent always fears the worst when it comes to their child’s safety, even if it’s from the other parent.
Brainstorming
Chris knew that he had to brainstorm if he was going to figure out anything about the current situation. If he was too blunt, his daughter would never tell him the truth, but if he was too soft, then he may never find out what was going on.
He had to keep a perfect balance in order to find out the truth. As a military man, he had dealt with delicate situations before.
Personal Matter
Even though Chris had disarmed bombs and dragged injured soldiers out of the line of fire, this circumstance felt much more vital. Because it was a personal matter, and it affected those he held close.
He didn’t want anything bad to happen to his daughter, so he knew he had to find out the truth before it was too late.
Getting More Information
Chris decided that he could make a bargain with his daughter. “If you tell me what you were being punished for. I bet I can get mommy to stop.” The little girl looked over at her father and smiled. “Okay.”
The Truth
Chris asked his daughter for everything. “Well, it started when I lost my bed. Mommy said she was punishing me.” The girl told her father as she swayed back and forth.
“I did something wrong, and mommy didn’t want you to know about it.” Chris didn’t like secrets, “What did you do, honey?” He knew he was close to the truth now.
A Punish-Reward System
Chris wasn’t ready for what his little girl told him. “Mommy and I have a reward and punishment system. I was being naughty and not doing my homework. When I didn’t do it, she would take away one of my toys.”
“When I was good and did it, she would buy me a treat every Friday.” The girl said with a broad smile, proud of her accomplishments.
Finally, Understood
Chris breathed a sigh of relief. He got worked up over something so simple. He trusted his wife’s discipline techniques. He just wanted to be in the loop. She probably didn’t want him to know since he had so much on his plate already.
But now that the matter was resolved, he bent to one knee and pulled out his phone. “Do you wanna see what I ordered for you, sunshine?”
Her New Bed
Chris smiled and showed her a photo on his phone. It was a pink princess bed with the comfiest mattress he could find.
His little girl would never sleep on the floor again as long as her dad was around.