Tom, my husband, kept trying to get me to get a second job, but I never thought that would lead me to find out his deepest secret.
I was happy with our simple life because I was the main worker in our family. Tom, who is a plumber and owns his own business, suddenly made it very clear that I had to do more work.
“You don’t leave the house to work, so you can’t be as tired as I am,” he’d add.
I knew better, though. My job needed me to be focused and work long hours, but Tom’s business did well with a staff.
My mom knew something wasn’t right. She asked, “Is Tom’s business having a hard time?”
Even though I told her it wasn’t, she kept asking. What made Tom push me so hard?
When we chose to sell my car and buy a new one, the truth started to come out. Tom became excited about the idea of me getting a second job again.
“Your job is easy, Lisa,” he said in a demeaning way. “You work from home; it’s not like you’re crawling under cars all day.”
I was shocked by his explanation. “Why don’t you get a part-time job on your days off?” I fought back.
It was funny when Tom said, “I’d miss bowling with my friends.”
In order to make a point, I applied for a job at the bowling alley where Tom spent his nights. I wanted to make him feel bad about what he said.
I had to wear a showing dress to work on my first day, which made me feel bad. The look on Tom’s face when he saw me was amazing.
As the night went on, I learned the shocking truth. Ursula, Tom’s manager, said that he was known for pursuing waitresses, and one of them had just given birth to his kid.
My world fell apart. To make enough money to pay his child support, Tom wanted me to work two jobs.
When I talked to Tom, I told him he had to leave our house and file for divorce the next day.
A Hard Lesson Learned
When I think about it now, I can see that Tom’s trickery was an attempt to keep up his dishonest way of life. His insistence was a red flag, but I didn’t pay attention to it.
Do not be afraid to follow your gut if you find yourself in a similar position. There are times when the truth is right there in plain sight, just waiting to be found.
