Under His Nose
Nathan couldn’t believe what had been going on right under his nose. For years, he trusted his neighbor around his wife and kids. That was his first mistake.
He never had a problem with the man; in fact, he considered him a friend. But he was unaware of what Marshal got up to behind closed doors.
The day Nathan finally discovered the truth, his entire world came crashing down around him. He wasn’t going to let them get away with it any longer. He was going to get his revenge.
A Perfect Day
The day he discovered the truth was supposed to be good. It was a sunny Saturday morning, and Nathan was excited to spend some time with his family.
His two young children, Alex and Melanie, were already dressed in their swimsuits when they left their bedroom that morning.
Nathan’s wife, Kendall, was in the kitchen preparing a wonderful breakfast for the family. It seemed to be the perfect day, but soon, it would end in tragedy.
No One Suspected Anything
That morning, the family of four sat around the breakfast table, stuffing themselves with pancakes and bacon.
They engaged in polite conversation and worked together to clean the kitchen after their feast. No one suspected how that day would end.
As soon as the kitchen was clean, the small family headed into their backyard. That was when Nathan heard the lawnmower.
The Neighbor
Glancing over the fence and into his neighbor’s yard, Nathan could see Marshal, his next-door neighbor and good friend.
Marshal spent every Saturday working on his lawn, but on that day, Nathan decided to do something he wouldn’t usually do.
“Hey, neighbor. We’re going to hop in the pool. Feel free to come and join us. I’ve got a few beers,” Nathan called. That was his first mistake.
He Came Over
Marshal came over just minutes later. He knew the Smith family well, and he had no problem spending his Saturday afternoon with them.
While Marshal, Kendall, and the kids spent time in the pool, Nathan began setting up the barbecue for lunch.
Nathan took his time cooking hot dogs and hamburgers while his family relaxed. But eventually, he noticed something.
Distracted
Nathan had been so distracted cooking the food he hadn’t even noticed that only his children were still outside.
Confused, he looked around. Where had Marshal and Kendall gone? He turned to the kids, “Where’s Mom and Marshal?” He asked.
The youngest child, Melanie, pointed at the house. “They went to get everyone drinks,” She said casually. But that wasn’t all they were doing.
The Unthinkable
Nathan shrugged it off and continued grilling their food. But it wasn’t until he finished his drink that he decided to head inside and grab another one.
As soon as Nathan stepped into the house, he realized that it was oddly quiet. He expected to hear Marshal and Kendall talking.
He walked toward the kitchen, an empty can of beer in his hand. But as he turned the corner, he walked in on something that would ruin his life.
A Good Man
Nathan Par had lived in Detroit, Michigan, since he was a young child. It was where he graduated high school and attended college.
Everyone who knew Nathan knew that he was a charming, kind man with a wonderful sense of humor. He’d always surrounded himself with good people.
Growing up, Nathan never spent much time obsessing over girls. But that all changed during his final year of college.
The Woman Of His Dreams
He knew from the second he laid eyes on Kendall Jordan that someday, she would be his wife. And he was right.
Nathan and Kendall were only twenty-five years old when they decided to marry. Nathan was certain that he had found the perfect woman.
Shortly after their wedding, the pair ditched their busy lives in the city and moved to the suburbs, where they would eventually start a family.
The Happiest Day
The day they signed the contract and bought their first home was one of the happiest days of their lives.
Nathan thought their new home was absolutely perfect. It was situated in a beautiful and quiet neighborhood filled with children.
The man couldn’t wait to start a family and make the new house their home. But shortly after moving in, they met their next-door neighbor, Marshal.
Their Neighbor
Marshal Young was a few years older than Nathan and Kendall. He’d moved to their neighborhood shortly after divorcing his second wife.
He was the first person to come knocking on their door, welcoming them to the neighborhood. Nathan instantly took a liking to the slightly older man.
As time passed, Nathan, Kendall, and Marshal often invited each other over for barbecues and dinners. But one day, Marshal made a strange suggestion.
Mowing The Lawn
It was while they were out having dinner together one night that Nathan mentioned something casually. “I tried to mow the lawn this morning, but the lawnmower wasn’t working,” He said.
That was when Marshal made a rather generous offer. “Hey, I’m mowing my lawn this weekend. I’ll come over and mow yours while I’m at it,” He said.
Nathan thought his offer was both strange and extremely generous. “Are you sure? I could just borrow your lawn mower and do it myself,” Nathan said, but his neighbor wasn’t having it.
Saturday Mornings
“No, no. Let me take care of it,” Marshal insisted. From that day forward, Marshal spent every Saturday morning mowing his lawn and then Nathan’s.
As the years passed, Nathan often told Marshal that he didn’t have to do it, but the older man insisted. He always wondered why Marshal was so adamant about doing it.
As the years passed, they remained close to their neighbor. But Nathan soon noticed something about his wife.
Close Friends
As the months turned into years, Kendall grew increasingly close to their neighbor. But he never thought anything of it.
“It’s nice to have a real, close friend nearby,” Kendall would say every time she brought Marshal up. Nathan saw no problem with that.
He trusted his wife. She had never given him any reason not to. But over time, something strange began to happen.
A Discovery
Nathan was confused when he discovered that sometimes, while he was at work, Kendall would visit Marshal on her own.
“He just invites me over for coffee sometimes when he has a break from work,” Kendall shrugged when he asked her about it.
Although something about the situation felt strange to Nathan, he decided to take his wife’s word. Before he knew it, years flew by.
Their Children
Just two years after they moved to the suburbs, Kendall gave birth to their first child, a boy named Alex. It was a dream come true for Nathan.
But he was even more excited when she welcomed their daughter, Melanie, into the world just three years later.
He’d always wanted a boy and a girl, and that was exactly what Kendall gave him. He watched as they grew up in their beautiful home.
Uncle Marshall
Nathan worked hard to give his little family everything they needed. While he was off at work every single day, Kendall stayed home with their children.
Marshal worked from home, and Nathan was glad to know that if anything happened while he was off at work, his good friend, Marshall, would have his back.
Alex and Melanie called him “Uncle Marshal,” and they loved him just as much as their parents did.
Outside
Every Saturday, while Marshal was over mowing their lawn, the kids would be outside with him, helping him clean the garden.
But one day, as Nathan stood in the kitchen, watching out over the front yard, he noticed something about his children.
They were standing beside Marshal, helping him scoop leaves into a trash bag. That was when he noticed it.
Look!
“Honey?” He called to his wife as she stood behind him, preparing lunch. She turned toward him, joining him by the kitchen window.
“What is it?” She asked with a polite smile on her face. She looked outside, spotting their children with Marshal.
“Isn’t it weird how similar they look? Marshal looks like he could be their father,” he chuckled. But he didn’t notice his wife’s concern when he said those words.
A Crazy Coincidence
Nathan stepped away from the window, thinking it was some kind of crazy coincidence. He didn’t think about it again.
Until that one Saturday afternoon when they were all hanging out in the backyard, Nathan was grilling when he noticed his wife’s absence.
Confused, he looked around. Marshal wasn’t around either. He turned to the kids, “Where’s Mom and Marshal?” He asked.
They Were In The House
The youngest child, Melanie, pointed at the house. “They went to get everyone drinks,” She said casually. But that wasn’t all they were doing.
He didn’t think anything about the fact that they were alone in the house together. Marshal had been over a million times before.
He knew that Marshal and Kendall were rather close. But that day, he would learn just how close they were.
Standing By Him
It was supposed to be a beautiful day. All Nathan wanted to do was spend some time at the pool with his family.
But he never could have guessed that that day would be the beginning of the end of his relationship with Kendall.
For years, she had stood by his side. He was under the impression that their relationship was solid, but he was about to learn the truth.
The Unthinkable
Nathan shrugged off what his daughter had said and continued grilling their food. But it wasn’t until he finished his drink that he decided to head inside and grab another one.
As soon as Nathan stepped into the house, he realized that it was oddly quiet. He expected to hear Marshal and Kendall talking.
As soon as he stepped foot into the living room, something inside of him changed. Suddenly, he felt like something was seriously wrong.
He Kept Walking
He paused for a moment and considered going back outside, but thankfully, he didn’t. He kept walking.
He walked toward the kitchen, an empty can of beer in his hand. All he wanted to do was grab another drink.
But his entire life was about to change. As he turned the corner, he walked in on something that would ruin his life.
The Scene
As soon as Nathan entered their kitchen, the empty beer can slipped out of his palm and landed loudly on the floor.
He couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw his wife, Kendall, kissing their neighbor, Marshal, right there in the middle of the kitchen.
The second the can hit the floor, Kendall and Marshal pulled away from one another. When Kendall saw her husband’s face, her heart dropped.
He Trusted Her
Nathan couldn’t believe his eyes. He never felt threatened by their friendship because he trusted her, but at that moment, he regretted it.
“Look, we can explain,” Marshal said, but Nathan didn’t want to hear it. He pointed at the door, “Get out of here,” He demanded.
Marshal hesitantly walked toward the door, wondering if he was supposed to apologize or just run as fast as he could.
Many Years
“How long has this been going on?” Nathan asked as soon as the door shut behind Marshal. But he was not ready for his wife’s response.
“Many, many years,” Kendall choked out, tears spilling down her cheeks. Nathan couldn’t believe it. All along, his wife had been having an affair.
Suddenly, it all made sense. He finally understood why Marshal was always so kind and why he offered to work on their yard. He was doing it because he felt guilty.
His First Mistake
Nathan couldn’t believe what had been going on right under his nose. For years, he trusted his neighbor around his wife and kids. That was his first mistake.
That was when Nathan thought of their children and how closely they resembled Marshal. He always wondered why they looked nothing like him.
“Is-” He choked over his words. The question was far too difficult to ask, “Is he the father?” Tears spilled down his cheeks when he asked that question.
He Left
Kendall was sobbing when she whispered a quiet “Yes.” Nathan couldn’t take it anymore. He was beyond broken.
He had just discovered that his entire life was a lie. He left the house immediately and drove away as fast as he could.
That night, he stayed with his sister. Kendall and Marshal called multiple times, but he refused to answer.
Moving On
He filed for divorce the very next day and sent Kendall the papers. She tried multiple times to get him to reconsider, but he refused.
She had cheated on him for years with one of his friends, and he could never trust her again. His entire life was a lie.
As the months turned into years, Nathan slowly healed and moved on, knowing that someday, he would be happy again.