When She Sees This Christmas Photo, Woman Immediatelly Files for Divorce

Emily had her suspicions, feeling like her husband had been acting strangely for some time, but was unable to come up with any evidence, until she found a particular Christmas photo of the family last year. She soon learned that this was all she needed to file for divorce from Tom entirely on her own terms. What was that guy doing with his hands? Emily heard her youngest son, Peter, shout her name from upstairs. She froze for a moment before reacting. What could he have found, she quickly made her way to the attic. When she finally made it up the stairs, she found Peter staring intensely at the picture. She let out a sigh of relief. Nothing seemed wrong, and he just wanted her attention. When Peter noticed that his mother had joined him upstairs, he handed her a picture of the family. Mom, I found something that can be used as a Christmas decoration. When Emily saw the photo, her eyes widened and she nearly fell down the stairs from sheer shock. How did she not realize this before? What was her husband Tom keeping secret? But to better understand this situation, we need a little backstory. The Eriksons were a young family of five. Emily, her husband Tom, and their three children. The young family was close and enjoyed each other's company. They moved into their new home in Colorado just a few months ago and things were going great. No one expected everything to go wrong. Although the Eriksons were a very close family, the truth was that none of the three children were biologically related to their father, Tom. But all three belonged to Emily. Emily gave birth and raised them with her ex-husband, Stephen. That marriage ended two years ago and for good reason. The divorce was messy and very chaotic for the family. However, the new marriage couldn't be any better. Stephen was a serial cheater and had a very manipulative demeanor. For a long time, Emily found herself trapped in a constant web of lies. But after her reality's sudden crash, she was led to the truth. Emily suspected Stephen of always lying to her, but she chose to trust him. All this proved pointless when the truth came out. Her former colleague and now revealed ex-lover of Stephen arranged for Emily to receive all the evidence of Stephen's unfaithful behavior. Even as Emily stared at her evidence, she found it hard to believe, but she couldn't deny it any longer. Stephen was a serial cheater. When the truth of his infidelity came to light, Emily could no longer trust Stephen and soon she began questioning everything he said. This turned out to be for her benefit as she discovered he was stealing from their joint account and the trust of their children. With this new revelation, Emily got fed up with Stephen. Emily files for her divorce and she makes it clear to Stephen that she never wants to see him again. She explained that she hadn't told the police that he was lucky, but Stephen didn't seem to care. He didn't even fight for partial custody. So what made the divorce so messy? The only problem with Stephen's offer was that he was required to pay child support. He claimed it was unfair. However, Emily said she needed extra income to properly support all three children as a single parent. After a long battle, the court finally gave an answer. Fortunately, Emily won the legal battle. However, that period was difficult for her family and caused tension. Emily decides she needs to change her environment to adjust to life without Stephen. Her family moved to Colorado. Emily was not used to being alone and it was very difficult to care for her family. Emily was in town for a few months, but soon realized she no longer had a social life. She spent the past few months helping her children adjust to their new school and life. She needed adult time as she was miles away from her home. Emily and Tom met at a local bar. Emily didn't see her kids that night and she wanted to relax on her own. She loved them with all her heart, but she rejoiced for a while. But Emily was also a little nervous about going through her first night alone as a single woman at a bar. Tom gave a great introduction and the two hit it off. Soon they spent hours at the bar chatting about their lives and dreams. Emily was a nervous wreck. She thought she could see herself fall for him. But is it all another mistake? Shortly after meeting at a bar, the two went on their first date together. The date was successful and soon they were in a relationship. Emily and Tom's relationship seemed to move at an alarming pace. He was soon introduced to his family and considered a more permanent member. But Emily had her suspicions. Emily worried that their relationship was progressing too quickly, but worried that voicing her doubts would cause Tom to distance herself. However, Emily faced an unprecedented situation. Within a month, Tom was already talking about getting married. Emily was taken aback, especially after the disaster of her first marriage. Marriage was too big a commitment to plunge into. This time, Emily voiced her concerns even though Tom was afraid to leave. But she didn't realize her worst fears. Instead, Tom made it his mission to convince her otherwise. Emily knew the kids loved him, and Tom proved to be a good person in the months she met him. But was it enough? Emily finally reconsidered and after three months together, the pair tied the knot. Emily was thrilled about her new life with Tom. For the first time in a long time, she appeared to take a positive turn. But she couldn't help but feel like she's still somewhat worried about the whole thing. It didn't help that her new husband was acting a little weird. First, he surprised her and insisted on taking her last name. She claims it's easier for him to make changes than for her or her children. Also, as the weeks went on, Emily couldn't shake her nagging idea that she didn't know much about Tom. He never told her much about his life before meeting her, instead evading all her investigations. His story was that he was an only child who was orphaned shortly after starting college. He remained single after a brief relationship in college, he claimed. And like her recently moved to Colorado, this is why she never questioned the lack of her friends and family at her wedding. But now it all seemed suspicious. Maybe it was her history that Steven always lied to, but Emily could feel the trust in Tom breaking loose. He seemed so comfortable with her family's setting that she couldn't believe he was an only child without a family or had no experience with hers. Doubts continued to rise. But every time Emily worried she was able to explain it logically, or to maintain the happy home she built for herself and her children in Colorado, I realized that it is. But how long can she keep suspicion at bay? She knew it would eventually eat her up. The two had been happily married for nine months, and Emily developed a habit of burying her worries deep. It was Christmas time and the whole town was preparing for the holidays. Emily's world-shaking revelations threatened to ruin her joyful moments. The family was excited to experience the joyful Christmas for the first time since their parents' divorce. Emily knew how much the holidays meant to her kids, and she wanted Tom to feel like part of her family. She figured this would be the perfect time to connect with Tom's extended family. But is this what she wanted or would it be a disaster? Emily decides to invite Tom's extended family to Christmas dinner. With her plan complete, Emily shared the news with Tom, but his response was not what she had imagined. Emily didn't know exactly how Tom would react, but she didn't expect him to object to the idea. Once she voiced it, he immediately shut down her plan, showing no willingness to consider it. Moreover, he seemed angry with Emily. His anger increased when she tried to calm him down. Emily was caught off guard, she had never seen Tom so angry. The whole thing was a confusing experience for Emily. It was her first time thinking that Tom would get her mad at her, and in such a way, when she was going to do something good for him for her vacation. Emily was very completely upset. As she stares at Tom in confusion, her eyes begin to fill with tears. Finally seeing what his anger was doing to Emily, Tom took a step back to calm his emotions. Apologizing, Tom said his former family situation was a difficult topic for him, and he currently has little contact with them. He said how hurtful that time in his life was, and how he was not ready to reunite with the family that brought him so many bad memories. According to Tom, meeting and falling in love with Emily and her children gave him a chance to start anew, and he'd rather focus on that. Tom had another confession. Tom admitted that he didn't really like Christmas. It wasn't the holiday he was lovingly looking forward to, but Emily was so excited about the holiday that she didn't want to do it just yet. But now that Emily has planned something very elaborate and alarming, Tom felt it best to let her know in advance. The holidays brought back sad memories and reminded him of times in his life he didn't want to revisit. But this was also something he didn't really want to talk about. Emily was stunned after their interaction. Both bombshells weren't what she expected, and now she finds herself debating her next steps. But as much as she pondered Tom's words, Emily could not calm her nagging feeling that she could change her mind. Emily was confident that she knew what was best for Tom, and felt that with the right amount of effort and planning, she could definitely bring the Christmas spirit back into Tom's life. Emily was happy to have direction once again. She then made plans set to go into action a few days later. When Tom left for work, the plan was simple. Emily spent the day decorating her entire house with Christmas decorations. She was sure it would bring some much-needed Christmas cheer, but does it? Emily got more excited as the days went on. She decided to involve her children in her own plan, and she felt it would be a great bonding Christmas experience for everyone. But Emily's plan met her first hurdle, fine decorations. The question was where Emily last saw them, the last place she ever wanted. Emily had several family Christmas heirloom decorations that meant a lot to her and the children. It was important for Emily to let her children use the decorations again, but unfortunately it was her ex-husband who saw and processed them in the end. Luckily, Emily found the decoration closer than she expected. After hours of searching, Emily is blown away when the children signal her. They were all in the attic, behind which was a box of Christmas decorations, crammed into a corner, and hidden behind a Tom's box in the luggage he brought. Emily was overjoyed at the news. Her worries were eased because she knew she didn't need to get in touch with her ex or buy her new decorations. She sets her sights on her youngest son, Peter, hoping he will be as much a part of the experience as his older brother, and she encourages him to unload a box of decorations from the attic. But Peter didn't know which boxes were filled with decorations and which ones belonged to Tom. The boy made a quick decision. He opened all the boxes and briefly examined which ones were for Tom and once had decorations, but what he found surprised him. Peter was quick as he moved through the box with a zeal that only someone so young can have. He opened everything to check until he came across something in one of Tom's boxes, an old Christmas card, and Tom himself was painted on it. But he was not alone. Peter couldn't believe his eyes this was the best thing a young boy could see. Peter ran downstairs with a card, smiling from ear to ear on his way to his mother in his living room. Mommy, mommy. Tom loves Christmas. Look. And he hands a surprised Emily the card, but Emily had a bigger surprise in store. Emily blinked in surprise to find Peter happily handing him a piece of paper. Was a card. Inside the card was a photo of Tom and his young family. Tom looked painted with what looked like his wife and kids. Emily was shocked. Tom told them he had been single for years when he met her, and he definitely didn't mention having her family before marrying her. When she took a closer look at the card, she could no longer deny that Tom had lied to her. Emily did her best to consider other possibilities, but the evidence was undeniable. The card not only dates back to a Christmas before this one, but also notices Tom wearing her wedding ring. Was he still married less than a year ago? What was the truth? Emily's head was spinning from the secret she unwittingly revealed. It felt like history was repeating itself once more. Shaking, she had to call Tom immediately to ease her worries, but he didn't pick up the phone. Emily had to wait until she got home to get her answer. After waiting for several hours, Emily felt like she had more time to think, making her more confused and angry this time. Did she even know who Tom really was? What happened in that previous marriage that he now had to keep completely secret? Emily was fed up. Hours after, Emily made up her mind to confront him. Tom finally arrives and enters the house as usual after the shift, but this time it's different. Even before he calmed down, Emily made her appearance. She threw a card in his face and demanded she know the truth. Tom looked at Emily with some confusion before seeing the piece of paper she threw at him. Realizing what he was holding in his hand, he turned white with shock and began to stutter. He quickly tries to come up with excuses, but he knows there is no way out. He had been arrested. He just cursed under his breath and regretted not erasing the photo when he had the chance. He sighed. He knew he had to fuss. He began to explain. Emily was right, he was still married last Christmas. However, it was not a happy marriage. He and his ex-wife Dani had been in trouble for years when they called it quits. Tom admitted that he finally had the courage to end the ill-fated union shortly after the photo was taken, but that was only the beginning of his troubles. Dani had a lot of animosity towards Tom and wanted him to pay by getting full custody and making sure he never saw his kids again. To make matters worse, it became clear to Tom, with her attorney, that there was no way he could win the custody battle. So Tom came up with a drastic plan. He was disappearing so they couldn't get him to pay child support. But Tom wasn't finished with his revelation. Tom moved across the country a week after making the decision and admitted he hadn't looked back. He even went so far as to have his friends transport him so that it could not be traced. He wanted to hide as much as possible from Dani, and his plans for this included marrying someone else as soon as possible. Here comes Emily. Tom really made sure to put everything in the relationship and it worked. Emily fell head over heels in love with him and she soon married. Emily listened to her in shock. This also explained why Tom insisted on taking Emily's surname. Emily felt like a pawn. Emily was devastated by the revelation. Like her ex-husband, Emily felt like her entire marriage to Tom was a lie. Emily couldn't help but see the face of his words. Even though she claimed he really loved her. What Tom did was not fair to her, her children, and his former family. She contacted her lawyer the next day. Emily moved on quickly. Her past experiences with her ex taught her a lot. She kicked Tom out of her house and immediately filed for divorce. A simple divorce without him having to pay child support and she having full custody of her children. She leaves Tom with no way of contesting her divorce and forces him to accept it. But there was something else. Emily's attorney also noted that Tom's ex-wife Dani was informed of everything that happened and provided legal assistance so that she could initiate a lawsuit against Tom and demand what she owed him. Emily herself also had a conversation with Dani and she drew a very different picture of Tom than what Emily was used to. Listening to Dani helped confirm what Emily had suspected all along. She and her attorney had the right to proceed with the divorce and get Dani to respond quickly to the situation. She will finally get what she was entitled to. Her lawyer saw it and Emily was able to move on with her own life. In court documents supporting her statement, Dani clarified that while she did not ask for full custody, Tom wants nothing to do with the children. Like Emily's ex, Tom was a serial cheater, which was the cause of their divorce. Emily can certainly sympathize and was glad she could have Tom behind her. But out of a strange ordeal something else was born. Emily and Dani find it easier to lean on each other because they share similar experiences. The two became best friends and started a new Christmas tradition of families sharing a Merry Christmas together. Their stories prove that even the toughest experiences can elicit fulfilling connections.