Wife Finds Evidence That Her ‘Perfect’ Husband of 50 Years Is a Long-Wanted Criminal – Story of the Day

Rose was cleaning her home attic when she found a box hidden in a secret stash under the floorboards. She opened the box to check its contents and found a necklace that was stolen from a jewelry store over 50 years ago in a gang robbery while she was working her shift there. Rose realized she had the evidence of the crime with her, but her husband was one of the perpetrators.

76-year-old Rose huffed as she finished stacking the cardboard boxes in a neat pile and went to fetch the vacuum cleaner. It was ridiculous that even though her knees ached and her back felt stiff, she had to clean the attic on her own.

But Rose didn't have a choice. She had been asking her husband, Jack, to clean the attic for a while now, and he just kept putting it off. When she reminded him again, he proposed hiring someone to clear all the clutter. Rose hated the outrageous prices those younger workers quote these days, so she decided to do it by herself.

Dust and cobwebs had taken over every nook and cranny of the room. Rose climbed back into the attic with the vacuum cleaner and got to work.

Suddenly, she noticed a wonky wooden board under her foot.

Rose knelt down to look at the floorboard, thinking she would have to prod Jack to mend it. She knew her husband too well, so it would take days or weeks before he got it done.

Rose tried to adjust it by pressing it but soon noticed it wasn't really nailed down. The floorboard was loose and came off when she removed it.

"What in the world…" she gasped, staring at the blank space on the floor. Rose's instincts told her something was off. She began checking all the floorboards around the gap and realized several more were loose.

Curiosity got the best of her, and Rose plucked out the planks, only to realize there was a secret stash in her attic. But what surprised her more was that a box was neatly hidden there. Rose quickly reached into the gap, took the box out, and inspected its contents.

It had a couple of pictures of Jack, but Rose hadn't seen them before. He looked very young in them...and then there was an old but expensive wristwatch. There were some documents, too, but she didn't recognize them, either.

"Why would Jack hide these things here?" Rose eventually wondered. For years, it was just the two of them living in the house. But her confusion swiftly turned into horror when she lifted a lone piece of jewelry that was tucked away inside the box.

"No, no, this can't be!" Rose muttered, knowing she couldn't have made a mistake in recognizing the jewelry. She turned it over in her palms, and she knew it was the same piece that had gone missing over 50 years ago.

It was a stunning neckpiece crafted from Burmese rubies and was stolen from a high-end jewelry store.

Rose would never forget the day the necklace went missing. As she looked at it closely and realized that the same jewelry nearly killed her, her hands began to shake in fear.

Rose was a salesgirl at a renowned jewelry store over 50 years ago. An unfortunate robbery occurred while she was working her shift. And the stolen jewelry, which she now discovered was hidden in her house, was never recovered.

A gang had broken into the jewelry store all the years ago, and she was the main witness in the case as she had seen the gang leader's face.

However, in a strange car accident just days after the robbery, all the perpetrators of the crime were found dead…except one of the robbers. He had disappeared without a trace, just like the loot, and the cops couldn't locate him.

Rose's gut twisted with a strange anxiety. She now realized that meeting her husband was more than just a coincidence. Though she couldn't believe it, her mind had started to suspect that the missing robber was none other than her Jack.

Rose always thought that her husband of 50 years was a loving, kind, and caring man, although, in his older age, he had become lazy and grumpy. Still, Rose would see her husband as 'perfect.'

There wasn't a day in their marriage when she had felt choosing Jack wasn't the best decision of her life. He always made her feel loved and respected. Sometimes, she forgot their anniversary, but Jack…oh, he never forgot any important dates!

Jack was the love of her life, her perfect husband indeed. But now, a chill ran down her spine as Rose stared at the necklace in her hands. Her husband wasn't as perfect as she believed.

Rose grunted as she closed the box and got to her feet. She climbed down the attic stairs and marched to the kitchen, stopping momentarily in the living room to find her phone.

When she entered the kitchen, Jack was peacefully seated at the counter, reading a magazine and enjoying his black coffee. He looked up as she walked in.

"Did you need something, darling?" he asked with a smile.

"Should I make you some coffee?"

For a second, Rose couldn't bring herself to confront him. How could this lovely man be a long-wanted criminal? She looked at his face and wondered if she wanted to show him the necklace. She knew she would lose Jack forever if he confessed everything.

But a voice inside her told Rose she couldn't just bury the truth and move on. If Jack was who she now thought he was, he deserved to be behind bars, not in her home. He was a criminal, after all.

So Rose knew she couldn't let her emotions come in the way. She took a deep breath and approached him.

"What do you have to say about this, Jack?" Rose asked disappointedly as she approached the counter and placed the necklace in front of him. "Rings any bells?"

She noticed his face twisted with shock as he saw the necklace, and her heart sank. But she maintained her composure.

"My love…where—where…I don't know what you're talking about," he stammered, looking at the piece, but she knew he was lying.

"I don't think I need to tell you that I found the stash in our attic, Jack," Rose sighed. "You only have ten minutes to say whatever you want because the cops…are on their way."

"What?" He looked at her in shock and guilt.

"You didn't leave me a choice, Jack," she said, shaking her head. "This wasn't the only thing I found in the attic, but I'd like to know everything about this necklace and everything that happened 50 years ago. Are you going to come clean or—"

It was then that Jack leaned back in his chair, looking defeated.

"Fine," he sighed as he removed his reading glasses. "You are right. It was me, honey. I recognize the necklace, and I did steal it all those years ago..." he said, then he recalled the fateful incident that occurred more than five decades ago.

More than 50 years ago: The day the robbery that ruined Jack's life took place…

"Freeze! Weapons on the ground!"

A swarm of police officers surged inside the jewelry store where Rose worked. Their guns were drawn. Another batch of officers circled the business, and finally, relief washed over the employees.

A 911 call was placed when the robbers broke into the store, but the early arrival of the cops caused a wave of panic and chaos among the bandits.

Barr, one of the robbers, grabbed Rose, taking her hostage. He pressed the gun's barrel against her forehead, causing the civilians and cops to freeze.

"Nobody moves, or I'll blow off her head!" he screamed as he pressed the gun further against Rose's skin. Some customers in the store screamed as a wave of panic rushed over everyone.

"Let my boys go, or she'll die!" Barr yelled. "Did you hear me? Take a step back!"

Rose was terrified, and looking at her, the cops knew they had to listen to Barr.

"Get your things, boys!" the thug said, shaking his revolver at his companions. "Drop your weapons and kick them away!" He ordered the cops. "And make way for my boys! Move! Out of the way!"

Rose trembled in terror as the gun's cold metal scraped against her temple. Barr almost dragged her out of the store, and she couldn't do anything.

The cops stepped back, dropped their weapons, and got on their knees, following Barr's directions as he and his mates made their way to their van parked near the store's back entrance.

"Help, please! Please!" Rose screamed, but all her pleas fell on deaf ears.

"Shut your goddamn mouth, or I'll fire this thing!" Barr shoved her into the backseat, holding her at gunpoint, and Rose was too terrified to go against him. The van sped away.

But while the thieves were trying to escape, the sirens blaring in the distance caught their attention. Rose peered into the rearview mirror and saw police cars following them.

Terrified for her life, Rose gulped, wishing the cops would soon catch up with the van. She could be free.

But to her horror, the van swerved into an alley, and the cops lost the trail of the robbers' vehicle.

"Bastards! Did they really think they could catch us?" One of the thugs sneered. And only Rose knew how hard it was for her to control her tears.

The sirens had vanished, and not a single police light was now visible in the rearview mirror. Rose was helpless and didn't even know if she would make it out alive.

Her heart pounded in fear, and she swallowed thickly to avoid tears welling up in her eyes. But then Rose spotted an opportunity.

Rose noticed the vehicle was nearing the crossroads. She leaned closer to the window and peered out.

"If you do anything crazy, I swear to God, I'll fire this thing!" Barr threatened her, so she moved away from the window. But Rose knew she wouldn't get another chance to escape. She needed to act quickly.

The vehicle slowed down at the crossing as it made a turn. Barr sat next to her in the backseat.

Just when he least anticipated it, Rose swiftly turned toward Barr, her canines sinking hard into the flesh on his arm. As he recoiled in pain, Rose jumped out of the van and ran. She ran as fast as her legs would allow.

Crossing the traffic on the road seemed like she was navigating a maze. Rose heard police sirens in the distance while fleeing, but she didn't wait for them to protect her.

"Darn it! Follow her!" Barr grumbled, rubbing the bitten area on his arm. But he soon became aware of the sirens, and panic washed over him.

The bandits sped down the lane, trying to outrun the cops. The van's tires squealed as they wove through traffic, leaving nearly-avoided collisions in its wake.

They didn't want to waste their time in town and jeopardize their freedom. But Rose remained an issue for them because she had seen the gang leader's face.

While Barr and the other bandits had their faces obscured with masks, Snider did not. And if his identity was revealed, the entire gang would land in jeopardy. They couldn't afford to take the risk of leaving Rose alive.

So, after dodging the cops, the gang returned to their customary meeting place, a run-down garage on the outskirts of town.

"What exactly are we going to do, boss?" Barr inquired as they all exited the van. "We can't just let her go! She's seen your face, and she can rat us out to the cops!"

Snider approached Jack, glaring at him. "She wouldn't have escaped if the van hadn't slowed at the turn, isn't it?" he grumbled, almost accusing Jack of being at fault.

"Sorry...Sorry, boss," Jack replied timidly. Nobody ever crossed Snider, so even Jack didn't.

"We go by the rule then," Snider continued. "Whoever creates the mess cleans it up. Find her and make sure she doesn't cause any more problems for us or anyone else! I want her dead!"

"Got it, boss," Jack said, nodding.

All Jack did for the next few days was follow Rose. He discovered where she lived when he first followed her after her shift.

Then he mapped out her complete schedule: when she left her house, when she returned, and which places she frequented, all in order to find the perfect opportunity to kill her without anyone suspecting him.

On a Friday evening, when he was sure she would be alone at home, Jack showed up at her house as an insurance agent.

"Yes?" Rose asked as she answered the door.

"Hello, ma'am, I'm from your insurance firm. I, uh, needed your signatures on some documents," he explained, fidgeting with his bag and appearing to remove papers.

"Well, I don't recall getting a correspondence from the company," Rose said, opening the door wider for him.

"But it's fine," Rose added, looking at what appeared to be a company ID on the man. "Please come in. Maybe I'd missed their letters or something."

"Would you like something? Tea? Coffee?" she asked as he settled on the living room couch.

"I'd love some tea. Thank you," he said.

"Not a problem," she smiled.

Rose disappeared into the kitchen to make tea, and Jack pulled out the poison vial from his bag. He was going to poison Rose so that her death looked like an accident. That way, he would not be charged with murdering her.

The poison Jack was carrying with him was of a particular kind. It killed one instantaneously but couldn't be easily traced in the bloodstream. So, Jack felt confident his plan would work. However, everything went wrong that day.

"So, what are the papers I need to sign?" Rose inquired, returning with two cups of tea.

"Yeah, right here," Jack said as he laid out the fake documents on the table.

Jack knew he would not be able to keep up the charade for too long. The moment Rose finished reading the papers, she would know he was not an insurance agent. And then, it would be too late.

So Jack wanted to quickly get the job done and leave her house. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. He was hiding the poison vial in his fist, but he didn't add it to her tea. He just couldn't convince himself.

Because Jack developed feelings for Rose. He fell in love with her at first sight. He knew it was stupid, but he had no control over what his heart felt.

He wasn't sure what it was about her that drew him in, but he couldn't take his gaze away from her. In his opinion, she was just...perfect. He had never seen a more gorgeous woman.

He hid the vial quietly in his bag, refusing to do what he had come for. But Jack was also scared. He knew what he was feeling was wrong for both of them, especially Rose, who had no idea he had come to her house to kill her.

She didn't even know he was a part of the same gang that had held her hostage and wouldn't have hesitated to kill her only a few days ago.

However, Jack couldn't hurt Rose. He just couldn't. And he definitely couldn't kill her.

"Rose," he said suddenly, and she looked up. "Yes?"

"I…I just wanted to get a few details before we started on this," he said as he drew the documents close to himself. He just wanted to leave, but he was so frozen beneath his feelings, that he just came up with a random question instead.

"Can you tell me more about your job? There's this thing that we have...I mean, there was a form I had to fill out," he added. "I would need more information for that, and if you could explain a little bit more about your background."

"Of course, sure…"

Rose answered all his questions thoughtfully. And Jack pretended to note it all down, but even as she was talking, Jack was just falling harder for her. He had entirely forgotten he was there on Snider's orders, and what the consequences of disobeying him would be.

"You are beautiful," he blurted out at some point, and he noticed she didn't hate his comment.

"Oh! Thank you...Thank you," she said nervously, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Is there anything else you need to know?"

"No, that was all," he said as he rose to his feet and stuffed the papers in his bag.

Jack realized what he was about to do could be disastrous. So he hurriedly marched to the door, determined to leave. But Rose stopped him. She shouldn't have done that. That's where it all went wrong.

"Wait, Jack!" she said, and he spun around. "Yeah?"

"My signatures?" she asked, and it was then it hit him. He hadn't taken her signatures yet. How could he be such a fool?

"Oh, yeah, sorry."

He took out the documents and walked over to her. She was so close...it was blinding. At that point, Jack couldn't hold himself back any longer. He pulled her closer and planted a firm kiss on her lips.

To his surprise, Rose didn't mind. The next moment, they were on the couch, making love. That night, Jack stayed with Rose.

He couldn't bring himself to kill her or tell her the truth about himself. But the fear of not carrying out Snider's orders gnawed at him. He knew Snider's impatience must've been growing. And Jack wasn't sure how he would get out of this mess.

The only thing he was sure of that night was that he was madly in love with Rose, and he would do anything to protect her.

So that night, as he watched her sleep beside him, Jack came up with a plan, promising himself he would not let Rose suffer. Jack went to meet Snider the following day, as planned.

"So...that woman. Is the task finished?"

That was the first question Snider asked as Jack entered the garage.

He collected himself. "I took care of it, boss," he said. "She won't bother us anymore."

"Really?" Snider raised a brow. "What about her body?"

It was then Jack felt like his lungs were about to collapse. He had no idea Snider would inquire about Rose's body. Jack was stuck, but he quickly came up with a lie.

"I dumped her body in the swamp, boss," he lied, hoping that would satisfy the man. "By the time anybody finds the body, it will have decayed…beyond recognition."

But things just turned awry when Snider demanded to visit the place where Jack had dumped Rose's body.

"Get in the car, boys!" Snider ordered the other robbers.

"But boss, I killed her. Don't you trust me?" Jack countered.

Snider stepped closer to Jack and looked him in the eye. "Boy, I'm the boss around here. If I give you an order, all you have to do is obey it. Get in the van and drive!"

Jack climbed into the driver's seat and took the wheel. He knew that if Snider discovered he was lying, he would kill him and then Rose, too.

Jack was terrified for his life, but more than that, he felt guilty for dragging Rose into a situation for which she was not to blame. She has nothing to do with it. It was only her bad luck that she had seen Snider's face when she was held captive. She didn't deserve to die for it.

As Jack drove, his mind was blank. He didn't know what he was going to do or how he was going to help Rose, but he knew he had to figure something out.

Jack just kept driving without a destination in mind until an idea struck him.

"Where exactly did you bury her?" Snider asked, suddenly distracting him, and Jack flinched.

"Uh, we…we are almost there, boss!" He replied, clutching the steering wheel tightly.

Jack swerved into the road that would take them to the highway.

"Why the sharp turn?" Snider asked, and Jack said, "This is a shortcut to the swamp, boss."

But a cunning plan brewed at the back of Jack's mind. He knew what he was about to do would endanger not just his own but also the lives of those in the van with him, but Jack didn't have a choice. He chose to kill himself and the whole gang together but save Rose's life.

Just before the highway, Jack turned into the forest road. He slammed on the gas pedal and accelerated the vehicle, spotting a giant tree ahead. The vehicle reached its full speed.

"What the hell are you doing?! Jack!"

Within seconds, the car smacked into a tree ahead, the bonnet swung, and there was a loud thump before everything became quiet.

Jack had no idea what happened next. When he awoke, all he could smell was blood and smoke. His head was throbbing. It took him some time to realize he'd been saved by being strapped to the seat.

But Jack's eyes widened in horror as fumes started emanating out of the engine. He grunted as he flung open the door and crawled out of the vehicle. Then, a loud boom echoed in the forest.

Jack flinched as he turned to look behind. If only he had been a second late, he would've died. The van was engulfed in flames, and all his mates were dead.

There were tears in Jack's eyes that day. While those guys in the van had been involved in crimes and done terrible things in life, they were his mates. He had been lucky to escape the vehicle at the last moment.

Jack rose to his feet, wiping away his tears. He then trudged to the highway in order to hitchhike a ride home.

Jack decided to leave the life of crime that day. The word about the crashed van spread like wildfire over the next few days. But as time passed by, people forgot about it. Everyone seemed like they'd moved on. Jack had moved on.

Then, one day, Jack thought about Rose, and he knew he could no longer wait to be with her. He got himself a job and established himself as a 'real' man. Then one day, like nothing had ever happened, he asked for her hand in marriage.

Jack was forced to lie to Rose about leaving his work as an insurance agent, and their relationship began with deception, but he genuinely loved her.

She was over the moon when he proposed to her, and they got married in a beach-themed wedding, starting a new chapter in their lives.

Jack completely forgot his past and created a new life for him with Rose. But it's said that sometimes our past doesn't leave us and comes back to haunt us.

Present-day…

"And that's what happened," Jack finished. "My past caught up with me. You found the necklace. I still had the loot with me, Rose. I didn't know what to do. I didn't even remember I had shoved it in a secret stash in the attic," he sighed helplessly.

Rose was about to say something, but right then, the doorbell rang. A look of horror flashed across Jack's face as Rose marched to the door.

"Hello, ma'am. You reported you'd identified a robbery suspect?" an officer asked.

Rose looked at Jack, then at the officer.

"Yes, officer," she said. "I did. But…I'm terribly sorry. I was sure I had seen him, but I quickly realized I was wrong. Sorry for the trouble. Have a good day," she added and closed the door.

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