A 35-year-old man wrote a letter to our editorial, telling us about a big family problem he recently faced. His wife of 15 years started acting very strangely, sneaking out of bed and leaving the house in the middle of the night. When he decided to follow her to see where she was going and what she was doing, he couldn’t live peacefully with the truth anymore. He shared the details of his family drama, and we feel for him because his story is very upsetting.

The man has experienced some unexplainable issues in his family.

A man named Austin recently wrote a letter to our editorial to tell us about his strange family story. He wrote that for many years, he has had to get up at night to go to the bathroom because of problems with his bladder.

Austin has been happily married to his wife, Laura, for over 15 years. Laura knows that Austin has to wake up at night regularly. Everything seemed normal, like in any other family, until Austin started noticing strange things. Because of his bladder, he paid attention to what was happening at night.

Austin wrote that lately, when he got up, he wouldn’t find his wife beside him in bed. In fact, he couldn’t find her anywhere in the house. At first, he thought maybe his wife was anxious and going for walks at night due to stress. He tried to find reasons for her behavior and didn’t ask Laura many questions.

He wrote, “I thought she didn’t want to talk about her stress, so I patiently waited for her to open up. I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t want to push her because Laura is very secretive. I am used to waiting until she wants to talk.
The situation in the family was getting really tense.
Austin continues his story, saying that one night, when it happened again, he finally decided he should know what was going on. He revealed that Laura would usually come back from her “night walks” around 5-6 am, looking tired, nervous, and sleepy. When this started happening too often, he decided to talk to her.

But she wouldn’t answer his questions. She just said she was near the house the whole time and didn’t go anywhere. She complained that the air in their room was stuffy, and it was hard for her to breathe, so she went out to get some fresh air.

Austin wrote, “I would have believed this if it happened occasionally, and if it wasn’t a cold and windy time of the year, when the air couldn’t be stuffy at all and was actually too ‘fresh’ in our bedroom. Besides, I didn’t know of any medical condition that Laura had that would cause these symptoms every night. She never had breathing problems, and when I asked her about it, she denied needing to see a doctor.”

He admitted that things were getting stranger. Besides being gone most nights, his wife was becoming cold and distant, rejecting his hugs, kisses, and other signs of affection.

He wrote, “I started thinking about Laura cheating on me, and oh, man, I wish she’d just been cheating, because the real truth was far more painful.
The truth was revealed very unexpectedly.
Austin continues his story, saying that one day, he decided to follow his wife at night to see where she was going and what she was doing. He admitted that this was a very hard decision for him because it felt wrong to have to do something like this in his own relationship.

But he had no choice, because she wouldn’t tell him the truth, and he couldn’t just watch her become a stranger to him.

So, one night, he heard Laura leaving the bed. He waited until she was fully dressed and had left the house. Then, two minutes later, he quickly followed her. He followed her the whole way, and she never turned around to check if anyone was following her. She probably thought he would never do this, and it had become a habit for her.

Laura walked, and the road she took was very familiar to Austin. She was heading towards his parents’ house, where they lived with his older brother, Mike, Mike’s wife Amelia, and their two kids, Dana and Ian.

Austin wrote, “I had mixed feelings when I saw Laura going to my family’s house. On one hand, I felt relieved, but on the other hand, I had many questions about why she was visiting my parents at night instead of during the day, and why she kept it a secret.”
The man was even more shocked when he saw what Laura was actually doing at her in-laws’.
Austin wrote, “I followed her straight to my parents’ door. She didn’t knock or ring, she took her phone and called someone. Then my older brother, Mike, quietly appeared at the door, took her hand, and they went to the garden behind our parents’ house.”

He was close enough to listen to what they were saying. He wrote, “I grew up in that house and knew the garden well. I used to play there with friends when I was young. Later, I dated Laura there and even proposed to her on the bench where she was now talking to my brother.”

Austin said that Mike and Laura were talking about a child, Dana. He didn’t understand why they were discussing her at night, but he soon realized why.

Dana wasn’t Mike’s niece; she was Laura’s daughter, conceived with Mike. Austin didn’t know this. He knew Dana was Mike’s daughter from a previous relationship, but he didn’t know the details.

No one asked about Mike’s past relationship, so he kept it a secret. Dana was loved by Mike and his wife, and they kept it a secret, too.

Austin talked to Laura the next morning and learned more about her past and present.

When Laura came home that night, she saw Austin’s clothes near the door, which was unusual. She asked if he was asleep. Austin decided it was time to talk. He told Laura he knew everything, including her conversation with Mike.

Laura confessed that she and Mike dated in the past, and she got pregnant. Mike wanted to raise the baby but didn’t want to marry Laura. He got custody of Dana.

Austin had wondered why Laura didn’t visit his parents often, especially after Mike moved in. He thought it was because they didn’t get along, not because she was close to Mike.

Now, Laura wants to be a parent to Dana and was discussing it with Mike. Austin is confused and needs advice on what to do next.
We’d advise Austin to talk to everyone, who’s involved into this dramatic story.

We empathize with Austin and understand how difficult it must be for him to deal with what he found out. But what happened in the past shouldn’t ruin their present or future.

We suggest that Austin take some time to calm down and then have a calm conversation with Laura. Instead of blaming each other, they should focus on finding a solution.

If they want to pursue custody of Dana, they need to consider Mike, his wife, and Dana’s feelings too. It’s important for Austin to talk to everyone involved and find a solution that works for the whole family without hurting anyone.

Finding the right solution may take time, but in the end, it could be good for everyone, especially Dana, who is at the center of this situation. Her well-being should be the top priority for everyone involved.