Years later, what hidden secrets did this woman discover about her husband? Their marriage lasted way over a decade. Imagine investing all that time and emotion and finding out that everything you thought you knew, was a lie. This is is the story of Audrey Phillips, the widow of Glyndwyr, and how she discovered years after his demise that he was an entirely different person than she thought he was.
Part of the Truth
Audrey Phillips lived a simple life as a retired economics teacher. She adored her husband and always thought of him as one of the best decisions she had ever made in life. They weren't wealthy, but she was content with their life and everything they had. So it came as a huge blow when everything she thought about their easy life turned out to be false.
Love At First Sight
Their marriage that would last for years, began in a bar. All it took was one glance and they both fell in love. From then on, life took a different turn. Never was a story of a love so complex.
She Felt Something Off About Him
According to Audrey, when she met Glyndwyr she felt he had a mysterious air around him. But she quickly felt very comfortable and relaxed in his presence. There was of course the way he looked at her like she was the only girl in the world. It wasn't long before she couldn't wait to be in his presence all the time.
When They Were Dating
To Audrey and Glyndwyr, they were both experiencing the love of their lives. Never before had they felt for another what they were feeling. They went together on several dates exploring the city. Even though Glyndwyr tended to disappear on private business, he always found time to be with her.
Happily Ever After
Their love grew and soon they were married. To them and everyone else, theirs was a match made in heaven. She was positive she knew her husband better than anyone else. A few months into their marriage, they got huge news from the doctor. This news changed their lives.
A Big Surprise
Audrey felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. She immediately rushed to the emergency room for a visit to a doctor. This was just some months after they got married. Around this time, Glyndwyr had just returned from one of his private businesses. After examining her, the doctor looked at them both and paused. He had some important news to share.
The New One
He informed the young couple that they were having a new baby. They received this news with great joy and a deep sigh of relief. She gave birth to a healthy son whom they named Jake. They had created a happy and loving home together.
His Unwavering Love
Audrey was very comforted by the love Glyndwyr had for her. He often, however, went on mysterious trips but she never doubted his feelings for her and their family. He was always gentle with their child but sometimes, she found herself wondering what he did on his mysterious trips.
A Strange Crisis
Something strange happened one day. Glyndwr went for a walk, something that wasn't unusual for him. But unlike other times, he returned home this time looking agitated. He then informed Audrey that the family would have to relocate to a different neighborhood within a week.
Audrey Was Unhappy About the News
Audrey was momentarily disoriented by this news. She didn't want to move, and definitely not so suddenly. They had made a lot of wonderful memories and made lasting relationships in their neighborhood. She kept wondering what may have led to his decision.
Unexpected Event
While the couple was trying to navigate the waters of their crisis, another trouble presented itself. It happened that while Audrey was trying to argue with Glyndwyr in the doorway that their abrupt move was a bad idea, she felt a stinging pain in her abdomen.
The News
She found out from the doctor that she was pregnant for the second time. It was a baby girl this time around. But there was a catch. Having the baby would mean that the couple wouldn't have another child due to complications. What would they choose?
Making a Decision
The young couple chose to have their baby. This, however, meant that they couldn't relocate as planned. This is because Audreys' pregnancy was high risk so travel wasn't an option. Audrey could tell that Glyndwyr wasn't happy with the turn of events.
Their Family
However, it wasn't long that he picked up from where Audrey had left off due to her condition. He catered for their family and young son in the months Audrey was bedridden. His mysterious visits were reduced too. One day, Glyndwyr gave her some news...
A Change of Mind
He told her that he had changed his mind about his decision to move. He didn't want them to make the move again. His reason? That they had two children now and needed all the support they could get in raising them. She found his behavior strange and was left feeling confused.
The Coming Years
Audrey and Glyndwyr lived a good part of fifty years in relative harmony. However, another challenge came in form of deterioration in Glyndwyrs' health. He started experiencing difficulty in walking and his hands started shaking.
Terrible News
Due to the symptoms, he was experiencing, he decided to go to the hospital to see a doctor. The doctor told him he had Parkinson's. It devastated Audrey to hear of her husband's prognosis. She decided to make the most of the time they had together.
Glyndwyrs' Passing
Glyndwyrs' health declined terribly. He often deliberated telling his wife about his secret and wondered if he should tell Audrey before it was too late. He didn't get the chance. He passed away with Audrey still in dark about his secret life. This wasn't the only bad news to come...
In Loving Memory
Several people who knew him were saddened by his departure. He was generally regarded as a family man who catered diligently to the needs of his family by working as a civil engineer. They all loved him, but it turned out they didn't know the actual Glyndwr.
Dealing With Her Loss
Audrey was having a hard time dealing with the departure of her husband so much so that she couldn't find in her the courage to clear his belongings. But things couldn't be left this way forever. She would eventually have to do something with his belongings in the house.
Facing Her Fears
It took three years for Audrey to finally muster up the courage to clear her husband's belongings. It was difficult for Audrey because the old memories she had tried to bury rise to the surface as she cleared his things. At this juncture, she had cleared everything and only one drawer was remaining.
His Hobby
The drawer remaining to be cleared was Glyndwyrs' office drawer. Asides from his job as a civil engineer, he loved to write. He often retreated to his study where he wrote several novels and poems. Audrey would soon discover if his writings were indeed in his drawer.
The Drawer
They both had shared everything in the course of their marriage. However, this drawer was something she had never paid attention to. Now she was curious as to what she would discover in the drawer.
A Strange Name
When she opened the drawer, she saw some strange-looking documents that piqued her interest. They were old documents Glyndwyr had never told her about. To make matters worse, the documents had a strange name. She didn't know whose name it was.
An Astounding Memory
Of the several documents she found, one of them stated that the boy who had taken this test had outstanding memory. That he had a good memory especially in remembering pictures and maps. A photographic memory it said. So what did this have to do with her husband?
A Strange Letter
While still searching, she found another document in the drawer. This one was a letter. It stated that a decision was taken to pull the boy out of school. The latter was dated. They stated that the choice to pull him out of school was due to his photographic memory.
She Became Wary
From Audreys' estimation, she deduced that her husband was thirteen years old at the time. This was the same age as the boy in the letter at the time. Initially, she thought it should be a friend of his, but she became suspicious.
More Strange Documents
She continued to search the document for any new information she could find. She wanted to know more about the boy in question. As she neared the bottom of the pile of papers, she came across an even stranger-looking document.
Secret Operation
The document she found was about a secret operation called 'XX' and a counter-espionage project. She couldn't decipher what it was about and what this meant to her husband. She then discovered a little note with a telephone number. What would it lead to?
The Suspicion
Audrey suspected that the telephone number would lead to a clue as to what she had seen. However, she was adamant to unravel what she had read. A silent voice told her that this could alter her perception of her late husband. But she was far too gone now.
Choices
Audrey pondered on her choice for days and it consumed her. She often wondered what his secret drawer of papers was and why he had never told her about it. Would he be upset about her trying to find the truth now?
Dialing the Number
She finally made a decision. She decided to call the number she had found in her husband's drawer. She needed to figure out what she was seeing so she knew this would be her best chance to. She called it twice and no one answered. Later in the night, she got a call...
A Stranger Answered
As Audrey answered the phone, a smooth, calm voice came on the line. "Am I speaking with Audrey Philips?" She answered: "Yes, I found your number between some documents of my husband I don't understand, maybe you can help me out." "Let's meet tomorrow," the man answered. "I will explain everything."
His Colleague
The following day, an old man arrived at her house. the man started saying: "Audrey, I have worked with your husband for over thirty years, and there's something he never told you. Glyn wasn't the man you thought he was..."
A Boy With Talent
He continued, "Glyndwyr was a very talented man, he was incredibly smart. Which was discovered at a very young age. You know, the times were troubling and there was a lot of tension in the world. Both he and I were recruited by the army to be trained. But we would not just become soldiers..."
The Rigorous Training
"We were selected for a special program. Only our fathers were allowed to know of this, and we had to keep it secret for everybody we ever met, including you. We went through all sorts of training programs, we were taught German and had to do memory tests."
No Idea
"We were young and normal school was boring, so obviously we wanted to enter this adventure. Although we never really knew back then what kind of tasks we had to do and how our lives would look like. We almost completed our training, and then the Second World War started, that's when we received scary news..."
The Adventure
"Glyndwyr and I had to crawl through dirty, long concrete pipes to secretly enter prisons. There we would try to talk to German prisoners of war to try and win their trust, and retrieving information from them."
The End Of The War
"We did this for a few years until the war ended. But after the war, Glyndwyr and I kept in contact with our captain. He had something new in mind for us. We had to do more training, and we were never allowed to speak of anything we did."
The Fake Identity
"We were trained to lead a double life. We had to find a partner and create a fake identity, so it would appear to the outside world that we had normal lives. But in the meantime we would take part in secret intelligence missions, however, don't imagine we were like James Bond."
The First Mission
"Our first mission was to help capture two spies, we were paid £20 if we completed the mission. We had to break into an army camp, keeping an eye on the suspects and making sure these were the right guys, after which we had to report their whereabouts so they could be captured. But some missions were more dangerous."
Scary Missions
"Some missions were getting very dangerous. One time Glyndwyr had to extract a fellow spy from a boat to pick up a load of arms. He had to take out the searchlight on one of the two gunboats and make sure he nor the other spy was captured. But you'll be surprised when this took place," the man said smiling.
After Their Wedding
"Remember how he was away for a football weekend, weeks after you were married? Well, he had to come up with a clever excuse because he came back with big bruises and he was completely sore, so the football weekend lie worked, but he was working this secret mission during that weekend."
Several Questions
Audrey could not believe that in all these years of marriage, she never suspected anything. She had so many questions but she couldn't even begin to articulate them. It seemed like she wasn't going to get answers for them. He then gave her a piece of paper.
A Note For Her
The note he gave her contained a pleasant surprise. Thankfully, this was now a pleasant surprise, unlike every other thing she had seen. He left a handwritten note specially written for her. When she read the bill in the note she was dumbfounded.
The Letter's Content
The letter began with Glyndwyr saying: "Dear Audrey, if you ever read this, then you've discovered my biggest secret. I hope you understand I could never tell you what I did, I did it to keep you safe." The letter also stated that Audrey had a big surprise waiting for her...
A Gift
Glyndwr had left her a huge check of all the money he earned as a spy. He saved all of this money to be given to her upon his passing. Due to this, they lived a simple life. He gave this to her as an apology for lying to her all her life.
The Veteran Relief
Audrey decided to donate all of the money towards veteran relief. She was super proud of her husband and all the work he did for his country. She tells her grandchildren about Glyndwyr and the courageous secret life he lived. The whole family continues to honor his memory.
