Iris was a fashion design student who finally found someone to share her life with and her new beau Thomas seemed to be the perfect match. His profile stated that he had a good job, many hobbies and his photos proved that he was devastatingly handsome. But she should have been more careful when dating using social media apps, because you can’t always be sure who the person on the other side of the screen is until you get to know them. And in this case, Iris was certainly missing a few details that could have let her know Thomas's true intentions in the dating world.
On one fateful day, she pressed send on a photo without thinking of the repercussions and Thomas’s heart sank. A picture can truly say a thousand words and Thomas knew that she couldn’t explain away the details that were obvious in the photo. He should have guarded his heart when dealing with long-distance love, too. It wasn't only Thomas that was hiding one side of himself while trying the dating pool, but also Iris, who shielded a side of herself from her suitor in an attempt to secure his affections. But obviously, lies are never a good foundation for a long and healthy relationship.
Long Distance Love
Iris was a beautiful and well-traveled woman who was in the midst of looking for a partner to share her life with. Iris was used to putting work first in her personal life and most of her priorities centered around making and saving money and climbing the corporate ladder. She was ready to settle down but she had one flaw that made finding a mate difficult; she was very shy. Her anxiety about meeting new people made dating a trying task, even though she knew she was ready to give her love to someone. So, she started an account on a dating app and opened up her heart to love once more.
She Matched With a Mystery Man
After a few failed attempts at starting conversations with possible suitors over the phone app, she matched with a man named Thomas. Thomas seemed to be the whole package, he had a great job in sales, he loved traveling just as much as Iris did, and he was looking for a serious connection. He was also ready to stop focusing so much on work and start living his life to the fullest. He was sick of days spent behind a desk only to go back home to an apartment that felt cold and empty. But it’s difficult to fully know someone before you meet them in person, so Iris decided to trust her gut and go on an in-person date with Thomas, but she might soon regret it.
They Met in Person for the First Time
On Thomas and Iris’s first date, it seemed like the two had met their soulmates. They instantly connected and their conversations never ceased during their romantic dinner. They were the same in so many important ways. Both of them valued work in their daily lives, but knew in their hearts that they wanted to spend more time focusing on their families and passions. In fact, the date went so well that the second after Thomas drove Iris back to her apartment, she gushed on the phone about him to her parents. It really seemed like she had found “the one,” and she was ready to devote her whole life to their relationship. But was she taking things too fast?
He Wanted to Take Her on a Trip
Only a few weeks after the couple had met in person, Thomas made a huge gesture and invited Iris on a weekend getaway to a tropical island. This was a huge step to take in any relationship, and the suddenness of the question wasn't lost on Iris. She was floored, but her friends weren’t impressed. Was Thomas just trying to wow Iris by buying her expensive things that wouldn’t last? Iris knew her love couldn’t be bought, so she accepted the invitation. After all, if she felt uncomfortable, she could afford to find her own accommodations in the tropical paradise. And on that trip, Iris really learned her new boyfriend’s true intentions.
His Proposal Was a Shocking Surprise
During their trip, Iris and Thomas walked along the sandy beaches at sunset and talked about their future as a couple. Iris was still head over heels about her man and he seemed to feel the exact same way. Their courtship was going the way that many old fairy tales and Disney films go, and the couple felt like they were finally getting their first chance at having a real life happily ever after. And in a perfect moment under the dying light of the sky, Thomas got down on one knee and proposed to Iris. She was surprised to say the least, and for a moment, she didn’t know exactly what to say. But an answer soon came to her mind, and she didn't regret her response for even a second.
She Said Yes
After a split second of hesitation, Iris accepted Thomas’s proposal and she felt like her life was picture perfect. Not only had she found the love of her life, but she could now start planning a wedding to celebrate their love. She immediately started thinking about everyone that they could invite to the ceremony as soon as they got back from their incredible trip. Iris had dreamed about settling down and starting a family from the moment she finished college and started her career. She even had color schemes and menu ideas in her mind for her quickly approaching nuptials. But was Thomas as eager as she was to start their life together?
They Planned a Small Ceremony
The wedding planning was a breeze because Iris used her impeccable taste to plan the entire event. They had a small and beautiful ceremony attended by their closest friends and family. The ceremony was outdoors and the beauty of the summer trees highlighted the young couple's love better than any ancient cathedral could. Even though the couple had only been together for a few months at that point, they really loved each other and now the people they loved most could see that, even though they doubted the decision when they first heard about the couple's quick engagement. The next step in their relationship was to move in together, which could prove to be difficult.
Moving In Together Came With Challenges
Thomas’s job in sales provided enough income for the couple to survive on, so Iris took some time to get adjusted to becoming a housewife to her new husband. From the moment they moved in together, she took care of the home by handling the shopping, cooking and cleaning for the both of them. Iris was happy to support her husband in this way while he was supporting her financially because she felt that they shared their responsibilities equally. Some of her girlfriends critiqued Iris's role as a housewife, but she didn't doubt her life's path for a single second. They really seemed to be in wedded bliss, but there’s always troubles hiding just below the surface of any relationship.
They Began To Plan Their Future Together
The couple was ready to plan their futures together. Thomas planned to work hard and earn a promotion at work and Iris wanted to one day begin work as a fashion designer. Although she was taking care of their house at the moment, Iris had always planned on going back to work in the future. She wanted to prioritize her new husband and hopefully start a family in the near future, but this didn't mean that she wanted to put her personal goals on hold forever. In this moment, everything seemed possible for the young couple, like the world was theirs for the taking. But they weren’t being completely honest with themselves and this would soon become very obvious to both of them.
Hidden Struggles Beneath the Surface
The couple readily kept their differences hidden from each other. For instance, Iris wanted to have children as soon as possible, but Thomas wanted to wait for a promotion at work before he took on the expenses of having kids. This was a subject that the two agreed upon early in their relationship, but as time passed, their view started to differ. Iris was already becoming impatient with Thomas’s work schedule, but she knew that she’d have to deal with that as long as they were together. And the issue wasn't big enough for either of them to truly think that they had made a mistake by staying in the relationship. So, the couple took another big step forward.
They Bought a House with His Money
Iris and Thomas decided to upgrade their lifestyle by moving into a bigger house. Iris loved this change because she envisioned growing their family in this house and Thomas loved being the envy of his co-workers. He spent a considerable amount of his savings to put a down payment on the home, but they both considered that it was worth every penny of the investment. During the day, Iris worked on renovating the home, which kept her busy during Thomas’s working hours. She found a lot of joy in using her creative talents to design a house that she could be proud of before she returned to her career. And Thomas had started to work more hours at his job, and this nearly put another significant toll on the relationship.
Thomas Was Fired Unexpectedly
As Thomas awaited his promotion, he was surprised when his boss called him into his office. He was sure that this meeting was about a salary raise, so he was shocked to hear that the company needed to let him go. The thought had never even entered his mind that he might get fired and now he had to deal with the reality that he had just lost his only source of income after securing a mortgage on a home. He had no idea how to tell Iris, who was hard at work making expensive renovations on their house. But he knew that this change would have a negative effect on their relationship in the long run.
They Had Mounting Money Troubles
The money troubles caused by Thomas losing his job hit the young couple hard. They had just bought a new home and needed to focus on making their mortgage payments. This change added stress to their already tense relationship and the couple considered all of their options. They both decided to look for work, even though Iris would have much rather stayed a housewife for the time being. And although they were both disappointed in the situation, their love was still strong enough to encourage both Iris and Thomas to pick themselves up by their bootstraps and work hard to secure their home and relationship.
His Job Hunt Went on For Months
Thomas’s job hunt took months, and it was stressful to say the least. Many of the interviews he went to were dead ends, and the long hours spent looking online for job listings didn't build his confidence. But ultimately he was able to find another position in his field at a small company. There was only one caveat to the position, he would need to travel for a few weeks out of the year, which would bring some distance between him and his wife, Iris. But if he took this job, Iris could call off her job search and once again be able to be a full time housewife, which she was more than comfortable doing. He knew that they needed the money, but could they make a long-distance relationship work again?
She Wanted to Start a Family
Iris wasn’t happy to hear that her husband would need to be away from home for his job, but she was content that he found work. She still had her sights set on starting a family and making over their home, but spending all of her time at home was starting to effect her mental health. She began feeling isolated and neglected in their relationship and Thomas didn’t know how to solve this. He also had his own problems to deal with emotionally, because his new job required a lot of traveling, which often made him feel like he was treading water. But there were some things about the new job that made them both happy.
Thomas’s Job Was Emotionally Taxing
Thomas was at least happy that he was making more money at his new job than he was at his previous job, so he put his nose to the grindstone and set his sights on earning a promotion that would earn the couple more money. He knew that their situation was only temporary, but they had pledged their love to each other for the rest of their lives, so he set his sights on making his wife happy before anything else. Iris was happy at home as long as she had a project to do and Thomas kept in constant communication with her. But he didn’t always have time to be an emotional sounding board for his wife, who needed her husband emotionally more than ever.
They Had to Choose Between Success and Happiness
Thomas soon earned a promotion at his job, which sadly meant that he would be traveling more often. It really started to seem like he had a choice to make between having a happy wife or a successful career, and he continued to focus on the latter, because he believed that his wife would stay by his side no matter what. Iris was not happy that her husband continued to make her feel isolated and alone by not keeping in touch with her on his long trips, and that quickly made her lose faith in their relationship. They both wanted their love to withstand the difficult situation, but with each passing day it seemed less possible to keep their love alive.
They Tried Long-Distance Again
The long-distance situation worked well for the couple at the very beginning of their relationship, but now it was too much to handle. Iris couldn’t even remember how she could stand only receiving text messages from Thomas when they first met, which was only about a year and a half ago. As a married woman, she wanted someone by her side to thank her for the tireless work she did and encourage her hopes and dreams while she encouraged his. Her married life started to seem more and more like her dead end single life, and the strain on their relationship was starting to take a toll on Iris’s happiness and Thomas was starting to feel the same way.
His Ambition or Their Happiness?
Iris may have felt isolated without her husband by her side, but Thomas was beginning to feel burnt out. After working hard every day for many years, he needed to find time for himself and discover new things that made him happy. More often than not, these things didn’t include his wife, which only made her feel more alone and thus started the grueling emotional cycle all over again. When Thomas was done with work he desperately needed some alone time to gather his thoughts, but Iris couldn't stand to feel isolated when her husband was finally in the same room as her. It really seemed like this relationship was headed towards an end.
They Grew Apart
The couple was quickly growing apart and Iris started to make changes in her life, too. She started to take classes at a local college and she met people who shared her interest in fashion and design and spent time with her after classes were through. This made her feel happy and excited about her life again, but her feelings of joy didn’t take into account how hard her husband worked to pay for their home and her lifestyle, which was a weight on Thomas’s shoulders. And it was around this time that Iris did something that cemented the couples future and let Thomas know exactly what he had to do next.
Iris Sent Thomas a Shocking Text
During a working trip to Paris, Thomas received a text from his wife that shook him to his core. The message simply read “I no longer feel loved by you.” This stunned Thomas. How could his wife, who he fully supported, not feel like she was cared for? Surely it couldn’t be the extra few hours it took him to reply to her text messages alone that was causing these feelings, so Thomas decided to make a major change in his life to save his relationship. After all, Iris usually suffered in silence while Thomas was away and saved her negative emotions until he returned, so he was shocked to read her frank message on his phone that evening.
Thomas Decided to Come Home
Thomas was set on returning home for good, even if that meant finding a lower paying job that would allow him to do so. Surely he had built up his resume enough to be able to provide for his wife and stay in one place. He was ready to tell his wife his plan, but first he needed to talk to his boss about the change. It might have seemed crazy for a successful man to abandon a career path that could bring him upward mobility, but Thomas knew his priorities in life and his wife and family came before everything else. But Thomas might not get the chance to tell Iris what he was preparing, because she was about to shock him with a bombshell of her own.
He Felt Lonely On His Travels
Thomas and Iris had both made mistakes in their relationship, but the two hadn’t yet weathered the tough storms that were yet to come. Thomas was feeling lonely in his business travels and although he planned to return home to his wife for good, he was afraid to face her. She would surely be upset that the only way Thomas could stay home was by quitting his well paying job, because she was so frustrated when he lost his job a year prior. He was now facing his own emotional turmoil that might end up changing their relationship for good, and he started to feel like he was the one who needed a confidant to open up to.
He Decided to Surprise Her
Thomas wanted to surprise his wife by showing up at their home unannounced while she expected him to be away, but their communications were abrupt and cold. Thomas was so unsure about his future that he started to visit bars at night after work so he could drink away the stress of planning ahead. And soon, the mistake that Thomas was about to make would threaten the couple’s happiness once and for all, but he wasn't the only one who had a part in changing their relationship. In fact, while Thomas was away, Iris was changing her own life without her husband's input, and she was having a good time doing so.
She Was Creating a New Life For Herself
Meanwhile, Iris was also feeling alone and neglected in her relationship and she had grown closer to the friends she met at school. She no longer waited up at night to hear from her distant husband and instead went to sleep without even replying to his messages. She started to realize that she didn't really need Thomas's input to make herself happy, so she finally let herself stop caring about whether or not he was having a good time without her by his side. It really seemed like whatever happened next could make or break this marriage, and Thomas was about to commit a huge mistake after a disastrous day.
Thomas Headed to a Bar
On a Friday evening, Thomas ended a meeting with some clients and headed towards a familiar bar. It wasn’t out of the ordinary that he made new friends in the cities he visited and it wasn’t odd for him to even buy a new friend some drinks while he was in town. But what was about to happen was something that the couple couldn’t recover from, and it hadn’t yet happened to them before. Thomas hadn't been feeling like himself lately, so he wanted a new experience to excite him and turn his mood around. He didn't expect to meet someone at the bar that night that would make him forget about his wife, but that is exactly what happened.
He Met Up With a New Woman
Thomas ran into a woman during his travels named Chelsea. She just so happened to be visiting the city of Paris while Thomas was working there, so they met up at the bar that evening. Thomas was feeling a lack of communication in his relationship, so he felt grateful to be able to speak openly to Chelsea about the problems he was having and be heard. Chelsea listened with open ears as Thomas poured his heart out and as a single woman, she didn't understand how Iris could be so quick to belittle and ignore her husband. Soon, Thomas got a message from Iris, but she wouldn’t hear back from her husband tonight.
They Were At the Bar For Hours
Hours passed while Chelsea and Thomas were in each other’s company and Thomas ignored the incoming messages on his phone from Iris. He could hear his phone notifying him, but he just couldn’t stand to think about how upset his wife was with him right now. So he ordered another drink and continued his night with Chelsea, but he didn’t know that this night would be the nail in the coffin for his relationship. But on the other hand, he didn't really feel that anything that he could possibly do could save his failing marriage, so he decided to take a step into the deep end and do something that he knew that Iris would never forgive.
Her Followed Her to Her Hotel
After a few hours at the bar, Thomas was drunk when he made the decision to follow Chelsea to her hotel in the city. He knew that Chelsea was flirting with him at the bar and he didn't mind. When he followed her back to her hotel room he knew exactly what was going to happen later that night, and he didn't care if Iris found out about it. Thomas had never cheated in any relationship in his life, but on this night he decided to break his faithfulness to his wife. His work life had gotten so stressful that he just couldn’t think about the consequences of his actions that would follow. But soon, this mistake would be the least of his troubles.
He Promised Himself Not to Make that Mistake Again
In the morning, Thomas promised himself that he would never make the mistake he had just made again. With a clear head, he was able to realize that hurting Iris wasn't the right way to end their relationship, which had once been the most positive thing in his life. He also promised himself that he would not tell Iris what had transpired with Chelsea. Instead, he called his wife to tell her that he was headed home and that this trip to Paris would be his last business trip for a while. But Iris was the next one who would make a mistake that would threaten to end their relationship for good.
Iris Sent Her Husband a Photo
In response to Thomas’s good news, Iris sent her husband a photo of herself smiling and relaxed. It was a normal photo, a beautiful selfie of the woman that he loved, but Thomas quickly realized something at a first glance that was out of the ordinary. And this detail made his heart sink in his chest. Sure, the photo was beautiful, but there was something missing that Thomas wished that he could make right, and it proved that Iris was feeling the exact same way that Thomas had felt just the night before, and there truly was no chance of the two finding a way to keep their marriage alive and thriving.
The Photo Seemed Normal, But It Wasn’t
In the photo, it was glaringly obvious to Thomas that his wife had taken off her wedding ring. Even when things were difficult in their relationship in the past, she had never taken off her ring. Thomas spent months of his salary on the shimmering diamond that Iris treasured as soon as she laid her eyes upon it, so taking it off for long periods of time was no small gesture. Thomas knew that this meant that no matter how hard he tried to patch things up with his wife, they were already out of love. But he didn’t expect to hear what his wife had done while he was away, and it made what Thomas had done seem small in comparison.
He Got Ready to See Her
Thomas got ready for the confrontation with his wife that was inevitable when he returned home. He hadn’t seen Iris in a few weeks and in that time, they had barely spoken to each other over the phone. The traveling process was usually long and grueling for Thomas, but his flight seemed to fly by in an instant because he was busy anticipating how Iris would react when he returned. And when he stepped foot in his home, his wife was silent, like she was awaiting a terrible blow. They both had some information to get off of their chests that would change how their partner viewed them.
He Apologized For His Actions
Thomas spoke up first and apologized for being distant and Iris immediately snapped at him. She was furious at her husband for abandoning her, so he stepped in and said, “Well, you’re the one who took off your wedding ring!” And taken aback, she admitted that she had taken off her ring because she had started seeing someone else behind Thomas’s back. He hadn’t expected to hear that from Iris in a hundred years, so he needed some time to compose himself. He couldn't believe that she had also cheated on him, and somehow, that made Thomas's relationship discrepancy seem smaller in his mind.
They Both Admitted Their Mistakes
Thomas too admitted to his affair and during their emotional whirlwind of a conversation, the couple agreed to part ways. They would handle divorce proceedings sometime in the future, but for now they just needed time to remember who they used to be and find out what made them happy. Iris moved out of the house that the couple bought together and moved in with a friend the very night that the couple had their argument and Thomas was left to pick up the pieces of his life alone, as he hadn’t expected to do whatsoever. He expected there to be a big fight that night, but he didn't guess that he would be starting his new life as a single man the very next day.
He Just Couldn’t Forgive Her
Thomas could never bring himself to forgive Iris, so he also moved out of the home that they once shared together and put it on the market. He returned to work at the company he had been with when the weekend was over and he soon began traveling again, but this time without the guilt of leaving someone that he cared about behind. Iris also started working in fashion, as was her dream, and she soon became a successful designer. The two had each other's contact information, but they didn't get in touch very frequently. All in all, Thomas and Iris felt happier than they had been before their split, but Thomas still felt like something was lacking in his life.
He Was in Paris Again
After a few years had gone by, Thomas once again found himself in the city of Paris. He hadn’t been there since the night that he had cheated on Iris, so the experience inevitably brought up some bad feelings. But he was still open to finding happiness and he was in a much better place in his life emotionally, so he decided to visit a cafe during the day and mingle with some new people. Thomas was a very social person and talking to people made him feel comfortable, like he wasn't alone in this crazy world. Little did he know that his decision would once again change his life forever, this time for the better.
Someone Walked into the Cafe
Thomas was happy to be spending the day in such a beautiful city and he ordered a cappuccino and a croissant at the cafe. His life had changed so much since he was last in the city and he was happy about the direction that his career was headed in now. He had finally got a promotion at his job after the stress that his relationship put him through had passed and his newfound confidence was visible by everyone that he met. Suddenly, the door to the cafe opened and a beautiful woman walked in. She was so pretty that she turned some heads, but Thomas was the only one in the cafe who knew her name.
They Reconnected Like No Time Had Passed
Thomas was stunned to see his high school girlfriend Angel walk into the cafe in Paris. He hadn’t seen her since they had broken up when they were both 17 years old during their junior year of high school. They broke up for silly reasons and were still friends on Facebook, so he called out her name and she walked over to his table. Then the two of them caught up with each other and he found out that Angel was single as well. He couldn’t have guessed that he would be meeting another person he loved so dearly in this beautiful city, but life has a funny way of working itself out if you just hold out long enough.
He Had to Wait For Love, But He Found it
Thomas and Angel still had an incredible connection and they exchanged phone numbers. Thomas hadn’t felt this way about anyone since he had first gotten to know Iris. Although that relationship ended sadly, he felt hope that he now had more knowledge about love to make it work if it was really meant to be this time. Now that he had some time to spend on a serious relationship, he felt happy to finally meet someone who was worthy of his love and affection, even if he had to wait a while for her to come along.
This story is fictitious, but it proves that even when life seems to be dealing nothing but losing hands, there may be a miracle waiting just around the corner.