The End of a Gambler’s Road

It was the lies and secrets that resulted in a tragic ending of 16 years of marriage. A husband  is left alone to raise two very young children. His wife is dead, and he is broke. He is concerned that he and their children will not have a place to live.

The Story Unfolded

The father of the two children was at work in the early morning hours, on this particular day; when he was contacted by a detective who told him, “You need to come home.”

Upon his arrival at his home, he saw a moving van, and squad cars in his drive way.  A detective informed him, that his wife was dead. He was told that the sheriff was there to evict him from his home. He discovered that his mortgage was 17 months past-due.

 When he looked at his financial statements, he discovered his wife had paid gambling debts, with the money he had given her to pay their bills. All of the money that he had in his savings account was gone.

He said he thought he knew his wife of 16 years. Further stating, “I had no idea what was going on. It all hit me like a brick. First my wife is gone-then my house."

Before his wife committed suicide, she took their children to school; then returned home, and  left a note taped to the front door. Her note stated, “To whom it may concern”

In her note, she informed that her husband knew nothing about the house repossession, and told how to contact him at work.

The woman, who was a compulsive gambler, drove to a nearby mall parking lot; where she crawled into the back seat of her car, and placed a Smith and Wesson .357 magnum behind her right ear and fired.

A relationship built on lies and secrets, is like building a house on a crumbling foundation. It is destined to be destroyed.

“Every wise woman builds her house: but the foolish plucks it down with her own hands.” King Solomon 

Written by Ellen J. Barrier