Honesty is a very important element in making a relationship work. Without honesty, trust could not be established and your relationship will be haunted by fears, doubts, and insecurities. Secrets between couples are often discouraged if you want to have a harmonious relationship.
Source: Pixabay
Do you ever wonder about the secrets that your partner keeps? Have you caught your partner telling lies? Imagine being married for more than 60 years then discovering that all the time and emotion spent in your relationship was all a lie.
Meet Audrey
This is the story of Audrey Phillips, the widow of Glyndwr. Years after her husband had passed on, she discovered that he had been keeping a secret all this time. In fact, the revelation made it seem like she never knew her husband at all.
Source: History Chronicle
Audrey was a simple woman. She considered being married as one of the best decisions she has ever made and she adored her husband so much. They were not wealthy but she was very content with everything they had. So, when she found out her husband’s secret, it was a devastating blow to her reality.
Falling in love
Audrey met her husband in a bar. It was love at first sight for both of them. Although Glyndwr had this aura of mystery that made it impossible for her to read him, she found that she was very relaxed and comfortable around him.
Source: Pixabay
To Audrey and Glyndwr, the first month they spent together felt like they were in a bubble, unaffected by what is going on around them. Glyndwr looked at her as if she was the only person in the room and Aubrey wanted to be with him all the time.
They were each other’s soulmates
It was clear to see that both had fallen hard for each other. They never felt anything like it. And even if Glyndwr had to disappear from time to time for his job, he always came back and found time to be with Aubrey. All she knew was that Glyndwr was a civil engineer and that most of his jobs were out of town.
Source: Pixabay
It did not take long for the couple to take their relationship to the next level. They got married and everyone just knew it was a match in heaven. Aubrey was elated. But a few months after their marriage, the couple received the news – something big that would change their lives.
She was rushed to the hospital
Audrey had been going about her day as usual when she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. It was a good thing that Glyndwr was home that time. He had just returned from another business trip. They immediately rushed to the emergency room of the nearest hospital.
Source: Pixabay
After a thorough examination, the doctor said he had important news to share. The couple held hands, praying that it was nothing serious. It was then that the doctor informed them that Audrey was pregnant. Audrey and Glyndwr were very relieved. They happily received the news and the pregnancy brought them closer together.
A happy family
Audrey then gave birth to a healthy baby boy. They named him Jake. With the addition of the baby in their lives, their home became a happier and more loving place. Audrey could not ask for anything more.
Source: History Chronicle
Although Glyndwr never tells Audrey where he goes or what he does during his business trips, she was very confident in the love that Glyndwr has for her. She had no doubt that Glyndwr was loyal to her and their family. But there were times when she wondered what is it that he really does on those trips.
A sudden decision
One day, something strange had happened. Glyndwr went out for one of his usual afternoon walks. But this time, he looked very stressed when he came back home. He then told Audrey that their family had to relocate to a new place within a week.
Source: Pixabay
Audrey was in shock. She felt disoriented as if she just imagined what Glyndwr said. When Glyndwr repeated himself, Audrey started to question him. Why the sudden move? She did not want to move to another place. She already had made lasting relationships with the neighbors and had wonderful memories.
Complications arise
While the couple argued about this sudden relocation, Audrey felt pain in her abdomen. Glyndwr rushed her to the hospital again and they found out she was pregnant for the second time. But this time, the good news had a catch.
Source: Pixabay
Audrey’s second pregnancy was a sensitive one. If they choose to have the baby, it can put Audrey at risk or mean that this would be the last baby they can ever have. The couple chose to keep the baby and deal with the risks.
A complication to his plans
Because of Audrey’s high-risk pregnancy, relocation was no longer an option. Audrey could tell that her husband was very upset when they were told they could not travel until the baby was born. But she felt a bit happy deep inside knowing that relocation was off the table.
Source: Pixabay
Glyndwr’s foul mood did not last long. He catered to Audrey and Jake due to her condition. Audrey was bedridden for most of the pregnancy so Glyndwr also reduced the number of business trips he had to take for his job.
A surprising surrender
One day, Glyndwr told Audrey that he will no longer insist on moving after their baby girl will be born. He realized that now that they had two children, he needs to be around more often and it is only right that the kids grow up in a neighborhood where everyone knew each other.
Source: History Chronicle
Audrey was confused because this was strange behavior for Glyndwr. Usually, when he wants something, he always ends up doing things to get it done. His buckling up to Audrey’s request to stay in the area was unlike him. The next 50 years of their marriage were a harmonious one. It seemed like the relocation was the only major argument that they had in their relationship.
Facing an unexpected challenge
But then, another challenge came for the couple. Glyndwr’s health was deteriorating. His hands were always shaking and he had a hard time trying to walk. He also had a few other symptoms so they decided to see a doctor about it.
Source: Pixabay
They never expected the diagnosis. The doctor informed them that Glyndwr had Parkinson’s disease. Audrey was devastated when she heard the doctor. Because of this, she decided to make the most of the time they had left together.
A sad passing
But Glyndwr did not make any progress even when he was given medication. His health was declining at a faster rate than expected. Glyndwr often looked at Audrey with sad eyes and when Audrey looked back at him, he would act as if he was about to say something but then changed his mind. Audrey did not push it. She just wanted to stay by her husband’s side while she still can.
Source: History Chronicle
Glyndwr then passed away in a few weeks. Audrey was devastated and the few people who got to know him were saddened by his passing. He was generally seen as the mysterious family man who catered to his wife and kids.
A grieving wife
Audrey had a hard time without her loving husband by her side. It was so hard that she could not even find the strength to clear his belongings. But she knew that she would have to clear his stuff out to move on. It was a necessary grieving process.
Source: History Chronicle
Audrey’s kids offered to help her with it but she knew it was something she should do on her own. She knew how Glyndwr was so secretive and sensitive about his personal belongings. Audrey never questioned his need for privacy but with him gone, she still respected it.
Clearing out his things
It took three years before Audrey had the guts to start going through Glyndwr’s belongings. It had been very difficult stirring up old memories as she cleared one item after the next. It seemed like everything had sentimental value.
Source: History Chronicle
But one by one, the boxes started filling up and now she only had Glyndwr’s office table to clear out. Aside from his job as a civil engineer, Glyndwr seemed to have a love for writing. He often retreated to his study where he would be seen writing on this desk.
The drawer
Although Glyndwr and Audrey shared almost everything, Audrey never went through the contents of Glyndwr’s desk in the study. As she sat in his chair and looked at the drawer, she actually felt nervous. It felt as if she was snooping around.
Source: History Chronicle
But in the end, curiosity got the best of her. Was she going to find love poems or a manuscript in there? Could he be writing about her or their love story? She never read what he wrote and this time, she was really curious.
Strange documents
But when she pulled open the drawer, all she saw were some strange-looking documents. And all had the name of somebody else. From what Audrey read on the documents, it looked like it was all about a young boy.
Source: History Chronicle
The young boy had taken a test and it was found that he had a photographic memory. The boy could memorize anything – even pictures and maps! There was a letter from a school stating they decided to pull out the boy from school because his photographic memory gave him an unfair advantage.
Who was this boy?
But what does this have to do with her husband? Audrey checked the letter and found a date. Upon her estimation, her husband would have been 13 years old at that time. It was about the same age as the boy in the documents.
Source: History Chronicle
It was then that Audrey started to become more suspicious than curious. She read one document after another, curious about the boy. She had reached the bottom of the pile of papers in the drawer when she found a document that shocked her.
Project XX
The document was about a secret operation – a counter-espionage project called XX. Most of the document seemed to be a code and she could not decipher it. Why was her husband in possession of this type of information? She then found a note with a telephone number on it.
Source: Pixabay
Audrey suspected that if she dialed that number, whoever would answer at the other end of the line will have all the answers she need. But Audrey hesitated. Although she wanted answers, what she may find out may have the power to alter the perception that she had of her late husband. What if she found something devastating?
Finding answers
Audrey thought about the mysterious out-of-town trips Glyndwr often had and how he never really talked about his job in detail. But Audrey also took note that outside of his job, they shared everything. If Glyndwr was keeping secrets from her, there must be an important reason behind it. Would it upset him if she pushed to know the truth?
Source: History Chronicle
Audrey took days to decide what to do with the telephone number. There are days when she was very curious and there were days when she felt she should just leave things the way they used to be. Until one day, she finally dialed the number. She figured out that this was the only chance she could find out the truth. She called the number twice but nobody answered.
A mysterious phone call
Then, that night, Audrey received a phone call. When she answered, a man in a calm and smooth voice asked if he was speaking to Audrey Philips. When Audrey verified her identity, the man asked how he got the number. Audrey then shared that he found the number between some documents that Glyndwr had on his desk.
Source: Pixabay
She also shared there were other documents there that she did not understand and she was wondering if he could help her out. There was a long pause at the other end of the line. Audrey was thinking that maybe the call was disconnected when the man finally said he will come over tomorrow to explain everything.
A long sleepless night
Audrey could hardly sleep that night. What did the man mean when he said he would explain everything? Was Glyndwr involved in some shady dealings? Is he the boy in the documents? But why would he not tell her the truth?
Source: History Chronicle
Audrey recalled the moments Glyndwr acted as if he wanted to tell her something before he passed away. Could this be it? Her heart ached thinking of the possibility that her husband wanted to tell her his secrets but never had the chance to.
A colleague visits
The next day, an old man came knocking at the door. Audrey welcomed him in even if she never saw him before. Who was this man and how did he know Glyndwr? After formal introductions were made, the old man said he had worked with Glyndwr for over 30 years and there was something that Glyndwr had never told her.
Source: History Chronicle
Glyndwr happened to be a very talented and smart man. His intelligence was discovered while he was very young. Glyndwr and his friend were recruited into the army at the same time. They were very young and normal school had bored them so they preferred to join the military and looked at it as if they were going on an adventure.
A startling revelation
Because of their intelligence, Glyndwr and his friend went through a special training program in the military where they were taught German and often had memory tests. Glyndwr had been working for the British Intelligence Force since he was a teenager!
Source: History Chronicle
Everything was meant to be a secret. Because they were recruited as minors, the military had to seek permission from their fathers. Because of this, only their fathers were allowed to know the truth. So as much as Glyndwr would have wanted to share this part of his life with her, he could not.
World War II
By the time Glyndwr and his friend completed training, WWII just started. That’s when they received the news that their services are immediately needed. During the war, Glyndwr and his friend were tasked to secretly enter prisons through long concrete pipes underground. They were supposed to befriend German prisoners and try to win their trust. Once a relationship is established, they are supposed to retrieve information from them.
Source: History Chronicle
This was how their lives had been until the war ended a few years after. After the war, Glyndwr and his friend were contacted by their captain. He had a new project suitable for their skills and it was another secret project. They had to go through more training and were not allowed to speak of it to anyone this time.
Living a double life
Everyone in the program was trained to manage to live a double life. They had to create a fake identity so that it would appear like they had normal lives in the outside world. In fact, they were encouraged to look for a partner and have a family. Then, they would leave from time to time to go on secret missions.
Source: History Chronicle
They were able to work together on their first mission after graduating from the program. This time, they were tasked to break into an army camp and gather intel about two spies. They had to be immersed in the community and make sure that the suspects were indeed guilty of spying and had to report everything to their superiors until enough evidence was gathered for the spies to be captured.
More revelations
There was also a mission when Glyndwr had to help out another fellow spy. The spy was stuck in a boat loaded with arms. He had to take out the searchlights of two other gunboats to make sure that they will not be caught. This dangerous mission took place just weeks after their wedding!
Source: History Chronicle
Audrey recalled that Glyndwr had left town that time for a football weekend with friends from work. Glyndwr had come home with a lot of bruises and he was sore all over so the football weekend cover worked out well for him in the end.
Questions and doubts
Audrey could not believe that after being married to Glyndwr for more than 60 years, she never suspected a thing! Was their marriage even real? Glyn would often disappear in long out-of-town trips since they were dating and she was used to it that she never got suspicious. She had so many questions but his friend said there is only so much that he is allowed to tell her. He then gave her a piece of paper.
Source: History Chronicle
It was a letter from Glyndwr! The letter began with “Dear Audrey, if you ever read this, it means that I have passed on and that you have discovered my biggest secret…” Glyndwr then went on to explain that he never told her what he did to keep her and the kids safe.
A gracious form of apology
Enclosed in the letter is a check with a huge amount of money. Audrey could not believe it. All this time they were living simply and Glyndwr happened to be earning so much as a spy. It turned out that he had set aside all the money to be given to her when something happens to him. He said this was partly an apology for lying to her about his life.
Source: History Chronicle
Audrey herself was old and had no idea what to do with all the money. Their children were also in their 60s by the time Glyndwr’s secret was discovered. The family then decided to donate the money towards veteran relief. Audrey was proud of her husband and all the work that he had been doing for the country.
Sharing his story
Not long after, Audrey discovered Glyndwr’s diary. She found out through his diary that Glyndwr had gone to four secret missions – two of which happened before they were married. Audrey was able to find some form of closure while reading her husband’s thoughts from the very start. She had no doubt that the love they shared was real.
Source: History Chronicle
Audrey then decided to immortalize her husband by publishing her husband’s life story into a book entitled, “Operation XX And Me: Did I Have A Choice?” Audrey has been very proud of what her husband managed to accomplish from a very young age and she believed that it was a story worth sharing.
