My Wife Secretly Sold Jewelry To Send Money To An Orphaned Child—The Truth Behind It Left Me Stunned

My wife had been secretly selling her jewelry to send money to a child in an orphanage. I hired a detective to investigate, and what I discovered left me utterly shocked.

This afternoon, the city was drenched in a heavy downpour. The sky was dark and brooding, the wind lashed through the trees, and people hurried to escape the stormy chaos outside.

I sat in the living room, sipping a cup of hot tea, quietly watching the rain cascade down the window. At that moment, a shadow appeared at the front door. Slowly, it pushed open and stepped inside. It was Lisa, my wife.

Calmly finishing my tea, I looked at her and said, “It’s pouring outside. Where did you go in this weather?”
She glanced at me, startled, and stammered, “I… I just went out to buy a few things.”

I glanced at her hands and asked, “Then where are the things you bought?”
Lisa hesitated before answering, “The rain was so heavy that the store closed early.”
Not wanting to press further, I said, “You’re soaked. Go take a hot shower before you catch a cold.”

She nodded, removed her raincoat, and headed to the bathroom. Just then, the phone I’d left on the table lit up with a message: “She’s taken the jade bracelet to sell.”

My teeth clenched in anger. For almost a month now, Lisa had been secretly selling her jewelry.

The first time I noticed her strange behavior was about four months ago. I accidentally realized that the diamond ring I had given her was missing. When I asked, Lisa told me she had left it at her mother’s house.

I didn’t suspect anything until a few days later, when I saw that the pearl necklace I had gifted her was also gone. Feeling uneasy, I went to her dressing room and checked her jewelry box. Many items were missing.

From that point on, I started paying closer attention to Lisa’s behavior and noticed she frequented jewelry stores. I couldn’t figure out why.

There were too many unanswered questions. Why was Lisa selling her jewelry? She was a homemaker, and the allowance I provided her was more than what most office workers earned. She wasn’t financially strained.

Secondly, why did she feel the need to hide this from me? If she truly needed money, she could’ve just asked me. What problem could she have that I couldn’t help her resolve? And finally, the most important question: What was she using the money for?

Being too busy with work, I decided to hire a detective to uncover the truth. Today was the third day the detective had been following Lisa. Once again, she sold a piece of jewelry I had bought for her.

Another week passed, yet the detective couldn’t determine why my wife was selling her jewelry. I was restless, but I had to pretend everything was normal with Lisa until I discovered the truth.

While I was deep in thought, my phone rang. It was the detective. I hurriedly answered.
“Hello! I think your wife has been transferring money to the Love Wall Orphanage,” he said, his tone urgent.
The name sounded unfamiliar to me. “Love Wall Orphanage?” I asked.

“I asked some staff at the orphanage, and they said she’s been visiting regularly for about a year. I also got a friend in finance to trace their transaction records and found out that she’s been sending money to them consistently every month,” the detective explained.

“But why?” I asked anxiously.
“I’ll need more time to find out,” he replied.
I sighed. “Alright, let me know when you have more information.”

As soon as the call ended, I looked up the orphanage online. It was a small establishment located just a few streets away, housing about a dozen children. I couldn’t understand why Lisa would be involved with it.

There were a few possibilities. The simplest was that she wanted to donate and support underprivileged children.

The second possibility was that she wanted to adopt one of the children there. We’d been married for over two years but still hadn’t been able to have a child. Despite trying various treatments and enduring countless challenges, the journey seemed insurmountable for us. Lisa often shared her longing for a child, and I understood the deep sadness and worry she carried.

Beyond these two possibilities, I couldn’t think of any other reasons Lisa would visit the orphanage. I had to wait for the detective’s findings.

Time passed, and I grew increasingly restless. Just as I thought I couldn’t bear it any longer, another update came in.

I opened a message: “Before marrying you, Lisa visited the orphanage a year prior to place a child there. However, for about two years after that, she didn’t contact them. Recently, she’s been visiting frequently and sending money. The child she placed there hasn’t been adopted yet.”

My hands went numb as countless thoughts swirled in my head, including some of the most dreadful scenarios. “Where did the child come from?” I asked the detective.

“It’s highly likely… the child is Lisa’s,” he hesitated before answering.
I caught my breath. “What makes you think that?”

The detective sighed. “I know this is hard to accept, but the investigation strongly suggests it. I’ll send you a detailed report.” As he spoke, an email arrived. I opened it and began reading the report, my hands trembling.

About four years before marrying me, Lisa had a close friend named John. He secretly had feelings for her, something well-known among their mutual friends. Eventually, John had to move away. Before his departure, there was a farewell party, which Lisa also attended.

No one knows what happened at that party, but not long after, Lisa abruptly left her home. Neighbors reported not seeing her again for several months.

Around nine months later, she returned. Shortly afterward, Lisa secretly placed a baby at the Love Wall Orphanage. Then, she met me, we got married, and two years later, she began visiting the orphanage again, supporting the child financially.

After reading the report, I shook uncontrollably. If the findings were accurate, there was only one plausible explanation: something unexpected happened between Lisa and John at the farewell party, resulting in her pregnancy. To avoid scrutiny from her neighbors, Lisa had moved away. Over ten months later, she returned, placed the baby in the orphanage, and started a new life. If all these assumptions were true, it was unbearable.

My wife had been deceiving me for so long. I could’ve accepted Lisa’s past if she had been honest with me. Why did she secretly place her child in an orphanage and hide it like a thief?

I was torn between forgiving her and confronting her about everything. The resolution to this dilemma rested entirely on my decision. I grabbed my coat and umbrella, stepped outside, and walked into the rain.

Late-season rains always come with ferocity. I held a cigarette to my lips, taking a deep drag to keep warm. In front of me stood an old sign with faded letters spelling “Love Wall Orphanage.”

I exhaled the smoke, then flicked the cigarette to the ground and stomped on it with more force than necessary, as if trying to vent my rising frustration.
Steeling myself, I stepped inside. The wide yard ahead was cracked, with tiles lifting and peeling away from the ground.

“Who are you looking for?” a soft voice broke through the rain’s hum.
Startled, I turned to see a middle-aged woman dressed like a church nun. Her gentle face radiated kindness as she gazed at me.

I nodded politely and replied, “Good afternoon, Sister. I’m here to make a contribution.”
Her lips curved into a warm smile. “Well then, please come inside.”

I followed her into the building, where she pulled out a ledger and asked, “May I have your name?”
“Roman Cooper,” I responded respectfully.

“It’s rare to find people like you these days. On behalf of the orphanage, I thank you. How much would you like to contribute?” she asked, her tone equally formal and reverent.

I mentioned an amount, causing her eyes to widen in astonishment before she broke into a joyful expression, thanking me profusely.
After completing the formalities, as I prepared to leave, I decided to ask, “Sister, do you know anyone named Lisa?”
Her face lit up with recognition. “Oh, do you know Mrs. Lisa?”

I hesitated, feeling guilty about what I was about to say, but pressed on with my fabrication. “Mrs. Lisa is my cousin. She mentioned that she often comes here to contribute.”

The sister seemed reassured by my explanation and nodded. “Bless her soul. Mrs. Lisa is such a kind-hearted person. She’s one of our most generous benefactors.”

So it was true—Lisa had been coming here, just as the detective said. This only confirmed that everything he’d uncovered was likely accurate. I glanced around before continuing:

“Sister, may I ask you something in confidence? Our family recently discovered that Lisa has a child out of wedlock—a secret she has kept from us for years. We want to bring the child home, but Lisa is ashamed and unable to accept it. If you care for the child and our family, could you tell me if the child is here? We all just want the best for them.”

The sister looked stunned, her eyes clouded with confusion and hesitation, as if uncertain how to respond. But I held her gaze earnestly, imploring her with every ounce of sincerity I could muster. Finally, she sighed and nodded reluctantly. “It’s true. Mrs. Lisa did bring a child here.”

It was nearly 11 p.m., and as usual, I sat sipping tea, reading a book, and watching the rain through the window. Suddenly, Lisa walked in, raincoat dripping wet. She removed it and came over to me.

“Where have you been so late?” I asked.
“I was at dinner with my parents,” Lisa replied with a warm smile.
I took a sip of tea, then asked, “My love, is there something you want to tell me?”

Lisa’s smile faded instantly, and her face turned slightly pale. “What do you mean by that?” she stammered.
“Can’t I care about you a little?” I smiled, trying to ease the tension.
Lisa looked uneasy, clearly nervous. “I… I don’t have anything to say,” she finally said, stumbling over her words.

I decided this would be her last chance. If Lisa continued to hide the truth, I wasn’t sure I could let it go.
I looked at her, my eyes filled with hurt. “Are you sure?”
She hesitated, then nodded reluctantly, still choosing not to reveal the truth.

I clenched the table edge, feeling a deep disappointment. Finally, I could no longer hold back my emotions. “Lisa, I trusted you. Today, I went to… Love Wall.”
Lisa’s eyes widened in shock. She stepped back a few paces before collapsing into a chair, her hands covering her face in despair.

Time seemed to freeze. Both of us sat there, unmoving, as if turned to stone.
Breaking the silence, I said softly, “Please, Lisa, tell me the truth. What’s going on?”
Lisa sighed deeply and began, her voice trembling. “I had a close friend named John.”

Hearing that, my heart sank. Even though I had braced myself for it, I hadn’t expected to feel this bad.
Lisa continued, “John and I were very close. One day, he had to move away. We threw a farewell party for him, and that night…”
My chest tightened as I anticipated what she would say next.

Lisa hesitated before finally saying, “That night… he and Penny… something unexpected happened.”
I blinked in confusion. “Penny? Who’s Penny?”

“She’s another close friend in our group. After that night, she found out she was pregnant. Her family didn’t accept it and kicked her out. I decided to live with Penny for a while to take care of her,” Lisa explained.
I stared at her, stunned. Had I misunderstood her all along?

“Penny gave birth to Peter. When Peter was just a few months old, Penny got involved with a wealthy man. Afraid it would affect her new relationship, she asked me to take Peter to an orphanage temporarily. She promised to come back for him after arranging her life, but she never did.

“Later, I met you and we got married. One day, Penny called and said she would pick up Peter. At the time, we were on our honeymoon. I gave her the address of the orphanage and assumed she had taken Peter. But two years later, I found out she had an accident on her way back and passed away. She never made it to Peter.” Lisa’s voice broke, and her eyes filled with tears.

“Penny’s parents have also passed away, leaving Peter without any family. I tried to contact John, but I couldn’t reach him. In the end, I decided to secretly support Peter without telling you,” Lisa confessed, her voice growing hoarse as she fought back sobs.

I stood frozen, absorbing the truth. I then stepped closer and hugged Lisa tightly. “Next time, tell me everything. We’ll handle it together,” I said gently.

Lisa hung her head, guilt written all over her face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to burden you. I thought I could handle it on my own, but I never expected…”
“It’s okay. It’s all in the past. Tomorrow, we’ll go to the orphanage and bring Peter home. I want to adopt him,” I said, my voice calm but firm.

Lisa burst into tears, overcome with emotion. “Are you serious?”
I nodded, and she threw her arms around me, joy radiating from her.

Marriage is about understanding and accepting each other. Everyone has a past, but what matters is how you live in the present and work toward the future. Compassion and forgiveness are the foundations of a lasting relationship.

This story draws inspiration from real-life events and individuals, but it has been adapted and fictionalized for creative expression. Names, characters, and specific details have been altered to protect individuals’ privacy and to enhance the storyline. Any similarity to real persons, living or deceased, or actual events is coincidental and unintentional.