Stories

Stories >> Stories home >> Joined in holy rat-rimony!

Joined in holy rat-rimony!

All I wanted was a happy ending, but my bloke had other engagements...


Published by: Dawn Murden and Paul Carter
Published on: 7 March 2013

This was the moment I'd been waiting for. The church fell silent as the bride glided down the aisle in her beautiful white dress. The ceremony began and then came the best bit...
‘I do,' she sobbed, as her groom gazed at her adoringly.
Up until now, I'd been in stitches of laugher watching Don't Tell The Bride on telly. But suddenly, I felt a little teary. The truth was, I wanted to be the bride saying ‘I do.'
‘Isn't she beautiful?' I asked my boyfriend Jody, 30.
‘Not as beautiful as you,' he smiled, giving me a peck.
Six years on from meeting at a friend's party, we were still smitten. From day one, he'd been a fantastic father to my son Ian, eight, from a previous relationship. We had also since had a four-year-old daughter, Gracie, together.
As well as being a great daddy, Jody had a cheeky sense of humour. I knew he was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. There was just one problem - he hadn't asked me to make things official yet.
‘Where would you like to get married?' I said when the programme ended.
‘I don't know,' he said, yawning. ‘Let's go to bed. I've got an early start tomorrow.'
It wasn't the first time I'd hinted at tying the knot. Gracie had been born prematurely at 23 weeks and spent four months in intensive care. Doctors had warned us to expect the worst, but she'd battled through. When she eventually took her first steps, it was an extra special moment for us.
‘Well done!' I beamed, welling up. ‘Now you can walk down the aisle as our special little bridesmaid.'
‘One day,' Jody smiled.
But he'd been very quiet on the subject ever since.
The next day, we had breakfast before Jody left for work. He was a van driver's assistant, which meant he was away for two or three days a week. Some girlfriends would hate it, but I didn't mind.
‘We're taking deliveries up North,' he said. ‘So I might pop in to see my mum this evening.'
Me and Gracie had never met Jody's mum June. She lived in Scotland and was very ill.
‘She's not well enough,' he'd say when I suggested visiting her. ‘It would put too much pressure on her.'
As he stood up to leave, I handed him some photos of Gracie to show his mum.
‘See you in a few days. Miss you already.' he said.
When he got back a few days later, I asked after his mum.
‘Oh, she's not great,' he shrugged.
He always hated talking about his family.
‘You're my family now,' he'd say, dismissing my questions.
I assumed they had issues and didn't want to pry.
As the months went by, I'd drop hints every time we walked past a jewellers or a church. But Jody would change the subject.
‘Why don't you propose to him?' my mum April suggested.
‘I can't do that,' I scoffed. I'd always dreamt of a romantic proposal at a surprise party.
But a few nights later while we were eating dinner, it was playing on my mind so much that I couldn't help myself.
‘I've been thinking,' I said, nervously. ‘We love each other and we're a family. There's just one thing missing... Can we get married?'
His fork hovered mid-air as he began to frown.
‘We don't need a piece of paper to prove our love,' he grumbled to me.
‘But I've always wanted to...' I started.
‘It's not for me,' he replied.
Admittedly, I was upset, but I respected his wishes.
A few weeks later, the paperboy knocked on the door for payment.
‘I'll get my purse,' I said. I couldn't find it but, as I looked, I saw Jody's wallet on the kitchen side. As I opened it and pulled out a £20 note, a little picture fell into my palm.
‘What the...?!' I gasped.
Smiling back at me was Jody hugging a tanned brunette.
Who was this woman? And why on earth did Jody have her picture in his wallet?
Moments later, Jody came in.
‘Who the hell is this?' I screamed, shoving the picture under his nose.
‘It's my sister,' he replied.
‘You've never mentioned her,' I snapped.
But all of a sudden, I felt silly. Jody hated talking about his family. I barely knew anything about them. No wonder
I hadn't heard about her before. ‘I'm sorry,' I said.
A few days later, Jody had to go away for work.
He said he'd be back on Monday. But by midnight that night, there was no sign of him.
I hope you're okay, I texted before bed. Love you.
The next morning, I still hadn't heard from him. Petrified he'd had an accident, I phoned the police.
‘If he doesn't turn up in 48 hours, ring us again,' they said.
I kept calling and texting but heard nothing from him.
Finally, the next evening, my phone rang.
‘Jody, I've been worried sick!' I cried.
‘Why are you phoning my husband?' a female voice asked.
‘Who's your husband?' I said. ‘Jody Friar,' she replied.
‘What?' I gasped, my heart thumping in my chest. Was this a sick joke? Then I remembered the photo I'd found.
‘Am I hearing you right?' I said, bursting into tears.
‘Yes,' she said. ‘I'm Gemma and we've been married for eight years.'
‘But I've been his girlfriend for six years. We have a daughter together!'
No wonder he didn't want to get married. He'd get arrested for bigamy!
‘I knew he'd been acting strangely,' Gemma ranted.
It turned out that Gemma lived in Blackburn, too. Every time Jody was supposedly working away, he'd been at home with her.
‘What about his sick mum in Scotland?' I gasped.
‘She lives near me,' Gemma scoffed. ‘And she's as fit as a fiddle.'
‘How could he do this?' I sobbed to her.
‘I thought he was in love with me.'
‘He had us both fooled,' she replied sympathetically.
She gave me her house number and told me to phone back later. So I did.
‘Jody, your girlfriend Hayley's on the phone,' she shouted, when she picked up.
‘I'm sorry,' I heard him begging in the background, before the line went dead. The coward wouldn't even talk to me.
Devastated, I cried for days. I kept phoning Jody and after a week, he finally answered.
‘Tell Gracie I love her,' he said. ‘I'll come and see her when it's all calmed down.' Then he hung up. I tried calling back but the number was cut off.
‘Where's Daddy?' Gracie would ask me.
‘He had to go away for a while but he loves you,' I told her.
What else could I say?
Four months on, I haven't heard from Jody. Perhaps he's with Gemma, I don't know.
I want him to be a dad to Gracie, but if he dared to propose now, I'd tell him where to put the ring. The only vow I'll be making is to never trust a man again.

• Jody Friar, 30, says: ‘It's true what she says and maybe I have been out of order, but that's the way it is. I'll see Gracie once everything's calmed down. I'm not saying any more.'

*Some names have been changed


Hayley Saniford, 27, Blackburn, Lancashire