I Entered The Interrogation Room, And My Cheating Wife And Her Lover Were Terrified. I Said, 'Did

hello my dear listener and Welcome to our Channel it had been over 5 years since my wife of 15 years sadelia Lynn Masters a branch manager at Bank of America asked me for a divorce her explanation was simple I'm no longer in love with you she claimed there was no one else and that we had just drifted apart over time I had my doubts but was never able to prove anything shortly after that night I overheard her Whispering on her phone about the big changes coming into her life we agreed to joint custody of our

daughters who were 14 and 12 at the time during private interviews with professionals both girls chose to live with her the reason I was recalling all of this was because of an article I read in the newspaper that Thursday morning it was about adilia now adilia Lynn Peterson a regional Junior vice president and her husband senior Vice President Ronald Peterson attending a charity function in New York another photo showed their daughters Amanda and Randa Peterson now 19 and 17 described as upand comers attending the event as well it was definitely ailia she had achieved the

status and Prestige she always wanted the article mentioned that her current husband was someone I once considered a casual friend we had all met shortly after adelus started working with him at the local branch of Bank of America my daughters though biologically mine now went through life with different last names my first thought was to call my trusted assistant assistant Helen beard into my office to verify what I was seeing Helen a distant cousin of my wife was off that day for personal reasons on the day our divorce was to be finalized Adelia was a

noow I asked my lawyer to find out why before proceeding without her the judge had ordered us both to attend so we could confirm that the terms presented to the court were mutually agreed upon her lawyer admitted that she had been transferred out of state my lawyer asked if I had given permission for our children to be moved out of state I said no and that was when my nightmare began judge Donald McDonald's attitude shifted immediately he asked me to step outside and try to contact them when I called I found that the numbers I

had for all three of them were no longer in service I checked their social media pages and discovered I had been unfriended and blocked I returned to the courtroom and informed my lawyer who passed the information to the judge the judge issued a warrant for a deia arrest charging her with parental kidnapping and halted the divorce proceedings until she appeared in court with our daughters her lawyer was Furious appealing to the judge's sense of decency but the judge was firm during the investigation the police informed me that her side of the family claimed she had

requested a transfer because of concerns about my behavior towards the girls staff at the local Bank of America seemed eager to confirm these claims though no one could provide any evidence it was just what adilia had repeatedly said and they had accepted it as truth even Social Services who had interviewed the children found no indication of these allegations rumors spread by Word of Mouth throughout our town fueled by members of adelia's extended family over the past 5 years the judge and I had stayed connected developing a friendship through our shared love of fly fishing it

didn't surprise judge McDonald to see me drop by that night to visit him and his wife after dinner there's a reason I brought the paper with me I said seriously handing it to him there's something you have to see I opened the paper to the article and let him take a look son of a witch the judge muttered Ruth can you hand me my cell phone John I need you to give me a few minutes please Donald the picture beneath is of my two daughters I said the judge's face went pale Jesus Christ they've been

hiding in plain sight all this time I went outside to sit on on their patio Ruth joined me carrying two beers he's livid I've never seen him so mad he's on the phone with the FBI what did you show him she asked a picture from today's paper of my missing wife and her new husband it's the first clue we've had in 5 years that she's still alive I replied the second picture on the page shows my daughters with new last names oh what a mess that's why he called me FBI because Interstate flight with a

kidnapping charge is a federal offense Ruth said why didn't Bank of America help you find her she asked they got a legal ruling from a federal judge's appeals court stating that because it was a family matter they didn't have to comply I explained tell the judge I've gone home my emotions are getting the best of me tell him he can call me at my office in the morning it was a long rough night I began to wonder if there was more to their relationship back back then than just friendship we were already married when she

got hired as a financial loans officer in the department he ran I was just getting my consulting firm off the ground the question lingered because of my daughter's name changes were they actually his or mine did either of us know the real truth I tried to calm myself by recalling that Amanda had already been born when adilia joined the bank the next morning my concerns turned toward Helen how is she going to handle all of this over the past 5 years her disdain for her cousin had grown I knew she believed me her actions over

the years had proved that time and again many times I wanted to open up to her and express my feelings but I didn't she deserved the best a man could offer and with what I was facing that was impossible Helen in my eyes was a beautiful woman her auburn hair soft smile and warm heart were qualities any good man would cherish I could daydream about her but that's as far as it would go no man had the right to ask any woman to share the nightmare I was living the next day at work was busy

and I was thankful for the distraction toward the end of the day my personal assistant knocked and opened the door John there are two gentlemen here to see you from the FBI shall I let them in Helen asked by all means I've been expecting them I responded standing up as they entered the room how can I help you I asked as they walked in first of all I'm agent Holmes and this is Douglas Dale Max said we're here to get some background on this whole situation I told them how we had met her current husband

years ago and explained that as far as I knew there was no Affair at that time however given their relationship now and my daughter's name changes it raised a lot of questions I think the only way we can verify the truth is by conducting DNA tests on all five of us I said I believed Amanda my oldest was born before Adelia was hired by Bank of America but now I wonder if my wife knew him before that I explained that it was Judge Donald McDonald who stopped the divorce proceedings after issuing charges of parental kidnapping

because adilia by not showing up had ignored his court order what you'll need to find out is whether she filed for divorce in New York and if she's legally married to him so you're telling me the judge never granted a divorce Douglas asked that's right the court records will show that the divorce wasn't granted because she failed to comply with his order to appear in court I said judge Donald is a man who can't be swayed by others stupidity he does this in all his cases because he was once duped by a crooked lawyer did

you give your wife permission to leave the state with your children asked Mack no we learned from her lawyer that day that she had moved out of state the judge asked me to try to contact them on my cell phone when I returned I told him their numbers were disconnected and I had been unfriended and blocked from their Facebook pages so she moved out of state before the divorce was even final and got married less than a week later Doug said surprised that makes it clear that everything she did was deliberate it wasn't an accident

Max added that contradicts what we were told she stated in her interview in New York this morning when was the last time you had any contact with your wife Douglas interrupted that would be two weekends before our final court hearing I replied adilia and her daughters removed the last things they wanted from the house Child Services had talked to them both and her children had decided that for now it was best to live with their mom I explained since then I haven't received any legal notice or Public Announcement in the local newspaper I think we

can assume I haven't been divorced that means his signature must have been forged on the adoption papers Max said we can charge them both with trying to cover up a federal crime I was startled what adoption papers I asked but got no answer Mr Masters could you provide us with your signature Holmes asked Helen Could you type up a letter on our letterhead that states as per Mr M Holmes and Douglas Dale of the FBI's request this letter is to verify my compliance with their request for a copy of my signature I'll need you to

witness it then photocopy it for our records before giving them the original I said knowing she was listening to every word do you still live at 87654 Yale Road East Mack asked no I finally had to get a court order to sell it I said the police were getting tired of the rumors that a predator was loose in the neighborhood they helped me get the court order from Judge McDonald to sell the house after I was attacked and hospitalized for the second time he had Frozen all assets the day Adelia didn't show up in court

I now live outside of town in a house I built at Ryder Lake it's a very private setting with 5 acres of land I had it wired with extra security for my protection because there are still many who believe the lies spread by others after they left I let Helen know what was going on she was shocked to learn that her older distant cousin had been found I could see the Hope growing in her eyes along with all the questions she had there was still too much much unknown and I still had no answers Helen

when I leave tonight my cell phone will be off if you're bothered by anything related to my situation use your best judgment in an emergency call me at home I said Helen harbored deep resentment toward adilia for destroying a good man's reputation and his personal relationships I had lost a lot of family and friends because of the rumors adilia created Helen never imagined that someone could cause such damage until she witnessed it her elf she often wondered how much one person had to endure before the truth would finally come out it was hard for her

to sit and wait for things to work themselves out but human nature as she had seen always seemed to favor the LIE over the truth most believed that if it weren't for my company I might have given up long ago I had poured all my free time into my work and as a result I had tripled my client base finally I had started coming out of my protective shell two years ago that was when Helen noticed her usual supply of freshly caught trout began to dwindle what surprised her the most was that until today she

hadn't heard me mention my wife or children once since they left town Helen at first met me John Masters when she was 14 and I was 19 at a family pre-Christmas party adilia had just announced our engagement making her the center of attention Helen had known instantly that our relationship wouldn't last I was a financial planner who was good at at making money Adelia was a social climber who craved attention Prestige and Glory I always put the family's best interests first while adilia had to be first in everything Helen had told adelia's mother that if

we had kids we'd divorce as soon as they reached their teens she had been right Helen's own marriage didn't last because her husband died while serving in the military before they had the chance to have children when she needed advice she turned to me I Stood Beside her as she buried her husband and supported her as she mourned over time I became not only her boss but also her best friend she had watched me go through my own living hell over the last 5 years and it helped her realize that I was the one she

wanted to grow old with my biggest problem was that no matter what I did I was haunted daily by the past as a result I was stuck in a reality controlled by the actions of others the way adilia and her children disappeared had caused rumors to spread like Wildfire many people believed I had killed them to protect my own image it was even rumored that the reason I had so much security was that their bodies were buried on my property for the first time in a long while I stopped at Ruby Tuesdays for supper I

got the unlimited salad bar with a side order of catfish I had just returned to my seat from my first trip to the salad bar when adelia's father showed up without asking me he pulled out a chair and sat down I heard from adilia that this morning Roger said I said nothing just kept eating I had nothing to say to him the last time he spoke to me in public he had threatened to find a way to kill me for sexually abusing his granddaughters public scenes like that only magnified my situation and fueled the rumors

Amanda and Miranda are doing well Roger carmichel said softly my daughter wants to resolve these unsettled issues from the past Adelia has finally admitted to me that you never touched your children in the way she accused you of she used that false claim as an excuse to explain her need to disappear from town I want to find a way to apologize to you I also know she has talked to quite a few relatives today spread the word to everyone she spoke to that I will believe they are sincere when they provide a signed statement written

and verified by a notary about what she said and why when they have done that and come to my office with it I will believe them until then even this conversation is meaningless until that's done you're all dead in my eyes I said coldly that's harsh John Roger said but I understand where you're coming from and why do you really I'm just treating you the way you have treated me for the Last 5 Years dwell on that fact for a while now leave me alone and let me eat in peace I said remember too many

people in this town thanks to the extended family's rumors believe that I should be dead because of something I never did I added I watched Roger walk away did he really believe that a two-minute chat would solve his daughter's problems did he think that with a brief conversation he could wipe away 5 years of hate hurt and pain did they all think it would be that easy a few minutes later the waitress who had served me came over and sat down Mr Masters I went to school with your daughters based on what I overheard I

have to say that neither one of them knew what was going on that Friday before they disappeared we were looking forward to seeing each other the following Monday at school I saw the man who just left working with others from your wife's family while they packed up their things after they left the waitress said after hearing what I just did I thought you should know thank you for your honesty it's refreshing to hear I replied I didn't even know that I'm not surprised that I've been lied to about what really went on for all these

years I usually keep to myself because I got tired of hearing The Whispers And the lies they spread about me I said with that she went back to work when I used my card to pay the bill I doubled the total giving her what would probably be her best tip of the night I had a great weekend fishing in my canoe on the lake each day I kept my limit but threw the rest back one of my favorite meals these days is fresh rainbow trout cooked with flour and butter both nights I had two of

them with eggs and toast early Monday morning I was at work making the first pot of coffee for the day as I read the newspaper I was a bit disappointed that nothing was reported but I realized I was hoping for too much too quickly Helen showed up half an hour early something was clearly exciting her she was in an extremely bubbly mood after pouring coffee for herself she joined me looking back Adelia and I got married right after she graduated from grade 12 Amanda came just over a year later I spent those first few years

flipping houses buying cheap and selling high after remodeling Adelia took courses and started out as a teller at a bank I worked at learning the financial business from scratch one of the former owners saw my natural ability and became my mentor when the partners decided to retire Master's Consulting was born they worked part-time for me and helped it grow in Leaps and Bounds when Miranda came into the world I had my whole future planned I heard what you told Roger on Friday Helen said hell everybody did my cell phone was ringing all weekend I told

them all do you blame him after what the family has done to him you all made him a walking dead man in this town I have one question boss why are you requesting notorized statements I smiled and said public slander oh Helen said you're going to sue for everything she has wouldn't you I asked yes because that's the only way to clear your name and restore your credibility even better by getting a court order to freeze their funds until my slander suit is resolved it restricts them and forces them to rely on a public defender

I said well boss it's going to be an interesting week if everyone who called me follows through Helen said we're going to end up with about 20 Helen said most of the family are basically good honest people the problem as I pointed out all weekend is that they have accepted the lies as the truth I told them to ponder that when they went to church on Sunday the question is will their own guilt move them to do what they know is right as she headed to her desk she turned and said with an inviting smile

boss remember some of us single girls do enjoy spending an early morning fishing for the first time in years I broke out in a laugh when I left for the day I said to Helen thanks for putting a smile on my face Helen was and always would be my rock I firmly believed that if it were not for her I would not have made it through the nightmare of these Last 5 Years by lunchtime on Thursday we had 24 signed and notorized statements all basically saying the same thing my wife in name only had told

them all that she had to leave town because I had been sexually abusing my daughters for years and that she had finally found the strength to get out adilia had claimed she filed for divorce on those grounds if any of them had checked the court documents they would have seen for themselves that what she had said was false some had helped her sneak out of town with our two daughters and had promised a deal of their silence they all admitted that she had called them this past week in an attempt to resolve the past issues

and in doing so had admitted that everything she said about me was a lie it was my view that adilia was afraid of losing the new life she had built for herself she had no remorse or guilt about what she had done she would have gone on as if nothing had happened if I had not caught her image in the paper I knew since my daughters had not attempted to contact me that they believed whatever she had told them the best I could hope for with the facts now coming out was the satisfaction of knowing

I might finally get the feeling that Justice was served I had reached the conclusion that as far as my daughters were concerned like most of the family I had been written out of their lives having a name to go on Helen was able to find aia's current legal address where they both worked in the address of that location along with their current net worth she said your appointment with the civil lawyer is at two make it clear that adilia needs to be served before she is charged also remember to tell her that you would like

a court order to freeze their assets damn I thought to myself Helen you're leaving nothing to chance God have mercy on adilia if you ever see her in person because you won't I came back to the office at 4:30 carrying a chilled bottle of champagne and two long stemed glasses the lawyer Helen had ped picked out was taking the case I gave her everything the old court records the stenographers recordings the judge's ruling the signed affidavits and a copy of a warrant for arrest I also brought her a copy of the news article promoting my

wife's new life I made sure the lawyer knew everything about the relationship between all three of us and when I had officially met him when the lawyer learned of the complicity of the Bank of America she said we should sue them too for deliberately contributing to the attempt to destroy a man's life I said as long as one suit covers the other I'm game she smiled and said okay it's on I smiled knowing that we Americans in general will sue over anything Helen and I shared the bottle of medium champagne I brought back with me

the 750 ml bottle gave us about two glasses each we were just sitting and chatting when the phone rang Helen answered it and mouthed it's the judge I turned on the speaker hi Donald how's it going today I asked all things considered quite good John he replied I called to let you know that the FBI is moving ahead for a grand jury against adilia Lynn Peterson and Ronald Emerson Peterson next Wednesday they will also be asking for an order to bring Miranda Peterson into protective custody along with an order forcing all to submit to a

DNA test your older daughter is now of legal age and beyond their hands judge Donald said thanks for the info it is appreciated I said now about my divorce I will grant it with favorable terms the moment I have her in my court even if I have to accomplish it by video link Donald replied I'm going to hold her accountable for her conduct before me in a very serious matter after he hung up Helen said the judge is going to come down heavy on her but can you put her in jail I think the kidnapping

charges and any charges related to that will be under FBI discretion but he can rule on the contempt of court charge for failure to appear I said I really have no clue what the law allows him to do about that I guess it's wait and see for you again Helen said with sadness yes I've been waiting for over 5 years a few more weeks aren't going to make much difference it also gives the attorney I hired a few more days to deal with the court and never served if anyone knew anything they weren't saying the

next week went by very quickly on Thursday morning my lawyer called to inform me that the papers had been served on them while they were at work on Wednesday she mentioned that she had successfully Frozen anything in a deia's name including their bank accounts and assets that afternoon Doug dril the FBI agent called me and asked me to stop by St Francis Hospital to have blood drawn for a DNA test before 6:00 p.m. the sample would be sent to them for testing and I gladly complied I was out on the lake fishing for breakfast on

Saturday morning when my cell phone rang I looked at the caller ID it was Helen you've got to go to the office and see the USA Today newspaper she said it shows adilia Ronald and Miranda being detained by the FBI last night during another social event I'm on the lake heading for Shore I replied once I get changed I'll head into the office and check it out curiosity was killing me I had to know what the FBI was going to charge them with it took me about an hour to get to my office Helen had

been right but what really got my attention was what the reporter wrote about kidnapping we all have a view of what kidnapping is the article began but does it really mean our thoughts are correct under federal law kidnapping is defined as using Force lies or fear to steal or hold an individual captive either by physical or psychological means in order to benefit from it in some manner kidnapping is a felony and the average sentenced is 12 years this is just one of the charges facing Adelia and Ronald Peterson because of their conduct after she left

Missouri with her children without clearing it with her husband who she was divorcing at that time according to court records she filed because she no longer loved him the judge issued the bench warrant against her for kidnapping after halting the divorce proceedings due to her failure to appear as ordered it was our own story about the couple 3 weeks ago that finally led to her being caught the article continued it is apparent that adilia used the master's name when she married Ronald Peterson in a civil ceremony in New York City just a week after leaving

Missouri we have learned that the paperwork filed to have Ronald Peterson legally adopt Amanda and Miranda Masters was fraudulently created and submitted to the court which approved it Mr John Master's signature had been forged the FBI now believes this was done by the couple so they could hide the Master's daughters in plain sight it seems the couple had worked together at the Bank of America years earlier when they were starting out the careers Mr John Masters had tried to get the Bank of America to disclose his wife's whereabouts but they obtained a court order in

appeals court that allowed them not to it now painfully appears that Ronald Peterson as a senior vice president of the Bank of America was using his authority and power to thwart his wife's first husband's attempts to locate his still legal wife and his children the article further revealed Mr John Masters has filed a civil suit for public slander against adilia Peterson because she told over 20 of her family and friends that she left her first husband because she caught him sexually abusing his daughters according to local police 5 years later they are still receiving reports

accusing him of being a pedophile they say this is not true and that Mr Masters has been forced by societal views to become recluse when asked if it was really that bad for John Masters the police officer responded we still have two open attempted murder cases because he was the victim many believe here that he killed the three of them and got got away with it he has also filed suit against the Bank of America and its senior Vice President Ronald Peterson for malicious interference let's look at it from the victim's side for a moment

don't you think he deserves Justice I do but what will he get nothing because our society doesn't take that into consideration when dealing with criminals they can voice their opinion but that doesn't get printed in the media because it doesn't sell newspapers quite often the victim pays the price for years while the criminal ends up with free room and boor the article was stunning it had laid out all the facts I had just refilled my coffee cup when the phone rang I answered this is Masters Consulting how may I help you it turned out to

be the Southeast Missourian newspaper I confirmed that what had been written about the whole situation was actually factual the reporter asked out of curiosity how these Last 5 Years had been for me I told him about the two open cases of attacks on me by unknown sources which the police were treating as attempted murder I explained how far the rumors had gone and then I asked him how do you view what I went through he said I would call it a living hell it was hard for me to believe the nightmare was ending my name

to some degree was being cleared but I knew that 5 years had irrevocably destroyed any relationship I had with my daughters just as the rumors had done with my own parents and siblings when this was over over I decided I would sell the business and leave the area for good if the one person I trusted was willing to come with me before I left the office I cut out the article and photographs then scann them in at hard copies printed I put them in a legal envelope for the civil lawyer to use in my case

Amanda Peterson was shocked when the FBI took her mother and stepfather into custody after arresting them they leted her younger sister away to another vehicle she was grateful when one of the agents took her aside and explained that her real parents were not divorced that her father had never agreed to her name change or to giving up custody as she and her sister had been led to believe the FBI explained that any documents with her father's signature had been proven to be forgeries her mother was charged with two counts of parental kidnapping while her stepfather

faced charges of aiding and abetting the ongoing cover up of a felony both were charged with numerous other offenses Miranda would be held in protective custody until DNA testing could confirm her parentage as her mother was still claiming that her current husband was the father Amanda had gone home to pack her clothes now she was sitting in the waiting area at the St Louis airport about to catch a connecting flight to Cape that's when she noticed a headline on the USA Today newspaper left on the empty seat beside her picking it up she read the

entire article by the time she was done she was in tears during the hourlong flight to Cape Amanda kept trying to understand why her mother had done what she had to her father none of it made sense sure her mother had confided in her about Ronald in their online relationship but Amanda had never expected it to go anywhere until her mother asked her father for a divorce she had been sitting on the stairs leading up to the bedrooms in their old home while her parents were talking after dinner over coffee that's when she heard her

mother tell him that she no longer loved him and wanted a divorce her father had been devastated at the time her mother's attitude had been dismissive as though it didn't matter because in her words he's nothing but a man and there are plenty of other suckers like him now with what the newspaper had disclosed about her mother's and Ronald's previous relationship even more questions were raised as the plane began its descent Amanda wondered if the car rental booth at the airport still had a phone it was 11:00 in the morning when Amanda Peterson parked outside

their old home waiting for the sheriff's department vehicle to leave she had been there for over 2 hours when suddenly she was blocked in by two unmarked cars an officer with a gun approached identified himself and asked her to step out of her vehicle with her hands up she complied who are you and why are you watching this place the taller officer asked my name is Amanda Peterson I was waiting for the sheriff's department to leave so I could talk to my father in your father's name the officer asked John Masters Amanda replied oh the

officer said in total shock Tom go tell Joan and J to put the coffee on it's not what we thought the five of us are going to have a very long talk Miss Peterson I'm detective Joel Smithers I know your father well what brought you back here after all this time in part what happened last night in the article in USA Today she said I have a copy in the car should I get it please do it will help us know what you know Joel said after the introductions were made and coffee was poured detective

Joel Smithers read the entire article aloud everyone seemed stunned except for him you believed my father didn't you detective Amanda asked I was one of the few but yes from the time the rumors started spreading by your mother's extended family it was already too late he was stalked this house was vandalized so much that he had no choice but to sell I think it was the second time he got hospitalized after being attacked from behind that almost finished him off for good that was what made him move we were lucky we got to him before

he bled out down here folks wanted to do to him what they believed he had done to all of you most believed you were all dead and that he had done it your father in a lot of people's eyes has been a Walking Dead Man J bought this place fairly cheap but it wasn't until he started Ed bringing the sheriff's car home that things began to settle down you're telling me that it got so bad for my dad that it drove him out Amanda asked where does he live now yes the detective replied a lot

of us in the South still have our own views on what Justice is your dad has got 5 Acres over at Ryder Lake but it's completely fenced in with electric wire and gated with an electronic lock in the two years he's lived there outside of his work no one has seen him in how am I going to get a hold of him Amanda wanded aloud I think I know how Tom said I'll have dispatch see if his business has an emergency contact be right back a few minutes later Tom was back with an address written

on a piece of paper Miss Peterson do you know a Helen beard Tom asked she's a second cousin of my mothers I believe why Amanda Tom said according to emergency records Helen beard is the only person who can reach your father 24/7 I talked to her and she's agreed to meet with you though she's not making any promises just so you know Helen is tough hard and cold when it comes to protecting her boss especially in personal matters she protects your father John like a mother Hawk guarding her young if she doesn't believe you she'll

do everything she can to make sure you never get near him she's on her way to your father's business right now and and said she'll wait for you there he handed her the address Amanda thanked them for their help and then headed off what kind of woman could hate a man so much to do what adilia did to JN J asked one that blames him for everything she believed was wrong in her life Joan answered as soon as the car pulled up beside hers Helen beard turned on the voice recording app on her cell phone

and open the door to let Amanda into the building the first question Ian answered Amanda is what was going on around the time of your disappearance and what did you know or learn later Helen asked Miranda and I were woken up by our mother that Saturday morning at 4:00 a.m. dragged out of bed while we were still half asleep and told to get dressed because we were leaving when we got outside we saw the car packed with some of our clothes she told us she was off for a week and we were going on a

surprise trip to New York Amanda said that was the first we heard about it so according to you you had no idea a what was really going on Helen said some of the family now say they knew about Ronald and your mother's online relationship but they thought it was just a friendship look I caught my mom chatting with Ronald but I had no clue they had worked together when we were younger she told me she met him at a Regional Conference and they became friends Amanda replied we were half an hour down the road when

I realized we didn't have our phones that's when I confronted my mother her response was that she had been granted at sole custody of us by the courts and we were moving to New York because she had been promoted and transferred on short notice I now know that was part of a lie but I had no reason not to believe her Helen beard knew part of that was true based on what others were now admitting that adelia's children had not known her plans I also asked about our laptops Amanda continued my mother said the phones

were cancelled because of the move and she had to pay the balance in full as for the laptops the movers were supposed to pack them and ship them when they took the furniture we didn't know that they were never going to show up we did 20 plus hours of driving in 2 days so what happened when you got to the outskirts of New York Helen asked Mom told Miranda to open her purse and take out her new phone it had a New York number until then we didn't even know she had it then she had

my sister open Google Maps which gave us directions what we didn't know was that we were being directed to Ronald Peterson's home we found that out about 2 hours later he had orchestrated her huge promotion and set it up so they could be together the family back home had been instructed to dispose of everything but the family pictures which were mailed to us later as we were unpacking the car my sister and I found the filled out adoption papers Amanda explained Ronald explained that our parents and he had agreed to it because our mother and

he were getting married later that night our mother told us we had had to give Ronald and her a chance because he was our biological father gradually we were led to believe that when dad found out about Ronald's true relationship with us he decided he had no choice but to cut us out of his life Amanda I believe you Helen said I've already heard about half of what you just told me from the family in the past few days the only thing we knew for sure was that the school district had given a deal appr

printed copies of your school records so you could register at your new school once you found a place to live now that the truth is coming out just so you know I've recorded our conversation after I forward it to the FBI and your father we'll go for an early supper at Ruby Tuesdays while I'm doing that take a look at these copies of statements made with a notary Helen added but think about this if she lied to you about your father John Masters could she also be lying about Ronald Peterson Helen went into the other

room and watched Amanda for a few minutes before forwarding their conversation Amanda was learning just how much her mother's family had conspired with their mother against John Helen sent the conversation to John first then to his civil lawyer because a manda's honest statement was so damaging then she sent it to the FBI during the entire time she was observing Amanda Amanda made no attempt to contact anyone just before she was about to return John texted her I will be there waiting for your arrival she replied thank you I've left her alone for about half an

hour to let her read some of the statements we've received from the family she hasn't tried to contact anyone with that done she rejoined Amanda Amanda do you have any idea why my mother told the family my father had been mistreating us for years Amanda asked none of the family ever really approved of your father your mother knew this I think she used it as an excuse to explain her need to leave and move far away overnight Adelia also knew that your father would look for you and he did he even tried to sue Bank

of America to get them to release your mother's whereabouts and won but then he lost in the appeals court Helen explained we didn't know about your mother's marriage or your name change until a couple of weeks ago when your picture was published in the paper when your dad served them that day your mother made contact with the family in a failed attempt to resolve her mounting problems Helen continued for over 5 years your dad has been a haunted man because of your mother's actions I thought we were going to lose him twice how is my

dad really Amanda asked seriously he keeps to himself and has lost a lot of weight the stress he's been under for so long has turned most of his hair completely white his Facebook page was filled with so much hate and threats that he had to close his account it forced him to remove his name from the Facebook corporate page too because they went after him there they were trying to destroy his business in his life he's learned not to trust anyone anymore he used to be so outgoing but now he's quiet and reserved he has

no choice he's free but he's not because there are still people who would like to exact their own kind of Justice on him Helen explained he goes out of town to do any personal shopping for his house it's getting better for him gradually but even his side of the family has deserted him divorce is normally hard but what he went through was much worse people down here still believe he got away with your murder does Dad have a girlfriend Amanda asked with the reputation your mother gave him would you date him Helen responded for over

5 years he has had to defend himself against a lie where he couldn't prove the truth Amanda was silent for a moment then said every time he tried to defend himself it made things worse because their minds were already made up he was forced to walk alone it was made worse by our sudden disappearance because it gave instant credibility to my mother's claim Adelia and Ronald planned it well the only one who really had to pay the price was my father it got so bad for him that I was afraid he would Helen trailed off

as tears started to flow let's go eat Amanda realized the price her father had paid she had Stood Beside him throughout the Last 5 Years how much had she lost to do that as they headed towards Helen's car Amanda stopped thank you Helen for what Helen asked for Having the courage to stand by and love my dad these Last 5 Years Amanda replied Helen could no longer hold back her tears and Amanda comforted her I was sitting in my car at Ruby Tuesdays watching for them to pull in trying to figure out what to say

to my eldest whom I hadn't seen in over 5 years my emotions were running wild I had replayed Helen and Amanda's conversation three or four times I believe what I heard but part of me didn't I saw them pull in get out and walk towards the front door my hands were shaking so badly I could hardly light my cigarette I was a bundle of nerves Amanda had grown and blossomed into a beautiful woman I could see a lot of my own mother's face in her it saddened me because they had disown me shortly after my

wife and daughters disappeared after finishing my smoke I turned off my car and prepared for one of the shortest but long walks of my life the waitress who had served me a couple of weeks back was the acting Hostess she said right away Amanda is here I spoke to her I seated her and her friend towards the back are you here to meet them when I said yes she replied well she will ever her back to us as we approached the booth Helen saw me right away and smiled I walked up and then sat down

right beside her grabbing Helen's hand for support for the first time in over 5 years I was looking directly into my daughter's bright blue eyes without saying a word we both watched each other's Tears start to flow sometimes you don't know what to say and this was one of those moments I had asked the hostess to bring us a large flask of their house wine when it arrived the waitress said nothing after pouring our first glass she left us alone Amanda was in awe her father had changed so much he must have lost cost 40

lb even his face looked longer thinner and older his silvery white hair may have added to it many women would have to pay major bucks to have that look his age she decided one of them had to do something so she stood up I responded by doing the same we met each other at the edge of the table in a big hug she cried out loud bad I responded Amma my old nickname for her together we had had broken the ice once our emotions had calmed down we ordered our food Amanda was surprised at how

differently I ate I had always been a meat and potatoes type of guy so my plate was always filled with starches now I ordered a catfish platter with the unlimited salad bar I refilled my salad plate three times when Helen was refilling hers it gave Amanda a chance to speak to me privately Helen loves you Dad probably more than I do Amanda said she grilled me like an old army Sergeant before she decided I was being honest she wasn't going to give me a chance to hurt you again I have to say that I did

I was old enough to search up for myself but I didn't I don't think I will ever forgive myself for that Amanda for 5 years I haven't had a life to offer anyone at any time during that period if a body had turned up being identified as one of you I would most likely have ended up in jail most people around here believe that I somehow murdered the three of you and got away with it I said I knew so 3 years ago I changed my will leaving everything to her after the second time I

ended up in the hospital with knife wounds from being attacked I was considering ending it she's the one that brought me back from that edge Helen came back to see Amanda balling what did you say to her that got this started again nothing much just that 3 years ago while I was in the hospital having decided it was time to end my life I changed my will leaving everything to you I told her it was your love that brought me back from the edge I ended up with two females crying after lunch we returned the

rental car then the ladies followed me back to my private home at Ryder Lake they loved my private home overlooking the lake with four bedrooms upstairs a great room a living room a kitchen a laundry room with an open format and a Master Suite on the main floor with a cover CED Breeze weight from the garage to the house I offered to carry Amanda's luggage up the stairs but she declined I thought she felt she needed to give us some privacy time why didn't you tell me sooner how you felt Helen asked I couldn't I

was trapped by my past I replied I didn't know if a body was going to show up or not not knowing is far worse than knowing Adelia and Ronald knew that and used it to their advantage now that I'm free from the box they put me in I can offer you a future before I couldn't because I didn't have one Helen took my hand with a smile on her face I guess I will be putting my home up for sale because there's no way I will allow you to sell this I don't care how old

you are you still feel a bit guilty when your daughter catches you kissing another woman I know because that's what she did for the next hour we sat around catching up on what I had missed in my daughter's life I learned she was working in the business World in a go nowhere situation and working online towards her Masters and business administration she wasn't dating seriously why don't you come and work for us I said we can afford it and we do need a fresh set of eyes you can start in a junior position and work

your way up after all we collectively have caused a lot to happen to you are you serious Amanda asked yes we are Helen responded with the biggest smile I had never seen we can start you with an annual salary of $45,000 wow I guess I'll have to look for a place to live Amanda said don't be in such a rush we have lots of room here I said but I will expect you to do chores just like before Amanda replied as the tears started flowing dad why you were and always have been a big part

of my life I'll fly out tomorrow to pack if I can work out a flight depending on how long it takes I should be here sometime Wednesday and my car Amanda said letun add both your phone numbers to my contact list we had just finished doing that when Amanda got a text message from Miranda Amanda showed it to me finally got my cell phone back the FBI is holding me until they get the DNA report to prove that Ronald Peterson is or is not my biological father I had a writing expert show me how they

proved the adoption agreement was falsely created can't call but can receive and send texts because it's a secure sender Amanda wrote back with our real dad now flying back to New York tomorrow to pack clothes I'm moving back home and joining his firm his cell phone number is under dad Miranda texted back bring mine too and my laptop the lawyers can have the rest of the stuff Amanda texted back see if you can get a copy of today's USA Today newspaper you need to read the article article about us in it it explains a lot

of things that I didn't know call me as soon as you can so I can tell you everything I've learned Helen saw me go outside and followed me to the patio how are you feeling she asked emotionally overwhelmed I responded taking her into my arms how about I take Amanda with me and go back to my place to get some of my clothes Helen suggested that will give you some time to deal with your thoughts I sent her the program for the El ronic lock on the gate so she could open it and gave her

the house keys to copy suggesting that we might need four of them they were gone for about 2 hours I spent most of the time crying feeling as though the pains and hurt I had been carrying for so long were finally coming out it was like a damn had broken when they returned I was smiling and so were they I was on the patio firing up the grill getting ready to cook some steaks I had already made a tossed salad and was baking some potatoes I watched them chat as They carried in loads of stuff

from the car after four trips they had brought a lot of things which were now laid out on the master bed during our late dinner I learned that Amanda was flying out at 8 Sunday morning Helen and I would be moving more of her stuff over tomorrow it pleased me to see the girls enjoying their meal we were all drinking coffee afterward when my cell phone rang the only person outside of those present with me who had this number was the FBI hello Mr Masters it's Doug Dale the voice on the other end said just

to update you the DNA test confirms you were Miranda's father we got the confirmation about 2 hours ago we told her and she wants to come home so she'll be landing in Cape at 7:30 Monday morning that's great Helen and I will be there to meet her I responded perfect we knew that Amanda had headed in your direction last night let her know that her sister saw a copy of the article online Doug continued you might like to know that when we broke the news to Ronald Peterson he was devastated it seems adilia had convinced

him that Miranda was his it doesn't make a difference he's still looking at a lot of time by the way when the dust settles your daughter's legal name is Masters we received a court ruling on that Friday morning a copy of the federal court ruling will allow you to get their identification changed it will arrive at your office on Monday with that Doug into the call I couldn't help but start crying again I got choked up and couldn't speak both Helen and Amanda were concerned but I quickly regained my composure Miranda will be arriving at

the airport at 7:30 Monday morning DNA tests confirm She's mine I said when they revealed that fact to Ronald Peterson he was devastated adilia had him convinced she was his I knew it said h did my cousin adilia ever tell anyone the truth Amanda I have some bad news you'll need to change your last name back to Masters because the Federal Court ruled your adoption invalid my daughter ran into my arms crying Peterson never felt right we saw Amanda off as she headed back to New York to retrieve her car then we went to meet

Helen's two brothers their wives and Jackson who were going to help move the furniture she wanted out of her house since I only had two of the bedrooms furnished we had plenty of room to move her stuff in the whole story was printed in the Sunday edition of the southeast Missourian newspaper we met them at Hickory House for breakfast everyone noticed the glow of Happiness on Helen's face her sisters-in-law pointed out that in 6 months with Helen's cooking I'd have some meat on my bones the restaurant owner a longtime friend said congrats John this meal

is on us we we got everything done in one long day Helen's sisters-in-law seemed envious of her new home Helen and I offered to take them and their families out to dinner but they declined suggesting they would all come when we hosted our first housewarming party with all our family we were at the airport at 7:15 in the morning as sometimes the connecting flight arrived early Helen had informed those who needed to know that neither of us would be in that day the response was we figured that when we read the Sunday paper I watched

Miranda walk down the stairs of the small plane heading towards me in blue jeans and a tank top I found it difficult to see how much she had changed the last time I had seen her she was a little girl in pigtails now a stunning young lady was coming towards me the moment she saw me she started running the sliding doors opened to allow her to run in and she cried out daddy as she jumped into my arms our emotions let go and we were all captured by cameras but we didn't care I heard Helen

tell the K12 station reporter that's John Masters and his youngest daughter half the town thought he had killed them it turns out they were kidnapped over 5 years ago the FBI is holding their mother and her lover in jail for it right now this was the first time they had seen each other in over 5 years we had broken up and turned towards the reporter I'm Miranda Masters and this is my Father John Masters Miranda began 5 years ago with my mother's family's help we were kidnapped they spread rumors that our father had abused us

which is not true my mother's extended family may be involved in things like that but my dad did not and would not anyone planning to go after him in the future will have to go through my sister and me we are family and we stand together Miranda continued when my mother was divorcing my father she told us he was just a man getting what he deserved none of us deserved what she did to us he's not just my father but also the most honest person I've ever known I introduced Miranda to Helen Miranda hugged her

and said Amanda and I had a long talk yesterday about everything we've learned it turned out our mother had lied and misled Ronald just as much as she did our dad in her need to be the center of attention she almost destroyed five lives we know Dad and you were planning to get married so as far as Amanda and I are concerned we want to forget the h part okay Helen's eyes wed up you couldn't have said it better Miranda I'll agree if you promis to be one of my bridesmaids let's go get some breakfast

then we'll get you some clothing at Macy's I suggested can we go to Denny Miranda asked yes but Huddle House is the closest thing to it for breakfast food I replied if that's okay it was and I was surprised by how much my youngest could eat I thought it might be cheaper to get her room and board somewhere it was still hard to believe that I had a life again with my two daughters back in a way I never thought possible my house no longer felt like just a place it was home while we were

shopping at Macy's I intentionally drifted away there's something unmanly about watching women discuss sizes and personal items by the time they realized I was missing I was almost back Helen asked where I had slipped off to and I said I had been in the the washroom I had to sit and watch as Miranda tried on clothes seeking my approval honestly I thought she looked good in anything $300 later we left with two bags when we got back to the house Helen showed Miranda the newly furnished four bedrooms upstairs Helen was thrilled when Miranda chose the

room with her master bedroom furniture we were sitting on the patio enjoying the space before the heat of the day set in the ladies were having iced tea and I was enjoying a cold beer I got up and walked over to Helen taking the ring box out of my pocket I got down on one knee catching her off guard since I haven't officially asked you I said opening the box and revealing the three ring set will you marry me as soon as my divorce is final of course yes she said Miranda captured it all on

camera and sent it to Amanda with a text yes it fits I had found out Helen's ring size from her brother about half an hour earlier about that time Helen received an unexpected call both Miranda and I looked at her with concern as she unexpectedly teared up I understood when she handed me her cell phone congrats dad said the voice on the other end it was my eldest daughter are you on the road yet I asked I left at 4 yesterday and have been driving non-stop since then Amanda explained there's a lot less traffic at

night and fewer cops on the highway my car cruises well at just over 100 I'll let my sister know I got her stuff I said how much farther do you have to go what time is it there she asked about 2:00 p.m. I replied I need you to direct me she said I just pulled off onto the offramp at Cape I texted her the directions it was both impressive and concerning that she had driven 24 hours straight the girls heard the car coming up the drive way and were at the door waiting for her before

she got out Amanda looked tired but otherwise was fine seeing my three girls together Hit me hard the first thing Amanda had to do was see Helen's engagement ring just then the house phone rang I ran to answer it John we've been swamped today Chris said some clients we lost because of the rumors are coming back and we've got a lot of new ones calling to set up appointments many of them out of state if this keeps up we're going to need to hire more staff by the way my daughter Amanda will be starting as

a junior next week she's green but working towards her Ms in Business Administration I said can I have her on my team Chris asked it will be long hours but she'll learn the ropes the hard way okay I said Chris akre was a go-getter I hired right after he graduated at the head of his class like us all Chris had learned the hard way and it had cost us but over time he had more than made up for it it didn't take long for him to learn that what was taught as business Theory had little

practical use in the real world he knew and was not afraid to admit it everyone working under him learned the same way if you saw someone making a mistake you stopped them to teach them why the thinking or approach was wrong the only question considered wrong in his eyes was the one you didn't ask Chris Helen and I will be taking the rest of the week off I said with our engagement in the girls coming home we have a lot of legal matters to SAR out including enrolling Miranda in school Wow engaged that reminds me

we got a courier letter from the FBI can you swing by and pick it up at 5 Chris asked hell yes thanks for reminding me I said realizing I had let it slip my mind we said our goodbyes and at 4:30 the four of us headed into town we had decided to celebrate our first official meal as a family at Red Lobster a place my daughters had picked I pulled up in front of our office and asked Amanda if she wanted to see where she would be working she said yes so we all went in

as we walked in the receptionist stood up and led us to the biggest conference room inside were a large cake in a huge Banner that read congratulations Amanda everyone met my new family and it was noted that my daughters were already calling hell and Mom we finally made it to the restaurant around on 6:30 it was their annual all the shrimp you can eat deal my daughters quit counting after 140 shrimp and couldn't believe I ate raw lemons like most people eat oranges my daughters and I read the Court ruling together it first noted that

the document used was easily found on legalzoom.com requiring no lawyer to create the second point was that writing experts said the signature of John Allen Masters had been traced causing major breaks in the natural flow of ink compared ing each signature on the document the breaks were inconsistent indicating the signature had been copied the third point was that I had never used my full middle name when signing my name the fourth giveaway was that the recorded date of my signature according to the witnesses was after they had left the state of Missouri the second page

of the ruling stated that Amanda and Miranda Peterson were never their legal names in the eyes of the Court they had always been Amanda Masters and Miranda Masters and all legal documents should be altered to to reflect this fact we spent the week resolving the legal issues starting with the Social Security office then the state attorney's office to restore their birth certificates to their original names and finally the motor vehicle department to get new driver's licenses personally I took great satisfaction in sitting across from the same school principal who had told me where to go

5 years ago to register Miranda in grade 11 the last thing I did on Thursday was pick up their new cell phones on Friday I had Amanda and Miranda to follow Helen and me to the Ford Groves dealership in Jackson Helen had given me permission to trade in her car each lady took home a new lease to own 2019 Ford Escape through my company once home I wrote Amanda a check for the trade in value which was applied against our large down payment my divorce lawyer called for the first time in 5 years my daughters

and I were to be in court for a hearing set for 1:00 p.m. on Monday I asked Helen if she wanted to go with us and she said damn right we were all seated before judge Donald McDonald watching Adil Aly Peterson as she took her seat on the large monitor before us without her usual adornments she didn't look like much the color orange really didn't suit her the judge asked her lawyer if he had anything to say on the charge of contempt he replied that according to her she had not understood that she needed to

be in court that day the judge asked if he had reminded her numerous times during the settlement discussions to which he answered yes are you that incompetent in your field to believe that the defendant might be telling the truth the judge asked the lawyer responded no how does your client wish to plead the judge asked no contest your honor the lawyer said I sentence her to 5 years to be served after any federal time the judge said coldly your honor her lawyer said isn't that a bit extreme judge McDonald replied not in my eyes but

she has the right to appeal as for the divorce it is granted in favor of Mr Masters all assets remaining from their marriage she forfeited any rights to them the day she left the state with her minor daughters he turned to my lawyer dropped the divorce decree and include a waiver for the required waiting period I think your client has waited long enough my client does have one final request that he would like you to Grant my lawyer said what is that judge Donald asked looking at me with questioning eyes he's recently gotten engaged to

miss Helen beard and he was wondering if you would handle the Civil ceremony when they get married my lawyer explained Helen and the girls almost jumped out of their seats I had a big smile on my face my lawyer and I had thought it might play out like this if it did he was to use the funds I had put in his trust to pay forward Groves for the lease of the cars have the ownership transferred into Helen and the kids individual names and write me a check for what was left I would be honored

to and congratulations to both of them it's long overdue the judge said with a huge smile we could all still see adelia's face on the monitor her face glowing with shock I felt she believed she would get off with just 30 days at most not this it had to be stinging for her to learn in court that I was marrying her younger cousin the judge brought down his gavl and said the court is adjourned as we stood up to leave the judge walked over to me and shook my hand I introduced him to my future

wife and my daughters with the formal respect I thought he deserved he told them all I'm not on the bench right now so it's just done before we departed he said we've got to go fly fishing soon John before it gets too damn hot no man has ever seen three girls more excited than the three girls in my life they all started talking up a storm having been used to The Sounds of Silence for so long I was wishing for a good set of earplugs that's when I caught a glimpse of a couple quietly leaving

the court it hit me hard they were the last people I expected to see my mom and dad as my dad had said when he ended our relationship and disowned me forgiveness is easy forgetting is not I was learning the hard way how true that was nothing excites girls more than being involved in the planning of a wedding and that's what filled our home as we got back into a normal routine Helen put her house up for sale and Amanda was fitting in really well with my staff it was noted that she had a sharp

Keen mind Miranda during the first week had rediscovered some of her old friends and was reconnecting Master's Consulting was being swamped as we landed two new corporations that month needing complete restructuring to survive along with a major cash inflow Amanda surprised us all when she pointed out things we had completely overlooked which were costing our customers millions in prospective sales it took her 3 weeks to turn that part around and the increase in sales as a result surprised everyone Helen and I were lying in bed just cuddling one night she was adjusting to becoming a

mom just as I was adjusting to being a dad again you know dear my biological clock is ticking how long do you think we should wait before trying for one or two of our own Helen asked looking at me with her dreamy eyes I have to admit I had never given it much thought but I knew after everything she had gone through with me I had no right to refuse let me answer your question this way as long as you're not showing for our wedding pictures I will leave that up to you I said I

don't think I need to explain why neither of us got much sleep that night it was on Mother's day that we finally exchanged our vowe Amanda was the maid of honor Miranda and another niece were maids in Waiting Chris acre was my best man and two of my nephews were ushers it was a small Affair held in the backyard of our house with the lake in the background Helen's Brothers had been in charge of getting the yard ready the judge married us while standing beneath an arbor of spring flowers all of us men were dressed

in blue jeans wearing cowboy hats and matching boots of course the ladies went all out Helen wore a traditional white wedding gown and her bridesmaids wore yellow dresses her extended family went all out with a barbecue spread that was a delight that night our patio turned into a huge dance floor with live music life went on a dilia and Ronald's criminal trial had begun Ronald had filed for divorce and my civil lawyer was in discussions with their lawyers and Bank of America's legal team hired for this case our first Father's Day as a new family

was approaching I knew my wife and daughters were planning something but I had no clue what on Father's Day Helen and I were out on the lake in our canoe fishing at the crack of dawn the fish were really biting as soon as the Flies hit the water they were catching them and in less than an hour we had our limit just before we started heading back to shore Helen handed me a card she had hidden on her body I opened it and read Happy Father's Day daddy we're pregnant and it's a boy I jumped

with excitement and flipped the canoe we lost everything the fish the fishing poles and our Tackle Box we ended up going back to shore in our canoe completely soaked when the girls found out how I learned the news they thought it was a hoot they had already been informed about Helen's good news it takes time for things to mellow but that's not always true for me it took watching the birth of my son to truly feel the shift he came into the world screaming and weighing 7 lb it had shocked my mother when I called

and asked her to come to the hospital's Maternity Ward as soon as possible when my mother arrived I rushed her into Helen's room where she was holding our son his name is Colin Richard I said my my mother lost it that had been her grandfather's name as for my father and me we still don't speak he would have to come to me and as of the time of writing this he hasn't but each morning is another day and life goes on dear listeners please share your thoughts in the comments section below and don't forget to

like share and subscribe