HEART pounding, Jenny Smith feared her boyfriend was dead as she boarded the ten-hour flight from her native Texas to London.
The 54-year-old’s long-distance lover, John Cahill, had vanished without trace, leaving her calls and texts unanswered.
Roy J Baron - Commissioned by The SunJenny Smith feared her long-distance lover, John Cahill, was dead as she boarded the ten-hour flight from her native Texas to London[/caption] Her boyfriend had vanished without trace, leaving her calls and texts unansweredSuppliedHeartbroken and plagued by dark thoughts about his fate, Jenny finally arranged to travel to the UK in search of the truth.
But nothing could have prepared her for the secret betrayal she would uncover.
When confronted, John, 57 — her partner of eight years — admitted he had been having an affair with his OAP neighbour while frantic Jenny fretted for his safety.
It was a devastating twist in a relationship that had begun online before Jenny relocated to London to live with John.
She moved back to the US after the pair had a huge row.
Soon, though, they were chatting again and when Covid travel restrictions hit, they kept in contact constantly, despite being unable to see each other.
Jenny says: “For three years, we’d Skyped, WhatsApped and chatted daily. But suddenly he’d stopped messaging.
“I worried he didn’t want me any more. In my darker moments, I even worried he was dead and no one had told me.”
Just four months before John went to ground, Jenny revealed she had a pang of insecurity when she realised he was spending time with his 69-year-old neighbour Tracey.
But she pushed the niggle to the back of her mind, explaining: “During one of our final phone calls, his OAP neighbour, Tracey, had hissed in the background, ‘He’s with me now’.
‘Chemistry sizzled’
“I’d been a bit confused why she was there, but the conversation had taken place during what was clearly an impromptu New Year’s Eve party and I assumed he’d invited her to be nice.
“But after hearing her say that, I didn’t know what to think. I wasn’t sure if I’d heard her correctly at first and I tried not to read anything into it.”
While 45 per cent of affairs happen with a friend or acquaintance, such as a neighbour, Jenny never suspected John of cheating.
The pair had met in January 2014 through a dating app.
They began chatting about everything from family and religion to their sexual fantasies — and the chemistry sizzled during Skype calls.
“John was witty, charming and good looking, with dark brown hair and hazel eyes — the whole package,” says Jenny, who was then studying business at college as a mature student, while working part-time as a dispatcher.
“I especially loved his British accent. It was so sexy.”
But there was one big problem. Illustrator John, who was divorced with no kids, lived 5,000 miles away in a one-bedroom flat in Forest Hill, South East London.
Jenny, who has a 29-year-old daughter, says: “After two failed marriages, both in my twenties, I wasn’t going to let this potential third attempt at love vanish.
“And I knew he felt the same way. There was so much sexual chemistry, even on screen. It just sizzled.
“I was like a dog looking at the meat in the butcher’s window. I had to have him.”
After six months of chatting, John flew from Heathrow to Dallas to meet Jenny, who had been living alone in a sleepy town an hour and a half from the city since her daughter left for college.
Roy J Baron - Commissioned by The SunJohn said: ‘I realise now how fortunate I am to have a loving, forgiving partner in Jenny’[/caption] Roy J Baron - Commissioned by The SunJenny said: ‘I was like a dog looking at the meat in the butcher’s window. I had to have him’[/caption] Roy J Baron - Commissioned by The SunJenny said: ‘I’ve forgiven John, but I’ll never forget’[/caption]She says: “As soon as I met him, I thought he was so much better in person. He had a beautiful complexion, so flawless. I couldn’t stop touching him.
“That first night, we couldn’t keep our hands off each other, all night long. I barely remember it. I woke up with my contacts still in. We felt invincible.
“He stayed a month and it was wonderful. I’d come home to find John had cooked me a lovely meal and even mopped the floors.
“I introduced him to friends and he slotted into my social life brilliantly.
“Everyone loved him and we spent every weekend at my parents’ house, so he became close to them, too.
“I was devastated when he had to go back to London and knew I’d miss him terribly. I loved having him so close.
“We vowed it wasn’t going to be a short-term thing and we’d make it work. Still, I was in tears as I waved him through security.”
Over the next year, the pair talked endlessly online and over Skype.
I realise now how fortunate I am to have a loving, forgiving partner in Jenny
JohnJenny says: “Despite the six-hour time difference, it worked because John often did his illustrating at night, so we were up at the same time.
“I’d have my laptop on the bed and we’d fall asleep together online. We got to know each other inside out, with him visiting Texas one more time.”
In April 2017, Jenny made the momentous decision to leave the States permanently and relocate to the UK to be with John.
She says: “I missed my parents and friends, but they were all really supportive. My daughter gave me her blessing.”
Jenny adds that initially life with her “soulmate” was bliss, saying: “I even made friends, including Tracey, his OAP neighbour. She was so entertaining and very funny. She had me in stitches and would take me on adventures around London.
“She was a real social butterfly and we were rollicking good friends. She was welcome in my home. Life was coming together. I’d never been happier with John. I loved our little life together.”
But two years later, in April 2019, Jenny and John had a blazing row over a string of petty incidents and she moved back to the US.
“I was heartbroken and thought we were done for good,” she says.
“Neither of us were behaving well and I wanted a break. I felt he was cold and, in my head, the relationship was over.
“But about two months after I arrived back, he messaged me on Facebook and we started talking again. Both of us admitted we loved each other, wanted to get back together and started essentially living together online.”
I was like a dog looking at the meat in the butcher’s window. I had to have him
JennyThen, in March 2020, the pandemic took hold and John struggled after losing his job. Jenny says: “It broke my heart that I wasn’t there to support him.
“I knew he felt unsettled by the pandemic, and I felt concerned when I saw the state of the flat.
“I could see washing-up and piles of clothes in the background. He’d stopped calling me so much, too.”
‘Those were dark days’’
The couple lived apart for more than two years while Jenny fought to return to the UK, thwarted by visa issues and pandemic restrictions.
On New Year’s Eve 2021, she called John so they could celebrate midnight together, as they always had. But she reveals: “I could see Tracey was in the background.
“I thought it was sweet that he’d invited her up. As we hung up, that’s when I heard her sinister whisper. I wasn’t sure if I’d heard her correctly at first.
“Tracey was a pensioner and I certainly didn’t see her as a threat. In fact, the age difference between us meant she gave off a maternal vibe and we’d been quite protective of each other. I wondered if that’s what she meant, that she was looking out for John while I was away.”
Then John stopped responding to Jenny’s calls and texts.
However, she knew he was drinking heavily so wouldn’t be thinking clearly.
Eventually, in April 2022, Jenny was able to fly to the UK to find out once and for all what was going on.
“I was so scared,” she says. “But I didn’t go to his flat. Instead, I went to a hotel in London. I still had my pride.
“I sent John a letter saying I was here and that it would be lovely to see him.”
A few days later he called, much to Jenny’s surprise, and they arranged to meet in a park near his flat.
“Our reunion was wonderful,” she recalls. “I wasn’t angry that he’d ghosted me.
“He was as handsome as ever and we hugged. When I told him I thought he was dead, and asked him why he hadn’t been in contact, he revealed he’d been with another woman . . . Tracey.
“I was horrified. It emerged they’d been having sex for a year while I’d been pining over him. I didn’t feel furious, though. I was hurt and had a lot of questions and we talked for hours. He was apologetic, but I also understood he’d been in a bad place with his drinking. I loved him.
“It was a tough time, but now, 18 months later, John and I are stronger than ever and planning to marry just as soon as we get the paperwork.
“I know he’ll never cheat again, I trust him fully. Thankfully, I haven’t seen Tracey since. She’d moved out of the building before I got back to the UK. I’m glad she’s no longer around.
I’ve forgiven John, but I’ll never forget
Jenny“I’ve forgiven John, but I’ll never forget.”
John says: “I realise now how fortunate I am to have a loving, forgiving partner in Jenny. Those were dark days when I had my affair with the neighbour.
“It was during the pandemic and I had lost Jenny to the United States. I was low, heavily drinking. When business as an illustrator plummeted, I sought comfort in the arms of my elderly neighbour.
“When Jenny returned to England, she was understandably hurt and angry. But we worked it out over time. She is the love of my life and soon to be my wife.”
Some names have been changed. SuppliedJohn said: ‘When Jenny returned to England, she was understandably hurt and angry’[/caption] SuppliedJohn added: ‘But we worked it out over time. She is the love of my life and soon to be my wife’[/caption] Read More Details
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