He Was Angry
He waited as the minutes ticked by, his anger increasing with every passing second. Not only had the man ruined their home, but he also wrecked the first year of their marriage. His knuckles went white as he clenched his fists, knocking loudly on the front door. The bright sun was hot on his back, sweat dripping from his forehead.
He had no idea what he was about to get himself into.
Perfect Couple
24-year-old Rebekah and 27-year-old Thomas Entwistle couldn’t have been better matched if they tried! Their relationship was the stuff dreams were made of.
When Thomas bent to one knee and proposed to Rebekah, they thought that only their best days were ahead of them. But life, as it turned out, had different plans for them.
Peak Of Happiness
When Thomas tearfully watched Rebekah walk down the aisle looking beautiful in her wedding dress, he wondered how he could have ever got so lucky.
It was the happiest day of his life and for Rebekah, it was the exact same. They were ready to share their lives together and nothing could have ever made them part. Or so they thought.
The Search
Shortly after their wedding, Thomas and Rebekah began to look for their forever home. They were both music teachers and were tired of living among the hustle-and-bustle of the city.
They wanted a more quiet lifestyle where they could raise a family peacefully. It was a long search before Thomas spotted a house in Blackburn, a town in the county of Lancashire.
Not As It Seems
Thomas immediately booked a viewing and surprised Rebekah when he drove her out to their appointment. To Thomas’s delight, it looked just like the pictures online.
When Rebekah first saw the house, she cried. She couldn’t believe they found something so perfect, but looks can be deceiving.
Dream Home
The house was a two-story house with four bedrooms, a lovely garden and a view of the countryside that was to die for.
Without hesitation, the couple secured a mortgage to purchase the $290,000 home and moved in. Since the house came fully furnished with no renovations that needed to take place, the couple decided to make a change of plans.
Honeymoon
Now that they didn’t need to spend any money on the house, they wanted to celebrate their major life achievements.
When they got married they decided they’d rather spend money on their dream house rather than a honeymoon but now, they could do both. They booked a honeymoon of a lifetime and relaxed for eleven days in the Dominican Republic. It was a decision they’d later regret.
Unwanted
As Rebekah and Thomas lived the high life on their honeymoon, they were completely oblivious that their newly purchased house was slowly turning into their worst nightmare.
With each day that passed, their home was becoming a dungeon, and soon, it would become obvious that there’d be no escaping their new hell-whole!
Giant Fence
When the couple returned home, a giant six-foot high fence had been erected around their entire home. Something was terribly wrong.
Rebekah looked at Thomas in horror. His expression matched hers. What on earth was this fence doing around their property? The reason was that of vengeance!
Feeling Trapped
Through the ground floor windows, the incredible view of the countryside was replaced by tall wooden planks. It felt like they were trapped within a prison.
“This was our dream home and now it’s turned into a nightmare. It feels like we’re imprisoned in our own house.” Thomas said. Thomas set out on a mission to find out who did this.
On A Mission
The big fence wrapped all around their house, covering the windows and blocking out the light. The house felt like a dark dungeon. It was horrible.
Rebekah was distraught but Thomas was a man on a mission. Full of outrage, he started to ask around and gather any information he could about why this had happened to them. He had no idea who he was getting involved with.
A Stark Decline
After making several phone calls, the ugly truth about their new home bubbled to the surface. How could they not have been told about this before they bought it?
For Rebekah, it was a deal-breaker. She tried to live with the fence for as long as she could but it wasn’t long before the shadow cast by the enclosing fence began to influence her mind.
Feeling Suffocated
When Rebekah first saw this house, she was overwhelmed with joy and excitement for her future. But after understanding what she had bought into, she was filled with dread for a future that looked as stressful as it was uncertain.
She felt suffocated and in turn, their relationship began to suffer.
Depression
Rebecca had never been one to give up so easily. But after everything she and Thomas had been through before their marriage, she’d hoped life would finally be perfect. Her succesful marriage, house, and honeymoon had been a great start.
But now, even she couldn’t deny that everything around her and Thomas was like a vice around their necks. Depression began setting in, and with it an untold sadness that left her numb inside.
Lonliness And Worry
The days became difficult to bear, with Thomas seemingly pouring all his energy into trying to tear the fence down and ensuring it wouldn’t be erected again.
Rebecca tried her best not to judge him, but the lonliness and worry were tacking onto each other at every turn. She didn't even realize that her behavior had taken a sudden turn.
Forever A Prison
Without knowing it, Rebecca began avoiding the ground floor in the house. She’d only hover on the first floor as each day, the reality that she’d be stuck in this prison forever sank in.
She couldn’t open up to her husband about this, seeing how much he was trying to right the wrong he had nothing to do with in the first place. It wouldn’t be long until everything finally got to her.
One Last Shot
Rebecca gave the relationship one last shot, but seeing that the first thing her and her husband had done as a married couple had amounted in such failure, she pulled the plug on her marriage.
Packing her things, she told Thomas that she was leaving the house. Their situation had taken such a mental toll on her that she could barely talk coherently. But would she really leave him?
Trouble In Paradise
Rebekah packed her stuff and went to live with her parents. Now, Thomas was left with a broken marriage and home. He felt truly alone but he knew exactly who to blame.
Growing up in a family of brothers, Thomas was never one to shy away from a fight. He was going to get to the bottom of this and make whoever had placed this burden on their lives, pay.
Detective Work
Thomas called the construction company that was listed on the fence and asked for the name of the man who ordered its construction.
At first, they seemed pretty reluctant to let him know any personal information but after Thomas called in to the store himself and showed them pictures, one man agreed to tell him.
David Preece
It wasn’t long before Thomas found the man that built that spiteful fence only two feet away from their front door. He was a local farmer named David Preece.
He owned a nearby farm called Upper Mickle Hay Farm, and in an outrage, he put up the six-foot fence that surrounded the couple’s home. And the reason wasn’t like anything he expected.
House Call
When Thomas first tried to contact David Preece, his call went to voicemail. After his fourth try, he gave up.
Angrily, he looked up his farm online and jotted down his address. He popped it into his GPS and started his engine. Thomas wasn’t a big guy but he wasn’t afraid to pack a punch if he needed to. Little did he know, he was going up against a giant.
Confrontation
It had been a while since Thomas dealt with anyone that so blatantly had it out for him. He wasn’t a very confrontational man but he also wasn’t a pushover. His heart pounded as he knocked on Mr. Preece’s door.
As he waited, his anger boiled. After all, this man had ruined their home and first year of marriage.
Complete Strangers
Thomas was getting ready for a hostile encounter but when the farmer opened the door, he was confused to find a more who happily greeted him and asked him who he was.
It was apparent that this man who made his life hell for the past year had no idea who he was. Why then did this man do this to them? When Thomas introduced himself, what the man said left him feeling distraught.
No Hard Feelings
Oddly enough, it turned out that the fence had very little to do with the couple themselves. The farmer explained that unfortunately the company that sold them their house had built on what he claimed was his property.
They were caught in the crossfire of a property fight way beyond their control. And now, Thomas had no choice but to join the battle.
Calling For Help
The farmer Mr. Preece was involved in a land border dispute with Persimmon Homes, the company that carelessly sold Thomas and Rebekah their “dream home”.
When Thomas confronted the property company, they denied they did any wrong doing. Afterall, they were convinced that the property they sold to Thomas and Rebekah, was in fact theirs to sell. But that’s not how Mr. Preece saw it.
Withholding Information
Mr. Preece claimed that the couple were technically living on land that he considered to be his own. However, regardless of who was right, Thomas argued with the company that they should have told him of the property battle.
The Persimmon Homes didn’t say a thing about this dispute to them and continued to be of no help. Thomas needed help.
Hopeless
Just as the situation felt hopeless for Thoimas, a local councilwoman named Sylvia Liddle shone a beacon of hope on the messy situation.
Once Thomas spread word about his situation, a friend pointed his case in her direction. She was appalled at everything that was happening to the young couple and rushed to offer them help.
Reaching A Decision
She put a plan in place immediately and got planning officials from Blackburn to survey their fenced house. She was going to determine who the land belonged to once and for all.
Thomas continued to wait in anger and resentment at the entire situation while the planning officials reached their decision. Did they win?
Justice At Last
When the planning officials finally determined that the fence had indeed been erected on land owned by Persimmon Homes, Thomas were more than elated!
The company then took down the fence, promising that it wouldn’t be erected again. With that issue sorted, there was only one thing that Thomas could do.
Moving Forward
Thomas called the love of his life to straighten everything out. He had their home back, and had worked hard to ensure they’d never be violated like that again.
He had also missed his wife dearly, and was happy to know she’d missed him too. She apologized for leaving, and was wondering if Thomas was willing to work on their relationship. Of course, Thomas agreed, after all, everything he’d done was for her.
In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.