Rude Awakening
The thumping sounds woke Cheryl. There was a brashness to the knocks. They were too aggressive to be visitors. Bobby sprung out of bed before her. Cheryl panicked at the door as a dozen federal agents rushed in.
Bobby was yanked to the ground. Cheryl was shocked and outraged but the worst part was Bobby’s reaction. He stayed calm and compliant, almost like he knew what was going on. It was as if he had been expecting it.
Who Was He?
What made the entire saga that much more traumatizing was that Cheryl thought she knew her husband better than anyone. As residents of Brooklyn, New York, the couple had built a life there since day one.
Now, forty years later, Cheryl tried desperately to piece together remnants of the life she once had. She could barely believe it. Who was Bobby Love? How could she have been so clueless?
Love Match
Bobby and Cheryl Love were the kind of couple people read about in magazines. To Cheryl, she could not have dreamt of a more idyllic life than the one the couple had shared.
They had spent forty blissful years together. Unfortunately, for all those years, Cheryl was unaware that she had been living with a man she never actually knew at all.
Happy Memories
Cheryl met Bobby in the 1980s while working for the Brooklyn Baptist Medical Center. As a colleague, she found him handsome and charming. The pair began dating not long after.
In the beginning, it was just romantic movie dates and attending concerts together. Bobby was kind and gentle; the exact traits that made it so difficult for her to turn her back on him forty years later.
A Lifetime Together
After forty years, Cheryl Love was as smitten with her husband as she had been on day one. During that time, they had four children together; two daughters and twin sons. The kids were all adults now and the family had built a life together.
This made the truth about Bobby even harder to digest. Once the revelations about Bobby came out, even the kids weren’t sure who he truly was anymore.
A Life In Ruins
Bobby had been an active member of their community. They had remained members of the same church they were married in. There seemed a time when they never lacked the support of friends and family.
After news of Bobby’s double life had come to light, this had all changed swiftly. People hadn’t outwardly shunned them but, over time, it seemed like more and more people grew distant. Their old life was a distant memory now.
The Signs Were There
Cheryl realized that there had been clues as Bobby had always been vague about his past. All Cheryl knew was that he was from North Carolina, had also lived in Washington, and had moved to New York in his twenties.
His desire to leave his past in the past was made clear early on so Cherly never pried. However, Bobby suddenly received news that changed everything.
His Past Came Calling
When Bobby received a call that a close relative of his was very ill, he became even more withdrawn and distant. Cheryl could tell that he faced a dilemma. Bobby mentioned that he grew up in North Carolina many times but had avoided ever going back there.
After two days, Bobby finally told Cheryl that he had to go back there to visit his relative before it was too late. Cheryl had a bad feeling but didn’t object.
Bobby’s Return
When Bobby returned from the trip, he seemed jumpier and always on edge. Whatever bothered him so much, Cheryl just tried her best to be understanding without prying.
In her mind, she always imagined that he had been a victim of some sort in his past and often wondered if he had been abused. She never imagined that she would shortly be rudely introduced to the man her husband really was.
Nothing Made Sense
It had been years since all the kids had moved out. On the morning in question, Cheryl and Bobby were alone and still asleep. That was when the banging on the door started.
Before Cheryl could even fathom what was happening, Bobby had raced out of bed. She quickly followed him out. As they neared the door, she could hear a loud voice as it boomed out, “FBI. Open up now!”
They Had To Be Wrong
Terrified and confused, Cheryl looked out the window and saw that her home was surrounded by FBI agents. Before she could say a word, Bobby opened the door. To Cheryl’s horror, her husband of forty years was wrestled to the ground and placed in handcuffs.
The part that frightened her most was that Bobby never resisted. The look on his face was far from a shocked one. He seemed to know that this all wasn’t a mistake.
The Truth Revealed
After the initial shock was over, Cheryl was taken to a special agent’s office. As the agent told her what was happening, her entire world was turned upside down in an instant.
He explained that the man she knew as Bobby Love was not who he seemed to be. Forty years ago, he had been imprisoned for robbing a bank. He had escaped and been a fugitive ever since. In fact, Bobby Love wasn’t even his real name.
A Virtual Stranger
Born Walter Miller, he had initially been a relatively good kid. However, after being incarcerated as a minor for a relatively minor offense of disorderly conduct, Miller’s life spiraled from there.
Unable to handle the harsh environment at the juvenile detention center, Miller had escaped. Hopping a train, he had made his way to Washington. Once there, he graduated to larger crimes.
The Man She Knew
In Washington, Bobby a.k.a Walter had joined a gang, participated in a bank robbery, and was caught. He was sentenced to twenty years in prison and was well behaved at first. However, after some years, Miller escaped custody again.
Walter fled to New York. After initially scrounging on the street, he managed to find work and went legit for the first time. Making some contacts, he managed to secure a new identity as “Bobby Love” and began a new life. Shortly after, he met Cheryl.
A New Chapter
After being recognized in North Carolina, Walter was finally rearrested. More than a year passed. Initially angry, Cheryl and their kids eventually forgave him. His past aside, they had always known him as a kind and loving person.
Cheryl began visiting him and, over time, the couple rekindled. Cheryl later convinced the parole board of Walter’s contrition as a family man. In the end, he was released and their story proved that despite all the lies, the love they shared had been true all along.