u/UnbiasedWriter999

So I had employee stock in a privately owned company that sold to a publicly owned company. They had to buy my stock. They accidentally paid me $20,000 more than it was worth. I asked my direct supervisor what to do, he told me who to report it to. I reported it and they said they would look into it. Then that person quit 2 weeks later. And now that was 5 years ago. The money is still in my bank account. Would you spend it if it was you?

I've been listening to Roots of the Past from Glory of Kings, and I have to say, I'm really impressed with this album.

I guess I would put it somewhere in the progressive metal neighborhood, although there is plenty of traditional and melodic metal in there too. I'm not going to attempt to put it into the exact right metal subgenre. There are approximately 47,000 of them now and I'm pretty sure somebody adds another one every Tuesday.

One thing that jumped out at me almost immediately was the guitar work. It is seriously great throughout this album. I'm a music lover, not a musician, so I'm not going to start throwing guitar terms around and pretending I know what I'm talking about. I just know what I like, and there are guitar parts and solos on this album that are absolutely outstanding. More than once I found myself paying attention to the guitar instead of whatever else I was supposed to be doing.

“Mindwar” is one I really connected with personally. I have ADHD and also deal with anxiety and depression, so I know a little something about your own mind not always being the most peaceful place to live. This song gets that battle. But it also approaches it from a place of faith and hope, which makes it hit even closer to home for me.

“See You in Paradise” is another favorite of mine. It's about losing someone you love, but also the hope that comes from believing the separation isn't forever. It's a beautiful song, and I think anyone who has lost someone and holds onto that same hope will understand why this one got to me.

I also really like the title track, “Roots of the Past.” It's about looking back at the people and experiences that made us who we are, holding onto the good and letting go of the pain. I think most of us probably have a few things back there we'd like to keep and a few we'd happily leave several exits behind us.

Something else I really appreciate is that Glory of Kings isn't afraid to be a Christian band. You don't need a decoder ring to figure out what they believe. “The Waiting Game,” which closes the album, makes that especially clear. I miss Christian bands that aren't afraid to actually sing about their faith, and there is no question where Glory of Kings stands.

And then there's “Occam's Razor.” I'll just say they aren't afraid to tackle some subjects that might get people talking. Possibly loudly.

Overall, Roots of the Past is an excellent album. It's heavy, it's melodic, the guitar work is exceptional and the lyrics actually have something to say. If you like Christian metal, or just good metal with a progressive side to it, I definitely recommend giving Glory of Kings a listen. (You can download the whole album at GloryofKingsBand.Bandcamp.com)

I've been listening to Roots of the Past from Glory of Kings, and I have to say, I'm really impressed with this album.

I guess I would put it somewhere in the progressive metal neighborhood, although there is plenty of traditional and melodic metal in there too. I'm not going to attempt to put it into the exact right metal subgenre. There are approximately 47,000 of them now and I'm pretty sure somebody adds another one every Tuesday.

One thing that jumped out at me almost immediately was the guitar work. It is seriously great throughout this album. I'm a music lover, not a musician, so I'm not going to start throwing guitar terms around and pretending I know what I'm talking about. I just know what I like, and there are guitar parts and solos on this album that are absolutely outstanding. More than once I found myself paying attention to the guitar instead of whatever else I was supposed to be doing.

“Mindwar” is one I really connected with personally. I have ADHD and also deal with anxiety and depression, so I know a little something about your own mind not always being the most peaceful place to live. This song gets that battle. But it also approaches it from a place of faith and hope, which makes it hit even closer to home for me.

“See You in Paradise” is another favorite of mine. It's about losing someone you love, but also the hope that comes from believing the separation isn't forever. It's a beautiful song, and I think anyone who has lost someone and holds onto that same hope will understand why this one got to me.

I also really like the title track, “Roots of the Past.” It's about looking back at the people and experiences that made us who we are, holding onto the good and letting go of the pain. I think most of us probably have a few things back there we'd like to keep and a few we'd happily leave several exits behind us.

Something else I really appreciate is that Glory of Kings isn't afraid to be a Christian band. You don't need a decoder ring to figure out what they believe. “The Waiting Game,” which closes the album, makes that especially clear. I miss Christian bands that aren't afraid to actually sing about their faith, and there is no question where Glory of Kings stands.

And then there's “Occam's Razor.” I'll just say they aren't afraid to tackle some subjects that might get people talking. Possibly loudly.

Overall, Roots of the Past is an excellent album. It's heavy, it's melodic, the guitar work is exceptional and the lyrics actually have something to say. If you like Christian metal, or just good metal with a progressive side to it, I definitely recommend giving Glory of Kings a listen. (You can download the whole album at GloryofKingsBand.Bandcamp.com)

I (32M) never believed in "signs." My wife, Emily (30F), and I had been married for six years. We were that couple everyone envied.. weekend hikes, inside jokes, the whole thing. Mark had been my best friend since college. He was the godfather to our daughter.

Then the little things started.

Emily began taking her phone everywhere, even to the bathroom. She'd smile at texts and immediately lock the screen when I walked in. Mark started "working late" on the exact nights she had "book club." One night I came home early and found his car two streets over from our house. When I asked her about it, she laughed it off: "Babe, you're being paranoid. Mark's basically family."

I started checking the security cameras we have for the dog. Nothing obvious. But one clip showed Mark leaving through the back gate at 2 a.m., Emily standing in the doorway in her robe, watching him go.

I confronted her that night. She cried, said it wasn't what I thought, and begged me to trust her. I slept on the couch. The next morning she was gone along with our daughter.

I lost it. Called Mark screaming. He sounded genuinely shocked and swore he hadn't seen her. I believed him in that moment because he sounded as broken as I felt.

Three days later, I got a letter in the mail. No return address. Inside was a single flash drive and a handwritten note in Emily's handwriting: "I'm so sorry. Watch this before you call the police. For our daughter's sake."

I almost didn't plug it in. But I did.

The video was Emily, sitting in a dim hotel room, looking straight into the camera. She looked exhausted.

"Baby, if you're watching this, it means I'm gone. Mark isn't having an affair with me. He's been blackmailing me for the last fourteen months."

She explained everything. Right before we met, in her final year of college, she was in a car accident. She hit someone while drunk. The person survived but was paralyzed. Emily panicked, left the scene, and somehow got away with it. No one ever connected her to it.

Until Mark found the old police report and dashcam footage from a witness's car. He'd been sitting on it for years, waiting. He wanted money. A lot of it. When she refused, he threatened to ruin our lives.

The "affair" was the cover story they both used so I wouldn't get suspicious about the cash disappearing from our accounts. She'd been draining our savings, her 401k, even taking out loans. Mark kept demanding more.

In the video she started crying. "I was going to tell you everything last week. Then he threatened our daughter. Said he'd make sure she grew up knowing her mom was a monster who crippled a man and ran. I couldn't let that happen. I'm taking her and we're disappearing. Please don't look for us. Change the passwords. Sell the house. Get somewhere safe. He won't stop."

The video ended with her whispering "I love you" before it cut to black.

I sat there for hours. Then I did the only thing I could think of.. I drove to Mark's apartment.

He opened the door smiling like nothing was wrong. "Dude, you look like shit. Any word from her?"

I punched him so hard his head hit the wall. While he was on the ground, I told him I knew everything. He started laughing through the blood.

"You think this ends with me? That footage is backed up in ten different places. You come after me and the whole world sees what your perfect little wife really is."

That's when I noticed his laptop was open on the kitchen counter. Screen still on. File folders labeled with dates and dollar amounts.

I don't remember grabbing the lamp. I just remember the sound it made.

I'm writing this from a motel room two states away. My lawyer says the self-defense claim might hold if the video evidence supports it. The police found a lot more than they expected on Mark's computer.

Emily hasn't reached out. I don't know if she's safe. I don't know if I'll ever see my daughter again.

But the man who was destroying my family can't hurt anyone else.

If you're reading this, Emily... I'm not angry. I just wish you'd trusted me. We could have fought him together.

TL;DR: Thought my wife was cheating with my best friend. Turns out he was blackmailing her over a hit-and-run from years ago. Things got violent. Now I'm waiting to see if I go to prison or not.

I wasn’t supposed to open the door.

That probably sounds obvious now, but at the time it felt… harmless. Like one of those moments where you know you shouldn’t, but nothing in your brain is giving you a real reason not to. Just a feeling.

The door’s been in my apartment since I moved in. Small. Painted the same color as the wall. No knob, no hinges—at least none you can see. I figured it was one of those sealed-off maintenance things. Old building, weird quirks. I ignored it for months.

Until last night.

Power flickers around 2am. Not out, just enough to wake me up. And I hear something. Not loud. More like… a shuffle. Like someone on the other side of a wall trying not to be heard.

I live alone.

So yeah, now I’m awake.

I sit there for a minute, listening. Nothing. Then it happens again. That same soft, almost polite little movement. And I swear it’s coming from that door.

At this point I’m thinking pipes, or maybe a neighbor. But the layout doesn’t make sense. There shouldn’t be anything behind that wall.

So I get up.

I tell myself I’m just going to check it, prove it’s nothing, go back to bed. I even laugh a little, like “look at you, getting freaked out over old plumbing.”

I put my hand on the door.

And it’s warm.

Not like room temperature. Like someone had their hand on the other side too.

I should’ve stopped there.

Instead, I push.

And here’s the thing—I expected it to be stuck. Painted shut or locked or something. But it opens easy. Too easy. Like it’s been used.

No light inside. Just dark. Not normal dark either. It’s the kind that feels thick, like it’s taking up space.

And then I hear it again.

That same shuffle.

Except now it’s closer.

I don’t step in. I’m not that dumb. I just stand there, leaning a little, trying to see anything. My eyes start adjusting and I can make out… something.

A shape.

Human-sized.

Standing just a little deeper in the dark.

Not moving. Just there.

And then it shifts.

Not a full step. Just enough that I know it sees me too.

And that’s when I notice something that still doesn’t sit right.

The outline… it’s me.

Same height. Same build. Even the way it’s standing—slightly leaning, like I am.

I don’t say anything. I don’t move.

Neither does it.

We just stand there, staring at each other in the dark for what feels like way too long.

Then it tilts its head.

Just a little.

Like it’s curious.

Like it’s learning.

And I swear—I swear—it started to smile.

That’s when I finally shut the door.

Didn’t slam it. Didn’t run. Just slowly pushed it closed like if I did it gently enough, whatever was on the other side wouldn’t mind.

I locked my bedroom after that. Didn’t sleep.

This morning, the door’s still there. Same as always. Looks like it’s never been opened in years.

But here’s the part that’s messing with me.

I keep catching myself doing things I don’t remember deciding to do.

Small stuff. Standing in rooms without knowing why. Holding things I don’t remember picking up.

And earlier, I walked past the door and…

I almost knocked.

Like I was checking if someone was home.