Duped by his web of lies

- Kristina Beanland and David Jeffs

When my fiancé,Simon, asked me to marry him, it was the happiest moment of my life. I imagined the future we would have – how we’d travel the world and have adventures.

But the truth is, the man I loved wasn’t the person I thought...

It was May 2012 when I noticed an article on Twitter about a man, called Simon, who was fundraising for charity.

When I read his story, I could hardly believe it. After 11 years in the Army, he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). And then, despite battling rectal cancer, he was running 100 marathons in 100 weeks to raise awareness for PTSD.

How it all began

I felt compelled to get in touch, so I sent him a message and, within minutes, he’d replied. As we both lived in Leeds, he suggested we meet up.

While I wasn’t looking for romance, the connection between Simon and me was instant. We talked for hours – he told me about his battle with cancer and his time in the Army. I held back tears as he revealed that, while fighting on the front line, a child had died in his arms, and he’d watched his comrades suffer agonising deaths.

I’d never met a man like him before – so kind and generous. I knew Simon’s cancer could rob us of a future together, but when he proposed seven weeks later, even though it was so soon, I said yes. I wanted to be with him – however long we had together.