Photographer Gets Surprise Of Her Life After Developing Family’s Photo
![Photographer Gets Surprise Of Her Life After Developing Family's Photo](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/1.-Canva-4.jpg)
Changing Careers
Angela was bored after five years of working as a sales consultant.
The job was fine, but it wasn’t what she loved, so she desperately needed to change careers.
But what else was there for her to do? She had no experience in anything other than sales, and nobody would hire her without some kind of background.
A New Idea
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2.-Canva-4-1024x576.jpg)
Canva
One day, Angela was packing her camera for a friend’s wedding when she came up with an idea.
Photographs had always been her passion; she had taken many of them for family and friends.
If she could turn that into a profession, she’d be sorted. It would be a job she enjoyed doing, and she’d have time to devote to it.
Making Preparations
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/3.-Canva-4-1024x576.jpg)
Canva
As soon as Angela decided to change, she started advertising her services and bought some more equipment.
The only friends she had left that had not gotten married yet were too few to count on when it came to business.
However, the few good words they offered her seemed to have had the desired effect.
Getting A Call
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/4.-Canva-6-1024x576.jpg)
Canva
Angela was somewhat surprised when a woman called her after only having advertised for a few days.
She tried her best to conceal her delight, but Angela was overjoyed nonetheless.
She didn’t have time to process what was happening before it changed. Angela had never imagined that meeting this woman would affect her in such a profound way.
Her First Client
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/5.-Canva-4-1024x576.jpg)
Canva
Angela was nervous and excited as she prepared to meet her first client.
It took her an hour to calm down when she arrived at the coffee shop before the meeting began.
As soon as she and her two children arrived, it felt as if time had stood still. Their family seemed sweet at first. Eventually, Angela would learn the truth.
A Delightful Job
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/6.-Canva-3-1024x576.jpg)
Canva
It was a delight to work with Angela and Heather at first.
Angela’s pictures of her friends impressed Heather, and she showed them to her.
Things seemed almost too good to be true for a moment, but things soon took a turn, and Angela was faced with unexpected news.
Many Request
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/7.-Canva-4-1024x576.jpg)
Canva
Heather had a lot of requests – to put it simply. There was a moment when Angela thought that bridezillas were easier than moms with two kids. However, she was just getting started.
Heather’s request to take the pictures in her trailer home was most astonishing.
Though Angela was uncomfortable with the request, she tried her best to cater to her client. Her situation changed a few hours later when she received an email.
Reading Her Email
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/8.-Canva-4-1024x576.jpg)
Canva
As Angela sat at home, she wondered how to make indoor pictures look as good as outdoor ones. An incoming email ping interrupted her thoughts. (https://lovelandhabitat.org)
She opened it as soon as she realized it was from Heather, and what she saw left her speechless.
According to Heather, Angela didn’t have experience, so she didn’t want to pay for her services. Instead, she volunteered to advertise Angela’s services on her social media profiles.
An Infuriating Demand
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/9.-Canva-4-1024x576.jpg)
Canva
She was furious at what she read. Having the audacity to demand free photos was beyond her comprehension.
Being a photographer didn’t come without expenses.
To calm her nerves, she took a couple of hours to devise a plan that would suit her and her client.
A Neutral Solution
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/10.-Canva-3-1024x576.jpg)
Canva
After Angela’s fury subsided, she sat down and replied to Heather.
While she wasn’t going to accept the woman’s offer, she did come up with a neutral solution.
In exchange for the woman spreading the word about her services on social media, Angela offered to do the photoshoot for half the price they initially discussed.
Setting A Date
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/11.-Canva-4-1024x576.jpg)
Canva
Heather agreed to the offer Angela made, and the two of them set a date for the following week.
All seemed perfect, and Angela was ready for any challenge Heather would throw at her.
But she never expected things to go as far as they did. And the worst part was that it was just the beginning.
The Night Before The Shoot
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/12.-Canva-4-1024x576.jpg)
Canva
The night before the photo shoot, Angela could barely sleep. She was incredibly nervous and hoped that everything would work in her favor.
But that wasn’t the only thing that kept her up that night. There was more to it.
A feeling she couldn’t explain. It was as if something was trying to warn her of an impending doom.
A Strange Feeling
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/13.-Canva-3-1024x576.jpg)
Canva
The more Angela thought about the photo shoot, the worse the feeling became.
She just couldn’t understand it. Heather and her children seemed harmless, so why was she so afraid?
Angela tried to brush it off, thinking it was just her nerves playing tricks on her. But she would soon find out that it wasn’t as simple as that.
Her Behavior Was Odd
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/14.-Canva-5-1024x576.jpg)
Canva
The next morning came, and Angela was more exhausted than ever before.
She hadn’t slept the entire night, and by that point, she just wanted to put the photoshoot behind her and move on with her life.
She packed her gear and headed to the address Heather gave her. But as soon as she arrived, she realized that something wasn’t right. Heather was extremely tense.
Hours Of Complaints
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/15.-Canva-5-1024x576.jpg)
Canva
Angela was snapping one photo after another, but none of them looked right.
Of course, it had everything to do with the fact that Heather was stiff as a rod.
But the woman just didn’t get the point. Instead of trying to look more natural, she insisted that Angela had no idea what she was doing and demanded that the photos be retaken.
Four Hours After She Arrived
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/16.-Canva-3-1024x576.jpg)
Canva
Angela looked down at her watch again. It had been over four hours since she arrived, and Heather had been unhappy the entire time.
She decided to give it one last shot and snapped a few pictures while the mother was playing with her sons.
They were the most natural pictures she had gotten out of the trio the entire day.
Enough Was Enough
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/17.-Canva-5-1024x576.jpg)
Canva
But Heather still wasn’t happy with what came out of their time together and insisted that Angela stay for more pictures.
However, the photographer had had enough and didn’t plan on wasting any more of her time.
She just turned around and started packing up her things, hoping Heather would get the point. Luckily, the argument ended the minute Heather’s phone rang.
The Phone Call
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/18.-Canva-4-1024x576.jpg)
Canva
Heather looked at her phone and turned pale. She excused herself and rushed into the trailer before answering.
But Angela wasn’t done packing up yet and was forced to go back in to get the last of her stuff.
As she approached the door, she overheard the heated conversation between Heather and whoever was on the other end of the line.
A Peace Offering
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/19.-Canva-3-1024x576.jpg)
Canva
Angela was beyond irritated. She had tried everything in her power to ensure that Heather was happy with her work, yet there she was, complaining about everything that happened during her visit.
She got in her car and was about to pull off when Heather approached.
She had a tray of smoothies in her hand and politely offered Angela one, indicating that she wanted her to stay.
Not Willing To Accept
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/20.-Canva-5-1024x576.jpg)
Canva
This whole situation was far too weird for Angela to keep avoiding it.
She didn’t know what on earth was going on there, but it was making her extremely uncomfortable, and she wanted to remove herself from the situation as soon as possible.
So she turned down the drink and sped off, not knowing that her actions might have saved her life.
Troublesome Drive
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/21.-Canva-5-1024x576.jpg)
Canva
On her way home, Angela couldn’t help but wonder what on earth happened during the photoshoot.
She had been dazed and confused the entire day, but she was sure things weren’t as bad as Heather made them sound.
There had to be something she missed, and she was determined to find out what it was. She could not afford to lose her new life path due to an unruly client.
Getting To Work
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/22.-Canva-4-1024x576.jpg)
Canva
When Angela got home, she went straight to work. She wanted to get the pictures edited and sent out as soon as possible, so she had no time to lose.
She went through the pictures she had taken and picked the ten she thought were the best. After that, she went about editing them.
But when she got to the third picture, she noticed something.
Something Got Her Attention
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/23.-Canva-4-1024x576.jpg)
Canva
In the first two pictures, nothing seemed to be out of place, but as Angela looked at the third picture, she saw that Heather was wearing a wedding ring.
Odd, she thought to herself.
The reason she was so lenient with the woman was because of the story she was told, but the ring proved that it was just a lie.
It Didn’t Add Up
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/24.-Canva-4-1024x576.jpg)
Canva
Angela tried to stop herself from jumping to conclusions, but nothing she came up with explained the puzzle piece in front of her.
She remembered every word Heather said that day, and this proved that not all of it was true.
It couldn’t be true. She specifically said she wanted nothing to do with the man. That’s why she wanted the pictures.
The Sad Story
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/25.-Canva-4-1024x576.jpg)
Canva
On the day they met, Heather told Angela that she had just finalized a messy divorce with her husband and that she wanted to cut any reminder of him out of her life.
She wanted the new pictures to represent the new life she had planned for her and her sons — a life without the man that had betrayed her for the past seven years.
A Sense Of Unease
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/26.-Canva-4-1024x576.jpg)
Canva
So why would a woman who hated a man that much keep wearing her wedding ring? Was any part of her story true? Or was she just trying to get Angela to feel bad for her so she would bend to her every need?
A sense of unease washed over Angela as the questions repeated themselves in her mind.
What if it was worse than just a lie? What if it was a trap?
Calling The Police
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/27.-Canva-4-1024x576.jpg)
Canva
At this point, Angela was terrified. She had no idea what was going on, but she wasn’t willing to risk her safety to find out, either.
So she did the only thing she could think of and called the local police department.
Angela honestly thought they wouldn’t believe her, but in a matter of minutes, a police car pulled into her parking lot.
Being Questioned
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/pexels-photo-2422395-1024x679.jpg)
Pexels
The officers introduced themselves and started with the usual line of questioning. After that was taken care of, they started asking some very specific questions.
They wanted to know what the woman and her children looked like, how Angela communicated with her, and where they met.
That was when Angela realized that things were much worse than she thought.
The Evidence
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/29.-Canva-4-1024x576.jpg)
Canva
Angela handed over everything she considered to be evidence. She printed out the emails between her and Heather.
She gathered all the pictures she had taken, and she gave the officers the address she had gone to earlier that day.
It was more than enough to prove her innocence and to give the officers the tip they had been trying to get for the last few months.
A Shocking Confession
![](https://www.top5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/30.-Canva-4-1024x576.jpg)
Canva
When Angela asked what was going on, the officers informed her that “Heather” was, in fact, Rachel Peters. She and her husband, Josh, had a clever game they often played with photographers.
They would spin a story that would get a photographer to come to their trailer, and when the photographer arrived, they would be robbed. Angela was lucky to get away with her equipment, and that was only because Josh had been caught speeding. However, things didn’t end there.
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.