Hell to pay for life’s little liars

If you are in a relationship with someone then this article is for you. Think of that special person right now. When you are done smirking about how dear they are to you, think back to the first time you met them.

The first conversation, the first impression and the first imagingings of what the future would hold for both of you. Then fast forward to today. It isn’t looking as you had imagined it would, right?

No, that’s not to say you are in a bad relationship, but that your first impressions about your partner are not always necessarily on point. When in love we tend to paint a picture of what we hope our relationship will be like, yet reality sets in and it is completely different story.

Take The Devil You Know, for instance. The TV show looks at couples where one partner is a criminal living a normal life, or so it seems. Upon a closer look, one person in the relationship is a cold-blooded criminal and the other is oblivious to their “occupation”.

So once again, think of that special person in your life. Imagine when you least suspect it, getting a knock on the door and it is the police looking for your spouse.

You will probably laugh at the accusations they are making and even check the calender to see it is April Fool’s day. But when the information sinks in, through the undeniable evidence they have, you will realise you have been living the devil you know.

The show looks at so called law-abiding citizens who present themselves as the perfect partner or neighbour, meanwhile they have evil intentions towards their fellow citizens. The interesting thing is that sometimes their criminal behaviour is directed towards the people they claim to “love”.

Shot in documentary style, the show has interviews with family members, neighbours and friends of the perpetrator. These will give insight on how and why the subject became part of the nation’s crimE statistics.

For those who are shocked by the revelation, you almost feel like telling them to calm down. What would they have wanted the criminal to do, wear a T-shirt saying what their hobby is? If, say, Jack the Ripper was dating someone at the height of his career, it would be laughable to think he’d share what line of business he was in.

Deception is a part of the trade and you are almost tempted to admire the meticulous manner in which thesE criminals maintain the double-life scam.

• The Devil You Know airs every Saturday at 11am on Zone Reality (DStv channel 125).