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<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
After a bitter marriage marked by Mike\u2019s obsession with material wealth, Nicole shockingly agrees to give him everything in their divorce. But as Mike basks in his \u201cvictory,\u201d Nicole\u2019s laughter reveals a secret plan in action. What Mike doesn\u2019t know is that she\u2019s about to make her final move.<\/p>\n
I walked out of the lawyer\u2019s office with a blank expression, my shoulders slumped, and the look of a defeated ex-wife. The rain was falling heavily, and the gray sky matched my mood\u2014or at least the mood I wanted people to think I was in.<\/p>\n
Inside, I was boiling. My hands gripped the cold steel of the doorknob as I walked toward the elevator. There was no one there. That\u2019s good.<\/p>\n
The elevator door closed behind me with a soft ding, and as soon as I was alone, I let out a small laugh. It wasn\u2019t something I\u2019d planned; it bubbled up from deep within me like champagne finally uncorked.<\/p>\n
The more I thought about what I had just done, the more it amplified until I was giggling like crazy in the elevator.<\/p>\n
If anyone saw me at that moment, they\u2019d think I\u2019d finally cracked, that I\u2019d lost it from all the stress, but oh no, that was just the beginning. Everything was falling perfectly into place.<\/p>\n
The house, the car, the savings\u2014Mike could have it all. It was exactly what I wanted. He thought he\u2019d won, and that was the best part. He had no idea what was coming.<\/p>\n
The elevator stopped abruptly, and I pulled myself together. I glanced at my reflection in the elevator mirror: messy hair, tired eyes, and a faint smile still on my lips. I didn\u2019t care. This was going to be fun.<\/p>\n
A few weeks earlier\u2026<\/p>\n
Mike and I hadn\u2019t been happy for years, but it wasn\u2019t just a lack of love. Mike was obsessed with his image. All he thought about was flashy cars, the biggest house on the block, and designer clothes.<\/p>\n
It was all a performance, and I\u2019d played my part for too long. The cracks were starting to show, and when the arguments became more frequent, I knew the inevitable was about to happen.<\/p>\n
The fact is, I wasn\u2019t afraid of divorce. I knew Mike and I knew exactly how it would turn out.<\/p>\n
He wasn\u2019t concerned with saving the marriage. No, what he wanted was to win\u2014win the house, win the money, win the divorce.<\/p>\n
All I wanted was to break free from this pretentious lifestyle. But that didn\u2019t mean I was going to let him win, either. So I let Mike have what he wanted, but with a grip as sharp as a fish hook.
\nIt happened on a Tuesday. Mike had come home late, again. I was in the kitchen, pretending to scroll through my phone, not bothering to look up when he burst in.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to talk.\u201d<\/p>\n
I sighed, barely hiding the boredom in my voice. \u201cWhat now?\u201d<\/p>\n
He slammed his keys on the counter, and I could practically feel the frustration emanating from him. He was always like this when things didn\u2019t go his way at work, and of course, I was the easiest target.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had enough,\u201d he said, his voice low and tight. \u201cI want a divorce.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked up at him. Finally. I nodded slowly, as if I was beginning to understand, but in reality, I\u2019d been preparing for this moment for weeks.<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay,\u201d I said simply.<\/p>\n
He frowned, visibly taken aback. \u201cThat\u2019s it? No arguing? No begging?\u201d<\/p>\n
I shrugged. \u201cWhat\u2019s the point?\u201d<\/p>\n
For a second, he looked confused, as if I\u2019d pulled the rug out from under him. He expected resistance, for me to beg him to stay.<\/p>\n
But I just needed to give him enough rope so he could hang himself.<\/p>\n
The divorce negotiations were as terrible as I expected. We sat across from each other in a sterile conference room, the lawyers flanking us, while Mike outlined every little thing he wanted. The house, the car, the savings; it was as if he were reading off a grocery list.<\/p>\n
And the whole time he had a smirk on his face, like he thought I was going to break down and cry at any moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll right,\u201d I said, barely listening. \u201cYou can have it all.\u201d<\/p>\n
My lawyer gave me a look that clearly said, \u201cAre you sure?\u201d But I simply nodded.<\/p>\n
Mike blinked. \u201cWait, what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI said you could have it all. I don\u2019t want any of it except my personal belongings.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked stunned. \u201cYou\u2026 you don\u2019t want the house? Or the money?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d I said, leaning back in my chair. \u201cIt\u2019s all yours.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her shock quickly turned to joy. \u201cAll right. Then use this afternoon to pack your things. It\u2019s not much, so it should be enough.\u201d Mike glanced at his watch. \u201cI expect you to be gone by six.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo problem,\u201d I replied.<\/p>\n
He straightened up, his chest puffing out as if he\u2019d just won the lottery. And I let him think so.<\/p>\n
And that brings me back to that moment when I stepped into the elevator of the lawyer\u2019s office building and couldn\u2019t contain my laughter any longer.<\/p>\n
As I stepped out of the elevator, I pulled out my phone. My fingers hovered over the screen for a second before typing a quick message: I\u2019m heading home to pack my things. I\u2019ll call you when it\u2019s time for you to move out.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
I hit send and smiled. Time to get down to business.<\/p>\n
Packing my things was easier than I thought. I didn\u2019t want much, just a few personal items, mostly items that contained memories that weren\u2019t tainted by Mike. The house was too big for the two of us anyway, and I\u2019d always felt like it was more his house than mine.<\/p>\n
I was taping the last box when I picked up the phone to make the call. My mother, Barbara, answered on the second ring.<\/p>\n
\u201cHi,\u201d I said, keeping my voice light. \u201cIt\u2019s time.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was a pause, then my mother\u2019s familiar, matter-of-fact tone spoke. \u201cFinally! I\u2019ve been waiting for this moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mom couldn\u2019t stand Mike. She saw right through his flashy facade the day I introduced them. But the best part was, she\u2019d helped us buy this house. She\u2019d helped us buy this house. It was because of her that Mike thought he\u2019d gotten such a good deal, and now it was because of her that he was going to lose it.<\/p>\n
I hung up and felt a strange sense of relief as I looked around. I was done pretending.<\/p>\n
The next morning, I was making breakfast in my new, small apartment when my phone rang. I smiled when Mike\u2019s name appeared on the screen.<\/p>\n
\u201cHello?\u201d I replied kindly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou set me up!\u201d Mike\u2019s voice was furious, almost foaming.<\/p>\n
I put the phone on speaker and grabbed a piece of toast while leaning on the counter. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, what are you talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour mother!\u201d he spat. \u201cShe\u2019s\u2026 she\u2019s in my house! She\u2019s taken everything!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, right,\u201d I said, biting into my toast. \u201cRemember the agreement we signed when she gave us the deposit? The one that lets her live there whenever she wants, for as long as she wants?\u201d<\/p>\n
There was a long pause, and I could practically hear the gears turning in his brain. I could imagine the look on his face, the realization.<\/p>\n
He had signed that paper years ago, too blinded by the lure of a luxury home to think twice about the fine print.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou! You cheated on me! This isn\u2019t over. I\u2019m going to call my lawyers\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Before he could finish, I heard my mother\u2019s voice in the background, sharp and cutting through the phone. \u201cMichael, you better get your feet off that coffee table! And stop hogging the remote!\u201d<\/p>\n
There was a muffled sound as if Mike had turned away from the phone, trying to whisper. \u201cBarbara, this is my house\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, shh,\u201d Mom interrupts, louder now. \u201cThis is my house as much as it is yours. And another thing, what\u2019s with all these cheap snacks? Do you know how to shop? I don\u2019t live on frozen meals!\u201d<\/p>\n
I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. Mike mumbled something incoherent, his frustration barely contained, but before he could utter another word, I heard it again.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd turn the TV down! Do you think I want to listen to that nonsense all day? If you\u2019re going to watch those ridiculous car shows, at least turn the sound down!\u201d<\/p>\n
There was a loud noise, followed by more mumbling, and then the call was abruptly disconnected. I took a deep breath and smiled as I sat down at the table.<\/p>\n
Freedom has never tasted so sweet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
After a bitter marriage marked by Mike\u2019s obsession with material wealth, Nicole shockingly agrees to give him everything in their divorce. But as Mike basks in his… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":24965,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24964","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n