“Forget it, Tom. I don’t want it. If Calista likes it, then give it to her.”

They played out their little melodrama like the rest of the office didn’t exist. I didn’t care.

I angrily wrote a line in the ledger under joint marital property and deducted Tom’s share, $993 due. Then I tossed the necklace back with disgust.

“Who wants this? It’s filthy.”

Her face went pale, clearly shocked by my reaction. I looked her up and down like someone checking merchandise.

While I watched, I noted in the ledger: clothing, last summer’s collection, marked as joint marital spending. Shoes and perfume, new models from earlier this year, estimated at 4,110 dollars.

When I added it all up, the total shot past thirteen thousand $700. My coworkers gathered around, their faces brimming with smug pride.

“Now I really believe she’s his mistress. Who spends that much on a cousin?”

“Gross. He’s openly supporting his mistress. His own wife doesn’t even dress like that.”

Their whispers felt like sharp pins. She avoided everyone's eyes, fidgeting nervously.

“Enough!” Tom shouted, losing it. He lunged forward and tossed my receipts into the trash. His eyes widened with anger.

“You think you can keep doing this forever?”

His raised hand hit my face hard, then a fist followed. My right cheek flared with pain and fury boiled inside me.

He actually put his hands on me in front of all these people, just imagine what he did behind closed doors. No wonder she always had bruises. “Fuck you,” I snapped.

I planted my right foot and kicked him hard in the groin. He screamed and collapsed, curled up on the floor. Even then, he threatened me, “You dare fight back? Calista, you’re dead meat.” “Fuck you!”

I kicked him a few more times until my anger cooled. Tom grabbed the wall, trying to push himself up. His face flushed; he lunged at me again. “You bitch! I’ll kill you today or I’ll change my name!”

“Stop it!” a firm voice cut through the chaos. The department manager rushed in, eyes widening at the mess in the office.

He snapped, “Can’t deal with your personal issues? Bringing them to work?”

“Tom, pack your things and get out. Now.”

“No, Manager! That bitch Calista started it!”

Tom’s big act fell apart as he scrambled to defend himself. The manager didn’t even pay him any attention.

“You have ten minutes. If you’re not gone by then, I’ll call security.”

I laughed, loud and over the top. “Tom, you’re gross. You’re old enough to be buried, but you’re acting like a whining kid.”

I patted his shoulder, mocking the manager’s tone. “I’ll give you three days to transfer the money to my account. Otherwise, see you in court.”

Under his furious stare, I walked out with the bill. As soon as I reached the stairs, I called a moving company. “Address: Building 3, Fifth Floor, Marriott Residential Complex. Take everything. Leave no furniture behind.”

When my sister married him, he had nothing. Every piece of furniture in their home came from our parents.

Now that they were divorcing, I had every right to take it all. I spotted the key under the doormat.

The moment I opened the door, a wave of alcohol hit me, the place smelled like booze.

About twelve men were sitting in the living room, completely drunk. The moment one of them spotted me, he wobbled to his feet and stumbled toward me.

The heavy smell of alcohol and sweat made me sick to my stomach.

“Hey, Calista,” he slurred, “come over and pour us a few drinks.”

He tried to sling his arm around my shoulder. Without thinking twice, I raised my hand and slapped him hard across the face.

“Are you out of your damn mind?”

The sting of the slap sobered him up for a second, but the men behind him started laughing and shouting, “Jim Walker, this one’s got guts! Show her who’s in charge!”

So this was Diana’s brother. My sister had told me before that after she found out about Tom’s affair, he didn’t even bother hiding it, he just moved Diana and her brother right into the house.

That $68,5 debt? They made her sign it when she was passed out. Jim, enraged, grabbed my arm and shoved me down hard onto the couch.

Then he started unbuttoning his shirt, cursing, “You little slut, don’t forget, you owe me 68,5. At a hundred bucks ago, that’s five thousand times before you pay it off!”

His disgusting words made me want to vomit. The moment he looked away, I grabbed an empty liquor bottle and smashed it against his head.

Crash!

Glass shattered everywhere, liquor spilling across the floor. Jim, who had been so arrogant just seconds ago, dropped like a stone, unconscious. His men panicked and rushed over. “Jim! Hey, Jim, are you okay?!”

My hands were shaking, but I still managed to dial 911. The police arrived quickly. They rushed him to the hospital for emergency treatment and then took everyone to the station for questioning.

I told the whole story from the beginning. When I described how he tried to touch me, I let my eyes turn red and wiped away tears. “Officer, I had no choice,” I said softly. “It was self-defense.”

Then Diana burst into the station, her face twisted with rage when she saw the bandage on her brother’s head.

“Officer, don’t listen to this bitch!” she screamed. “She’s just trying to cover it up! Look at him! No matter what happened, she has to take full responsibility!”

Tom, clearly enjoying the chaos, jumped in right away. “Exactly! She can’t just walk away from this! She has to pay for the medical bills, emotional damage and recovery costs, at least two twenty-eight thousand dollars. Not a penny less, or we’re not settling!”

A greedy glint flashed in his eyes. I stretched lazily and let out a soft sigh.

“Well, since everyone’s here, let’s get this done.”

Clearing my throat, I pointed directly at them. “Officer, I want to press charges for extortion.”

Diana exploded. “Calista! Are you serious? Over a stupid medical bill?” Her chest heaved with anger. Tom tried to calm her down, his tone dripping with disdain. “Diana, ignore her. Jim’s injury is all the proof we need. No matter what she says, she won’t get out of this.”

I let out a cold laugh. “Who said I’m reporting the medical bill?” I said slowly. “What I’m reporting is that you tricked me into signing a $68,5 dollars debt note while I was asleep.”

“My bank record shows no trace of that money ever being transferred.” Tom’s face changed instantly. He hadn’t expected me to bring that up.

He always thought my sister was the quiet, weak type, too afraid to fight back, too used to swallowing her anger. That’s why they dared to bully her and use that fake debt note to steal her house. The police officer frowned and immediately checked the transaction records. The results matched my statement exactly.

Diana swallowed hard, her voice trembling a little. "That’s because we paid in cash. Of course there’s no record of the cash flow."

I leaned against the wall, raising an eyebrow. "Since it was cash, then show proof of where it came from."

At my words, Jim shot me a stubborn look and snapped, "Anyway, I had the cash and you accepted it. The debt note is the proof."

Seeing his shameless face, even the police officer looked awkward. "Ma’am, do you have any evidence that you were forced to sign this debt note?"

Before I could speak, Tom let out a cold laugh. "What kind of evidence could she have? If she had any, she would’ve shown it long ago. Why wait until now?"

I smirked. "You’re underestimating me."