Saying Goodbye To A Broken Marriage

To secure an extra apartment from a demolition deal, I was tricked into a sham divorce, falling into the trap set by my scoundrel husband— all to make room for his mistress, the nanny. While his wife and children enjoyed the warmth of home, I was left destitute, eventually dying of hunger on the streets. By some stroke of fate, I returned to the day of our divorce.

***

ONE

"This marriage is over whether you agree or not," I said calmly, looking at Dave Jones who was lounging on a chair, legs crossed, appearing utterly indifferent to my rejection.

With no other options, I simply nodded in agreement to his proposal.

"I understand," I whispered faintly, almost like the buzz of a mosquito.

Despite being reborn, I still went with the flow, admiring yet fearing him.

"Aren't you the one who said this is just a fake divorce to get another apartment when the demolition comes? How could I possibly refuse such a good deal?"

As he shifted his focus and scratched his head, his gaze remained condescending.

I feigned fear and asked, "Husband, you're not lying to me, right? This is just a fake divorce, not a real one? I've heard so many stories about men who trick their wives into divorce and never remarry."

"Lillian, are you my wife or someone else's? Are you listening to me or to them?"

He placated me half-heartedly because, with my agreement to the divorce, he could smoothly welcome his mistress.

"Besides, everyone says I'm lucky to have you. I must have built up good karma over eight lifetimes."

Indeed, it was I who had bad karma over eight lifetimes.

Blindly, I had married this scoundrel.

He seemed impressive to outsiders but was nothing but a wastrel at home.

After we married, I realized his family was penniless. To better our lives, I worked endlessly, raising chickens, ducks, and geese, and toiling in the fields, barely managing to save enough to buy a shop and open a small supermarket. Life was flavorful then.

But this scoundrel not only had an affair but also used the demolition money to trick me into a divorce, transferring all assets to his name.

While his wife and children were well-cared-for, I ended up impoverished, starving on the streets.

Heaven opened its eyes, granting me a second chance at life.

"I believe everything you say," I replied in the meek manner of a dutiful wife, looking at him as if he were a deity, boosting his ego immensely.

In reality, all the money and the house were earned by me. He was just a penniless nobody. It was a mistake not to ask him to treat me like a deity. I had given him too much face.

Now, with his mistress pregnant, he was eager for me to make way, resorting to the ploy of a "fake divorce."

"It's not that I couldn't agree to a divorce, but all the money and the house are mine, in my name. What will you do if we really get divorced?"

My words were ostensibly considerate, but internally I scoffed at his audacity. Everything was earned by me while he was just freeloading.

"What do you mean? Are you planning to monopolize all the property? Traditionally, men have been the heads of households. If we divorce, you should be the one thrown out. How can you shamelessly claim all the property?"

Mentioning money, he immediately revealed his vile nature.

I almost rolled my eyes at him. After a few drinks, he became arrogantly ungrateful. Opening his mouth wide, he wanted everything.

I had been too kind to him in the past, kindness that made him overlook his own worthlessness.

He knew I was an orphan from a young age, craving a family, which he exploited to the fullest.

Because I didn't respond, he grew even angrier.

"Lillian, I am your husband. Don't be ungrateful. You should feel blessed to serve me and spend your money on me. Don't take it for granted."

As he spoke, he scrutinized me disdainfully. Because of the store, I was dressed in a lab coat, which made me look quite disheveled.

"Only I could have married you. Who else would want you?"

He never considered what other husbands do daily, each one better than him. He'd go insane without my money to buy his drinks.

I pretended to be hurt and bowed my head, actually rolling my eyes at him.

The confident yet ordinary Dave didn't stop talking, "Cherish the days you serve me because once we're divorced, you won't have the chance anymore."

Wealth rules the world, a maxim I had sadly overlooked, leading to my miserable fate.

Thinking back to the harsh winter days when I knocked on doors just for a bite to eat, while he comfortably spent my money, lived in my house, and enjoyed life with his mistress and their illegitimate child, filled me with rage.

Now, with money and property in my name, the only drawback was having such a fool for a burden. He wanted to kick me out, but he didn't realize that I was more eager to rid myself of him.

But for now, protecting my assets was the priority.