Ethan strolled into the house, whistling like he didn’t have a care in the world. He had that smug look on his face, the same one he probably wore when he was bragging about me to his coworkers. But tonight, his “good life” was about to come crashing down.
I was waiting for him in the living room, dressed up like it was a special occasion. Sitting beside me on the couch were two unexpected guests: my parents.
“Hey, honey,” he started, but his voice trailed off when he noticed them. His smile faltered. “Uh, what’s going on?”
“Oh, nothing much,” I said sweetly. “Just a little family meeting. Have a seat.”
Ethan hesitated, then sat down across from us, his face pale. My parents were silent, but their expressions said everything—they knew.
I leaned forward, locking eyes with him. “So, Ethan, I overheard something interesting yesterday. You know, about how you ‘took your ugly wife for the housework and kids’ while keeping ‘the pretty ones’ for vacations.”
His eyes widened. “Wait, I—”
I held up a hand to cut him off. “And how you’re enjoying the ‘house and car’ from my parents while living the ‘good life.’ Did I get that right?”
He opened his mouth, but no words came out. My dad leaned forward, his face like thunder. “Is that what you think of our daughter, Ethan? That she’s just some convenience to you?”
“I—I didn’t mean it like that!” Ethan stammered. “It was just… guy talk! A stupid joke!”
“A joke?” I said, my voice icy. “Well, here’s a joke for you. While you were off on your ‘vacations,’ I was busy talking to a lawyer. You know that house and car you love so much? They’re still in my parents’ name. Which means… you’ve got nothing.”
Ethan’s face turned ashen. “Wait, no—”
“And the lawyer?” I continued. “She’s drawing up divorce papers as we speak. I’ve had enough of being treated like a doormat.”
“You can’t be serious!” Ethan exclaimed, panic setting in. “Where will I go? What will I do?”
“That’s not my problem,” I said firmly. “Oh, and just so you know, I’ve sent a little email to HR at your company with some of your comments. I doubt your coworkers will be so eager to listen to your advice anymore.”
Ethan stood up, his hands shaking. “You can’t just ruin my life like this!”
I stood too, meeting his glare. “No, Ethan. You ruined it yourself.”
My mom stood then, handing him a suitcase. “You can leave now. Don’t come back.”
Ethan looked like he wanted to argue, but he knew he’d lost. Grabbing the suitcase, he stormed out the door, slamming it behind him.
As soon as he was gone, I collapsed onto the couch, my parents pulling me into a hug. For the first time in years, I felt free.
That night, I slept soundly, knowing I’d taken the first step toward building a life where I was valued—without Ethan in it.