He knew exactly how meek I used to be, and he was certain I'd never leave him.
In his eyes, I had no leverage, no way out.
Jude gave my suitcase a vicious kick and looked down at me.
"This time, I'll let the tantrum slide."
"Put your things away. Tomorrow you go back to the hospital and take care of my mother like a good girl. Don't push your luck."
Then, without another glance, he slammed the door and was gone.
Watching his back disappear, I took out my phone and sent Rosamond my location and a message.
"Rosamond, I want a divorce. Help me draft the agreement."
For five years, she'd told me again and again to cut my losses, to walk away from the wrong man.
I was the one who wouldn't listen, the one who wasted five years.
Her reply came in an instant: On my way.
We met at the café on the corner.
The moment she saw me, she rushed over and pulled me into a hug.
"I'll draw up the agreement and settle the finances. Everything Jude has shorted you these five years, down to the last cent, we're getting it all back."
She let go of me and opened a document with practiced ease.
"Every expense during the marriage, the mortgage you fronted, the old woman's medical bills, all of it can be traced and reclaimed."
"He cheated during the marriage and gave you the silent treatment for years. He's the one at fault. We are absolutely in the right!"
I sat beside her and forwarded all the bills and receipts I'd organized, one by one.
Rosamond had the agreement drafted fast and slid it over for me to check. "Take a look. If there's no problem, we print it, sign it, and file with the County Clerk's Office tomorrow to start the divorce."
But the second I entered the number and hit search,
a message box popped up on the screen.
【No marriage registration found. Certificate number is fraudulent. Certificate invalid.】
I thought I'd read it wrong. I typed it in again and again, refreshed again and again.
Every time, the same result.
Seeing me sit frozen, Rosamond leaned in. "What is it? Something wrong with the details?"
I stayed rooted where I was, my mind blank.
"Rosamond, my marriage certificate with Jude, I think it's fake..."
She snatched the certificate out of my hand. Years in legal work, and she spotted the flaw at a glance.
"That bastard. He actually lied to you for five years."
"Don't worry. This is marriage fraud. All the assets, damages for emotional distress, I'll get every bit of it back for you."
I don't know how I made it home. All I could think about was these five years.
So it turned out I'd been guarding a fake certificate, fooling myself into playing Mrs. Harding for five years.
Once my thoughts settled, I opened my phone and cancelled every auto-payment: the mortgage, the property fees, the electricity, and all of my mother-in-law's medical bills.
When it was done, I set the keys on the shoe cabinet and walked out of the cage that had held me for five years, without a shred of regret.
