Chapter 3The Inheritors

The next day, Mark practically dragged me to the courthouse.

There was a mandatory waiting period, and during that month, Mark was the model husband. He cooked, cleaned, and doted on me, terrifyingly afraid I’d change my mind.

Even his parents were impressed. Our four-year-old daughter, Lily, said, “Mommy, Daddy is so nice to you. I want a husband like Daddy when I grow up.”

She was too young to see the filth behind the mask.

It’s okay. I’ll teach her. Words are cheap. Only tangible assets are real.

When the divorce decree finally arrived, Mark snapped a photo of it immediately.

u/Throwaway123: “Free at last!”

He came home and started packing. He told his parents and Lily that the company was sending him on a long assignment.

No one else knew we were divorced.

When he left, he hugged me at the door, unable to hide his grin.

“Honey, take care of Mom and Dad for me. When I get back, we’re going to live the good life.”

I waved goodbye, looking every bit the reluctant wife.

When I got back to our room, I checked our joint account.

Empty. He had taken the $30,000 we had saved.

I reached for the phone to scream at him, then stopped.

That account was just a decoy.

Before he started cheating, Mark handed over his paycheck, but I had always been careful.

If groceries cost $200, I told him they were $500. If utilities were $150, I said $300.

I skimmed off the top for years.

The joint account was for show. My real savings were in a separate account only I knew about. Plus the dowry from my parents and gifts from his parents over the years...

I had over $100,000 stashed away.

A woman has to look out for herself.

After Mark left, life went on.

His last Reddit update came at the end of the month.

u/Throwaway123: “Bros, starting my new life of freedom. Living the dream for you all!”

Attached was a photo of two hands intertwined against a sunset. The IP address showed he was overseas.