But Patricia’s voice echoed in my head. Don’t let her know you know.
Gather evidence. Protect yourself.
So I waited.
2 weeks after my retirement, the official announcement went out. I was sitting in my home office when Linda came in, her phone in her hand.
Robert, she said, her voice breathless.
I just saw on Facebook.
Morrison gave you a retirement package.
How much?
I’d prepared for this moment.
Patricia had coached me.
It’s complicated.
I said it’s a pension restructure, some immediate payout, some annuity.
The company is still finalizing the numbers.
But approximately how much?
I shrugged.
After taxes and the annuity setup, probably around 800,000 immediate.
The rest comes in payments over 20 years.
Linda’s face fell slightly. She’d been expecting 3.2 million.
“Oh,” she said.
Well, that’s still wonderful.
We can do a lot with 800,000.
We can, I agreed, though most of it should probably stay invested for our actual retirement.
She nodded, but I could see the wheels turning in her head. She was recalculating, adjusting her plans.
That night, I heard her on the phone again.
I’d installed a recording device in our bedroom per Patricia’s recommendation and Virginia’s one party consent law.
Linda went into the bathroom, ran the water, and made her call.
It’s less than we thought, she said.
He’s saying 800,000 immediate.
The rest is structured payments.
I know, I know, but we can’t wait any longer.
I’ll be 60 next year.
We need to file soon.
Yes, I understand the timing is bad, but
Okay.
Yes.
Let’s meet Thursday.
I played that recording for Patricia the next morning. She listened carefully.
Good.
This establishes clear intent and planning.
Now, here’s what we’re going to do.
The retirement package transfer happens in 12 days.
When it hits your account, we’re going to immediately move it into a protected trust that we’ll set up this week.
It’s legal.
It’s ironclad and it’s specifically designed for retirement assets in Virginia.
Then, we’re going to file for divorce first.
Wait, I said.
I file first?
Absolutely.
In Virginia, the first filer has significant advantages.
You choose the jurisdiction.
You control the narrative.
And most importantly, with the evidence we have of adultery and financial conspiracy, you’ll be in the driver’s seat.
She’ll be scrambling to respond.
What about the house, our savings, our other assets?
Patricia pulled out a spreadsheet.
Your house is worth approximately 900,000.
You have 200,000 in joint savings.
Your 401k has another 400,000.
Her 401k has about 80,000.
You have two cars paid off, some investments.
In a normal Virginia divorce, she’d be entitled to roughly half of marital assets.
But Robert, this isn’t a normal divorce.
She’s committed adultery, which Virginia courts still consider.
She’s conspired to defraud you with her paramore and she’s already planning to hide assets.
We’re going to argue for a 60/40 split in your favor and I believe we’ll get it.
And the retirement package, the retirement package is your separate property if we structure it correctly.
The trust we set up will protect it.
She’ll fight it, but with her adultery, she won’t have much leverage.
When do we file?
The day after your money clears.
We’ll have everything ready, trust established, divorce papers prepared, evidence compiled.
It’ll hit her like a freight train.
For the next 12 days, I played my role perfectly. I talked about retirement trips with Linda.
We discussed downsizing the house eventually. She showed me brochures for senior communities.
The whole time she was planning to leave me. And the whole time I was planning to protect everything I’d worked 30 years to build.
Marcus continued surveillance.
He documented three more meetings between Linda and David Thompson.
He obtained records showing Thompson had advised Linda to start documenting financial control behaviors.
There were notes about how I made all the financial decisions and kept her in the dark about money.
None of it was true.
Linda had full access to all our accounts.
She’d just never been interested in managing them.
But Thompson was coaching her to build a case for financial abuse.
It made my blood boil.
On day 12, the retirement package hit my account at Morrison Federal Credit Union. $3.2 million.
I watched it appear on my phone at 9:15 a.m.
By 10:30 a.m., Patricia had transferred it into the Robert Mitchell Retirement Trust.
By 11:00 a.m., the trust was locked and protected under Virginia law.
At 2:00 p.m. that same day, Linda was served with divorce papers at our home.
I wasn’t there.
Patricia had advised me to stay at a hotel that day.
Marcus had a colleague served the papers. He recorded Linda’s reaction. She was shocked, completely blindsided.
She immediately called David Thompson.
Then she called a lawyer.
By 5:00 p.m., her lawyer had called Patricia.
Patricia played me the voicemail. The lawyer sounded confused and angry. They wanted to know about the retirement package.
They wanted to negotiate.
Patricia called back the next morning. I was in her office. She put the call on speaker.
My client is willing to discuss settlement, Patricia said calmly.
However, I should inform you that we have extensive documentation of Mrs.
Mitchell’s adultery with Mr. David Thompson, including photographs, hotel records, and recorded conversations discussing plans to maximize her divorce settlement through fraudulent claims of financial abuse.
There was silence on the other end.
Furthermore, Patricia continued, we have evidence that Mrs. Mitchell obtained confidential information about Mr.
Mitchell’s retirement package through illegal means.
A Morrison Engineering HR employee forwarded private documents to Mr. Thompson.
We’re prepared to pursue criminal charges against both Mr. Thompson and the HR employee if necessary.
More silence.
Now, Patricia said, her voice still perfectly calm.
Here’s what we’re proposing.
Mrs.
Mitchell receives 40% of marital assets excluding the retirement package.
That includes 40% of home equity, 40% of joint savings, her full 401k, and one vehicle.
The retirement package remains Mr. Mitchell’s separate property in his protected trust.
In exchange, we won’t pursue criminal charges, and we won’t publicly disclose the details of her affair and conspiracy.
The lawyer cleared her throat.
I need to discuss this with my client.
You have 48 hours, Patricia said, and hung up.
I stared at her.
Will she take it?
She doesn’t have a choice.
If this goes to court, she gets nothing from the retirement package anyway, probably less than 40% of other assets due to adultery, and she faces potential criminal conspiracy charges.
This is a gift.
46 hours later, Linda’s lawyer called back.
They’d accept the settlement.
The next two months were a blur of paperwork and property division. Linda moved out of our house and into an apartment.
David Thompson disappeared from the picture entirely once his potential criminal liability became clear.
The HR employee, Margaret Chen, was fired from Morrison Engineering and faces charges for privacy violations.
Linda and I met one final time to sign the papers.
It was at Patricia’s office.
Linda looked older somehow, tired. She wouldn’t meet my eyes.
Robert, she said quietly as we were leaving.
I’m sorry.
I know that doesn’t mean anything now, but I’m sorry.
I looked at her. This stranger wearing my wife’s face.
Why?
I asked.
Just tell me why.
She shook her head.
I don’t know.
I felt invisible.
You worked so much.
And David made me feel seen.
Made me feel young again.
It was stupid.
I was stupid.
You were planning to destroy me financially, I said.
That’s not stupid.
That’s calculated.
I know.
Her voice cracked.
I know and I’ll have to live with that.
She walked away. I watched her go.
28 years gone, but I survived.
The house sold for 920,000.
After the split, I walked away with approximately 500,000 from the sale, plus my 401k, my retirement package, and my self-respect.
Linda got her share and disappeared to Florida with her sister.
I bought a smaller house in the mountains of Virginia. Three bedrooms, a workshop, a view of the valley.
I spend my days now woodworking, hiking, volunteering at the local veteran center.
I reconnected with my children, both in their 20s, and explained everything.
They were hurt, but understood.
They’d seen their mother’s distance, too.
6 months after the divorce, I got a call from my former colleague Dave from IT.
Rob, he said,
“I thought you should know.
Margaret Chen tried to sue Morrison for wrongful termination. The case got thrown out.”
And there’s more.
Apparently, David Thompson has been investigated by the state financial board.
Two other women have come forward with similar stories.
He’s lost his license.
I thanked Dave and hung up.
I didn’t feel satisfaction exactly, just a quiet sense of justice.
I’m 63 now. I have my retirement secured.
I have my peace. I have
