Ethan’s monthly wardrobe upgrades? No budget for that anymore.
Weekend getaways? Not happening.
I watched, amused, as the inconveniences piled up.
One evening, Ethan sat at the dining table, his eyes glued to his bank statement. His fingers tapped against the paper.
“I don’t understand,” he muttered. “We never had money problems before.”
I gave him a sweet smile. “Oh, that’s because I was the breadwinner.”
Diane, sitting across from him, paled. “What do you mean?”
I leaned back, folding my arms. “I mean all of those things including the spa trips, the shopping, the fancy meals, and the little ‘extras’ that made life so comfortable? I paid for those.”
Diane’s mouth opened, then closed. “But… but we always had enough.”
I nodded. “Yes. Because I was earning. But now? Since I don’t have an income anymore, well… we all have to make sacrifices.”
“This isn’t sustainable,” Ethan blurted out. “This… this isn’t going to work.”
I shrugged. “Guess you should’ve thought about that before you told me to quit.”
Diane’s lips pressed together, her perfect little world cracking at the edges.
But I was having the time of my life.
I let the suffering go on for a full month. Just long enough for them to feel it. For them to truly understand what they had taken for granted.
Then, one evening, as Ethan sulked over yet another budget-friendly meal, I stretched my arms and let out a satisfied sigh.
“Good news,” I said brightly. “I do miss working. So I’ll be going back.”
The look of relief on his face was priceless.
But before he could say anything, I added, “Oh, and while I’m at it… I’ll also be filing for divorce.”
Silence.
Diane gasped. Ethan stiffened. And I smiled as their world collapsed in real time.
Soon, the divorce was finalized, and I finally got to live in my house all by myself. Ethan tried asking me for forgiveness, but I was done. I couldn’t let him allow his mother to control our lives. To control my life. To tell me that I’d better work as a full-time maid for her.
And that accusation about me cheating while I was at work? That was the final straw. That’s what made me leave Ethan.
What would you have done if you were in my place?
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
