My Husband Invited 75 Guests To Stay In Our 2-bedroom Apartment For A Month. He Expected Me To Pay $12,000 For His Mother’s Birthday. So I Drained The Joint Account And Caught A Flight Out Of His Life.
The Freedom of the New Life
The next day, Wednesday, Hannah went to the family court in Wellington. It was an old building, but inside it was clean and tidy.
She went to the counter where applications were submitted. A middle-aged woman with glasses looked at her.
“How can I help you?” she asked.
“I want to file for divorce,” Hannah said.
Hannah handed her her passport and marriage certificate. The clerk took the documents and reviewed them.
“Do you have any minor children?” she asked.
“No,” Hannah replied.
“Any property disputes?” the clerk asked.
“No. Everything is resolved,” Hannah said.
“Does your spouse agree to the divorce?” she asked.
“I assume so. And if not, I want to proceed without him,” Hannah said.
The clerk nodded. “All right. Fill out this application. Here’s the form,” she said.
She handed her a paper. Hannah filled out the form: name, date of birth, address, reason for divorce.
For the reason she wrote succinctly: “Irreconcilable differences.” She signed and returned the form.
The clerk reviewed it and stamped it. “There’s a $30 fee. Pay at that machine and bring me the receipt,” she said.
Hannah paid, returned, and handed her the receipt. The clerk gave her a confirmation slip.
“The divorce will be processed in a month on the 14th. If your spouse does not appear, it will proceed according to your application. It is mandatory for at least one of you to be present. The divorce certificate is issued on the same day,” she said.
Hannah thanked her and left the courthouse. She went into a cafe opposite, ordered a flat white, and sat by the window watching the passers-by.
People came and went, busy with their affairs. Some smiled, others frowned. Life went on.
Her phone was still in her bag, turned off. She felt calm.
That night at home, she turned on her phone. 120 messages, 70 calls.
Without looking at them, Hannah opened her chat with Liam and wrote a single message. “I have filed for divorce. The hearing is on the 14th at the Wellington family court. I don’t care if you come or not. The divorce will happen regardless,” she wrote.
She sent it, blocked his number again, and turned off her phone. On her tablet she opened the chat with her friend from Auckland, Chloe.
“Chloe, I’m divorcing Liam. I’ve come to Wellington. If he calls or contacts you, don’t tell him anything. Tell him you don’t know where I am or what happened,” she wrote.
Chloe replied instantly with a voice message. “Hannah, finally! I’m so happy for you! Honestly, I always thought he wasn’t right for you. You did the right thing. Sending you lots of strength. If you need anything, let me know. I’ll help in any way I can. Love you!” she said.
And then by text, “But what happened? Can you tell me?” she asked.
Hannah briefly told her about the 75 guests, the month, her departure, the blocked cards. Chloe sent a clapping emoji and several exclamation marks.
“You’re a hero! I admire you! Liam is an idiot! And his mother is completely crazy! You did so well! You should have done it sooner! Chin up, my friend! We have to see each other when you come to Auckland,” Chloe said.
Hannah smiled and replied, “Thanks, Chloe. You’re the best.”
She closed the tablet. The following days passed calmly and regularly.
Hannah rested, walked around Wellington, went to the park, sat on a bench to read, and met up with her old school friends, Sarah and Emily. They were surprised and happy, and they met at a cafe to chat, reminisce about old times, and catch up.
Hannah didn’t go into details, just told them the general story that she was getting a divorce and planned to stay in Wellington for a while. A week later, on a Friday, Liam received the notice from the Wellington court.
