My Husband Used My Credit Card To Book An $8,400 Trip For His Mistress And Her Whole Family. He Thinks It Is A Work Retreat, But I Just Sold Our Condo While He Was At Work. How Should I React When He Finds Out He Is Homeless?

Rebecca listened, taking notes. When I finished, she leaned back in her chair.

“Okay,” She said.

“First, I’m so sorry. This is awful. Second, we need to talk about assets.” She continued.

“Assets?” I asked.

“You’re married. What you own, he owns. Unless you kept things separate.” She explained.

My mind raced. The condo, I bought it before we met. It’s in my name only.

“Good. That’s protected. What else?” She asked.

“We have a joint savings account, about $45,000. Joint checking. Investment accounts are separate. I have about $120,000 in stocks and retirement funds. I’m not sure what he has.” I replied.

“Any debt?” She asked.

“Just the mortgage and credit cards, but we usually pay those off each month.” I answered.

Rebecca tapped her pen on her desk.

“Here’s my advice. Document everything. Keep those emails. Get bank statements, credit card statements.” She said.

“Then, if you want to leave, you need to move fast. Protect what’s yours before he realizes what’s happening.” She continued.

“How do I do that?” I asked.

“Pull your half from the joint accounts. Pay off the credit cards with your own money if you have to, so you’re not liable for his spending. Talk to a real estate agent about selling the condo or buying him out of his interest if any. And get a lawyer. Not me; I’m too close to this, but I’ll give you names.” She advised.

I nodded, feeling the weight of it settle over me.

“Emma,” Rebecca said gently.

“Are you sure about leaving?” She asked.

I met her eyes.

“He’s been lying to me for two years. He’s spending thousands of our dollars to take his mistress and her family on vacation. He promised her he’d leave me. What’s there to be sure about?” I asked.

She squeezed my hand.

“Then let’s make sure you come out of this okay.” She said.

Moving in Silence and Reclaiming My Life

The next week was a blur. I moved in silence.

During the day, I worked my normal job. In the evenings and on lunch breaks, I dismantled our shared life piece by piece.

I transferred $22,500 from our joint savings into a new account in my name only. I left the rest for Daniel so he wouldn’t immediately notice.

I paid off my credit cards. I met with three different lawyers and chose one, a sharp woman named Margaret who specialized in high-conflict divorces.

“This won’t be high conflict,” I told her.

“I just want out.” I added.

“They always think it won’t be,” She said kindly.

“But when people feel cornered, they fight back. Be prepared.” She warned.

I met with a real estate agent about the condo. It was worth about $580,000 now. I’d bought it for $420,000 seven years ago.

Even split, I’d walk away with significant equity. But the agent had another suggestion.

“You could sell quickly. I have buyers who’d pay cash. We could close in three weeks.” The agent suggested.

Three weeks. If you’re motivated.

I thought about Daniel returning from his romantic family getaway, expecting to walk back into our home. Instead, he would find it sold, empty, and me gone.

“Let’s do it,” I said.

The hardest part was acting normal. Every day I came home and made dinner.

I asked Daniel about his day and pretended I didn’t know he was counting down the days until his escape with Ashley.

He’d even started being nicer to me, probably out of guilt. Or maybe he just wanted to keep me complacent until after his trip.

The trip was now only two weeks away. My plan was tight.

The condo closing was scheduled for June 13th, two days before Daniel’s trip. I’d already given notice at my job.

I’d applied to several positions in Toronto. Canada had always fascinated me.

A fresh start in a new country felt right. One company had already made me an offer.

Better pay, better title. I’d accepted, pending visa approval.

I’d gotten rid of most of our furniture through online sales. I told Daniel I was decluttering.

He barely noticed. I’d opened a Canadian bank account online and started the process of shipping my essential belongings.

Everything was falling into place. Ten days before his trip, Daniel came home agitated.

“We need to talk,” He said.

My stomach clenched. Had he figured it out?

“What’s wrong?” I asked carefully.

“Work’s been weird lately. I’m thinking about quitting.” He said.

“Quitting? Why?” I asked.

“I just, I’m not happy. I want to do something different. Maybe travel for a while, figure things out.” He replied.

I almost laughed. He was setting up his excuse to leave, testing the waters to see how I’d react.

“That sounds stressful,” I said.

“Financially, I mean. We have bills.” I added.

He shrugged.

“We’ll figure it out. You make good money.” He said.

There it was. His plan. Quit his job, leave me, but keep access to my money as long as possible.

He was probably planning to string me along with some story about finding himself while he moved in with Ashley.

“Maybe wait until after your work retreat,” I suggested.

“Get that reimbursement first.” I added.

He brightened.