My Husband’s Best Friend Toasted To Me As “The Temporary One” At Our 3rd Anniversary Dinner. I Just Found The “Future Plans” Folder For His Ex In His Locked Desk. How Do I Get My Revenge?

The Settlement

The mediation office had gray walls and uncomfortable chairs that made my back hurt after the first hour. David sat across from me with his lawyer, a woman in a sharp suit who kept shuffling papers and looking annoyed that we were even there. Miles sat next to me with his briefcase open and a calm expression that never changed no matter what David’s lawyer said.

She started by claiming I deserved almost nothing because David earned most of the income during our marriage and I’d only contributed a small portion to our joint finances. She said I should be grateful for whatever David was willing to offer out of kindness.

Miles let her finish talking and then opened his briefcase and pulled out printed bank statements showing David’s secret account with $40,000 that he’d been hiding from me. He laid out the emails between David and Natalie about ring shopping and apartment hunting. He showed the lease agreements for both apartments with connecting balconies and the receipts for the wedding venue payments David had been making for 4 years.

David’s lawyer stopped shuffling papers and actually read what Miles put in front of her. Her whole attitude changed, and she asked for a recess to talk to David privately. They left the room, and Miles poured me water from the pitcher on the table and told me this was going better than he expected.

When they came back, David looked pale and angry, but he didn’t make eye contact with me. His lawyer suggested we discuss a settlement that would be fair to both parties, which was very different from her earlier position that I deserved nothing. We spent three more hours going through our assets and debts.

I got half of our joint savings, which was about $15,000, my car which was paid off, and a portion of David’s retirement account that would give me some security. It wasn’t as much as Miles said I could get if we went to court, but I didn’t want to drag this out for months. I wanted to be done with David and move on with my life.

David had to sign multiple documents, and he did it without saying a word to me. I watched him write his signature over and over and felt absolutely nothing. No sadness or anger or relief. Just emptiness where my feelings for him used to be.

My apartment became mine in ways that had nothing to do with whose name was on the lease. I started eating breakfast standing at the kitchen counter instead of sitting at a proper table like David always insisted. I watched reality shows he said were trash and true crime documentaries he claimed gave him nightmares. I left my coffee mug in the sink overnight instead of washing it immediately. I bought throw pillows in colors he would have hated and hung curtains that didn’t match anything.

Small choices that were entirely mine felt bigger than they should have. I could eat cereal for dinner or stay up until 2 in the morning reading or leave my shoes by the front door instead of in the closet. Nobody cared about my habits or told me I was doing things wrong. The freedom was strange and wonderful and sometimes lonely, but it was mine.

Kelani asked me during our next session if I thought I could trust someone enough to be in a relationship again. I told her honestly that I couldn’t imagine letting anyone that close right now. The idea of sharing my space and my life with someone who might be secretly planning to leave me made my chest tight.

She nodded and said that was completely normal and that I shouldn’t rush myself. She explained that healing doesn’t happen in a straight line. Some days I’d feel strong and capable, and other days I’d feel broken and lost, and both reactions were okay. She said I needed to give myself permission to feel whatever came up without judging myself for not being over it fast enough. I appreciated that she didn’t try to give me a timeline or tell me I’d feel better soon. She just acknowledged that this was hard and that it would take as long as it took.