My Husband’s Mistress Showed Up At My Door And Handed Me Her Coat, Thinking I Was “The Help.” She Didn’t Realize I Own The House, The Company Her Father Works For, And The Bank Account Funding Her Vacation. Am I Wrong For Destroying Their Lives?

The Settlement

When they came back, Richard looked defeated in a way I’d never seen before. His shoulders slumped and he wouldn’t meet my eyes. His lawyer cleared his throat and proposed a settlement. Richard would keep his medical practice and all its debts. I would keep the house and my company. We’d split other marital assets 60/40 in my favor as compensation for his dissipation.

Palmer didn’t even blink before she countered. “70/30 split and Richard pays my legal fees.” Which had reached about $15,000 so far.

Richard’s lawyer tried to negotiate, said 65/35 was more reasonable, but Palmer just sat there unmoved and said 70/30 plus fees was her only offer. She reminded them we had documentation for everything and a judge would likely be even less generous to Richard after seeing how he spent marital funds.

Richard’s lawyer looked at Richard, and Richard just nodded once like he’d given up. He knew we’d destroy him in court with the evidence we had.

Palmer pulled out the settlement agreement she’d drafted in advance, confident we’d reach this point. She walked through the terms while Richard’s lawyer took notes. The settlement included very specific language that Richard had no claim to my company, not now and not ever, regardless of any future growth or success. He had to refinance all his practice debts in his name only within 6 months. If he couldn’t get refinancing, he had to sell the practice and use the proceeds to pay me back for the losses I’d covered over the years.

Palmer had thought of everything, every possible way Richard might try to come after my money later. His lawyer read through the agreement carefully, and I could see him realizing there was no way out, that we had Richard completely boxed in. Richard signed without reading it himself, just trusted his lawyer’s assessment that this was the best deal he was going to get.

Palmer slid the settlement agreement across the table and handed me a pen. I signed my name on every marked line, the pen scratching across the paper with a sound that felt final and strange. Richard signed his pages without reading them again, just mechanical movements like he was signing away something he didn’t care about anymore. The mediator witnessed our signatures and collected the documents, saying she’d file them with the court that afternoon.

Palmer told me the 60-day waiting period started today and the divorce would be final exactly 2 months from now.

Richard stood up when the mediator left the room and moved toward me with his hand reaching out. He said we should talk privately, that there were things he needed to explain. But I grabbed my purse and walked past him without looking at his face. Palmer followed me out, and I heard Richard calling my name behind us, but I kept walking down the hallway to the elevator.

The building lobby felt too bright after the dark conference room, and I stood outside on the sidewalk taking deep breaths of cold air. Palmer squeezed my shoulder and said I did well in there. That the settlement was fair and protected my interest completely.

I drove back to the office because going home felt impossible and I needed to be somewhere that made sense. Gita was in her office when I got back, and she took one look at my face and closed her door. I sat in the chair across from her desk and told her everything about the settlement: the 70/30 split, Richard keeping his failing practice, me keeping the house and company.

She said it was a good outcome, that Richard got what he deserved. But then she leaned forward and said, “You seem too calm about everything.”

She told me I was acting like I just closed a business deal instead of ended my marriage, and she was worried I was holding everything inside. I said I was fine, that I just wanted it over with, but Gita shook her head and said she knew me better than that. I changed the subject to work stuff and she let me, but I could see the concern in her eyes.