I could see our neighbors staring at me from their windows like watchdogs, curious about what was happening. Only that they were not curious. They knew how my mother-in-law maltreated me and had advised me many times to call the police.It got to an extent where one of them could not take it any longer and called the police on my behalf to have my mother-in-law and her children arrested.However, among all they thought they knew, what they did not know was that I used to own the house before I transferred ownership to my husband, and I would do anything not to lose this house.When the police arrived, with my own mouth, I made them understand that the neighbors were only mistaken and that my mother-in-law was the best mother-in-law I had. Ever since then, even if my mother-in-law pointed a shotgun at my head, they would only watch from their window and fill their eyes with empathy and nothing more.The way I cried on the lawn, even a woman who just lost her husband did not cry to this
In the trunk of his car, I heard the car’s front door and felt a sudden shake, almost immediately like the unexpected tremor of a distant thunderstorm rolling in. This was not an earthquake. At this moment, I knew Tyler had already gotten into the car and was ready to meet with Nancy.And as I was right, I instantly heard the gentle roar of the car come alive and felt it moving forward in a gentle motion like the smooth acceleration of a familiar car, gliding down a quiet neighborhood street on a lazy Sunday afternoon.Suddenly, the motion increased in speed, and the car accelerated to a very fast speed like a thrill-seeking roller coaster racing down a steep track, exhilarating and full of heart-pounding momentum.Tyler was someone I knew to be in love with any sporty kind of vehicle, like a moth to a flame. Even before our wedding, he had contemplated becoming a race car driver. However, after our wedding and their bankruptcy, he opted out of his dream like a dream deferred, put on
Even though I filmed the whole damn thing, I could not bear to look at what was happening. Hence, I took my hand and phone to the window while I looked elsewhere like a painter, reluctantly observing the disarray of colors on a canvas that was once a masterpiece.How they were f**king continued for more than ten minutes, which left me confused at once, like a student solving math and arriving at the right answer but with the wrong working and strategy.“Does this mean that Tyler never loved me and only had eyes for Nancy all along?” I thought to myself, like a gardener, realizing that the flowers she nurtured with tender care were wilting under the shadow of neglect. Knowing fully well that Tyler had never lasted five minutes with me in bed before. He'd always just dig it in, and after a few strokes, he'd already poured it in and called it a day.But with Nancy, though I couldn't bear the confidence to watch them do it, I heard how Nancy moaned sweetly, and I heard the sound of their
"Did you hear that?" I heard the lady Tyler spoke to in the house say immediately, her voice cutting through the air like a sharp blade through silence.This instantly triggered my instinct, and I knew that I needed to rush away from the door like a startled deer escaping the threat of an unseen predator. Lest, the door would be opened suddenly, and the face they would see was no one else but me.Quickly, like a burglar who intended no one to see her, I hurried away from the door towards the corner of the house as I hid in the tall garden, which sheltered me immediately like a protective cloak, concealing its wearer from prying eyes.Having done this, my instincts were right. I heard how the front door creaked open immediately and how two footsteps protruded on the floorboard beyond the front door."Are you sure you heard something?” Tyler asked, standing right beside the lady and holding her hand like a concerned protector, seeking assurance from his companion.This woman had long, s
Once I heard that they closed the door behind themselves, I became curious, like a cat that hears silent steps approaching, and tiptoed to the front door, checking for any loopholes through which I could see. “Sh*t!” I cursed, realizing that there was, in fact, no loophole through the door that I could see through. However, if this meant the end of my curiosity, it was a lie. “What if I eat you before I eat my dinner?” I heard Tyler tease immediately, further piquing my curiosity. With this, I found myself at the large window just to the left of the front door. No matter how much I peered through the glassy window, I still couldn't see anything outside. This didn't mean that the interior of the house was dark, like a void, and formless. It only meant that the curtains at the window were as thick as a well-kept secret, blocking out the outside world with a comforting embrace of privacy. “Sh*t,” I whispered again. "C'mon, babe, come to the room." I heard Tyler laugh amidst his word
My broken and sorrowful self could not quickly process any thoughts while Tyler did all of that. But one thing my thoughts could process was his voice, which kept ringing in my head. “That’s it, Alda; we are done." “This f**king marriage is over." “I am f**king done with you." I continued to mutter as I was defeatedly walking away from that house and into the street of the house like a wilted flower trudging through the shadows of despair. Knowing fully well that it did not matter how defeated, broken, and shattered I was, Tyler was not going to come out of that house the moment he got back inside of it. And because he obliterated every trace of evidence I had documented of his infidelity, I was certain he was back in that house to continue f**king that woman as a merciless storm tore through the peace of my shattered heart. *** On the street, I kept on walking slowly and sadly, with tears streaming down my face continuously, like a spring in the cold night of betrayal. And wit
Since he asked me to keep the phone, I didn't think twice before signing out his information and logging mine in. In my heart, I wished every piece of evidence Tyler destroyed along with that phone could be returned, as it could have been saved on iCloud.However, after fully signing in and refreshing my iCloud over what felt like a thousand times, I couldn't retrieve those videos and pictures. Nevertheless, it wasn't why I wanted to borrow the phone, and I didn't spend too much time on it, finding a needle in the bottom of the ocean.Immediately, I launched Instagram. Since the beginning of our marriage, Tyler's number was the only one I knew offhand. And with it, I knew most of my contacts were gone with the phone Tyler destroyed.Scrolling on Instagram, I tapped my finger on the search icon, and as it displayed, it felt like unlocking a treasure chest of endless possibilities. I entered the name "Attorney James."As soon as I saw that the search result displayed his profile, I clic
My hands continued to shake as I held the brown file document, and while I sat on the lawn again, feeling sad and defeated, I brought out the document from the brown file. “Divorce Agreement This agreement was entered into on 12/02/2024 between Tyler Harrington, hereinafter referred to as the “husband,” and Alda Morgan Harrington, hereinafter referred to as the “wife.” "Dissolution of Marriage: The parties agree to dissolve their marriage effective immediately. Division of Assets and Debts:Real Property: The marital home shall be awarded solely to the husband, Tyler Harrington, who shall continue full ownership and responsibility for the property. The wife, Alda Morgan Harrington, hereby relinquishes all claims to the marital home.Eatery Business: The eatery business known as Tasty Bites, located in Chicago, America, shall be awarded solely to the husband, Tyler Harrington, who shall continue to assume full ownership and control of the business. The wife, Alda Harrington, hereby