Home / Romance Short Story / She Changed the Locks, I Changed My Life / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of She Changed the Locks, I Changed My Life: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

"Shut your trap!" Martha Potter snapped. "If I hadn't sunk into postpartum depression after carrying our daughter, I wouldn't have been this insecure. I'm not accepting this flimsy excuse for a divorce. It's absurd."She jabbed her finger at my nose, her eyes brimming with unshed tears, but I didn't even glance at her.Closing my briefcase with deliberate finality, I said coldly, "Sign it. You don't want to make things ugly."The crowd gawked at Martha, who was trembling with anger, while I remained composed.Whispers spread through the room.They couldn't comprehend why I'd torch our marriage over such a trivial matter. Before that, I had always bent over backward for her.Martha snapped out of her shock and lunged forward. Her father, Robert Potter, sensed the gravity of the situation, scrambling to his feet.I stood up to leave, but Martha's therapist, Sean Lynch, clamped a firm hand on my shoulder and shoved me back down."Your wife is battling severe postpartum depression

Chapter 2

Sean barreled toward me, shoving the divorce agreement against my chest.His face twisted with anger. "Martha sacrificed a golden ticket to study abroad just to marry you. She loved you deeply. Now that she is ill, you're abandoning her and your daughter? Don't call yourself a man!"I faced his outburst with cool amusement. "How is my split from my wife any of your business?"Spittle flew from Sean's lips as he seized my collar, bellowing, "You're blind to your privilege. How much cash have you guzzled down for your comatose mother? Don't you have a conscience? Without Martha's help, she would have been long gone."I delivered a swift kick to his midsection, sending him sprawling. "Stay out of my family's affairs! A shrink like you has no place at this gathering."Martha pushed past me in a frenzy, helping Sean to his feet. Her words tumbled out in a stutter. "Why lash out at him? He's done nothing wrong.""He deserves it for running his mouth!" I retorted, my resolve strengthene

Chapter 3

I exhaled deeply, tapping open the video Megan had forwarded.Every evening before I returned home from work, a shadowy figure would slip out our front door. He'd pause provocatively in front of the doorbell camera, flaunting panties of various styles and colors like trophies.Two days were too long. I wanted to expose them all immediately.At the dinner checkout, the server informed me my card was bone-dry.For years, the Potters had micromanaged my finances with an iron fist, claiming it prevented reckless investments. In truth, it was a measure against my rising above my station.Martha doled out my allowance monthly, her mood dictating the amount.Since the lock swap, my account had gathered dust.The next morning, I set out early to collect my belongings.Before I could even breach the gates, a group of gossipy women pointed their fingers at me."Isn't that the married-in son-in-law of the Potter family?""That's him, the spineless freeloader who snagged a wealthier woma

Chapter 4

While I was distracted, Martha yanked the jewelry box from my hand and smashed it to the ground."All this havoc over some worthless bauble?" she snarled. "You'd hurt your child for it?"My mind reeled as I checked the bracelet. It was intact, thanks to the sturdy box.Sean railed from behind me, "You're a monster! Your daughter hits the deck, and you blow her off to check some stupid bracelet? Is it even more precious than her life?"Martha steadied the stroller, her face streaked with tears. "You'd better hope she's fine. Grab your trash and get out of my house! Don't ever come back!"She glared at me and added, "Once we settle this in court, you'll walk away destitute. I will make sure your family is left in ruins. Out!"She raged like a madwoman, hurling objects in a frenzy.I cradled the box and escaped the suffocating place.I was barely out of the complex when Megan called, urging me to check out the trending topics.A digital tsunami of hatred hurtled my way, labeling

Chapter 5

The audience buzzed with anticipation for a bombshell.The feed cut to my screen, rolling a grainy surveillance clip.In it, Martha crept into the house, her eyes darting warily. She pivoted, locked the door, and took a dozen lace panties from her bag.Dangling each delicately, she misted them with perfume and rubbed them along her thigh. Her hips swaying provocatively, she propped her phone on the couch arm and turned on the camera.Slipping into each pair, she indulged in self-pleasure and moaned intermittently.The chat detonated.[They're airing this live? Unbelievable!][891 panties? That's the count?][Eh, that's perfectly normal.]Sentiment swung back to Martha in a heartbeat. She wilted and quivered, avoiding Robert's glare.Sean leaped to his feet, championing her cause. "What's your endgame with this footage? You know full well Martha is grappling with depression. You're glued to the office till all hours. Can't she unwind a little? What kind of narrow-minded prick

Chapter 6

[What the hell?][Who is this guy?]A deluge of question marks flooded Martha's side of the screen, overwhelming Martha's image.Sean sucked in a sharp breath. His face paled to a ghostly white, his body stiffening like a board.After a tense pause, Martha lunged toward the camera. "We had a break-in! No wonder my panties kept vanishing. They were stolen. Are you divorcing me because this creep is threatening you? Don't be scared, babe. This won't happen again. Let's work things out, okay?"Her plea was steeped in calculated humility, designed to tug at my heartstrings.[What's going on? Are we props in some kinky couple's roleplay?][Is that guy Jerome himself?]I smirked at the wild guesses flickering across the screen.Martha tensed up, terrified I'd debunk her story. She jumped in quickly, "Our bedroom quirks don't need to be broadcast to the world. Let's take this offline and talk at home, okay?"Sweat beaded on her forehead, rolling down in fat drops. Her flawless makeu

Chapter 7

[Jerome is the real snake here.][Bet he is scheming to tarnish her reputation for a bigger cut of the assets. Backfired big time.][Hold up. My gut says that's not Jerome in the video.][That guy's build looks oddly familiar.]Martha, catching the chat's pulse, sniffled dramatically. "After everything we've shared, you'd stab me in the back like this? You hurt our daughter, and now you paint me as a harlot. What have I ever done to you, Jerome?"[He harmed his own kid? That's monstrous!][Abusing a child? Unforgivable!]Sean's lips curled into a sly grin as he watched the comments. "Since we've proven it's you, there's no need to keep this circus going, right? Just a family drama."I shook my head, tapping the table lightly with my knuckles. Without thorough preparation, I wouldn't have gone live."Family drama?" I snorted. "You, an outsider, meddling in my marriage makes it a family drama?"The screen shifted to footage from yesterday, right after I pushed Sean aside. He st

Chapter 8

"Get off me. You're revolting!" Lula spat."How did our family produce a tramp like you?" Robert spluttered, coughing violently. "Forget the rules? Infidelity is the ultimate taboo. Was your prim and proper facade all an act?"Martha didn't dare to talk back, her eyes blazing as she glared at me through the screen.I just sipped my coffee leisurely.The Potter family's bodyguards exchanged shocked whispers, stunned that their poised and dignified lady was secretly so depraved.Sean shot to his feet, bellowing, "It's fake, generated by AI! Jerome, you despicable rat! To push for divorce, you're resorting to these despicable tactics?"He jabbed a finger at Megan, adding, "You can't trick me. The woman next to you is a notorious hacker. Faking videos is child's play for her."Megan raised an eyebrow, clicking open another clip. "Is that so? Care to explain why you're shirtless at Martha's place at 3:30 in the morning?"The timestamp confirmed it was today.Sean rushed to defend h

Chapter 9

The screen displayed side-by-side clips of the mystery man and Sean, with key moments highlighted in slow motion and marked in red."The posture while drinking, the angle of the shoulders, the stride pattern—these are nearly identical, with a high degree of overlap," Megan explained.Sean lounged back, crossing his legs. "That's impossible. I was at my clinic seeing patients during those times. I have proof."The screen showed images of Sean working, with timestamps and patient testimonies corroborating his alibi.The courtroom buzzed with murmurs."This is nuts.""Did we misjudge Dr. Lynch?"The staff urged calm, assuring the crowd that forensic results would clarify the matter.Sean swaggered over to me, smirking. "Think you've got this in the bag, Jerome? I'd apologize now, or when the slander charges hit, you'll regret it."Martha sidled up, looping her arm through mine. "Quit the act. Say sorry now, and I might let you see our daughter sometimes."I brushed her off with

Chapter 10

The courtroom detonated as things escalated from a sordid affair to a jaw-dropping scheme.Martha trembled, her face a mask of terror as her lies unraveled.Megan rose calmly, her voice slicing through the chaos. "Your Honor, the police have apprehended Tom Wilson at the airport. At our request, they're ready for a live briefing on the case."The judge granted permission, and the courtroom screen connected to a live feed.Two officers flanked a polished but defeated middle-aged man.One officer addressed the camera solemnly. "Your Honor, everyone. Suspect Tom Wilson is under arrest. After interrogation, he confessed to his crimes. He is no business tycoon. He met Martha Potter online, exploiting her greed and coaxing her into filming explicit videos for his perverse gratification."He paused and added, "His goal was to trigger a divorce between Martha and her husband. Once she secured a hefty settlement, he planned to work with her and con the Potters out of their fortune. Sean L

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