He took me for a fool! In the end, my husband paid dearly for his infidelity.
When I married William, my mother gave me a word of warning. William was rather the charmertall, athletic, well-educated, and earning a respectable living. Truth be told, he had a handsome face too. No wonder Mum was cautious.
Shed seen it all before, and her words came from experience. Shed suffered her own heartbreak. My father, by all accounts, was such a dashing soul that women would nearly swoon at the sight of him. He promised my mother the world, swearing blind she was the only woman in his life.
She was besotteduntil, one day, she caught him in the city centre, arm in arm with another woman, sharing a kiss far too intimate for just friends. Rather than create a scene, Mum followed him for weeks, gathering the truth piece by piece. There it was: Dad was still every bit the ladies man. Mum filed for divorce, determined Id never share her fate. Yet, as life likes to teach us, history often repeats itself in ways youd least expect.
William and I had been married for three years; by all appearances, we had a young, passionate marriage. But even in the early days, I sensed something missing, or perhaps it was simply his nature showing through. When I learnt Williams affair wasnt his first slip, I didnt explode in rage. Id seen enough in Mums story.
Instead, I began to imagine how I might turn the tables. Divorce seemed obvious, but I wanted to be clever about it. When the court letters began arriving, requiring both of us to appear, I intercepted each one and quietly destroyed themburning them in the garden, three in all. Here, the rules state that after three missed hearings, the divorce is granted. So, without Williams knowledge, I was free.
Meanwhile, I played the part of the loving wife, full of dreams about buying a bigger flat togetherhe could afford it quite comfortably, but I never could on my own salary. William bought into this dream with enthusiasm, already looking forward to a new home. He clearly thought hed take the flat, show me the door, and settle in with his mistress. He was almost giddy at the thought.
Soon, the day arrived. William withdrew a sizeable sum from the bank, brought it home, and left it tucked away in the hallway cabinet. The deal for the new flat was scheduled a week later. I had accounted for every detail.
Two days later, I told William I was off to visit my parents for a few days and would be back in time for the purchase. I actually stayed at a mates. William, none the wiser, invited his mistress round at once.
Late at night, when the two of them were sleeping, I returned home, took the money, and went to Williams family. I came back, as promised, on the day of the transaction. Thats when everything unravelled.
There stood William, desperately pleading, on his knees, admitting the affair and claiming his new love had stolen the moneybut begging for forgiveness all the same. I told him, quite directly, to leave and made it clear our marriage was over. He ranted that, as husband and wife, we would both pay the mortgage. Thats when I produced the final bit of paperworkthe decree absolute. I shall never forget the look on his face. He simply couldnt fathom how it had all happened under his nose.
In the end, I bought myself a new, spacious flat not far away. For the time being, Ive kept my old place, too. William and his mistress split up; she never returned the money, and last I heard she cursed him thoroughly. William took to drinking far too much. But I dont feel the least bit guilty. He had it coming. Let this be a lesson to anyone who thinks they can betray those who would do anything for them: you reap what you sow.
