I GAVE THIS MAN THREE DECADES OF MY LIFE.
I raised our children, ran the house, supported him through every stage of his career, every crisis, every moment of insecurity. I was his partner in every sense of the word.
And then, one night at dinner, he put down his fork and said this.
I love you, Marina, but…I need a younger woman.
Just like that. Like he was trading in an old car for a new one.
I thought it was a joke. It wasn’t a joke.
A couple of weeks later, he brought her into the house – Tanya. 26, fresh out of university, with naive eyes and a voice so sweet it made my teeth chatter. She wasn’t a bad person. It just made it worse.
And then the most humiliating thing happened.
I know it’s weird,’ he said, avoiding my gaze, ’but Tanya doesn’t know how to run a household like you do. Could you… teach her?
Teach her.
How to pay the bills, which handymen to call, how to iron his shirts the way he likes.
I should have thrown wine in his face. But I didn’t.
Instead, I smiled.
And I taught her everything.
I showed her his favourite dishes – but ‘accidentally’ forgot one secret ingredient.
I gave her the number of a dry cleaner. The one that ruins suits.
Didn’t mention he was lactose intolerant.
And when she asked me how to keep his love, I looked her straight in the eye and said:
Oh, honey… Don’t worry. He’ll get tired of you too.
Then I packed my bags and left that house.
But you know what?
I left behind one little surprise.
And when my ex-husband finds out about it… well.
Hopefully, Tanya will be ready.
The day I left, I felt lighter than I had in years. It wasn’t just that I was physically out of the house, but that the weight of expectation had finally fallen off my shoulders.
For thirty years I had been the glue that held our family together. I cooked, cleaned, organised, sacrificed without complaint. And for what? Just so he’d decide I wasn’t the right person for him anymore?
As I drove away from the home we’d shared for so many years, I suddenly realised: I’m not angry anymore. I’m free.
But before I left, I planted a seed – a small, quiet revenge that eventually grew into something much bigger than we could have imagined.
It started with finances. Over the years, I handled all the money while he pursued his career. He trusted me completely because, as he said himself, ‘You’re better at it.’
What he didn’t know was that I had set up a separate account long ago. I called it a ‘backup’ – not for holidays or emergencies, but for moments like this.
When I filed for divorce, I included an alimony clause in the agreement. He resented it, saying he couldn’t afford it. But thanks to some clever calculations (and a couple of documents that I ‘accidentally’ forgot to mention during the marriage), the court sided with me. Every month a decent amount of money came into my account. Justice prevailed.
Meanwhile, problems began to arise in the house. Tanya, poor thing, tried her best to cope, but quickly realised that life with a man who was almost twice her age was not so romantic.
How do you iron shirts? Easy. How to negotiate with contractors? A nightmare. Cooking? Forget it. Without me, she quickly realised that running a house was more than just cosy candlelit dinners.
But my real surprise had to do with my ex’s business.
Years ago, I became interested in investing. At first it was just a hobby – a way to occupy myself in the quiet of an empty house. But over time, I began to see opportunities. I started small, buying shares in promising companies. And then I took a risk and invested in a startup.
And what happened was that startup turned into a multi-million dollar company.
Now guess who owned a significant portion of it?
Я.
What’s even more interesting is that my ex’s business depended on software developed by this particular company. When they raised their prices, his revenues plummeted.
First he blamed the economy. Then he blamed the employees. And then, desperate, he dug deeper and found out the truth.
And so he called me.
Marina, – he said in a strained voice, – we need to talk.
We met at a cafe. He looked older, tired.
Do you own part of this company? – He asked, barely containing his irritation.
Yes,’ I answered calmly, sipping my coffee. – Is there a problem?
A problem? You’re ruining me! Do you realise what this is doing to my business?
I set the cup down and leaned closer.
It’s funny, isn’t it? All these years I’ve been supporting your career, and now you’re dependent on something I created. Karma’s an interesting thing.
He opened his mouth to object, but closed it again. There was nothing to object to.
Before I left, I gave him one last piece of advice.
‘Take care of Tanya,’ I said. – She’ll figure it out soon enough.
A few months later I learnt that things had gone wrong between them. Tanya was tired of having her young, full of life world reduced to a sullen man who only complains about business and misses the past. Eventually, she walked out, leaving him alone in the house where we once lived.
And me? I started a new life. I travelled, did things I had long dreamed of doing, met up with old friends. For the first time in years, I was living for me, not for someone else.
And you know what? The best revenge wasn’t anger.
It was success.
