“I wish you’d leave him,” Alex’s message read. “We could be so happy together.” Claire’s reply was noncommittal. “You know it’s complicated, Alex. Let’s just enjoy what we have.” I put the phone down, my mind racing. An idea was forming, crazy and brilliant all at once. Why not use this to my advantage?
A week later, I made the call. My heart was pounding as I listened to the ring. “Hello?” Alex’s voice was deep, confident.
I took a deep breath. “Alex? This is Tom, Claire’s husband.” The silence on the other end was deafening. I could almost hear the gears turning in his head. Finally, he spoke. “Tom. What can I do for you?”
I cut to the chase. “I know about you and Claire. I know you’re paying our bills. I’m willing to walk away, file for divorce, and let you have her. But I need something from you.”
“And what’s that?” His voice was guarded now. “Fifty thousand dollars. To start over.”
Another long pause. I could hear him breathing. “Why would I give you money?” he asked finally.
I laughed, a short, bitter sound. “Because if I leave her and break her heart, she’ll finally be yours. I just need a fresh start. Think of it as… an investment in your future happiness.”
“You’d do that? Just walk away?” He sounded incredulous.
“Alex, my man, I checked out of this marriage a long time ago. I’m just looking for a way out that doesn’t leave me broke.” He was quiet for so long I thought he’d hung up. Then, “I’ll think about it.”
“Don’t think too long,” I said. “Offer expires in 48 hours.” I hung up before he could respond. My hands were shaking as I put the phone down. I’d done it. Now all I could do was wait.
The next two days were the longest of my life. I jumped every time my phone buzzed, expecting it to be Alex. But it was always someone else. A spam call. A text from my mom. Never Alex.
Claire noticed something was off. “You okay, honey?” she asked over dinner. “You seem distracted.” I forced a smile. “Just work stuff. Nothing to worry about.”
She reached across the table and squeezed my hand. The gesture, once comforting, now made my skin crawl. I pulled away, pretending I needed to refill my water glass.
When the 48-hour mark approached, I started to panic. What if Alex called my bluff? What if he told Claire? What if…
My phone buzzed. Unknown number. “Hello?” I answered, my voice barely above a whisper.
“It’s done,” Alex said. “Check your account.” I scrambled for my laptop, logging into my bank account with shaking fingers. And there it was: $50,000. Just like that.
“Thank you,” I said, my voice hoarse. “Just… take care of her, okay?” I added, almost pleading.
I didn’t have the heart to tell him the truth. That Claire was using him just like she’d used me. Instead, I just said, “Goodbye, Alex,” and hung up.
I sat there for a long time, staring at the computer screen. $50,000. My ticket to freedom. My chance at a new life.
I heard Claire’s car pull into the driveway. It was time.
I was sitting on the couch when she walked in, a folder of divorce papers on the coffee table in front of me.
“Tom?” Her voice was uncertain. “What’s going on?”
I looked up at her, really looked at her for the first time in months. She was beautiful, sure. But all I felt was… nothing.
“It’s over, Claire,” I said, my voice steady. “I know about Alex.”
Her face went white. “Tom, I can explain…”
I held up a hand. “Don’t bother. I don’t want explanations. I want a divorce.”
She stood up, walked a few steps away, and sank into the armchair across from me, her legs seemingly unable to hold her up anymore. “But… but what about money? The apartment? Our life?”
I smiled, and for the first time in years, it was genuine. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be just fine.”
As I walked out of that apartment for the last time, a duffel bag slung over my shoulder, I felt lighter than I had in years. Claire was sobbing behind me, begging me to stay, to talk about it. But I was done talking.
I checked into a cheap motel that night, lying on the lumpy bed and staring at the water-stained ceiling. My phone kept buzzing. Claire. Alex. Claire again. I ignored them all.
In the morning, I’d start looking for a new place to live. A new job. A new life. But for now, I just lay there, feeling the weight of the past few years slowly lifting off my chest.
Just as I was drifting off to sleep, my phone buzzed one more time. Against my better judgment, I checked it.
It was from Claire: “I’m sorry. I really did love you.”
I stared at the message for a long time before typing out a reply: “I know. But sometimes love isn’t enough.” I hit send, then turned off my phone. Tomorrow was a new day, and for the first time in years, I was looking forward to it.
What would you have done? If you enjoyed this story, here’s another one for you about a husband who demanded his wife pay back all the money she had “cost” him during their time together.
