I knew Claire was cheating on me. It wasn’t hard to figure out with all the late-night texts, sudden work trips, and secretive phone calls. But I didn’t confront her. Hell, I didn’t even feel anything for her after I found out. We’d been married for so long, I didn’t have any feelings left.
A sad-looking man sitting at a home office desk | Source: Midjourney
A sad-looking man sitting at a home office desk | Source: Midjourney
The problem was, I was scared of a divorce because it would ruin me financially. I relied on her big salary to keep things afloat. She was covering our apartment, insurance, groceries, everything. So, I just gritted my teeth and pretended everything was fine.
One day, while doing laundry, I found this crumpled credit card receipt from some fancy restaurant in her jeans pocket. The name on it? Alex M—.
A man doing the laundry at home | Source: Midjourney
A man doing the laundry at home | Source: Midjourney
“Ohhhh,” I said out loud to the empty laundry room. Suddenly, things made sense. I knew the guy. He was her father’s friend, who I’d seen a few times at her dad’s birthday parties.
I remembered Alex from those gatherings. Rich guy, soft around the edges, always looking at Claire like she hung the moon. Back then, I thought he was just being friendly. Now? Now I knew better.
A distinguished-looking man at a celebration | Source: Midjourney
A distinguished-looking man at a celebration | Source: Midjourney
I sat down on the cold tile floor, receipt in hand, and laughed. It wasn’t a happy laugh. More like the kind of laugh you’d hear in a psych ward.
“Tom?” Claire’s voice floated down from upstairs. “Everything okay?”
I crumpled the receipt back up and shoved it in my pocket. “Yeah, fine. Just… stubbed my toe.”
That night, I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking about Alex and Claire, about our sudden influx of cash, about the new car I got for my birthday. It all made sense now.
The next morning, I waited until Claire left for “work” before I dug into her old phone. She’d always been careless with her passcode. 4673. Our anniversary. Ironic, right?
A man lying awake in bed | Source: Midjourney
A man lying awake in bed | Source: Midjourney
What I found made my stomach churn. Old messages to Alex, full of hearts and kisses. Messages to her friends, gushing about how amazing he was. But there was something else, too. Something I didn’t expect.
“I still love Tom,” one message to her friend read. “But we needed the money. Alex… he’s just a means to an end. Is that terrible?”
Her friend’s reply was quick, “Girl, you gotta do what you gotta do. But be careful. This could blow up in your face.”
A man staring at a mobile phone in his hand | Source: Midjourney
A man staring at a mobile phone in his hand | Source: Midjourney
I snorted. If only she knew.
I scrolled further, finding messages between Claire and Alex. It was clear as day: Alex was head over heels, and Claire was stringing him along.
“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 thoughtful-looking man | Source: Midjourney
A thoughtful-looking man | Source: Midjourney
I found Alex’s number and saved it to my phone. Then I waited, biding my time, planning my move.
***
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?”
A man in a business setting, talking on a phone | Source: Midjourney
A man in a business setting, talking on a phone | Source: Midjourney
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.
A well-dressed man in a serious telephone discussion | Source: Midjourney
A well-dressed man in a serious telephone discussion | Source: Midjourney
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.”
A man on the phone in a home-office environment | Source: Midjourney
A man on the phone in a home-office environment | Source: Midjourney
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.”
A woman standing in a kitchen, looking concerned | Source: Midjourney
A woman standing in a kitchen, looking concerned | Source: Midjourney
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.”
A man seated at a bar, looking satisfied | Source: Midjourney
A man seated at a bar, looking satisfied | Source: Midjourney
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.
A man staring at a laptop screen on his desk | Source: Midjourney
A man staring at a laptop screen on his desk | Source: Midjourney
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.”
A man and woman side-by-side on a living room sofa | Source: Midjourney
A man and woman side-by-side on a living room sofa | Source: Midjourney
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.”
A man smiling across a living room | Source: Midjourney
A man smiling across a living room | Source: Midjourney
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.
A man lying on a bed, holding a mobile phone in his hand | Source: Midjourney
A man lying on a bed, holding a mobile phone in his hand | Source: Midjourney
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.”
A man reading a message on his mobile phone | Source: Midjourney
A man reading a message on his mobile phone | Source: Midjourney
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.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
