Following a period of time in which I was confined within a marriage that was characterized by Mike’s preoccupation with wealth, prestige, and all the trappings of success, I finally reached a point where I had had enough. For him, everything was a show with a purpose.
We were not just concerned with what we have; we were also concerned with what other people believed we possessed. He had evolved into a guy who evaluated his life based on other things, such as the splendor of our mansion, the fashionable clothes we wore, and the luxury car he drove. And up until the point where I was no longer; I had become the ideal complement to that image.
I initially believed that we might be able to patch up the gaps as the disputes started to come to the surface. My presence in his life was only relevant to him when I played the role of the adoring wife, swooning over his accomplishments, and nodding supportively as he flaunted his “success.” However, the further his ego delved into his life, the more I recognized that this was the only way for my presence to have relevance to him. I was aware that I needed to escape, and I quickly began to formulate a strategy to do so.
The day that I silently agreed to give him everything in the divorce was a day that was filled with bittersweet emotions by me. As he arrogantly demanded the house, the car, and even our shared funds, I sat across from him, nodding and submitting. I was certain that he was “winning.” Our savings were split.
As I watched him exult, I was relieved to see that he had successfully claimed his “trophies” and was confident that he would emerge victorious. The fact that I was willing to do something was only a little element of a greater game that I was playing, a game that I had meticulously planned out.
My shoulders were slouched, and my steps were heavy as I walked out of the attorney’s office. I had organized my face into a face of despair. As the rain started to pour, it appeared as though a gray veil was covering the city. Even nature itself seemed to be in agreement with my charade, which was almost poetic in character. In spite of this, I let my mask to fall for a brief second as I walked past a store window and caught a sight of my reflection. There was a fleeting smile that appeared on my face, but it was a deep one. However, this was not the conclusion; rather, it was just the beginning.
When I got up the morning after the documents were signed, I immediately felt a sense of liberation that I hadn’t had in many years. While Mike was too preoccupied with admiring his own mirror, I took my coffee gently and savored the first taste of a new existence that I had made silently, piece by piece.
My own little empire had been built up over the years, and he had been completely unaware of it because it was all in my name and concealed in plain sight. I put my money into less ambitious endeavors that did not require an audience, whereas he put everything he had into assets that represented his wealth. After that, they were solely mine to possess.
Simply at the right moment, my phone rang. The number of Mike appeared on the screen, and I responded with a smile that conveyed both calmness and knowledge.
“What exactly did you do?” His voice was piercing, and it was loaded with confused and, more than anything else, angry expressions. Instead of sounding like the self-assured guy he had been the day before, he sounded more like a spoiled child who had been let down by his favorite toy.
I smiled and responded, “Oh, Mike,” while allowing my voice to ooze with a false sense of innocence. Do you not find this to be what you desired? You have complete control over everything.”
As he fought to put together how he had won, but in some way lost, I could practically picture his face, his jaw pressing against his chest. Because he walked away, he had liberated me, but he was unaware of this fact. Having a mansion that would drain his bank account and a car that would cost more to maintain than the monthly rent for the majority of people, he had taken on the responsibility of preserving an image that I was no longer required to preserve.
In the course of the weeks that passed, the unavoidable occurred. He was having a difficult time, according to what I heard through the grapevine. The expenses associated with maintaining his lavish lifestyle were greater than he had anticipated, and as the amount of his debts increased, he began selling off the trophies that he had previously cherished. I had little sympathy for the situation, despite the fact that the beautiful facade was falling apart.
While this was going on, I continued to move forward with my own life, which was characterized by true relationships, important interests, and the calm satisfaction of having obtained victory in my own manner. I paid the price for my freedom by allowing him to walk away with the symbols of his vanity, and it is a price that I will freely pay again without any hesitation.
As a result, he was able to achieve his goals, and I was also successful in doing so. As I came to appreciate the irony of the situation, I was aware that he would never fully comprehend the reason he had been defeated. That victory was the last one I ever won.
