I reached a point where I had had enough of being trapped in a marriage that was characterized by Mike’s obsession with wealth, prestige, and all the trappings of success. This was after I had been trapped in the marriage for years. He was putting on a show for everyone and everything.

 

In addition to what we actually possessed, it was also important to consider what other people believed we possessed. As time went on, he evolved into a guy who evaluated his life based on the magnificence of our estate, the luxury car he drove, and the expensive clothes we wore. And I would become the ideal complement to that image—until the point where I was no longer.

 

When the disagreements first started to come to light, my original thought was that we might be able to patch up the imperfections. My presence in his life was only relevant to him when I played the role of the devoted wife, swooning over his accomplishments, and nodding supportively as he flaunted his “success.” However, the more his ego dug into them, the more I recognized that this was the only way for my presence to have any significance to him. I was aware that I needed to escape, and rather quickly, a strategy began to take shape.

 

It was a sad day when I quietly decided to give him everything in the divorce because I was going through a divorce. I sat across from him, nodding and submitting as he arrogantly demanded the house, the car, and even our joint funds, certain that he was “winning.” I was convinced that he was “winning.”

 

Observing him gloat, I was sure that he would emerge victorious, as he was overjoyed to have successfully claimed his “trophies.” In his ignorance, he was unaware that my willingness was a component of a broader game that I was playing, a game that I had meticulously prepared with precision.

 

 

 

 

I was leaving the attorney’s office, and as I did so, I arranged my face into a defeated expression, with my shoulders slouched and my steps heavy. As the rain started to pour, it created a haze that was gray in color over the metropolis. In all honesty, it was almost lyrical; the natural world seemed to be in agreement with my deception. Nevertheless, I let my mask to fall for a brief time as I walked by a store window and caught a sight of my reflection of myself. I couldn’t help but let out a smirk that was completely understated. Not only was this not the conclusion, but it was just the beginning.

 

In the morning that followed the signing of the documents, I awoke with a feeling of liberation that I hadn’t had in many years. During the time when Mike was excessively preoccupied with admiring his own reflection, I took my coffee carefully and savored the first taste of a new life that I had constructed in a peaceful and methodical manner.

 

Over the course of many years, I had established my very own small empire, which he had been completely unaware of because it was all in my name and concealed in plain sight. On the other hand, I put my money into less ambitious endeavors that did not require an audience, whereas he invested everything he had in assets that reflected his riches. And at this point, they were solely mine.

 

As if on cue, my phone started to ring. When I saw Mike’s number flash on the screen, I responded with a smile that conveyed both calm and knowledge.

 

What actions did you take? His voice was piercing, and it was filled with a mixture of confusion and, above all else, exasperation. Instead of sounding like the self-assured guy he had been the day before, he sounded more like a spoiled child who had been denied his favorite toy.

 

I responded, “Oh, Mike,” while allowing my voice to gently drip with an air of pretended innocence. “Isn’t this exactly what you were hoping for? Everything is yours to keep to yourself.”

 

As he fought to piece together how he had won, yet ultimately lost, I could practically picture his face, his jaw clenching as he tried to make sense of it. What he failed to recognize was that by leaving, he had liberated me from his control. An image that I was no longer responsible for upholding, a mansion that would drain his bank accounts, and a car that would cost more to maintain than the monthly rent for the majority of people were all things that he had taken on as his responsibility.

 

Over the course of several weeks, the unavoidable transpired. It was through the grapevine that I learned that he was having difficulty. As his debts continued to accumulate, he began selling off the trophies that he had once cherished. The expenses associated with maintaining his lavish lifestyle were more than he had imagined. Although the great facade was falling apart, I did not feel any sympathy for the situation.

 

While this was going on, I continued to move forward with my own life, which was characterized by true relationships, important activities, and the quiet satisfaction of having triumphed in my own distinctive way. 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 would pay again without a second thought.

 

In the end, he was successful in achieving his goals, and I was successful as well. And as I was taking in the comedy of the situation, I was aware that he would never really comprehend how he had been defeated. That was the last victory I ever had.