Nicky had never imagined her 47-year marriage would end like this. One ordinary evening, her husband John stood in the living room, arms crossed, smirk plastered across his face, and said the words that shattered her world.
“Divorce? John, tell me you’re not serious! And what did you say? You want a fair share?” Nicky’s voice trembled, her hands gripping the armrests of her chair. She felt the ground slipping beneath her.
John leaned casually against the wall, smirking as if he were the hero in some cheap movie. “Oh, Nicky! It’s not like you didn’t see it coming. Come on. We both know there’s nothing left between us. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life sulking with you. I want to live. Like a free man. And I will find someone—beautiful and gorgeous… someone who’s not a dead goat like you. So yes, I’m divorcing you.”
The insult stung like a whip. Nicky’s face turned red with rage. She shot to her feet and snapped, “And you think I’ll let you off the hook so easily? You wish, John! You want to live like a free man, don’t you? Well, guess what? I am not going to sign the divorce papers, and you are not getting a single penny, let alone any share!”
John’s smirk darkened. “You can’t do that, Nicky! If you don’t sign the papers of your own volition, I will compel you to the point where you will have to!”
But Nicky only laughed bitterly. “Oh, poor Johnny! What will you do? Bring a mistress home? Those young girls you’ve been playing around with? They won’t clean and cook for you like I did, John! I looked after you for 47 goddamn years!
I raised our children by myself while you slept on the living room couch after work, drank beer, and went out with friends. And you think you’re going to get away with it? Never!”
John checked his wristwatch dramatically, as if he had rehearsed this moment. “Well then,” he said coldly, “I don’t think I have a way out. I am leaving for a trip to Mexico in one hour. And I guess I’ll be away for six months. I completed all the bookings, and—well—I used up nearly all of the savings we had in our joint account.”
Nicky’s jaw dropped. “What? How the hell did you… That had my savings too, John! How dare you use it without even discussing it with me?”
“I knew you’d create a ruckus over divorce, Nicky. That’s why I planned everything in advance!” John grabbed the divorce papers from the table and waved them in her face. “If you don’t want to live with the consequences of your decision, sign it as quickly as possible. Otherwise, your life will be nothing but hell from now on!”
Then he stomped to the bedroom, packed his suitcase, and slammed the door on his way out, leaving Nicky sobbing on the couch.
For days, Nicky was a mess. She replayed his words in her mind, the cruel laughter, the insult of being called a “dead goat.” She had tolerated his affairs for years, thinking he would come to his senses, but this time he wanted to destroy her completely. Still, one thing burned inside her: she would not let him win.
Three months later…
The living room smelled of raspberry tea and freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. Nicky was calmer now, stronger. She had been waiting all day, checking her watch every few minutes. When the doorbell finally rang, she froze for a second before getting up.
Her eyes widened when she opened the door. “John? What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in Mexico?”
John looked nothing like the smug man who had left three months earlier. His clothes were wrinkled, his hair disheveled, and his eyes swollen. He dropped to his knees right there on the porch. “Oh, Nicky! I am sorry, I am so sorry for what I did! Please forgive me. I was wrong to leave you. I shouldn’t have done that.”
Still stunned, Nicky said softly, “John, what’s the matter? Calm down. Come inside. Let’s talk.”
They sat down, and John buried his face in his hands. “Where do I even start? I met this young girl, Maddison. She was gorgeous, and I thought she loved me. We spent two months in Mexico together… but she was a con! She robbed me of everything, Nicky! Every single penny!”
Nicky gasped, hiding a little smile. “What? Robbed you? But how?”
John groaned. “We were living in her tiny apartment. She made me do everything for her—cooking, cleaning, even babysitting her two children. She kept promising we’d marry. But every night, she made excuses. Said her kids needed her. We never even slept together, Nicky! She just kept stringing me along… and then one day, she disappeared—with all my money!”
He broke down, sobbing like a child. “I have nothing left. No money, no home, nothing.”
Just as Nicky was about to respond, the doorbell rang again. She stood up. “Just a minute, John. Let me see who’s there.”
When she opened the door, John’s blood ran cold. Standing on the porch was Maddison.
His eyes bulged. “What—what are you doing here? Nicky! She’s the one! She’s the one who robbed me!”
To his shock, the two women looked at each other and burst out laughing.
“All right, John,” Nicky said, her eyes sparkling with victory. “I know everything. Meet Mandy—or as you called her—Maddison. She’s my friend’s daughter. A single mother who helped me gather evidence against my cheating husband. I told you, John, you would regret it! I tracked down your hotel using Facebook and called Mandy for help. This was all a trap, honey—and I’m so glad you fell for it!”
John’s face turned beet red. “What?! You did all of this on purpose?! You will regret it, Nicky! You will!”
But Nicky shot to her feet, her voice thundering through the house. “No, John! You will be the one at a loss this time. Take your luggage and leave my house immediately! And yes, I am divorcing you, you jerk! I’ll make sure you don’t get a single cent. So get up and leave! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE NOW!”
John grabbed his old suitcase and stumbled toward the door, mumbling curses under his breath. Nicky didn’t care. She closed the door in his face and turned back to Mandy.
The two women sat down with steaming cups of raspberry tea, laughing about how perfectly the plan had worked.
A few months later…
The divorce was finalized. Nicky kept the house, the savings, and her dignity. When their children learned what happened, they stood firmly by her side. “Dad, you’ve gone too far,” her son told John. “You humiliated Mom, and now you’ve got nothing left.”
John was ridiculed, abandoned, and left with the bitter taste of his own betrayal.
Moral of the story:
- You can’t escape karma. John cheated, mocked his wife, and thought he could crush her—but karma hit back harder.
- Never underestimate a homemaker. John thought Nicky was weak, but she turned the tables and proved she was far stronger than him.