My life changed in the most unexpected place—a supermarket parking lot. But to understand that moment, I need to take you back a little.
It had been a month since my divorce from Michael. It wasn’t my choice; he had blindsided me with the decision. I didn’t fight him. What was the point? If someone wants to leave, let them. I told myself that every day, pushing forward.
I hadn’t seen or spoken to him since the divorce was finalized. Until that afternoon.
I was at the store, picking up cat food for a new rescue at my clinic when I saw it—a sleek, expensive sports car parked between two dusty old sedans. The kind of car that made heads turn.
I glanced at the logo, trying to place the brand when the driver’s side door opened.
And my breath caught.
Michael stepped out. But this wasn’t the Michael I remembered. The man I had been married to for twelve years wore clearance rack khakis and old T-shirts. His everyday look? A grocery store uniform, working six days a week for just above minimum wage.
But this man?
This Michael was in a designer suit, his hair neatly styled, a glinting Rolex on his wrist. He looked like a man who had just stepped out of a luxury magazine.
I couldn’t stop myself. I abandoned my cart and walked straight toward him. “Michael?” I called out.
He turned. For a brief moment, something flickered in his eyes—surprise, maybe even guilt. But in a heartbeat, it was gone, replaced by cold arrogance.
“Hey!” I tried to keep my tone light. “Wow, congrats! This must be the car you’ve always dreamed about. Looks like you’re doing really well! Did you get a new job?”
Michael barely glanced at me. “Katherine, we’re not together anymore. This isn’t your business.”
He was about to walk past me when he suddenly stopped at the entrance of the store, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a crisp $100 bill.
“Here,” he said, tossing it at my feet. “Think of it as my parting gift.”
The bill fluttered down to the asphalt, landing right in front of me.
I felt rage boil inside me. Was he serious? I wasn’t a beggar. Throughout our entire marriage, I had been the one earning more. I was a veterinarian. He was a cashier. And I had never cared about the difference—until now.
“Really?” My voice was sharp. “This is who you are now?”
Michael smirked and strolled into the store, completely unfazed.
I was about to walk away when my eyes landed on the $100 bill. Something about it made me pick it up.
And that’s when I saw it.
A small smiley face drawn in the corner.
Memories slammed into me.
It was the last conversation I had with my grandfather before he passed.
Grandpa had been sick. We all knew his time was running out. When I visited him, I expected quiet reminiscing, maybe some advice. But instead, he led me to his office.
He opened a drawer and pulled out neat stacks of hundred-dollar bills—at least $200,000 in cash.
“Kat, please take this,” he said softly. “It’s for your future. Open a clinic, buy a home. I want to see you happy and secure.”
I shook my head. “Grandpa, I don’t need this. I’d rather donate it.”
“Kat, please, listen.”
But I just smiled. I took a pen from his desk, picked up one of the bills, and drew a little smiley face on it before handing it back.
“Don’t be sad, Grandpa. Don’t worry about me. I’m happy.”
He chuckled and sighed. Then we went outside and drank iced tea in the garden, listening to birds in the trees.
Two weeks later, he was gone.
And now, standing in the parking lot, staring at that smiley face, my stomach dropped.
Michael had the money.
I stormed into Harrison’s office the next day. My grandfather’s best friend and business partner, Harrison was like family. He had known Grandpa longer than anyone.
His office was intimidating, high up in a fancy downtown building. But his face softened when he saw me.
“Katherine, what brings you here?”
I slid the bill across his desk. “Michael has money, Harrison. A lot of it. My grandfather’s money. Did Grandpa ever mention giving it to him?”
Harrison sighed heavily and removed his glasses. “Oh, Katherine… Yes. He mentioned it. I advised him against it, but he thought it would make your life better.”
I sank into the chair. “That’s why he divorced me so quickly. He got the money and left. He played my grandfather, Harrison.”
Harrison leaned forward. “Do you want to do something about it?”
I looked up. “What do you mean?”
He slid a business card across the desk. “Logan. The best attorney I know.”
Logan was everything you’d expect in a top lawyer. Confident, sharp, and charming. He wasted no time.
“This is fraud by deception,” he stated. “Your ex knew what he was doing. The timing is too perfect. But first, let’s pay him a visit.”
“Now?”
Logan smirked. “Men like Michael are cowards. And cowards crack under pressure.”
Michael’s new apartment was in a luxury high-rise. The doorman barely looked at me but gave Logan an approving nod.
The silent elevator ride gave me time to think. Michael was burning through that money fast. He probably wouldn’t be able to keep this lifestyle up much longer.
“Ready?” Logan asked.
I nodded. He rang the doorbell.
Michael opened the door in silk pajamas. His eyes widened at the sight of us.
“Who’s this?” he sneered.
“Miss Katherine’s attorney,” Logan said coolly. “May we come in?”
“No.”
Logan didn’t miss a beat. “You received a large sum of money from Katherine’s grandfather right before filing for divorce. We can prove it.”
Michael’s face turned pale. “You can’t prove anything.”
“We have witnesses, bank records, text messages,” Logan continued. “Your best option is to return the money before we take you to court and you lose everything.”
Michael’s jaw tightened. “You planned this, didn’t you?” he asked me.
“No,” I said quietly. “But you did. You lied to my dying grandfather. You used me.”
Michael’s shoulders slumped. “Fine. I’ll sell everything. I’ll return the money.”
“All of it,” Logan clarified. “We’ll set up a payment plan for anything you can’t return immediately.”
As we walked away, Michael called out, “Kat, I…”
“Save it,” I said, stepping into the elevator. “I hope it was worth it.”
A year later, I used the money to open a veterinary clinic in Grandpa’s honor. On opening day, Harrison brought his dog and told me Grandpa would be proud.
A week later, Logan asked me to dinner. Two years later, I married him.
And in my wallet, hidden safely, I still keep that smiley-faced $100 bill. Because it led me to justice. And to the love of my life.
