Chapter 1Three years. Three years I watched my husband pack his bags and fly his entire family—mom, dad, siblings, the whole damn circus—to Australia for New Year's.
Me? I got the same line every single time.
"Flights are expensive, Genevieve. Someone's gotta stay and watch the house."
So I did. Like an idiot. For three years straight.
But this year? This year, I didn't argue. Didn't cry. Didn't even blink.
I just smiled real sweet, waved them off at the door, and waited.
The second their car turned the corner, I was on the phone with my realtor.
"List it. Today."
Two weeks later, my darling husband came home from his little family vacay, dragging his suitcase up the driveway like he owned the place.
Spoiler alert: he didn't.
He froze at the front door.
New locks. Two massive dudes sitting on my couch, feet up, looking real comfortable.
Then came the calls. The texts. The voicemails. Frantic.
I let him sweat for a minute. Then I sent one text back:
"House? SOLD. Marriage? OVER. You and your precious family can figure out where to crash together. Good luck with that!"
---
Ronan Prescott stood the last suitcase up by the front door.
"Genevieve," he said, "it's the same deal as last year."
I stopped wiping the coffee table.
And just stared at him.
I looked at his mom, Sharon, and his dad, Robert, hovering behind him.
I looked at his sister, Tiffany, and her husband, Kevin.
And their kid, Gabriel, clutching his parents' hands.
The whole squad. All six of them.
They were heading to Australia.
For the third year in a row.
For the New Year's break.
"Flights are insane right now, and honestly, you'd just be bored anyway," Ronan said, the words falling off his tongue like a practiced script.
"Besides, someone's gotta watch the place," Sharon chimed in, not even bothering to look at me while she dug through her purse.
"Yeah, Genevieve, we'll be back before you know it!" Tiffany added with that fake-ass innocent smile.
Same lines for three years.
Not a single word changed.
Year one, I cried my eyes out.
Year two, I screamed my head off.
But this year?
I just smiled.
"Fine," I said.
One word. That's it.
Ronan blinked, totally caught off guard by how chill I was being.
He'd probably spent all morning rehearsing his excuses.
Ready to shut down my questions, my tears, and my "hysterical" outbursts.
Now, he had nothing to fight against.
A flicker of awkwardness crossed his face.
"Well... okay then. Take care of things here. Call if you need anything."
"Mhm."
"You need some cash?"
"I'm good."
"Alright. We're heading out."
He grabbed the handle of his suitcase.
The whole clan swarmed out the door.
The front door slammed shut with a heavy thud.
The world finally went quiet.
Sharon's cheap perfume was still lingering in the air.
A few half-finished glasses of water were still sweating on the table.
I stood there, taking it all in.
For a long, long time.
Then, I pulled out my phone.
And found a contact I'd saved a week ago.
"Sal, it's Genevieve. You ready?"
The background noise on his end was loud.
"Genevieve! Hey! You finally making the move?"
"I'm in," I said.
"The house. List it. Now."
"You got it! I'll bring some buyers over ASAP. I'm gonna get you a killer price, I promise!"
"Don't bother with the top price."
I walked to the window and watched the airport shuttle pull away from the curb.
"Sal, I want this done fast. Like, yesterday fast."
"List it ten percent below market value for an all-cash deal."
The line went dead silent for a second.
"Whoa, you sure? That's a massive chunk of change you're leaving on the table."
"I'm positive."
"Sell it. Now."
I hung up.
Tossed the phone onto the cushions.
And walked into the bedroom.
I opened the closet and pulled out my own suitcase.
The same red one I'd rolled in here with three years ago.
Now, it was leaving with me.
I'm done with this house.
And I'm damn sure done with this "husband."
They love doing everything together as a family?
Fine. I'll give them exactly what they want.
I folded my clothes, one by one, and packed them away.
I took my time.
It felt like a ritual.
A final goodbye to three years of being a doormat.
I didn't have much.
Everything I cared about fit into one bag.
Finally, I reached into the back of the nightstand and pulled out a leather folder.
The deed to the house.
Only my name was on it.
The one bit of leverage my parents made sure I had.
I tucked it into my jacket pocket.
Zipped the suitcase shut.
I stood up and took one last look around.
I chose those curtains. I picked those sheets.
Our wedding photo was still staring back at me from the wall.
Ronan looked so "tender" in that shot.
And I looked so "happy."
What a joke!
I walked over, ripped the frame off the wall.
And slammed it onto the floor.
The glass shattered into a million pieces.
That was the most satisfying sound I'd heard in this house in three years!
I grabbed my bag and walked out.
I didn't look back.
My phone buzzed.
It was Sal.
"Genevieve, I'm downstairs. I've got two serious buyers with me. Both all-cash, ready to close."
"Come on up," I said. "Door's open."
Chapter 2
Sal showed up with two guys in tow.
One was a middle-aged guy with a beer gut and a thick gold chain.
The other was younger, looking sharp with a buzz cut and a full tattoo sleeve.
"Genevieve, meet the guys. Both of them are itching to take this place off your hands," Sal said, full of energy.
"Mr. Moore, Mr. Jones," I nodded. "Make yourselves at home. Take a look."
The gold-chain guy, Moore, took a quick lap around the place.
"Nice reno, great neighborhood. But..."
He glanced at the shattered glass on the floor.
"Rough morning?"
"Nope," I said. "Divorce."
Moore and Sal both froze for a second.
The younger guy, Jones, actually smirked.
"Damn," he said. "I like your style."
"I prefer doing business with people who don't play games."
He didn't even bother looking at the rest of the rooms. He just walked right up to me.
"I'll take the deal Sal mentioned."
"Ten percent under market, all cash, we sign the papers today."
Sal stammered, "Wait, Jones... Mr. Moore hasn't even—"
Moore just waved a hand. "Nah, I'm out. I don't need the drama."
He turned and walked out the door.
Sal looked a little awkward.
Jones didn't care at all.
He locked eyes with me. "So, we got a deal or what?"
My mind went back to three years ago.
The very first time Ronan and I got into it in this house.
It was because his mother insisted she had to have the master bedroom because it got the best sunlight.
Even though that was supposed to be our room.
Ronan told me to just give it up.
"Genevieve, come on, she's my mom," he'd said. "Just show some respect, okay?"
I told him no.
It was my house. My parents paid for it.
That was the first time I saw that cold, nasty look on his face.
"Why do you have to be so difficult?"
In the end, I folded.
We moved into the small, chilly guest room.
I thought playing nice would buy me some peace.
Instead, it just gave them permission to walk all over me.
They treated me like an appliance that came with the house.
Like furniture they could just move around whenever it suited them.
Well, today I was resetting the whole damn house.
"We have a deal," I told Jones. "Let's go to the office and sign the papers right now."
Jones's eyes lit up. "Hell yeah! Consider it sold!"
Sal snapped out of it, beaming. "Great! Let's get this show on the road!"
Everything went fast. Like, scary fast.
By 4 PM, we were sitting in the conference room at the agency.
Jones had his lawyer with him.
I'd called my best friend, Maya, who's a shark of an attorney.
Maya looked at me like I'd lost my mind when I first called.
She thought I was having some kind of breakdown.
"Genevieve, are you 100% sure about this?"
"I've never been more sober in my life."
Maya stared at me for a long beat.
Then she finally sighed.
"Alright. I'm in."
"That loser doesn't deserve a dime of your life."
Maya went through the contract line by line.
Jones's lawyer didn't mess around either.
They hashed out the details in record time.
The total came to five hundred thousand dollars.
Jones cut a check for a two-hundred-and-fifty-thousand-dollar deposit on the spot.
The rest would hit my account the second the title transfer was finished.
Since it was a pre-marital asset and only my name was on the deed, it was a clean break.
No red tape. No complications.
And zero need for Ronan's signature.
We signed the papers and made it official.
Jones had his finance guy wire the money immediately.
My phone buzzed.
A bank alert popped up.
Your account ending in xxxx has received a deposit of $250,000.00.
I stared at the zeros.
I didn't feel anything. No regret, no fear.
Maya grabbed my arm, her face lit up.
"Genevieve! You actually did it!"
I just gave her a weak smile.
Jones stood up and reached across the table.
"Good doing business with you, Genevieve."
"Likewise," I said, shaking his hand.
Then he asked, "So, can I take possession of the keys now?"
"Be my guest."
"Here."
I dropped the heavy keychain on the table.
Ronan's key. Sharon's key. Tiffany's key.
Every single one of their spare keys was on that ring.
And none of them worked for me anymore.
Jones scooped them up.
"Sweet."
"I'm gonna go get those locks changed right now."
"Go for it."
He headed out with his lawyer.
Sal got his commission and was grinning like he'd won the lottery.
Finally, it was just me and Maya left in the room.
She gave me a huge hug. "It's over, babe."
"No."
I leaned my head on her shoulder.
"This is just the beginning."
I still had one last move to make.
The divorce.
I pulled out my phone and opened the chat with Ronan.
They should be landing in Australia by now.
I started typing a message.
Then I paused and deleted it.
No rush.
I wanted him to come home first.
I wanted to see the look on his face when he stood in front of a door he could no longer open.
I wanted him to know exactly what it felt like to have the rug pulled out from under him.
Maya asked, "So what now? You gonna find a rental?"
"Yeah."
"I'll help you look."
"No, I've got it."
I wanted to make every single decision on my own.
From here on out.
I booked a room at a nice hotel for the week.
Then I started browsing listings.
I wanted something small. A one-bedroom condo. Just for me.
Somewhere close to the office.
I still had my career.
My life wasn't going to stop just because I cut out some dead weight.
Later that night, Ronan sent a message.
It was a photo.
The bright blue sky and white sand of an Australian beach.
Caption: Hey babe, we're here! Everything's perfect.
Oh, so he actually remembered he had a wife. How touching.
I stared at the picture.
In the corner, I could see Tiffany flashing a peace sign.
And Sharon in her oversized sunglasses, looking like she owned the place.
They looked so damn happy.
Good for them.
I locked my screen.
I really hope you guys enjoy your vacation.
Because when you get back, you're going to be very, very homeless.
Chapter 3
I stayed in that hotel for three days.
That was all the time I needed to snag a new apartment.
It's a fully furnished one-bedroom, totally move-in ready.
And it's only two blocks from my office.
I took a chunk of that house deposit and paid for a whole year's lease upfront.
Maya helped me move in.
Honestly, there wasn't much to pack.
Just one suitcase.
And a cool quarter-million sitting in my bank account.
"Well, look at you, Ms. Moneybags!" Maya joked.
"It's a start," I said.
"Once the rest of the cash clears, I'm looking for a condo downtown."
"I want a place that's 100% mine."
"And I am never letting another soul move in."
Maya looked at me, her voice softening. "Genevieve, you've really changed."
"Yeah?"
"You used to be all about 'keeping the peace' and making sure the family was happy."
I let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah, well, I used to be a total idiot."
"I thought if I just kept taking the high road, everything would eventually work out."
"Turns out, I backed up so far I almost fell off a cliff!"
Three years ago, when we first got married.
Ronan's career was taking off, so I quit my job to be a full-time housewife.
He told me, "Honey, you've worked so hard. Let me take care of you from now on."
And like a fool, I believed him.
I spent every day in the kitchen, making him five-star meals.
I treated his parents like they were my own flesh and blood.
I treated his sister like she was my best friend.
I thought I was finally part of the family.
But to them, I was always just an outsider.
Just a tool for the Prescotts to use for housework and eventually, an heir.
Our first New Year's together.
They decided the whole family was going to Miami.
I was so excited, I offered to book the flights and handle the itinerary.
Sharon just brushed me off. "Oh, Genevieve, you should stay. Who's going to water all the plants if we're all gone?"
Ronan chimed in, "Yeah, babe, flights are crazy expensive right now. Just think of the money we'll save."
That was the first time they left me behind for the holidays.
I sat there all alone in that big, empty house.
Watching the fireworks outside my window.
And cried myself to sleep.
The second year, they planned a trip to Hawaii.
Same excuse.
"You stay and hold down the fort."
That time, I actually stood up for myself and we had a massive blowout.
He got right in my face and started screaming.
"Genevieve, can you stop being so selfish?! My mom's getting older, this might be her last big trip! Can't you just let her be happy for once?!"
"We're a family! Why do you always have to make it about you?!"
"Honestly, you're being a total disappointment."
That was the first time I saw how ugly he could really be.
The "sweet guy" in our wedding photos? Total fake.
It was all an act.
My heart just went cold after that.
This year, it was Australia.
Even further away.
They announced it at the dinner table like it was no big deal.
Tiffany was all smiles, bragging about the great deal she found on tickets.
"Ronan! Mom! We're going to Australia for New Year's!"
They were all cheering and high-fiving.
Not one person asked what I thought.
It was like I was a ghost in my own home.
I put my fork down.
And looked at Ronan.
He couldn't even meet my eyes.
That was it. I was done.
I didn't even want to argue anymore.
There was no point.
I just wanted out.
Clean and permanent.
"Earth to Genevieve? You still with me?" Maya's voice snapped me back to reality.
"Nothing."
I hung my last coat in the closet.
"It's all in the past now."
The new place is small, but it's cozy.
I bought myself a massive bouquet of fresh lilies for the kitchen.
The afternoon sun was streaming in, and for the first time, it felt warm.
Over the next few days, Ronan messaged me every day.
Pics of the Sydney Opera House, selfies on the Gold Coast... the usual.
Every now and then, he'd drop a: Hey babe, what are you up to at home?
I'd reply: Doing great.
He'd ask: Did you eat?
My reply: Yep.
And that was it.
He was just going through the motions.
Checking the "Good Husband" box to keep me quiet.
He couldn't even be bothered to actually call me.
Because international roaming is "too expensive."
In his world, I wasn't even worth the price of a three-minute phone call.
Pathetic.
A week later, Jones called me.
"Genevieve, the paperwork is all cleared. When can we meet to settle the balance?"
"Whenever works for you."
"Tomorrow at ten at the bank?"
"See you then."
The next morning, the other $250,000 hit my account.
Half a million dollars, total. Every single cent.
The first thing I did was wire fifteen thousand to Maya.
"That's for your legal fees," I told her.
She almost choked and tried to send it back immediately.
"Are you nuts?! We're friends, Genevieve. I'm not taking your money!"
"You're taking it," I insisted.
I sent it again.
"Maya, this isn't just about the money. It's about the principle."
"I'm closing all my old accounts. I'm settling every debt from my past."
"Emotional ones, financial ones—all of them."
"You helped me out, and you deserve to be paid. That's how the world works now."
Maya went quiet.
A few seconds later, she accepted the transfer.
She texted: Fine, you win. But Genevieve, I'm putting this in a separate account for you. If you ever need it, it's yours. No questions asked.
I looked at the screen and smiled.
That's a real friend.
That's what family feels like.
Not those leeches who bleed you dry while telling you it's "for your own good."
One last thing on the to-do list.
I walked into a top-tier law firm downtown.
"Hi, I'd like to speak with someone about filing for divorce."
The attorney they assigned me was a total pro.
"Of course. Can you give me the background on the situation?"
"My husband has been emotionally abusive for years. He and his family have systematically isolated and ostracized me. I have proof that they've abandoned me at home during every major holiday for the last three years."
"The house has already been sold. It was a pre-marital asset in my name only, so property division is a non-issue."
"I don't want anything from him."
"I just want the papers signed. Immediately."
The lawyer nodded, taking notes.
"The evidence is solid and the facts are clear. This should be straightforward."
"We can start drafting the petition right now."
"Do it."
"Thanks."
The sky was incredibly blue when I stepped back outside.
I did the math in my head.
In a couple of days, Ronan and the gang would be landing.
I was actually starting to look forward to it.
I couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he found out he was locked out of his own life.
