To give him some space, I took the kids to my mom’s place. When we returned, I was met with a disaster.
The beautiful floral wallpaper that had adorned our walls was gone! In its place were rough, exposed patches of drywall.
I found Dan in the kitchen, still ripping away at what was left.
“What on earth are you doing?” I asked, aghast.
“I paid for this wallpaper. It belongs to me,” he replied, yanking off another strip.
“You’re destroying our kids’ home,” I said, my voice trembling. He just shrugged nonchalantly. “I spent the money on it.”
The kids, peeking around the corner, were terrified.
My heart broke into a million pieces. I couldn’t bear the thought of this being their last memory of their father in our family home.
“Fine. Do as you please,” I said, gathering the kids and leaving. I knew in my heart that life would show him the error of his ways.
Dan’s pettiness knew no bounds. The kitchen was completely empty—no utensils, no toaster, not even the coffee maker. He’d even emptied the bathrooms of all toilet paper… basically anything he had purchased with his own money.
Six months later, Dan called out of the blue.
“I have something important to tell you. I’m getting married next month. There are plenty of women who want to be with me, and I’ve found this stunning woman!” he boasted.
“Congratulations,” I said, keeping my voice steady. Then, I ended the call.
A few weeks later, I was strolling downtown, savoring a rare moment of solitude, when I saw Dan across the street. He was holding hands with a woman. As they got nearer, my blood ran cold. The woman was Cassie, a friend from my book club.
Cassie’s face brightened when she saw me.
“Oh my goodness, hi!” she exclaimed, pulling Dan towards me.
“What a coincidence! I have so much to share! I’m engaged! This is my fiancé, his name is…”
