Do you believe in karma? Like, honestly, I used to think it was just something people said to make themselves feel better after someone hurt them. They'd say things like: "Don't worry, karma will get them."

Yeah, right. But let me tell you, karma is real. And in my case? She had a WICKED sense of humor.

Let me set the stage for you. My ex-husband, Dan, and I were married for eight years. Eight long years where I thought we had something solid — a house we worked on together, two beautiful kids, and a life that, while not perfect, felt like ours.

But as it turns out, I was the only one in that marriage who believed in "ours." And I should've seen the red flags.

Because the night I discovered Dan's infidelity is seared into my memory.

Our daughter Emma had been sick with a fever, and I was rummaging through Dan's drawer for the children's medicine he always kept there. Instead, I found his phone.

I wasn't trying to snoop, but a notification that flashed across the screen grabbed my attention: a heart emoji followed by 'I love you!'

I couldn't stop myself from opening it and my heart cracked when I found dozens of intimate text exchanges between my husband and a woman named "Jessica."

"How could you?" I whispered that night, my hands shaking as I confronted him. "Eight years, Dan. Eight years! How could you cheat on me?"

He didn't even have the decency to look ashamed. "It just happened,' he said with a shrug, as if we were discussing the weather. "These things happen in marriages. It was just some harmless fun with my secretary, Jessica. It won't happen again, honey. Never! I'm sorry. Trust me."

"These things happen? No, Dan. They don't JUST HAPPEN. You made choices. Every single time."

The first time, I did what so many of us do — I convinced myself it was a mistake and a lapse in judgment. I thought we could fix it. I told myself that forgiveness was the strong thing to do. But the second time? Oh, the second time SHATTERED whatever illusions I had left.

"I thought we could work through this," I said as I held up the evidence of his second betrayal — red lipstick stain on his collar. The irony? I hated red lipstick and never wore them.

"I thought you meant it when you said 'never' again."

"What do you want me to say?" he asked, his tone almost bored. "That I'm sorry? Would that make you feel better?"

That was the moment something inside me snapped. "No! I want you to pack your bags."

I didn't waste a second. I filed for divorce before Dan could even stammer out another pathetic excuse.

The divorce itself was as brutal as you'd imagine.

But here's the thing: the house wasn't up for grabs. It was mine, passed down from my grandmother long before Dan entered the picture.

"This is ridiculous!" Dan had shouted during one of our mediation sessions. "I've lived in that house for eight years. I've put money into it!"

"And it's still my grandmother's house," I replied calmly, watching him fume. "The deed is in my name, Dan. It always has been."

Legally, there was no argument. Dan, on the other hand, insisted on splitting everything else 50/50, just as we always had in our marriage. Groceries, vacations, furniture — you name it, he demanded fairness to the penny.

And then came the moment that broke my heart more than any of his infidelities. We were discussing custody arrangements when Dan looked at our lawyer and without a hint of emotion, said, "She can have full custody. I don't want the responsibility of raising the kids."

Our children, Emma and Jack, were in the next room. My precious babies, who deserved so much better than a father who saw them as a burden.

"They're your children," I hissed across the table. "How can you just —"

"They're better off with you anyway," he cut me off. "You've always been the one good at all that nurturing stuff."