You're writing a damn dissertation. Exactly. I said, this isn't heartbreak, it's research. Send me pics, he said between laughs.
I want to see this crime scene of yours. I snapped a photo of the table, the neat rows of evidence glowing under the warm light, and sent it. A minute later, he texted back. "Bro, this belongs in a museum."
"I know," I replied. "But the Museum of Karma doesn't open till Monday." We laughed until my stomach hurt. When I finally hung up, I felt lighter.
Maybe that was the whiskey talking. Or maybe it was the power of finally being done. I stood there for a while staring at the binder, the papers, the proof. This wasn't about revenge anymore.
This was about clarity, about seeing the truth without the fog of love and denial. For months, I'd been living in her version of reality, a place where lies were misunderstandings and guilt was stress. But not anymore. Now I had facts.
Facts that didn't need permission to exist. Before heading to bed, I tucked the binder neatly into a briefcase and placed it by the door, ready for my morning meeting with Mrs. Delgado. The house was dark and still.
The only sound was Milo's gentle snoring. I took one last look at the table, now empty again, and whispered, "That's it. Story collected. Exhibit complete."
I turned off the light, heading upstairs. On the way, I passed the closed bedroom door. She was in there, sleeping peacefully, unaware that her world was about to implode. Part of me wanted to feel pity, but mostly I felt satisfaction.
When I climbed into bed on the couch, my new preferred sleeping spot, I smiled. Tomorrow, she'd wake up to the sound of consequences knocking, and I'd be sitting there, coffee in hand, ready to watch the show.
Morning arrived like a knockoff apology, bright, loud, and way too soon. I barely slept. Half because my couch has the personality of a cinder block, and half because I couldn't stop imagining the look on Belinda's face when she realized karma was a morning person. I got up early, showered, shaved, and brewed a pot of coffee strong enough to dissolve regret.
It was Deliverance day. Everything was in place. The binder labeled exhibit Belinda season finale. The sealed envelope sitting prettily on the kitchen counter and my breakfast plan.
If revenge had a smell, it'd be maple syrup and poetic justice. I plated pancakes, three of them, perfectly circular, golden, heart-shaped, because symbolism is important. I even drizzled a little extra syrup in the shape of a question mark. Presentation matters when you're serving karma.
At 7:42 a.m., I heard the bedroom door creak open. She emerged wearing one of my t-shirts again, acting like Domestic Bliss hadn't filed for bankruptcy. Her hair was messy, her eyes half closed. "Mmm," she mumbled, stretching.
"Something smells good." "Oh yeah," I said, flipping a pancake. "Something does," she smiled. The same soft, manipulative smile that once could have convinced me the world was fine.
"Coffee on the table," I said. and something else, too. She padded toward the table, still half asleep, humming. She saw the plate of pancakes and the envelope beside it. And for a brief, glorious second, she probably thought I was being sweet.
That maybe after everything she'd won, that maybe I'd forgiven her. The universe was about to clarify. She sat, tore open the envelope, and started reading. Inside was a single note typed neatly, professionally, with all the warmth of an HR memo.
Congratulations, you've been promoted to single. P.S. The separation papers explain what happens next, and your boss can't expense heartbreak. Love always.
Oh, she blinked once, twice, then she read it again. Her mouth fell open in disbelief. "What the hell is this?" she said, voice climbing octaves like a panicked violin.
I poured coffee into my mug, calm as a Sunday sermon. "It's your performance review," I said. "You scored high in creativity, low in ethics." Her eyes darted around like the answers might be hiding in the cupboards.
"You did something," she hissed. "Technically," I said. Mrs. Delgado did most of the heavy lifting.
"I just signed the paperwork." "You're crazy," she snapped, clutching the note like it might bite her. "No," I said, smiling. "I'm organized."
Her breathing quickened. "What does this mean? What do you mean? What happens to the car?"
"The lease and everything else are being handled through the separation papers," I said. "Mrs. Delgado explained what I can and cannot change, and I'm following that."
Her jaw clenched. "You can't just take everything."
"I know," I said. "That's why a lawyer and a court are involved." She stood up so fast the chair screeched across the tile.
"This is insane, Oliver." "Is it?" I asked, setting down my fork. Because when you confessed your affair, you sounded pretty confident about your decision-making skills.
I'm just matching your energy. She threw the note on the table. You're punishing me. I shrugged.
It's not punishment. It's balance. Her eyes glistened. But I wasn't buying it.
I'd seen real tears from her before. This was performance art. "I made a mistake," she whispered.
"Which part?" I asked. "The cheating or the confession?" Her lips trembled.
"You don't understand. It just happened." "Yeah," I said, sipping coffee.
So does food poisoning. That one landed. She blinked. Speechless.
I could practically see the gears turning, trying to find a way to twist this into a redemption arc. But the network had canceled her show. "You're not even mad?" she said finally, sounding confused, like she missed the script where I was supposed to beg or break down. Mad.
I laughed. "No, that implies I still care enough to raise my voice. I'm done. Finished."
Out of emotional budget. She stared at me, shaking her head. "You're a monster." "Funny," I said, "coming from the woman who made out with her boss in a parking garage."
Her nostrils flared. "You followed me." "Sure did," I said. "You were hard to miss considering the fluorescent lighting and your boss's hairline acting as a spotlight."
She gasped. "You recorded us?" I shrugged. "Think of it as home security footage, just not for this home."