I spent my time working from my quiet studio, using a small rechargeable fan, drinking cold coffee, and focusing on my laptop screen.
The company had rejected my resignation because I never sent it to human resources.
They gave me a week of remote work and promised to fully protect my executive position.
On the fourth day, Patrick was forced to borrow money from a loan shark just to reconnect basic services.
That same night, I decided to hit him with another truth.
He had discovered dozens of messages on his old secondary cell phone about hidden bets, high-interest loans, and money transfers to a woman named Chloe.
“You owe these people more than a million pesos,” I told him, throwing copies of his financial records onto the kitchen table.
“Gambling, bad loans, hotel stays, and you even stole the gold wedding coins my parents gave me as a gift.”
Evelyn paled, and her mouth hung open in shock.
“Patrick, tell me this is just a lie.”
“It’s all her fault!” he shouted, pointing a shaky finger at me. “She’s always working! A real man needs constant attention, and I was neglected!”
I laughed at him, a dry, bitter, and cold sound.
"Did you also need your mother to hold me and shave my head while I slept?"
That night, I installed small, hidden cameras in the living room and main hallway.
I already knew that when a parasite loses its food source, it eventually tries to bite.
It didn't take long for them to show their true colors.
Evelyn tried to give me a cup of tea, claiming that it would "help me sleep better" after all the stress.
I poured it down the sink and pretended to fall into a deep, drug-induced sleep.
At midnight, she and Patrick entered my room with a heavy flashlight and a set of tools.
They were desperate to get into my private safe to steal the house deeds.
After twenty minutes of struggle, they finally managed to open the heavy door.
No property deeds were found inside.
Instead, there was only a single printed sheet of paper that read: “The house is registered solely in my name and the documents are stored in a secure vault. Good night, thieves.”
The next morning, none of them dared to look me in the eye.
But Patrick still had one final, dirtier card to play.
Two days later, he entered the house with a girl named Chloe, who was wearing too much makeup, dressed in revealing clothes, and had a belly that looked too round and perfect.
“I would like you to meet the woman I truly love,” Patrick announced with a blossoming smile.
“She’s pregnant with my child. This is the first grandchild in this family. So, you’re going to sign these divorce papers and leave the house to us.”
Evelyn began to cry tears of joy and immediately ran to stroke Chloe's belly.
“Finally, an heir to our legacy.”
Chloe looked at me with a mocking and cruel expression.
“Love is not to blame for the fact that a wife doesn’t know how to keep her husband interested in her.”
I didn't bother to answer him.
I just saw her: hard, tall, and strange-looking.
