Seven Years Broke For His Lies

My husband was sick again. He lay in bed, trembling under the duvet, claiming he was too terrified to even call in to work. He looked so fragile, so broken by the pressure of his accounting job, that I felt a pang of maternal protection.

When I offered to call his supervisor for him, he gripped my wrist, his eyes wide with a desperate, almost feral plea. He begged me not to. He begged me to stay away from his office. I relented, stroking his hair until he seemed to drift off, but the guilt gnawed at me. We were drowning in debt. We were living in a studio where the wallpaper peeled like sunburnt skin because he had "lost everything" in a failed startup years ago. I couldn't let him lose this job, too.

So, I went.

I took the bus to the address on his pay stub, rehearsing a speech about a sudden flu and a dedicated employee. But when I stepped into the lobby of the gleaming glass-and-steel skyscraper in the Financial District, the air felt different. Expensive. Cold.

The receptionist looked at me as if I were a smudge on a Da Vinci. Her eyes swept over my faded Target cardigan and my scuffed heelsshoes Id worn for five years because we "couldn't afford" new ones.

"Im here to speak with Nates manager," I said, my voice small. "Nate Miller. Hes an accountant here."

The womans brow furrowed in genuine confusion. "Are you joking? There is no 'accountant' here named Nate Miller."

"I... I have his pay stub," I stammered, reaching into my purse.

"Ma'am," she interrupted, her voice dropping to a tone of pitying disbelief. "Nathaniel Miller is the Founder and CEO of this firm. And Mr. Miller arrives every morning with his wife. They just went up to the executive suite together."

My heart didn't just break; it shattered, the shards slicing into my lungs. "His wife?"

"Yes. And, forgive me, but you don't look like her."

The elevator dings. The doors slid open.

There he was. My husband, the man who had been "trembling in bed" an hour ago, was now draped in a bespoke charcoal suit that probably cost more than our annual rent. His arm was wrapped firmly around the waist of a woman who looked like shed stepped off a Parisian runway.

Madison. His "one that got away." The girl he told me was a "painful memory" from his college days.

1.

Our eyes met. His practiced, charismatic smile curdled on his face.

I looked at himthis stranger in high-end wooland a laugh bubbled up in my throat, hot and salty with tears.

"That watch," I whispered, pointing at the Patek Philippe on his wrist. "Its worth my entire yearly salary. And yet, for seven years, youve played the part of the struggling clerk making fifty grand a year."

The lobby went silent. The security guards shifted uncomfortably.

"You told me your startup went bust. I sold my parents' housethe only thing they left meto plug the holes in your 'debt.' I spent my days coding until my eyes bled and my nights working the graveyard shift at a 7-Eleven. I had a stomach ulcer from the stress and refused to go to the hospital because we 'couldn't afford' the co-pay!" My voice rose to a shriek. "Tell me, Nate! Why? Why play this game with my life?"

Nate stammered, his mouth opening and closing like a landed fish.

Madison, however, didn't miss a beat. She reached out and delicately gripped my wrist, her silk sleeve brushing my skin.

"Caitlin, don't blame him," she said, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. "When he married you, he made a vow to me. He told me that everything he hadhis body, his wealth, his futurebelonged to me. You were just the placeholder. Don't go coveting things that were never yours."

Seven years. I thought we were a team, a fortress against the world. It turns out I was just a supporting actress in a script I hadn't been allowed to read.

But I was his legal wife. I was the one who signed the papers.

"Shut up, Madison. This isn't your conversation," I snapped, my eyes burning as I turned back to Nate. "Nate, look at me. Is this true? All of it?"

Nate sighed, a sound of profound annoyance, as if I were a bug hed forgotten to squash.

"Caitlin, listen to me. I was afraid that if you became a 'society wife,' youd lose your drive. I didn't want to hurt your pride. Besides, didn't you say youd always take care of me? You said you loved me for me, not my money."

"Don't you dare gaslight me!" My voice trembled with fury. "Seven years! Weve been married for seven years! You didn't know who I was by then? If I lacked drive, would I have sold my childhood home to save you? Would I have worked twenty-hour days to keep us afloat?"

I took a step back, my footing uneven. My heel was worn down to the plasticId been meaning to get them repaired for months but kept putting it off to save the thirty dollars.

My gaze drifted to Madison. She was wearing Valentino pumps. A Tiffany HardWear bracelet sparkled on her wrist.

I remembered Nate joking once, When I make it big, Im going to buy you so much jewelry youll have to hire a guard just to walk to the mailbox.

He had made it big. He just gave the jewelry to someone else.

"What about her?" I asked, the bitterness coating my tongue.

Nate glanced at Madison. "Maddie and I... we're just partners. Shes looking to invest in the firm."

Madisons face fell. "Nate!"

He squeezed her hand, a silent signal, then looked back at me. "Shes my ex, Caitlin. You knew that. I never lied about my past. Were working together now. Thats all."

"Then what did she mean by what she just said?" I demanded.

Nate gave Madison a cautious look, his tone turning dismissive. "Oh, you know Maddie. She loves to stir the pot. She was just joking"

"I wasn't joking," Madison interrupted. "Nate, didn't you tell me that on your wedding night? While you were on FaceTime with me while Caitlin was asleep right next to"

"Madison!" Nate barked.

She shrugged, falling silent, but the damage was done. The floor seemed to fall away beneath me.

Nate wouldn't look me in the eye. His guilt was finally being overtaken by impatience. "Don't listen to her. Its nothing. Just go home, Caitlin. I have a meeting with a client. Ill come back tonight and explain everything."

I took a deep breath, the cold air of the lobby stinging my throat.

"You don't need to explain anything."

"Nate, I want a divorce."

"I am done with you. Eight million dollars."

I looked him in the eye. "Eight words. One million for every year you stole, plus one for the house you took from me. Its a bargain to get me out of your life and marry your 'partner,' don't you think?"

"Caitlin, be reasonable. Lets go home and talk."

I cut him off. "Home? You mean the apartment with the moldy ceiling and the seven-hundred-dollar rent?" I started to laugh, a jagged, broken sound.

His face shifted. People were starting to stare; the morning rush of employees was filling the lobby. He grabbed my arm, trying to pull me toward the side exit. "Don't make a scene here. Its bad for business."

"Let go," I hissed.

He gripped tighter. "Is this what its about? Money? You think Ive been holding out on you? Youve lived off me for seven years, Caitlin. Ive given you a roof and a bed. Isn't that enough? Youre acting like a victim because you want a payday."

He leaned in, his voice dropping to a cruel whisper. "Ive slept with you for seven years for free. You should be grateful. And the more you act like a psycho in public, the less likely I am to give you a single cent."

I stared at him, paralyzed. I didn't recognize this man. Or perhaps, I had never known him at all.

Madison let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "Come on, Nate. This is embarrassing. Didn't you promise to buy me that new Birkin before our lunch meeting?"

Nate didn't even hesitate. "Of course. Anything you want. And well stop by the dealership lateryour lease is up, and you need something more impressive for the investors."

Madison threw me a triumphant look. "Hear that? Nates money is my money. You want eight million? Youre dreaming. But hey, you did a decent job taking care of him while I was gone. Tell you whatif you call me 'Ma'am,' Ill talk Nate into buying you a new pair of shoes to replace those thrift-store tragedies you're wearing."

That hurt more than a physical blow.

I thought of the years I spent clipping coupons. The five-year-old winter coat I wore until the seams burst. The makeup I never bought. The nights at the convenience store being harassed by drunks while I worried about Nates "mental health."

The humiliation boiled over. As Madison leaned in, her face twisted in a smug sneer, I swung. I put every ounce of my seven years of resentment into a slap that echoed through the marble lobby.

Madison staggered back, her hand flying to her cheek.

Time stopped.

Seconds later, she let out a piercing, hysterical shriek. "You bitch! You absolute loser! Nate! She hit me!"

Nate reacted instantly. He stepped in front of Madison, cupping her face with a tenderness he hadn't shown me in years.

"Caitlin, have you lost your mind?"

He raised his hand. I didn't even have time to flinch before his palm connected with my face. The world blurred. My cheek burned with a white-hot sting.

"Don't you touch her!" I screamed through the pain.

"I'll do more than touch you!" Nate roared. "You think youre special? Youre a low-level coder who can't even get a promotion. If you were worth anything, would you still be working a register at midnight after seven years of marriage? Youre a failure, Caitlin. Youre stagnant. Youre a loser."

He leaned closer, his eyes cold and dark. "Do you know how embarrassing it is to tell people you're my wife? I tell everyone youre the maid. Im ashamed of you."

I felt a warm trickle down my lip. Blood. The metallic taste filled my mouth.

I thought of all the times my boss had piled extra work on me because he knew I was desperate for the money to pay Nates "debts." Id never told Nate because I didn't want him to worry.

And now, my sacrifices were the weapons he was using to disembowel me.

I looked at them both, my voice raspy and cold. "Nate, from this moment on, we are through."

He blinked, momentarily stunned. "What?"

"You think eight million is too much? Fine. Well let the lawyers decide. I want every penny you hid. I want half of this companythe company you built with my parents' inheritance. I want half of the cars, the houses, and the bags you bought her. Im going to take you for every cent you're worth."

Madison looked up, her eyes narrowing. "In your dreams."

I didn't answer. I turned and walked toward the glass doors.

Every step sent a throb of pain through my face. Every step, I felt the blood cooling on my chin. But I kept my back straight. You can break a womans heart, but you can't take her spine.

By the time I left the lawyers office, the sun had long since set.

I dragged myself back to the apartment we shared. When I opened the door, a large Rimowa suitcase sat open in the middle of the living room. Nate was tossing his silk shirts into it. Madison was curled up on our sagging sofa, scrolling through her phone.

"You're back?" Nate said, his tone as casual as if he were asking about the weather. "Good. I have something to tell you."

"Madison has a heart condition. That slap you gave her triggered an episode. The doctor says she needs constant supervision. Ill be staying at her place for a while."

I walked over and picked up a box of Magnums from the corner of his suitcase. "Is this part of her 'heart medication'?"

He snatched them out of my hand, looking annoyed. "They got caught in my laundry. Don't be hysterical. I know you're upset about today, but Madison needs me right now. Ill come back in a few days to explain things when you've calmed down."

Needs me.

When he needed someone to sacrifice their future, I was there. Now that I needed him to be a human being, he was with her.

"Fine," I said. I walked into the bedroom.

I opened the closet and started pulling out the rest of his things. When I got to the photos, I paused. A framed picture from our wedding day. I was radiant. He looked like hed won the lottery.

"Caitlin, what are you doing?" he asked, following me in. There was a flicker of genuine panic in his voice now.

"You said you were leaving." I didn't look at him as I tossed the frame into the trash bag.

"I said for a few days"

"No. You're leaving for good. Take your things, take the woman who 'needs' you, and get out."

Nate lunged for the trash bag, retrieving the wedding photo and placing it carefully back on the dresser. "Stop acting out. Ill be back as soon as shes stable."

Madison appeared in the doorway. "Nate, I just sent you the pitch deck for my new venture. Its a guaranteed win. Can you take a look?"

Nate barely glanced at his phone before nodding. "Don't worry about it, babe. Ill have the CFO wire ten million to your account tomorrow."

Ten million.

I thought of the 7-Eleven shifts. The thousands of lines of code Id written for freelance pittance. I would have to work several lifetimes to see ten million dollars.

Madison saw me looking at the phone. She smirked. "Jealous, Caitlin? You want to try your hand at business? Or are you just going to stare at my deck?"

Nate scoffed. "Please. She doesn't know a bull market from a flea market. If she tried to trade, shed lose her shirt in ten minutes. Shes built to be an employee, nothing more."

I cut him off, my voice like ice. "Are you finished?"

He blinked.

"Then get out. Get out of my apartment."

"Caitlin, this is our"

"No. I pay the rent. I pay the utilities. I bought every piece of furniture in here while you were 'bankrupt.' You haven't contributed a dime to this household in seven years. Youre a squatter. Leave. Now."

He opened his mouth to argue, then closed it. He knew I was right. For seven years, I had funneled every spare cent into his "debts" while he spent his millions on Madison.

"Fine," Nate said, his voice hardening. "Im going. But don't come crawling back when you realize how cold the world is without me."

"Go."

The door slammed shut. The silence that followed was deafeningthe hum of the old fridge, the thump of my own heart. I sank to the floor and finally let the tears come.

My phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number.

It was a photo. Nate, fast asleep in a plush hotel bed, Madisons head resting on his bare chest.

The caption read: Thanks for letting him go. Hes finally where he belongs.

I stared at the photo for a long time. Then, I typed back: You're welcome. Thanks for taking out the trash.

My private investigator had told me Nate was carefulnever any physical proof of cheating. Well, now I had it.

The next morning, I stood in the HR office of the tech firm where I worked. The paper in front of me was a joke.

Embezzlement? $3.2 million?

"This is absurd," I said to the HR Director. "Im a lead dev. I handle code, not wire transfers. I don't even have the authorization for an amount that large."

The Director looked at me with a flicker of pity behind his glasses. "The company was acquired over the weekend, Caitlin. The new ownership flagged the discrepancy."

"Who bought us?"

"A holding company. Owned by a Madison Vance."

I didn't wait. I stormed upstairs to the executive suite. I shoved past the secretary and burst into the corner office.

Madison was sitting behind the mahogany desk. Nate was standing by the window, looking over some files.

"Ah, the star developer arrives," Madison said, her smile razor-sharp. "Or should I say, the former star developer?"

"Nate, this audit is a lie," I said, forcing myself to stay calm. "Any purchase over ten thousand requires three levels of approval. I don't have signing authority. The system logs will prove I never touched those accounts."

Nate finally looked at me. "The logs were hit by a 'hacker' last night, Caitlin. Most of the data was wiped. Strangely, the only records left are the ones tied to your credentials."

A cold realization washed over me. "I built the security architecture for this company. I wrote the firewall rules. Youre telling me someone bypassed my encryption just to frame me for a mid-level embezzlement?"

Madison leaned back in the chair. "Internal jobs are always the easiest, aren't they? A few modified log files, a few forged invoices... light work for a genius like you."

"You tampered with the database."

Madison stood up. "Talk is cheap. The evidence says you stole three million dollars. Youre looking at a massive civil suit and potentially prison time. Unless..." she leaned in, "you want to get on your knees and beg? Maybe Ill tell Nate to go easy on the damages."

I felt like I was going to throw up. "Nate? Youre going along with this? Youve lied to me for seven years, and now you're trying to destroy my life? Why? Do you hate me that much?"

His face went pale for a second.

Madison lunged forward, grabbing my arm. "Who do you think you're talking to?"

"Get off me!" I shoved her back. "You want me to beg? You want me to crawl like a dog? In your dreams. Im not paying a cent, and Im not admitting to a crime I didn't commit. Call the police. Ill see you in court."

Nates lip trembled. He looked like he wanted to say something, but Madison was faster.

"Nate, go grab a coffee. Let me handle this 'negotiation.'"

He hesitated, then turned and walked out, the heavy oak door clicking shut behind him.

The moment he was gone, Madisons mask dropped. "Lets be real, Caitlin. You're just bitter because Nate chose me. You're bitter because the divorce settlement won't be as big as you hoped. You're bitter because of that photo I sent."

I froze.

"Oh, did that hit a nerve? It was a great night, by the way. Nate was... inspired. We went through three boxes of condoms."

The blood roared in my ears. "What do you want, Madison?"

"I want you to admit you lost. Nates mine. His heart, his money, his future. This company is mine. Youre just trash that needs to be cleared out. Sign a waiver, walk away with nothing, and never file for divorce. Do that, and the 'embezzlement' charges vanish."

"Three million dollars, Caitlin. Think about how many years of 'graveyard shifts' that would take to pay back."

Something snapped. The logic, the restraint, the years of playing the "good wife"it all vanished. I lunged at her, pinning her against the desk, my hand raised to strike.

The door flew open.

Nate stood there, his face contorted with rage.

Madison whimpered, touching a corner of her mouth where there wasn't even any blood. "Nate! Shes attacking me again! I tried to be nice, and she just snapped!"

"I didn't"

"Enough!" Nate yelled. He spoke into his intercom. Two large security guards appeared instantly. They grabbed my arms, wrenching them behind my back.

One of them kicked the back of my knees, forcing me to the floor. My face was pressed against the cold plush carpet.

"Madison," Nate said, his voice devoid of any humanity. "Whatever she did to you, give it back."

Madison walked over, her heels clicking like a countdown. She stopped right in front of my face. Then, she ground the stiletto of her Valentino pump into my cheek.

"This is for the lobby," she whispered.

Then, she kicked me. Hard.

My nose shattered. The warmth of the blood was the only thing I could feel. I didn't even feel the painjust a profound, hollow sense of irony.

Seven years of devotion. This was the dividend.

"You're pathetic, Caitlin," Nate said from somewhere above me. "Im calling the police. Lets see how tough you are behind bars."

His phone rang. He looked at the screen, his expression shifting from anger to confusion. He answered it.

As he listened, his face went from pale to ghostly.

He hung up and looked at me, his voice a ghost of itself. "You... you actually served me? The divorce papers... you filed them this morning?"