“Darling, can you pick me up from work?” Emily called her husband, hoping to avoid a tiresome forty-minute bus ride after a long day.
“Love, could you come get me?” she asked again, pleading silently not to face the crowded journey home.
“Im busy,” James replied curtly. In the background, the TV buzzed, proof he wasnt doing much at all.
Emilys heart sank. Their marriage was falling apart, yet just six months ago, hed promised to carry her through life. What had changed so quickly? She didnt understand.
She took care of herself, spending hours at the gym. Her cooking was brilliantno surprise, since she worked at a popular London bistro. Shed never asked for money, never made a scene, always ready to fulfil his every wish
“Youll wear him out like this,” her mum would say, hearing her frustrations. “You cant spoil a man rotten.”
“I just love him,” Emily would answer with a weak smile. “And he loves me”
*****
“In the end, he got bored,” Emily thought, biting her lip as she scrolled through the browser history. Turns out, James spent all his free time on dating sites, chatting with multiple women. *Why didnt he just talk to me? Id have let him go. Why stay if he doesnt love me?*
Divorce, then. She was strongshed manage. But she wouldnt let him off without a little payback
That same night, Emily signed up on the same site, found his profile, and started messaging him. She grabbed a random photo online, touched it up, and was certain hed take the bait. He did.
Their exchange grew heated. James claimed he wasnt married, that he was ready for commitment, even kids. He bragged about his charming personality, making Emily laugh bitterly. *As if hes easy to live with.*
“Lets meet,” she typed, waiting eagerly.
“Brilliant,” he replied instantly. “But my sisters staying over while prepping for uni exams. Well meet somewhere neutral, then head to a hotel?”
*Seriously?* Emily muttered under her breath. *Who assumes a woman would agree to that? But perfect for my plan.*
“How about my place? Ive got a cottage on the outskirts. No distractions” She wonderedwould he take it?
“Perfect!” James was clearly pleasedprobably thrilled to save a few quid. “Send the address. Ill be there on loves wings.”
“25 Willow Lane, 10 PM. Works?”
“Absolutely. Wait for me.”
At nine, James pretended work called him urgently. He couldnt find his car keys and reluctantly asked Emily if shed seen them.
“They were on the table,” she said innocently, gripping them tight in her pocket. “Maybe the cat took them?”
But Emily wasnt sticking around. She packed her thingsluckily, she had her own flat, inherited from her gran. The only thing left behind? Divorce papers on the table, bold and undeniable.
James stumbled home the next morning, furious. Not only had the trip taken over an hour, but “Sophie” from the site was nowhere to be found.
The address was real. So was the house. But instead of the model-like beauty from the photo, the door swung open to reveal a woman twice his size, clad in a sheer dressing gown. Hed pay any amount to erase that image.
Freeing himself took effort! He had to call a cab, wait ages in the chill, and the driver took some bizarre detour before dropping him offan eventful night, to say the least.
Only when he saw the divorce papersand the scrawled message in red lipstick beside themdid it click:
*Sweet revenge.*
