You know, everyone used to call Annie a bit of a fool. Shed been married to her husband, Paul, for fifteen years. They had two kids: fourteen-year-old Sophie and little Charlie, whod just turned seven. Paul was one of those blokes who didnt even try to hide his affairs anymore. His first fling happened the day after their wedding, with the waitress at the reception, and after that, who knows how many there were. Annies friends always tried to tell her what was going on, but shed just smile sweetly and say nothing.
Annie worked as an accountant at a childrens toy factory. According to her, her pay was barely enough to scrape by and they piled so much work on her, she could hardly breathe. She even had to work weekends sometimes. When it came to end-of-quarter and end-of-year reports, she basically just slept at her desk. Paul, on the other hand, earned quite a bit. But Annie never really managed to run the house. No matter how much money she got, it was never enough for the food shop. The fridge was always bare, and if you got a meal, all youd find was some stew and maybe meatballs with pasta.
Thats just how they carried on. People were always shocked when they saw Paul out and about with yet another woman. Hed come home some nights smelling of nothing but cheap aftershave and the pub.
Oh, that Annies such a daft thing, why she puts up with a womaniser like him Ill never know, folks would say.
On the day Charlie turned ten, Paul walked in and announced he wanted a divorce. Said hed fallen in love and family life wasnt for him anymore.
Annie, dont take it the wrong way, but Im filing for divorce, he said. Youre as cold as a fish. If youd at least made a decent home, but you dont even have that.
Annie just said, Alright, I agree to the divorce.
Paul nearly fell off his chair. He was expecting fireworks, a screaming match, tears and everything. He definitely wasnt prepared for her calm.
Well then, pack your things, I wont get in your way. Just put your key under the mat when you go tomorrow.
Annie just gave him a quiet, odd little smile. All of it felt a bit off to Paul for a split second, but then he got caught up picturing his brand new life no nagging wife, no kids.
The following day, he turned up at the house with his latest girlfriend. He looked under the doormat no key. That put him in a bit of a mood.
Oh well, Ill just change the locks, wont I, he muttered, and tried his own key, but couldnt get it to turn. He rang the bell instead.
The door opened and standing there was a bloke built like a rugby player, wearing a dressing gown and slippers.
What dyou want, mate? the man asked.
Paul replied, Excuse me, but this is my flat.
The other man looked him up and down. Well, thats debatable. Got any papers to prove it then? Cause if you do, Id love to see them.
Of course Paul didnt have the deeds on him. The man wouldnt let him in. Then Paul remembered, there was his registration info in his passport. He started rummaging, eventually found his passport and waved it hopefully.
Heres my passport, theres the address.
Dressing-gown guy took it, flicked through, smirked, and handed it back.
Whens the last time you checked this, then?
Paul, heart in his throat, flipped to the address page. There were two stamps one registering him at the address, and one crossing him off, dated two years ago.
How could that be? No point arguing with this giant. He tried phoning Annie, but her number was out of service.
He thought maybe hed just wait for her outside work but it turned out Annie hadnt worked there for a year. Their daughter had gone off to study abroad, but at least their son would be in school. Nope turns out Charlie had transferred to another school the previous year, but the receptionist wouldnt tell Paul where, since clearly he had no idea.
Absolutely gutted, he sat on a bench, head in his hands. How had it come to this? His ex, so timid, so soft-spoken, had pulled off this? And how on earth had she managed to sell the flat right from under him? Oh well, hed get it sorted in court. The divorce was in a week anyway.
He walked into the divorce hearing full of rage and ready to expose Annie as a fraud and get back everything that was his. Turns out, in court, it all made sense. Hed completely forgotten two years ago, back when he met Lisa, an absolute stunner who drove him mad with lust for weeks, hed signed a general power of attorney for Annie. Hed signed the papers because his wife needed a ton of permissions and forms sorted for Sophies university, and he couldnt be bothered to deal with it all. Hed even asked his solicitor who said, Just sign this power of attorney, let her handle it all. And thats how, with his own hand, he gave up everything he owned. Lisa, unsurprisingly, disappeared the moment she got wind that he no longer had a flat.
Never mind, he thought, Annie will at least file for child support and he could teach her a lesson there. But no such luck instead of a court summons for maintenance, he got one for a paternity test. Turned out, neither of the kids were actually his.
Apparently, on their wedding day, Annie caught him with the waitress. Something inside her just snapped. Unsure of how or what she was doing, she decided on a very distinctive revenge. First up, tit for tat shed be unfaithful too. Then, she cunningly started putting aside almost all the household money Paul gave her rather than spending it. The fridge stayed empty but the kids were always clothed, shod, and fed at their nans. Annies mum had tried to warn her:
Revenge is going to ruin you, love. Itll wreck the kids heads.
But Annie was absolutely set on her goal. And eventually, she got what she wanted. She even had DNA tests done for good measure, though she already knew whose children shed had.
That truth hit Paul even harder than losing the flat. The quiet, mousy Annie had pulled the rug out from under him completely.
Just remember hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
