My Husband’s Ex Lived in My House for Three Years Chapter 01
Three years ago, I received a strange amount.
Whoever she was, she never said a word to me.
She only sent money, and every transfer came with the same note attached.
[Mrs. Adams, this is your compensation.]
For the longest time, I had no idea what she was compensating me for.
Then one day, I found out that the villa I lived in, the car I drove, and the jewelry I wore were all registered under the name of my husband’s first love, Hannah York.
Even the Ragdoll cat I’d raised had another woman’s name on his microchip.
In that instant, I understood exactly what she’d been paying me for.
That night, I threw out my wedding ring, handed the cat back to that woman, packed my bags, and went home to my father’s house.
Early the next morning, a lawyer showed up with the divorce papers.
Every clause was spelled out plainly.
There was no party at fault; there were irreconcilable differences, and assets were divided according to the law.
The signature line was blank.
I signed the divorce agreement without a second of hesitation.
*****
Then I handed the papers to my father.
“Dad, I’m sorry to dump this on you, but can you handle the divorce for me?”
I didn’t want to see Lucas ever again.
For the next few days, I went back to work at Langley Group.
My life ran on a straight line between home and the office, and I put in more hours than the average employee did.
A week later, on a weekday morning, the doorbell rang.
Lucas Adams had come, and his assistant stood behind him with both arms full of bags and boxes.
Lucas stood in the doorway with his back perfectly straight, as if he’d arrived for a business meeting.
My father didn’t even lift an eyelid. “Mr. Adams. What are you here for?”
“Sir, I’ve come to take Caroline home,” Lucas answered.
My father laughed. “Home? Which home would that be?”
He looked Lucas up and down. “Isn’t Claude Villa Hannah’s? Since when did it become my daughter’s home?”
By then, he had learned the whole story from beginning to end.
Lucas didn’t rise to the bait. He straightened and answered seriously.
“I’ve taken care of the Claude Villa problem.”
“I bought a new one, near the city center, and the deed is registered in Caroline’s name.”
“There’s the car too,” Lucas went on, as if he were reporting on a finished project.
“The old three are back under Hannah’s name now, and I’ve ordered a new one for Caroline that arrives next month.”
“I bought another cat, another Ragdoll, an even better one than Duffy.”
“I had a new diamond ring made, engraved with Caroline’s initials this time.”
When he finished, he paused, and then he asked one more thing.
“If there’s anything else Caroline isn’t happy with, she can tell me directly, and I’ll do my best to fix it.”
Even now, Lucas hadn’t offered a single word of apology.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to. He had no idea what he’d done wrong.
“Lucas!” My father’s brow knotted. “Do you think my daughter is short one villa?”
“That’s not what I meant…”
“Then what did you mean? Is this how you show up to apologize?”
My father’s hand tightened into a fist.
“My daughter doesn’t want to see you. Get out.”
The door closed. Lucas had been shown out.
He stared at the shut wooden door with his brows drawn together.
He couldn’t make sense of it. He had bought a new house, ordered a new ring, and replaced the cat.
What more could she possibly want?