When Mike, my soon-to-be ex-husband, returned for the old mattress I’d thrown out after discovering his affair, I couldn’t believe it. “What did you do to it?” he shouted, panic in his eyes. I laughed, “It’s just a mattress. I threw it out, just like I threw you out.”
After our confrontation, I wondered why he cared so much about that mattress. What if he had hidden something inside? After searching the yard, I found it half-buried and cut it open. My heart raced as I discovered bundles of cash stuffed inside—thousands of dollars! This money represented his deceit and planning to leave me with nothing.
The next morning, I waited for Mike, holding one of the bundles. His face went pale when he saw it. “Where did you—” I interrupted, “Inside the mattress. How long have you been stashing it away?” He pleaded, “Please, Laura. We can talk about this.” I replied, “No, Mike. I’m keeping this money. Consider it payment for the hell you put me through.”
In that moment, I realized I was finally reclaiming my freedom.
