**Diary Entry**
I stand at the door of my own home in Manchester, clutching a key that no longer fits the new lock, feeling my heart shatter. The marriage I fought so hard to save has crumbled in an instant. But my cheating husband and his mistress have no idea whats cominga lesson theyll never forget.
*James, its nearly ten,* my voice trembled when I called him the night before. *You promised to be home by seven.*
He dropped his keys on the side table without looking at me.
*Work, Lucy. What am I supposed to tell the boss? Sorry, I have to go home to my wife?* His tone dripped with irritation, as if I were an inconvenience.
I swallowed hard, staring at the table Id set for a simple birthday dinner. Two candles flickered beside the cake Id bought on my lunch break.
*Yes, James. Thats exactly what you couldve done. Just once,* I said, crossing my arms to keep the tears at bay. *Its my birthday.*
Finally, he glanced at the table. His face twisted with realisation.
*Bloody hell, Lucy, I forgot* He ran a hand through his hair.
*Clearly,* I replied coldly, the ache inside me suffocating.
*Dont start,* he snapped. *I work for us, you know that.*
I laughed bitterly.
*For us?* I shot back. *Youre barely home, James. When was the last time we had dinner together? Watched a film? Actually talked like husband and wife?*
*Thats not fair,* he scowled. *Im building a career so we have a future.*
*What future? We live like strangers under the same roof!* My voice cracked. *I earn more than you, so dont hide behind providing for the family.*
His face hardened.
*Right, you were bound to throw that in my face,* he sneered. *How am I supposed to keep up with my successful wife?*
*Thats not what I meant*
*Enough, Lucy. Im going to bed,* he cut me off and walked away, leaving me alone with a cold cake and melted candles.
I blew them out, whispering to myself that things would get better. He was my husband. I loved him. Every marriage has rough patches, doesnt it?
How wrong I was to forgive him so easily.
Wed been married three years, but the last one felt like a slow, painful unravelling. No childrenthank God for that. My job as a marketing director covered most of our bills, while James, a sales executive, constantly moaned about stress, long hours, trafficeverything but the truth, which I discovered far too late.
Three weeks after my ruined birthday, I came home early with a splitting headachejust wanting painkillers and bed. But when I reached our house on the outskirts of Manchester, something felt off. The doorknob and lock, once brass, now gleamed with new silver metal.
*What the?* I muttered, sliding my key in. It wouldnt turn.
I tried again. Nothing. Confused, I checked the address. Definitely my house.
Then I spotted a note stuck to the door. Jamess familiar scrawl hit me like a slap: *This isnt your home anymore. Find somewhere else.*
The world tilted. My blood ran cold.
*You absolute bastard,* I hissed.
I hammered on the door, screaming his name. Finally, it opened. James stood there, and behind hima woman wearing my cashmere dressing gown, a gift from my mum.
*Seriously?* My voice shook with rage.
*Lucy, listen,* he crossed his arms, smirking. *Ive moved on. Anna and I are together now. We need this place. Go stay with someone else.*
Anna. The same *just a work mate* hed mentioned for months. She stepped forward, hands on hips.
*Your stuffs in boxes in the garage. Take it and go.*
I stared at them, stunned. Then I turned and walked to my car, determination burning inside me. They thought they could toss me aside and win? Not a chance.
I needed a plan. A brutal, calculated one.
I knew exactly who to call.
*Lucy? Oh my God, whats wrong?* My sister Emily flung open her flat door, took one look at my tear-streaked face, and dragged me inside. *What happened?*
I collapsed onto her sofa, the story pouring out between sobs.
*What a prick!* Emily hissed when I finished. *And that Anna had the nerve to wear your dressing gown?*
*Mums birthday gift,* I sniffed. *The cashmere one.*
Emily marched to the kitchen and returned with two glasses of wine.
*Drink,* she ordered. *Then well figure out how to ruin them.*
*What can I do?* I took a sip. *The house is in Jamess name. The mortgage was on his credit because mine was still recovering from my masters.*
Emily narrowed her eyes.
*And who paid for everything else?*
*Both of us, but* I stopped. *I bought everything. The furniture, the appliances, the bathroom renovation last year. All in my name.*
*Exactly!* She grinned. *What does James have? An empty house.*
I opened my banking app, scrolling through transactions.
*Ive got all the receipts. Always handled the accounts.*
*Of course you did, Miss Spreadsheet,* Emily laughed. *Queen of organisation!*
For the first time that awful day, I felt control slip back into my hands.
*They think theyve won, dont they?* I whispered.
Emily clinked her glass against mine.
*Theyve got no idea who theyre dealing with.*
The next morning, I called my solicitor friend, Rebecca.
*What he did is illegal,* she said after a sip of tea. *He cant just change the locks and kick you out, even if the house is in his name. You have a right to live there.*
*I dont want to go back,* I said firmly. *But I want whats mine.*
Rebecca smiled.
*Then lets make a list.*
We spent the morning cataloguing everything Id bought for the house: the sofa, the telly, the fridge, even the rugs. By lunch, I had a detailed listdates, amounts, receipts.
*Impressive,* she nodded. *With this, no one can argue its not yours.*
*So I can take it all?*
*Legally, yes. But Id bring a police escort to avoid accusations of trespassing.*
I remembered Jamess smug smirk. Anna in my dressing gown. Their arrogance.
*No,* I said slowly. *Ive got a better idea.*
That same day, I rang a removal company. The owner, Dave, listened to my story and nodded.
*Had a similar case last year,* he said.
The next morning, while James and Anna sipped their lattes, the movers rolled in with my old key and stripped the place baredown to the last teaspoon Id bought with my salary.
**Lesson learned:** Never underestimate a woman with receipts and a plan. Karmas quiet until it isnt.
