After enduring more years than anyone should in a marriage marked solely by greed and showiness, Elena finally decided to take action. Bryce, her husband, had always been fixated on collecting material status symbols—shiny cars, sprawling houses, and a bank account that could wow everyone except for him. When their divorce was finalized, Elena shocked everyone by giving up every single penny,

piece of property, and cherished item without a word of complaint. Bryce, feeling triumphant, walked away with a sense of pride, convinced he had outwitted his soon-to-be ex-wife. Unbeknownst to him, Elena’s satisfied smile hid a well-planned scheme that was ready to unfold with careful attention to detail.

I walked out of the attorney’s office with a look on my face that felt as hard and unyielding as stone. My shoulders drooped, and my posture reflected a sense of defeat. The rain poured relentlessly over the city, every drop mirroring the gloomy exterior I decided to show to everyone around me. On the surface, I resembled a stereotype—a weary ex-wife, too drained to shed a single tear.

Yet, my inner world felt completely different. Underneath that facade of humility, my nerves buzzed with excitement. I grasped the cold, unremarkable metal handle of the lobby door and stepped inside, making my way toward the stillness of the elevator bank. There was no one there to see what happened next, and that was exactly how I wanted it.

The elevator doors closed gently, accompanied by a delicate chime. Once I was away from those watchful gazes, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding, and a laugh bubbled up from within me. What started as a simple laugh quickly grew into something more exuberant, a celebration of joy. I leaned back against the paneled wall, my hands over my mouth as joy bubbled up inside me, bursting out like sparkling bubbles from an uncorked bottle.