Chapter 4
When I got home, I plopped down on the couch and started going through Liam's phone.
I took screenshots of all his chats, payment records, and photos, saved them, and sent them straight to my inbox.
Then I started doing the math.
His salary card was with me, and I kept a record of every expense each month.
He made 7 thousand a month, and after paying 2 thousand for the mortgage, there was 5 thousand left.
He gave me 1,500 bucks for household expenses.
The remaining 3,500 bucks, he said, was for our son's education.
I checked that so-called "savings account." The balance was 1,300 bucks.
After five years, he only had 1,300 bucks saved up. Where did the rest of the money go?
I pulled up the payment records and started counting every penny.
He transferred 170 thousand to Winnie. Spent over 30 thousand on hotels. Blew more than 40 thousand at luxury shops. And dropped over 20 thousand on wining and dining her.
Total damage? Nearly 260 thousand.
In five years, I'd managed to save up 280 thousand. And he'd blown 260 thousand on his affair.
What I saved, he spent. Roughly the same amount.
Every penny I'd scrimped and saved for our family, he'd squandered on another woman.
I sat on the couch, staring at those numbers for a long, long time.
I didn't cry. Not a single tear.
I just felt cold. Chilled to the bone, from head to toe.
At three in the afternoon, I heard the lock click. Liam was home.
He walked into the living room, saw me sitting on the couch, and stopped in his tracks. "Ruth."
I didn't say a word.
He walked over and sat down across from me. "Ruth, I know I messed up."
I stared at him.
"I-I don't know how to explain it." he rubbed his hands together. "It was just a moment of weakness."
"A moment of weakness?" I said. "Three years?"
His expression froze. "It wasn't real feelings."
"What do you mean?"
"It was just messing around."
"A 170-thousand-dollar messing around?"
He fell silent.
"Liam," I said, my voice calm, "do you take me for a fool?"
"No."
"You told me the company was doing badly, so I should tighten our budget. I believed you.
"You said you'd be working late and told me not to wait up. I believed you.
"You said it was better for our kid if I quit my job and stayed home. I believed you.
"Five years. I believed you for five years. And what did I get in return?"
He kept his head down, not daring to meet my eyes.
"Liam, raise your head and look at me," I said.
He slowly lifted his head.
I stared right into his eyes. "You act broke at home, saying the company's struggling, but then you're out there buying her Hermès. Every word out of your mouth was a lie."
His mouth opened, but he couldn't say a thing.
"Do you know how I've been living these past five years?" I stood up and walked right up to him. "Every time I buy groceries, I'm checking for discounts.
"I only buy clothes when they're on clearance at the end of the season.
"And for our kid's activities, I always pick the cheapest classes I can find.
"When my mom got sick, and I asked you for 7 thousand, you said you were strapped for cash.
"But that same month, you sent Winnie 10 thousand for a designer purse."
His face went completely pale. "Ruth."
"Do you know what was going through my mind back then?" I crouched down so we were eye to eye. "I thought you worked so hard and that making money was killing you, so I should pinch every penny.
"I thought since I was home with the kid, not earning a cent, I shouldn't add to your burden.
"I thought that I should hang in there for a few more hard years until the kid was older, and then I would go back to work.
"I thought we were a team, getting through everything together.
"And what did I get? You went out and kept a mistress behind my back.
"You took every penny I scrimped and splurged it on bags, cars, and jewelry for her.
"You used all the time I spent raising our kid to shack up with her in hotels."
"Liam," I said, locking eyes with him, "how are you going to pay me back for everything you owe me?"
His lips trembled. "Ruth, I'll change, I swear."
"What exactly are you planning to change?"
"I'll break things off with her. From now on, I'll treat you right."
I scoffed. "Liam, do you think I would trust you again?"
He froze.
"You lied to me for five years," I said. "Do you think an 'I'll change' is enough to make up for five years of lies?"
"Ruth, I swear, I know I messed up."
"Really? You know you messed up?" I stood up, my voice icy. "Then you already know what's coming next."
I turned and walked into the bedroom.