After our nasty divorce, my ex-husband followed and harassed me. He humiliated me by spray-painting hateful remarks on my fence. A tiny error in his life led to his downfall, and I had the final laugh.
I am Mia, and at 30, I thought I had my life together. I believed Ryan and I were happy for most of our seven years married. I believed in us and our future in our Oak Street home.
“You’re worrying too much, Mia,” Ryan would reply when I inquired about the late nights, unusual phone conversations, or how he buried his phone like a secret. “Your problem is not trusting me.”
His remarks stung because I trusted him. I wanted to think my husband would love me forever. But something kept telling me something was wrong.
The reality emerged Tuesday morning. Left my laptop at home and returned to get it. Ryan’s automobile was in the driveway when he should have been at work. I entered our bedroom and saw him with another lady, entwined in our blankets.
“Mia!” Ryan ran to hide, his face flushed with remorse and wrath. It’s not what it looks like!
“Really?! I think you’re cheating in our bed!”
The lady grabbed her clothing and ran by me, saying sorrys I didn’t care about. Ryan sat with his head in his hands on our bed.
“How long?”
He glanced up, and I thought he regretted. His face hardened.
Five years. Last time was last year! A year without cheating!”
I watched him, hoping he’d see how ridiculous that was. When he didn’t, I laughed. Not for humor, but because sobbing hurt more.
“That makes you proud? You wanted a pat on the head for being loyal for 12 months after cheating on me for five of our seven years together?
“You didn’t make it easy,” Ryan said, up and grabbing his clothes. Mia, you were never enough. Neither attractive nor enjoyable. Did you expect me to do?
His words slammed me. I saw my beloved drive the knife further, blaming me for his falsehoods.
I departed that night with a bag.
Ryan frowned with contempt. “You’ll regret this, Mia. You’ll regret leaving. Nobody will treat you as I did.”
After signing the divorce papers, Ryan battled me over everything, including the home, furnishings, and even my grandmother’s dishes. But I stopped caring. I simply wanted freedom.
You sure about this place? As we stood outside the modest apartment across from my former home, my realtor, Mrs. Wong, inquired. “Pretty close to your old home.”
I gazed across the street at my old home, then back at the pleasant apartment with the bright kitchen and tiny garden.
This is perfect!
Even though I saw my previous life every window, the flat seemed like a fresh start.
At the downtown coffee shop, I met Lucas three weeks after moving here. I told him my favorite sections of a book I enjoyed as he read it. A grin spread over his lovely green eyes.
“I haven’t gotten there yet,” he added. “Now I’m excited to.”
Lucas was Ryan’s opposite as our relationship blossomed. He listened to my speech. He made me laugh without picking on me. He held doors and recalled my latte foam preference.
“You deserve someone who sees how awesome you are,” Lucas said me one evening as we went through downtown Pineville. “Not someone who makes you earn basic kindness.”
After six months of lovely words and gentle embraces, I fell for him. It terrified me. I felt like breathing again after holding my breath too long.
Ryan began phoning me then.
Who’s that guy? Mia, I saw you with him. You think you can replace me?
Ryan, we divorced. You no longer care about my life.”
All of you is my business! You were my wife!
“Ex-wife!” Corrected and hung up.
But he continued. Texts ranging from pleading to threatening followed the 24/7 calls. He began appearing where I would be.
“This is harassment,” Lucas remarked when Ryan stopped me at the grocery store and yelled at me for “showing off my new boyfriend around town.”
“He’ll get bored and move on,” I replied.
When Lucas invited me to move in, I immediately agreed. He had a modest but pleasant apartment two blocks away, filled with books, plants, his cat Fern, and a warmth I hadn’t felt in years.
“I love how the morning light comes through here,” I commented at his kitchen window that first morning. My former home was visible across the street.
Doesn’t it worry you? Lucas inquired, behind me, hugging me. “So close to all those memories?”
I reclined against him, watching the sunlight over Ryan and my old home.
“No! It indicates my progress.”
Ryan was harassed worse thereafter. His calls to Lucas’s workplace unnerved his colleagues. He drove slowly at night, occasionally stopping and peering at the home.
Lucas suggested, “We should call the police,” after discovering Ryan on our front steps one morning.
What did he want?
“To tell you you’re wrong. To say you’re a mystery to me. He should go since his error was the only one.
Ryan arrived one afternoon with arrogant, hollow eyes. He glanced at Lucas and grinned. “She’ll tire of you. Real love isn’t her calling.”
Lucas persisted. “Leave my property immediately!” His calm but stern voice made Ryan go without a word.
As I watched him go through the glass, I knew it wasn’t over. not by far.
Lucas gently shook my shoulder the following morning.
I need Mia to see this.”
I followed him to the front window, still rubbing sleep from my eyes. The fence of my former home across the street was spray-painted. The ugly words in bright yellow letters were about me, Lucas, and Ryan’s criticism of us.
Stared for a moment. Then I laughed.
“Mia?” Lucas stared at me like I was insane. Are you okay?
“I’m great,” I replied, taking my phone outdoors. “This is perfect.”
Lucas walked with me across the street, bewildered. I took photographs in my jammies in front of the graffitied fence.
“What’s up?” Lucas asks. “Why are you so joyous?”
Smiled at him. I sold the home last week. Remember?
Yes, to some lawyer?
“No ordinary lawyer.” Holding my phone, I took another shot of Ryan’s mess. I sold it to Mr. Baxter. Ryan’s boss!”
Lucas’s eyes widened. “No way!”
Ryan doesn’t know I sold the home. He believes he’s destroying my fence.” My eyes were watering from laughter. “But he spray-painted his boss’s fence with foul language. The security camera captured him!”
My phone rang. Screen displayed Ryan’s name.
“This will be great!” I told Lucas and replied.
“WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME?” Ryan shouted, which Lucas heard from where he stood. “Do you know what’s gonna happen to me now?”
“Good morning to you too, Ryan,” I responded cheerfully, shooting a photo with the graffitied fence behind me. Sleep well?
“This isn’t funny, Mia! Mr. Baxter called! He sued me! He fired me! He threatened to keep me from working in this town!”
I glanced at Lucas, who was in awe, then at Ryan’s barrier.
You know what, Ryan? You’re correct. It’s not funny.” I stopped, letting him assume I was serious. “It’s hilarious.”
You cruel—
“No, Ryan. Stop calling me names. You can’t blame me for your decisions. You cheated on me for five years, disturbed me for months, and now you’ve destroyed your career because you were so intent on hurting me you didn’t think straight.”
You could’ve told me!
“I had many options. One who treated me like garbage may have kept me wedded. I could have ignored your infidelity. I could have let you terrify me into eternal sadness and smallness. But I didn’t. You know what? I regret nothing since leaving you.”
A moment of silence from Ryan. He said again with a gentler voice. Mia, please. Please help me solve this.”
“I never have to help you again. Ryan, you messed. You now live with it.”
After hanging up, I blocked his number. I disabled his social media, messaging applications, and any other contact methods.
“Think he’ll leave you?” Lucas inquired on our way home.
I looked at the fence one final time and muttered, “Oh, he’ll leave me alone.” “He’ll be too busy cleaning up his mess.”
Lucas seized my hand. “You make me proud.”
“For what?”
Being strong enough to go. For taking the risk of starting over… and for smiling instead of mourning when life handed you this moment.”
Squeezing his hand. “What’s funny? Ryan got one thing right. No one will treat me as he did! Because I won’t accept someone who simply ‘deals with me.’ I deserve love and support, not criticism. Someone who chooses me daily, not someone who makes me feel fortunate for kindness.”
Ryan never contacted me again. Friends said he had trouble obtaining job after Mr. Baxter fulfilled his recommendation letter promise. He left Pineville, likely to start afresh.
As for me? Lucas and I married two years later. His home became ours, and the fence was repainted! Mr. Baxter chose a lovely color. It looks far better than Ryan’s idea.
And I? I never regretted leaving him. Never once. Not even little. Sometimes, the best retribution is none at all… Building a pleasant life that your past can’t affect.
