“Dianne, if you’re leaving, leave the baby alone!” You won’t get anything from me! Let’s see how brave you are without your son!”
This is where all my anger exploded. I grabbed a glass of water from the table and sprayed it straight in Ricardo’s face.
“Don’t use my son to hurt me! In 3 years, you don’t even know what grade your child is in! You didn’t know he had asthma! You don’t have the right to call this child ‘son’!”
In the midst of the screaming, a luxury black car pulled up across the street from our house. A man in a suit came down—Mr. Santos, my master’s son.
He walked into the house, keeping an eye on every step of the way.
“Dianne? Are you ready? “Your mother said you need help.”
Ricardo looked at Mr. Santos, visibly feeling the gap between their levels.
“Who are you? “What are you doing in my house?” asked Ricardo, his voice visibly trembling.
Mr. Santos looked around, at the broken perfume, at the flush on my cheeks, and at the debt notebook on the floor. He smiled bitterly.
“I’m going to be Dianne’s new boss. And from what I’ve seen, it looks like you have a lot to explain to the court about the pain and financial abuse of your spouse.”
I picked up Toby and grabbed my bag. This time, nothing could stop me.
“Harry,” I said as I walked through the door, “Don’t wait for the perfume to be paid. You’ve just got to wait for the annulment papers and the lawsuit for child support that you’ve forgotten about for three years.”
I left them all stunned in the midst of their chaos. As the car was moving, I heard my mother-in-law’s last scream from inside:
“Ricardo! Who’s going to take my diapers?! Who’s going to cook?!”
I smiled. At last, I was free.
It’s been a month since I left that hell house. My life in the mansion of the Saints was like a dream. I don’t see myself as a servant but as a trusted companion in the house. While Toby was happily playing in the vast garden, I was slowly recovering from the trauma.
One afternoon, while I was arranging flowers, I heard a loud knock and screaming outside the gate.
“Dianne! Get out of there! You can’t do this to us!”
It was Ricardo. She was joined by Liza and my mother-in-law who looked haggard and had dirty clothes. When I opened the door, I could barely recognize them. The once arrogant Ricardo looked like he hadn’t slept for a week.
“Dianne… have mercy,” Ricardo pleaded, kneeling in front of me as the security guards stood on the sidelines. “You’re back. The house has been demolished. My Mom… He had bedsores because no one was cleaning him properly. “Liz doesn’t know how to cook, we only eat burnt eggs!”
I looked at them from head to toe. “Why? Where are your “high-end” supplements and bags? Why do you look like beggars?”
Liza bowed, her “luxury bag” faded and looked fake.
“Dianne,” my mother-in-law interjected, “We don’t have any money. ‘ The items that Ricardo brought, took all of his company because it was found that he had stolen funds just to buy those gifts to brag about. “Her secretary, Candy, left her when she found out she was out of work.”
I laughed bitterly. Karma doesn’t have to be selfish; Sometimes, it’s giving back to you all the mockery you’ve given to others.
“Where’s your notebook, Richard?” he asked. “Where’s my list of debts?” Do you want me to pay for it?”
“No, Dianne… Please forgive me. I thought the money was enough to buy respect. I thought that being married was the same as being a slave. I made a mistake.”
Mr. Santos got out of his car. He came up to me and handed me an envelope.
“Dianne, this is the final decree for your annulment. And here is also a warrant for the seizure of their assets for failure to pay child support for three years.”
Ricardo’s eyes widened. “What?! And the house?”
“Yes, Richard,” I replied determinedly. “That house is named after both of us, and as you have given no support, the court has taken your share for Toby’s future. Tomorrow you will have to get out of there.”
“Where are we going?” cried Lisa, crying. “We have nowhere to stay!”
“That’s not my problem anymore,” I said, turning to them. “You used to say ‘I don’t deserve a gift.’ Now, I can tell you too—you don’t deserve a second of my time.
The guards closed the large gate, separating my past and my new beginning. I could hear them screaming and screaming outside, but it didn’t stop me.
I walked inside the mansion and hugged Toby. For the first time in years, my hands were no longer shaking. There was no longer the smell of mother-in-law’s medicine or house dirt. The only smell I could breathe was the smell of freedom and the freshly cooked dinner Toby and I shared.
Sometimes, the best gift you’ll ever receive isn’t from a foreign country or a brand to love. The best gift is the chance to choose yourself and leave those who don’t know how to appreciate your value.
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