When he and I agreed to part ways, Brendan had a significant overnight transformation. It was all gone, the man I knew, the person I’d spent years of my life with.
In his place stood someone bitter and spiteful.
“You’re critiquing my actions? in relation to my speech? Brendan screamed.
To put it simply, I’m asking you to talk to me with more poise. “Screaming won’t make your message come across better,” I said, holding my head up.
“Oh, please,” he growled more fiercely at Gina. “You’ve transformed me! All of your ridiculous demands and constant whining. Please just go enjoy your life.
So I did.
But while the divorce was going on, Brendan and I tried to sort through our stuff, getting ready to start afresh.
Once, as he was going through my bookshelves, Brendan said, “Just let me pack these things up, Gina.”
“You’ll just take my things with you,” I shot back. “I need to take care of my own business first.”
“Meet the fit,” he instructed.
However, things just grew worse. Moreover, the emotional rollercoaster left me feeling queasy and sick to my stomach all the time. I decided to spend the weekend at my parents’ house so that I could clear my head.
Yes, go away to your folks, Brendan replied snidely as I was packing an overnight bag.
“They’re better than you,” I murmured before turning to walk away.
Moreover, to be completely honest? It was the right choice. I needed time to process everything, even the fact that I would be spending my first night by myself in a decade and a half. I couldn’t see forward, even though Brendan and I needed some time apart.
I also really wanted to treat my parents to a weekend of pampering.
“Oh, Gina,” my mother replied, removing a platter of tender roast lamb. All that’s needed is to eat and sleep. I’ll make whatever you want to eat if you tell me what you want. And kindly, tell Dad what you want from the shop. He’ll give you a fast one.
I gradually let go of my breath. I was exactly where I ought to be.
My father asked me during dinner, “Is a divorce the right course of action for you?”
Yes, I said, regretfully. “I think that the opportunity for peacemaking has long since passed. And we didn’t even miss it. I can’t agree with Brendan anymore. I think the time for love is passed.
“You do what you need to do, baby,” my mother remarked. “You should definitely make a clean break if your mental health is begging for one.”
I allowed myself to take long walks with Pippy, the dog that belongs to my folks. My only desire was to clear my head and give myself some space.
You’re doing the right thing, I told myself. “A fresh start is not inherently bad.”
But when I pulled into our driveway on Monday morning, expecting to find Brendan and his stuff gone, I saw something even more shocking.
All of my furniture, which included items I had gotten before meeting Brendan and pieces I had gotten throughout our relationship, was scattered over the lawn. A large hand-painted sign that read “Free Stuff!” stood tall and proud in front of the chaos, inviting anyone who happened to pass by to help themselves to my belongings.
“What the devil is this, really?” I grumbled as I slammed the car door shut.
This appears to be too fantastic to be real. I stared at my coffee table, the vintage rocking chair my grandmother had, and even the couch I had found at a garage sale. Everything was sweltering in the sun, just waiting to be seized by strangers.
I flattened the sign by kicking it. Then, with shaky hands, I pulled out my phone and called Brendan. The phone rang three times before he answered.
He answered in an indifferent, even arrogant manner, saying, “Hey, what’s up, Gina?”
“What’s going on?” I said it again. “What’s going on?”
Yes, he answered, that was his question.
“Are you serious?” Is that all I have on the lawn? Are you really becoming crazy?
He was silent for a moment before answering.
He remarked, “You were going to sue for all my money anyway.” “I overheard you on the phone with someone. I knew that you wanted everything. or, by half, the least of everything! You ought to understand what it’s like to lose something that is legally yours as a result.
I could not talk.
Yes, after spending the weekend with my parents, I learnt to let it go, even if I had thought about giving him a ride and collecting his share of his money.
“You’re absolutely unbelievable,” I finally said. Do you think anything will be resolved by this? You’re only making things worse for yourself.
He scowled sharply.
In any case. It’s your problem now. Maybe instead of giving your products away for free, you could charge clients for them.
Though I knew it would not help, I was itching to scream. Brendan would not listen to explanations, like any dog with a bone. He was set on his course.
After hanging up, I looked over the grass for old souvenirs from my life. All of the furniture was too heavy for me to carry inside by myself. Feeling frustrated and dejected, I kicked the bedside table that I had bought and repainted months earlier.
As it hit the floor, I heard a jingling sound.
“Now what?” I groaned as I knelt down to open the drawer.
Despite my anger, there was something inside that made me smile.
“Brendan is a stupid guy,” I said, pointing out that he had forgotten to take his stuff off the nightstand.
Amidst stray money, misplaced pens, and receipts, Brendan’s father’s watch was tucked away. He cherished and revered the family heirloom, and he barely wore it for fear he might lose it or harm it. Before Brendan got it, it had also been passed down via the ancestors.
But now I kept it hostage.
“Checkmate,” mumbled my inner voice.
I sighed a little with satisfaction as I tucked the watch into my pocket. After all, he was the one who had made the free offer. I wasn’t stealing anything.
I immediately texted my pals, asking them to help me move everything back into the house if they were free.
“Gina, Brendan is the worst,” remarked my friend Jenny, holding a candle. “We’ve hit a new low.”
“Yes, I do agree with you on that point,” I replied. “But don’t worry, I have a plan to exact revenge on him.”
I told her everything about the watch, including the fact that I had kept it safely tucked away in my car. I knew that eventually Brendan would realize that the watch was missing.
Later that evening, as I was completing the furniture arrangement, my phone buzzed. That was the one.
“Hi, Gina,” he said. “I think I could have overlooked something important. Could I get it when I come over?
“Oh, I don’t know,” I said, pulling another piece of pizza out of the box in front of me.
“Kindly,” he muttered. “Just the nightstands are involved.”
“Hey, when the neighbors came over, they stole a few things. The bedside tables are gone from the room. But if you’re kind enough, I’m sure Cathy will sell it back to you.
A long moment of quiet fell.
“Gina, this is my dad’s watch. My father’s clock. I really had to have it back.
I held off on saying anything for a short while.
“I understand. Yes, as I indicated, it has to do with Cathy. But I’m sure she’ll be reasonable. You know, for the right price.
He knew I was playing bluffs. His voice made it clear. He was unable to produce any evidence, though, and I wasn’t about to give up on him easily. Nope. Brendan earned it via hard labor.
He asked, What is the amount?
“What is your estimation of its worth?” I asked. “Maybe a few hundred dollars?”
“All right,” he muttered, his jaws clinched. “Just return it.”
“No promises, but I’ll try my hardest.”
When I hung up, I picked up the watch and turned it over in my hands. If we had a watch, we would have given it to our son. Luckily, though, we were splitting up before we could think about starting a family.
Brendan showed up the next morning when I was sipping coffee on the patio.
“Here,” he replied, holding out an envelope to me. “$500. However, you are aware of its immense worth.
I nodded.
“I’m appreciative. You may now leave,” I said.
“I’ll talk to you about the divorce. My lawyer and I need to discuss a few things.
That’s awesome, I remarked.
Brendan gave me a weird look, but he took the watch and turned slowly away, as if he was trying to say something but couldn’t quite get the words out.
In the scenario, how would you have handled things?
