Divorced and Left Broke

When Neil Young brought up divorce again, I calmly signed the divorce agreement and began to cut off all contact between us. On the first day, I sold the unfinished marital house I had bought two years ago. On the second day, I stopped his grandma’s monthly $2,000 pension and cancelled his sister’s supplementary card. On the third day, I called my brother and returned to my real home. Once the plane touched down, I suddenly became curious. Without me, his ever-ready, self-sacrificing maid, how would Neil support his irritable grandmother, vain sister, and leeching junior? Chapter 1 "Ms. Montana, if you're sure you want to sell the house, just sign here." The realtor, Anna Charleton, handed me a contract. It was Anna who sold this house to us two years ago. I took the pen and took a final look at the house that I once thought would be my forever home. Then, I signed my name. "It doesn't matter if the price is a little lower. Just sell it as soon as possible." Anna looked at me, hesitant to speak. I knew what she wanted to ask. When I accompanied Neil Young to view the house two years ago, I pointed at the empty, unfinished house and excitedly planned everything. Where to put the green plants, which corner to put my bookshelf in... I was so enthusiastic as I looked forward to the future. Two years passed. Anna grew from a newcomer in the industry to a top salesperson. However, this place had not become the marital home I had dreamed of. Instead, it was going to be sold. The turning point came because of a jigsaw puzzle. Last week, Neil was hospitalized with a fever. I was so busy taking care of him that I exhausted myself to the point of low blood sugar, and my stomach problems flared up again. I felt dizzy and lost my balance, so I instinctively reached out to grab the cabinet next to me. The jigsaw puzzle that Neil had carefully framed and hidden high up fell down. The edge of the frame cut a long gash on my arm. Intense pain shot through me, and warm blood splattered onto the glass of the frame. Neil came running at the sound, but his first reaction was to kneel and check the puzzle with concern. All he had for me was blame and impatience. "Can't you be careful? You've dirtied it! You're unbelievable!" I was pale with pain and could not speak, but Neil shoved me out of the house. Clenching my teeth, I took a taxi to the hospital alone and got twenty stitches in my arm. When I got home, I found the door locked. I knocked, apologized, and pleaded, but the house remained deathly silent. I sent him a long message explaining, only to receive a bright red exclamation mark in return. He had blocked me. The early autumn night air was already chilly. Wearing only thin loungewear, I crouched by the door all night, clutching my stitched arm. I did not get any pity or response from Neil. However, I saw him featured on his junior, Sonia Feathering's, social media. I only found out then that Neil was not home. He had gone out to dinner with his colleagues. In the photo, Sonia sat in the center of the group, holding the frame stained with my blood just hours earlier. Her face was beaming. [Neil painstakingly assembled a group photo of all the Disney characters! I love this gift!] Neil sat beside her, relaxed with his head slightly tilted toward Sonia. He wore a gentle smile I had not seen in a long time. Soon, Neil replied below. [I'm glad you like it.] Sonia replied with a cute hug emoji. [I never expected you to remember my off-handed comment. I'm really touched!] Off-handed comment? Those words were like a poisoned dagger, stabbing deep into my heart. Last month, on the first day of autumn, Neil surprisingly ordered me a mango shaved ice dessert. I was so happy, thinking this blockhead had finally come to his senses and realized I liked celebrating special days like those. Looking back now, the comments I saw online from netizens were indeed a self-fulfilling prophecy. [When a man suddenly becomes nice to you for no reason, it means he's guilty.] Her junior's off-handed comment stuck with him. After five years of dating and two years of marriage, he still could not remember that I was allergic to mangoes. Since the seven-year itch was inevitable, I supposed I should just let him go. Chapter 2 As soon as I entered the house, Neil texted me. Neil: [Ruby is inviting her classmates over for a party at 7 PM. Remember to clean up before they come.] This was Neil's way of giving me an out. He always acted superior and showed his ‘forgiveness’ commandingly. He was pretending as if he had never blocked me, locked me out, or ignored me. In the past, I would have started cleaning the house and decorating right away. Now, I just glanced at the message briefly and threw my phone aside. I had just finished packing my luggage when I heard the door being pushed open outside. "Don't worry. That old hag always listens to my brother. She must’ve already decorated..." My sister-in-law Ruby Young's boasting statements stopped abruptly. I did not stop folding my clothes. I could imagine Ruby's confusion and subsequent anger because not only was the house not carefully decorated, but it was not even at a basic level of cleanliness. My phone rang. The next second, Ruby burst into the bedroom and glared at me, her voice shrill. "Ellie Montana! What's the meaning of this? Didn't you know I was bringing friends over tonight?" I placed my clothes on my lap and calmly looked up at Ruby. I had supported her college tuition, living expenses, and allowance over the years through my salary. I never bought more than a few new clothes for myself throughout the year, yet I always granted her every wish—hundreds of dollars' worth of perfume, thousands of dollars' worth of designer shoes... After she complained that I never read my text messages and was slow at transferring money, I even gave her a supplementary card. I had been with Neil for seven years and poured my heart and soul into supporting Ruby for seven years. In the end, all I got in return was her calling me an ‘old hag’ in front of other people. My heart felt like it had been turned into ice, weighing down heavily on my chest. Suddenly, I found it all meaningless and scoffed. My tone was more indifferent than ever before. "I know. So what? This is Neil's and my house. What are you yelling at me for?" Ruby had never been treated this way before. She was momentarily speechless with shock. The classmates behind her sensed the awkward atmosphere and exchanged glances. "Ruby, how about we come over another day?" Ruby finally snapped out of her daze and glared at me fiercely. "Let's go! Let's go out for some burgers, my treat! It’s better than staying home and having to put up with some people's bad attitudes!" The door slammed shut with a bang. I took out my phone and froze Ruby’s supplementary card without hesitation. Since I was not going to tolerate her any longer, there was no reason for her to spend my money. That night, I showered early, locked my bedroom door, and went to sleep. At midnight, someone pounded loudly on my bedroom door. I woke up with a start, frowning as I opened the door. Ruby stood in the doorway, glaring at me and yelling, "Ellie, what the hell did you do?! Why did you cancel my card? Do you know how embarrassed I was just now?" Suppressing my rage at being woken up, I stared icily at her. "Get this through your head. That card is mine! Why should I let you spend my money? Don't you know how much I've supported you, your brother, and even your grandmother all these years? What right do you have to yell at me like this?" Ruby was rendered speechless by my barrage of questions. Her face turned a deep scarlet. "Just wait and see! I'll ask my brother to divorce you!" She threatened me, turned around, and ran back to the guest room, slamming the door shut. The world fell silent again, but I was no longer sleepy. I picked up my phone, and an unread text message caught my eye. It was a payment reminder from the top-tier nursing home where Neil's grandmother lived. It informed me that the renewal payment was due in seven days. Grandma had specifically requested this nursing home, which cost $2,000 a month. My monthly salary was only around $3,000, yet Neil's grandmother insisted, threatening death if I did not comply. I had no choice but to give in. With the remaining $1,000, I had to cover household expenses and Ruby's costs, leaving myself with very little. Neil had always kept his salary for himself, never contributing a single penny to the family. Thinking about it now, I was the only one in the family who had been struggling financially. I promptly unlinked my card from the automatic payments and set it to stop receiving such notifications. This family was a bunch of ingrates. I would let them make someone else their doormat. I was done! Chapter 3 The next afternoon, I was handling the handover of my resignation when Neil's call came through. "Ruby said you were mean to her in front of her classmates and even canceled her card. When did you become so petty? She's my sister. What's wrong with her spending some of your money? Have we mistreated you? You'd better apologize to Ruby right now and transfer $5,000 as pocket money to her. Otherwise, I'll divorce you!" I rolled my eyes and sneered. "Neil, she's your sister, not mine. Why should I give a random girl unlimited access to my money when she calls me an old hag? Anyway, this is perfect timing. When are you coming back? I have something to tell you." Just then, Neil paused, seemingly not expecting my firm attitude. Soon, he resumed his impatient attitude, trying to pressure me in his usual way. "You just want to keep nagging about that shabby house renovation, don't you? I don't get it. Living with my family will at least provide you with some support. Why do you insist on spending that money? Do you have a lot of money to spend? I'm telling you, apologize to my sister first, or there's nothing left to discuss!" After saying that, he simply hung up without giving me any chance to refute. Listening to the busy signal on the other end of the line, I was silent for a long time, as if something was suffocating my chest. He had indeed forgotten. When he proposed, his eyes were sincere. "Ellie, we'll buy our own house after we get married. The renovations are entirely up to you. I want to give you a perfect home." Later, we did buy a house, but the renovations were constantly delayed. The first year, he said he was too busy with work to oversee the renovation team and asked me to wait. The second year, he said the family's cash flow was tight and asked me to postpone the renovation until we were more financially stable. I believed him time and time again. Now, this home was gone, and we had no future. Afterward, I was busy completely severing ties with Neil. I did not contact him, and he naturally did not reach out to me. The day before the end of the divorce cooling-off period, he texted me in the evening. Neil: [I drank too much at the celebration party. Come pick me up.] I realized then that he had already returned from his business trip. I did not want to reply at first, but I grabbed my car keys and went out after recalling tomorrow's event. When I arrived at the restaurant, I immediately spotted Neil standing by the roadside. He looked quite drunk. His arm was casually draped over Sonia's shoulder, and he was leaning comfortably against her. Several male colleagues were beside him, waiting for their rides as well. Unlike him, they stood up straight, and their eyes were clear. Seeing my car, Neil pulled Sonia to open the back door, and the two of them got in together. Neil rubbed his temples. "Take her home first. I'm really dizzy. I'll sit in the back for a bit." I sneered inwardly. He had found a perfect excuse to openly lean his head against his junior in my own car. Sonia's gaze met mine for a second through the rearview mirror. She was not embarrassed at all. Instead, she smiled gracefully at me. "Don't misunderstand. Neil really did drink quite a bit just now. He's probably feeling unwell. Sorry for the trouble." I smiled too. "It’s no trouble at all. But it's best not to get involved if you encounter a drunk man like this in the future. It doesn't cost much to take a taxi, anyway. It’s better than waiting in the cold with him, right?" Sonia's smile froze. Chapter 4 After Sonia got out of the car, the car was left in silence. The neon lights outside flickered as the tall buildings receded. For a moment, I felt as if the seven years' worth of memories I had with Neil had also been left behind us. After entering the neighborhood, I parked the car and looked over at Neil through the rearview mirror. "Neil, let's talk." He slowly woke up and rubbed his eyes, looking impatient. "What's there to talk about? Did you apologize to Ruby and transfer the money like I told you to?" I took a deep breath, my eyes filled with exhaustion. "I'm trying to discuss things with you. Could you..." Before I could finish, his phone suddenly dinged a few times. Neil glanced at the screen, his expression changing abruptly. He got out of the car and went to the driver's seat, grabbing my arm and pulling me out without saying a word. "What are you doing?" I exclaimed in surprise. Caught off guard, I twisted my ankle in my high heels, and a sharp pain shot through it. Neil did not even glance at me. He climbed into the driver's seat and said urgently, "Sonia said she feels like she's being followed and she's scared. I have to check on her!" I steadied myself against the car door, the pain in my ankle and the chill in my heart mingling together. For a moment, I found it utterly absurd and could not help but sneer. "Neil, think about it! How long has it been since she got out of the car? Is she not home yet? Besides, her house is in a completely different direction from ours. Does she think you can get there faster than the police?" Neil looked at me incredulously, as if I were a cruel villain. "Enough!" He seemed to have found the perfect outlet to vent, glaring at me and yelling, "You just want to force me to renovate that stupid marital house, don't you? I'm telling you, I refuse! I'm also divorcing you! Are you happy now?" With that said, he sped away, leaving only a cloud of foul exhaust fumes. I stood there, my ankle throbbing in pain, but my heart was deathly calm. That night, I called my brother, Liam Montana, who lived a thousand miles away. I poured my heart out about everything that had happened over the past two weeks. On the other end of the line, Liam's voice trembled with anger, but it eventually softened into gentle comfort. "You did the right thing. Come home. I'm waiting for you here!" I thought, 'Home. Yes, I still have a home, a truly warm one.' Thinking of this, my eyes instantly reddened, and the strength I had been holding onto for a long time crumbled at that moment. Soon, I could finally escape everything here and go home. The next morning, I took out the divorce agreement that Neil had already signed. It was the one he gave me during his proposal. Back then, Neil confidently said, "Ellie, this is my promise! If I ever wrong you, I'll leave with nothing! Please believe me!" I chose to believe his love, thinking this divorce agreement would never see the light of day. Now, it had become my escape route. I signed two copies of the divorce agreement and went to Neil's company. At the reception desk, I overheard him mentioning my name to some colleagues, his tone carrying a familiar contempt. "You can't spoil a woman like Ellie, or she'll really think she can do whatever she wants! She forced me to buy that stupid house, so I refused to let her renovate it! Look, we didn't even spend that money. Divorce? Does she dare to divorce me? She's a haggard old woman. Who would want her after we divorce?" I felt only a strange calm while hearing this. No more emotion stirred within me. I placed the envelope containing the divorce papers at the front desk. "Please give this to Neil Young. Thank you." That afternoon, I boarded the plane home. As soon as I landed, I received a call from Neil. His voice came through. "Ellie, are you out of your mind? Why haven't you paid for my grandmother's nursing home? Do you know she almost got kicked out? I'm telling you, it's completely over between us if anything happens to her! Pay up immediately! Otherwise, we're really getting a divorce!" Listening to his accusatory yelling, I strode toward my brother, who was waving at me a short distance away. "As you wish. We're already divorced."