Everything clicked. “This was never about Ben, was it?”

Patricia laughed. “Smart girl. I told Scott that if he wanted another chance with me, I needed weekends to see if we could fix things. Sending you away was his idea.”

Marilyn pulled out her phone and played a secret recording from the week before. Scott’s voice filled the room: “I love you, Marilyn. Patricia is just being selfish. Once Ben is older, things will go back to normal, and we can have our own kids. You’re the love of my life.”

Patricia’s smile vanished. She grabbed a slipper and hurled it at Scott. “You lying piece of garbage! You’ve been playing both sides? Pathetic!”

Scott ducked, but Marilyn didn’t care. Patricia stormed out, pausing only when Marilyn called after her, “Feel free to keep my pajamas. I know you can’t afford them!”

Then, Marilyn turned to Scott. Ignoring his desperate pleas, she marched upstairs, grabbed his clothes, and tossed them out the window.

“Marilyn, stop!” Scott begged.

“If you come any closer, I’ll scream,” she warned, her voice dangerously calm.

His expensive suits, shoes, watches, and golf clubs followed. “Now pick up your junk and get out of my life.”

Scott stared at her, defeated, then slowly left. As he gathered his belongings from the lawn, he turned back. “We can fix this. I never meant to hurt you.”

Marilyn’s voice was ice-cold. “I don’t want to hear from you except through lawyers.”

She shut the door, exhaled deeply, and pulled out her phone. A message from her mom popped up: “Everything okay? You never made it here.”

Smiling, Marilyn typed back: “Everything’s perfect, Mom. No one is ever kicking me out of my place again.”