I grabbed my things and checked into a hotel. I wasn’t going to go through this mess on my own.

When Paul was scheduled to return, I went back to the house and started sorting through what remained untouched by the flood.

“Emma, are you alright?” he asked as he stepped inside. “What happened here?”

“I’m fine,” I replied. “The house isn’t though. Some parts of the ceiling are in pretty bad shape. But hey, at least it’s not our house, right? The landlord’s insurance will cover it.”

Paul turned pale as the realization hit him.

“Emma, I can explain,” he said, his voice trembling.

“How could you do this to me?” I asked quietly. “Especially after I made it clear I wanted to stand on my own. All these years, I’ve been working hard to support you… and I was just giving it all to your mother?”

“What do you want me to say? That she’s old and needs it?” Paul asked, trying to defend himself.

I shot back, “Your father left everything to her. And honestly, I would have helped Helen if I’d known. But the fact that you’ve been lying to me all this time… that’s what hurts.”

The next day, I saw a lawyer and began the process of recovering the money I had unknowingly handed over to Helen.

In the end, justice was on my side, and the court ordered Paul and his mother to return every penny I had given them over the years.

With my finances restored, I moved into a small apartment—somewhere I could easily lock up and escape from when I needed a break.

As for Paul? Once the money was settled, I filed for divorce and left him behind, along with his mother.