Revenge: After Discovering Her Husband's Lies

The name on my husband's real estate deed had inexplicably changed to his childhood friend, Lily Stark.

I took the deed to confront him and my mother-in-law. But to my surprise, both of them wore disinterested smiles.

"I transferred the house to Lily," my husband said, nonchalantly. "It’s my pre-marital property. I can give it to whoever I please."

"Lily grew up without a home," my mother-in-law added, "I just want her to have a place to call her own in this city. It’s not like she’s going to live there, so stop making a fuss!"

Despite the surge of anger welling up inside me, I kept my composure, offering only a calm expression. I was curious to see how things would unfold.

Would Lily sell the house to pay for your liver cancer treatment? I doubted it.

I was even more curious to see how long you two could survive without money.

Part 1

I turned the real estate deed over in my hands, intending to take a picture and send it to an agent for appraisal. But the moment I opened it, I let out a scream.

The name on the deed had changed from my husband, Zach Smith, to Lily.

Before I could even go looking for him, Zach had already come into the bedroom. His mother, Linda, trailing behind him. Both of them wore matching frowns, looking as impatient as ever.

I didn't care. The doctor said that people with cancer often experience personality changes, so I tried to steady my voice as I held up the deed. "Why... why has the name changed to Lily?"

Zach looked slightly embarrassed but quickly straightened up. "I transferred the house to Lily," he said, matter-of-factly.

Seeing my expression darken, he continued, "Let me be clear: this was my pre-marital property. It has nothing to do with you and the law supports my decision. I’m free to give it to whoever I want. So why are you making a fuss?"

"And just so you know," he added, "Lily and I are innocent. Don’t get any ideas."

I wanted to argue, to remind him that with our limited savings, we’d need to sell or mortgage the house for his and Lindas cancer treatments. But I held my tongue. If I revealed the truth now, in their current moods, it would only make things worse.

I softened my tone. "Why didn’t you tell me? I know the house is yours, but—"

Zach cut me off, annoyed. "What would’ve been the point? You’d have refused, so I transferred it to her without telling you."

"Lily was homeless her whole life. I just wanted her to have something of her own here. It’s not like she’s going to live in the house, so stop making such a face!"

Part 2

I took a deep breath, trying to suppress my anger and spoke as calmly as I could. "I’m not asking you to put the house in my name. I just want you to get it back now. If you feel bad for Lily, you could’ve helped her buy her own place instead of giving her yours."

"And besides," I continued, "even though the house is in her name, she doesn’t live here. What sense of belonging does that give her? I’m not saying she’ll sell it, but what if she needs to mortgage it in the future, or what if we need it? Then what?"

Zach hesitated, clearly softened by my words. He glanced reflexively at Linda.