My ex-husband once said to me, “It’s just harmless fun.” That’s what he called his affair. But when he tore the wallpaper off my walls after our divorce, karma decided it was time for her to have a little fun too — at his expense.
Dan and I were married for eight years, with two children and a cozy home I had inherited from my grandmother. I thought we had it all — until I discovered Dan was unfaithful.
I forgave him once. The second time, I didn’t wait for his apology—I filed for divorce. The process was painful but straightforward: the house was mine, our finances were split 50/50 with no arguments, and Dan insisted I take full custody because he didn’t want “the responsibility.”
Once everything was settled, Dan promised he would move out by the weekend. I took the kids to my mom’s to give him some space. When we came back, I walked into a nightmare.
The wallpaper—the floral wallpaper we had—was gone! The walls were left with jagged patches of exposed drywall. I found Dan in the kitchen, tearing down more.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“I paid for this wallpaper. It’s mine,” he said, ripping off another piece.
“You’re ruining your kids’ home,” I said, in shock. He simply shrugged. “I paid for it.”
The kids peeked around the corner, frightened. My heart shattered. I didn’t want this to be their final memory of their dad in our home.
“Fine. Do whatever you want,” I said, gathering the kids and walking out. I was confident that life would prove him wrong.
Dan had gone all out with his pettiness. The kitchen was completely bare—no utensils, no toaster, not even the coffee maker. He had even taken all the toilet paper from the bathrooms… practically everything he’d bought with his OWN MONEY.
Six months later, Dan called unexpectedly, saying, “I have something important to tell you. You should know—I’m getting married next month. Some women actually want to be with me, and I found this gorgeous bombshell!”
“Congratulations,” I replied, keeping my tone neutral. Then, I hung up.
A few weeks later, I was walking downtown, enjoying a rare moment to myself, when I spotted Dan across the street. He was holding hands with a woman.
As they got closer, my stomach dropped. The woman was CASSIE—my friend from the book club.
Her face lit up when she saw me. “Oh my gosh, hey!” she said, pulling Dan toward me. “What a small world! I have so much to tell you! I’m engaged! This is my fiancé, his name is…”
I forced a tight smile. “Yeah, DAN! I know.”
Cassie blinked, her smile faltering. “Wait… you know each other?”
Dan looked like he wanted to vanish. His grip on her hand tightened, his jaw clenching.
“Oh, we go way back,” I said casually.
Cassie’s eyes darted between us, confusion turning to suspicion. “What do you mean, ‘go way back’? How do you know each other? Dan, do you… know her?”
Dan let out an awkward laugh. “Cassie, it’s not important—”
“Oh, yeah! Not that important. He’s just my ex-husband,” I said bluntly, cutting him off.
Cassie’s face froze as realization set in. “Wait a second,” she said slowly. “That story you told at the book club… about the wallpaper? About that freaking guy? Is that… him?”
Her words hung in the air, and Dan’s panicked expression gave everything away.
Cassie turned to him, narrowing her eyes. “Oh my God… that was YOU?”
“Cassie, it’s not what you think—” Dan pleaded.
“It’s exactly what I think,” she snapped. “You ripped wallpaper off the walls of your kids’ home because you bought it? Who does that?”
“It was a long time ago,” Dan stammered. “It’s not a big deal.”
“Not a big deal?” Cassie hissed, pulling her hand away. “And what about the lies? The evil ex-wife who took your kids to another country? The one who cheated on you? You’re unbelievable, Dan. You liar!”
She turned to me, her expression softening. “I’m so sorry, Nora. I had no idea.”
Before I could respond, Cassie spun back to Dan. “You’re a walking red flag. I can’t believe I almost married you.”
And with that, she stormed off, leaving Dan standing there, dumbfounded, staring at the engagement ring she had just thrown at him.
He looked at me, his face a storm of anger and desperation. I simply gave a faint smile and walked away. This DAMAGE was more than enough!
Later that evening, as I tucked the kids into bed, my son Jack asked me something that made my heart swell.
“Mom, do you remember when Dad took all the wallpaper?”
I stiffened, bracing myself for the sadness in his voice. But instead, he surprised me.
“I’m happy we got to pick out the new ones together,” he said with a grin. “The dinosaurs in my room are way cooler than those old flowers. Daddy can keep that wallpaper for himself!”
I glanced at our vibrant walls, now decorated with the papers we had chosen together, as a family of three. Walls that told our new story, not the one Dan had tried to erase.
“You know what?” I said, pulling them both closer. “I think I agree.”
That day, I learned something important: sometimes, you don’t have to seek revenge. Just give karma a little time, and it’ll deliver justice, with a touch of poetic irony.