Now, in the wreckage of my marriage, he finally showed his true colors—trying to strip my elderly parents of their retirement home and savings.
Their sheer audacity left me speechless.
If I handed over my parents' pension and home, how could I ever face them again? I'd be unworthy of the name 'son.'
I clenched my fist, shaking off my father-in-law's grasping hand.
"Just because you don't value me doesn't mean I'm worthless."
I turned and walked away without looking back.
Behind me, the Hensons erupted.
"Ungrateful wretch! Selfish to the core! We only asked for a pension and a house! No wonder my daughter is dumping you!"
"My daughter is a swan, and you're just the toad she was unlucky enough to land on!"
"Good riddance!"
"Caroline will marry into high society now. You can rot in the dirt!"
Her relatives piled on, their words dripping venom. They cursed me as trash who didn't know his place. Mocked my average looks and lack of fortune.
The injustice burned. Over the years, I'd supported them without hesitation. Lent money I knew I'd never see again. Treated my in-laws like my own flesh and blood—the best food, finest wine, new clothes for every holiday. Never missed a single occasion.
When they were hospitalized after a car accident, Caroline was "too busy" on a business trip to care. My parents and I sat by their bedsides for a month, scrubbing floors and spoon-feeding them.
I'd foolishly thought five years of care would earn their respect.
Wrong. It wasn't just Caroline who looked down on me. The entire family believed I'd punched above my weight, that I was lucky just to be in their presence. No matter how much I gave, it would never be enough.
The drive to the courthouse was suffocating.
Caroline broke the silence. "What did you mean back there? 'Not necessarily that I'm someone nobody wants'?"
She scoffed. "You honestly think you can marry into a good family after this? Find someone better than me?"
Before I could answer, she laughed—sharp and mocking.
"Harrison, stop dreaming. Aside from 'emotional value,' what do you actually bring to the table?"
She looked out the window, bored. "I'll tell you the truth. All that 'goodness' you gave me? I got tired of it years ago."
I gripped the steering wheel tighter.
Even at the bitter end, she had to twist the knife.