They were romantic getaways.
Benedict had been having an affair.
Worse, the messages revealed he had been planning a future with Valerie.
One text read:
“Once Claire finishes paying off the mortgage, we can move into the condo.”
I read that sentence three times.
I wasn’t his wife.
I was his financial exit strategy.
Then Valerie contacted me.
She apologized.
She told me Benedict had claimed we were already divorced.
She thought he was a single man.
I didn’t blame her.
She had been lied to too.
The divorce negotiations became intense.
Compare Exchange Rates
But my records protected me.
I could prove exactly what I had paid.
The condo had been primarily funded through my family’s money, and the prenuptial agreement supported my claim.
In the final settlement, I retained the condo after paying Benedict a limited equity share.
He was also required to take responsibility for his personal credit-card debts and the debts associated with his mother’s disastrous birthday celebration.
