My world shattered the day Michael filed for divorce. It came out of nowhere, blindsiding me when I was already grieving the loss of my grandfather. One day, we were living our simple, predictable life together, and the next, he was gone—no explanation, no warning, just papers served with his signature at the bottom.
I didn’t fight it. What was the point? If he didn’t love me anymore, then there was nothing left to save. So, I signed the papers and let him walk away, even though I didn’t understand why.
A month passed. I was adjusting to my new life, throwing myself into work at my veterinary clinic, when I ran into Michael again—in the most unexpected place.
I was in the supermarket, picking up cat food for a rescue kitten, when something outside caught my eye. A flash of white. I turned toward the parking lot and saw a brand-new sports car gleaming between two old sedans. It looked expensive—luxury brand, sleek and pristine, something straight out of a millionaire’s garage.
Curious, I watched as the driver’s door swung open. The man who stepped out made my breath catch.
Michael.
But it wasn’t the Michael I knew. The man I married wore worn-out jeans and clearance-rack shirts. His work uniform—a grocery store cashier’s polo—was his most common outfit. He worked six days a week, making slightly above minimum wage. We never had much, but I never cared about that.
Now, standing before me, was a completely different person. Michael was dressed in a tailored designer suit, the kind that screamed money. A Rolex sparkled on his wrist, and his hair—once a messy mop—was neatly styled. He walked with an air of confidence that didn’t belong to the man I spent twelve years loving.
I left my cart and walked straight outside. “Michael?”
His head snapped toward me. For a fleeting second, I saw something flicker in his eyes—panic, maybe?—but it disappeared, replaced by cold indifference.
“Katherine,” he said, adjusting his cufflinks. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”
I forced a smile. “Wow, looks like you’re doing really well. New car, fancy suit… Did you get a new job?”
Michael scoffed. “Katherine, we’re not together anymore. What I do is none of your business.”
I blinked at his rudeness, but he wasn’t done. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a crisp $100 bill, and tossed it at my feet.
“Here,” he said casually. “Consider it my parting gift.”
I stared at the bill on the asphalt, my stomach churning. Who was this man? Throughout our entire marriage, I had been the primary breadwinner. I was a veterinarian—my income had always been higher than his. Money had never been an issue between us, or so I thought.
“Really?” I said, my voice rising. “This is who you are now?”
Michael just smirked and walked into the store. I clenched my fists, willing myself to walk away, but something made me bend down and pick up the bill.
And then I saw it.
A small, hand-drawn smiley face at the bottom.
I gasped, the world tilting around me. I knew this mark. I had drawn it myself, months ago, during the last conversation I had with my grandfather.
Grandpa had been dying. The doctors had given him only weeks to live, and when I visited him, he took me into his home office.
“Kat, take this,” he said, opening a drawer. Inside was stack after stack of cash. At least $200,000 in one-hundred-dollar bills.
“This is for your future,” he told me. “Use it to open your own clinic or buy a home. I just want to know you’re taken care of.”
I smiled and shook my head. “Grandpa, I don’t need this. There are charities that could use it more.”
“Kat, please,” he pleaded, his voice weaker than I wanted to admit.
To lighten the moment, I grabbed a bill, drew a smiley face on it, and handed it back. “Don’t be sad, Grandpa. I’m happy. I don’t need money—I just want to spend time with you. Let’s go to the garden.”
He sighed, chuckled, and let me lead him outside. I never thought about the money again. He passed away two weeks later, and as far as I knew, everything he owned went to my relatives and charities.
So how did Michael have this bill?
I needed answers.
I went straight to Harrison, my grandfather’s best friend and business partner. His office was lined with family photos, including one of him and Grandpa fishing.
“Katherine, what brings you here?” he asked warmly.
I didn’t waste time. “Did Grandpa mention giving money to anyone specific?”
Harrison frowned. “He said you refused it. He didn’t want it wasted, so he…” His eyes widened. “Oh, Katherine, I think he gave it to Michael. He believed it would help you.”
I gritted my teeth. “That snake. That’s why he left me. He took the money and ran.”
Harrison hesitated. “Do you want to do something about it?”
I looked at him. “What do you mean?”
He slid a business card across the desk. “Logan, a lawyer. The best at what he does.”
Logan was sharp, confident, and after hearing my story, he smiled knowingly. “This is fraud by deception,” he said. “Michael took money under false pretenses. We have a case. But first, let’s pay him a visit.”
Michael lived in a high-rise now. When he opened the door in silk pajamas, his smugness vanished the moment he saw Logan beside me.
“Who’s this?” Michael asked, eyes narrowing.
“Katherine’s attorney,” Logan said smoothly. “We need to talk.”
Michael refused to let us in, but Logan didn’t care. “You received a large sum from her grandfather, then filed for divorce immediately. That’s fraud. We’ll see you in court.”
Michael’s face turned red. “You can’t prove anything.”
Logan smirked. “We have a witness. And we’ll be subpoenaing your bank records. Are you ready to pay thousands in legal fees?”
Michael swallowed hard. He wasn’t nearly as bold now.
“Fine,” he muttered. “I’ll sell everything.”
Logan nodded. “And anything you can’t return immediately, we’ll set up a payment plan.”
As we left, Michael called, “Kat, I—”
I didn’t let him finish. “Save it. I hope it was worth it.”
A year later, I used the recovered money to open my own veterinary clinic. At the grand opening, Harrison brought his dog and smiled. “Your grandfather would be proud.”
Logan stopped by a week later. “Dinner?” he asked.
Two years after that, I married him. And to this day, he doesn’t know I keep a special $100 bill in my wallet. The one with the little smiley face. The bill that led me to justice… and the love of my life.
