A Single Mother's New Life Abroad

The glass doors of the courthouse closed behind me. My fingers went numb holding the Judgment—those two words, "Divorce Granted," finally put an end to this two-year-long marriage. Sitting on a bench by the roadside, I opened W Blog to distract myself, but the trending topic stabbed at my eyes: "Tech tycoon Chris Lynn engaged! The bride-to-be, Stacy Scott, is his startup patron." The man in the photo was impeccably dressed in a suit—it was my ex-husband Chris Lynn, the very man I had supported with my entire dowry. The Judgment fell from my hand with a sharp 'thud,' and my phone felt like a branding iron. I picked up the paper, my fingertips tracing the names "Laura Collins" and "Chris Lynn," and suddenly laughed out loud — as it turns out, my two years of holding on only earned him a "fairy-tale romance" with someone else. Just as I stood up, my best friend Mia Taylor called: "Laura, did you get the Judgment? Let's hurry up and celebrate!" "Mia," I sniffled, my voice trembling, "have you seen the trending news? Chris Lynn is engaged." There was silence for two seconds on the other end, then an angry shout: "That b*stard? Has he forgotten who put the entire dowry on the line to help him start his business?" "The one supporting him is Stacy Scott." I said softly. "What?" Mia Taylor's voice suddenly rose, "So he's giving all the credit to that woman?" I zoomed in on the photo; the woman in the off-white dress beside Chris Lynn was none other than Stacy Scott, the same woman I bumped into last year downstairs at his company. "Laura, where are you? I'm coming over now!" Mia's voice softened instantly, filled with urgency. "I'm fine," I crouched down, burying my face in my knees. "I just find it a bit ironic."