A few days later, I received a call from an unknown number. It was a woman’s voice, shaky yet familiar. “Hi, Abbie. It’s Lisa… the woman Matthew’s been seeing. I think we need to talk.”
My blood boiled. “How dare you call me!”
“Please, just hear me out,” she pleaded. “There’s something you need to know about Matthew.”
Against my better judgment, I agreed to meet her. That evening, we sat in a small café, and I could barely believe that the girl sitting across from me was the one Matthew had left me for.
“Matthew told me he was going to leave you,” Lisa began, her voice soft. “But I didn’t know he would disappear like this. He lied to me too.”
I folded my arms, skeptical. “Why should I believe you?”
She slid a stack of emails and messages across the table. “He’s been manipulating both of us.”
I read through the texts, my hands trembling. Matthew had deceived us both.
“I want to help you,” she said, tears welling in her eyes. “I had no idea what kind of person he really was.”
“Why are you doing this?” I asked, still unsure of her intentions.
“Because I don’t want any part of his lies. I want to make things right—for you and your kids.”
Reluctantly, I agreed to work with her. Together, we gathered evidence, building a case against Matthew.
When the day finally came, I stood at Claire’s doorstep, ready to confront the man who had shattered my world. With Lisa by my side and my lawyer behind me, I was prepared for whatever came next.
Matthew’s face turned pale when he saw us. “Abbie, what are you doing here?”
“It’s over, Matthew,” I said, my voice steady. “We know everything—about the lies, the betrayal. You won’t get away with this.”
Legal documents were handed to him, and as the police moved forward, his bravado crumbled. “This isn’t fair!” he shouted.
“It’s more than fair,” I replied, holding up the divorce papers. “You made your choice. Now you’ll face the consequences.”
As Matthew was escorted away, I turned to Lisa and Claire, their support overwhelming. Tears filled my eyes as I whispered, “Thank you. I couldn’t have done this without you.”
With their help, I had taken the first step toward rebuilding my life. I wasn’t just fighting for myself—I was fighting to protect my children and create a better future for us all.