Wife Cheated With Her Gym Trainer, Demanded Half of Everything in Our Divorce. But She Didn't...

wife cheated with her Gym trainer demanded half of everything in our divorce but she didn't know my dad secretly owned our house and savings I never thought I'd be posting here but here I am I'm a 35-year-old accountant been working at a local firm for almost 10 years now I've always been a pretty practical guy level-headed and all that and I guess that's why I'm able to stay calm through all of this anyway I'm married to Kathy who's 33 we've been together for around 5 years but married for two no kids which Looking Back Now

is probably a blessing Kathy hasn't worked since we got married she used to be in marketing but after we tied the knot she wanted to take a break and focus on us I didn't mind I make enough to support both of us and I figured it was temporary we've got a house a decent savings account nothing extravagant but enough to be comfortable Cathy's been home most of the time but lately things started to change it's hard to pinpoint exactly when I noticed it but Cathy began acting distant she'd stay out longer when she went out

with friends or to the gym she stopped being affectionate and would get defensive when I asked what was going on at first I chocked it up to stress or just a rough patch in the marriage but as the weeks went on I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off and boy was I right one evening while Cathy was in the shower her phone buzzed with a message and out of pure reflex I glanced over at it it was from a guy named Derek I didn't think much of it at first but something about the

way the message was worded felt off can't wait to see you tomorrow babe it read I opened it and what I found confirmed my worst fears she'd been seeing Derek her Gym trainer for months the texts were explicit full of plans for the future plans that clearly didn't involve me I sat there Frozen staring at the phone I couldn't believe it the woman I married the person I trusted was cheating on me but instead of Rage or sadness I just felt numb maybe it was the shock or maybe it was my pragmatic nature kicking in

but I knew I had to confront her without losing my cool when she came out of the bathroom I calmly handed her the phone and asked her to explain At first she tried to deny it saying it was nothing just a joke but when I read some of the texts back to her she realized there was no point in lying I want a divorce she said with no sign of remorse no apology no guilt nothing just a cold detached statement she admitted she'd been seeing Derek for a while and that she wasn't happy in our

marriage anymore she didn't bother to sugarcoat it she was leaving me for him but what really threw me was her next move without missing a beat she started talking about dividing assets she said she wanted half of everything the house the savings everything we'd built together she even suggested she deserved it because she had sacrificed her career to support mine I couldn't believe the nerve I stayed calm though maybe it's because I'd already emotionally checked out at that point or maybe because deep down I knew something she didn't so I agreed I told her if

she wanted a divorce I wouldn't fight her on it she could have half of what she thought I had she looked surprised probably expecting a fight or some sort of emotional breakdown but I wasn't about to give her that satisfaction what Kathy didn't know and what I didn't feel the need to tell her was that almost all of our assets were in my dad's name you see my father is a pretty shrewd man years ago when I first started making decent money he suggested I put all my major Assets in his name he explained that

it would be a safeguard in case anything ever went wrong in the future whether it be debts lawsuits or as it turns out a cheating spouse at the time I didn't think much of it it just seemed like Smart Financial Planning so when Kathy demanded half of everything I knew she wouldn't be getting what she expected on paper I didn't have much just a modest bank account a car in my name and a few other odds and ends the house technically it belonged to my dad the bulk of my savings also in accounts under my

dad's control instead of getting into a messy Court battle I suggested we handle things through mediation I figured it would be easier and cheaper for both of us that way she agreed clearly thinking she'd walk away with a significant chunk of my assets little did she know this arrangement with my dad had been in place for years and honestly I had forgotten about it until the divorce talks began it wasn't that I had planned for a scenario like this but I can't deny that I'm grateful for my father's foresight the house we lived in was

technically owned by him as were most of the Investments and savings that Cathy had her eyes on I had always kept a low Financial profile in my own name living modestly enough that no one including Kathy really questioned it as soon as the divorce process started I told my dad in he wasn't thrilled about the situation what father would be but he understood the importance of keeping everything tight lipped we cons consulted with a lawyer just to ensure that everything was airtight and legally sound turns out everything was in perfect order Kathy could demand all

she wanted but there wasn't much in my name for her to take Kathy didn't waste any time she hired an aggressive divorce attorney one of those sharks that promises to take everything they can meanwhile I hired a low-key but reputable lawyer someone who specialized in cases like mine where there were tricky Financial Dynamics at play I didn't want to make a big scene out of this but I also wasn't about to let Kathy and her lawyer push me around the first step in the divor process was asset disclosure which as you can imagine didn't go

as Cathy had planned I laid everything out in full just as required by law but when she saw how little there actually was in my name her lawyer's confident grin faltered I could tell they were both confused maybe even suspicious but there wasn't much they could do about it everything I provided was truthful and there were no hidden assets she then started berating me right there itself while calling me an and accused me of lying but like I said I provided everything I had after a bunch of accusations and raised voices I left and said

that we will discuss everything once she is calmed down now here I am turning to Reddit because I'm not sure if I've handled this the right way so Reddit am I the for agreeing to give her half of what's mine while knowing she's not actually getting anything close to what she expects update one so things are starting to heat up after the initial asset disclosure Cathy was in complete disbelief she clearly thought I was hiding something while accusing and berating me and her lawyer wasn't much better the look on his face when they saw the

modest numbers on paper was priceless it didn't take long for them to start demanding a more thorough investigation Kathy kept asking where all the money was the house the Investments the savings she assumed we had she couldn't believe that after years of marriage there wasn't more to split her lawyer quickly hired a forensic accountant to dig deeper thinking I had stashed money away in Hidden Accounts at first I was a little nervous not because I had anything to hide but because I knew this would only prolong the whole process but after talking with my lawyer

and going over everything again I realized there was nothing they could find legally everything I had claimed was 100% accurate and there was no trail that would lead them to the Assets in my dad's name as the investigation dragged on you could see the frustration building on Cathy's face she was used to getting what she wanted but this time there was nothing there for her to take it's like she couldn't wrap her head around the fact that she was walking away with next to nothing Cathy's next move was to try and argue that she had

contributed significantly to my career and our lifestyle she claimed that by staying home and managing the household she had enabled me to focus on my work and advance in my career while I'll admit that having her take care of things at home was helpful at times it wasn't as if I was running a Fortune 500 company I'm a mid-level accountant and my job has been pretty stable for years now there wasn't some meteoric rise in my income that she could point to and say I helped him get there still she tried she pushed the idea

that she had sacrificed her own career in marketing to support mine but the truth is she hadn't worked long before deciding she wanted to stay home and even then it was a choice she made not something I ever asked of her her lawyer brought this up repeatedly trying to paint me as someone who had benefited from her sacrifice but again there wasn't much to support that claim at one point they even tried to involve my parents in the proceedings Kathy wanted to prove that they had been giving me money under the table or that I

had been hiding assets with their help this part made me especially angry my parents had nothing to do with this and dragging them into it was a low blow fortunately my lawyer was able to shut down those attempts pretty quickly but it was clear Cathy was getting desperate as the divorce proceedings dragged on Kathy decided to take things into her own hands if she couldn't get she wanted through the courts she was going to try and ruin my reputation in other ways she started telling everyone in our Social Circle that I had been hiding money

from her that I had been financially abusive throughout our marriage I couldn't believe the lies she was spreading I'd hear from mutual friends about how she was going on and on about how I was leaving her with nothing how I had manipulated her into thinking we had more than we did she even took to social media posting vague but pointed comments about narcissistic partners and betrayals some people sided with her of course there are always people who will take the side of the person who looks like they've been wronged but most of our closer friends

knew better they knew I wasn't the type to do something like that it was frustrating to see her try to ruin my reputation just because things weren't going her way but I tried not to let it get to me I knew the truth and the people who really mattered knew it too besides I had bigger things to focus on like making sure she didn't take me for more than she deserved while Cathy was busy running a smear campaign I was making sure all my bases were covered my lawyer and I were in constant communication making

sure we had all the evidence we needed to prove my side of the story I I documented every interaction I had with Cathy every demand she made and every time she tried to paint me as the bad guy I knew that if this ever went to court having that documentation would be crucial I also started Gathering evidence of her affair with Derek while adultery doesn't always play a huge role in divorce settlements I wanted to make sure it was clear that she wasn't the victim here I had screenshots of the texts she exchanged with him

pictures they had taken together and even statements from some of her friends who had known about the affair but kept quiet it wasn't that I wanted to humiliate her I just wanted the truth to come out on on top of that I started preparing for the inevitable Fallout I knew that once the truth came out that she wasn't getting half of everything things were going to get ugly so I kept my distance staying focused on my work and my own life while making sure I had everything in place for the next phase of the divorce

one thing that made all of this even more interesting was Derrick's reaction to everything when Kathy initially told him she wanted to leave me for him he seemed all for it they had their little romantic fantasy of starting a new life together but as soon as the divorce proceedings started getting messy Derrik began pulling back it turns out he wasn't quite as invested in Kathy as she thought from what I've heard he started getting cold feet when he realized that being with her might mean dealing with her financial issues Cathy was expecting this Grand New

Life With Derek but he wasn't ready to commit to that in fact word got out that he started losing clients at the gym because of the Scandal apparently people don't want to work with a trainer who's known for getting involved with married women now dereck's been trying to distance himself from Cathy and she's starting to realize that maybe this wasn't the fairy tale she thought it would be I almost feel bad for her but then I remember everything she's done as for me I'm feeling conflicted on one hand I feel Vindicated I'm glad that I

protected my assets and I'm glad that Cathy isn't walking away with what she expected but at the same time I can't help but feel a bit sad this was my marriage after all I loved Kathy once and I thought we'd build a life together seeing it all fall apart like this is tough even if I know it's for the best update 2 things have taken a pretty wild turn since my last update Cathy is getting desperate and it's starting to show in the worst ways she's clearly realized that she's not going to get the payout

she expected from this divorce and now she's trying to make my life hell the latest is that she's been making threats about ruining my career and my reputation at work she told me flat out that if I didn't make things easier for her give her more money she would make sure everyone at my firm knew what a scumbag I was at first I wasn't sure what she meant but it became clear when she started showing up at my office unannounced the first time she was calm pretending like she just needed to talk but when I

told her there was nothing more to discuss she snapped she started raising her voice saying things like I'll make sure everyone here knows the truth about you fortunately I was able to get her out of there before it escalated further but it's clear she's becoming unpredictable her behavior at home well her temporary home with her parents has been erratic too after realizing she wasn't going to walk away with the big payday she expected she moved back in with her parents from what I've heard things haven't been going well for her there her parents are supportive

but they're not exactly thrilled with how everything's played out I guess even they see through her victim act mutual friends have told me that she's been lashing out getting into arguments with her family and acting like she's on the verge of a breakdown the legal side of things has gotten more problematic as well Cathy's lawyer is trying everything they can to dig up dirt on me they filed motions to subpoena my parents Financial records even though my lawyer has repeatedly explained that my parents assets are not up for grabs in this divorce it's a clear

attempt to Rattle me but it's not working Cathy's team also filed a motion to depose my colleagues at work hoping to find something anything that might suggest I was hiding assets or receiving under the table income they're grasping at straws but it's exhausting to deal with every time we think we've handled one of their requests they come back with another the whole situation is starting to feel like a never-ending chess match every move I make Cathy and her team try to counter but I've been staying one step ahead thanks to my lawyer and the airtight

legal protections my father set up years ago still it's draining and I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this up before we end up in court for real speaking of legal proceedings we've already tried mediation twice actually and both times it's been a complete disaster the first session ended after about 20 minutes when Kathy refused to budge on her demand for half of the house and our savings my lawyer laid out the reality of the situation that the house was in my father's name and that there wasn't nearly as much money as she

thought but Kathy wouldn't hear it she stormed out accusing me of lying and saying that the mediator was biased against her the second attempt wasn't much better this time Cathy showed up with a list of completely unrealistic demands she wanted full owner ERS ship of the house half of all our savings even though they barely exist and alimony for at least 5 years when my lawyer calmly explained again that she wasn't entitled to any of that Cathy lost it she started yelling about how she had sacrificed everything for me and how I was leaving her

with nothing I sat there trying to stay calm but inside I was fuming she was the one who cheated she was the one who wanted the divorce and now she's acting like I'm the one ruining her life it's unbelievable after that session it became clear that this divorce is heading for court whether I like it or not on top of that Cathy's been borrowing money from her family and friends to cover her legal fees she clearly didn't expect the divorce to drag on this long and now she's running out of funds I'm not exactly sure

how she plans to keep paying her aggressive lawyer but that's not my problem the more desperate she gets the more erratic her behavior becomes mutual friends have told me she's been spending most of her time at home venting to anyone who will listen about how I've ruined her life it's gotten so bad that some of her friends have started distancing themselves from her they're tired of the drama and her constant playing of the victim card it seems like everything Kathy thought she was going to get out of this divorce is slipping through her fingers through

all of this I've been doing my best to stay calm and handle things strategically every time Cathy makes a new accusation or demand I counter it with evidence every Financial document they request I provide because I have nothing to hide my lawyer has been great about making sure we're following the law to the letter which is more than I can say for Cathy's team I've also been working to protect my parents privacy Cathy's attempts to drag them into this mess are infurious ating but fortunately there are legal Protections in place to keep her from accessing

their financial records still the fact that she's even trying shows just how desperate she is it's like she thinks if she digs deep enough she'll find some hidden treasure that I've been keeping from her but there's nothing to find update three the day of the court hearing finally arrived and to say the tension was high would be an understatement Kathy was the first to testify and She Came Out Swinging she made it clear that she believed i' had been hiding assets from her all along she accused me of manipulating our finances hiding money in secret

accounts and lying to her about how much we really had she was emotional painting herself as the victim who had been left with nothing after sacrificing her career to support mine she was sobbing on the stand at one point talking about how she had trusted me with everything only to be blindsided by the divorce and my supposed Financial trickery but then came the real kicker when my lawyer presented evidence of her affair with Derek as soon as the texts pictures and details of her relationship with him came out the jury the judge everyone could see

what was really going on Cathy's victim narrative started to crumble right before my eyes at one point she even tried to downplay the affair saying it was just a mistake and that it had nothing to do with the divorce but by then the damage was done her credibility was shot and it was clear that her financial demands were driven more by greed than anything else when it was my turn to testify I made sure to stay calm and stick to the facts my lawyer had prepped me well and I knew that getting emotional or defensive

wouldn't help my case I went over everything how my assets had been structured in my father's name for years how I had provided full Financial disclosures and how I had tried to handle the divorce amicably through mediation I also testified about Cathy's threats her erratic Behavior and the smear campaign she had been running my lawyer presented documentation of all the accusations she had thrown at me both publicly and in court and showed how baseless they were we laid out the truth about our finances the house belonged to my father our savings were modest at best

and there was no secret stash of money that she could lay claim to the judge seemed to appreciate my straightforwardness I didn't try to vilify Kathy but I didn't sugarcoat the real ity of what had happened either the facts were clear and I made sure to present them without drama or exaggeration a few key Witnesses were called during the trial and their testimonies helped seal the deal first my father took the stand he explained the financial arrangement we had put in place years ago how the house was in his name how the Investments were under

his control and how all of this was done as a form of long-term Financial Protection he made it clear that these assets were his not mine and that Kathy had no legal right to them next up was one of my colleagues from work Cathy's team had tried to argue that i' had been hiding money by receiving under the table payments or bonuses but my colleague shut that down quickly he testified about my modest income and my regular transparent salary there were no secret bonuses no hidden sources of income just the straightforward paycheck that I had

disclosed these Witnesses were crucial in showing that Cathy's accusations were baseless the judge could see that there was no Grand conspiracy on my part just a simple transparent Financial Arrangement that Cathy had never bothered to understand after days of testimony and legal arguments the judge fin finally delivered the verdict it was a huge relief to hear the words the divorce would be granted in my favor Cathy's demands for half of the house and our savings were denied outright the judge ruled that because the house and most of our assets were in my father's name Cathy

had no claim to them the only thing she was awarded was a minimal amount of alimony and even that was for a short duration barely enough to cover her legal fees let alone the lifestyle she was hoping to maintain the judge made it clear that Cathy's Affair and her lack of contribution to the household finances played a role in his decision he saw through her attempts to paint herself as a victim and ruled accordingly as the decision was read out I felt a massive weight lift off my shoulders the months of stress the constant accusations

the fear of losing everything all of it melted away in that moment I knew that legally I was in the clear Cathy on the other hand didn't take the verdict well as soon as the judge finished she burst into tears shouting that the system was unfair and that I had cheated her out of what was rightfully hers she stormed out of the courtroom leaving her lawyer looking exasperated I'm not sure what she expected but it was clear that she hadn't prepared herself for the possibility of losing for me the immediate feeling was one of relief

I thanked my lawyer who had done a good job throughout the whole process and headed out of the courthouse my phone was buzzing with texts from friends and family congratulating me on the outcome word had spread quickly and the local community was already talking about the case it felt good to know that the truth had come out and that I could finally move on with my life but Kathy wasn't done outside the courthouse she had a full-blown meltdown in front of a small crowd she started screaming about how I had lied and manipulated the system

and how she was going to appeal the decision the problem is she doesn't have the money to do that her lawyer made it clear during the proceedings that she was running out of funds and from what I've heard she's still borrowing money from family and friends just to get by that being said I'm incredibly grateful for my father's advice and foresight when it came to protecting my finances without his help who knows what kind of mess I'd be in right now I'm also thankful for the support of my friends family and colleagues who stuck by

me even when Cathy was spreading rumors and trying to destroy my reputation looking forward I'm hopeful I know it's going to take time to fully recover from this both emotionally and financially but I'm ready to move on with my life I've learned some valuable lessons from all of this and I won't be making the same mistakes again for now I'm just focusing on getting back to a sense of normaly and enjoying the peace that comes with having this chapter finally closed [Music]