After Our Divorce, My Ex Took the Wallpaper He Paid For — He Didn’t Expect What Came Next

My Ex-husband Ripped off the Wallpaper After Our Divorce Because ‘He Paid for It’ – Karma Had a Joke in Store for Him

I once heard my ex-husband say, “It’s just harmless fun.” He referred to it as his infidelity. However, following our divorce, Karma decided it was her turn to enjoy herself – with him — after he tore the wallpaper off my walls.

Do you think karma exists? To be honest, I used to believe that it was merely a way for individuals to console themselves after being harmed by someone. For example, “Don’t worry, karma will get them.”

Yes, exactly. But karma is real, I assure you. What about me? Her sense of humour was WICKED.

Allow me to introduce you. I spent eight years married to my ex-husband, Dan. We had two lovely children, a house we built together, and a life that, despite its imperfections, seemed like ours. For eight long years, I felt like we had something solid.

In that marriage, however, I was the only one who had faith in “ours.” And I ought to have recognised the warning signs.

Because I will never forget the night I found out Dan was unfaithful.

I was searching in Dan’s drawer for the children’s medication he always kept there because our daughter Emma had been ill with a fever. I located his phone instead.

‘I love you!’ followed by a heart emoji caught my attention as a notice flashed across the screen, but I wasn’t attempting to pry.

My heart broke when I discovered dozens of private text messages between my husband and a lady named “Jessica.” I couldn’t resist reading it.

“How could you?” That night, when I faced him, my hands trembling, I muttered. “Dan, eight years. It’s been eight years! How could you be unfaithful to me?

He lacked even the grace to display shame. “It just happened,” he shrugged, as though we were talking about the weather. “Marriages experience these things. Jessica, my secretary, and I were having some harmless fun. Honey, it won’t happen again. Never! I apologise. Have faith in me.

“These things occur? Dan, no. They are not random occurrences. You made decisions. Each and every time.”

I did what a lot of us do the first time, and I told myself it was a mistake and a lack of judgement. I believed we could make it right. Forgiveness was the strong thing to do, I told myself. However, the second time? Oh, whatever illusions I still had were shattered the second time.

“I thought we could work through this,” I replied, pointing to the scarlet lipstick stain on his collar as proof of his second betrayal. The irony? I never wore red lipstick because I detested it.

“I thought you meant it when you said ‘never’ again.”

“What do you want me to say?” His tone was almost bored as he asked. “That I apologise? Would you feel better after that?

Something inside of me suddenly exploded at that point. “No! Please prepare your belongings.

I wasted no time at all. Before Dan could even stutter out another pitiful reason, I filed for divorce.

The actual divorce was just as cruel as you may have thought.

The problem is that the house wasn’t for sale. Long before Dan came along, my grandma had given it to me, so it was mine.

“This is ridiculous!” During one of our mediation sessions, Dan had yelled. “I’ve spent eight years living in that place. I invested money in it.

I calmly responded, “And it’s still my grandmother’s house,” while observing him get angry. “I, Dan, am the owner of the deed. It has always been.

There was no legal dispute. However, like we always did in our marriage, Dan insisted on dividing everything else equally. He expected fairness for everything, including groceries, trips, and furniture.

The moment that crushed my heart more than any of his infidelity then arrived. Dan replied, “She can have full custody,” without showing any emotion, as we were talking about custody arrangements. The burden of childrearing is not something I want.”

Jack and Emma, our kids, were in the adjacent room. My darling children deserved so much better than to be treated like a burden by their father.

“They’re your children,” I snarled through the table. “How can you just —”

His words, “They’re better off with you anyway,” interrupted me. “You’ve always been the one good at all that nurturing stuff.”

Dan requested a week to gather his belongings and depart after the documents were signed. He stated that he required time to “sort everything out.” I brought the kids to my mom’s for the week to give him the space he needed and to avoid any unpleasant situations.

Emma gripped her favourite stuffed animal the night before we went and said, “Mommy, why can’t Daddy come with us to Grandma’s?”

I resisted crying as I held her tight. How can you explain divorce or the reasons behind her family’s dissolution to a six-year-old?

“Sometimes, sweetheart, grown-ups need some time apart to figure things out,” I replied.

“But will he miss us?” From the doorway, my eight-year-old son, Jack, enquired.

I lied and said, “Of course he will,” as my heart broke again. “Of course he will.”

It was the least I could do, I reasoned.

I came home with the kids at the end of the week, eager to begin our new chapter. However, I entered what was nothing less than a nightmare.

The beautiful flowery wallpaper was no longer there.

The lovely flowered paper we had chosen jointly was removed off the walls of the living room. The house looked like it had been skinned alive, with jagged sections of plasterboard showing through. I followed the trail of damage to the kitchen, feeling sick to my stomach.

Dan was tearing off another strip of wallpaper like a man under the influence.

I screamed, “What the hell are you doing?”

Totally unconcerned, he turned around. “I purchased this wall covering. I own it.

“Dan,” I said at last. “You’re ripping apart the house your kids live in.”

“Mom?” Jack’s tone faltered. “Why is Dad doing that to our walls?”

He started crying. “The flowers were wonderful! They looked lovely! “Daddy, why are you ripping the wallpaper?”

In an attempt to protect them from seeing their father systematically demolishing our house, I knelt down to their level. “Hey, it’s all right. Together, we may choose a new wallpaper. Something more beautiful. Do you want that?

“But why is he taking it?” Emma paused in between tears.

I couldn’t think of a response that wouldn’t make their pain worse. I gave Dan a look that was enough to make him sour.

“I paid for it,” he responded with a simple shrug. And I’m perfectly entitled to destroy it!”

I saw the children peeking over the corner, their small faces bewildered and afraid, while Dan kept tearing up the wall paper. For them, my heart ached. I didn’t want them to carry this memory of their father around the house.

I inhaled deeply and then said, “All right. Do as you please. I then led the children back to the vehicle and departed.

It was worse than I had anticipated when I got back later that night.

Dan had become really petty. The coffee machine, toaster, and utens

ils were removed from the kitchen. He had stolen almost everything he had purchased with his own money, including all of the toilet paper from the restrooms.

“You’re UNBELIEVABLE!” I whispered.

It was frustrating. However, I declined to offer him the gratification of knowing that he had irritated me.

I became a member of a book club a month later. Initially, it was merely a means of leaving the house and regaining my sense of self. However, the women there soon became my network of support.

After drinking a few glasses of wine one evening, I revealed the whole tale. I detailed every ridiculous detail, including the missing toilet paper and the bare walls.

“Wait, he took the toilet paper too?” One of the women, Cassie, choked out her laughs.

“Yes!” Despite myself, I laughed as I spoke. “I can’t believe I married someone so ridiculous that I don’t even feel like uttering his name.”

“Girl,” Cassie remarked, dabbing at her tears, “you just missed a bullet.” Who does that? Is a grown man tearing off wallpaper? He sounds like a grown-up child. Oh my god, don’t tell us his name or we’ll start to hate all men with that name!”

Everyone at the table burst out laughing. It was therapeutic. I had never laughed so hard at the entire thing before.

“You know what the worst part was?” I told everyone that my wine glass was almost empty. “Trying to tell the children about it. How can you explain to your kids that their father is more concerned with wallpaper than with their happiness?

Another member of the reading club, Betty, reached over and squeezed my hand. “Children are tough. They will recall who prioritised them and who stayed. That’s what counts.

I muttered, “I hope so,” as I considered Emma’s tears and Jack’s perplexity. “God, I hope so.”

I had no idea that karma was only beginning.

It was six months later. A new normal was established in life. I had moved past the turmoil of the divorce, and the children were doing well. I hardly thought about Dan until the day he unexpectedly called.

“Hey,” he remarked in a smug tone. “I wanted to let you know that I’m getting married in a month. In fact, several ladies are interested in dating me. I also discovered a stunning bombshell.

“Congratulations,” I said in a steady tone. I hung up after that.

That should be the end of it, I thought. However, I was having a rare single outing a few weeks later when I saw Dan across the street when I was strolling downtown. A woman was clutching his hand.

I didn’t give it much thought at first. I continued to walk, assuming it was his fiancée. However, they proceeded directly towards me after crossing the street.

My stomach dropped as they approached. It was CASSIE, one of my book club friends.

When she spotted me, her expression brightened. Her words, “Oh my gosh, hey!” drew Dan closer to me. “What a little world this is! I have a lot to share with you! I got engaged! The name of my fiancé is…”

I gritted my teeth. “Yes, Dan! I am aware.

Cassie’s smile wavered as she blinked. “Wait… you know each other?”

Dan had the appearance of wanting to vanish. His jaw tensed and he tightened his hold on her hand.

I remarked nonchalantly, “Oh, we go way back,”

Cassie’s confused and suspicious gaze flicked back and forth between us. “What does ‘go way back’ mean? How are you acquainted? Do you… know her, Dan?

Dan laughed apprehensively. “Cassie, it’s not important —”

“Oh, indeed! Not really significant. I interrupted him and said plainly, “He’s just my ex-husband.”

Cassie’s expression froze, and then she realised. Slowly, “Wait a second,” she said. “You mentioned the wallpaper tale at the book club, right? What about that fucking man? Is that him?

Her words lingered in the atmosphere. And that was all in Dan’s terrified face.

Cassie narrowed her eyes and turned to face him. “Oh my God… that was YOU?”

“Cassie, it’s not what you think —” Dan begged.

She yelled, “It’s exactly what I think,” “You purchased wallpaper and tore it off the walls of your children’s house? “Who does that?”

Dan said, “It was a long time ago,” with a halt. “It’s not a big deal.”

“Not a big deal?” Cassie withdrew her hand and snarled. “How about the falsehoods? The nasty ex-wife who fled your nation with your children? That she been unfaithful to you? Dan, you’re incredible. You’re a liar.

Her face softened as she turned to face me. “Nora, I’m very sorry. I didn’t know.”

Cassie turned back to Dan before I could reply. “You’re a dead giveaway. It’s unbelievable that I nearly got married to you.

Dan was left standing there, stunned, and gazing at the engagement ring she had just thrown at him when she abruptly left.

His face was a thundercloud of despair and rage as he looked at me. I simply gave a small smile and turned to leave. It was more than enough damage!

Jack asked me a question that warmed my heart that night as I was putting the kids to bed.

“Mom, remember when Dad took all the wallpaper?”

I stiffened, anticipating the agony in his tone. He shocked me instead.

He grinned and remarked, “I’m glad we got to pick out the new ones together,” “Those ancient flowers are not quite as cool as the dinosaurs in my room. “That wallpaper is all yours, Daddy!”

Emma excitedly gave a nod from her bed. “And my butterflies! They are the most beautiful thing ever.

As a family of three, I glanced around at our vibrant walls, which were now covered in papers we had selected together. Not the walls Dan had attempted to tear down, but the ones that told our new tale.

“You know what?” Pulling them both close, I said. “I think so too.”

I took away from that day a valuable lesson: sometimes seeking retribution is not necessary. Karma will serve justice with a dash of poetic irony if you just give it some time.