**Diary Entry**
I never thought Id see the day when James would walk out on me. Not like this. He stood in the doorway with nothing but a duffel bag, as if he were off to the gym, not ending a decade of marriage.
No point leaving you the keys, he said, voice casual, like he was mentioning the weather.
Charlotte kept her tone steady, though inside, everything had frozen solid. What do you mean, no point?
The flats going to cover the debts, Lottie. *Our* debts.
She scoffed. *Your* debts. That ridiculous crypto schemeI warned you it was a bubble. I showed you the numbers.
He smirked, and that smirk stung worse than a slap. We spent that money together. Maldives, remember? Fairs fair.
A thick folder thudded onto the kitchen table, papers spilling over the napkin holder from their honeymoon.
Lawyers say youve got a week before the bailiffs come.
Charlotte didnt cry. She just stared, heavy with contempt. A week? Thats all?
Im setting you free, he said, adjusting the cufflinks shed bought him last Christmas. With her, I can *breathe*. With you suffocating. Always your spreadsheets, your plans. Dull, Lottie.
He didnt mention she was twenty-three, or that her father was the investor hed been grovelling to. He didnt admit his business was sinking.
Right, Charlotte said, pushing the papers aside. Get out.
No tears, no scenejust cold dismissal. James almost looked disappointed. Hed rehearsed for drama, needed her weakness to justify himself.
The door clicked shut.
She stood in the wreckage, then called her brother. Eddie, I need help. Not troublea fresh start.
Eddie arrived within the hour, flipping through the documents with a grimace. He set you up. Half these loans are in your name.
I trusted him.
Trust isnt an excuse for recklessness, Eddie snapped, then sighed. Whats this fresh start?
Charlotte opened her laptop. *Verde Farms*vertical agriculture systems. Patented tech, 30% energy reduction. All I need is capital.
Eddie scanned the slides. Why didnt you say anything?
When? He treated every idea of mine as a threat.
Ill invest, Eddie decided. Thirty percent stake. First, hire a solicitor. No contact with James unless its through them.
Three days later, in a cramped rented office, the solicitor filed for bankruptcy protection. James called. She declined. His follow-up text*Need you to sign a few more papers*went straight to the solicitor.
*Another loan. Dont engage.*
She blocked him. That night, unpacking boxes, she found their wedding album. Two smiling faces. Hed only ever seen a reflection of what she provided. Without hesitation, she tossed it in the bin.
Eight months later, *Verde Farms* was thriving. High-end restaurants clamoured for her urban-grown produce. Meanwhile, Jamess empire crumbledhis would-be father-in-law saw through him, withdrawing support.
Then Eddie called, furious. James rang. Claims *Verde*s a front. Sent forged bank statements.
Charlotte exhaled. Enough. Eddie, lend me your cybersecurity chap. Ive a hunch.
Two days later, the proof landed on her desk: James had run a Ponzi scheme, scamming his fiancées fathers circle. She leaked it discreetly.
The fallout was swift. James sold everything to repay his victims. His company dissolved. The girl vanished.
A year later, he stood shivering at a bus stop. A sleek electric car glided to a haltCharlotte, suited, confident, on the phone. She didnt even glance his way.
The car pulled away. James finally understood: hed thought hed given her freedom. In truth, hed freed her *from* himself.
Two years on, *Verde Farms* expanded across Europe. At Heathrow, scrolling news, Charlotte spotted James in a valets uniform at a society wedding. No flicker of feeling. Just a blurred memory.
Eddie rang later. Hows Germany treating you?
Well conquer it yet, she laughed. Ever regret backing my little garden?
Only that I didnt make you ditch that tosser sooner. You were always brilliant. He was just a roadblock.
Not a roadblock, Charlotte mused. A cracked mirror. Had to shatter it to see myself clearly.
Revenge wasnt his ruinit was the day she stopped caring.
**Lesson learned:** The best vengeance isnt their downfallits your rise. And sometimes, the worst betrayals gift you the greatest freedom.
