Honestly, all I wanted was to have my grilled calamari and garlic bread. And sit back, sipping wine while my colleagues and I catch up on our lives. But it turned out I got way more than I ordered for lunch.

It started innocently enough. I was strolling into our regular lunch spot with my co-workers, a bunch of married individuals ready to complain about our spouses and the cases we were working on. I was blissfully unaware of the whirlwind waiting for me.

We sat at the table reserved for us, and when I was seated, I looked around. Is that something that all lawyers do? Look to see if any of their clients or previous clients are around?

Anyway, when I looked up, I saw him. My husband, Tom, who was supposed to be on a business trip — was only scheduled to return later that evening. But there he sat, with a cup of coffee and a plate of nachos in front of him. He was typing away on his phone with a mysterious smile.

Who on earth was this man talking to, if not me? And what was up with that smile? The last time I saw that smile was when he surprised me with a weekend away for our anniversary about five years ago.

My mind, ever the overdramatic over-thinker, instantly became a detective. I sat there, listening to my colleagues order their drinks while envisioning catching Tom red-handed with another woman who was bound to stroll in to meet him.

I watched Tom for a while. He was oblivious the entire time. I could see that his focus was on that phone. When the waiter brought my wine, I sipped it while ignoring my colleagues’ chatter. After a few more minutes, an unknown man walked into the restaurant and handed Tom an envelope.

What in the secret rendezvous is this? I thought to myself. Is this man doing something illegal?

I got up then, moving to the other side of the table to get a better view of whatever Tom was taking out of the envelope. I picked the menu, trying to shield myself as best I could while still trying to see.

It was photos of me. I couldn’t see things perfectly, but my green coat and hair were unmistakable. I took a discreet picture of Tom and his companion, hoping to capture the evidence I might need later.

Moving on, that was just the beginning of the story. Turns out that the unknown man was a private investigator who was part of Tom’s elaborate plan in trying to catch me with a colleague to frame me as a cheater.

Why?

Because we had a clause in our prenuptial contract stating that if one of us cheated in the marriage, it would immediately end in a divorce, and they would be left with absolutely nothing. Tom wanted to orchestrate this plan so that I would be caught and he would get everything.

The punchline? Tom was already cheating on me, and he wanted everything from the divorce to begin his new life with her.

I was beside myself with rage and betrayal. But I wanted to let him play out his little game. Tom filed for divorce a week or so after that unfortunate lunch. I was sure he felt triumphant, thinking he had all the evidence he needed to get the big payout.

But he didn’t know that the courtroom was about to become the stage for a showdown between us both.

He presented his carefully crafted narrative, running his hands through his hair the entire time. It was an annoying habit of his, but he thought it made him charming. I sat quietly, waiting for his performance to be over.

Then, it was my time.

I presented all my counter-evidence with confidence. The courtroom was my playground; I had no reason to be anything less than bold.

Tom’s plan had backfired spectacularly, and I knew Karma had taken over.

I walked away from the courtroom, head held high, realizing I was alone and had gotten exactly what I wanted. But the best thing about it all was the fact that Tom’s web of lies had unraveled on its own.

Yes, I was alone now. But I emerged from the other side stronger, wiser, and free from a toxic marriage that seemed to be built on the foundation of lies.

And this was just a lunch date with work colleagues. And you know? I didn’t even get my calamari and garlic bread.

If you were in my situation, what would you have done?

Here’s another story about a couple with secrets: Corporate lawyer Josh champions double standards in marriage only to confront the repercussions of his toxic beliefs. He has found a mistress online to escape his boring wife, but his actions come back to bite him when his secret lover’s identity is revealed…