James tried to come to my workplace to talk about all this, really beg me to help fix his reputation. Security didn’t even let him in the building. Apparently, his scene in the lobby is now on our office’s security-camera greatest-hits reel.
I did something kind of petty yesterday. I changed all our streaming passwords one by one while watching his Ring camera notifications blow up as he tried to access each account. Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, even his precious ESPN+. By the third notification, I was actually giggling.
His dream car, that Tesla Model 3 he leased to impress Aurora, way above our budget, by the way, got repossessed this morning from the parking lot of the Motel 6 where he’s been staying since Aurora kicked him out of their apartment. I watched it all happen from the Dunkin’ drive-through across the street. Didn’t plan to be there, just stopped for coffee on my way to work. Sometimes the universe just hands you these moments.
Edit one: Yes, I’m still keeping copies of everything for the divorce proceedings.
Edit two: No, I won’t share Aurora’s TikTok username. This isn’t about creating more drama.
Fourth update.
I wasn’t planning on writing another update, but some things happened recently that feel like a proper ending to this story.
It’s been 6 months since James left, calling me his useless wife. The divorce is finally official. No dramatic courtroom showdown, just paperwork and lawyers in a bland office. James looked rough, wearing the same Nordstrom dress shirt he used to brag about, but now it was wrinkled and a bit tight. Seems like his fitness-influencer lifestyle with Aurora didn’t last.
Here’s where it gets interesting. Remember all those expense reports he was faking? His company didn’t press charges or anything dramatic. They just did the corporate equivalent of a shrug, withheld his last paycheck and bonuses, blacklisted him from future employment, and moved on. Turns out big companies don’t like public drama any more than necessary.
Aurora left him last month. Not with a bang or a viral TikTok. She just moved back to her parents’ place in the suburbs. Apparently, life gets less exciting when your boyfriend can’t afford Cheesecake Factory dates anymore. She tried messaging me on Instagram to explain her side, but I just left her on read. Some things don’t need closure.
James is now renting a room in a shared house across town. His Tesla got repossessed, no surprise there, and he’s driving a beat-up Honda, the same kind of car he used to mock me for wanting to buy because it was too basic.