at his 60th birthday banquet my husband William Carter suddenly announced that he wanted to retire to the countryside with his first love everyone expected me to object but I agreed after Decades of failing to make him love me I decided to set him free however before he left I demanded that he leave with nothing after all most of the money in this household was earned by me William sneered all you care about is money he added I won't need money once I retire to the countryside I'll still live a comfortable life I thought he was
being incredibly naive his so-called Countryside retreat was nothing more than living in a cozy house occasionally growing some vegetables surrounded by friendly neighbors but in reality what awaited him was his family's old crumbling house that had been abandoned for years each morning he would wake up to endless Farm work an empty Village cockroaches and rats crawling everywhere and the risk of falling ill without access to proper Medical Care I'm leaving for the countryside this might be my last gathering with all of you I just want a peaceful life at his birthday banquet William declared excitedly
as if making a grand announcement the guests exchanged glances all wondering if something was wrong with him he was 60 years old and an ordinary office worker who had just retired 2 months ago with a monthly pension of $5,000 if he weren't my husband no one would have even attended this banquet his retirement life was already no different from a Countryside Retreat spending his days in my villa garden growing vegetables chatting with a few friends wasn't that already a peaceful life what more did he want and why did he have to make such a dramatic
announcement about it at his own birthday party William aren't you already living a Countryside Retreat I asked confused I pointed to the small vegetable garden in our Villa's backyard and the chicken Coupe beside it isn't this the life you wanted because of his obsession with growing vegetables I had to relocate several beautiful winter plums from my garden because of his desire to raise chickens I hired workers to build a chicken Coupe and even arranged for someone to teach him to take care of them wasn't that enough what else was he dissatisfied with it's not enough
I've decided to move back to my parents old home in the village William said confidently The Village but my business is in the city I can't leave for too long if you move there alone I'd be worried the roads are remote and the medical conditions aren't good if something happens to your health getting treatment would be difficult I frowned completely disagreeing with his decision how many people worked their entire lives just to escape a small rural Village and now he wanted to go back who said I was going with you Williams's voice was cold you
love making money so much then go spend your life with it I'm going with Linda he looked at me and said firmly she already agreed to it for years I St in this marriage for the sake of my parents for the children otherwise I would have divorced you long ago I've had enough I want to live for myself now I want to pursue my own happiness since we've been together for so many years I hope you won't try to stop me as he spoke his chest Rose and fell with agitation it was obvious these words
had been buried inside him for a long time he had been hiding his thoughts from me all these years unwilling or unable to say them out loud for various reasons but now his parents were gone our children were grown and I no longer had much value to him so now suddenly he remembered to live for himself where was this courage back when he had nothing where was this determination when our children were young and I was still young if he had told me back then that he didn't love me I would have agreed to a
divorce there was no need to waste Decades of my life turning our years together into a ridiculous joke my eyes stung with unshed tears as I looked at him William are you asking for a divorce yes Emily I want a divorce he said without hesitation in his eyes now that the children were grown and his parents had passed nothing was holding him back anymore he couldn't wait to break free from his wealthy business woman wife and live his so-called free life dad have you really thought this through if you leave with Aunt Linda there is
no place for you in this family anymore my daughter Sarah Carter saw that William was serious about going through with it and quickly tried to persuade him dad just admit you were wrong you and Mom have been together for over 30 years now you want to divorce her for another woman if it weren't for Mom you wouldn't be where you are today my son James Carter also hurried over to talk some sense into him even our children thought his decision was absurd but William simply scoffed I have done nothing wrong I want a divorce I
want to retire to the countryside I belong only to myself with that he boldly walked past the crowd and reached for Linda's hand who had been standing quietly in the corner William Linda looked up at him with teer eyes and immediately threw herself into his arms putting on a pitiful act like some delicate flower it was disgusting to watch and yet William ate it up completely I'm finally free from now on we will be together we will Retreat to the countryside and live the life we want he declared as if he was ready to take
on the whole world just for her I found it laughable the man I had loved for decades not only had no place for me in his heart but had apparently been clinging to his first love all this time for so many years I had given him the best life possible provided the best education for our children and ensured his parents could enjoy their old age without worries and yet in his eyes all of it was just a cage something that trapped him if someone doesn't love you even the good things you do for them become
burdens I once believed that if I gave him enough time if I treated him well enough he would eventually see my sincerity we had been married for over 30 years even a stone would have warmed by now but Williams heart was colder than Stone it was impossible to warm it he had only ever cared about Linda the same woman who had abandoned him all those years ago for another man to him every flaw Linda head was a virtue and to him every virtue I had was just another flaw maybe this marriage should have ended long
ago I raised my hand intending to slap him across the face but just as my hand hovered in the air I lowered it he wasn't worth it he wasn't worth my anger my energy or my dignity I took a deep breath and let Sarah and James support me as I sat down once I had calmed myself I looked at the two people standing together and said coldly As You Wish wek get a divorce William didn't show the slightest hint of guilt instead he cheerfully dragged a suitcase out from the storage room one he had clearly
packed in advance and tossed a divorce agreement in front of me sign it and we'll go to the courthouse to finalize the process I'm leaving with Linda this afternoon Sarah couldn't hold back anymore and grabbed his hand Dad if you really go through with this if you abandon mom for this woman then don't blame me for never recognizing you as my father again James immediately stood by her side I feel the same way if you betray mom then we're done with you thankfully I had raised my children well they didn't side with their father they
stood with me they had seen with their own eyes how hard my life had been over the years William hesitated when he looked at our children he could could ignore me but he wasn't completely indifferent to them sensing the hesitation in his heart Linda immediately clung to his arm her voice trembling as she began to cry William you can't waver now you promised me we would live in the countryside together I've been waiting for you all these years Linda's tears had always been Williams weakness the moment she started crying his expression hardened again he pointed
at me and snapped if there's nothing wrong with the divorce agreement just sign it already I don't have time to waste the nerve of him talking to me like that I wasn't going to indulge him anymore without hesitation I tore the divorce agreement into shreds right in front of everyone my voice was sharp and unforgiving you a cheating useless man who contributed nothing to this family you think you deserve half of everything built if you want a divorce fine but every scent in this house was earned by me you a freeloader will leave with nothing
William had never seen me treat him with the cold businesslike ruthlessness of a true entrepreneur his entire body shook with rage William always hated it when people said he was living off a woman but now those very words had come from my mouth confirming what had always been the truth he pointed a trembling finger at me struggling to find his words I have my own salary before I could respond Sarah let out a mocking laugh Dad your $5,000 salary isn't even enough to support yourself mom paid for everything Grandpa and Grandma's medical bills my and
James's tuition at International Schools you really haven't contributed much to this family William turned to James hoping for report but my son stood firmly by my side Dad I think Mom is right if you insist on divorcing her you should leave with nothing seeing that everyone was siding with me William was so angry he nearly lost his balance if not for Linda holding on to him he might have collapsed on the spot he finally let out a deep sigh fine I'll leave with nothing it doesn't matter I have my $5,000 salary I can live just
fine in the countryside with that he had barely finished speaking when Linda's expression darkened she was only with him for his money if not for that what else was she after his old age his declining Health his body that had long been worn down by stress and Illness but then I thought about it his best years whether willingly or not had already been spent with me now all that was left was a worn out shell of a man I looked at him and felt indifferent if someone wanted to pick up my trash then so be
it at least I wouldn't have to deal with his funeral arrangements in the future without wasting any more time I called my lawyer and had a new divorce agreement printed out in my study right then and there we both signed it from this moment on William Carter would walk away with nothing he signed without hesitation couldn't leave without throwing one last insult at our children you two are ungrateful traitors from now on I have no children with that he grabbed his suitcase and the car keys from the table ready to leave hold on I called
out William smirked thinking I was regretting my decision what you're changing your mind it's too late I'm leaving you no matter what I pointed at the suitcase and car keys in his hands that suitcase I bought it that car I bought it too don't take what doesn't belong to you his breath came in sharp gasps he had clearly not expected me to be this ruthless Linda pointed an accusing finger at me this is too much how are we supposed to get to the countryside without a car are we supposed to take a taxi I laughed
that sounds like your problem not mine seeing that I wouldn't back down William unwilling to lose face stormed back upstairs with his suitcase when he came back down he was holding nothing but a plastic bag through the thin material I could see a single old phone and a paycheck card not even his underwear or socks because those were all bought by me with forced dignity he declared from today on we have nothing to do with each other letun go finalize the divorce he then grabbed Linda's hand and left in disgrace since he no longer had
a car he had to walk a mile to the nearest bus stop before taking multiple transfers to get to the courthouse meanwhile I changed out of my gown reassured my guests and drove to the courthouse in Comfort with my children even after taking my time I still arrived before them growing impatient I had my butler call to check on them the answer made me laugh William hadn't taken public transportation in years and had gotten lost it would take him another 30 minutes to find his way a lifetime of being taken care of had made him
completely useless in the real world I couldn't help but Wonder was this man really capable of surviving a Countryside life with Linda nearly an hour later they finally arrived looking completely disheveled the paperwork was processed quickly though there was a mandatory waiting period the clerk informed us we would have to return in a month to finalize the divorce before leaving William glared at me just wait we're going to have the perfect Countryside life you'll be the one envying us I nearly burst out laughing did he really think I after living in wealth and comfort would
envy a man with no job no money and no future struggling to survive in the middle of nowhere he was living in a fantasy the idyllic Countryside life he imagined wasn't just sunshine and poetry it was hard labor endless inconveniences and the reality of being completely unprepared for the challenges ahead I couldn't wait to see him fail when I got home the first thing I did I turned to my children and said from today onward none of you are allowed to help him financially if I find out that you do I will revoke your inheritance
rights we might be family but I had to set the rules straight from the start I wasn't going to let this situation turn into some guilt written drama later Sarah and James looked surprised clearly not expecting me to be this serious even though they had sided with me today he was still their father I couldn't guarantee they wouldn't secretly help him out in the future Sarah understanding me best immediately spoke up Mom I swear I won't give him a single penny he needs to suffer for a while to understand how good he had it before
James also reassured me Mom don't worry I won't do anything stupid dad brought this upon himself just as we were speaking the butler approached me ma'am do you still want to keep the vegetable garden and chicken Coupe in the backyard I waved my hand dismissively those noisy chickens that made it impossible to sleep get rid of them tear down the garden to and move back the winter plums that were relocated after a moment's thought I added also check who brought Linda here today everyone knows she was Williams first love yet someone still had the audacity
to invite her to my house to humiliate me our family events are strictly invitation only no invitation no entry the butler was efficient in less than half an hour the vegetable garden was gone the chicken Coupe was dismantled and he had brought back security footage the video showed that Linda had been invited by Williams so-called friend Mr Lynn I immediately made a decision I remember our contract with Mr Lyn's company is about to expire no need to renew it I was sent sending a clear message anyone who helped William was choosing to be my enemy
from today onward no one in our Circle would lend William a hand if he were just an ordinary retiree his $5,000 monthly pension might be enough to live comfortably in the countryside but this was William someone who had spent his entire life living extravagantly that money wouldn't even last him a month sure enough by that afternoon I received a call from Miss Lee an acquaintance from our Social Circle Emily you won't believe this William and Linda came to my Supermarket to shop for supplies before heading to the countryside they loaded up their cart but when
it came time to pay he realized he didn't have enough money he actually had the nerve to ask me for a discount I chuckled and what did you say of course I told him no after all the things heun's done to you why would I help him what happened next well I heard that when he couldn't pay he tried to get Linda to cover it but she told him there was no need to buy such expensive blankets and silk pajamas for a Countryside life in the end they left empty-handed and went searching for a cheap
roadside shop hearing that I felt an immense sense of satisfaction thanks for letting me know I owe you a lunch and a game of poker sometimes William had been spoiled by the life I provided for him he was used to sleeping on Egyptian cotton sheets wearing pure silk pajamas and eating nothing but organic food now reality was about to teach him a hard lesson curious about how his new life in the countryside was going I reached out to the only person still living in his old village a local Bachelor known for having nothing better to
do I bought him a smartphone with a 5G plan and paid him generous fee to report back on William and Linda's situation every few days of course I told him not to interfere just to observe I didn't want to sabotage them I just wanted to know that they were suffering that alone was worth the money the very first day the man sent me a video he had secretly recorded the footage showed William and Linda exhausted and covered in dust carrying heavy bags as they finally reached his old village home after multiple bus transfers in a
long walk the moment William laid eyes on the house he froze half of it had collapsed the front door hung open revealing an interior stripped of furniture with wooden planks and Bricks scattered across the floor cobwebs covered every corner and the glass windows were completely shattered how was anyone supposed to live in this he clearly remembered that when he had left home at 17 the house had been in in perfect condition the furniture was intact and flowers had bloomed in the front yard but now the yard was overgrown with weeds and the inside was in
complete ruins William was dumbfounded Linda's face visibly darkened as well realizing she would have to live here long term she couldn't help but reach out and push William in frustration didn't you say your old home was warm and cozy this is it William hadn't expected did things to look this bad he turned to the first person he saw in the village the local Bachelor I had hired excuse me where is all the furniture in my house was my place robbed the bachelor cigarette hanging from his lips chuckled and said your parents gave everything away to
the villagers when they left over a decade ago they said they'd never return to this place the windows probably some board kid smashed them and the roof well that's what happens when you don't maintain a house a lot of the old homes around here have collapsed Williams first thought was to track down his lost Furniture do you know which houses they were moved to the man smirked I'm the only one still living in this Village everyone else moved away long ago there's no one left to ask that house of yours it's completely unlivable if you
want I can rent you my nephew's Place William hesitated renovating his old home would cost a fortune and he didn't have that kind of money he had no choice but to check out the rental when he and Linda arrived they found a plain cement house inside the furniture was not only ancient but also covered in mold the entire Place Rak of dampness and Decay their first instinct was to leave but this Village was too remote there were no other rental options the abandoned houses were in even worse condition completely unfit for living in the end
he had no choice but to accept William asked the man for a price The Bachelor grinned dollar1 comma 2 200 a month Williams jaw nearly Hit the Floor are you robbing me you're charging $1,200 for this dump The Bachelor Shrugged take it or leave it you could always go back to the city There Are Places there for $1500 but William had made a grand declaration about retreating to the countryside if he turned back now he'd lose face he glanced at Linda who was already looking restless and clenched his teeth fine but paying rent didn't mean
they could move in immediately the house was filthy and it would take at least 2 days to clean scrub and air it out until then they had to stay at the bachelor's Place according to my Butler's report The Bachelor was a notorious slob his home was packed with garbage and the stench was unbearable by the time those two days were over both William and Linda had developed dark circles under their eyes from lack of sleep and because of his high blood pressure William nearly fainted while cleaning the rental house yet even after all that he
stubbornly clung to his fantasy of a Countryside Retreat Linda had already argued with him multiple times insisting that life here was too inconvenient and that they should return to the city but every time William sweet talked her into staying but soon a new problem arose they had to eat the seeds they bought weren't going to sprout overnight and the chicks they purchased wouldn't lay eggs anytime soon meanwhile the groceries they had brought were running out fast desperate they borrowed the bachelor's tricycle and made a difficult trip to town barely managing to buy 10 lbs of
rice that's when William realized he was out of money his $5,000 monthly pension had already been spent between rent daily Necessities a few changes of clothes and Linda's Cosmetics his bank account had dried up within days Linda finally had enough enough William why are we doing this to ourselves let's stop being so stubborn and go back to the city I'll return to my retirement home and you can go back to your wife Linda had been living in a senior facility fully funded by her son but after she chose to leave with William her son Cut
Her Off he refused to let his money support a man like William William was Furious you're the one who wanted this Countryside life I gave up everything for you and now you want to go back you're betraying our love Linda knew she was in the wrong but she simply couldn't endure a life without money after thinking for a while she came up with a compromise my son works in video production how about we let him film our Countryside Retreat if we make money from it we can afford to live here at first William refused he
thought broadcasting their daily struggles was humiliating is this still considered a retreat to the countryside William didn't like the idea of filming their daily lives but he was more afraid of Linda leaving him so in the end he reluctantly agreed Linda's son was quite capable he quickly set up an online presence for them promoting their simple Countryside Love Story using carefully edited footage he portrayed the as an old couple deeply in love living a peaceful picturesque life the videos showed them waking up at sunrise working the land and sharing meals under the Setting Sun their
good looks and affectionate interactions soon attracted a loyal fanus viewers started calling them the ideal example of true love when I heard about this I couldn't help but laugh this was his so-called Countryside Retreat what a joke everything was staged and scripted instead of truly embracing Rural Life they were busy maintaining a fake online image but to my surprise their videos actually made them some real money when Sarah found out she immediately asked me Mom do you want me to expose them I can reveal the truth and ruin their reputation overnight I shook my head
not yet let them have their moment the higher they climb the harder they'll fall because I let them be none of my contacts or family members interfered without anyone calling them out they assumed they were in the clear at first William was awkward in front of the camera leaving Linda to do most of the talking she would reminisce about how they met when they were young how they fell in love while William simply kept his head down doing farm work in the background occasionally he would pick some fruit and hand and feed Linda adding A
Touch of Romance but once they started accepting brand deals and sponsorships seeing the steady stream of money flowing into their account William got carried away to attract more viewers he started publicly declaring his love for Linda I owe her too much from my youth returning to the countryside is my way of making it up to her and giving her the life she deserves Linda would respond sweetly calling him her dear husband saying having you is my greatest blessing seeing that the moment was right I had my people start leaving comments in their Liv stream the
two of you seem so happy do you have children William immediately thought of Sarah and James who had cut ties with him his eyes flickered with hesitation and he was about to say no when Linda pointed at the man filming them that's our son she said with a bright smile my people knew how to stir the pot he doesn't look like a grandfather are you sure he's really your son William had no choice but to nod he couldn't exactly say no my real children disowned me because I cheated on their mother that would ruin the
Perfect Image they had built but one lie always leads to another from then on he had to act even more affectionate toward Linda's son on camera constantly referring to him as my boy and playing the role of a devoted father figure until the moment everything collapsed Sarah decisive as always made her move she publicly exposed William providing Hotel records proving he had been cheating on me with Linda while we were still married she also released the video where William himself declared that he had cut ties with his real children for Linda that was the final
nail in the coffin William was now known all over the internet as an Unfaithful selfish old man Linda once praised as a devoted lover was now nothing more than the home wrecker who ruined a family their dream of profiting from their Countryside retreat was completely shattered the internet exploded without outrage so this isn't some beautiful love story it's just a disgusting Affair he keeps saying he owes this old woman but what about his wife did she mean nothing to him he abandoned his own kids but calls his mistress's son his own this guy is unbelievable
report him as the backlash grew many viewers who had purchased products through their sponsorships demanded refunds Brands started pulling out and suppliers came knocking demanding compensation for lost sales to make matters worse their social media accounts were eventually banned from the platform Linda's son sensing the situation was beyond saving stopped filming for them altogether whatever little money they had just earned was now completely wiped out by refunds and penalties with no other source of income William was back to surviving on his $5,000 monthly pension at the start of each month he would rush to withdraw
his money but it was never enough he had rent to pay medication to buy and Linda had her own demands she needed winter clothes beauty treatments and other expenses the money disappeared quickly and soon the two of them were fighting over who was spending more one cold morning Linda finally had enough she packed her bags and without a word took a bus back to the city to live with her son she had abandoned William just like she had decades ago now in that small rundown Countryside house William was completely alone Sarah came to me a
mischievous smile on her lips mom since Dad wanted to retire to the countryside so badly let's make sure he gets exactly what he wanted no distractions no complications just pure Countryside living I was quite pleased with her idea as a reward I gifted her a set of my treasured jewelry when James returned home and saw that I had given Sarah the jewelry he looked a bit upset mom my girlfriend really liked that set Why didn't you wait before giving it away I smiled knowingly James might have outwardly supported me but deep down he was just
like his father always scheming for his own benefit I pulled out a stack of documents and tossed them in front of him I think I've warned you before I told you to stay away from your father but you didn't listen and now you dare ask me for jewelry think carefully about how you are going to explain yourself to me faced with undeniable evidence James finally admitted I only helped him a little I saw that his influencer career was picking up and I didn't want to see him struggle too much in his old age I just
hired some fake followers to boost his numbers Mom I'm still on your side I shook my head unmoved from the moment you chose to betray me for him we were destined to go our separate ways I had warned him not to help William but he refused to listen everything that happened to William was entirely his own doing I immediately revoked James's position in the company and withdrew the properties that were about to be transferred to his name he had lived too comfortably for too long if he wanted to betray me then he could go out
into the world and fend for himself I thought James would run to the countryside to live with his father but he was smarter than that he learned his lesson quickly and cut ties with with William in an instant he repeatedly assured me that he would never have anything to do with his father again every day he called me to apologize but I didn't waver he had always relied on me as his safety net now that I had cut him off he had no choice but to experience the real world like any ordinary young man submitting
resumes going to interviews struggling for a stable job his girlfriend seeing that he had lost my financial support immediately left him for a wealthy Heir 2 months later I heard news about William again apparently he had been losing sleep for days because of the rats scurrying around his rental house at night the stress poor living conditions and lack of Medical Care led to a sudden stroke because the village was too remote he couldn't get help in time by the time he was taken to the hospital he was already partially paralyzed none of his relatives wanted
to help him they were all afraid of offending me desperate he turned to James for help James immediately blocked his number William then reached out to Linda hoping she would take care of him out of old feelings her response was heartless and direct I don't have time for this I'm busy meeting new suitors you're on your own after all Linda had only ever been after his money she had no interest in spending her days nursing a disabled man with no one to care for him William tried to hire a caretaker the cheapest option was $3,500
a month if he paid for that he wouldn't have enough left for rent or medicine it was at this moment that James finally realized how wrong he had been he called me several times but I had already blocked him he tried to contact me through mutual acquaintances but no one dared to get involved a few days later William passed away in a hospital Corridor alone and forgotten the local community office handled his cremation on the day of his cremation I didn't go neither did my children it was as if he had never existed no one
mourned him no one remembered him meanwhile I continued to enjoy my fulfilling retirement as for the company I officially handed it over to my daughter she was no longer Sarah Carter she had changed her name to Sarah Jong taking my surname instead as for James he now lived like any ordinary man working dating struggling growing I had no intention of interfering in his life nor would I ever offer him a helping hand again and Linda Williams death didn't affect her in the slightest she continued scheming in her retirement home flirting with elderly men hoping to
marry rich but after sleeping around the entire senior community she failed to find a wealthy benefactor instead she ended up Contracting several nasty diseases not long after she passed away as well A fitting end for the both of them
