I paid for his medical degree for 6 years, then he divorced me — until the judge opened my envelope

I even got my hair done at a real salon. Not an expensive one, but nice enough. I felt like myself again. No, that’s not right.

I felt like a better version of myself. Stronger, clearer, more sure of who I was and what I deserved. Maggie met me for coffee to celebrate my dean’s list achievement.

We sat in a little cafe near campus, and she couldn’t stop smiling at me. «Look at you,» she said. «Grace Morrison, college student and future business mogul.»

I laughed. «I don’t know about mogul, but I’m thinking about getting my MBA eventually. Maybe starting something of my own someday.»

«You will. I know you will.» She stirred her coffee, then looked at me seriously. «How are you feeling? Really?»

I thought about it for a moment. «Honestly, better than I have in years. For so long, I measured my worth by what I could do for Brandon. By how much I could sacrifice. How much I could give up. How small I could make myself so he could be big.»

I took a breath. «And when he left, I thought I had nothing. But I was wrong.» I looked down at my hands, still a little rough but healing. «I had myself. I just forgot that mattered.»

Walking home from the cafe, I passed Metropolitan Elite Hospital. Through the big glass windows, I could see doctors and nurses moving through the lobby. Somewhere in there, Brandon was working, wearing his white coat, looking successful from the outside.

I stopped for just a moment. Not because I missed him. Not because I was angry. I stopped because I realised I felt nothing.

No pain. No bitterness. No longing for what we used to have. Just peace. Just freedom.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. An email from the university. I’d been awarded a scholarship for non-traditional students who’d overcome hardship to return to education. Full tuition for next year.

I smiled, put my phone away, and kept walking toward my apartment. Toward my future. Toward a life where I was finally investing in myself instead of someone who didn’t deserve it.

I spent six years building someone else’s dream. Now it was time to build my own. And this time, the foundation was solid.

Because it was built on my own worth, not someone else’s approval. That was enough. That was everything.