Gone Again
Mariah couldn't believe it, her companion was gone again. She sprinted outside to look for her but there was no sign of her dog. She felt a knot twist in her stomach. She had to be somewhere.
Her dog just disappeared out of thin air. It didn't make any sense. She installed cameras on her property to figure out what was going on. But things would only get worse from there.
Mariah
Mariah was going through a terrible month. The 42-year-old's dog had vanished out of thin air and she didn't know where to turn.
He had recently divorced her husband of 15 years and had a terrible messy battle in court. But she had no idea that things weren't done just yet.
A Tough Time
Mariah tried everything she could to repair her marriage but it just wasn't in the cards for them. There was no way that they could have fixed things when her husband wasn't willing.
The couple were unhappy for a number of years and frequently fought about arbitrary things. Mariah knew they had to divorce but still felt terrible about it. She took comfort in her two dogs, they were like her children.
Her Companions
Mariah had two adorable French bulldogs that she loved as much as she would her own children. They got all of her love and affection.
So the morning she woke to find that her fluffy babies were gone she was beyond heartbroken. They had never done anything like this before, she called the authorities hopefully.
Putting Up Posters
They couldn't help her much and just gave her standard advice - put up missing posters and ask residents if they'd seen them.
Half a year went by with no sign of her beloved dogs. She slowly accepted that she probably would never see them again. But then she heard something on the other side of her door.
Crying
She opened the door to find Cindy, one of her dogs! She started crying at the sight of her baby and picked her up in her arms. Cindy looked really good, like she was being taken care of, what was going on?
Where had Cindy been for six months? And more importantly, where was Bell, her other dog. Mariah slept a whole lot easier that evening but she had no idea it would all start again.
Happened Again
When Mariah woke up the next day her Cindy was gone again. But she made sure that all of the doors and windows were locked. What was happening?
How did Cindy leave the house? She ran into the street to look for her but there was no sign of her. She decided to put up cameras in the hopes of finding them again.
Camera Installation
A company set her cameras up for her. It was also for security since without her dogs she felt extra vulnerable as a woman living alone. But she had no idea what the cameras would capture.
After a month of looking for her dogs, Mariah heard the door yet again. She ran to it and melted at who was on the other side.
One More Time
Cindy sat on the other side of the door yet again. She hugged her tighter than ever and immediately went to the pet store to get a crate for her.
She would never let Cindy out of her sight again. She still looked really well maintained but how? Mariah soon started to get a clearer picture of what was going on, and she didn't like it.
Sound Of Silence
But once again she woke up to the sound of silence. Her dog was missing and she had no idea how. Did the neighbors have something to do with this?
Now, she was confused as ever. She looked at the empty cage and raced around the house. How? Suddenly, Mariah remembered the cameras she installed. Her mind raced as she opened the screen.
A Stranger
Mariah ran to her laptop, found last night’s footage, and hit play. She sat on the edge of her seat as she hit fast forward. Suddenly, movement popped into her screen.
With absolute horror, she watched as a man opened her front door with a key and exited moments later with Cindy nestled calmly into his arms. Then she saw his face.
Her Ex-Husband
Mariah was fuming. Her dogs weren’t running away, they were kidnapped! She watched as her ex-husband took out a key to her front door and entered her house while she was fast asleep.
She was in complete shock. How could he do this? He knew the one thing she loved more than life itself were her dogs. What was he thinking?
Putting The Pieces Together
The house Mariah now lives in used to belong to both of them, but since the divorce, it was now hers. She still hadn’t changed the locks and he obviously still had a key.
Mariah had no idea where he was living now, but after talking to his family, she learned that he had moved into a house a few blocks down her street. Mariah stormed down the street.
Confrontation
She thumped on his door. He opened it, shocked to have seen her and to have been caught red-handed. According to her ex-husband, he brought the dogs home from the shelter, so he owned them.
But the court had already ruled they were Mariah’s. The dogs both ran out from behind her ex-husband and leaped into her arms. They were delighted to see her. Then she called the cops.
Happy Ever After
Mariah wasted no time in giving her ex-husband an official warning from the authorities to not try this again. She headed home with her beloved babies, happier than ever.
Although she was livid at her ex-husband for doing that, she was thankful that the dogs had been well looked after and were completely unharmed. But Mariah wasn’t the only woman to butt heads with an ex after a divorce.
The Sad End
Emma Ramsey had been married for seven years before it came crashing down. The divorce had been long and nasty, and unlike Mariah, Emma didn't get the house despite being the one who poured her heart out to turn it into a home.
Still, she accepted her lot and moved on. But what her husband, Brody, would do to her would turn her into a monster she never knew she could be.
Back In The Day
Emma met Brody in her last year of college, and even then, knew she was meant to build a life with him. He was sweet and caring, with a body meant for Greek gods and a mind to rival some of the best thinkers of this age.
She was pursuing a creative writing degree then, which most people had discouraged her from. But that wasn't the case with Brody.
A Supportive Friend
In his six-foot, sculpted body, Brody egged Emma to continue chasing her dream. She'd told him how she wanted to be an acquisitions editor in one of the biggest publishing houses in the world.
Unlike everyone Emma had ever opened up to about her career dreams, Brody didn't scoff or look at her like she'd lost her mind. He nodded with interest, bought her books, and accompanied her to book conventions. It was clear that he was meant for her.
The Next Step
The two friends turned into lovers a few months after knowing each other. Emma had no idea that such a harmless decision would land her on an altar with Brody smiling down at her.
The wedding was beyond perfect, and life was great for the first few years of marriage. But it wasn't long before trouble came knocking.
Having Kids
The issues between Emma and Brody revolved around a sensitive subject, the point of having kids. The two had been trying for years now with nothing to show for their efforts.
The doctors had assured them that they were both healthy, advising them to be patient. But as the years continued counting, Brody turned venomous.
Their Fights
Emma and Brody had countless fights in their house. But these conflicts weren't anything an apology, food, and soothing bath couldn't fix.
But one day, Brody changed. There was no fight to instigate the change in him and no significant life event to cause such a drastic shift in his personality. Emma knew something was wrong.
Her Home
Emma and Brody had bought a house after getting married, an excellent fixer-upper that Emma went through hell and high water to turn into a home.
As someone who worked primarily from home, she needed a warm and cozy space, somewhere she could snuggle up with a manuscript and feel at home. She had no clue that she would lose the house one day.
He's Changed
Unlike Emma, who worked from home, Brody had an office job he commuted to every morning. He had just gotten a promotion with a bigger office and a secretary.
But a few weeks after his promotion, he began being distant. He was cold toward his wife, not even greeting her when he got home in the evening. Emma had to get to the bottom of whatever was happening.
Statistics
Emma knew the statistics about divorced couples in America. She didn't want to end up in that number, given how deeply she loved her husband.
But her investigation landed her on a finding that left her in tears. The love of her life, who had promised never to hurt her, wasn't faithful to the vows he shared at the altar. Emma was devastated.
The Divorce
The divorce that followed was ugly and painful. The whole experience was even more heartbreaking because Emma had tried everything to save their marriage.
When Emma discovered that Brody's new secretary was the woman on the other side, she pulled the plug on everything. The couple spent the next few months going back and forth about divorce settlements. Emma hoped she'd get the house but didn't. But it was far from over.
The Positive Things
Emma had gotten a few things from the settlement to wipe the bitter tears from her eyes. Her career was also booming, another reason for her to keep smiling.
She went to the house to see which of her belongings she would carry away. She'd decided to focus on the positive things in life. But she found Brody and his girlfriend waiting for her. Hell was about to break loose.
They're Home
Brody and his girlfriend, Rachelle, ridiculed Emma, telling her to be gone by the next day. Rachelle said she wanted to move in by the end of the week and didn't want to see any trace of Emma.
Emma smiled as the two barraged her with insults. She'd hoped to leave quietly, but she would teach them a lesson they would never forget.
Collecting Her Things
Emma told Brody she would come the next day to take all her things. True to her word, she came with two moving trucks and got everything she owned out of the house.
After packing, she cooked herself a last meal: creamy shrimp and scallops with linguine and white wine. She ate and cleaned after herself, heavy with emotion. But as she was packing the utensils she'd used, an idea arose: revenge.
The Curtain Rods
Emma stuffed the leftover shrimp into the curtain rods of every room in the house. She left with a grin, knowing Brody wouldn't know what was happening.
Rachelle moved into the house as planned, but by then, the shrimp in the curtain rods had gone bad, stinking up the entire house. The first phase of Emma's plan was taking place.
The Bad Smell
Brody and Rachelle couldn't pinpoint the source of the bad smell. They spent thousands of dollars cleaning the house repeatedly. But in the end, they put it on the market for a throwaway price.
Emma, who had been eyeing the house, was the first to jump at the opportunity.
Disclaimer: To protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental. She bought the place and cleaned the curtain rods. Her sharp mind had gotten her home back.