Disclaimer: In Real Life is a platform for everyday people to share their experiences and voices. This article is a personal story and does not necessarily echo the sentiments of In Real Life.
This story is about a woman who was able to get a settlement of over 10 million ringgit from her cheating ex-husband.
I was, by every means, a dutiful housewife to my husband and our 3 kids. We got married when I was 27, and were together for a total of 21 years before I found out that he had cheated on me, with a 21 year old.
I just turned 50, and I’m happy to say that he has paid for everything he has done to me. The two decades of sacrifice that I have given to him to build the family of his dreams, has come crashing down, and I have collected my debts.
For 21 years, we were a perfect family
For 21 years, I was a dedicated wife and mother, raising our three kids and keeping our family together. My husband and I tied the knot when I was 27. Our life wasn’t perfect, but like most couples, we shared love and tackled the occasional challenges together.
He provided for us well—our kids had the best private education, and since 2010, we have enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle as expats in Dubai. From the outside, everything seemed perfect.
Like any other couple around the corner, we were happy with the occasional problems. We tackled them together and for the most part he was good to me.
“My husband and I were separated due to the pandemic”
Come 2020 when the pandemic hit, I moved back as soon as I was allowed to, to be around my family. I was worried that my old parents wouldn’t make it and I did not want to be stuck in another country if anything were to happen.
My ex-husband stayed back in Dubai because his work required him to. Our relationship was a long-distance one and I did not worry as I knew him to be a loyal husband. I was wrong.
A year later, he approached me, saying that he wanted to separate. This came out of the blue and needless to say, I lost my shit.
After hours upon hours of interrogation, I find out that he has met someone. A young, 21 year old “Instagram” personality.
There was no doubt in my mind, she was only after his money. I pleaded, begged, talked options but it seemed like his mind was made up. He left for Dubai soon after for work. He only asked to separate, but not a divorce.
“I wasn’t going to take my husband’s infidelity lying down”
It was then that I decided, I’m not going to let this happen to me, and I would be proactive. I started contacting divorce lawyers after divorce lawyers. I talked to everyone that was able to help me and started gathering evidence.
I managed to get into his iCloud account and gmail and found evidence going back months prior. Texts, pictures, bank transactions. I gathered every evidence I could, going as far back as 10 years ago, when we first started having troubles. I hired my lawyer and we got to work.
By the time my beloved husband came home again for the Christmas visit, I slapped him with divorce papers and a settlement agreement.
“I demanded for half his EPF, our house, two properties we owned, all of our gold & safe deposit valuables, including half of his stocks & shares and a monthly alimony of RM10,000.”
All in all it was worth over 10 million ringgit. I wanted him to pay for betraying me.
After I handed him the divorce papers, my husband tried to get out of paying for the settlement.
He called on his team of lawyers to disprove my evidence. They attempted to dismantle my case piece by piece, offering dubious explanations for his bank transactions.
One of their ploys involved inventing a fake company under which he claimed the suspicious transactions were merely business expenses. It was a convoluted lie, and I knew I needed more than the basic evidence I had collected.
With my legal team, I managed to trace these fabricated transactions and prove they didn’t lead back to any legitimate business entity.
“He tried to plant evidence of me cheating on him, but it was quickly thrown out in court.”
His second move was to plant fabricated evidence against me, hoping to discredit me in court.
He tried to make it appear as though I had been unfaithful, creating fake WhatsApp messages with a supposed lover.
But I wasn’t about to let his deception ruin me. I called on a digital forensic expert who quickly uncovered the signs of forgery, and his poorly crafted scheme fell apart in front of the lawyers.
His desperation made me realise that he thought I would back down or settle for less, but I refused to be intimidated. I had come too far to let him walk away without facing the consequences of his betrayal.
I won the settlement and now I have half of what we had
Despite his attempts to destroy my evidence and discredit me, I held my ground. I stayed calm and focused, relying on my lawyer’s guidance and my own resilience.
In the end, I won. He doesn’t have much left – except half his EPF, his monthly salary until he retires in a year, and no house to live in. I’m proud I fought for myself at the end.
After 20+ years of slaving away for the sake of the family, I was disgusted with the way he treated me, and I am happy to say that I will be taken care of in the future.
If you call me a gold digger, it only means you’ve never been in my position – 3 kids, no job and 20 years out of the job market. I did what I had to do to survive.
Have a personal life experience to share?
Submit your story and be heard.
Email us at hello@inreallife.my and you may be featured on In Real Life Malaysia.
Also read: 5 Honest Truths About Marriage After 30 Years Together
More from Real Relationships
“It’s Been 1500 Days Since My Husband Touched Me,” Shares M’sian Woman Trapped in a Loveless Marriage
This story is about a woman trapped in a loveless marriage with a husband who has not been intimate with …
“My Wife Told Me She Cheated On Me 15 Years Ago With Her Boss,” Shares Devastated Family Man
This story is about a husband whose wife’s unexpected confession of an affair from 15 years ago shattered his peace …
5 Stories of Pets Whose Spirits Stayed With Their Owners After They Had Passed Away
These personal stories are about the unusual, explanation-defying experiences of pet owners who lost their beloved pets, but somehow ‘felt’ …
