Hudson tried to use guilt and indignation to change my mind, but I simply told him that his family was falling apart because of his own deception. When he applied to banks for a loan, he was rejected because his businesses were failing and he was burdened with personal debts he had hidden from everyone.
The house eventually went on the market in April and a real estate agent arrived to take photos of the garden and the pool. It sold in just over a month to a doctor named Henderson who was moving to the area for work.
The sale proceeds were used to pay off the mortgage and my entire debt before Hudson received the small amount that remained. We met at the closing office where the atmosphere was cold and the silence between us was heavy with the weight of our failed marriage.
Beulah followed me to the parking lot after the signing and asked if I had known it would all end this way. I told her that I had only expected Hudson to fulfill his legal obligations so that we could both move on with our lives.