After finishing my meal, I scheduled a medical check-up for the next day.

Over the past few years, I had been making money at the expense of my health. I earned a decent amount, but my body was falling apart.

In this new life, I just wanted to take care of myself and avoid repeating the same mistakes.

Soon, the check-up results came in.

The palpitations and fainting were caused by long-term sleep deprivation and a stomach ulcer from an unhealthy diet. I was also diagnosed with malnutrition and moderate anemia.

Luckily, I was still young.

Even though I had seriously overworked my body, with proper care, I could recover.

The doctor prescribed me a lot of medication.

My savings were running low.

In order to focus on healing, I decided to take a break from work and adopt a healthier lifestyle.

To reward myself, I bought two new outfits.

In the two years I’d been with Maggie, I never bought myself a single piece of clothing.

She thought it was a waste of money.

She would always bring me her dad’s old clothes, saying he was about my size and that it would be a shame to throw them out.

But the clothes never really fit.

I never said anything, and I took good care of those clothes just to avoid upsetting her.

Now, I tossed every single one of them into the trash.

Some were yellowed, others had stretched-out collars. They were definitely not the kind of clothes someone my age would wear.

After putting on my new clothes and getting a fresh haircut, I looked at my reflection in the mirror. I felt more determined than ever to take back everything that was mine. I consulted a lawyer.

Maggie had been taking money from me under the pretense of a future marriage, even though she never had any intention of marrying me.

I had even found her posting on social media, openly telling people she was single.

When I confronted her about it, she shamelessly claimed that a relationship was a private matter and didn’t need to be announced to the world.

That’s when I realized I was just one of many guys she kept on the hook.

Given all this, the lawyer said I had a strong case. Even if I couldn’t recover all the money, I could get at least half of it back.

After we broke up that day, Maggie blocked me on everything.

I gave her contact info to the lawyer, and he took it from there.

When she got the lawyer’s call, she was in complete disbelief.

She never thought I’d actually sue her.

After all, the Steve from my previous life never blamed her for anything, even though he shouldered all the consequences himself.

I had been such a fool, letting her manipulate me for two whole years.

The day after she got the lawyer’s call, Maggie kicked down my door.

I had rented this rundown place because it was cheap.

Besides being livable, it had no security or protection.

I had even been robbed once.

The area was sketchy, and being near the market meant the place was crawling with flies, mosquitoes, and rats. The smell wasn’t great either. Maggie waved her hand in front of her nose in disgust.

When she saw me, she exploded with rage. “Steve, what the hell are you trying to do? Who told you to sue me? Do you even have a conscience? I gave so much to you over these past two years. How could you do this to me?”

I swear, I racked my brain trying to think of a single thing she had done for me, but I came up empty.

“Didn’t you tell me to sue you? How could you forget so quickly?” I said.

She was momentarily stunned.

“I was just saying that in the heat of the moment! How could you take it seriously?

“And besides, who asks for something back after giving it as a gift? If anyone looks bad here, it’s you. I’m only trying to save you from embarrassment.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m not afraid of a little embarrassment.”

What’s pride compared to cold, hard cash?

Maggie’s face twisted with anger when she saw I wasn’t backing down.

That’s when she noticed my new look. “Did you buy new clothes? If you can afford that, why are you so petty with me?

“How can you be so selfish, Steve? Have you ever thought about how this affects me? I’m the one losing out in this breakup! I’m not even asking you for compensation for wasting my youth, and you have the nerve to nickel and dime me over a little money?”

Selfish?

Petty?

$550,000 is small change to her?

I almost laughed out loud.

My entire outfit didn’t even cost a hundred bucks.

And her?

She was covered head to toe in designer clothes, all bought with my money. Her handbag alone was worth tens of thousands.

But she didn’t even bat an eye, acting as if everything she said was perfectly reasonable.

“You can’t compare us. When I look good, it reflects well on you too,” she said.

Who did it really reflect well on – her or me?

“If looking good means going broke, I’m better off without it!”

I didn’t waste any more time talking to her – I told the lawyer to file the lawsuit immediately.

That really got to her.

She finally realized I was serious!

Her attitude changed completely. First, she removed me from her block list, and then she sent me a long string of messages.

I stared at them in disbelief for a while.

[Steve, isn’t this whole act just a way to get back together with me?]

[I’ll agree to it, but only if you write a statement saying all that money was a gift from you. Otherwise, no deal.]

[I can’t believe how heartless you’ve become after all this time together. I was just throwing a little tantrum because I wanted you to comfort me. I didn’t really want to break up! Now you’re keeping track of every penny – it’s really breaking my heart.]

I was stunned by how easily she could shift her attitude.

And I had no idea where she got the idea that I was demanding she pay me back as some kind of desperate attempt to reconcile.

Her words sounded so sincere – if I hadn’t lived through all of this once before, I might have believed her lies.

After reading the whole thing, I just replied with five words: [Cut the crap. Pay up.]

She immediately flew into a rage. [Steve, I’m giving you a chance to make this right, and you still won’t take it? Let me tell you something – if you pass on this opportunity, it’s gone for good]

[Thanks, but no thanks!]

[Fine! You want to play hardball? I’m telling you right now, even if you beg me on your knees, I’ll never take you back!]

[Same goes for you.]

Did she really think I didn’t know why she wanted to get back together?

She was only willing to pay me back so I’d write that statement, clearing her of any obligation. Then, once she dumped me again, she wouldn’t owe me a cent.

She had always been reckless with money, and she never saved a dime.

Even though she was five years older than me, she didn’t have a steady job. I invested in her clothing store, and it went under within two months.

Her attempt to become an online influencer failed, too.

For the past two years, she had lived comfortably only because of the money I gave her.

Now, asking her to pay me back was probably harder than asking her to give up her life.

Of course, during these two years, she’d given me some gifts as well.

It took me an entire afternoon to pack up all that junk.

Even though the items were worthless, I had once treasured them because they came from her. I had kept everything in perfect condition.

To avoid any drama, I even retrieved the old clothes I had thrown away earlier and packed them into a box to send back to her.

But I had seriously underestimated just how stubborn and shameless she could be.