Man Inherits $2,000,000 In Rare Pennies, Ex-Wife Gets The Last Laugh

Ink On Paper

Pain. That’s what coursed through her veins as she watched him sign the divorce papers. Fifteen years of her life puffed away with the aggressive stroke of his signature.

He’d taken everything, from their car to the house she’d spent years turning into a home. But more than anything, he’d long made her feel worthless. Although she swore revenge at that moment, she didn’t know she’d have a chance before the day ended.

Into The Sunset

Lori Peterson never thought her marriage would end this bitterly. Like most of us, she pictured her old self in some breathtaking farmhouse out in the country, seated on the porch watching the sunset with the love of her life.

She wanted a large, beautiful family, kids, and grandkids she could nature and love. Yet all she got was tears and a broken heart.

The Perfect Man

Lori met the one when she was only twenty-five. He was an investment banker from Connecticut, a gentleman who swept her off her feet on their first encounter.

Introducing himself as Christopher Tremblay, he held intelligent conversations with her, made her smile and laugh, and made her think about a future with him. By the end of their first day together, Lori knew she had to see him again.

A Chance Meeting

Lori’s chance meeting with Chris woke up something dangerous within her. She became obsessed with him even though she’d only met him once.

But could you blame her when everything about him was perfect? He was charming, with a rugged look that made him seem like he spent more time as a logger in some hidden cabin deep in the forest than in a bank. But that wasn’t all.

A Man Like No Other

Chris had a lot going on for him. At twenty-nine, he already had his career going, was planning to buy a house, and had a few side projects underway.

He also had a great relationship with his dad and mom, the sole family in his life, and would constantly talk about how much he wanted to make them proud. But more than anything, he wanted to settle down with someone he felt connected with. Would that person be Lori?

Is She The One?

Well, Lori wished, with every fiber in her being, that she was the one. To her, Chris was an angel airdropped into her path, someone to help her reach her greatness.

She adored everything about him: his towering height and broad shoulders, piercing deep sea green eyes, constantly messy hair, and how he was overprotective about the things he loved. She should have known that building a life with him would cost her everything.

Something More

Lori pushed for her and Chris to start dating. Their friendship blossomed into something more, and before the two knew it, they were walking down the aisle as husband and wife two years later.

For Lori, this was a dream come true. Fireworks went off in her stomach as Chris shared his vows with her, his green eyes boring into her soul. She had no idea what she was signing herself into.

A Married Woman

Now a married woman, Lori could rest easy. She could see her dream of sitting on the pouch in her old age with her husband as attainable. 

Chris even moved them out to the countryside in Connecticut, where he’d bought a perfect two-story house they could turn into a home. But Lori wasn’t even a year into the marriage before Chris’s true colors became clear.   

Work Life

It all started when Lori cleared her master’s degree in communication. She’d always wanted to be an editor in the journalism department and had pushed hard in school to see that dream become a reality.

Chris had long been supportive of this venture. But as soon as Lori cleared grad school, he went back on everything he’d ever promised.

Canceling Plans

The couple had long planned that Lori would look for an editing job in the local media houses after finishing school. But now that she had, Chris didn’t want her anywhere near employment.

Lori thought that maybe he wanted her to become a housewife, to raise their kids while he worked to provide for them. But would she be willing to set aside her dreams and aspirations that quickly?

Making Compromises

Of course not. But Lori was nothing but understanding. She decided to meet her husband halfway. What if she worked from home and took care of their kids at the same time?

Surely Chris wouldn’t be opposed to that. One evening, she approached him with her counterproposal, not knowing how bad it would be for her.

What Kids?

“Kids?” Chris almost laughed while changing from his work clothes. “What kids?” “The ones we’ll have. Three, maybe four.” Lori smiled, even laying out the names she had planned for their children.

But Chris scoffed, saying he didn’t want any kids. “I thought you knew that,” he added blatantly, nonchalantly walking past a dumbfounded Lori. But things would only go further south from there.

Older Than She Really Is

Lori’s perfect marriage was quickly taking a turn. She’d turned twenty-eight now and should have still had some youth about her face and body.

But since learning that her husband didn’t want her to work or mother any children, constant stress and depression had tacked on more years of her life.

She felt like she was sixty and hated it. But what could she do now when she’d promised to stay with Chris for better or for worse?

Be Patient

Lori talked to her mom, sisters, and friends about the matter. While her friends and sisters advised her to get out of the marriage while it was still early, her mom asked her to be patient.

The marriage was still young, with Chris only in his early thirties. He would change his mind about everything soon enough. All Lori needed to do was have faith. But none of that would ever happen.

A Sad Life

Years passed, and Lori languished in her terrible marriage. The dream that had made her get married in the first place, that perfect countryside sunset scene with the love of her life, was slowly fading away.

She could no longer see Chris sitting beside her on that porch as she once had. She couldn’t see any grandkids running on the lawn or any of her kids, now grown, coming to ask her questions about life. So why didn’t she give up?

Don’t Give Up

Although marriage life was terrible for her, Lori knew she couldn’t pull the plug. Not yet. She tried everything to make Chris see differently, from couples therapy to seminars in town.

But each of these activities only seemed to deepen the rift between her and her husband. As the years passed, the two grew distant. But one terrible event would be the final straw for Lori.

A Tragic Event

It had been a sad month when it happened. Fourteen years had passed since Lori and Chris exchanged their vows at the altar. Chris had just lost his dad, a tragic event in itself.

Although Lori had faded into a husk of her former self, she knew she needed to be there for her husband. She’d also been in good standing with her father-in-law and thus mourned his passing. But this event would lead to something more – a way for her to reclaim what she’d lost.

At The Wake

Since Chris’s family lived in Connecticut, the drive to his parent’s home was short. Lori was familiar with her in-laws and loved them as if they were her blood. 

She greeted them and went to assist her mother-in-law with the wake preparations. She had no clue that this night would end in more pain than she’d ever experienced.

Needing A Breather

Lori had been serving drinks and food for the last two hours to guests from all walks of life. Everyone had come to mourn her father-in-law, from lawyers to teachers and bankers. 

Hoping to take a break, she hurried upstairs to Chris’s old room, looking for a few minutes to herself. Quietly, she opened the door and snuck inside. But nothing but agony wrought from heartbreak awaited her.

A Dark Room

The darkness swam before Lori’s eyes, making her brake in place. Within the chilling black, her gaze picked up shiny, moving objects on Chris’s old bed. There were slight moans that were unmistakable. 

Lori’s breath caught. She knew exactly what she’d walked into and hated that someone was doing this at a wake where people were crying about losing a loved one. If only she knew who it was.

Go To Chris

Lori backed away, knowing whoever was in the room didn’t see her. She needed to find Chris to tell him what was happening in his room. 

To her, he was the only one who could handle this situation. She didn’t want to involve his mom in this, not with how insensitive the activity she’d just stumbled upon was. But she’d never guess who it was she’d just walked in on. 

Where Is He?

Lori began her search, tired and needing to rest. She asked everyone if they’d seen her husband, smiling and pretending she still had control over her marriage. 

No one had seen him, from Chris’s mom to his aunts, uncles, and cousins. Nobody in the house could remember seeing him after he parted ways with Lori when they first stepped into the house. So where was he?

Still Searching 

Lori had spent close to six hours helping her mother-in-law with the wake. Throughout this time, she hadn’t seen her husband. She couldn’t even tell when they had parted ways and only remembered when they walked out of the car together.

She continued searching for him, her patience burning thin by the second. This search was working up something within her she’d not felt in a long while.   

No Feeling 

For the longest while, Lori had forgotten herself. She’d become a walking capsule of blood, flesh, and bone, devoid of feeling whatsoever. 

The many years of abuse had turned her into this unfeeling being, a necessary evolution she had to undergo to survive the terror her husband was constantly putting her through. But this was about to change for the first time in over ten years. 

He Needs To Be Here 

Anger sparked within her, quickly turning into a roaring fury. She couldn’t believe she was here helping her in-laws with the wake while Chris was only God knew where. 

He was supposed to be here, helping her maintain this good wife and husband facade she’d created. She didn’t want people to know that her marriage was a sham. If only she knew what her husband was doing.

Out With The Boys 

After an hour of searching around, Lori decided to call it quits. She tried to rationalize the situation, concluding that Chris must’ve left the house with some of his cousins. 

Although she’d never seen him doing that before, it was the only plausible answer to what was happening here, especially since his phone was off when she tried calling him. But the truth would be far more harrowing.

Taking Matters Into Her Own Hands 

Lori decided to confront whoever was in the room by herself. Since she married Chris, that room was, by extension, hers. She could exercise that authority by reprimanding whoever was in there. 

With her mind decided, she cut through the wake as she had over the last hour while searching for Chris. Whoever was in that room would face the full force of her fury. 

Going Upstairs, Again

Lori began making her way back to the bedroom. Her mother-in-law’s house was a mansion, and she dreaded having to make the long journey back to the bedroom. Her heels clicked against the marble floors as she headed up the stairs. 

She didn’t think much of Chris’s sudden disappearance until she ran into someone unexpectedly in the hallway.

A Chance Meeting

Lori was just about to reach the bedroom when the bathroom door beside her swung open. “Lori, dear! How are you?” The old woman asked, tossing her arms around Lori.

The old woman in question was Ruth, one of her mother-in-law’s closest friends. Of course, Lori knew her well. “Tell me dear, have you seen Marianna anywhere?” The old woman asked, referring to her daughter. 

Marianna

Lori had to resist the urge to roll her eyes in the old woman’s face. She knew Marianna very well. She was Chris’s childhood best friend, and there was something about her that Lori just didn’t like.

She couldn’t quite put her finger on it. There was something about the way the younger woman looked and spoke to her husband that made her feel uneasy. Over the years, she had visited their house plenty of times. 

Looking For Her

Lori had mentioned this to her husband before. She expressed her concerns, telling Chris that she thought Marianna had feelings for him, but he assured his wife that that wasn’t the case. 

“I’ve been looking for her for the past hour, and I can’t seem to find her,” Ruth laughed and rolled her eyes. Lori shrugged politely. “No, I’m sorry. I’ve been looking for Chris, too. Maybe they went somewhere together,” Lori responded, but she still hadn’t connected the pieces. 

Interesting Information 

She was about to be on her way when the old woman spoke up once again. “Oh yes, I saw them together earlier. They were making their way up here, but I haven’t seen them since,” Ruth said before greeting Lori and walking down the hall.

Lori was frozen in place as she thought about what the old lady had just said. Chris and Marianna came up here together? An uneasy feeling bubbled deep within. 

Motionless

She stood motionless in the middle of the hallway for just a moment, thinking about what the old woman had said. She had never questioned her husband’s loyalty before now. 

Chris was abusive and controlling, but he wasn’t a cheater, right? Lori felt like she was going to be sick as she stared at his bedroom door. Were they still in there? 

Too Many Thoughts

Her heart was pounding in her chest. She took a moment to herself as she stood stranded in the hall. Her mind was swirling with thoughts as she tried her best to convince herself that everything was going to be alright. 

Perhaps the old lady was mistaken, or maybe it wasn’t as it seemed. Maybe they came up here to grab something and went right back downstairs. 

A Million Thoughts

Her mind was fuzzy with a million thoughts at once. But what if it was as it seemed? What if she had walked in on her husband with another woman? She couldn’t stand the anticipation anymore. 

She was furious now. She had to catch them in the act. She held a sour expression on her face as she stomped down the hall. She was going to confront the man who had been destroying her for years.

Determination 

Lori was brimming with anger, needing to funnel it somewhere. Whoever had decided to defile her father-in-law’s wake would rue the day they decided to do what they did, especially if it were Chris. 

With fury burning through her veins, she marched up to Chris’s old room, ready to rain fire on whoever was inside. She was praying that it was anyone else. But she wouldn’t be able to speak once she opened the door.

A Dark Room

The bedroom was completely dark and silent. The sounds from before were no longer present. Was it over? Were they sleeping now? She paused in her steps, telling herself that if she left now, she would never know the truth. 

What if the truth was awful? Would she want to know? She swallowed the lump in her throat, and she had to do this. 

A Needed Confrontation 

Unlike the first time that Lori came to this room, she slapped the lights on immediately after pushing the door open. 

She didn’t know what she was going to say at first. What would she do if she saw Chris’s face? Would she cry and storm out? She had never stood up to him before, how was she supposed to do it in these circumstances?

The Truth

The room lit up before her, but from where she was standing, she couldn’t see anything. The bed was right around the corner, and she didn’t feel brave enough to take the first step into the bedroom, but she had to. 

With her shoulders squared, she stepped into the charring light. Her eyes fell on the bed as her heart stopped, her lips parting.

Empty

The bed was empty, its sheets neatly spread, and the pillows at its head fluffed and well arranged. There was no sign of intrusion, which was bamboozling in itself. 

“Hello?” She called out and walked further into the room, but no one was around. She then decided to approach the ensuite bathroom. Had they heard her speaking to the old woman in the hallway? Were they hiding?

No One Around 

She pushed the door open slowly and took a step inside, but it was completely quiet in there too. She pulled the shower curtain open and even looked behind the bathroom sink, but there was no one in there. 

She was confused by this. Whoever was in the bedroom before had seemingly disappeared, but she hadn’t seen her husband downstairs. Perhaps it wasn’t Chris and Marianna.

One Last Spot

She ventured back into the bedroom and checked one last spot, but when she opened the closet doors, no one was inside.

Lori looked around, wondering if she’d imagined the whole thing. She hadn’t rested in a while. The fatigue rocking her body might have conjured stuff in her mind. She stepped back, taking a deep breath. 

Foolish 

Lori stood in the middle of the room for a second, beyond confused, but then, her face cracked into a large grin. She laughed at herself for being so foolish. Of course, she thought, it was all a misunderstanding. 

She would’ve seen her husband around if he had left the room; perhaps he had just gone out for a bit. But just as she was about to leave, something happened that had her brows furrowing.

Sweet Lavender 

A waft of air freshener hit her nose, powerful as if someone had just sprayed it. Lori stepped back into the room, her brows knitting. 

She took a deep breath, letting the sweet lavender scent fill her lungs before letting it out in a slow exhale. If Chris wasn’t the person in the room, then who could it have been?

A Familiar Smell

But as she stood in the room, sniffing the air, she thought about the odd smell. It seemed oddly familiar, but where had she smelt it before? She wracked her brain, trying to figure it out. 

She could have sworn she’d smelled the same scent in the kitchen about ten minutes ago while making up her mind to come here. 

Investigating

Lori was still determined to figure out who had committed the crime. She wanted to give them a piece of her mind now that she thought Chris was in the clear. But was he?

She closed the bedroom door behind herself and began walking down the hall. She thought about what she was going to say once she found the person who had done it. But she was in for a heartbreaking surprise.

Into The Kitchen

When she stepped into the kitchen, she found a place filled with women keeping Chris’s mom company.

Immediately, the scent hit her nose, and she began moving around, subtly searching for it. But although the smell was strong here, she couldn’t find the person it radiated from. That was until she turned the corner, heading for the living room. 

It’s Him!

Lori almost collided with Chris as she turned the corner, leaving the kitchen. He smiled at her, his eyes glossy and face smothered with ecstasy as if he was coming from some forbidden high. 

“Hi,” he greeted her, placing a kiss on her head for the onlooking masses before taking a glass of wine and heading upstairs. Lori’s eyes broadened as he left because the scent she’d been searching for fell from his chest onto her face as he kissed her. 

Returning Upstairs 

Lori didn’t want to believe what her mind was telling her. She started pacing the hallway, knowing her husband must have been in that room if his clothes smelled like the air freshener sprayed there. 

She walked upstairs, pain straddling every nerve in her being. Her eyes smarted with tears, and she dashed them away. With one hand on the door, she slowly pushed it open. Her heart fell.    

Seeing Clearly

Although the room was shrouded in chilling grayness as before, Lori saw it clearly. Sprawled on the messy six by five bed was Chris, writhing in the arms of a woman who wasn’t Lori. 

Lori turned on the lights and called out his name, snapping him from the lustful stupor that had seemingly overwhelmed him. Her eyes were finally open.

She Knows Her

Lori couldn’t speak. She couldn’t move. What made everything worse was the fact that she recognized the woman as one of Chris’s childhood friends who had attended their wedding.

She recalled the number of times the woman had visited their home over the last fifteen years, even bringing her kids over for Lori to watch. Lori hurled.

It’s Not What It Looks Like

“I can explain,” stated Chris. “It’s not what it looks like,” he continued. But Lori, wiping her mouth, only stared at him blankly. She stormed out of the room, heading straight to her mother-in-law to say goodbye.

What followed was a week of tears and regret. How could Chris do this to her? Little did Lori know that the pain was about to double.

Marianna

Lori had isolated herself from Chris throughout this period. He tried to get in touch, but she wouldn’t answer his calls.

Everything came to her head when his lover and childhood friend, Marianna, visited her hotel to explain everything. She looked apologetic and informed Lori that she only wanted to clarify matters. That’s when she explained everything, turning Lori’s life upside down.

The Kids

According to Marianna’s account, the kids Lori had been watching over for the last fifteen years had been Chris’s. She revealed everyone, including Chris’s mom, knew. The news tore through Lori, leaving her in fresh tears.

She compared herself to Marianna. Where she had wasted the last decade and a half of her life, the woman had seemingly been living Lori’s life with everything that Lori wanted: a great career and kids.

Father-In-Law

The line between pain and anger is usually quite thin, and stepping across it was no issue for Lori. She drove home immediately, ready to confront her husband.

But she found a house in chaos because her father-in-law, heavens bless his soul, had seemingly evened the odds for her.

From his extensive properties, the late Mr. Tremblay had left his only child and son nothing but fifty-five bags of outdated pennies.

He’s Mad

Lori laughed as the lawyer read the will, watching Chris, half drunk and dirty, bawl his lungs out in disappointment.

He pulled at his hair and paced around the living room, hurling out curse after curse, saying he deserved more than filthy outdated coins. Lori didn’t care for the state he was in. She wasted no time in telling him what she deserved.

Cutting Ties

“A divorce,” Lori stated matter-of-factly. She’d never been so sure about something as she was about this. After fifteen years, she was finally stepping up for herself.

Chris stared at her wide-eyed as if he never expected her to break away from him. His face fell before he started groveling. But there was no going back from what he’d done. But this was about to go from bad to worse for him.

Months Down The Line

Chris spent the next few months trying to change Lori’s mind. He even sent Marianna and his mom, hoping they would convince her to stay in the abusive reality he’d created for her.

At this time, the lawyer had brought the bags of pennies to their house, where Lori was staying alone. Chris, who had rented a hotel room outside town, didn’t want anything to do with them.

He wanted to sell them at a throwaway price of ten thousand dollars despite many people warning him against it. If only he knew what he had in his possession.

Time To Be Free

After eleven months of ups and downs, Lori sat across from Chris. Divorce papers separated them, with two lawyers quietly watching from the sides. Lori teared up as she watched Chris sign the papers.

She’d wasted years on his lies and suffered under his iron fist. This was her way out. While Chris took the house and car, he left her with nothing but the fifty-five bags of pennies to her name.

But Lori didn’t care. She signed the documents and walked out of the room as a free woman. But she wasn’t even out of the building before a friend of hers called her phone.

An Unexpected Call

The friend was a coin expert from town who had been looking into the pennies Lori had won from the divorce. “We’ve checked three bags, and those alone had five coins, each worth ten thousand dollars!” she exclaimed.

“It’s too early to tell yet, but we are estimating a minimum of two million dollars by the time we’re done with the bags, if not more!” Lori stopped in her tracks. There was no way this was happening.

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.