He was tanned, well-rested, and absolutely convinced of his victory. The sea, the expensive resort, the young mistress — everything had gone exactly as he had planned. In his imagination, the ending was perfect: his abandoned wife, broken and humiliated, forced to live under the same roof with a homeless stranger. The thought felt like sweet revenge.

Yet something felt off the moment he got into the taxi.

When the driver heard the address, he paused briefly and glanced at him through the rearview mirror.
“Well… good luck,” he muttered.

The man frowned but said nothing.

When they arrived, he noticed things he hadn’t expected. New cars stood in front of the building. The entrance looked freshly renovated, neat, almost luxurious. He brushed the unease aside and headed upstairs.

Then he froze.

The door was different. Solid, modern, fitted with an electronic lock. He tried his keys — nothing. He knocked. Silence. He rang the bell.

After a moment, the door opened.

A well-groomed man stood before him, wearing an expensive suit, his beard neatly trimmed, his expression calm and confident.
“Can I help you?” the stranger asked politely.

“What are you doing here? This is my apartment!” the man shouted.

From the hallway stepped his ex-wife. She looked composed, self-assured, almost radiant.
“No,” she said quietly. “It isn’t yours anymore.”

His face drained of color.
“You… you married him?” he stammered, recognizing the former homeless man, Viktor.

She smiled faintly.
“No. I did something much smarter.”

She explained everything. Viktor had not always lived on the streets. Years ago, he owned a successful construction business, but betrayal by partners and a devastating divorce had ruined him. Unlike her ex-husband, she had treated him like a human being — helped him restore his documents, supported him, helped him find work. And eventually, she legally bought his share of the apartment for its real value.

“He has something you never did,” she added calmly. “Dignity.”

Then she placed a folder on the table.
“While you were enjoying the sun, I went to court. Your contract was declared fraudulent. Your notary friend confessed. The judge ruled that you acted with malicious intent.”

The man sank onto a chair.
“That’s… impossible…”

“It’s not,” she interrupted. “You no longer have any rights to this apartment.”

“And our son?” he whispered desperately. “He’s still my son…”

Her eyes hardened.
“He saw everything. And he made his choice. He doesn’t want you in his life anymore.”

The door closed slowly in front of him.

A week later, his mistress left him — the money had run out. A month after that, he lost his job. His friends stopped answering his calls. He was completely alone.

Meanwhile, his ex-wife started her own business, rebuilt her life, and for the first time in years felt truly at peace.

And only then did the man finally understand: the revenge he had considered brilliant had turned into the greatest defeat of his life.