A little backstory. My ex of 16 years (together 20) had an affair with my best friend that lasted for many months.

She failed reconciliation (thankfully in hindsight) and asked for a divorce. I told her I agreed to all the financials but that her calculation of only owing me 5% from the home was wrong after she had paid me 40% already. 50% was due, total, she paid me 40%, so she still owed me 10%. Looking back, I think she's just too dense to understand the math.

Instead of being sensible about it and giving me the 10%, she hired a lawyer and they went to war. That was over 2 years ago.

Since then, I've spent over $50,000 defending a 50/50 split. I offered time and again to settle for a 50/50 split. After a year, I started offering a 50/50 split plus she paid my legal fees.

We finally got our divorce in front of a special master. The date was scheduled in the middle of a vacation I purchased 3 years ago, everyone involved knew I wouldn't have access to telephone or internet. I had to go to extraordinary lengths to exit my holiday and get back to civilization for the meeting with the special master.

Long story short, the special master recommends that no money or physical goods change hands and we all go our separate way. I have my lawyer mention that this was my offer for the last 2 years and that some consideration should be made for my costs. The special master laughed at this. I signed and shallowed the tough pill. Nothing in my ex's documentation to the special master was actually about the financials or the divorce. My ex used the opportunity to write a 20 page essay of fabricated bullshit about how horrible of a person I am. She never did provide all the financials that the law required of her.

Now to the bittersweet part. My 16 year old hasn't spoken with me since June. His mom continually excluded me from coparenting decisions. He started playing us against each other. He did it one too many times and I called his bluff. He got pissed. That was the last time we spoke. His mom's family is wealthy and buys his affection. They are miserable, disgusting wretches.

I decided that I wasn't going to spend more time sitting in time-out. I sold cars, motorcycles, guns, etc. I put everything else in a single 10x10 storage unit. I ended my apartment lease. The next day I boarded a plane to the other side of the world with only a 40L backpack.

I've been traveling non-stop since I left in June. While I'm having a blast and living my best life, I miss my son very much. We were wingmen......brothers in arms......a ragged bunch of hoodlums. I've messaged him a few times and receive no response. He hasn't spoken with anyone on my side of his family since June.

I suspect my son knows this account. I miss ya kid. I hope you escape the bullshit vortex that is your mom. I hope I've given you the tooling needed to survive. I'll move heaven and earth to reconnect with you when you're ready.