300 Dollars To Know A Man

Synopsis

When my daughter got into a top university, my husband, David, only gave her 300 dollars a month for living expenses. I tried to reason with him. "Girls in college always need to buy clothes and makeup. How is that supposed to be enough?" He replied impatiently, "She's not only my responsibility. I managed just fine with 300 dollars a month back when I was in college." My daughter's eyes welled up with tears as she looked at the several crisp dollar bills in her hand. My heart hurt so much I was shaking. I turned away and secretly took out my phone, ready to send her some money for a laptop. Just then, David's phone rang. He immediately got up, walked away from us, and hurried out to the balcony. The glass door wasn't fully closed, so his voice, so gentle, almost tender, drifted in. "Emily, you don't need to talk about borrowing money with me. Don't be a stranger." "Take this 100,000 dollars and spend it however you want. You don't have to pay me back. Don't let yourself or your child miss out on anything. If you want to send your kid to that overseas summer camp, go ahead." Emily Winters, the one he'd always kept hidden in his heart, his first love. I walked back into the living room, feeling cold all over. My daughter was crouched on the floor, clumsily wrapping clear tape around the broken handle of her old suitcase, just trying to save a few dollars. She looked so nervous and self-conscious, she couldn't even lift her head. I went over, took that battered suitcase away, and hugged my daughter tightly. We don't need his money anymore. The moment the semester starts, I'm getting a lawyer and ending this marriage. Let him live out his days with nothing but his precious money.