Chapter 1
When my grandpa's inheritance hit my account, I suddenly had 187 million dollars.
I didn't tell anyone, not my wife.
I wanted to try something out.
At dinner, I put down my fork and acted like the world was ending. "Honey, I owe one million dollars in high-interest loans. I have to pay it back next month, or they'll break my leg."
She froze for three seconds, then slammed her fork down and went off on me.
She called me a loser, a disappointment, and said she never should've married me. One insult after another, each one harsher than the last.
My heart sank, and I almost blurted out divorce.
But after she finished yelling, she wiped away her tears and quietly headed to the bedroom.
Ten minutes later, she came out holding a metal box. Inside were her bankbook, some gold bars, and a certificate of deposit for five hundred thousand dollars.
"Take this to pay them back," she said, her voice hoarse. "I'll empty that box to cover the rest."
At that moment, I felt like the biggest jerk in the world.
*****
The day my grandfather's inheritance landed in my account, I was sitting in the bank's VIP lounge, staring at the endless string of numbers on the screen. My fingers stayed frozen for a long time.
187 million dollars. The bank staff smiled with professional calm and asked if I needed anything else.
I told them I didn't need anything else.
When I stepped outside, the sun was blazing, but I felt a chill running down my back.
Before my grandfather passed away, he held my hand and said something I never forgot.
"Money can show you who people are, but it can also destroy them," he said.
I didn't get it back then.
Now, I only half understood.
I didn't tell anyone.
Not my wife, Emily.
It's not that I didn't trust her.
It's that a crazy idea suddenly popped into my head.
I wondered if she'd regret marrying me if I lost everything and ended up buried in debt.
Thinking about it made me feel dirty.
But I couldn't shake it off.
At s that time, Emily came home from work.
She changed her shoes, washed her hands, and went straight to the kitchen. She reheated the soup she'd made at noon and whipped up two more dishes.
She'd always been like this.
Never complained, never made a fuss.
We'd been married for three years. We rented our place, drove a used car, and my salary wasn't much, but she never once complained.
Sometimes I couldn't help but wonder, 'Maybe Emily's only this patient because we haven't hit rock bottom yet.'
At the dinner table, she picked up some vegetables with her fork and put them into my bowl.
Emily glanced at me and asked, "Why are you so quiet today?"
I kept my head down, fiddling with my fork.
"Emily, I need to talk to you about something," I said.
Emily paused, her hand still in midair.
"What is it?" Emily asked.
I took a deep breath and tried to look like my whole world had come crashing down.
"I owe one million dollars," I said.
Emily stared at me, her eyes searching my face.
Three seconds passed.
All you could hear was the clock ticking on the wall. I pressed on. "It's due next month.
"If I can't pay it back, they'll come knocking and make a scene."
Emily's face went pale.
She dropped her fork, and it hit the table.
There was a sharp clatter.
"James, are you out of your mind?" Emily blurted out.
I didn't say a word.
She nearly shouted, "One million dollars?
"How much do you make in a month?
"How did you end up owing that much?
"Are you out of your mind?"
I kept my gaze lowered.
She stood up, gripping the edge of the table, her shoulders shaking with anger.
Emily demanded. "What do you want me to say?
"We've been married for three years, and I've been pinching every penny. I have to wait for a sale to afford a jacket."
"And you? You went and got yourself one million dollars in debt without saying a word.
"Do you think I'm that easy to fool?
"Do you think because I married you, I'm supposed to pick up after your mess?"
Every word hit me like a slap.
The explanation I'd prepared got stuck in my throat.
At that moment, my heart went cold.
Turns out she'd regret marrying me, too.
Turns out she thinks I'm a loser.
I looked at her red, tear-filled eyes, and that twisted curiosity inside me made me want to push her more.
I wanted to let her get it all out.
I wanted to see how harsh she could get.
Emily wiped her face, her voice more hoarse.
She said, "James, you're such an asshole.
"Whenever something comes up, you never talk to me about it.
"You only drop the bomb on me when things go wrong.
"Do you see me as your wife?"
I looked up at her.
Tears streamed down her face, but she kept yelling.
Emily spat, "You're useless.
"You never step up.
"What were you doing all this time?
"If something happens to you, what am I supposed to do?"
She kept shouting, but then her words died in her throat, and suddenly, there was only silence.
My lips twitched.
The word divorce was already on the tip of my tongue.
But without another word, she turned and walked into the bedroom.
She left the door open.
I could hear her digging through the closet.
I sat at the dining table, my palms slick with sweat.
Ten minutes later, she came out holding an old metal box.
I'd seen that box before.
She always had it hidden deep in the back of the closet.
She set the box on the table, her hands shaking as she fumbled with the lid.
Inside were a savings book, two small gold bars, a few yellowed receipts, and a certificate of deposit.
She slid the certificate across the table to me.
"There's one and five hundred thousand dollars here," Emily said.
I was stunned.
Emily's voice was hoarse.
"Use this to pay them back first," Emily said.
"I'll handle the rest. Tomorrow, I'll go to my mom's and sell the jewelry she left me," she added.