Ethan and I have been married for four years. I would call us an average couple: we have no children, and like in every relationship, we had good and more difficult times. I loved him… or at least that’s what I believed until the day everything changed.
I had one big dream: to travel to Europe to visit my father’s grave.
He passed away a few months ago. I couldn’t say goodbye to him in person, and it has haunted me ever since.
So I started putting money aside.
I work as a nurse, so it wasn’t easy, but over months I managed to save more than 5000 dollars. I kept it in a small box in the closet.
That money meant the chance to finally close the pain and pay respect to my father’s memory.
Ethan knew about it. In fact, he always said he supported me.
At least that’s what I believed.
WE WERE NOT SWIMMING IN MONEY.
We were not swimming in money. We often talked about how tight our budget was, so every penny had to be planned carefully.
I told him I would leave for Europe in three weeks.
I was already counting down the days.
One afternoon, however, I finished work earlier, so I went home.
Ethan was supposedly on a night shift.
But when I approached our house, I noticed the bedroom light was on.
I was surprised.
I carefully walked to the window and looked inside.
AND WHAT I SAW… COMPLETELY SHOCKED ME.
And what I saw… completely shocked me.
Ethan was kneeling in front of the closet.
And he was taking the money out of the box.
My money.
My savings.
I called him immediately.
He answered on the fourth ring.
– Hi, darling, where are you? – I asked while watching through the window.
? WHY ARE YOU SPEAKING SO QUIETLY?
– Why are you speaking so quietly? – he growled at me. – I am at work. Night shift.
I was literally watching him lie.
– Oh, right, I forgot – I said. – I just called to ask if you could make dinner. I will get home late today.
– I can’t. I’m working. Love you, bye.
And he hung up.
After that he put on his coat and left.
I quickly ran back to the car and started following him.
He got on a bus.
THEN HE GOT OFF AT A SHOPPING MALL.
Then he got off at a shopping mall.
He walked for twenty minutes.
Then he went into… a fishing store.
My heart skipped a beat.
What is he doing here?
I followed him.
I hid between the shelves.
And what I saw… almost made me explode.
ETHAN WAS HOLDING A HUGE INFLATABLE BOAT IN HIS HANDS.
Ethan was holding a huge inflatable boat in his hands.
Next to him there was a shopping cart full of fishing equipment: reels, boxes, everything.
He was grinning like a child in a toy store.
And then I realized.
The money.
My money.
The one I had saved for months.
Ethan took it out of the bag… and paid for everything with it.
I couldn’t take it anymore.
– Ethan! What the hell are you doing?!
The whole store turned toward us.
– Lizzy? What are you doing here?
– I should be asking that! Did you take my money?!
– No – he said calmly. – I’ve been saving for this for months.
He lied.
To my face.
? THAT MONEY WAS FOR MY FATHER’S GRAVE!
– That money was for my father’s grave! – I said.
– Calm down – he replied. – I’ll put it back in a month.
I thought I had heard wrong.
– It’s for a fishing trip – he added. – A professional fishing excursion. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
A few days earlier he had already mentioned this.
Back then I said no.
– We can’t afford it right now.
He said he understood.
BUT OBVIOUSLY HE LIED.
But obviously he lied.
– You can postpone your trip – he said now. – Just for a month.
That was when I realized.
He really wanted me to postpone visiting my father’s grave… so that he could go fishing.
The next morning I had a plan.
I called my boss.
I asked if I could take my vacation earlier.
He agreed.
WHILE ETHAN WAS WORKING, I PACKED UP.
While Ethan was working, I packed up.
The boat.
The reels.
All the equipment.
I took them to the store.
– I would like to return these – I said.
The clerk processed the refund.
I got the money back.
BUT IT WAS NOT OVER YET.
But it was not over yet.
– I have some more fishing equipment I would like to sell – I said.
I went back to the car.
And I brought in all of Ethan’s other fishing equipment too.
When I walked out of the store…
I had 2000 dollars more with me.
That evening I packed my suitcase.
And I headed to the airport.
I did not leave a message.
I did not owe him an explanation.
The flight to Europe felt like I was in a dream.
The next day I stood in the cemetery.
I knelt in front of my father’s grave.
I placed daisies – his favorite flowers.
– I’m finally here, Dad.
I cried.
But for the first time… with relief.
When I returned to the hotel, my phone vibrated.
Ethan had written.
“Elizabeth, where are you? I came home… and everything is gone. Please talk to me.”
I looked at the screen.
One day we will talk.
But now… for the first time I had to think about myself.
And finally I felt peace.
