When Olivia receives a $2,500 bonus, she feels like her dedication is finally paying off. But her excitement turns to disbelief when she notices her mother-in-law flaunting a brand-new iPhone—one that Olivia’s unemployed husband secretly purchased using her money! Now, Olivia is planning a lesson he won’t soon forget.
When I first met Aaron, he was attentive, hardworking, and full of charm. I felt like the luckiest woman alive when he proposed.
But almost as soon as we returned from our honeymoon, things started to change.
At first, it was small things—skipping date nights to play video games, conveniently “forgetting” to do the dishes, and letting our once-sweet morning coffee ritual fade into oblivion.
Before we got married, Aaron would wake me up each morning with a fresh cup of coffee, a warm cuddle, and a silly joke. It was one of the little ways he made me feel special. Three years into our marriage, those thoughtful gestures were long gone.
I should have addressed it earlier, but hindsight is 20/20. I kept telling myself it was just a phase, that things would improve, and that marriage was about supporting each other through ups and downs.
So, I stayed silent. I held onto hope. I kept pretending everything was fine.
Until one particular Tuesday evening shattered that illusion completely.
Aaron walked through the door and collapsed onto our gray sectional.
“My boss is such a jerk. I put together an amazing analytics report, and not even a thank you!” he complained, staring at the ceiling as if it held the answers to his problems.
I set aside my laptop and moved closer, suppressing the sigh that wanted to escape. We had this conversation at least twice a week.
“I know it’s frustrating, babe, but hang in there. Things will get better.”
He shook his head. “Not unless I make them better.”
And oh, did he take action! The very next day, Aaron stormed into his office and quit—without another job lined up, without a backup plan, without so much as a second thought.
I took over the bills, convincing myself it was only temporary. We were a team, after all. That’s what I repeated in my head as I showed him where I kept some emergency cash in our bedroom drawer.
“This is only for real emergencies, okay?” I warned. “Until you find another job, we need to be extra careful with money.”
He nodded solemnly.
Aaron had always been generous—not so much with me, but definitely with his mother and sister. Lavish gifts on their birthdays, extravagant surprises… even when he could barely afford them.
Weeks turned into months, and Aaron’s job hunt consisted mostly of playing video games and watching YouTube tutorials on getting rich through cryptocurrency.
Meanwhile, I was working overtime, paying all the bills, and coming home to a husband who seemed more invested in his controller than our marriage.
Then, one Friday afternoon, my boss called me into his office.
My stomach churned as I took a seat across from Mr. Peterson, expecting bad news.
Instead, he smiled. “Olivia, you’ve been an incredible asset to this company. We want to show our appreciation.”
He slid a check across his desk. $2,500.
I practically floated home, imagining Aaron’s reaction. Maybe this would be the motivation he needed to finally take job hunting seriously.
“Babe, you deserve it,” he said, wrapping me in a hug.
Something in his tone made my skin prickle. It was too sweet, too practiced. Like a child who suddenly behaves when they want something.
I brushed off the feeling, not realizing my instincts were spot on.
A few days later, we had dinner with Ruth, my mother-in-law.
If you can picture the most judgmental in-law possible, multiply that by ten, and you’ve got Ruth.
She waltzed into our home like she owned the place, her fingers immediately swiping across surfaces to check for dust.
“Olivia, you use too much salt. It’s bad for Aaron’s heart,” she criticized, poking at her food as if it might poison her.
Never mind that Aaron had added extra salt to his plate before even tasting it.
Then I noticed something gleaming beside her on the table.
A brand-new iPhone 16 Pro Max.
My stomach dropped. “Oh wow, new phone? Who got it for you?”
Ruth’s face lit up. “Aaron did! He knows how to treat his mother right.”
My husband stared at his mashed potatoes like they held the meaning of life.
A part of me already knew where the money had come from, but I needed proof.
Excusing myself, I hurried to our bedroom and opened the drawer where I had kept my emergency cash.
Empty.
Three thousand dollars, gone.
I wanted to scream. Instead, I took a few deep breaths, fixed my makeup, and returned to the dining room with a serene smile.
If Aaron thought he could steal from me to spoil his mother and get away with it, he was about to learn otherwise.
Two days later, I had my chance.
Aaron had been hinting about a high-end gaming laptop for weeks. That evening, he brought it up again, giving me his best puppy-dog eyes.
“Babe, since you got that bonus, maybe I could use a little to buy a new laptop? Mine keeps restarting, and I really need an upgrade.”
I smiled sweetly. “You know what? You’re absolutely right.”
I pulled up my phone and showed him an order confirmation. “I already bought the best gaming laptop on the market for you.”
His eyes sparkled. “You’re amazing! When does it get here?”
“Oh, it arrived this morning.”
His excitement grew. “Where is it?”
I took a deep breath, relishing the moment.
“I sent it to your mom’s house. Since you love spoiling her so much, I figured she could use it. Maybe she’ll start streaming Candy Crush.”
The color drained from his face. He leapt off the couch. “You sent my laptop to my mom?!”
I crossed my arms. “Oh, so it’s a problem when I spend my money on her? But it wasn’t when you did it behind my back?”
His jaw dropped.
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry!” he stammered. “I’ll return the phone! I’ll pay you back!”
“Yes, you will,” I said calmly. “And from now on, you won’t have access to my money.”
I pulled out a stack of job listings. “Hope you enjoy job hunting. Your free ride just ended.”
The next few days were filled with desperate apologies from Aaron and furious phone calls from Ruth.
“How dare you treat my son this way!” she shrieked.
I simply replied, “You don’t steal from the person paying your bills.”
Wouldn’t you know it? Aaron had a job within two weeks.
I don’t know what the future holds for us, but one thing’s certain: he will never touch my money again.
