Your Generosity Came at My Expense

My husband, Adrian Locke, was obsessed with saving money. He said we needed to cut unnecessary spending, so I went three years without buying new clothes. He said our bills were too high, so I handed over my entire paycheck and lived on a 200-dollar monthly allowance. I ate at the hospital cafeteria, took the bus, and used the cheapest skincare products I could find. Then Jenna, the new intern in his department, had a birthday. Adrian spent 28,000 dollars on our joint credit card. He booked a luxury restaurant and filled a room with balloons and flowers. I texted him to see what he'd say. "The cafeteria raised the price of lunch by five cents, so I'll skip it." His reply came instantly. "Okay. Just eat more at home tonight." Then I got a notification. Jenna had posted nine photos on Instagram. The caption read, "Adrian said the internship has been exhausting, so I deserve to treat myself." So he wasn't frugal. Just with me. I cut that joint credit card in half, then called a lawyer. "Hello, I need legal advice about dividing marital property in a divorce." Chapter 1 "Nina, dinner's ready." I heard Adrian call and hung up before heading downstairs. I sat down at the dining table and glanced at the food. It was all Jenna's favorite food—rich, greasy, and spicy. Jenna cried out, "Adrian! You remembered how much I love this food! This Cajun restaurant is far away, isn't it? The delivery fee alone can't be cheap." Adrian chuckled and handed her a wet wipe. "Your internship has been exhausting. You don't get to eat here often, so of course we should serve what you like." I looked at Adrian. "I was diagnosed with gallbladder polyps last month. The doctor told me to avoid greasy and spicy foods." His hand froze for a moment before he reached for another bite. "I'm sorry, Nina. I forgot. There's some leftover oatmeal in the fridge. I'll heat it up for you." As he busied himself in the kitchen, Jenna sighed. "Nina, you're so lucky. Adrian is always so considerate, both with you and those of us who work under him." Thoughtful? Not when it came to me. He remembered Jenna's casual remark that she hadn't eaten Cajun cuisine in ages and ordered a whole tableful. I had told him about my gallbladder polyps three times, face-to-face, and he still forgot. Early in our marriage, Adrian would go from pharmacy to pharmacy looking for medicine for my stomach. Every morning, he'd prepare it and leave it on my nightstand. Now, even after I told him something three times, he still forgot. After dinner, Jenna sat in the living room talking to Adrian. She said the internship had been exhausting and she wanted to see a show that weekend to unwind. Adrian took out his phone. "I'll buy the tickets. What do you want to see? VIP seats or standard ones?" Jenna declined with a smile. "VIP seats cost nearly a thousand dollars. That's too expensive. Standard seats are fine." "If you're going, you should get the best view. You've worked hard. You deserve to treat yourself." He bought Jenna VIP tickets without hesitation. Yet two weeks earlier, I'd wanted to see a play that cost just 180 dollars. He'd said, "Why do you have to see a play live? Isn't watching a recording at home the same thing?" After Jenna left, I sat on the couch and checked our credit card statement. Two VIP tickets cost 1,800 dollars. Today's takeout was 580 dollars. Jenna's birthday a few days earlier had cost 28,000 dollars. In just a few days, Adrian had spent over 30,000 dollars on her. I stared at the screen for a long time, then opened his budgeting app. He always used the birthday of someone close to him as his password. I tried my birthday. Wrong. Then his. Wrong. Finally, I tried Jenna's. The app unlocked. Chapter 2 I scrolled through the entries one by one. Coffee and pastries for Jenna: 500 dollars a week for two months. Group meals during her internship: seven meals averaging 500 dollars each. A cake from her favorite bakery: 80 dollars every week. He had spent nearly 50,000 dollars on Jenna alone. I kept scrolling. At the bottom was a category labeled "Household Expenses." The mortgage was paid on time each month. Groceries and daily necessities were tracked down to the dollar. My allowance had fallen from 1,000 dollars to 200 dollars. Everything he saved from our household budget went to Jenna. I looked up at Adrian, anger flaring. "You've spent nearly 50,000 dollars on Jenna alone. Even counting all the discounted products close to expiring, you've spent less than 20,000 dollars on me. Adrian, is this what you call being frugal?" Adrian leaned back against the couch, his eyes still on his phone. "Jenna is an orphan and she's young. It's hard for her to live alone in a big city. As her supervisor, what's wrong with looking out for her?" I forced myself to stay calm. "Looking out for a junior colleague? You spent 28,000 dollars on her birthday. Our entire wedding budget was only 30,000 dollars. I couldn't even get the wedding dress I wanted because you said it would put us over budget." He put down his phone and frowned at me. "Nina Shaw, do you have to make such a big deal out of this? She's a young woman living alone in this city. What's wrong with taking extra care of her? The money isn't yours." Not my money? Together, we barely made 30,000 dollars a month. Yet in just two months, he had spent nearly 50,000 dollars on Jenna. I reined in my anger and asked, "Have you noticed how much stricter you've gotten with me? We have to cut every household expense, but when it comes to Jenna, money doesn't matter." Adrian fell silent for a few seconds before answering. "We're married. We're saving for our future. Do you have to compete with a young woman? I'm nice to her because she's my intern. Can't you be a little more generous?" It was exactly the answer I had expected. He framed shortchanging me as saving for our future and spoiling Jenna as simply caring for an intern. "In that case, let's get a div..." I was about to say "divorce" when his phone rang, cutting me off. I glanced at the screen. Jenna was calling. "Adrian, my rent is due and my salary hasn't come through. Could you lend me some money?" He glanced at me, then stepped onto the balcony. "I'll send you 5,000 dollars. Use it for now. There's no rush to pay me back." "Have you lost your mind?" He opened the balcony door. "Were you eavesdropping? She's a young woman..." "Last month, my mother was hospitalized. When I asked you for 5,000 dollars, you said we'd just paid the mortgage and told me to ask my father. "That same month, you spent 28,000 dollars on Jenna's birthday, and now you're giving her another 5,000 dollars. You always have money for Jenna. But when it comes to me, suddenly there's none. Suddenly we have to save. Suddenly it isn't necessary." He frowned. "Nina, I already told you, she's my intern. If you're even jealous of her, how are we supposed to stay married?" Too exhausted to argue anymore, I turned and went back to the bedroom. I texted my mother. "Mom, I want a divorce." Seconds later, my mother called. "Nina, what happened? Why do you suddenly want a divorce?" I was about to answer when Adrian pushed open the door. "Nina, who are you talking to this late? I have rounds first thing tomorrow. Keep your voice down." He seemed to have forgotten that just a week earlier, Jenna had stayed after dinner, talking and laughing with him until late at night. Their laughter never quieted. He'd had rounds the next morning then, too. He continued, "By the way, Jenna's lease expires next month. I don't feel comfortable letting her look for a place alone, so I'll go apartment hunting with her tomorrow. If she can't cover the rent, I'll pay the difference for now." "Tomorrow is my follow-up appointment. I booked it three months ago. It took me forever to work around your shifts. You promised you'd come with me," I said. He froze, as if he'd only just remembered. "Go by yourself tomorrow. I'll meet you there as soon as I've finished looking at apartments with Jenna." After he closed the door, I slowly raised the phone again. "Mom, do you understand now why I want a divorce?" Chapter 3 My mother didn't tell me to talk things through with Adrian again. I began preparing my divorce papers and applied for several jobs in other cities. That evening, a friend called. "Nina, I just ran into your husband at the mall. He said he upset you yesterday and was picking out an apology gift for you." Before I could answer, she continued, "He also said he's throwing Jenna a farewell party for the end of her internship. He should be home to pick you up soon, right? We're waiting at the restaurant!" Just then, Adrian walked in. "Did you go to your follow-up appointment today?" "No..." "It's okay that you missed it. I'll reschedule it for you in a couple of days. I should be free this weekend." Adrian wrapped his arms around me from behind. "Get ready. I've invited my colleagues to dinner for Jenna's farewell party." I nodded. There were a few things I wanted to say in front of everyone anyway. I got into his car. The diffuser smelled of sandalwood, a scent I'd told him many times I hated. A sticky note on the center console, in Jenna's handwriting, read "Drive safely," with a smiley face drawn beside it. Adrian noticed where I was looking and awkwardly peeled off the note. "Girls like doing this kind of thing. Nina, you..." I looked away and turned toward the window. "It's all right. I don't mind." Adrian was taken aback. "How can you..." I didn't turn back. "You're hosting tonight. We shouldn't be late. Drive." Adrian looked away and started the car. At the restaurant entrance, he put an arm around my shoulders. "All right, don't be angry. Once Jenna's internship is over, I'll keep my distance from her." I smiled and said nothing. Adrian led the way and opened the door for me. His colleagues waved and smiled at us. I had barely sat down when Jenna walked in. She wore a dress I had never seen before. It was beautifully tailored and made of fine fabric, with a small brooch pinned at the neckline. Adrian's eyes lingered on her for a moment. As Jenna sat down, Adrian pulled out her chair and handed her the menu. "This farewell party is for you. Order whatever you like." Jenna ordered her favorite shrimp. When the food arrived, Adrian shelled a few shrimp by hand and placed them on my plate. I frowned and turned to him. "Adrian, I have gallbladder problems. I can't eat shrimp." Jenna noticed the exchange and feigned guilt. "I'm sorry. I forgot about your gallbladder. The shrimp is this restaurant's signature dish. I just wanted everyone to try it." Adrian leaned close to my ear and lowered his voice. "This is Jenna's farewell party. Don't ruin it." Someone suggested a game to ease the tension. Everyone had to write down answers about their spouse. Question one: When did your wife last buy new clothes? Adrian's answer was last month. Question two: How much pocket money does your wife get each month? His answer was 500 dollars. Question three: What does your wife desire the most? Save enough for a bigger house. After reading his three answers, I stood and faced him. "Adrian, all three of your answers are wrong." The room went quiet. "I haven't bought new clothes in three years. You cut my allowance to 200 dollars long ago. As for a bigger house, you've spent nearly 50,000 dollars on Jenna. Not one cent of what we saved over three years went toward our future. Every penny went to someone else." Adrian froze. I continued, "Adrian, I want a divorce." I picked up my bag and walked out of the restaurant. Chapter 4 That night, I packed my bags and moved back in with my parents. For four days, he didn't come looking for me. I got a job offer from a design firm in another city. The night I booked my flight, my parents were still trying to change my mind. "Nina, are you sure? A man who saves is better than one who spends recklessly. Can't you two talk this through?" "His frugality was always at my expense, Mom. Adrian and I have nothing left to talk about." On the day I left, Adrian texted me. "Today's your follow-up appointment, isn't it? Should I pick you up this afternoon?" I didn't reply, so he called. "Nina, can we talk?" "There's nothing left to talk about." "I promised I'd limit my contact with Jenna. This time, I wanted to ask for your opinion. Jenna is still short on moving funds. I'd like to cover the difference. Her new place also needs furniture, so I'll pay for that, too." Even now, all he wanted to talk about was Jenna. I laughed, no longer willing to argue. "Do whatever you want." A little later, Jenna posted a photo of her new apartment on Instagram. The couch, coffee table, lamp, and curtains were all new. The caption read, "Adrian says a woman should live somewhere comfortable." Jenna deserved a comfortable home, but our living room light had flickered for three years. Every time I wanted to replace it, Adrian said it still worked. I liked Jenna's post, then took my suitcase to the airport. Before I boarded, messages from Adrian flooded my phone. "Nina, I've finished my shift and I'm heading home. I'll make dinner tonight." "Did you get your test results? Send me a photo." The last one was a voice message. "Nina, I'm sorry, but I'll be home late tonight. I have to help Jenna move. Yesterday's leftovers are still in the fridge. Just heat them up." I didn't reply. Without looking back, I left the city behind.