About the money, I’ve made a decision. We’ll divide it between my mom and me.
This decision came shortly after my father’s funeral. Jack had gone through the inheritance documents without asking permission and said to me, “Kelly, don’t be too greedy. Oh, finally, I can quit my job. I have to thank that doddering old man.”
“Doddering old man? Are you talking about my dad?” I blurted out without thinking.
Ignoring my confusion, Jack and my mother-in-law enthusiastically discussed plans to buy a new car and go shopping. Faced with this unexpected turn of events, I could no longer contain my emotions. I was on the brink of exploding. I had been burdened with household chores, asked for money constantly, and to top it off, they had insulted my father.
I didn’t want to live with Jack and my mother-in-law anymore. Suppressing my anger, I forced a smile and replied, “Sure, feel free to use the money as you and my mother-in-law please.”
I am Kelly Cohan, a 38-year-old housewife who also worked alongside my husband. My parents were doctors who ran a well-reputed clinic in our hometown. As an only child, I was showered with love.
After graduating from the school of pharmacy, I secured a job at a major pharmaceutical company. Although my parents were disappointed that I didn’t become a doctor, they respected my decision.
Ten years ago, my mother unexpectedly died in an accident, leaving me and my father devastated. During those difficult times, Jack, who was then my boyfriend, supported me.
We met through a mutual friend, and two years after my mother’s passing, Jack proposed. Jack was an ordinary salaryman in the food and beverage industry. Despite earning significantly more than him, I believed we could overcome any difficulty and become a happy couple.
My father was overjoyed when I told him about our engagement. “I’ve heard how Jack supported you, Kelly. Thank you so much. Please continue to take care of her,” he said.
Facing my father, Jack stood straight and promised, “I will make her happy.” Standing next to Jack, I was enveloped in feelings of happiness.
The following week, we went to Jack’s family home to announce our marriage. His mother, wearing flashy makeup and divorced from Jack’s father, evaluated me rudely.
“Marriage, huh? You’re Jack’s choice, are you? Isn’t she a bit plain for your choice? And she’s older, right? Wouldn’t a younger and prettier girl be better for you?”
Jack quickly retorted, “Mom, you know M Pharmaceuticals, right? Kelly works there. Her father is a doctor and runs his own practice.”
I expected Jack to praise my character, but instead, he emphasized the financial advantages. Hearing this, his mother’s expression changed to one of satisfaction.
“Oh, Jack, you should have told me such important things earlier. That changes everything. I happily approve of the marriage. Nice to meet you, Kelly.”
After gaining approval for our marriage from Jack’s mother, Jack was overjoyed. However, I couldn’t shake off a sense of unease, despite things going smoothly and our decision to get married.
When we were about to register our marriage, my father, who was both a doctor and a real estate investor, gifted me an apartment in a luxury building in New York City.
I told Jack, “Dad has given me this apartment as a wedding gift, but it’s our new home. Let’s live here happily and peacefully together.”
Jack smiled happily, and thus, our married life began.
However, after getting married, I realized something unsettling. Jack, who had lived with his parents until then, was almost incapable of doing household chores.
He couldn’t cook, didn’t know how to use the washing machine, and showed no interest in learning. He would leave his garbage scattered around without bothering to throw it away.
While I wanted us to diligently share household responsibilities, Jack’s careless attitude increased my dissatisfaction. In the first year of marriage, I took on all the household responsibilities despite some complaints.
We were still in the honeymoon phase, but with the exhaustion from work and the struggle to keep up with chores, I reached my limit in our second year.
Deciding to have a serious talk with Jack about sharing household duties, I bravely expressed my dissatisfaction.
To my dismay, Jack responded without gratitude or reflection, saying, “I’m tired from work, too. You’re much better at chores than I am, right? It’s better if you do them since I’m not good at it.”
Dismissed just like that, Jack hardly helped with chores, and I continued to bear the brunt of our household responsibilities.
But that wasn’t the only problem. After marrying Jack, I discovered that his mother also had some peculiar ideas.
Jack wasn’t very interested in seasonal events, so I decided to send a quality scarf and carnations to his mother for Mother’s Day.
Despite choosing a nice scarf from a department store, his mother called me sounding displeased. She criticized the scarf, saying it wasn’t from a famous brand and that it was absurd to send such a no-name item.
I tried to explain its quality, but she wouldn’t listen, insisting that she wanted items from a very famous luxury brand.
Stunned, I reported this to Jack when he returned home. But instead of empathizing, he said, “What? It’s just money. Just do as she said.”
Jack didn’t take my side, and from then on, we started giving her cash as she demanded.
Moreover, by our fifth year of marriage, she began visiting our home frequently, always finding reasons to ask for money. Jack, without any complaints, would always smile and give money to his mother.
Even though I had a job, Jack’s income was limited and small, making our daily life just barely manageable. Desperation led me to dip into our savings to cover living expenses.
Despite my frustrations, I knew Jack cherished his mother, and she was an important person to him. He had supported me during tough times, so I thought of her as the mother of someone important to me, and with that thought, I endured.
Now, in our eighth year of marriage, I continued to handle all the household chores and keep giving money to my mother-in-law.
One day, during this routine, my father, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, unexpectedly called me. The story he shared during our rare meeting was shockingly unexpected.
He revealed that he was suffering from terminal cancer, and treatment was no longer possible. Overwhelmed with shock, tears spilled from my eyes.
My father gently stroked my head, just as he did when I was a child, saying, “Kelly, this is fate. Let’s accept it quietly.”
I questioned, “Dad, why even you?”
Thus, my days became a juggling act of work, household duties, and now visits to my father’s hospital. While work allowed some flexibility, managing the household was not easy.
When I told Jack I would be caring for my father, he showed no reaction or willingness to help.
“Well, it’s tough with your father’s sudden condition. Please do your best,” was the only thing Jack said.
He visited my father in the hospital only once. I was so preoccupied with my father’s care that I had no time to spare for Jack. If I had time to worry about Jack, I wanted to prioritize my father.
One day, as my father lay in his hospital bed, he suddenly asked me, “Kelly, how is your marriage with Jack going?”
Caught off guard, I found myself thinking about Jack’s attitude at home and his mother’s behavior. I couldn’t answer properly.
Seeing my hesitation, my father seemed to understand and spoke to me. “Kelly, you don’t have to endure. Think about your happiness. Don’t worry. You won’t have any hardships after I’m gone.”
I couldn’t hold back my tears and wept, and my father silently and firmly held my hand.
Three months later, the inevitable moment arrived. My father passed away quietly. Engulfed in immense sorrow, I started arranging the funeral.
Jack, however, showed no interest in my grief and didn’t help with any preparations. Despite this, I was too busy with the funeral arrangements to pay much attention to him.
Many friends and acquaintances attended my father’s funeral, making it a heartfelt farewell. Even the indifferent Jack and his mother attended.
The day after the funeral, I received a call from a lawyer about my father’s inheritance. I arranged a meeting with the lawyer and listened to the explanation.
The information was all new and quite surprising. After deducting taxes like inheritance tax, my father’s estate amounted to over three million dollars.
He had not only earned income as a doctor, but also made real estate investments, leaving behind such a vast fortune, all of it to be inherited by me, his only daughter.
Wrapped in surprise and gratitude, yet trembling at the thought of handling such a huge amount of money, I proceeded with the inheritance process.
After returning home, I spread out the documents received from the lawyer on my desk. Reading through them, exhaustion overwhelmed me, and I ended up dozing off on the sofa for a short while.
When I awoke, I heard the cheerful voices of Jack and his mother from afar.
“Huh? Jack and Mother, too? When did you come?”
As I spoke, Jack approached me with a beaming smile, saying, “Yes, Kelly. Well done.”
“Huh? What?”
Confused by his sudden excitement, I noticed the documents in Jack’s hand. They were the inheritance papers I had received from the lawyer.
“Wait, don’t just read those without asking.”
Shocked and angry at Jack for looking through the documents without permission, I raised my voice at him.
However, my mother-in-law, unconcerned, happily chimed in, “Wow, an inheritance of three million dollars. Isn’t that amazing?”
“Isn’t that amazing? Now we can live comfortably for the rest of our lives.”
Confused, I couldn’t understand why my mother-in-law suddenly said that. Then Jack turned serious and continued, “By the way, about this three million dollars, I decided that it will be split between me and my mom.”
It was right after my father’s funeral. Jack, having looked at the documents related to the inheritance I was supposed to receive without permission, said to me, “Kelly, don’t be too greedy. Oh, now I can finally quit my job. I have to thank that doddering old man.”
“Doddering old man? Are you talking about my dad?” I accidentally said it out loud.
“Well, anyway, let’s proceed with the inheritance process and get the money into our joint account as soon as possible.”
Ignoring my confusion over this sudden turn of events, Jack and my mother-in-law were excitedly talking about buying a new car and shopping.
At that moment, I couldn’t hold back my emotions any longer. I was on the verge of exploding, being burdened with household chores, asked for money, and to top it off, they had insulted my father.
While holding back my anger, I replied with a forced smile, “Sure, use the money as you and my mother-in-law please, as you wish.”
Hearing this, my mother-in-law, seemingly satisfied, said cheerfully, “That’s the spirit, Kelly. Quick to agree. Now, make sure you work hard and earn money. I don’t want our savings to decrease, so work hard.”
I just nodded and pretended to listen to her selfish words.
Afterward, Jack and my mother-in-law began living as if they had lost their minds, spending money lavishly. Jack quickly quit his job, and my mother-in-law practically moved in with us, staying at our house constantly.
They would leave in the morning and return with luxury brand items they had splurged on.
“The three-star restaurant we went to today wasn’t as great as I expected.”
“Yes, it was a bit underwhelming for us, the sophisticated ones.”
They had conversations as if they had become wealthy celebrities, while dumping all the housework on me as if I were a maid.
Jack seemed to think my father’s inheritance would come through immediately. He carelessly withdrew money from our joint account, and my savings of one hundred thousand dollars dwindled rapidly.
When I protested their excessive spending, Jack just laughed it off.
“Ha! What are you talking about? Isn’t three million dollars coming soon? Then this kind of spending is no big deal.”
I warned him, “I’ve already stopped it.”
But Jack completely ignored me. Then, a month later, Jack and my mother-in-law suddenly left for a trip to Hawaii. I wasn’t invited and was left alone at home.
After seeing them off, I decided to take action.
About a week later, while I was relaxing at home, I heard a loud knock on the door. Wondering what was happening, I glanced at the intercom monitor and saw Jack and my mother-in-law, both dressed in aloha shirts, standing at the front door.
“Um, what do you want?” I asked calmly and coldly.
Red with anger, Jack yelled, “What are you even talking about? Why won’t the door open?”
Seeing Jack and my mother-in-law confused as to why the door wouldn’t open, I confidently answered through the intercom, “Well, I changed the locks on the door, so of course it won’t open.”
“What? Why?”
“Let’s talk this over calmly at the nearby cafe. Please go ahead. I’ll join you shortly,” I suggested.
Jack and his mother shouted in front of the entrance, but they seemingly realized it was futile and soon headed to the cafe.
Once I confirmed they had left, I made my way to the cafe. Arriving there, I saw Jack and his mother, who had arrived earlier, waiting in a state of fury.
“Hey, what’s this about? Did you change the locks? Hand over the new keys right now.”
“There’s no need for me to give you the new keys. You both need to leave that house,” I calmly told Jack and his mother.
Facing a visibly angry Jack, I presented a piece of paper. It was a divorce petition I had already filled out.
“Divorce? You’re serious about divorcing me?”
His mother was equally shocked and bewildered. “Kelly, why has it come to this?”
I spoke quietly to the two who were panicking and flustered. “By the way you’ve been spending lavishly every day, are you sure the finances are okay?”
“What money? Of course it’s fine,” Jack retorted vehemently, spitting as he spoke. “Your father’s inheritance is coming, right? There should still be over fifty thousand dollars in our joint account. Look, I’ll show you right now. Here it is.”
Saying this, Jack took out his smartphone and opened the banking app to check the account. At that moment, his expression changed abruptly.
“What? What’s this? Why is the money gone? It was there just the other day.”
Hearing Jack’s words, his mother also hurriedly looked at her phone, her face showing confusion.
I revealed the truth to them as they panicked, unable to understand the situation.
“Of course it’s gone. I’m divorcing you, so I moved that fifty thousand dollars to my account as part of the property division.”
“What? What do you mean?”
Jack’s face turned to anger for a moment. But then he smirked as if remembering something.
“Fine. I’ll divorce you then. Transfer the inheritance you got from your dad right away. After all, property acquired during the marriage is split half and half in a divorce, right?”
“Well, you might be misunderstanding something,” I replied.
“Why didn’t you know? The inheritance I received, even though it was during our marriage, doesn’t count for property division.”
There was a moment of silence between us. Then Jack and his mother’s expressions changed drastically.
Perhaps they truly believed they would receive part of my inheritance. I was just astonished and could only sigh in disbelief.
“No, that can’t be true. That’s impossible.”
Her face turned red with a mix of denial and anger.
“Please check for yourself,” I said mockingly.
Jack started frantically searching on his smartphone.
“It says here, property inherited by one spouse from a parent is considered separate property. Therefore, it’s not subject to division and can’t be split between the spouses. What? Seriously?”
His mother, too, looked at the screen in shock.
Then Jack approached me, pleading desperately. “Kelly, please don’t divorce me. I have no savings and no job. How am I supposed to live if you divorce me?”
Faced with Jack’s whining, I spoke to him clearly and firmly.
“What are you talking about? Take responsibility for your actions. I will never forget how you both treated me. I’m divorcing you. I’ll go to court if I have to.”
Intimidated by my fierce demeanor, which they had never seen before, Jack and his mother shrank back in fear, whimpering softly.
Leaving the two of them dejected, I walked out of the cafe.
Later on, Jack and I were able to go through the divorce proceedings without any issues. The fifty thousand dollars I had moved from our joint account was recognized as part of the marital property division.
Eventually, I managed to get Jack and his mother out of my house.
Jack, having already squandered the money from the property division, found himself penniless. Furthermore, he was overwhelmed with bills from the overseas trip and other expenses he had paid for with his credit card, quickly sinking into debt.
Jack and his mother had to take on even more debt to make these payments, and they now live in a run-down apartment, working tirelessly every day to pay off their debts.
The stark contrast to their former lavish lifestyle has been a huge shock for them.
On the other hand, I sold the condo I used to share with Jack. I then moved into the apartment that used to belong to my father.
I continue to work as before, but with the inheritance I received from my father, I am living a comfortable life financially.
With gratitude to my late father in my heart, I want to start anew and cherish my life ahead. I aim to protect my happiness and spend my days peacefully.
