I held it in my hands for a few seconds before quietly putting it back.
“I don’t need it.”
Carol looked at me.
“You don’t have any money with you?”Get Writing Tools
It was an ordinary question.
But I felt so ashamed, as if she had shouted my secret across the
entire store.
That evening, for the first time, I confronted Robert.Get Marriage Tips
“I want to keep part of my pension from now on.”
He did not even lower his newspaper.
“What for?”
“I just want to have some of my own money.”
Then he finally looked at me.
“Margaret, you don’t need money. I take care of everything you need.”
“But it is my pension.”Compare IRAs
He was silent for a few seconds.
Then he simply said,
“I know.”
That “I know” made me angrier than shouting ever could have.
I barely slept that night.
My mind filled with terrible possibilities.
What if he had debts?Get Writing Tools
What if he was giving the money to another woman?
What if he had been hiding something from me for years?
The next month, I decided to test him.
When my pension arrived, I placed the envelope directly into my purse.
Robert held out his hand.
Give it to me.”
“No.”Get Marriage Tips
His expression changed.
Not much.
But I noticed.Compare IRAs
“What’s wrong?”
“I want to know where it goes this time.”
He stared at me for a long moment. Then he said something that made my stomach tighten.
“It’s not time yet.”
