My wife is nine years younger than me, from a humble background, and earns less than $500,000. She has a gentle and homemaking spirit. On our wedding day, her family didn’t gift us any gold jewelry, while my family gave a total of 13 gold rings.
During our wedding night, after counting the wedding gifts and cash, I realized that most of the gold and money came from my family, with little contribution from hers. So I said to my wife:
“Let’s keep our wedding gifts and personal incomes separate. I will contribute to our household expenses monthly. What do you think?”
Expecting her to be upset by my selfish proposal, I was surprised when she immediately agreed, and things went smoothly.
I realized that most of the gold and money came from my family, with little contribution from my wife’s family. (Illustrative image)
As we prepared for bed, my wife suggested that she be included on the deed for the house I had purchased the previous year. I blamed her in my mind for finally revealing her greed. I bluntly said:
“I worked tirelessly for nearly 20 years to buy this house, sacrificing indulgences, enduring illnesses without proper medical care, and forgoing new clothes. This is my hard-earned asset, and I don’t think you should demand co-ownership. If you buy land in the future, I won’t lay claim to it.”
I chose to be upfront with her to prevent any future designs on my property. Fortunately, she didn’t get upset by my decisive words.
After a sweet consummation of our marriage, I fell into a deep sleep. In the middle of the night, I woke up thirsty and noticed my wife sitting by the bed, holding a black bag with a contented smile on her face.
Intrigued by what could be in the bag, I startled her when I asked, and she instinctively hid it behind her back.
I chose to be upfront with her to prevent any future designs on my property. (Illustrative image)
Her action jolted me awake, and I insisted on seeing what was in the bag. With some persuasion, she finally agreed to reveal its contents.
To my amazement, the bag was filled with gold jewelry, and I wondered where she had gotten it all. She honestly confessed that it was her dowry from her parents. I was surprised to learn that her modest and frugal parents had given her 20 gold rings.
With this newfound wealth, I advised her to find an affordable plot of land and invest in it, waiting for the right time to sell it for a profit. However, she had a different idea:
“I suggest combining my gold and your money to buy a valuable piece of land. If we don’t sell it, we can pass it on to our children.”
Her words made me realize how selfish and narrow-minded I had been, while she displayed a generous and open-minded spirit. I apologized for my rigid division of assets, which had saddened her. Her generosity broadened my perspective. As a married couple, money isn’t everything; trust and sincere love are what bind a family together. She was delighted that I recognized my shortcomings.
