Agnes pagou pelo casamento de sua neta Clara, mas Clara a removeu da lista de convidados do casamento no último momento. No final, porém, as coisas tomaram um rumo inesperado quando o karma estendeu a mão para Clara.
Agnes estava sentada em um dos cantos da sala de estar, com os olhos marejados. Todos tinham ido embora depois de discutir o casamento de Clara — durante o qual Agnes declarou sua intenção de não comparecer, apesar de seu desejo de fazê-lo — e agora ela se arrependia do porquê de ter dito isso.
Nunca imaginei que esse dia chegaria. É, de fato, uma pena que agora não estarei presente. A senhora idosa refletiu.
Apenas para fins ilustrativos | Fonte: Pexels
Agnes tinha 75 anos quando seu amado marido Edward morreu. Logo depois, sua saúde começou a piorar, e ela se mudou para Nova York para viver com a família de seu filho. Eles eram inicialmente muito amorosos e atenciosos, mas quando Agnes foi diagnosticada com demência, as coisas começaram a mudar.
Ela podia ouvir seu filho Timothy e sua esposa Linda discutindo quase todos os dias sobre se ela deveria ser transferida para uma casa de repouso ou quão caro seria o tratamento se sua saúde piorasse ainda mais. Mas Agnes engoliu toda a dor e ficou lá porque ela adorava sua neta.
Depois que Edward partiu para sua morada celestial, Agnes só tinha um desejo: ela queria ver sua neta casada antes que Deus decidisse mandá-la para Edward. Então ela não tocou em um centavo do dinheiro que ela estava economizando para sua neta por anos.
Ela ficou muito feliz quando finalmente soube que Clara iria se casar e ofereceu todo o seu dinheiro para ajudar com os preparativos do casamento. No entanto, as coisas não saíram como planejado.
“$25.000! É muito dinheiro, mãe! Não posso tirar isso de você”, explicou Timothy. “Sei que você adora Clara e quer nos ajudar, mas acredite em mim, mãe, não é necessário.”
“Mas querida, o que farei com o dinheiro na minha idade?” Agnes perguntou com uma voz frágil. “Você sabe que minha saúde está se deteriorando. Eu nem tenho certeza de quanto tempo mais viverei. Por favor, permita-me fazer isso.”
“Ela está certa, querida”, Linda interrompeu, seus olhos brilhando com a riqueza de Agnes. “Afinal, ela só tem uma neta. Não me importo, Sra. Arnold. Na verdade, você tomou a decisão certa.”
“Veja, até sua esposa concorda comigo, Tim”, Agnes comentou. “Vou lhe dar os detalhes da minha conta poupança. Por favor, retire o dinheiro e use-o, ok?”
Apenas para fins ilustrativos | Fonte: Shutterstock
“Mas mãe. Eu não acho…” Timothy estava hesitante em aceitar o dinheiro de Agnes, mas quando ela continuou insistindo, ele finalmente cedeu.
Enquanto isso, Clara não ficou nada impressionada com a avó.
“Ela não vem, pessoal. Como vocês podem pensar em convidar a vovó para o casamento? Ughh, estou tão cansada daquela velha bruxa doente!” Clara gritou com seus pais uma noite.
“Mas, querida”, protestou sua mãe, “ela pagou pelo seu casamento”.
“Vamos, mãe! Só porque ela pagou não significa que a convidamos. Você não lembra o que os médicos disseram? A demência dela está piorando. Se aquela velha bruxa aparecer no casamento, eu juro que cancelo tudo! Não vou deixar que ela estrague meu dia especial!”
“Chega!”, exclamou seu pai. “Ela é sua avó. No mínimo, mostre alguma decência!”
“Eu não me importo, pai! Estou falando sério. Aquela mulher não vai vir. É meu casamento, e vou tirar o nome dela da lista de convidados agora mesmo!”
Naquele momento, o casamento estava a apenas duas semanas de distância. Agnes estava animada com isso, mas seu coração afundou quando ela ouviu sua neta discutindo sobre remover seu nome da lista de convidados do casamento.
Infelizmente, isso afetou sua condição ao longo do tempo e, quando Timothy a levou ao médico um dia, foi-lhe dito que se ele não cuidasse adequadamente dela, sua condição pioraria ainda mais.
Quando Clara e Linda descobriram, ficaram furiosas e sugeriram que Agnes fosse colocada em uma casa de repouso. “Não temos tempo para cuidar dela, e não quero estragar o casamento da minha única filha por causa dos problemas de saúde dela”, Linda sugeriu.
Apenas para fins ilustrativos | Fonte: Shutterstock
Então, quando Agnes voltou da consulta médica, ela anunciou que não iria ao casamento de Clara. A pobre mulher também aconselhou o filho a concordar com o pedido da esposa e transferi-la para uma casa de repouso o mais rápido possível. “Sei que você está preocupado comigo, Tim. Mas não acho que sua esposa e, principalmente, Clara me queiram aqui. É melhor eu ir embora. Por favor!”, ela implorou.
Timothy hesitou em atender ao pedido de Agnes, mas Agnes implorou e chorou, dizendo que se sentia sufocada na casa o tempo todo.
Agnes estava sentada, com os olhos marejados, na manhã em que estava prestes a sair de casa para ir ao asilo. Seus pensamentos estavam correndo sobre o quão adorável Clara tinha sido quando criança. Ela passava as férias de verão em sua casa, e a amava mais do que tudo, mas com o tempo, todos esses sentimentos desapareceram do coração de sua neta, e tudo o que restou foi uma pessoa má que tinha vergonha de convidar sua avó para o casamento porque ela estava doente; uma paciente com demência.
Agnes estava em lágrimas no dia do casamento de Clara, lembrando-se de quão animada ela tinha ficado todos esses anos para ver sua neta em seu vestido de noiva. Quando ela não aguentou mais, ela pediu à enfermeira Lincy para ligar para seu filho Timothy e perguntar o endereço do local do casamento.
“Vou só observá-la e volto, Tim”, Agnes disse ao filho na ligação. “E não se preocupe, vou garantir que ela não me veja. Não quero estragar o humor dela no dia do casamento.”
“Claro, mãe. Não vou impedi-la se você realmente quiser. Sinto muito por não ter conseguido persuadir Clara a deixá-la ir ao casamento, mas posso fazer isso por você.”
“Está tudo bem, querida. Você tentou o seu melhor. Obrigada por enviar o endereço. Eu também vou te encontrar depois de ver Clara”, disse Agnes antes de desligar o telefone.
Apenas para fins ilustrativos | Fonte: Shutterstock
Animada para ver sua neta, Agnes se enfeitou com um vestido pastel e uma boina combinando. No entanto, quando ela chegou ao casamento, um som de gritos vindo do quarto de Clara a fez parar. A mulher mais velha percebeu que Clara e seu noivo estavam discutindo.
“Como você pode fazer isso comigo? Como você pode cancelar o casamento?” ela ouviu Clara gritando. Agnes cobriu a boca em choque.
“Eu não vou ficar com alguém que não respeita os avós, Clara. Não acredito que você não convidou sua avó porque estava envergonhada com a doença dela.”
“É, e daí? Qual é o problema? Eu não queria que um fardo como ela fosse ao casamento.”
“Uau! Clara, todos nós envelheceremos em algum momento. É assim que você gostaria de ser tratada? E meus pais? Eles já estão na casa dos sessenta. Você vai jogá-los fora também?”
“Não mude de assunto, Josh. Não vou ligar para ela!”
“Então o casamento acabou! Adeus!”
Apenas para fins ilustrativos | Fonte: Pexels
Quando Agnes ouviu o noivo de Clara cancelar o casamento, ela não conseguiu evitar abrir a porta. “Por favor, querida, não faça isso. Clara te adora.”
“Vovó! O que você está fazendo aqui?” Clara ficou surpresa.
“Eu só queria te ver, querida. Tentei de tudo para me convencer a não ir, mas eu realmente queria te ver no seu vestido de noiva.”
“Bem, desculpe, mas não vai haver casamento aqui, Sra. Arnold. Você pode voltar”, disse Josh.
“Por favor, querida, não. Eu entendo a imprudência de Clara, mas, por favor, não cancele o casamento. Eu a perdoei há muito tempo, e você deveria fazer o mesmo.”
“Peço desculpas, Sra. Arnold. Tenho muito respeito pela senhora, mas não posso fazer isso”, Josh declarou enfaticamente antes de partir.
Clara soluçou no chão enquanto o observava ir embora. “Você está contente agora? Você arruinou completamente nosso casamento. Não era isso que você queria?”
“Não, querida, eu não quis dizer isso…” Agnes se aproximou lentamente para consolar Clara, mas a jovem ficou tão furiosa que expulsou a avó do quarto.
Apenas para fins ilustrativos | Fonte: Pexels
Agnes caminhou de volta lentamente, observando os arredores. A atmosfera inteira parecia deprimente. Os convidados estavam saindo do salão, murmurando em decepção, e Timothy e Linda estavam discutindo novamente.
Cansada de todo o caos, Agnes caminhou até os assentos dispostos no salão de casamento e sentou-se em silêncio. Então ela ligou para Lincy e pediu que ela trouxesse os anciãos do asilo para o local do casamento, onde Agnes deu uma festa para eles.
Vendo todos se divertindo à vontade, Agnes ficou encantada. Linda e Clara lançaram um olhar severo para ela quando ela viu todos os mais velhos chegando ao local e se divertindo, mas Agnes não se importou.
Ela se perdeu na atmosfera alegre, esquecendo suas preocupações, e serviu-se de uma taça de vinho. Já que paguei pelo casamento, mereço me divertir. A vida é curta demais para se preocupar com tudo. Gostaria de ter percebido isso antes. A velha senhora ponderou enquanto tomava um gole de sua taça de vinho.
Apenas para fins ilustrativos | Fonte: Unsplash
O que podemos aprender com essa história?
- Você não pode escapar do karma. Clara decidiu excluir sua avó do casamento, mas o karma a alcançou e a fez aprender uma lição da maneira mais difícil.
- Não se perca tentando consertar as coisas e fazer os outros felizes. Agnes sempre se preocupou com a felicidade de Clara e negligenciou a sua. Nunca se deve fazer isso.
Se você gostou desta história, talvez goste desta sobre um garotinho que paga as compras de uma senhora faminta e pede que ela faça um pedido.
I Found out My Wife Was Leading a Double Life after I Saw Her Payment Statement – Story of the Day
I thought my marriage was solid until a glance at my wife’s payment statement revealed a strange pattern: expenses on baby items, pediatricians, and kindergarten, none of which made sense since we didn’t have kids. Confused and concerned, I followed her, only to uncover she was leading a double life.
As a 33-year-old lawyer, my specialty was infidelity and how to get the aggrieved person the best deal. But my knack for it changed my life.
One day, I was driving home through the bustling city as the sun set. My career had taught me the value of trust in marriage, a principle I cherished, especially now, being newly married to Natalie, the woman I deeply loved.
Fragment of a car parked | Source: Shutterstock
That evening, as I pulled into my driveway, the absence of Natalie’s car made me frown. She was usually home by this time, her punctuality being one of her defining traits. But things had changed recently as she was home much later than me these days.
The quiet house amplified my unease. The silence inside was unsettling, and due to my line of work, doubts raced through my mind. A particularly unwelcome yet persistent thought emerged: “Could Natalie be cheating on me?”
Fortunately, hours later, Natalie returned, looking exhausted, but I couldn’t contain my words. “Where have you been? You’ve been late a lot. Is there something you’re not telling me?” And finally, I asked if she was being unfaithful.
Her reaction was one of shock. “Hank, I love you. I could never cheat on you. I’ve just been busy grading tests at school,” she assured me, sighing. That made sense. Natalie was a dedicated teacher, so I nodded and tried to let it go.
Girl pointing finger on screen | Source: Shutterstock
But while sharing dinner and stories of our day, a message on Natalie’s phone shattered any semblance of peace. “Honey, will you be there tomorrow?” I glanced at it and was surprised by the intimacy.
She quickly deleted the message and tried to keep talking about her day.
I interrupted her without a second thought. “What was that?” I asked, my voice heavy with suspicion.
“What do you mean?” she looked puzzled or was faking her expression.
“The message. I saw what it said,” I pressed, frowning.
Sad tired young woman | Source: Shutterstock
Natalie sighed, rubbing her forehead. “Hank, it’s not what you think,” she tried to reassure me and showed me her phone to prove it was a wrong number.
But skepticism clouded my judgment, and my appetite vanished.
Later, in bed, the message replayed in my mind, not allowing me to sleep. Natalie lay beside me, seemingly peaceful, as she gently snored. My doubts grew, and I knew what I had to do. It was wrong, but I needed to know the truth.
Carefully, I used her finger to unlock her phone and found a contact named “Rabbit,” including conversations with an unknown number about getting together and happened on days Natalie had come home late.
Close-up of a hand holding a smartphone in bed | Source: Shutterstock
I also decided to check her bank statements. That was always a major clue in my cases. My heart sank as I pieced together the evidence of her secret life, including payments for children’s toys and hospital bills. Did she have a child I didn’t know about? Did she call the kid ‘Rabbit’?
More importantly, who was the father?
Natalie woke briefly, so I scrambled to put her phone discreetly away and pretended I was falling asleep. But inside, I was distraught. The idea of her leading a double life was overwhelming.
The next morning, I woke determined to follow Natalie to her work. I reached the school and parked discreetly, watching the entrance until Natalie suddenly appeared and drove off.
I followed, my heart pounding with each turn, until she stopped at a run-down house in a modest neighborhood. I waited a few minutes before exiting my car and peering through a window.
Man watching neighbours | Source: Shutterstock
I saw Natalie with a man, and the atmosphere between them was cozy. They were familiar with each other in an intimate way. I was sure of it, but my jaw dropped as I watched her lean forward and kiss the man on the cheek.
I wanted to investigate more and decided to hide in some bushes near the fence. That was when I saw Natalie emerging from the house, rolling a little girl in a wheelchair. They both smiled at each other, and I stared, mouth-agapped at them.
I was so mesmerized that I didn’t see a dog coming near me until its bark made me jump. It alerted Natalie, who looked around the yard, her eyes panicked. I tried to calm the dog. Then, I heard her.
“Who’s there? I’m calling the police!” Natalie yelled out, not recognizing me in the chaos. I ran off with the dog biting at my ankles and scrambled over the fence, ripping my pants in the process. I could only hope my wife didn’t recognize me.
Aggressive dog barks | Source: Shutterstock
Back in my car, the image of Natalie with the little girl in the wheelchair haunted me. I drove home, my mind swirling with fear, doubt, and dread about confronting my wife.
Once home, I changed my torn clothes and waited on the bed. Finally, hearing her car, I steeled myself and went to the living room. Natalie entered the house, apologizing for being late due to work.
I watched her, noticing her disheveled appearance, and cut to the chase, “Natalie, stop. I know everything.”
Frowning, she asked, “What do you mean?”
“I know you’re cheating on me,” I accused bluntly.
Boyfriend and girlfriend are arguing | Source: Shutterstock
She was taken aback, denying it and attributing her late nights to work. I pressed about the suspicious messages.
“Hank. You went into my phone?” she asked, appalled.
“Yes! Yes! I went into your phone. I’m the bad guy, right? It’s me spending money on another family,” I retorted, my words dripping with sarcasm and hurt.
Natalie was visibly shaken. “What are you talking about? What other family?”
“I saw everything, Natalie. I saw it with my own eyes. You don’t work late at school, but go to some man and girl,” I continued.
“You followed me?”
Emotional annoyed stressed couple | Source: Shutterstock
“Yes,” I confessed, unashamed.
“I can’t believe this,” Natalie threw her arms in the air and stomped to our bedroom. I waited a few seconds and followed, only to see her packing.
“Where are you going?”
“I don’t know. A hotel or something,” she said, stuffing her bag roughly.
“Fine,” I snapped and turned to leave, but I saw her phone lying on the bed and grabbed it. Back in the living room, I installed a tracking app, just in case. Then, I went back to the bedroom, returning the phone to where she left it.
But I saw her face and the pain I had inflicted. I didn’t want to be angry anymore and started pleading with her to stay. “Let’s talk,” I said. “We can fix this. You don’t have to leave.”
Untidy Teenage Bedroom | Source: Shutterstock
“Yes, I do,” Natalie snapped, zipping her back. “And for your information, the man and child you saw are my brother and niece.”
I felt my eyebrows go up. “Why have I never met them before?!” I demanded. But she didn’t answer and went around me, ignoring me as I followed.
She slammed the front door, and I stayed back, reeling. In a fit of rage, I swept off the items on our mantel and screamed my frustrations out. Breathing heavily, I realized I needed to know more, so I searched our bedroom.
Shockingly, I discovered a hidden compartment in her wardrobe containing a gun, several fake passports, a bag of money, and a newspaper clipping about a bank robbery.
“What?” I breathed out. “Who did I marry?”
Man’s hand open Full Black Duffel Bag | Source: Shutterstock
I was in a daze. Wrapping the items in a bag, I placed them in my car’s trunk and drove to the hotel nearby, where Natalie must have been staying. Fortunately, I was right and discreetly bribed the receptionist to get Natalie’s room number.
I knocked outside her door, disguising my voice as room service. She opened the door and crossed her arms. “What else do you want to talk about, Hank? I already said I am not cheating on you,” she sighed.
“I believe you didn’t cheat on me,” I interrupted. I then presented the bag, asking her to explain the gun, fake documents, and money.
Natalie sighed, inviting me inside and admitting her involvement with bad people and a bank robbery to pay for her niece’s urgent surgery. I listened in shock, rubbing my chin as I processed.
Bank robbery of the century | Source: Shutterstock
“You robbed a bank?” I whispered.
“Yes,” she admitted quietly. “There was no other way. My ‘Rabbit’…I mean, my niece, Katie, was dying. My brother, Tom, didn’t have the money. I had to do something. This was before you and I even met.”
“We have to tell the police, Nat. But my friend, Luke, is the best criminal defense attorney in the state,” I began, my lawyer mind planning. “You can’t live this double life, waiting for the sword to drop. Come home with me, and we’ll think of a solution.”
Natalie stared into my eyes, and I saw all the fear she must have felt for years since her bank robbery. But I held her hand. I’d be there for her through it all. Finally, she nodded, and we drove home.
At home, Natalie made tea, and we sat at the kitchen table to drink it. I talked about contacting Luke, who could help her get a good deal, but my eyes got droopy all of a sudden. I remembered Natalie guiding me to my bed but nothing else.
Close-up of man holding knife | Source: Shutterstock
I woke up disoriented the next morning. I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my head. A strange redness in the sheets caught my attention, and when my vision focused, I saw a knife covered in blood on the other side of the bed.
I remembered the tea, and it all clicked. Did she want to frame me? To pretend she was dead?
“Natalie!” I screamed, standing and swaying on my feet. I noticed a trail of blood leading out of the bedroom, and I gasped at the state of my place. The house was in disarray. Furniture was overturned, and the living room was a scene of destruction, worse than what I had done last night.
I kept calling for my wife. I tried to wipe some of the blood with my hand, but it only made it worse. Finally, I saw movement outside, and I peered through the blinds. Two policemen were talking to my neighbor, and I heard him mention screaming coming from our house.
I looked sideways, and my car looked like it had been driven through rough terrain, but I had no memory of leaving the house. The two cops came over and started knocking, but I scrambled to the bedroom, dressed, grabbed Natalie’s pistol, and jumped out of the window.
Male eyes spying through roller blind | Source: Shutterstock
They saw and ran after me, but I knew the neighborhood better. I kept thinking I needed to find Natalie and understand the truth. But I couldn’t do that if I was caught. The scene at the house was too crazy. Natalie had done an excellent job trying to appear like I had hurt her.
I hid somewhere and saw the two cops running off in the opposite direction. I waited, feeling worse by the second. After a while, I cautiously emerged from my hiding spot, using the tracking app on my phone to find my wife while my fingers trembled.
The app led me to an empty road, where I found Natalie’s phone discarded in the tall grass, a clear sign that all this had been on purpose. Frustrated but not deterred, I decided to visit Natalie’s brother’s house.
Taking a taxi, I arrived at his place and knocked relentlessly. When Tom opened it, I didn’t waste time on pleasantries. I pulled out the gun, aiming it at his face, and, with a steady hand, I walked in as he retreated with his hands in the air.
Revolver in hand | Source: Shutterstock
Once in, I demanded he call Natalie immediately. When the call connected, I didn’t mince words.
“Hi, Natalie. You sound very much alive for someone who’s supposed to be dead. Contrary to your plans, I haven’t been detained. But Tom here isn’t doing so well. I have a gun pointed at him, and if you don’t come here within the next 6 hours, I will kill both Tom and Katie.”
“You wouldn’t do that,” she gasped.
I scoffed angrily. “Want to test me? I don’t think so.”
“Hank, please,” Natalie begged.
I cut her off. “You have 6 hours.”
Beauty girl cry | Source: Shutterstock
***
I waited, the gun never leaving my hand as Tom and his daughter sat on the opposite couch. I knew I was supposed to feel bad, but I was beyond caring at that point.
The front door burst open, and my wife walked in. She froze after seeing her pistol and her brother and niece scared. “Hank, I beg you. Let them go,” Natalie begged.
“Why did you do this, Nat? Why did you fake your death?” I stood in a flash, spitting my questions.
“I don’t want to go to prison. You wanted to turn me in. I couldn’t take that risk.”
“I love you, Natalie. We could have faced everything together,” I spat.
“But in prison, I would have been alone,” she said, looking away.
Handcuffs | Source: Shutterstock
My lips were shaking as I tried to come up with a solution that wouldn’t destroy our lives, but the police startled us, coming into the house with their arms out. They went right at me, and I knew I deserved to be arrested for threatening Tom and Katie, but I told them everything my wife did.
With her eyes down, Natalie finally admitted the truth, and they arrested her. As they took her away, our eyes met one last time, a silent goodbye.
I turned to Tom then. “I’m truly sorry for all the anxiety I caused you. I didn’t want to, but I needed Natalie to come, and this was the only way.”
The police arrested me, too. Sitting in the patrol car, I tried to justify my actions, “Understand, I had no other choice. I needed her to come.”
Police lights at night in the city | Source: Shutterstock
“No goal justifies threatening anyone at gunpoint. You should’ve called the police, explained what happened, and let us handle it.”
Reflecting on those words, I realized the magnitude of my missteps and how I wished I could go back and start over. But I could only do better in the future, starting by calling Luke. I desperately needed his help.
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If you enjoyed this story, read this: Hailey goes on vacation, looking for a calm break from her past problems. At a grocery store, she’s shocked to see a man who looks exactly like her husband, who she was sure died in a plane crash. Wanting to know more, Hailey rushed to him, especially since all her money went missing right before he supposedly died.
This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life.
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