HomeUSA NewsI Forgot to Leave Lunch Money for My Son, but He Said,...

I Forgot to Leave Lunch Money for My Son, but He Said, Dont Worry, Mom, I Will Look in the Cereal Box Where Dad Hides It

The morning had already gone off the rails before I even left the house.

Between juggling two jobs, keeping up with bills, and barely getting enough sleep, I was hanging by a thread. I had been up before the sun, shaping dough in the bakery, when a sinking realization hit me.

I forgot to leaveย lunch money for my son, Caleb.

Just as I reached for my phone, a text popped up:

Mom, no lunch money?

Guilt hit me like a punch to the stomach. Caleb was only twelveโ€”he shouldnโ€™t have to worry about things like this.

I immediately called him.

โ€œHey, Mom,โ€ he answered, his voice soft. โ€œI texted youโ€ฆ thereโ€™s no money for lunch today.โ€

I sighed, already feeling the weight of failure pressing down.

โ€œIโ€™m so sorry, sweetheart,โ€ I said. โ€œI just got caught up with laundry before I left. Iโ€™ll figure something out.โ€

But before I could suggest anything, Caleb said something that made my blood run cold.

โ€œItโ€™s okay! Iโ€™ll just grab some from the cereal box where Dad keeps money.โ€

I froze.

โ€œWhat?โ€

โ€œYou know, the Cheerios box. Dad puts money in there sometimes. Sometimes inside, sometimes underneath.โ€

I barely managed to keep my voice steady.

โ€œOhโ€ฆ right. Thatโ€™s a good idea, honey. Iโ€™ll see you later. Love you!โ€

After he hung up, I stood there, mind racing.

A secret stash? In the cereal box?

Why?

A Shocking Discovery

I spent the rest of my shift in a fog, my hands moving on autopilot as I pulled loaves from the oven. My husband, Marcus, and I had been scraping by, every dollar carefully counted.

We wereย behind on bills.ย Theย car needed repairs.ย I had to buyย Calebโ€™s sneakers from a discount storeย because Marcus said money was tight.

And yetโ€ฆ he had cash hidden away?

By the time I got home that evening, I didnโ€™t even bother taking off my shoes. Iย marched straight to the pantry.

And there it was.

An envelope,ย tucked beneath the Cheerios box.

With trembling hands, I pulled it out and peeked inside.

It wasnโ€™t just a few bucks for Calebโ€™s lunch.

There wereย hundreds of dollarsโ€”enough to cover the car repairs, rent, and even some overdue bills.

I felt myย stomach twist.

Marcus had been sitting on this money while I workedย 12-hour shifts, exhausted, thinking we were drowning.

I could have stormed into the other room and confronted him immediately. But as I heard himย laughing on a phone call, sounding completely at ease, something in me snapped.

Revenge, Served in Style

The next morning, after my bakery shift, I did something I had never done before.

I booked aย luxury spa day.

Hair. Nails. A massage. The works.

It was reckless. It was impulsive.ย It was the first time in years I did something for myself.

And I didnโ€™t feel guilty.

When I walked through the door that evening,ย Marcus nearly dropped his phone.

Myย hair was freshly styledย in soft waves,ย my nails painted deep red, and my entire body feltย lighterย than it had in months.

Marcus stared at me.ย โ€œWhatโ€ฆ what did you do?โ€

Iย smiled sweetly.

โ€œI found the money in the cereal box,โ€ย I said.ย โ€œSo, I treated myself.โ€

Theย color drained from his face.

โ€œYouโ€ฆ spent it?โ€ His voice cracked.

โ€œOf course. I deserved a day off, donโ€™t you think?โ€

The Truth Comes Out

โ€œYou shouldnโ€™t have spent that,โ€ Marcus stammered. โ€œIt wasnโ€™t meant forโ€ฆ for this.โ€

โ€œThen what was it for?โ€ย I demanded, my voice sharp.ย โ€œBecause Iโ€™ve been working myself into the ground thinking weโ€™re barely making it, while youโ€™ve been hoarding cash?โ€

Marcus rubbed his face.ย โ€œItโ€™s not like that, Jess. I wasnโ€™t hiding it. I justโ€ฆ I didnโ€™t want you to worry.โ€

โ€œWorry about what?!โ€ย My voice cracked. โ€œThat isย all I do!ย I worryย all the time!โ€œ

He sighed, looking down at the floor. โ€œMy boss mentioned layoffs. I wanted to set something aside, just in case.โ€

Iย stared at him.

โ€œYou let me believe we were drowningโ€”**let me work two jobs until I could barely standโ€”**so you could secretly stash money for a โ€˜maybeโ€™?โ€

Marcus winced. โ€œI didnโ€™t think about it like that.โ€

โ€œNo, you didnโ€™t.โ€

We stood there inย tense silence.

Finally, I took a deep breath.

โ€œWeโ€™re supposed to be a team, Marcus. But you didnโ€™t trust me enough to tell me the truth.โ€

His expression softened. โ€œYouโ€™re right. Iโ€™m sorry.โ€

I shook my head.ย โ€œSorry doesnโ€™t undo the fact that I felt like I was drowning alone.โ€

What Happens Next?

The next morning,ย I made him a promiseโ€”I wouldnโ€™t touch any more secret stashes.

Andย he made me a promiseโ€”there wouldnโ€™t be any more.

I wanted to believe him.

I really did.

But as I stood in the kitchen later that day, staring at the empty spot where the envelope had been, I couldnโ€™t shake one lingering thought:

If he did it onceโ€ฆ whatโ€™s stopping him from doing it again?

RELATED ARTICLES
Continue to the category
- Advertisment -

Most Popular

Recent Comments