Toxic Compassion

For a second, I wondered if I had heard her wrong. Wyatt had sent me into an allergic shock, yet I was supposed to pay for his tuition?

I refused without even thinking. "No. I need that paycheck to buy my cemetery plot."

Hannah's eyes widened. "Nathan, are you really going to curse yourself like that just so Wyatt can't use the money? He's still so young... What's wrong with letting him learn something? Can't you have a little compassion?"

Compassion again.

Because of her compassion, I had less than two more weeks left to live.

I sneered as I said, "That's right. I have no compassion."

When Hannah saw that I would not give in, she stormed out and slammed the door. I then heard her say to Wyatt in the living room, "Wyatt, don't worry. I'll find a way to send you to school."

I did not care. After I recovered from the allergy, I immediately returned to my original schedule and went to work during the day while washing dishes at the restaurant at night.

To spite me, Hannah cooked all kinds of good food for Wyatt every day. The smell drifted out of the kitchen, making me realize how empty my stomach was.

Wyatt would always sit across from me with his plate, eating smugly as he said, "Nathan, you should have some too. Hannah said these ribs were expensive. She bought them with your paycheck."

I shoved the plain dinner rolls into my mouth and ignored him, but I had a bad feeling about all of this.

Three days before payday, I went to finance and asked, "Martha, can you please change the account for my direct deposit? Don't put this month's paycheck in the old account."

I used to think a husband and wife shared everything, so both the apartment and car were in Hannah's name. Meanwhile, my paychecks had always gone into her account.

It was not until I could not afford my own surgery while I was in the hospital that I realized if I had no money of my own, I could not even afford to die.

Martha typed on her computer a few times. When she looked up, her expression was awkward. "Well, didn't your wife come in last week and get an advance on your paycheck? Why are you asking for it again?"

"What?!" I shot to my feet, my voice tight. "When did she come in?"

"The day you took leave for your allergy. She said you were in the hospital and needed money urgently. She was crying pretty hard, and she had a copy of your ID, so I processed it for her."

I almost froze as I gripped the table to keep myself from falling.

She had taken my paycheck in advance?

That was the money I needed for my cemetery plot!

I staggered out of the company. When I found Hannah, she was just going to buy a gold watch with Wyatt.

I rushed over, my voice trembling with rage. "Hannah! Where's my paycheck?"

She started. When she saw it was me, the smile vanished from her face and was replaced by a self-righteous look. "I spent it on Wyatt's tutoring class. You have no idea how expensive tutoring is these days."

"That money was for my cemetery plot!" I grabbed her arm, my fingers trembling. "Give it back to me!"

She shook me off, anger rising in her eyes, too. "Nathan, what is wrong with you? Why do you keep talking about cemetery plots every day? Are you that eager to die? I'm telling you right now that Wyatt's education is what actually matters!

"That being said, what perfect timing. I'm worried people will look down on Wyatt when he starts school, so I want to buy him a gold watch. We're short on money now, so give me your wedding ring. I'll pawn it for cash first, then get it back for you once I have the money."

As she spoke, she grabbed my hand.

Then, she froze when she saw my bare ring finger. "Nathan, where is your wedding ring?"