I knew everything would change when I remarried, but I never expected my new wife to go after my late wife’s money. It was meant for our daughters’ future, not for her. She thought she could pressure me. What happened next taught her a lesson she will never forget.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I clutched a photograph of my late wife and our daughters at the beach. ‘I miss you, Ed,’ I whispered, stroking Edith’s face in the photo with my fingers. “The girls… they’re growing up so fast. It’s a shame you can’t see them now.” Her radiant smile looked at me from the photo, her eyes sparkling with the life that cancer had stolen too soon…
A quiet knock interrupted my memories. My mother peeked into the room, her eyes full of concern.
‘Charlie, dear, you can’t keep living in the past. It’s been three years. You need to move on. Those girls need a mother.’
I sighed, putting the photo frame away. ‘Mum, we’re fine. The girls…’
‘Are getting older!’ She interrupted me, sitting down next to me on the sofa. ‘I know you’re trying, but you’re not getting any younger. What about that nice woman from your office? Gabriela?’
I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache coming on. ‘Gabi? Mum, she’s just a colleague.’
‘And a single mother, just like you’re a single father. Think about it, Charlie. For the girls’ sake.’
As she walked away, her words echoed in my head. Maybe she was right. Maybe it was time to move on.
A year later, I stood in the backyard watching Gabi interact with my daughters. Shed had come into our lives like a whirlwind, and before I knew it, we were married.
It wasn’t like it was with Edith, but it was… good.
‘Dad! Look!’ my youngest exclaimed, trying to do a cartwheel.
I clapped, forcing myself to smile. ‘Great job, sweetie!’
Gabi came over and intertwined her arm with mine. “They’re wonderful girls, Charlie. You’ve done an amazing job.”
I nodded, suppressing the guilt that always arose when she praised my parenting. ‘Thanks, Gabi. I try my best.’
‘You’re such a wonderful parent. Your children must be very lucky.’
As we walked into the house, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off about the way Gabi had said it. But I pushed the feeling aside, deciding that this new family had to work.
At that moment, Gabi cornered me in the kitchen, her eyes sparkling with a look I had never seen before.
‘Charlie, we need to talk about the trust fund for the girls,’ she said, her voice syrupy sweet.
I froze, my coffee mug halfway to my lips. ‘What trust fund?’
Gabi rolled her eyes and stopped playing. ‘Don’t play dumb. I heard you talking on the phone with your financial advisor. Edith left the girls a tidy sum, didn’t she?’
My stomach churned. I had never told her about the fund. And I never thought I would need to.
‘It’s for their future, Gabi. College, starting their lives…’
‘Exactly!’ she interrupted. ‘What about my girls? Don’t they deserve the same opportunities?’
I put down my mug, trying to keep my voice steady. ‘Of course they do, but this money… Edith will pass it on to her children.’
Gabi’s eyes narrowed. ‘Her children? We were supposed to be one family, Charlie. Or was that just talk?’
‘That’s not fair,’ I protested. ‘From day one, I treated your daughters as my own.’
‘Treated them as your own? Please. If that were true, you wouldn’t be saving this money only for your biological children.’
I looked at Gabi, her words still ringing in my ears.
I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. ‘Gabi, we mustn’t touch this fund. It’s for my daughters’ future.’
‘Is that all? Are your dead wife’s wishes more important than your living family?’
“Don’t you dare talk about Edith like that. This conversation is over. This money is not up for discussion. Period.”
Gabby’s face flushed with anger. ‘You’re impossible! How can you be so stubborn?’
My jaw clenched and my muscles twitched as I tried to maintain my composure. I barely recognised the woman standing in front of me, so different from the one I thought I had married.
A plan formed in my head.
“Great! You’re right. We’ll deal with this tomorrow, okay?”
Gabi’s eyes lit up, clearly deciding that she had won. ‘Really? Are you serious?’
I nodded.
Gabi’s lips curled into a smug smile. ‘Good. It’s time to set you straight.’
She turned on her heel and left the room. The slam of the door echoed through the house, punctuating her tantrum.
I sank into a chair and ran my hands over my face. Gabi had shown herself in all her glory, and now it was time for a harsh lesson in respect and the dangers of pride.
The next morning, I pointedly called my financial advisor, making sure Gabi could hear.
‘Yes, I want to open a new account,’ I said loudly. ‘It’s for my stepdaughter. We’ll fund it from our joint income.’
I heard a sharp intake of breath behind me and turned to see Gabi standing in the doorway, her face contorted with surprise and anger.
‘What are you doing?’ she snapped as I hung up the phone.
‘I’m setting up a fund for your daughters, just as you wanted. We’ll contribute to it together from what we earn.’
Her eyes narrowed. ‘What about Edith’s money?’
‘It will remain untouched. That’s not up for discussion.’
‘Do you think that will solve anything? It’s just a slap in the face!’
‘No, Gabi. I’m setting boundaries. We’re building our family’s future together, not taking what doesn’t belong to us.’
She poked me in the chest with her finger. ‘You’re choosing your daughters over us. Admit it!’
‘I’ve decided to grant Edith’s wish. And if you can’t respect that, then we have a serious problem.’
Gabi’s eyes filled with tears, but I couldn’t tell if they were genuine or manipulative. “I thought we were partners, Charlie. I thought that what belonged to you belonged to me too.”
‘We are partners, Gabi. But that doesn’t mean we have to erase the past or ignore Edith’s legacy.’
She turned away, her shoulders shaking. ‘You’re so unfair.’
As she left the room, I called after her, ‘Unfair or not. But know this: my decision stands.’
The following weeks were filled with icy silence and curt conversations. Gabi alternated between trying to pin my guilt on me and dismissing me. But I stood my ground, unwilling to back down.
One evening, as I was putting my daughters to bed, my eldest asked, ‘Daddy, is everything okay between you and Gabi?’
I paused, carefully choosing my words. ‘We’re dealing with some grown-up issues, sweetie. But don’t worry, okay?’
She nodded, but her eyes were troubled. ‘We don’t want you to be sad again, Daddy.’
My heart ached. I pulled her close and kissed her on the top of her head. ‘I’m not sad, sweetheart. I promise. Your happiness is more important to me than anything else.’
When I left their room, Gabi was waiting for me in the hallway, her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed.
“They’re good kids, Charlie. But my girls deserve no less.”
I sighed, realising her position hadn’t changed. ‘They’re good kids. All of them. And they all deserve our support.’
She shook her head mockingly. “Support? That trust fund would be real support. But you just had to play the hero for your precious Edith, didn’t you?”
‘This isn’t about playing the hero. It’s about respect. Respect for Edith’s wishes and for our daughters’ future.’
‘What about my daughters’ future? Or does that not matter to you?’
I took a deep breath and pulled myself together. ‘We created the fund for them too. We’re building it together, remember? That’s how we’re moving forward.’
She laughed bitterly. ‘Oh, please. That’s just your way of reassuring me. It’s not the same thing, and you know it.’
Our eyes met, and I saw a storm brewing in hers, just as I saw one in mine. I knew this battle was far from over. But I also knew that I would never back down.
Months passed, and although the arguments became less frequent, the underlying resentment remained. One evening, as I watched all four girls playing in the back garden, Gabi came up to me.
‘They look happy,’ she said.
I nodded, keeping my eyes on the children. ‘They are.’
She turned to me, her expression hard. ‘But things could have been better if you had just listened to me.’
I met her gaze firmly. ‘No, Gabi. It wouldn’t have been better. It would have been unfair and disrespectful.’
She opened her mouth to argue, but I raised my hand. ‘This discussion is over. It has been for several months.’
When she left, I was overcome with a wave of sadness and relief. Gabi had shown her true colours, and although it hurt to see our marriage fall apart, I knew I had done the right thing.
Shed quickly learned that I was not someone to be pushed around. If she thought she could waltz into our lives and rewrite the rules to her advantage, she was in for a rough ride.
It was the signal she needed, harsh as it was.
I made my position clear: Edith’s legacy is sacrosanct for our children. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever.
And seeing Gabi come to terms with the fact that she couldn’t manipulate or intimidate me into submission? It was worth every second!
As I watched my daughters laugh and play, my heart grew determined to be the best father I could possibly be. I was protecting what mattered most: their future and the memory of their mother. Whatever difficulties lay ahead for Gabi, I knew I would face them head-on, as I had done from the very beginning.
