He Let His Mother Die for His Mistress

Diana's POV: When I learned that my mother-in-law had been in a car accident, I called my husband right away. "Mom needs 500,000 dollars for surgery. I don't have enough in my account." But all he said was, "My money is for venture capital, not charity. The online loan I sent you has a low interest rate. Apply for it yourself." I was about to explain when I saw his assistant on television, giving an acceptance speech. "Thank you to my boss for believing in me and supporting me. I'll do everything I can to make this new firm a success!" My husband, who usually barely cracked a smile, looked at her with undisguised affection. "I'm only investing 5,000,000 dollars. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. If you lose it, I'll cover it." In that moment, I finally understood. It wasn't that he couldn't afford it. He just didn't think I was worth 500,000 dollars. My mother-in-law's life wasn't worth that much to him, either. But why, at her funeral, did he cry and tell me he'd been wrong? ***** I tightened my grip on my phone. The man on the television seemed like a stranger. My phone was already 5 years old. I'd asked Eric Caldwell several times for a new one, but he'd always refused. "They release new phones every year. The markup is ridiculous. There's no reason to buy one." On the screen, his assistant was holding the latest trifold phone. What he really meant was that there was no reason to buy one for me. The warmth in my chest slowly drained away. The light outside the emergency room kept flashing, reminding me that my mother-in-law was still fighting for her life. If Eric wouldn't pay for her surgery, I'd have to find another way. I put the small apartment he'd given me before we got married up for a quick sale. Even the real estate agent tried to talk me out of the price. "Ma'am, that's far too low..." I cut him off. "Can I get the money today?" "Well, yes, but..." "Good. Let's do it." I hung up. The contract arrived on my phone in less than 30 minutes. I signed it without hesitation and used the deposit to pay for my mother-in-law's surgery. After what felt like a century, the emergency room doors finally opened. "She's stable for now," the doctor told me gravely. "But at her age, there's a significant risk of complications. Whatever happens, your family needs to be prepared for further expenses." My heart sank. But when I thought of all the care she'd shown me over the years, I knew I had to do everything I could to save her. That evening, I went home to pick up my documents. The moment I opened the door, I heard a woman laughing in the living room. It was Eric's young assistant, Megan Abbott. A cake sat on the table in front of her, and Eric was cutting her a slice. Megan immediately stood when she saw me. "Diana, you're home." Her voice was sweet, but the diamond earrings dangling from her ears hurt to look at. I recognized them. Last month, on my birthday, I'd lingered over that pair at the jewelry counter. Eric had told me, "Diamonds don't hold their value nearly as well as gold. There's no reason to buy them." He'd bought them for Megan. Eric set down the cake and frowned at me. "What are you doing back?" "This is my home. Do I need your permission to come back?" Megan's expression tightened. Eric stepped in front of her. "Megan's firm opened today. I brought her here to discuss some new business and celebrate while we were at it." 'Celebrate while they're at it? Does it even cross his mind that his mother is lying in a hospital bed with tubes running into her body, or that his wife has sold her home to raise the money?' My mother-in-law deserved so much better. How could someone so kind have a son like him? Megan lowered her head and spoke softly. "Diana, I think you've misunderstood. Mr. Caldwell is my mentor. He just doesn't want me getting nervous about starting my first business." She touched an earring. "These are just a reward for my work on the team. It's not what you think." I couldn't be bothered to listen to any more of her nonsense. I went straight to the bedroom to get my documents. Eric followed me in. "What's with that attitude?" I sighed. "Eric, I want a divorce." "You're being ridiculous!" His voice suddenly rose. "Megan is so young. She's trying to make it in this city on her own. What's wrong with looking out for her?" I looked up at him. "Mom is alone in the intensive care unit, too. Have you looked out for her?" He faltered, then quickly recovered his self-righteous tone. "Your mother is a different matter." I stared at him. "What do you mean?" "I mean Megan still has a future. Your mother's illness is your risk to bear. I'm not obligated to invest in it." Eric repeated his point, then kept lecturing me. "If I start paying now, you'll come to me for money every time something happens to her. Diana, you're an adult. You can't keep relying on other people..." I stared at him, my chest aching as though he'd torn it open. All this time, he'd thought it was my mother who'd been in the accident. 'My mother has no future, so she's not worth saving. I have no future, so I don't deserve his help. My family means nothing to him.'