While cleaning the house, Crystal found wads of money under her little daughter Daisy’s bed. Curious and nervous, she confronted the girl and uncovered a heartbreaking truth that brought tears to her eyes, prompting an urgent call to her ex-husband.
Hey everyone, especially all the single moms out there who know what it’s like to have a little world of their own to take care of…
Let me introduce you to my universe: my adorable daughter Daisy. She just turned eight, and she’s my everything. She’s my reason to get up every morning.
Last week was a whirlwind. After putting Daisy on the school bus, I rushed home with my cleaning supplies because, you know, cleaning day!
After loading the washing machine and tackling the living room, it was time to face Daisy’s room. I expected the usual mess.
Daisy’s room was in its usual state of sweet chaos. Dolls, coloring books, and tiny shoes were scattered everywhere. I put her toys back in their places and finally started vacuuming.
I was about to vacuum when I spotted something under her bed. Getting on my knees, I reached under her bed and felt around. My fingers brushed against a couple of boxes. At first, I thought they were old shoeboxes or toy storage.
Curiosity piqued, I pulled them out, not knowing what I would find.
As soon as I opened one of the boxes, I gasped. Inside was a stack of money – five and twenty-dollar bills, neatly piled up. My hands trembled as I counted.
Several hundred dollars? Where did my little girl get all this money from? And what was she planning to do with it?
I sat on her bed, my mind racing with questions. How could she have so much money? Was she hiding something from me? My heart pounded as I thought about confronting her.
I finished cleaning Daisy’s room quickly, then took the boxes and placed them on the coffee table in the living room. I needed answers. I couldn’t concentrate on anything else.
When Daisy came home that afternoon, she was all smiles, chatting about her day. “Mommy, guess what! We shared candies at lunch, and I got a star for my drawing!”
Her happiness faded as soon as she saw the boxes of money. Her face turned pale, and she stopped mid-sentence, her eyes wide with shock.
“WHERE DID YOU GET THIS MONEY FROM?” I demanded, holding up a five-dollar bill. My voice shook with fear and anger. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, each beat louder than the last.
Tears welled up in Daisy’s eyes as she reached for the money, but I pulled it back. “No, Daisy, not until you tell me what’s going on.”
“Mommy, please,” she whimpered, her voice breaking. “It’s for Daddy.”
“What do you mean, it’s for Daddy?” I gasped. “Why does Daddy need this money?”
Daisy’s sobs filled the room. “Mommy, please! Put it back. Don’t take my money. I need it for Daddy!” she said again.
I was stunned. My ex-husband, William, was a successful businessman living abroad. Why on earth would he need money from our daughter?
“Why? Did Daddy tell you why he needs it?” I asked, trying to keep my voice calm. Daisy couldn’t stop crying, so I hugged her and wiped her tears.
Her small body trembled in my arms, and I felt a pang of guilt for making her cry.
“Tell me the truth, sweetheart. What’s this about?” I asked. My heart ached, but I needed to know. I needed to understand what was happening.
Daisy looked up at me with those big, teary eyes. “Daddy said I need to pay him if I want to see him,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
My heart sank. “He said THAT?” I gasped, my hands covering my mouth in shock.
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” I added, my voice cracking as I held my daughter.
I felt a lump in my throat as I tried to hold back my tears. William dared to ask our daughter for money to see her? How could he?
Daisy sniffled, wiping her nose on her sleeve. “I didn’t want you to worry, Mommy,” she said, her voice barely audible.
“Tell me, honey, where did you get this money?” I pressed gently, trying to keep the panic out of my voice.
Before I could process it, another fear crept in. Had Daisy stolen this money? I needed to be sure. So I asked her if she had stolen the money from someone.
Daisy looked up at me with glistening eyes. “No, Mommy! I didn’t steal. I saved my Christmas money, birthday money, and lunch money. I even sold some of my Barbie dolls and toys,” she explained, sniffling.
My eyes widened in disbelief. “You did all that TO SEE DADDY??”
She nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I just want to see him, Mommy. I miss him so much.”
Anger and sadness gushed into my eyes. “My poor baby, you shouldn’t have to do this to see your father,” I embraced my daughter, my voice trembling. “It’s not right.”
Grabbing my phone, I then headed to the balcony to call William. He had a lot of explaining to do.
William answered in two rings, sounding surprised. “Crystal? Is everything okay?”
I didn’t waste time. “Did you tell Daisy she needs to pay you to see her?” I confronted.
There was a brief silence before he said, “What? I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t play innocent, William! How could you ask our daughter for money?” I barked.
“Whoa, whoa! Now I understand,” he sighed. “Months ago, Daisy asked why I never visit. I told her I’m super busy with work, trying to make money.”
My head spun as I gasped, “Oh, God, William. What else did you say to her?”
“She joked about paying me to visit, and I said, ‘Sure, sweetie, you need to pay Daddy for his time.’ It was a joke, Crystal. I forgot about it. Why?” he casually said.
I could feel my blood boiling. “William, you IDIOT! Do you know what you did? Daisy took it seriously and has been saving money just to see you!” I exploded.
“Oh my God! Really?” he asked, sounding genuinely concerned.
“You’ve broken our daughter’s heart,” I spat out, barely holding back my tears.
There was a long pause. “I had no idea she took it seriously,” he said softly. “I would never intentionally hurt her. You know that, right?”
“I don’t know what to think anymore,” I replied, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on me.
I blurted out about the money under Daisy’s bed. “She’s been saving every penny, selling her toys, just to see you,” I said, tears streaming down my face.
William stuttered, clearly shaken. “I… I didn’t know,” he stammered. “I never meant to hurt her.”
I couldn’t stop yelling. “Do you realize what you’ve done to her? She’s been carrying this burden all alone!”
“You need to fix this,” I said firmly. “You need to talk to her and make this right.”
There was silence on the other end. Then, he said, “Please, give the phone to our daughter. I need to talk to her.”
Wiping my tears, I approached Daisy. She was hugging her teddy bear, looking so sad. “Sweetie, Daddy wants to talk to you,” I said, handing her the phone.
She took the phone with trembling hands, her eyes wide with hope and fear. “Daddy?” she whispered.
I walked out, bracing myself for whatever William would say next. I could only hope he would make things right.
Moments later, Daisy came running, throwing herself into my arms. She was crying, but with joy. “Mommy, Daddy promised to see me next weekend! He’s coming! He’s going to buy me my favorite dolls and candies!”
I couldn’t believe it. I called William to confirm, and he did. He was leaving his work and flying thousands of miles just to make Daisy happy.
“Are you sure?” I asked, still in disbelief.
“Yes, Crystal. I’m coming. I promise,” he said, his voice filled with sincerity.
I hung up, feeling a surge of relief and gratitude. “Daisy, Daddy’s coming to see you. You don’t need to worry anymore,” I said, turning to my daughter.
She looked up at me with wide eyes. “Yayyy! I’m so happy, Mommy!” she chirped and my heart started to melt then and there.
That night, as I tucked Daisy into bed, I said, “Sweetie, there’s something you need to know… you can’t buy time with money. We’ll save this money for your birthday, okay?”
She nodded, a little upset but understanding as I put the money in her piggy bank. “Daddy doesn’t want the money,” I said with a smile. “He wants you to keep it and save up for something special!” Daisy’s smile mirrored mine as she clutched the piggy bank tighter.
With my daughter brimming with excitement to see her father soon, I am so relieved it ended well. Looking back, maybe yelling at William wasn’t the smoothest approach, but honestly, put yourself in my shoes! How would you have reacted?
Here’s another story about a wife teaching her husband an unforgettable lesson after he refused to help the kids get ready for school and took his hour-long bath instead.
