On Valentine’s Day, a man angrily accused his wife of being a poor homemaker and, in a fit of rage, discarded the gift she had prepared for him. But his regret came swiftly when a stranger arrived at their door later that day.
Cora spent the morning filled with unexpected joy, marveling at her own happiness. She sat in the living room, checking off tasks on her to-do list for the evening, blushing as she imagined how thrilled Eric would be when he saw the Valentine’s surprise she had planned.
Cora met Eric at a business conference in Texas. Both had grown up as orphans in foster care and dreamed of creating a large, loving family together.
Fortunately, it didn’t take long—after a few dates, they married, and two years later, welcomed triplets.
However, tension grew when Cora became the primary caregiver for the children, and Eric assumed the role of the family’s main provider.
Eric’s efforts to support a family of five left him stressed and burdened with guilt that he couldn’t spend enough time with them. Weekends offered little rest, and despite working hard, saving money was a constant struggle.
Because of this, the couple hadn’t gone on a trip or dined out at fancy restaurants in years, even on special occasions. Eric was determined to save every penny, and Cora respected this by being frugal and careful with their limited funds.
For Valentine’s Day, she wore an old red dress Eric had given her on their first anniversary. Though a bit worn, it was special to her and saved money, so she was happy to wear it for the occasion.
As Eric’s arrival neared, she quickly set a table for two with his favorite red velvet cheesecake—baked in a heart shape—a bottle of wine, and several other dishes she had prepared. Beside his plate was a gift box, which she was especially excited about.
“Perfect!” she thought, lighting scented candles and fairy lights throughout the room. About half an hour later, Eric came home.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, honey!” she greeted him with a kiss on the cheek and led him inside.
But Eric was stunned to see the candlelit room, the feast laid out, and rose petals scattered from the doorway to the table. “What on earth have you done, Cora? Are we some kind of silly teenagers?” he snapped, anger overtaking him.
Her smile disappeared as Eric switched on all the lights and glared at her. “What’s wrong, honey? Are you upset? Did something happen at work?”
When anger takes hold, reason often fades.
“Seriously?” he shouted. “Is this what I’ve been working so hard for? So you can waste it on this nonsense?”
“Eric, please calm down,” she said softly, guiding him to the table. “I didn’t go overboard. The ingredients cost a bit more, but it wasn’t much. Please sit and tell me what you think of the food.”
But Eric was furious. After tasting the Aglio e Olio, he spat it on the table. “What’s wrong with this spaghetti? Why does the sauce taste awful?” he yelled, startling the sleeping triplets.
“Eric!” Cora cried. “What’s wrong with you? The babies just fell asleep a half-hour ago, and you woke them up!”
“So what? Is that my fault too? I work all day while you stay home playing with the kids! And what’s this?” he said, grabbing the gift box. “A gift?” He threw it to the floor and stared at her. “I’m not a child who’d be impressed by this. Look at the kitchen! Do you know why the dishes are piled up? Because you were too busy preparing this nonsense to keep the house clean!”
“You’re impossible, Eric! I can’t believe you’re the same man I fell in love with. Can’t you… just leave?” she muttered and walked away to the children’s room. But their crying continued, irritating Eric even more.
“Why aren’t the kids quiet? Aren’t you supposed to be a perfect housewife and mom? Learn to do something right, Cora!” he yelled from the living room.
Hearing his insults, Cora stormed out in anger. “They’re crying because I need to change their diapers, but we’re out! So shut up and take care of them until I get back. The store is far, so it’ll take a while!” she shouted as she left, slamming the door behind her.
“Yeah, and you say you’re a housewife, staying at home,” Eric muttered, continuing to criticize her as he went to the kids’ room.
Nearly an hour passed, the children kept crying, and Cora hadn’t returned. Frustrated, Eric went to the living room to call her. “How long does it take to get diapers?” he groaned.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. “There she is! Cora, what took you so long to—” he started, but stopped when he saw a police officer at the door. “Does Cora live here?”
“Yes,” Eric answered.
“Are you her husband?” the officer asked, clearing his throat.
Eric nodded.
“I’m sorry to inform you that your wife died in a car accident. You need to come identify her body. We found her address on her driver’s license.”
Shock struck Eric, and his face went pale. The officer glanced inside, noticing the candlelit table, regretting delivering such tragic news but knowing he had no choice.
Still trembling, Eric called their neighbor, Mrs. Nelson, to care for the triplets. At the mortuary, he couldn’t believe the pale, lifeless woman was Cora. Overwhelmed with guilt for how he’d treated her, he wept, and after her funeral, he shut himself away at home, unable to face anything.
The table Cora had set remained, and looking at it, memories of the previous night flooded back. Then he remembered the gift. “The gift… I didn’t even open it.” Searching the room, he found it on the floor.
With trembling hands, he unwrapped the box and found a note and two plane tickets to Hawaii. Wiping away tears, he read the letter.
“To the love of my life, Eric,
Happy Valentine’s Day! Guess what? I got a job this month! I saw how exhausted you were working alone, so I applied to several places, and yesterday I was hired!
I also spoke with Mrs. Nelson, who agreed to look after the babies while I work. But wait, there’s more! Those tickets are for a vacation to Hawaii, just the two of us! (I have other surprises planned, but you’ll find out later, hehe!)
Eric broke down crying like a child. But there was nothing he could do. Cora was gone, and he had to live with that forever.
His life would never be the same. He never fell in love again, dedicating himself to working hard and raising their children well. Every Valentine’s Day, he visits Cora’s grave, talking to her for hours, wishing he could ask for her forgiveness.
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