But no such luck. Opening the box, she saw a set of energy-saving light bulbs. «Happy birthday, Natalie!» John said with a smile. «Here, now saving will be even more convenient.»
Natalie looked at the bulbs and felt like she was in an altered reality. Is all this really happening to her? «John, is this your entire gift?» the woman asked with notes of sarcasm in her voice.
«Of course! And what do you mean ‘entire’? These are energy-saving bulbs, by the way. With them, we’ll cut electricity costs even more.» «But we already have such bulbs!» Natalie blinked in surprise.
«So these are lower wattage than the ones we have now. We have 10 watts now, and these are 5. And you’ll change them yourself. You’re the housekeeper. You’ll have something to keep your hands busy!» he added with a satisfied smile.
Natalie’s patience was at its limit. First the shower, then the fridge at work, and now this. She was already beginning to doubt her husband’s sanity.
In the depths of her soul, the thought arose that something was wrong with him. «John…» she began in a restrained tone, trying not to raise her voice. «It seems to me that you’ve developed some obsession with saving. This is no longer normal. Don’t you see what you’re doing? Products are spoiling, we’ve stopped living normally. I can’t take it anymore.»
«Obsession?» John frowned. «I’m just trying to be economical, and you don’t appreciate my efforts. My mom always praised me when I managed to save an extra penny. For some it may be extra, but for a sensible person, money is never extra.»
«There it is.» Natalie realized that her husband saved so much because for his mother this was the norm. And yet, communicating with her mother-in-law, Natalie never noticed that she cared so much about money.
«This is no longer saving, this is mania,» Natalie sharply interrupted her husband. John had already crossed the boundary of common sense. The woman was not going to tolerate it any further.
She realized that she couldn’t fix her husband, and she wouldn’t bother with it. Natalie decided it was time to teach John a lesson for his excessive saving. She was already tired of the constant restrictions from her husband and control over all household trifles.
So, one morning, gathering with her daughter Paula, she said to her husband: «John, Paula and I are going to the store. Everything in the fridge has finally spoiled. There’s nothing to eat at home. Are you okay with that? Or maybe you want to come with us?»
John just grunted and muttered: «Just don’t buy anything extra.» Natalie didn’t answer, just smiled mysteriously. After all, he doesn’t even know the prices in the store.
When was the last time he bought groceries, the woman thought. «Mom, you didn’t say anything about the store?» Paula said, buckling her seatbelt in the car. «I lied to Dad.» Natalie honestly admitted, and she didn’t feel guilty at all.
At the mall, Natalie gave both herself and Paula full freedom. She bought new dresses for herself and her daughter, expensive shoes, accessories, and a few more gifts for her parents, who lived in a resort town in Florida. Paula glowed with happiness, because she hadn’t been bought so many new things at once in a long time.
After Natalie spent all the money John had given for the month, she felt good. Returning home with a bunch of bags, she met her husband with a light smile on her face. «What’s all this?» the man immediately yelled.
«Why didn’t you take bags from home?» «Wait, is there clothes in there?» «Well, John, remember your gift to me for my birthday? Bulbs, right? You tried, of course, but it doesn’t suit me. So I spent all your money on myself and Paula. And I also bought gifts for my parents.»
John paled. «You spent all the money, how will we live?» «Very simply,» Natalie answered calmly.
«This month you buy your own groceries in full. And Paula and I are leaving tomorrow for my parents. We’ll rest there, unwind. And see my parents at the same time. And you manage here yourself.»
«But how?» John critically puzzled. His face twisted into a corresponding grimace. «I gave you money for the month. You can’t just do that.»
«I can,» Natalie answered calmly. «And don’t worry about your account. We’re going on my money for the vacation. And you continue to cherish the numbers on the card, which are more important to you than the health and happiness of your loved ones.»
John said nothing to that, just helplessly watched all day as Natalie prepared for departure. Two days later, Natalie and Paula left for her parents. There they had a great time, relaxing on the beach, walking along the promenade, eating delicious dishes in restaurants.
The woman’s parents were only happy to see their daughter and granddaughter. Meanwhile, John stayed in the apartment alone. A few days later, when he started having difficulties paying bills, he began calling Natalie.
«Honey, you can’t imagine how expensive everything is!» her husband complained to his wife on the phone. «Groceries cost a fortune, and the utility bill is just awful. I don’t know how to cook, so I eat all kinds of semi-prepared foods, but they’re expensive too. I’ve started asking colleagues for food from their containers at work. But they don’t give!»..
«Well, John,» Natalie replied with a smirk, lying on the beach. «You chose this yourself. And Paula and I are resting. Don’t bother us with such trifles, please.»
After several such calls, Natalie began to get tired of her husband’s constant complaints. Either he didn’t understand where to put the powder in the washing machine, or the kettle wouldn’t turn on, so he had to heat water on the portable gas stove. Natalie decided to turn off her phone to have some peace and quiet.
But John didn’t give up. He started calling the home phone of her parents. «Hello, this is John. I just wanted to know how Natalie is doing.»
But without letting his mother-in-law say a word, the man continued: «And I also wanted to ask how you cope with utility prices? We’re all trying to save here, and I wanted to consult with you.» Natalie’s mother was initially glad to talk to her son-in-law, who seemed to share her views on saving.
But soon John’s constant questions about money began to irritate the woman. «John, son,» she said once in a conversation, «you know, maybe you should just relax a bit? Is it impossible to just live normally and not count every penny? Your income allows it.»
Natalie, learning from her mother about this conversation, laughed. «Well, Mom, did my economical husband get to you?» «He sure did,» her mother nodded.
«I didn’t even expect that people could be so obsessed. Saving is saving, but this is some kind of mania with him. Run from him, daughter, run away as fast as you can. Such behavior won’t lead to anything good.»
«Yes, I’m already thinking about it myself. But I need to try to teach him a proper lesson. Who knows, maybe it’ll help cure my hubby.»
Although deep down Natalie understood that everything was heading towards a breakup, she decided to try all options so as not to regret later. While at the resort, the woman realized that she deserved not only rest but also positive emotions from communicating with friends she hadn’t seen in a long time. Her parents supported this decision, promising to entertain Paula somehow during that time.
Then the woman began going to cafes to meet with girlfriends, and took photos, after all, for memories. One day, sitting in a cafe with her daughter and enjoying the sea view, Natalie accidentally met her classmate Andrew. They hadn’t seen each other in a long time and decided to sit together, reminisce about school years.
«Natalie, what brings you here?» Andrew exclaimed joyfully, approaching their table. «I never thought I’d meet you here at the resort. And who’s this beauty with you? She’s the spitting image of you!»
«Andrew, what a surprise!» Natalie beamed, hugging her friend. «Paula and I came to rest at my parents’. We haven’t seen each other in ages. Sit down, tell me how life is?»
Andrew joined Natalie and Paula, and they chatted nicely. At some point, Natalie decided to take a photo with her classmate and posted the picture on social media. Later in the evening, John, scrolling through his social media feed, came across this photo and immediately dialed Natalie’s number.
«Hello!» the man began rudely, getting straight to the point. «Natalie, what’s this photo? Are you meeting with guys there while I’m sitting alone in the apartment counting money?»
Natalie, already understanding where the conversation was going, calmly replied: «John, this is just my classmate. We met by chance in a cafe, sat, talked, took a photo for memory. Don’t make a problem out of this, please.»
«Don’t make a problem?» John was indignant. «You’re not only squandering the money I earn with difficulty, but also sitting at the same table with some guys. Maybe let them pay for you then, since you’re having such a fun time?»
