Forgot to Take 20 Cents of Change, My Own Son Exposed Me Online for StealingChapter 1
My son opened a small factory and asked me for help to work there as a cook, paying me 250 dollars a month.
One day, we ran out of oyster sauce. My daughter-in-law gave me 3 dollars in cash and asked me to buy some at the supermarket. It cost 2.8 dollars, so I didn’t bother taking the small candy change.
That evening, when I was about to leave work, I overheard her complaining in the office.
“Baby, don’t you think your dad is actually a thief? The oyster sauce was two dollars and eighty cents, but he kept the twenty-cent change.”
My son gave an awkward smile. “That’s just how he is. It’s only twenty cents, just forget it.”
Then my daughter-in-law’s mother, Martha, joined in with a sharp voice. “No way, you can’t just ignore it. Today he takes twenty cents, but what if he starts taking more tomorrow? What if he starts taking grocery money too?”
My daughter-in-law, Wanda Wilson, frowned. “You’re right. The meals have been getting worse lately anyway. I haven’t eaten shrimp in days.”
“Sweetheart, maybe my mom should handle the grocery shopping from now on. I trust her more.”
My son hesitated. “That’s not a good idea. My dad’s not just stingy, but he also cares too much about pride. How am I supposed to tell him that?”
I pushed the door open and walked in. “No need to discuss it anymore.”
“Ma’am, from now on, you can handle the cooking and grocery shopping. I’ll go back to my hometown tomorrow. I quit.”
——
I stood at the door, watching their expressions change.
My son, Daniel Sanders, avoided my eyes, yet his face filled with annoyance and embarrassment.
Wanda frowned deeply. “Dad, that’s really rude. How could you stand outside and eavesdrop on us?”
Her mother, Martha, the woman who always wore heavy makeup, quickly added, “Oh no, I can’t do that job. I’ve got my morning and evening dance classes every day. I don’t have time to cook at the factory.”
I said coldly, “If you don’t have time, then just hire a chef. Either way, I’m done.”
Wanda immediately objected. “No way! Hiring a chef costs seven to eight hundred dollars. Our small factory can’t afford that!”
Then she gave Daniel a look, signaling him to say something.
He finally spoke. “Dad, come on, don’t make a scene here. You’re retired and have nothing to do all day. I just wanted to give you something to keep you busy.”