“I even pay you a salary. I’m doing this for your own good. What are you getting angry about?”
Hearing that, I felt a sharp pain in my chest and a cold chill ran from my feet all the way to my head. “Daniel, do you really think these 250 bucks are some kinds of charity to your own father?”
He tried to say something, but nothing came out, yet his expression already told me his answer.
My heart instantly sank.
I had spent my whole life teaching, finally reached retirement and had even signed up for a nationwide travel group.
Then my son called, saying his business was struggling and he needed my help.
I felt sorry for him, so I canceled the trip and didn’t even care about losing the deposit. Without a second thought, I packed a few clothes and came right away.
Every day I woke up at five in the morning to buy groceries and cooked for nearly a hundred people by myself. The smoke made me cough all the time.
After cooking, I had to wash the dishes and mop the floor. No one ever helped me.
By the time I finished everything, it was almost nine at night and my back hurt so badly I could barely stand.
These old bones were more tired here than when I was teaching in school. I worked myself to exhaustion to help him, but in his eyes, it was nothing but pity money.
Wanda suddenly laughed coldly, glancing at me with disdain.
“Dad, I don’t mean to sound harsh, but you're so petty, you know that? I was just being honest here. Do you really have to quit over something so small?”
“If people hear about this, what will they think of us?”
Martha quickly stepped in to support her. “Exactly! You were the one who took the twenty cents, so you’re at fault. What’s wrong with them pointing it out? Wanda is just doing what’s best for the family and the business.”
I stood there, feeling the blood rush to my head. My hands were shaking slightly and I could hardly control them.
I asked slowly, word by word, “Let me ask you something. If you see twenty cents lying on the street, would you bend down to pick it up?”
The mother and daughter froze. They glanced at each other, their faces suddenly awkward.
Then Daniel spoke. “Dad, you’re being unreasonable now. Picking up money and being greedy are two different things. You can’t compare them.”
His words cut deep, like a cold knife straight into my heart.