Men don't marry wives just to handle chores...
Julissa felt her heart flutter at her husband's words. She had to admit, she didn't fully get the man in front of her—now turned away, busy working. Still, his actions gave her something she hadn't felt in a long time: peace, and a quiet sense of security.
She even felt a little lucky. Rushing into marriage, only to end up with a man who genuinely cared. With a shy smile, she turned happily toward her brother and sister.
Flynn picked things up fast. After that first meal, he felt way more confident about the next. Julissa had already made two dishes earlier, so he quickly set out four more and a stew.
After dinner, Flynn still refused to let Julissa touch the dishes. Once the kids were down and she'd finished tucking them in, he called her into the living room and pressed a bank card into her hand.
Julissa looked up at him, curiosity swimming in her eyes. "What's this for?"
"Your aunt was going on about a dowry, wasn't she? There's thirty grand in here. Take it."
Realization hit. She stared at the card in his hand, hesitating, feeling uneasy about taking it. Her face shifted. "I don't need it."
"You sure?" Flynn arched a brow, baffled. Who in their right mind turned down money? Unless she thought thirty grand wasn't enough?
Julissa met his eyes. "I told you—I don't owe my aunt a thing. Don't let her get to you. Besides, you've got car payments, a mortgage. How'd you come up with thirty grand that fast? You borrow it?"
Flynn pressed his lips together, scrambling for an excuse. "Didn't I mention? I closed a new deal, got paid. Every bride deserves something. So just take it, okay?"
He tried handing it over again, but Julissa took it only to shove it back. "Even if you made some money, you should put it toward your loans. No need to give it to me."
"Why not? It's not enough?" Flynn's frustration was mounting. He'd never met someone so damn hard to please. Impatience crawling in, he cut to the chase. "Just name your price, and I'll wire it all at once."
Those words blindsided Julissa, igniting a hot flash of anger. Her big eyes, bright as stars, swam with hurt. "You think I married you for money? Is that really what you think of me?"
Remembering the thousand bucks she'd dropped on clothes for her siblings today, humiliation washed over her. She pulled the household card out of her purse and handed it back. "I only spent a little over a grand on clothes today. But I won't touch your money again. I can make my own."
Turning away, eyes reddening, she refused to look at him, fighting back the tears. Sure, she picked this husband, but she couldn't control what he thought of her. Fine. From now on, they'd just split everything fifty-fifty.
Flynn was stunned—he hadn't realized he'd wounded her pride. Seeing her on the verge of tears, eyes red, left him helpless. He reached out, wanting to turn her around, but caught himself and pulled back, trying to clarify. "Maybe I said it wrong. Look, we're married, so you deserve the same as any wife. Whatever others have, you should have, too."
"There's no need. I didn't marry you for a dowry. I just wanted a man who treats me right, and who accepts my brother." Still stinging, Julissa got to her feet. "I'm going to bed. You have work tomorrow—get some sleep."
Flynn watched her retreat into the bedroom, card in hand, utterly confused. What'd he do wrong? Wasn't a dowry a part of every marriage? Then why'd she get so upset when he tried to give it to her?
As he mulled it over, he noticed the household card she'd returned—giving him more to chew on.
She came back out, thrusting the receipts at him. "Here. The receipts for the clothes I bought my sister and brother. $1,070 total."
She set the receipts on the table and turned to go again, but Flynn wasn't having any of it. "Hold up. Sit. We need to talk."
Julissa stopped, sitting reluctantly, still visibly upset.
Flynn tossed the receipts straight into the trash and held out both cards again. "Take them."
"I don't want them. From now on, we go fifty-fifty on everything. I'll buy the groceries, you cook, and I'll do the dishes." She wanted things fair—didn't want anyone feeling taken for a ride. She had a job. Her salary was enough for her and her brother.
Seeing how pissed she was, Flynn felt helpless but had to get his point across. "You need to get that, legally, we're married. Have you ever seen a marriage where everything's separate? At least for me, my wife should be taken care of by me. If you're gonna insist on splitting everything—what's the point of this marriage, then?"
Flynn was torn. Here he thought she'd married him for his money, but she was turning it down—and getting pissed about it. It bruised his ego.
Julissa dropped her head, letting it all out. "I married you because you seemed mature. Stable. I never once thought about a dowry. I told you—don't worry about my aunt. But you still tried to pay me off tonight, like you had to keep me happy. If I wanted money, I could've asked before the wedding. Was he really that clueless? Obviously, there was something about him she actually liked, or she wouldn't have married him. He was being unreasonable."
Flynn was perplexed. Did she think he was too old or something? He was only thirty. Refusing to argue further, he stuck to his guns. "Regardless, take the money. It's a matter of principle. You can do whatever with it. Don't give it back, or I'll have to rethink this whole thing between us."
