An extravagant traditional white wedding had always been my absolute dream, yet that was not the case when I, Tina, eloped with my high school sweetheart, Richard, at the tender age of eighteen. Richard came from an incredibly wealthy family, and the whole idea of eloping seemed somewhat arbitrary to me, but in my naive heart, I was genuinely happy that I was marrying the man I loved deeply. I truly loved Richard, and his wealthy background was absolutely never my genuine interest. Only a couple of months into staying together in our own apartment, I happily fell pregnant. Even though we had never formally discussed having children, I was completely over the moon at the sweet revelation and couldn’t wait to share the wonderful news with Richard.
When I told him, Richard immediately asked, agitated, “What do you mean you’re pregnant?” I tried to calmly reassure him, saying, “I thought you’d be more excited. I know we didn’t plan this at all, but I know how much of a family man you are. You’d make an absolutely amazing father.” His response was utterly shocking and heartbreaking: “Family man? The only reason we are together is so I can get some space from the family I already have! How could you do this to me?” he harshly barked at me. I was utterly taken aback by his cruel words, wondering if he was finally showing his true colors, but I quickly convinced myself that my Richard just needed a little more time to fully process everything and that I simply had to be much more patient with him.
The very next day, Richard came home late and drunk, acting erratically, and suddenly kicked me out of our apartment completely out of the blue. “Get out, Tina! If I see you here again, we’ll have a problem!” he angrily slurred. I did not fight him, but simply left, thinking Richard would quickly come to his senses and call me to apologize later. When I returned to the apartment a few days later, I was devastated to discover that Richard had already changed the locks on the door. I then desperately called Richard‘s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Tinney, but the conversation that unfolded left me completely shattered. “The nerve of you, young lady! Calling after everything you’ve done to our Richy!” Mrs. Tinney crudely snapped at me, accusing me of having cheated on Richard and being pregnant with another man’s child.
At that very painful moment, it was as clear as the daylight that my unborn child and I were completely on our own in this world. Years passed slowly, and I took it completely upon myself to raise my son, Greg, with whatever love, strength, and financial means I had left after the separation. Thankfully, Greg made it incredibly easy for me; while I struggled constantly to make ends meet for us both, his acute awareness of our troubles and his eagerness to help and pitch in lifted a tremendous amount of the burden off my exhausted shoulders. I was always fully transparent with Greg about what had truly transpired between Richard and me, and he was always immensely grateful for all my efforts and hard work. At only fifteen years old, Greg took his first job as a caddy at the local golf club.
Greg was never the brightest student in his classes, but he eventually graduated from high school with honors, thanks to his incredible work ethic and tireless dedication. Shortly after graduation, he opened a successful business with the money he had diligently saved from his job. As the years progressed, Greg‘s business rapidly grew, becoming better with each passing day. He eventually became quite wealthy, even hiring me at one of their main offices. At only twenty-six years old, Greg was widely recognized as one of the most successful young people under thirty in our entire city. I was extremely proud of the successful and kind man Greg was blossoming into, but I quietly worried about the deep anger he still harbored for his estranged father, Richard.
One day, Greg decided it was finally time to pay his “old man” a long-awaited visit. He eventually found Richard, frail and dressed in rags, struggling to take out his trash, and saw a “for sale” board on his front lawn. Realizing Richard was in severe debt and about to lose his home, Greg put down the baseball bat he had brought for revenge. He immediately left with a clear and grateful conscience, relieved he hadn’t made a terrible mistake. Shortly after, Greg bought Richard‘s house. Richard was lost for words when he walked into the property agent’s office to finalize the sale and found Greg and me waiting. “If I see you again, we’ll have a problem!” Greg said, echoing Richard‘s words from 26 years ago, watching him leave in shame, just as I had done.
