Fiction

The gold-digger

A vile woman asked her husband to agree to a fake divorce to trick her mother-in-law into giving her an exorbitant bride price. After a while, she was shocked at what her husband did...

Jul 2, 2024  |   6 min read
The gold-digger
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Randy is a 36 year old working professional. He had been married to Jennifer, a 35 year old housewife for 10 years, and they had 2 children, 8 year old Josh and 7 year old Nicole. One day, Jennifer came back. "It's getting on my nerves," she complained. Even though she did not specify what her complaint was, Randy knew that it had to be that issue: the bride price. They had numerous heated arguments about that issue over the past few years, which Jennifer would complain about whenever she returned from a wedding. As a matter of fact, his family had given her $80,000 in bride price, as agreed by both Jennifer and Randy's families. She felt that the bride price she received was significantly lower than the bride price her female friends and relatives received, which ranged from at least $100,000 to more than $1,000,000.

"Honey, we've argued about this so many times. Both our families agreed on this amount back then, which my family duly delivered. What more do you expect?" Randy tried to reason with Jennifer, but she was implacable. Suddenly, she snatched Randy's mobile phone. Before he could say anything, Jennifer had already dialled the mobile number of her mother-in-law, Diana.

"Since you're on the line, I'll cut to the chase. I'm asking you for the last time, old lady, are you going to compensate me the bride price you owed me?" she asked sharply. Randy felt that his wife was being ridiculous. He wanted to snatch his mobile phone back, but Jennifer was holding on to it tightly.

"You're disrespecting me," she continued in her usual harsh tone. "Those around me received at least $100,000 in bride price, while you only gave me $80,000 back then. Listen up, old lady. Either you compensate me $800,000 for the
bride price at once or your son and I are done." With that, she hung up the phone in anger.

"Honey, you're being ridiculous. Didn't my mom bought you a gold bangle worth $100,000 last year?" Randy asked. "And if I'm not mistaken, my mom paid from her own pocket to buy you the bangle."

"Huh," Jennifer retorted. "I don't care about that worthless piece of trash. That old lady is just being a miser." Randy tried to reason with Jennifer, but to no avail. Suddenly, she gave him an ultimatum.

"Listen good, Randy Shum. Either you tell that old lady to compensate me the $800,000 she owed me as the bride price or we're done," she said menacingly and gave him a stare. If looks could kill, Randy would have withered there and then. Jennifer continued making a scene and started dialling the mobile number of her mother, Leah. Suddenly, her face lit up, and after a while, she hung up the phone in all smiles. "Honey, I have a plan. Let's pretend to get a divorce," she suggested. Hearing that, Randy gasped in shock. Jennifer went on about the details of her plan, which was that she would pretend to divorce Randy in order to scare Diana into giving her $800,000 in bride price. After she received the amount, she would resume their marriage. As Randy listened in on his wife's plan, he felt that she was out of her mind, and as he thought about her behaviour, he realized that divorce might be better for them. He pretended to agree, and persuaded her to give him custody of the children. Jennifer, who was preoccupied with tricking Diana out of $800,000, readily agreed.

The next day, Randy and Jennifer went to the law firm to sign divorce papers. After they got home,
Jennifer shoved the divorce certificate into Diana's face, declaring arrogantly that she had always looked down on Randy for not being able to give her the life she wanted. Diana was so shocked that she could hardly react. Jennifer nonchalantly packed her things and left the house, telling Diana and Randy not to look for her. However, as soon as Jennifer left the house, Diana let out a huge smile. "Son," she said. "It's good that you finally divorced that no good woman. That Jennifer Yau, I've long wanted you to divorce her, but since you didn't mention anything like that, I didn't want to interfere." Diana's words puzzled Randy, as he knew she did not really like Jennifer from the start, but he did not expect her to be that happy. It was as if their family was celebrating a festive season. Diana revealed that she had suffered under Jennifer, who was always mean to her, and would scold her for the slightest mistake, even when the children were present. Randy expressed his concern about breaking the news of his divorce to the children, worried that they would be harmed psycologically. However, Diana assured him that the children would feel the same way. Randy did not believe his mother, so he struggled to tell Josh and Nicole about the divorce. However, the children were not upset over the news. In fact, they were visibly relieved. Josh revealed that Jennifer always behaved like a shrew, even towards him and Nicole. She forbade them from interacting with Diana, playing with kids who are less academically inclined and even forbade them from getting below 98 marks in a test. Nicole added that Jennifer would beat them should they not obey her. She then recounted an incident whereby she got 95 marks in
a Mathematics test and Jennifer slapped her. Josh could not tolerate how Jennifer hit Nicole for the slightest reason and stood up for the latter, but also got slapped. Randy gasped in shock upon hearing the children's revelation. It then dawned upon him that he had been living under Jennifer's domination all this while. She did not work, but controlled his expenses. She did nothing at home but ordered him around at every opportunity. The Shum family would spend every weekend at Jennifer's parents place, which Jennifer insisted. Jennifer's parents not only behaved condescendingly towards Randy, but also towards Josh and Nicole, which she not only did not try to stop, but also encouraged them to do it. She would also force Randy to give half of her salary to her parents, claiming that they were not working and had no retirement funds, while leaving none for Diana. On the contrary, she would force Diana to support them financially, even though the latter had limited retirement funds. "I didn't dare to ask you to divorce Mom, for fear she would hit you," Josh chipped in. "She has always been like that. We have always been afraid of her." Randy realised he had been living a wasted life during his marriage with Jennifer, and that divorce might not necessarily be a bad thing.

After the divorce, Randy received a promotion and a pay raise from his boss in recognition of his hard work. On top of that, he received a hefty bonus worth 6 months' of his salary. This occurrence had never happened during his marriage with Jennifer, which strengthened his belief that his divorce with her was the best thing that had happened to him. However, Randy's promotion made him more busy, and he knew he could not leave Josh and
Nicole with Diana all the time, so he hired a nanny named Sharon to look after them. Sharon got along well with the children, and also with Diana, who found her to be kind and courteous. Over time, Randy developed feelings for Sharon. Diana approved of their relationship, thinking that Sharon is the right type for Randy.

Randy and Sharon were planning to get married. One day, Randy was at home playing with the children while Sharon was helping Diana with the chores. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Randy opened the door and was shocked to see Jennifer. "What are you doing here?" he asked irritably. Jennifer asked him when he would be remarrying her with the $800,000 bride price. Just then, Sharon and Diana emerged. Upon seeing Sharon, Jennifer was enraged. "Who are you? What are you doing in my house?" she shouted. She then spewed vulgarities against Sharon and falsely accused Randy of having an affair with the latter. Sharon, who was aware of the circumstances of Randy's divorce, slapped Jennifer and rebuked her for being shameless. Jennifer was shocked, but after that, she continued making a scene and raised her hand, intending to hit Sharon, but Randy blocked her with his hand. "Don't you dare lay a finger on her, or you'll be sorry," he warned. Diana then gave Sharon a bank card, saying that she is giving the latter $1,000,000 as bride price, while placing strong emphasis on the amount. Jennifer stared at them menacingly, telling them that they would be sorry before she left.

A few days later, Randy received a call, claiming that Josh and Nicole had been kidnapped, and the kidnapper demanded $1,000,000 in ransom, which he did not want in cash, but in a bank card. He also wanted Randy to do the
exchange alone. Randy informed Sharon and Diana about it, and Sharon gave him the bank card which Diana had given to her as the bride price. Randy met the kidnapper as arranged, and after the latter confirmed that the bank card contained $1,000,000 as promised, Josh and Nicole were returned to Randy unharmed.

The next day, the kidnapper was caught while trying to use the bank card, and there were 2 masterminds, who were none other than Jennifer and Leah. It turned out that they got Josh and Nicole kidnapped to force Randy to surrender the $1,000,000 bride price Diana had voluntarily given to Sharon. Jennifer felt that she was entitled to the $1,000,000 bride price, and Leah suggested the kidnapping. The kidnapper, under Jennifer and Leah's instructions, pretended to be Randy's friend to lure Josh and Nicole to him. He then held them captive and asked Randy for the $1,000,000 ransom in a bank card. After hearing from Randy, Sharon and Diana suspected Jennifer was involved, so they laid a trap. Sharon gave Randy the bank card, and after confirming that Josh and Nicole had been returned unharmed, Diana called the bank to report the bank card stolen. Jennifer, Leah and the kidnapper were prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. When the whole ordeal was over, Randy married Sharon. A year later, they welcomed a baby boy.

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T F

Traci Ford

Jun 3, 2024

Good story!

Yong Choi Chin

Jun 3, 2024

Thank you

D R

Donald Harry Roberts

May 30, 2024

Great

Yong Choi Chin

May 30, 2024

Thanks

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