The Reckless Spender

Austin holds his wife’s hands before breaking the terrible news. “I got laid off yesterday,” he says, as they both sit on the bed. “The company’s merging.” With his six-figure job out the window and a baby on the way, Austin can’t help but fall into Cynthia’s arms. Cynthia strokes his soft brown hair. “Maybe it’s for the best,” she says, after some moments. He looks up at her, tilting his head to the side. “How?” “For starters,” she says, placing her left hand on her growing baby bump, “you’ll have more free time once our little one is born. Honestly, I was terrified I’d do it all on my own.” “What about the cost of raising him? He’s due in less than a month, and we have no savings.” “Yes, we do.” “But how? I’ve been so reckless with my money. Our money.” Austin shakes his head, realising how foolish he was to spend his money as if it would last forever. What’s worse is that his job was their only income source, and now it’s run dry. He remembers the times he hit the casino, gambling away hard-earned money; the times he lent his friends large sums of cash they never paid back; the times he would buy designer shoes and wrist-watches to impress people he didn’t even like. All the while, Cynthia stayed with him praying he would change, hoping he would take her advice one day, believing that he was worth fighting for. “We’re broke, and it’s all my fault,” Austin says, punching the mattress as he speaks. Cynthia grabs his hands. “Stop, babe. We’re not broke, we have savings.” “You keep saying that. Last I checked, my bank account was virtually empty, and you don’t have a job.” “Well, for about a year now, I’ve been saving out of the money you give me for groceries, upkeep, household shopping, things like that. You always give me more than I need.” She flips open her phone, logs into the mobile banking app, and then shows Austin the screen. His eyes widen once he sees her account balance. “A lot of the savings are from the money you leave lying around the house. Just last week, I found a crumpled fifty dollar bill under the sofa, and then a couple hundred in your jeans pocket while doing the laundry.” Austin is still staring at her account balance. “It should be enough to sustain us for a few months, even with the baby’s arrival.” “My own wife had to steal from me just to save our family.” Cynthia laughs. “Technically, it’s not stealing since what’s yours is also mine.” “So what else are you hiding from me?” he asks, as he rests his head against the headboard. His voice is playful. “Well, there’s just one thing I haven’t told you.” “What is it?” “I don’t know how you’ll take it.” She averts her gaze. “Just let it out.” “The baby . . . he’s not yours.” The words hit him like lightning. “What?” he says finally, almost whispering. The quiver in Cynthia’s lips betrays her blank expression. She bursts out laughing. “It’s not funny. How can you joke about something like that?” She tosses a pillow at him. “That’s what you get for being such a reckless spender.”