The Wife Who Put a Price on Every Penny

I earned $50,000 a month, yet I was standing at the hospital billing desk with my face burning because my balance was too low. I quickly texted my wife. “Send me $300. I need to buy medicine, and I’m waiting to pay!” A moment later, she sent me a spreadsheet. “Baby, don’t forget to fill out the advance request form!” That was the moment I realized our marriage had reached its end. I set down the bill and walked straight out of the hospital. Then I turned around and headed for a law firm. “I want a divorce.” During our three years of marriage, I had put every asset under my name into our joint account. It had been Ava’s idea. “Marriage should be equal,” she’d told me. “Our incomes are so different. That can easily cause conflict.” “So let’s put all our money together. I’ll manage it, and we’ll have one person handle all expenses. That way, we can cut down on unnecessary spending.” I had agreed. And now I was suffering from a severe stomach flare-up. The money in my health savings account wasn’t enough. I was still short $200. The woman at the billing desk was starting to lose patience. “Well? Are you paying or not? There are people waiting behind you!” I awkwardly folded up the bill. “Sorry. I won’t get the medicine today.” Under her stunned gaze, I turned around and clutched my stomach. Every step sent another sharp cramp through me. Ava’s messages kept coming. “Baby, why haven’t you filled out the form yet? If you miss the approval window, you won’t get the money!” I glanced at my phone and laughed bitterly. According to her rules, once I received the form, I had ten minutes to fill it out. Otherwise, I would lose my advance allowance for the day. If I needed money after that, I had to wait until the next day. I took a deep breath and opened my phone again. Then I asked one of my closest friends for a loan of $1,000. He called me immediately. “Ethan, what happened? Are you in trouble?” I gave him a quick explanation. He transferred $50,000 to me without hesitation. “If you need more, just tell me!” I stared at the numbers on my phone, and my heart turned cold. My own wife made me submit an application for $200. My friend had sent me $50,000 in one shot. That was the difference between people. I bought my medicine and started feeling better. Only then did I head home, silently making up my mind. The moment I walked through the door, I ran into Ava. She was sitting on the couch, showing off a new purse. “What do you think? It just came out, and I fell in love with it.” “It was 10% off, so I paid in full!” She looked so proud of herself that my expression darkened. “Ava, I’m never letting you manage my money again.” She froze. “Baby, what are you talking about? With the way you spend, do you think you can save even $10,000 out of $50,000 a month?” “I know you’re upset, but calm down. This purse will hold its value.” I laughed coldly inside. When I spent money, I was reckless. When she spent money, it was an investment. What a double standard. I had seriously underestimated her. I pushed past her and went into the bathroom. Then I opened our joint account. There was only $300 left inside. Ava’s voice came from outside. “Baby, I know you’re feeling bad. You don’t have to fill out a request for this $300. I’ll give it to you directly.” “See? Your wife takes good care of you, doesn’t she?” I said nothing. I simply contacted a lawyer and asked him to help me file for divorce. After reading my message, the lawyer gave me some advice. “First, we need to figure out exactly how much property you have. Dividing assets fairly—and getting back most of what you legally earned—won’t be easy.” “And since you’re the one asking for the divorce, you may have to give up some money.” I clenched my fists and checked all of Ava’s social media accounts. That was when I discovered that her brother had moved into a new house. It was in the best neighborhood in the city, a prime school district, and the entire property had been paid for in cash. Her brother was in his thirties and had no real job. His wife stayed home with their child. How could they possibly afford to pay for such an expensive house outright? The answer was obvious. Ava. She had transferred money out of our joint account and was still planning to bleed me dry. She could keep dreaming. My first instinct was to storm in and confront her, but my lawyer’s warning stopped me. I needed evidence. If I exposed everything too early, I would be the one at a disadvantage. So I forced myself to calm down and reported all my bank cards as lost through online banking.I did the math. I earned $50,000 a month, not counting performance bonuses, annual bonuses, and stock. Altogether, nearly $30 million was under Ava’s control. Ava herself earned only $8,000 a month. Other than that, she had nothing. Yet she acted like a multimillionaire, casually buying purses that cost more than $100,000 and all kinds of luxury goods. And me? I had nothing. My watch and wedding ring were locked away. If I wanted to wear them, I had to submit an application explaining the occasion. According to Ava, I attended too many business dinners and drank with clients every night. “There’s no need for that,” she’d said. “Eating at home is healthier.” She also insisted I didn’t need to wear a watch or a ring. “Simple is best.” She had sounded so certain when she talked about how beautiful simplicity was that I hadn’t argued. At the time, I was always busy, and having things on my hands really was inconvenient. But looking back, I realized she had been manipulating me the entire time. I took a deep breath, straightened myself up, and headed for the safe. Ava followed behind me. “Baby, what are you doing?” “There’s a press conference the day after tomorrow. I need to get a watch to go with my outfit.” But when I entered the combination, the safe rejected it. I turned to her. “You changed the password?” “Yes. If you need anything, just ask me. I changed every password in the house.” My anger flared. “Who gave you the right? That safe belongs to me. I set the password, and I bought everything inside. What right do you have to change it?” “Starting today, I won’t let you control a single cent of my property. Deal with it.” Ava looked at me with complete calm. “Darling, you’re exhausted. Is work stressing you out? You gave me authorization in the first place. Why are you suddenly taking it back? Did someone tell you something?” She reached out and touched my head. I slapped her hand away. “Don’t touch me. You feel like a stranger.” Ava stared at the red mark on the back of her hand. There was a warning in her voice when she spoke again. “Baby, if you behave, we won’t have any problems. But if you refuse to listen, I’ll punish you.” I was furious. “Open the safe. I’m taking my watch.” “No. Remember to submit an application.” I took a deep breath and raised my hand to hit the safe, but Ava grabbed my wrist. “Ethan, you’re emotionally unstable. You shouldn’t handle our family’s shared assets anymore. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you. If you need money, just apply for it.” I laughed in disbelief. “You think I can’t do anything to you?” She smiled. “Baby, you’re overthinking things. Go get some sleep.” Ava was completely unafraid. She probably didn’t believe I would actually divorce her. And there was no question that everything inside the safe was gone. I couldn’t take it anymore. I turned around and walked out. The moment I reached the lobby, she called me. “Are you going to the apartment downtown? Too bad. I already sold it.” I stopped in my tracks and looked up at the building. Ava stood by the window of our luxury apartment, smiling down at me. “Come back. It’s getting late!” I clenched my fists. I never imagined she would dare sell my apartment. “Ava, forging a signature is illegal!” “We’ll see how this ends!” I had my lawyer draft the divorce papers and sent them to her. Then I got into my car and drove away without hesitation. Ava kept calling, but I didn’t answer. I didn’t want to speak to her. Time was running out. Since we had already torn off the mask, there was no reason to show her mercy.I contacted a friend who worked in cybersecurity and transferred him $40,000. I asked him to trace every transaction in Ava’s accounts, as well as every source of money connected to her family. At the same time, I filed a report alleging that she possessed a massive amount of unexplained wealth. Ava worked for a government-owned corporation. Investigations into corruption were especially strict now. She had just bought a purse worth more than $300,000, and she drove a car that cost over $1 million. Most people showed off their wealth quietly these days. Ava was different. She had suddenly become rich and wanted everyone to know it. She flaunted herself however she could, and she had already made plenty of people jealous. She used to claim that everything came from my money. Now I was giving the authorities a chance to investigate exactly where her wealth came from. I also used that time to gather evidence. My friend worked quickly. He sent me the records almost immediately. As I studied the detailed transaction history, my heart sank lower and lower. For three years, Ava had used “supporting her parents” as an excuse to send them $5,000 every month. Before and after every major holiday, she sent them at least $50,000. Altogether, she had transferred more than $2 million to her parents. She had also spent $3 million buying a house for her brother and sister-in-law. She even purchased luxury goods under all kinds of excuses. Her sister-in-law was constantly carrying designer purses. So she had been spending my money on her family while treating me like a criminal. She had even made me apply for money to buy medicine. She gave her family everything she had, yet she treated me with unbelievable cruelty. By the time I finished reading, I was shaking with rage. If I didn’t make her pay this time, I didn’t deserve my own name. My friend also received some news. He worked at a bank, and after seeing that Ava’s employer had begun investigating her, he printed out the transaction records and called me. “Ethan, did something happen to Ava?” “Yeah. I reported her.” He was stunned when he learned that Ava had locked away all my money. “Ethan, have you lost your mind? You two were never equals. You married her anyway, and then handed her all your money?” “That’s why I regret it now. I’m getting divorced.” He was silent for a moment. “Call me if you need anything.” After hanging up, he transferred another $100,000 to me. A second later, I received a message. “I know you’re broke right now. You need your friend’s support. Don’t be shy!” I stared at the words and started laughing. Then I started crying. I sat on the side of the road, laughing and crying at the same time. Passersby began giving me a wide berth. I wiped my eyes and stood up. That was when Ava called. “Ethan, are you trying to destroy me? You reported me, didn’t you?” “The authorities questioned me. Guess what? I walked away clean. You can’t do anything to me!” I smiled. “I have all the time in the world to fight you.” “I already sent you the divorce papers. Do what you want.” Ava went silent. When she spoke again, her voice was filled with disbelief. “What did you say? You want a divorce? You’re divorcing me over a watch? You reported me and want a divorce over a watch?” “Yes. I’m doing it over this.” I hung up. Then I posted everything online while her employer was investigating her. I didn’t use her name. I didn’t need to. Once the story went viral, someone would identify her. **“My Government-Employee Wife Has an Addiction to Power—Even Buying Things Requires an Application!”** The title immediately sparked a frenzy online. I posted the request forms and approval sheets. Then I randomly selected a few of her “greatest hits.” A $128 birthday cake. A $98 pair of stockings. She had even written comments beside the prices. “Baby, the group-order cake only costs $38. Just buy that one. It’s only a birthday. You have one every year. There’s no reason to spend so much.” “Your underwear doesn’t last long. Don’t buy expensive ones. Just order them wholesale online.” Ava, I hope you’re ready for this tidal wave of attention.