Financially Trapped

The sound of shattering glass made Laura flinch.

Thomas, her husband, stood in the middle of the living room, chest heaving, phone crushed in his fist.

She knew he wasn't mad at her. Still, it made her stomach clenched. Laura had a great news to share, but not when Thomas was that furious.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Laura asked at last, moving closer to him.

He slammed his phone to the sofa, his anger deepening. Thomas's long brown hair wasn't tied in his signature manbun, falling down to his face. He was still handsome despite looking like a man who'd just lost a war.

"Our plan failed." Thomas replied almost like in a whisper, and turned away from her. "I've lost millions again, Laura. Why is my life miserable like this?"

Laura sighed deeply. She winced, but tried to hide it. The "millions" he'd lost was her retirement savings. Every dollar of it. She'd lent it to him just over three weeks ago. Not knowing how to proceed, she stepped forward and hugged him from behind.

"We'll be fine, honey." She said calmly.

Thomas pulled free and faced her. Big hands brushed through her curly hair, tucking it behind her ear. "My beautiful wife, what would I do without you?" He paused as she gave a smile, "honey, this has gone too far now. I'll never be successful at this rate. Always taking money from you anyhow."

"No no, it's our money. I keep telling you that." Laura corrected. "Besides, we've still got my code zero asset left. I'm sure once your father knows about this he will support you to help manage collateral damage."

Thomas shook his head instantly. "I can't tell my father. I can't tell anyone. You know that."

"Yes, but don't you think it's time they know of how hardworking you've been? So what, we've hit this little wreckage, it's not the end of the world."

"I knew you wouldn't get me." His voice was stern. "Listen honey, I have to do this on my own. We can do this together." Thomas cupped her cheeks and smiled. "My sweet loving wife. Thanks for always believing in me. Listen, I've got the perfect plan. I'm making plans to sell the greenhouse estate. I just need your signature and that will be enough for me to start--"

At that point, Laura didn't hear the rest. "Sell the estate? Thomas, that's my family's estate. We can't do that!"

"I know, I know. But think about it this way, it's just a matter of time. We'll make more and then buy it back." He said conveniently.

If Laura had a dime for everytime Thomas had said something like that, she would have made a fortune already.

"It's been piling up most of our funds anyway, the estate is diminishing in value."

"It isn't, that estate will be worth so much more if we invest in it."

"Which we can't afford to right now. Besides, what do you really know about real estate." He mocked, laughing at her. "You're so cute when you try to be this successful professional when you've been stuck at home making food and cleaning the house. This is business, honey. Let me handle it."

It hurt everytime Thomas made that remark. "I graduated college with first class in business management, Thomas. And the only reason I stay home all day long is because you wouldn't let me work."

His face hardened. "Let's face it. This is the real world, and you wouldn't even last in it if not for my protection. I don't want us to argue about that."

"Because you know I'll always be right. I'm not selling that estate, Thomas. And that's final."

He simply walked away but she called out at him. "Where do you think you're heading to now?" She questioned.

Thomas gave a lazy shrug. "Just heading out to clear my head. I'm losing everything and my supportive wife isn't being supportive anymore." He made the word."supportive" heavily stressed on.

"I've been thinking about this, and I don't want to be a housewife who's just useless to you anymore. I'm going to start applying for jobs again, so I can be more supportive." She stressed her words as annoyingly as Thomas had did. "And don't worry, even if I'm pre--"

"--that's just nonsense talk." Thomas cut her off easily as he'd been doing the past three years after their marriage. The thought of her working and meeting new men left and right just did not sit well with his him. "Fine. Then what about breaking our zero code asset?"

Laura gasped at the mention of that. "You're joking. Our zero code plan was for our future, our kids. You know that." She heaved in a deep sigh. "I'm pregnant, Thomas. And I sure as hell plan on taking care of this baby, and the rest to come. I've waited three years and I just can't anymore."

Thomas eyes widened in shock. He had been strict on her using preventive pills and protection whenever they had sex so she wouldn't get pregnant. For a moment silent followed, before he broke it off with a cold laughter. "I guess shit happens. You better get rid of it at once. With the way I'm getting broke, who told you I want any kids."

"Get rid of it? How can you--You don't want to have kids? What kind of silly talk is that?"

"Have I ever mentioned having kids? I'm just not in that level of my life yet. Believe it or not, you're still far richer than me. And I can't have my kids know me as the lazy poor dad while you gain all the attention. Fix it, Laura. Get rid of it as soon as you can."

"Thomas!" Laura cried out. Tears filled her eyes suddenly. "How can you say that? I want kids, okay? I always have."

"I know that. But as long as we're still married, and I'm not as rich as I aspire to be, then I'm sorry to say, but fuck any baby that might want to force its way into my life right now."

Anger overwhelmed her and...

Slap!

"How dare you! Talk about our child like that again and I won't stop at a slap. I don't care no matter how sad or angry you might be." She thought she would regret hitting him but it felt insanely good. "Buckle up, Thomas. I'm keeping this baby no matter what."

He slowly touched his cheek. Chills began to creep down her spine as Thomas went quiet, not even uttering a word. Finally, she heard him say, "you just made this easier, Laura."

"Check your email." He ordered.

Her heart dropped but she revealed no fear. Opening her mail, her jaw dropped. In there was a message from her bank. Its subject was 'Property transfer document'. Under the contract was her very own digital signature timestamped two nights ago.

In a quick whisper, she realized. "You've already forged my signature."

A satisfying grin rested on his face. "The estate is already under contract. You think you're so strong, yet you don't even have access to your own accounts."

"What have you done, Thomas?" A single drop of bitter tear escaped her eyes.

"I moved everything into my company's holding account last night. You know, for protection."

It hit her for the first time in her life. She was financially trapped.

"We are happily married, after all. It's all ours anyway, right baby?." He laughed before walking out.