“The police?” I asked, a little surprised. “No, I’m not going to do that. Even though I’m shocked about losing my keepsakes, things can be replaced. If we go to the police, they’ll probably just see it as a family problem. I’m more worried about Olivia and her future. Can you help?”
“Of course,” Jerry said, sounding determined. “I don’t want her to keep acting like this. Tell me what we need to do.”
With his encouragement, we decided to make a solid plan to address Olivia’s behavior. We agreed to be firm with her, letting her experience the real consequences of what she had done.
Olivia needed to understand that acting out against an adult in her 40s wouldn’t be taken lightly.
3 months went by after I left home. I was staying peacefully at my parents’ house, and although I missed Jerry, we saw each other on weekends and stayed in touch, so things were okay.
I started getting used to my new life, and to my surprise, I found it quite pleasant. I enjoyed my mom’s homemade meals and felt relieved to have a break from household chores.
However, during those 3 months, Olivia had visited Jerry several times. From what Jerry told me, she seemed happy, thinking that we might divorce. I could imagine how smug she must have felt, assuming she had won.
But life isn’t that simple.
One evening after work, I was helping my mom prepare dinner when Jerry suddenly called.
“Did she show up?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Jerry replied. “She’s pretty panicked.”
It seemed Olivia had finally realized things weren’t going the way she expected and was now desperate for Jerry’s help. I had seen this coming and, without hesitation, put down the kitchen utensils.
“I’m coming home,” I told Jerry.
When I arrived back at the house, the familiar atmosphere soothed me. I took off my shoes and walked toward the living room. Everything seemed calm, almost normal.
“Laura, you’re back,” Jerry said, greeting me as I walked in.
But as soon as I stepped inside, I saw Olivia. She was crouched on the floor, staring up at me with narrowed eyes full of anger and confusion.
“Why are you here?” she said sharply. “I told you to leave. I don’t have time to deal with you right now.”
Olivia’s tone was sharp. I took a deep breath, keeping my calm, and replied quietly, “I heard you might get expelled because of unpaid tuition. Is that true?”
“Shut up. This has nothing to do with you,” Olivia snapped. “My brother was paying for it, but suddenly the payment stopped, and he won’t tell me why. What’s going on?”
She raised her voice, clearly upset.
Jerry stepped in and said, “I was waiting for Laura to come back before explaining everything.”
“What do you mean?” Olivia demanded, confused.
I looked at her and spoke softly. “Actually, I’m the one who’s been paying your tuition.”
Olivia’s eyes widened in shock.
The tuition for her private high school is about $80,000 for 4 years. By the time she reached her third year, I had already paid $40,000. If I don’t pay for the next year, she’ll have to leave the school.
Jerry and your parents can’t afford those payments, which is why I decided to handle it myself.
Olivia stared at me, speechless.
“How could you pay so much? You just work from home,” she finally said, her voice shaking.
“I may work from home, but my job is the same as when I was an office worker. In fact, I’ve taken on extra work, so my income has gone up,” I explained.
“Then why did you keep this a secret?” she asked, tears filling her eyes.
“I didn’t want to cause problems between you and Jerry. I was willing to put up with a few harsh words for that. But when you threw away my things, that was crossing the line,” I said calmly.
“That’s a lie. No one told me you were paying,” Olivia shouted, looking desperate.
“You don’t have to believe me,” I said. “But the truth is, if I stop paying, you won’t be able to finish high school.”
“No, I don’t want to drop out!” Olivia cried, breaking down in tears.
“Then you need to apologize for what you’ve done,” I said firmly.
“Why should I?” she said, still defiant.
“Olivia, your behavior has been wrong,” Jerry said, stepping in. “You have the freedom to go to a good high school in the city because of Laura. If you keep acting this way, you really might have to leave school.”
Olivia hesitated, her face twisted with emotion.
“Laura, I’m sorry,” she said softly, barely above a whisper.
“What was that? I couldn’t hear you,” I said, not letting her off the hook.
“I’m sorry. I’ve thought about my behavior. Please let me stay in school,” she pleaded, kneeling and crying.
“Are you truly sorry?” I asked, watching her closely.
“Yes. I’ve thought about everything. I wouldn’t be apologizing if I didn’t mean it,” she said, still in tears.