A man lashed out at his wife on Valentine’s Day, accusing her of being a lousy housekeeper, and threw away her gift in a fit of rage. But he regretted everything when a stranger showed up at their doorstep later that evening.
Cora spent the morning in a bubble of happiness, surprising even herself at how cheerful she felt. She sat in the living room, checking off tasks from her to-do list, blushing and imagining how delighted Eric would be when he saw the Valentine’s Day surprise she’d prepared just for him.
Cora had met Eric at a business conference in Texas. Since both of them were orphans raised in foster care, they had always dreamed of building a large, happy family of their own.
Thankfully, their dream came true. After a few dates, they got married, and two years later, they welcomed triplets.
But things became tense once Cora stepped into the full-time role of caregiving for the kids, while Eric took on the burden of being the sole provider.
Eric gave everything he had to support their family of five, but it wore him down. He felt constant stress and guilt for not spending enough time at home. Even weekends offered no relief, and no matter how hard he tried, they barely made it to the end of each month.
Because of this, vacations and fancy dinners were luxuries they hadn’t enjoyed in years — not even on special occasions. Eric was focused on saving every penny, and Cora respected that, so she was always careful with their expenses.
Even on Valentine’s Day, she wore an old red dress — the same one Eric had given her on their first wedding anniversary. Though it was a little outdated, it held sentimental value and helped her avoid spending unnecessarily.
As the clock neared Eric’s arrival, Cora quickly set the table for two. She had baked his favorite red velvet cheesecake — heart-shaped — opened a bottle of wine, and arranged several homemade dishes. Beside his plate, she placed a gift box — the part she was most excited about.
“Perfect,” she whispered to herself, lighting fragrant candles and switching on the fairy lights. About half an hour later, the doorbell rang. Eric was home.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, honey!” she said warmly, kissing him on the cheek and leading him inside.
Eric froze when he saw the candlelit room, the rose petals lining the floor, and the dinner table laid out in full. “What the hell is this, Cora? Are we teenagers now?” he snapped, clearly irritated.
Her smile vanished. Eric flipped on the bright overhead lights and glared at her.
“Honey, what’s wrong? Are you upset? Did something happen at work?” she asked, concerned.
But anger had clouded Eric’s judgment.
“Seriously?” he barked. “Is this why I work so damn hard? So you can blow money on this nonsense?”
“Oh, Eric, calm down,” she said gently, taking his hand. “I didn’t overspend. The ingredients were a bit more than usual, but it wasn’t much. Please, sit down and try the food. I made everything with so much love.”
But Eric was furious. He took a bite of the spaghetti and spit it out. “What the hell is this? Why does the sauce taste like crap?” he shouted, loud enough to wake the triplets from their sleep.
“Eric!” Cora gasped. “The babies… I just got them to sleep!”
“So? That’s my fault too?” he snapped. “Cora, I work all day while you just stay home and play with the kids. And this?” he said, grabbing the gift box. “A present?” He threw it to the floor. “I’m not some child you can impress with cheap surprises! Have you even seen the kitchen? It’s overflowing with dishes — because you were too busy cooking this garbage instead of doing real work!”
“You’re impossible, Eric!” Cora said, near tears. “I can’t believe you’re the same man I fell in love with…” She turned away and stormed into the kids’ room.
But their cries only grew louder, making Eric even more annoyed.
“Why are the kids still crying? Aren’t you supposed to be the perfect housewife and mom? Try doing something right for once, Cora!”
Infuriated, Cora rushed out again. “They’re crying because they need diaper changes — and we’ve run out! So shut your mouth and look after them until I’m back. The store’s a little far, so it’ll take some time!” she shouted and slammed the door on her way out.
“Yeah, and you call yourself a stay-at-home mom…” Eric muttered as he walked toward the kids’ room, still fuming.
An hour passed. The babies kept crying, and Cora still hadn’t returned. Frustrated, Eric grabbed his phone to call her. “What’s taking her so long? It’s just a pack of diapers!”
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
“Finally,” he said, walking to the door. “Cora, how long does it take you to…”
He stopped mid-sentence. A police officer stood at the door.
“Does Cora live here?”
“Yes…” Eric replied, confused.
“You her husband?”
He nodded.
“I’m sorry… there’s been an accident. Your wife was involved in a car collision. She didn’t make it. I need you to come with me to identify the body. We found her license and address.”
Eric felt the world collapse beneath him. His legs trembled.
The officer peeked inside the house and noticed the candlelit dinner table. He swallowed hard, regretting he had to deliver such devastating news on a day meant for love.
Still in shock, Eric called their neighbor, Mrs. Nelson, to watch the children, then went to the morgue. The pale body lying there was Cora. His Cora. He broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.
After the funeral, he locked himself inside the house. He couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep — all he could see was her face. The table was still set the way she’d left it.
And then he remembered the gift.
“The gift…” he whispered, frantically searching until he found the box on the floor. His hands shook as he unwrapped it.
Inside was a note and two plane tickets to Hawaii.
He unfolded the letter.
To the love of my life, Eric,
Happy Valentine’s Day, honey!!! Guess who got a job this month? I saw how tired you were from doing everything alone, so I started applying. Yesterday, I got hired!
And there’s more — I talked to Mrs. Nelson, and she agreed to look after the babies while I’m at work. That way, we can both contribute and give our family the life we dreamed of.
But the biggest surprise is this — see those tickets? We’re going to Hawaii! Just the two of us. (And yes, I have more surprises planned, but you’ll find out later, hehe!)
Eric clutched the note to his chest, sobbing like a child. But it was too late. Cora was gone, and he’d have to live with that regret forever.
From that day forward, his life was never the same. He never fell in love again. He dedicated himself to raising their children, trying to give them all the love he failed to show their mother that day.
Every Valentine’s Day, he visits her grave, sits beside her for hours, and talks to her about everything — whispering apologies he never got to say.