Stories

My ex-wife asked to use the money saved for our late son for her stepson—my reaction left her speechless

As I held onto the picture of my late son Peter, I pondered what life could have been like if he had been alive. He was a lively young man with many goals and dreams. Then an intoxicated driver ended his life.

I was divorced from Peter’s mother. When he was twelve, we split up. Two years later, she got married again, and when Peter was sixteen, I got married.

He remained with me after the divorce. In contrast, his mother wanted to spend more time with her stepson, Ryan.

Although Peter only spent one summer with them, he subsequently told me that his mother maintained an emotional distance from her new family. Even though he kept in touch with them and occasionally saw them, he never wanted to spend another day with them.

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Peter’s aim was to attend Yale, and he loved painting, especially sketching. The picture of him that I held on to was taken the day before he was accepted to the esteemed university. A knock on the door interrupted me as I was thinking about some of the better moments and the lengthy, deep talks I had with my late son.

My ex, Susan, was there. She mentioned that she needed to discuss something significant with me.

Other than talking about Peter, she and I hadn’t really communicated since our split, and now that he was gone, I was at a loss for what we could talk about.

She claimed to be aware that I had a fund for Peter, which was so bold that it made me wonder if my grief had affected my judgment. She was correct; I had prepared a 529 plan for him. He could spend the money whatever he pleased as long as he pursued post-secondary education.

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“You know, my husband Jerry also thinks that would be the best course of action, so we could use that money for my stepson’s education now that Peter is gone.”

I was shocked by what I heard. “Use the funds I had saved for Peter over the years on a person my son hardly knew? “You must be crazy,” I said.

“Please don’t behave in this manner. “Ryan is also a member of the family,” she stated. “What family, Susan, Peter only had a few encounters with your stepson Ryan.

“Don’t you recall that summer Peter spent with you and your new family?” I replied angrily. At one point, he heard Jerry say, “You ask to use his money for someone else, and Peter wasn’t your responsibility.”

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She made an effort to persuade me that it would be what Peter would want, but I knew my late son too well to believe that he would want me to do it.

Susan was told to leave my home.

The next day, I made travel arrangements to Belgium, which Peter had always wanted to see. He was enthralled with the “beer monks” as I explored the museums and strolled the streets. Everywhere I went, I sensed his energy and carried his picture in my pocket.

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Upon my return, I utilized the remaining funds to establish a foundation that would support up-and-coming artists like Peter.

I knew I paid respect to Peter and his legacy in this way.

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