“I wasn’t trying to hurt her seriously,” she insisted.
Arthur was furious. I was shocked that someone could deliberately endanger me simply because she disapproved of my marriage.
But Patricia’s confession revealed another problem. When she complained that Arthur would forget his responsibilities after marrying me, he looked frightened.
I demanded an explanation.
After some hesitation, Arthur admitted that he had been giving his mother $900 every month for nearly four years. He had never told me, even though we had spent months planning our finances, discussing savings, and preparing to buy a house.
The payments amounted to more than $43,000.
Arthur explained that his father had died when he was fifteen. Patricia had struggled financially, and when Arthur began earning money, he started helping her. Over time, occasional assistance became a fixed monthly payment. His mother repeatedly told him she was frightened of being unable to support herself, and he felt guilty whenever he considered reducing the amount.
