### The Find Under the Tub
After spending a week bedridden with a fever and a cough, Mary felt rejuvenated. She stretched in bed, smiling, as sunlight beamed through her curtains. It had been a long time since she felt this good. Brimming with energy and determination, she started her morning.
“Time for coffee and a good clean-up,” she said with cheer, getting out of bed.
In the kitchen, her husband John was already sipping his coffee and scrolling through the news on his ancient laptop.
“Morning,” he muttered, eyes glued to the screen.
“Good morning!” Mary replied happily. “I feel like a million pounds today! I’m starting a full clean-up. I’m going to try out that new bathroom cleaner I bought before I fell ill.”
John just nodded, clearly not sharing her enthusiasm. “Does it have to be today? On my day off? You’ll just rope me into it, and I wanted to relax…”
“Don’t worry, darling, I’ve got enough energy for the both of us!” Mary assured him, finishing her coffee and nibbling on some toast with avocado.
While humming a tune, she slipped on her rubber gloves. Thank goodness the children had grown up, and cleaning didn’t need to happen as often. Their daughter got married last year and their son started university in the fall, living in a dorm. She should give them a call! Mary picked up the jar of new cleaning paste, promising a shine and freshness in no time. Her nose, still sensitive after her illness, detected nothing harsh, just a pleasant smell akin to lavender.
She started with the sink, moved to the toilet, and finally reached the bathtub. The paste worked wonders, filling the room with the scent of wildflowers.
“Wow, this is amazing!” she marveled, admiring the gleaming surface. “Now you’re as good as new!”
Her motivation didn’t wane there. Determined to finish the job, Mary knelt down to peek under the tub.
“Blimey, that’s a lot of dust!” she exclaimed, grabbing a cloth.
And then she spotted something shiny. Stretching out her hand, she pulled out a glass coffee jar. Inside were neatly folded notes.
“What on earth?” she wondered, popping open the jar.
Mary walked out of the bathroom, jar in hand. John was still at his laptop, but on seeing her expression, he tensed up.
“John, what’s this?” she asked, showing him the jar.
He froze for a moment. His face twitched nervously before he quickly composed himself, shrugging.
“I’ve no idea. How should I know? Maybe it’s your stash?” he said, swallowing hard, eyeing the jar as if it contained the last piece of chocolate on earth.
His gaze was filled with poorly concealed longing, but Mary didn’t notice. She had already opened the jar and was extracting the money with wonder.
“My stash?” Mary laughed. “I wouldn’t hide money under the tub. This has got to be your doing.”
John raised his hands in surrender, swallowing the uncomfortable lump in his throat again.
“I swear I have no clue where that came from. Could be the previous owners forgot?”
Mary squinted. “We’ve lived here for five years now. I doubt they’d leave money behind.”
John tried to look nonchalant, watching Mary’s every move. Deciding the money was now hers, a smug smile formed on her lips as she counted the bills, her eyes gleaming with gleeful greed.
“Well, if nobody’s claiming it, then today’s my lucky day,” she declared.
John tried to chip in, his voice honeyed as he weakly managed his feelings, “Maybe we could buy something useful? Like a new laptop? This one’s barely holding on. There’s one I’ve been looking at, top-notch processor…”
“A laptop?” scoffed Mary. “Why would I want your laptop? I have a better idea.”
The next day, Mary returned home with an elegant box. Inside was a set of jewelry: earrings, a ring, and a delicate pendant. She proudly showed John.
“What do you think?” she asked, slipping on the ring, beaming with joy, feeling like an English queen. “Am I looking fabulous or what?”
Her expression plainly told John: “Just try to say otherwise!”
“It’s lovely,” he replied readily, hiding his disappointment. “You’re the fairest of them all, just hope no one steals you away now.”
Mary paraded the entire evening in her new jewelry, telling everyone about her find and the wonderful purchase to her friends, mom, and mother-in-law. Before bed, at ten sharp, she carefully arranged her treasures on the bedside table, ready to wear them to work in the morning.
While Mary fell asleep quickly, John lay awake. Knowing she slept soundly, he crept to the balcony door, slipping outside. In an old juicer box, he found a hidden pack of cigarettes, along with some mint gum.
He lit a cigarette. It had been a while since he smoked. Mary insisted he quit due to his frequent bronchitis and pneumonia. Surprisingly, he hadn’t suffered any seasonal illnesses this past year! Calmed by the nicotine, John pulled out his phone and called a friend.
“So, mate,” he said, “I won’t be joining the game anytime soon, you’ll have to hold the fort without me… Yeah, the wife found my stash. Saved for six months, just got the right amount. She went and bought herself jewelry.”
“Tough luck,” his friend sympathized. “Don’t worry, you’ll save up again.”
John sighed, glancing at the bedroom. Mary was sleeping peacefully, with her new jewelry shining, useless to him but bringing her such joy.
“Yeah, well… At least she’s happy. Even said she’d lose a few pounds to look better with the jewelry. I’m actually glad she’s so pleased.”
The next morning, Mary was in high spirits. She donned her new earrings and pendant, admiring her reflection.
“So, how do I look?” she asked John.
“Wonderful,” he replied, trying his best to smile sincerely, admiring her radiant eyes.
Indeed, a woman deserves to be spoiled sometimes! However, deep down, he was already planning where to hide his next stash. Definitely not under the tub this time…
