Husband demands 1,000,000 pesos from wife to compensate lover for child custody, I said something that made him pale and speechless

“Can you lend me 1,000,000 pesos? I need to give it to her… to raise our child.”
Those words echoed throughout the warm kitchen of our family, leaving me speechless. My husband – the man who had sworn to love me forever – was now standing there, asking me for money to raise his child with his mistress.That night, in Quezon City , the weather was cold and cloudy – typical of October in the Philippines. I – Clarisse Mercado – was cooking dinner in the small house in Richmond, where my husband, my wife and our five-year-old son Gio had lived peacefully for many years.

My husband, Daniel, is a civil engineer and travels a lot for work. I work as an accountant for a private company and have a stable income. After many years of hard work and saving, we paid off our house 6 months ago. I thought that after all the ups and downs, life would start to get a little easier.

But then, that night, everything collapsed because of one sentence.

Daniel walked into the kitchen, looking pensive, fiddling with his phone. He looked at me for a long moment and then sighed.

– Clarisse, I… I have something to say.

I stopped, quickly wiped the grease off my shirt, and looked at him.

– What’s the matter?

Daniel hesitated for a moment and then said, as if trying to force each word out of his mouth:

– I need to borrow 1,000,000 pesos from you. I… I need to provide for… Natasha’s child.

I was stunned. The ladle I was holding fell to the floor with a dry “clack”.

– What? – I asked again, my voice trembling.

Daniel bowed his head, his voice mumbling like a child who had made a mistake:

– It’s Natasha – she got pregnant when I was working at a construction site in Cebu last year. I… I didn’t know until she gave birth. Now she’s asking me to take responsibility. She’s not suing, she’s just asking me to pay 1,000,000 pesos in child support for the first five years.

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. So during the months I stayed home to take care of the children and save every penny, he was living his “project” days with another woman?

I stood still, my heart felt like someone was squeezing it.

– Are you going to ask me for 1,000,000 pesos to raise your child with your lover? – I asked again, clearly enunciating each word.

Daniel nodded as if there was no other way.

I looked at him and smiled weakly:

– What about me and your daughter? How do you intend to let us live?

– I have no intention of abandoning you and your child. I just… don’t want the child to suffer. After all, it is my child.

I nodded and walked out of the kitchen. Standing on the balcony, the cold wind hit my face, making me numb. My heart was numb.

The next morning, I took the day off work, took Gio to my grandmother’s house, and then went home to meet my husband. He was already sitting at the table, his eyes tired and his face haggard.

I placed a yellow envelope in front of him.

– Here is the 1,000,000 pesos you wanted. But in return, I need you to sign this form.

Daniel  opened it – it was divorce papers.

– Clarisse ! Are you… are you serious?

– I asked you for money to raise the child. You don’t forbid it. But don’t expect me to continue living with a man who is not worthy of being a husband. I gave you money. And I also gave myself freedom.

Daniel was silent. His face was pale. He said tremblingly:

– I was wrong. But… can’t you forgive me?

I looked at him for a long time and then gently replied:

– Forgiveness is possible. But living together is not. There are cracks that, even if mended, will never heal.

He bowed his head and said nothing more.

That night, I lay next to my child, looking at his innocent face, my heart ached. I used to believe that marriage was the most peaceful place. But it turns out, sometimes it is just a dilapidated building, that you try to live in, until it collapses.

I was prepared. And I knew, tomorrow, I would be a single mother. But at least, I had self-respect. And I would never let my daughter grow up in a house full of lies.

After that morning, I cleaned the house, packed some clothes for the two of us, then took Baby Bear back to my parents’ house. My mother didn’t ask much, just looked at me with a pitiful gaze. She knew that when a woman decided to leave in silence, it meant she had had enough.

Three weeks later, the divorce papers were finalized. Daniel did not object, he just signed quietly. I gave him the house, because I did not want my daughter to live with old memories. I moved to rent a small apartment near the company, starting over – no husband, no house, just me and my child.

At first, Gio asked her father questions constantly. I didn’t know how to answer, so I just said:

Dad works far away and won’t be home for a long time.

But children are not innocent forever. One day, he looked at me and said:

– Mom is crying in the bathroom, maybe mom and dad are angry with each other.

I held my child in my arms and whispered:

– I don’t cry because of Dad. I cry because I miss you. But from now on, I will be stronger.

The new life was not easy. Being a mother, working, and taking care of everything alone left me exhausted many times. But then, I started to learn to rely on myself – learning to cook better, learning how to fix electrical appliances, taking my car for maintenance, and even taking online finance classes at night so I could invest later.

A year has passed.

I am no longer Clarisse Mercado – the gentle accountant who only knows how to get home on time. Now I am Clarisse Mercado  – a woman who knows what she wants, knows how to protect herself, and my daughter Lily is older and more understanding. She doesn’t ask about her father much anymore. Instead, she says goodnight every night: “Mom is my superhero.”

And then one Saturday afternoon in April, as I was picking up my son from art class, I saw Daniel standing in front of the boarding house.

He was different – thinner, with sparse white hair. In his hand was a bag of fruit and a small gift.

– Can I come in? – he asked.

I nodded and led him into the house. Gio cried out, “Dad!”

The family ate dinner together for the first time in over a year. Daniel talked to his son with loving eyes, but occasionally glanced at me. When Gio fell asleep, he sat back and sighed.

– I’m sorry.

I was silent.

– Clarisse , since the day you left, I realized what I lost. I can live without many things – money, house – but without you and our child, I feel empty inside.

I looked up at him. Calmly.

– It’s too late, Daniel. You’ve made your choice. And so have I.

– Can’t you give me a chance? I’m tired of Natasha. I want to go back.

I looked at him – the man who used to be my youth. But my heart no longer felt anything. Only pity and regret remained.

– I am no longer the woman of that year. Nor am I willing to forgive. Now I am a single mother. An independent woman. And I don’t need you anymore.

Daniel  bowed his head. He knew there was no way to save it.

I stood up to see him to the door. Before leaving, he asked:

– Do you regret it?

I smiled:

– Yes. I regret not leaving sooner.

Then close the door – gently and firmly.

Then I started blogging about my life as a single mother. My honest thoughts suddenly attracted a lot of attention. I started a small YouTube channel, sharing about balancing work and parenting, managing finances after divorce, self-esteem, and overcoming betrayal.

My life was slowly getting better – not rich, but full. Bear and I still went out on weekends, read before bed, and every year we planted a new potted plant to commemorate “the day we started over.”

I don’t need a man to complete me anymore. I complete myself, and I also teach my daughter to be strong.

There are storms that come to wash away the rotten things. And when the storm is over, the sunlight is very clear.