Busy Man Loses His Family after Making His First Million – Karma Story

A man's biggest goal was to make his first million. While doing so, he stayed at work late and even stopped attending family gatherings. Little did he know that achieving his dream would make him lose his family.

"I have to become a millionaire before I turn 40!" Simon would always tell himself. A few days after graduating from college, Simon got his first job and worked hard to get a raise. As years passed, he switched jobs to earn more money because he had only one goal: to reach his first million as soon as possible.

Before graduating, Simon had already tied the knot with the woman he loved the most. His wife, Emily, stood by him during tough times and cheered for him whenever he achieved something.

Soon after getting married, the couple had their first baby. At that point, Simon realized he should work harder to provide his child with a good life. The couple had another baby a few years later, which motivated Simon to work harder.

As a result, Simon sometimes didn't come home for dinner. Instead, he stayed at work and slept there before continuing his job the following day. While trying his best to achieve his goal, Simon never realized that he was compromising his family's needs.

While Simon stayed at work, Emily took care of their children. She cooked meals, took her children to school, picked them up, and helped them with their homework. The loving mother was always present for her children whenever they needed her.

However, her children often asked her one question she never wanted to answer. "Where's dad?" they would ask every time Emily showed up at their school events alone. Simon was always absent on such occasions and was drifting further and further away in his chase for success and wealth. "I'm busy with work, honey," he would tell Emily.

"This has to stop, Simon!" she yelled.

Simon would go to work even on weekends when his children expected him to stay home. "I'll be back in a few hours," he would tell them before disappearing for the entire day.

When Emily went to a party one day, her friends asked her about Simon. "He never accompanies you anywhere, Emily. Is everything OK between you guys?"

"Yes, we're fine," Emily faked a smile. "He's just too busy with work."

"Simon, why can't you take out a few hours for us?" Emily asked her husband later that night. "Everyone thinks we aren't on good terms."

"Oh, darling," Simon replied. "You don't have to care about what other people say. They'll stop gossiping when I make my first million. They will call you a millionaire's wife! Just imagine!"

Simon's biggest wish was to see a million dollars in his bank account, but he didn't care about his family's dreams. His wife wanted to spend time with him, while his children craved his attention.

In hopes of spending time with Simon, Emily planned a party for their tenth wedding anniversary. "Simon, I have invited all of our friends and family. Please come home on time," she told her husband.

"I'll be there, honey. Don't worry!" Simon hugged her before leaving for work.

Later that evening, guests started arriving at their house, and Emily welcomed them with a smile. "Please have a seat. Simon will be home any minute!" she told them. Little did she know that her husband would ruin her celebration.

"Simon? Where are you?" Emily asked him on the phone.

"Everyone's waiting for you. The cake is here, and dinner's ready!"

After a few seconds of silence, Simon replied, "Emily..."

"No, Simon," Emily said. "Not today. Please!"

"Honey, I can't come," Simon said apologetically. "I haven't finished working yet. I'll be there in two hours, I promise!"

Emily ended the call without saying a word and faked a smile in front of the guests. "I think Simon's going to be late. I'll cut the cake alone."

Trying her best to hide her feelings, Emily ensured all her guests were well-fed. She didn't tell anyone how angry she was at her husband.

Later that night, Emily blew up at Simon when he returned home. "This has to stop, Simon!" she yelled. "You have no idea how embarrassed I felt in front of everyone! And it happened all because of you!"

Simon calmed his wife down and promised her he wouldn't miss any family event again. He told her he never skipped gatherings on purpose and that it was because of his passion for his work.

A few months later, Emily decided to celebrate her son's birthday. Again, she told Simon to reach home on time and did all the birthday preparations single-handedly.

When Simon realized what his wife was doing in the bedroom, his smile suddenly faded.

All the guests arrived, but even this time, Simon didn't show up. I'm fed up with this! Emily thought and cried in the bathroom before she told the guests that her husband wouldn't be there.

Whenever people would invite Simon to their parties, they would know he wouldn't show up. Soon, Emily stopped feeling bothered by his absence and attended events without him.

Years later, Simon finally made his first million. He was over the moon when he received a payment from his client that displayed seven digits in his bank account balance. "I FINALLY DID IT!!" he exclaimed.

That day was the best day of his life until he returned home. He wanted to surprise his wife with the good news, so he didn't tell her over the phone. "I'll buy flowers and a cake for her!" he said before leaving his workplace.

Once he reached home, he darted for his bedroom with the flowers and cake because he knew Emily was there. "Honey! I have got good news!" he exclaimed.

"I MADE MY FIRST MILLION!"

When Simon realized what his wife was doing in the bedroom, his smile suddenly faded. "Hey, where are you going?" he asked.

Emily was packing her clothes when Simon entered the bedroom. "I'm done with you, Simon," she told him. "We're leaving."

"What? Why?" he asked her. "Where are you going?"

"Do you know why I asked you to return home early?" Emily asked sternly.

"No, honey. What happened?"

"Your son graduated high school, Simon. And you weren't there to cheer for him!"

Simon looked at his wife in silence. "He scanned the entire hall to see if his father was sitting somewhere, but you weren't there! You probably had something more important to do, didn't you?"

"Look, honey," Simon held his wife's hand. "This won't happen again."

"Oh, please!" she shrugged her hand. "I'm not living with you anymore. I'm taking my kids away, so you don't have to worry about returning home every day. You can live here with your million dollars!"

Simon could do nothing to stop his wife from leaving. He stood there helplessly and watched his wife and kids leave his house.

"What have I done!" Simon looked at the ground. "I can't believe they left me."

The next day, Emily mailed the divorce papers to Simon. Instead of signing them, he tried to convince Emily to return, but it was too late. There was nothing he could do to bring his family back.

What can we learn from this story?

• Always be there for your family. Simon's relationship with his family deteriorated with time because he didn't care about them. Earning money was the most important thing in his life, which made him feel lonely in the future.
• Set your priorities right. Had Simon given some time to his family, his wife and children wouldn't leave him alone. He only prioritized his dream of earning money, ultimately leading to his divorce.

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If you enjoyed reading this story, you might like this one about a man who left his ex-wife penniless. Years later, she tipped him $1.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.