Austin’s questionhung in the air for a moment before Debbie rolled her eyes. “Peter wasn’t a billionaire.”
“Sorry, millionaire. Although judging by your house, which I assume is paid for, there’s more than one number in front of the comma that denotes millionaire status.”
Did he sound bitter or jealous? He was neither, but there was a tightness to his words he feared Debbie might interpret in a negative way. He wasn’t sure why he felt the need to know exactly how wealthy she was, but he did. Not that it would do anything other than making him feel more inadequate than he did already.
“Yes, my house is paid for,” she said. “And yes, Peter’s net worth was on the high end of the millionaire spectrum.” She paused for a moment before continuing, “It was a lot harder being married to him than you might think.”
“Really?” Austin felt his eyebrows raise. He couldn’t fathom how having an endless supply of money could be a hardship. Unless…
“I know you told me it was in name only, but did you ever…?” He wasn’t sure how to finish that sentence
“Sleep with him? No. We did attend a handful of social functions together where he asked me to play the part of a devoted wife. On those occasions, I kissed his cheek or he kissed mine, but our relationship never went beyond that.”
That relieved Austin for some reason. “Was that weird?”
“No, he never gave off a creepy old man vibe. He felt more like a doting uncle. At least, that’s how I thought of him. I was just a companion to him, but I did grow very fond of him. It was difficult seeing him suffer there toward the end.” Debbie’s gaze focused on the dancing flames, and her face took on a faraway look.
“Why was it hard being married to him then?”
“You mean besides having to learn how to spell my last name?” she said with a chuckle.
“What was your last name?”
“Lukaszewski.” She spelled something that sounded nothing like what she’d just said.
He chuckled. “No wonder you went back to your maiden name.”
Debbie shook her head. “I still suffer with the hardest part about being married to him and becoming suddenly wealthy.”
“What’s that?”
“Impostor syndrome.” She studied her nails.
“What do you mean?”
“I did nothing to earn the money he’d worked his whole life for, so I felt like a fraud. Of course, it didn’t help that the people in his social circles thought I was nothing more than a gold digger. I already struggled with my self image, being constantly criticized didn’t help. As I’m sure you’re aware, wealthy people can be pretty vicious.” Debbie shifted the blanket across her body as though adjusting a shield. “Then after Peter passed away, certain people were suddenly nice to me, and I came to realize it was because they all wanted something from me. I didn’t know who my real friends were.” She shrugged. “I guess that’s why I’ve surrounded myself with family.”
“Do you ever regret marrying him? I mean, do you find being wealthy a burden?”
She stared at the fire for a moment. “There have been times when I’ve wished I never promised Peter I’d bless as many lives as I could for as long as possible with his money. His accountants see to most of the donations given to dozens of large charities each year. Most of which just ends up padding the pockets of the board of directors and doesn’t really make it to those who need it most.” A hint of disgust entered her voice.
“I guess that’s why I always feel like I need to do more for the people around me.” A slow smile spread across her face. “When I feel like I’ve made a difference in someone’s life, being wealthy no longer feels like a burden.” A look of reverence crossed her face.
“Scott and Rudy mentioned a few of the things you’ve done for the community in general, but what kind of differences do you like to make in others’ lives?”
Debbie spoke slowly, as though choosing her words carefully. “I used to think I needed recognition for my good deeds. A carry over from my Sofia days, I guess. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great seeing families enjoy the new park and appreciate other programs I’d funded, but it’s helping people like the Duncans that makes me feel like having money is a blessing instead of a burden.”
“Who are the Duncans?”
“They’re a young couple who had twins about a year and a half ago. Adriana was put on bed rest at twenty weeks and had to quit her job. The babies came twelve weeks early and were in the NICU for eight weeks. Nick, the father, had just changed jobs, and his insurance benefits hadn’t kicked in yet, so they were swamped with massive medical bills.” The corners of her lips turned up in a hint of a smile. “Helping them not only felt good, it made me feel like I’d made a difference in those babies’ futures.”
“I’m sure you did.”
Some days, Austin felt overwhelmed with the debt he’d been struggling with for so long. It occurred to him that Debbie could help get rid of it all if he’d only ask her. But he’d never be able to bring himself to do it. It would emasculate him worse than Cheyenne’s infidelity had.
“What would you do to help others if money wasn’t an issue?” Debbie asked, surprising him.
Austin mulled her question over for a minute. Unfortunately, he’d never been in the financial position to help others like he’d like to, but a long time dream of his came to mind.
