The Valentine’s Day That Broke Eric Forever
Cora Morales woke up that morning smiling. She didn’t know why she felt so happy, but she was full of excitement. It was Valentine’s Day, and she had planned a surprise for her husband, Eric. As she checked off her to-do list sitting in the living room, her cheeks turned pink just thinking about how shocked and happy Eric would be.
Cora had met Eric years ago at a business conference in Texas. They were both orphans raised in foster care, and they had quickly bonded over one dream—they both wanted a big, happy family someday.
Their love story moved fast. After just a few dates, they got married. Two years later, they welcomed triplets—yes, three babies at once! Life got busy, and Cora left her job to care for the kids while Eric worked full-time to support their growing family.
But over time, the stress started to build.
Eric worked long hours and came home exhausted. Bills piled up, and no matter how hard he tried, he always felt like it wasn’t enough. There were no vacations, no fancy dinners, not even on birthdays or anniversaries. He began to carry this heavy guilt—that he couldn’t give his family more.
Cora knew money was tight, so she never complained. She never spent on anything unnecessary. Even that day, for Valentine’s, she pulled out the old red dress Eric gave her on their first anniversary. It was a bit faded and out of style, but it was special to her. It saved money, and that was enough.
She had spent the whole afternoon preparing. She cooked Eric’s favorite dishes, including Aglio e Olio spaghetti, baked a heart-shaped red velvet cheesecake, set the table with wine and candles, and even decorated the living room with fairy lights and rose petals. She placed a small gift box next to Eric’s plate, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
“Perfect,” she whispered, stepping back to admire her work.
Finally, the doorbell rang.
Cora rushed to the door with a huge smile. “Happy Valentine’s Day, honey!” she said sweetly, giving him a kiss on the cheek and guiding him inside.
But the moment Eric stepped into the room, everything changed.
His eyes scanned the dining table, the candles, the food, the decorations. Instead of being happy or touched, he looked furious.
“What on Earth have you done, Cora?” he snapped. “Are we some kind of stupid teenagers?”
Cora froze. Her smile dropped. “What? Eric… I… are you okay? Did something happen at work?”
“Are you serious right now?” he exploded. “I work my butt off, and this is what you do? Waste our money on this crap?!”
“Eric, I didn’t spend that much. I used what we already had, and the rest was just a little extra—”
“I don’t care!” he yelled. He sat down, grabbed a fork, took one bite of the spaghetti, then spit it out on the table. “What the hell is this? It tastes like garbage!”
The loud yelling woke up the triplets, who started crying from their room.
Cora clutched her chest. “Eric! Please! The babies—! I just put them to sleep half an hour ago!”
“Oh, so that’s my fault now?!” he shouted. “You stay at home all day and play with the kids while I do real work! And what’s this? A gift?!” He snatched the box off the table, sneered at it, and hurled it onto the floor. “I’m not a child who gets impressed by a damn gift! Have you seen the kitchen? You were too busy preparing this disaster to even clean up!”
Cora’s heart broke right then. Her hands trembled. “I can’t believe you’re the same man I married,” she muttered. “You know what? Forget it.”
She stormed out of the room, heading toward the kids’ cries.
But Eric wasn’t done. “Oh great! You’re leaving now? Perfect housewife, huh?” he yelled from the living room.
A minute later, Cora burst out of the hallway, glaring at him. “They’re crying because they need fresh diapers, and we’re out! I was going to ask you to buy some, but never mind—I’ll go myself. You take care of them!”
“Seriously?” Eric shouted.
But she was already walking toward the door.
“The store’s far. It’ll take a while!” she said, and slammed the door shut behind her.
Eric sat there, fuming. “Yeah, and you call yourself a stay-at-home mom,” he grumbled.
Time passed. Ten minutes. Twenty. Forty. The triplets kept crying. Eric tried everything—rocking them, feeding them—but nothing worked.
“Where the hell is she?” he muttered, pacing the room. “How long does it take to get diapers?”
Just then, the doorbell rang.
“Finally!” he snapped, yanking open the door. “Cora, what took you so—”
But it wasn’t Cora.
It was a police officer.
“Does Cora Morales live here?” the officer asked gently.
Eric blinked. “Yes?”
“And you are… her husband?”
“Yeah…”
“I’m really sorry, sir. Your wife… there was a car accident. She didn’t make it. I need you to come with me to identify the body. We found your address on her license.”
Eric’s whole body froze. His lips parted, but no words came. The world around him seemed to blur. The cop peeked inside and noticed the candles and dinner table. His face fell too, realizing what kind of evening this was supposed to be.
Still in shock, Eric stumbled inside and called their neighbor, Mrs. Nelson, asking her to please look after the kids.
When he reached the morgue and saw Cora’s lifeless body, something inside him shattered completely. He fell to his knees and sobbed like a child.
The funeral the next day was a blur. After that, Eric locked himself inside the house, refusing to speak, eat, or even sleep properly.
Everything was still there—the candles, the food, the decorations. Then he noticed the gift box he had thrown aside. His hands shook as he picked it up and slowly opened it.
Inside were two plane tickets to Hawaii. And a note.
To the love of my life, Eric,
Happy Valentine’s Day, honey!!!
Guess what? I got a job this month! I noticed how tired you’ve been, carrying everything alone. So I started applying for jobs in secret, and yesterday, I got hired!
I even spoke with Mrs. Nelson—she’s agreed to watch the babies while I work, so you can finally rest a little.
And now, SURPRISE! Those tickets are for us—just the two of us—to take a vacation in Hawaii! I’ve planned other surprises too, but you’ll see that later, hehe!
Love always,
Cora 💌
Eric stared at the letter for a long time. His hands were wet with tears. He let out a long, broken cry—loud and painful. But nothing could bring Cora back.
From that day on, Eric changed.
He never loved again. He focused only on raising his kids with care and patience, always remembering Cora’s soft smile and big heart.
Every Valentine’s Day, without fail, Eric visits her grave. He sits by her tombstone, brings her favorite cheesecake, and talks to her for hours—telling her about the kids, about work, about life. Wishing, always wishing, that he could say sorry… just one more time.
What can we learn from this story?
- Don’t jump to conclusions. Eric thought Cora was lazy—but she had been quietly working to support him.
- When we’re angry, we say things we don’t mean. Eric’s stress blinded him, and he hurt the one person who truly loved him.
- Appreciate your loved ones while they’re still with you. You never know when life might take them away.
