Sir Elton John, 76, raises his two sons not to be spoiled as they already do chores for some pocket money

David Furnish, Sir Elton John’s spouse, and they have been together for more than 20 years. The couple is also raising their two boys, Zackary and Elijah, to be modest and aware of the worth of money.

Famed artist Sir Elton John has released thirty-two albums to far and shows no signs of slowing down. Even at seventy-three, the vocalist continues to be in high demand.

Sir Elton John and David Furnish in London in 2001 | Source: Getty Images

Despite having a successful career for more than thirty years, the musician wants to concentrate on other areas of his life, such as his marriage to David Furnish and his two sons, Zachary and Elijah.

A brief romance blossomed between John and Furnish in 1993, before their lives got consumed with parenting their sons. The singer of “Sacrifice” announced that he had moved back into his Windsor home and was looking to socialize.

John then requested a friend to invite Furnish and other individuals to dinner, saying he felt an immediate connection with Furnish. John admired how well-groomed and reserved he was.

After going on a date the next day, the two’s long-term relationship officially started. After nine years of being in a civil partnership, they made the decision to tie the knot in 2014.

The pair used Instagram to send out invites. The highlight of the day was spending time with their sons, who had the important duty of serving as ring carriers.

Furnish and John found great joy in sharing their partnership with their children, particularly considering the difficult road they had to go to become parents. It all began in 2009 when they were acquainted at an HIV orphanage with a young boy from Ukraine named Lev.

Lev came from a shattered family, so the couple wanted to help him, but the government wouldn’t let it because he was too old. Still, the couple assisted Lev and spoke with him.

John came to the realization that he may be a father after meeting Lev. He acknowledged that he had always believed he was too old to have children. Zachary, their first son, was born in 2010 through a surrogate, and Elijah followed in 2013.

Bringing Up Children Outside of the Media
The couple desired to be actively involved with their children while leading a hectic lifestyle. “We don’t want to entrust housekeepers and nannies with raising our kids,” Furnish stated. The couple decided that having boys was the best course of action, and now their primary objective is to raise their sons in a happy and healthy environment.

John expressed to his sons in a touching letter how much they had altered his life. “You two are the best gifts I have ever received, Zachary and Elijah. In ways I never imagined imaginable, you have given my life meaning and purpose and filled my heart with love,” the singer added.

Furnish and John are content with the lovely family they have created. The love and support their children will always have from their parents is something they do not want them to forget as they grow older.

John talked candidly about how becoming a parent has altered his outlook on life and some of the values he and his spouse want their kids to grow up with.

John talked about how having children affected his attitude toward money. Having two children of his own now, he values his time with Zachary and Elijah more than a popular song or artwork.

The singer acknowledged that because he and Furnish were used to living as the center of attention, they had spent a lot of money before having children. However, John claimed that since their sons arrived, they had drastically cut back on their spending.

The couple’s current concern is ensuring that they own only what they require. Additionally, the couple has been instilling in their kids the importance of money and the labor required to acquire it.

Although John is aware that his kids have a privileged existence already, he still wishes they had humility. The artist has stated that he does not intend to leave them his whole estate as a result. Rather, he aims to strike a balance between providing his kids with a wonderful life and keeping them grounded. He thought to himself:

Naturally, I would like to leave my boys in a very secure financial situation. But giving children a silver spoon is a poor idea. Their lives is ruined by it.

John has attempted to instill in the boys an appreciation for money since they were young children. Zachary and Elijah may not have realized how well-known their parents were at the age of five and three, but John and Furnish did teach them a valuable lesson about budgeting.

The singer said in 2016 that doing chores around the house, such the kitchen or garden, would earn them £3 ($3.74) in pocket money. Each coin would then be divided between savings, spending, and charity. As they grew older, their responsibilities included tidying their rooms, and they received stars for each task completed.

Although the couple is aware that their children would not have a typical childhood, they nevertheless make an effort to give their lives some degree of normalcy. According to John, his children are “not stuck behind the gates of a mansion,” but rather live like locals.

When questioned if he was afraid of having his kids in the spotlight, he replied that he knew there would be drawbacks but that he didn’t mind at all because he thought people were “brilliant” and “not hostile,” especially when they wanted to see pictures of him and his family.

The musician and his spouse would take their kids to the movies or out for pizza because they want them to spend quality time with their family somewhere else than their mansion.

Because of his celebrity, John does not want to miss out on special times with his kids. The musician is also prompt in picking up and dropping off his youngsters at school.

Comment on Elton John's page | Source: Instagram/eltonjohn

The “Rocket Man” singer posted a unique picture of Furnish, their sons, and their godmother, Lady Gaga, on social media, while John and his spouse typically don’t post any pictures of their sons online. The musician conveyed his love despite expressing his regret at missing the opportunity to picture with them.

Fans expressed disbelief at Zachary and Elijah’s growth in the comment section. “However, the boys are growing quite tall.” Very attractive tiny fellas, a commenter commented. Another admirer exclaimed, “Look at these gorgeous boys and their pappa and Godma!”

John expressed to his sons in a touching letter how much they had altered his life. “You two are the best gifts I have ever received, Zachary and Elijah. In ways I never imagined imaginable, you have given my life meaning and purpose and filled my heart with love,” the singer added.

Furnish and John are content with the lovely family they have created. The love and support their children will always have from their parents is something they do not want them to forget as they grow older.

The Box with My Mother’s Heirloom Was Empty — My Husband Confessed, but His Lies Didn’t End There

Rachel treasures the heirloom jewelry her late mother left her, until one day she finds the box empty. With a confession from her husband, Rachel realizes that’s only half the truth. When she spots her mother’s earrings on another woman, all the puzzle pieces connect…

Now

I went to the store that morning for milk, chicken, and raspberries. An odd combination, but it was what I needed. The milk for coffee and cereal, the chicken for tonight’s dinner, and the raspberries for the raspberry and white chocolate muffins my husband loved.

A woman standing in the aisle of a grocery | Source: Midjourney

A woman standing in the aisle of a grocery | Source: Midjourney

I went into the store hoping to get my groceries, but I left with a truth that I didn’t know needed to be revealed.

She was standing in the dairy aisle, our neighbor. Young, blonde, and recently divorced. She was looking at the various yogurt options, smiling like she didn’t have a care in the world. And if I’m being honest, she probably didn’t have any cares.

And hanging from her ears were my mother’s earrings.

A woman looking away at a grocery | Source: Midjourney

A woman looking away at a grocery | Source: Midjourney

My breath caught in my throat. A sick feeling curled in my stomach. My hands clenched around the shopping basket so tightly that I was sure they were white.

No. No bloody way.

I forced my voice to stay light and breezy as I approached her.

“Mel, hi! Lovely earrings!”

A close up of a woman | Source: Midjourney

A close up of a woman | Source: Midjourney

She beamed, touching them delicately as if they were the most priceless things in the world. They were.

“Oh, thank you, Rachel! They’re a gift from someone special, you know.”

A gift. From someone special. Someone married?

The world tilted slightly. I swallowed the burning rage rising in my throat. Mel looked at me for a moment, and I wondered if the guilt was eating at her. She didn’t act like it, but something had dimmed her shine in that moment.

“Oh, they’re simply beautiful,” I said, smiling through my gritted teeth. “But didn’t it come with a pendant and a bracelet? What a stunning set that would be…”

A pair of earrings in a box | Source: Midjourney

A pair of earrings in a box | Source: Midjourney

She blinked at me, confusion all over her face.

“I definitely would if I had those pieces. But I don’t. It’s just the earrings. But maybe my special someone can gift me the whole set.”

The ground steadied beneath me.

There it was.

Derek hadn’t just pawned my mother’s jewelry. He had gifted part of it to his mistress.

A shocked woman | Source: Midjourney

A shocked woman | Source: Midjourney

It was a selfish, well-thought-out plan.

Except he hadn’t planned on one thing.

Me.

An upset woman | Source: Midjourney

An upset woman | Source: Midjourney

Then

I had been vacuuming under the bed, lost in the monotony of housework and a nagging nursery rhyme that was stuck in my head, when I spotted the box.

Something made me pause. Maybe it was instinct. Or maybe grief had sharpened my senses.

I bent down, picked it up, and opened the lid.

Empty. The box with my most prized possessions was empty.

A woman vacuuming | Source: Midjourney

A woman vacuuming | Source: Midjourney

The air left my lungs. The annoying nursery rhyme flew out of my head. And just like that, the shock hit me across my face.

My hands trembled as I stood up, my knees weak. I scanned my bedroom like the earrings, pendant, and bracelet might miraculously reappear before my eyes.

But they didn’t. Of course, they didn’t. Wishful thinking didn’t work like that.

There was only one person who I had shown the box and the priceless things inside. But would Derek… Was he actually capable of taking my things? Maybe he had put them away, knowing the importance that they held.

Maybe he had put them into our safe deposit box at the bank. But even if he did, why on earth wouldn’t he tell me?

An empty wooden box | Source: Midjourney

An empty wooden box | Source: Midjourney

“Derek!” I stormed into the living room, where he was lounging with his laptop.

He barely glanced up.

“What, Rachel? It’s too early for this noise.”

“My mother’s jewelry. Did you take it?”

His brow furrowed like he was truly thinking.

A man using his laptop | Source: Midjourney

A man using his laptop | Source: Midjourney

“No, maybe the kids took it. You know they’re into dressing up now.”

My stomach twisted again. Why would my children take something from my room? They probably didn’t even know about the box. And I was planning on passing down the jewelry to the girls anyway.

But still, kids have keen eyes. Maybe one of them saw something.

I turned and marched straight to the playroom, where my three kids were sprawled on the floor, lost in their toys.

A cozy playroom | Source: Midjourney

A cozy playroom | Source: Midjourney

“Nora, Eli, Ava,” I said, almost breathless. “Did any of you take the box from under my bed?”

Three pairs of wide, innocent eyes blinked up at me.

“No, Mommy.”

But Nora hesitated. My eight-year-old, my oldest baby. The most sensitive and honest of the three, and the one most likely to give you a snuggle when you needed it.

She would tell me what she knew.

A little girl | Source: Midjourney

A little girl | Source: Midjourney

“I saw Daddy with it,” she said. “He said it was a secret. And that he would buy me a new dollhouse if I didn’t say anything.”

A sharp rage sliced through me.

Someone had stolen from me.

And that someone was my husband.

A dollhouse on a table | Source: Midjourney

A dollhouse on a table | Source: Midjourney

I spent a long time with the kids, trying to figure out my thoughts and feelings while they played. Eventually, I had no choice but to confront him.

“Derek, I know you took it. Where is it?” I asked.

He let out a long sigh, rubbing his temples like I was the problem here.

“Fine, Rachel. I took them.”

I blinked slowly.

A man sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney

A man sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney

“Why?” I asked simply.

His voice took on that tone of his that I absolutely hated. The slow, condescending tone that had always made my skin crawl.

“You were so sad after your mom died. I thought that a vacation would cheer you up, Rachel.” He picked up his beer can and took a long gulp. “So, I pawned them and bought us a trip.”

My fists curled. My vision blurred. I was… beyond shocked.

“You pawned my mother’s jewelry?! My dead mother’s things!”

The interior of a pawn shop | Source: Midjourney

The interior of a pawn shop | Source: Midjourney

“Rachel, we’re struggling! How can you not see it? Or do you choose to ignore it? The mortgage, the bills… I wanted to do something nice for you and the kids.”

White-hot rage filled me. I was ready to burst.

“Where. Are. They?” I spat out. “You had no right to do that without asking me, Derek! Return them. Now!”

He sighed dramatically.

An angry woman | Source: Midjourney

An angry woman | Source: Midjourney

“Okay, I’ll return the tickets. I’ll fix it if you want everyone to be as miserable as you are. Seriously, Rachel, the kids see it. It sucks.”

I turned away before I did something I’d regret.

Miserable? Of course, I was miserable. I was in pain. I was hurting. My heart felt shattered and stamped upon, and my mind was a cemetery of memories.

My mother had died. And with that, my best friend, my biggest supporter, and the person who had loved me most in this world.

An upset woman | Source: Midjourney

An upset woman | Source: Midjourney

It had only been two months without her. And this man was putting a timeline to my grief?

What the hell? Who had I married?

I missed her so much. Which was why Derek’s actions had hurt me so deeply. My mother’s jewelry was like a lifeline she had left behind for me. It was something physical, something that I could hold or put on when I needed her touch…

I remembered how she didn’t want me to become a stay-at-home mom.

A tombstone with flowers | Source: Midjourney

A tombstone with flowers | Source: Midjourney

“Darling,” she had said, buttering a slice of homemade bread. “You have so much potential. As rewarding as being a stay-at-home mom is, are you sure it’s for you?”

“I don’t know, Mom,” I confessed. “But Derek said that we can’t afford a nanny, so it was either I become the nanny or I pay for one.”

“Promise me one thing, Rachel,” she said. “Keep writing your poetry, darling. Keep that side of you alive.”

A woman writing in a notebook | Source: Midjourney

A woman writing in a notebook | Source: Midjourney

My heart ached thinking about her.

But do you know what?

The next day, while shopping, I found out that the truth was even worse.

Now

I smiled at Mel in the grocery store, pretending to listen to her rave about Greek yogurt and chia seeds for breakfast.

A bowl of yoghurt and chia seeds | Source: Midjourney

A bowl of yoghurt and chia seeds | Source: Midjourney

“It really is the best breakfast, Rachel. It cleans out the gut and gives you more protein than eggs. Add some honey or chocolate chips, girl. Trust me,” she spoke fast, as if trying not to think or say anything that would give her away.

I smiled like I wasn’t seconds away from ripping those earrings off her ears.

She had no idea. She had absolutely no clue she had been part of my husband’s betrayal. Or did she? From the way she acted, I didn’t think she knew the value of it. In her eyes, she was standing in front of her boyfriend’s wife and using the expensive gift he had bought her.

So, I made a decision.

A woman in a grocery store | Source: Midjourney

A woman in a grocery store | Source: Midjourney

I was going to take back what was mine.

And I was going to make Derek pay.

Big time.

The next morning, I played the part of the forgiving wife.

I was quiet, reciting Shakespearean sonnets in my head. I made pancakes for the kids. I made French toast for Derek. But I couldn’t get my encounter with Mel out of my head.

He was relieved, smug even. I’m sure he thought that I had slept on it and had finally let it go.

“It’s good to see you so chipper, Rach,” he said. “You know I love that smile.”

I wanted to slap him.

Pancakes and strawberries on a plate | Source: Midjourney

Pancakes and strawberries on a plate | Source: Midjourney

Focus on Shakespeare, Rach, I thought to myself.

“Derek, can I see the pawnshop receipt?” I asked, pretending that I just wanted to make sure everything could be bought back.

He rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically but eventually handed it over.

“Nora,” I called, watching her pick at her pancakes. “Do you want to come with Mommy today? We’re going to look for Grandma’s jewelry.”

A smiling little girl | Source: Midjourney

A smiling little girl | Source: Midjourney

“Yes!” she said excitedly.

I wasn’t sure about taking my child to a pawnshop, but if I’m being honest, that little girl was the only thing that would keep me calm.

We got ourselves dressed and found ourselves standing outside the pawnshop.

“We’re buying the jewelry, Mom?” Nora asked.

“Indeed we are, baby girl,” I said.

The exterior of a pawn shop | Source: Midjourney

The exterior of a pawn shop | Source: Midjourney

And just like that, I went in and tracked down my mother’s jewelry. It wasn’t difficult, but I had to convince the owner that it was mine.

“It would make a good anniversary present for my wife,” he said. “But you look like you’re going to cry your little heart out.”

“It’s my mom’s, sir,” I said. “Please.”

I think he was more floored by being called sir that he just gave it over, not even trying to exploit me with the price.

A man in a pawn shop | Source: Midjourney

A man in a pawn shop | Source: Midjourney

I kept the receipt. For later.

There was only one piece left.

The earrings.

The ones that Derek’s mistress had been flaunting.

Earrings in a box | Source: Midjourney

Earrings in a box | Source: Midjourney

I knocked on her door, and when she opened it, I held up my mother’s will, specifically reading out that the jewelry was mine. I also had a picture of her wearing the set at her wedding.

Then, I showed her the necklace and bracelet I had reclaimed.

“These are part of a set,” I said. “They’re family heirlooms, and I need the earrings back. They were not Derek’s to give.”

Her face paled, and her jaw dropped.

A woman standing in a doorway | Source: Midjourney

A woman standing in a doorway | Source: Midjourney

“Rachel… I had no idea,” she stammered. “I thought it was a gift from Derek. I didn’t know that it was yours! I had no idea that it was your… mother’s.”

She looked down, something shifting in her expression. Disappointment. Then realization.

“I should have known,” she muttered. “I thought he was being sweet and romantic… but,” she trailed off, shaking her head.

Then, without another word, she ran into her house, returned with the earrings, and placed them in my outstretched hand.

Earrings in a woman's hand | Source: Midjourney

Earrings in a woman’s hand | Source: Midjourney

“Here,” she said. “These don’t belong to me. And honestly, neither does Derek. But he doesn’t belong to you either. Rachel, if it was this easy for him to get with me…”

I knew what she was saying. I understood it loud and clear.

“Hell hath no fury…” I said. “I know. I’ll deal with him.”

“Rachel, I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. It was just that Derek gave me the attention that I craved. This divorce… it took a part of me when it ended. I don’t know who I am without my husband. Ex-husband, I mean. Derek swept me off my feet and made me feel normal again. I’m so sorry.”

I looked at her and smiled. I knew what it felt like to have a part of me missing, but mine was due to death and grief, not cheating.

“Thank you for saying that, Mel,” I said, turning away.

An upset woman | Source: Midjourney

An upset woman | Source: Midjourney

Later

I waited until he was back at work and the paperwork was finalized.

And then I took the divorce papers to his office and handed them to him in front of his boss and coworkers.

“You shouldn’t have given away my things, Derek. I mean, really. You gave my mother’s earrings to your mistress?” My voice was louder than I expected. “You stole from me. You betrayed me. And that’s your final mistake in our marriage. This cannot be fixed. I don’t want you.”

A man sitting at his desk | Source: Midjourney

A man sitting at his desk | Source: Midjourney

Then, I turned and walked away.

He begged, of course.

But I was done.

He had taken the last piece of my mother I had left. He had lied. He had brushed off my pain. And he had betrayed our family.

And now? That man has nothing. Between alimony and child support, he had little to nothing left to his name.

A woman walking down a hallway | Source: Midjourney

A woman walking down a hallway | Source: Midjourney

What would you have done?

When Dorothy reads her daughter’s innocent letter to Santa, she’s blindsided by a request for the same heart-shaped earrings her husband apparently gave their nanny. Suspicion spirals into doubt, leading Dorothy to uncover a heartbreaking truth tied to a long-kept secret…

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.

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