He had to make a decision because his options were restricted.
Because he couldn’t sit down and spend much time with her, he reasoned that giving her gifts may help him get his life back in order. He would be able to buy her a variety of gifts with the money he made. Her affection would soon fade away, leaving him with no other choice except to demonstrate his gratitude through money.
Iris and Thomas were regularly in conflict. She was annoyed by the lack of time they spent together. Until recently, she thought of them as coworkers who happened to see each other from time to time. Thomas was too exhausted to spend much time with her, so the two of them only had a brief meeting.