My husband and his mother decided, without consulting me, that I should quit my job. At first, I thought it was a joke, but as I saw Ethan’s serious face, I realized it wasn’t.
Ethan and his mom believed my career didn’t matter and that I should become their personal housekeeper instead. We’d been married for two years, and while things were good overall, there was one issue: my mother-in-law, Diane.
Ethan was a mama’s boy, always taking her advice as gospel, even when it made no sense. She had strong opinions about everything, from how I should cook to when we should have kids, and what really mattered in life: family over career.
One day, after a long discussion with Diane, Ethan came home and told me, “You should quit your job. It’s for the best.” When I questioned it, he explained that my job took up too much time, and my place was at home. Diane chimed in, saying a woman’s worth is in caring for her family, not a career.
I was stunned, but they actually thought they were right. They believed I could quit my job, help Diane around the house, and receive a small allowance. I played along, telling them I agreed to quit.
The next day, I took a leave from work and cut off all financial support. At first, they didn’t notice, but soon the luxuries Diane enjoyed vanished. Spa treatments, expensive groceries, and shopping trips were gone, replaced by basic essentials.
Ethan began to question where the money had gone. I told him it was because I had been the breadwinner. Diane was shocked when she realized how much I had been contributing, and Ethan panicked as their comfortable life crumbled.
After a month of their suffering, I told Ethan I’d be going back to work and also filing for divorce. The silence that followed was deafening, but I couldn’t help but smile as their world fell apart.