My Husband Thought I Was Just A Homemaker And Told Me To Leave. But When I Really Left…

Chapter 1: The Ultimatum

“Either get a job or get out. I’m sick of supporting a woman like you.”

My husband’s words hit a nerve, and something inside me snapped.

“Why should I put up with someone like this? A man who belittles others to bask in his own superiority.”

I’m better off without a man like this.

My name is Melissa.

I’m 36, and I balance work with homemaking.

I’m a freelance illustrator working from home.

I’ve always loved art and went to art college, and after graduating, I worked at a design company.

When I turned 30, I took the plunge and went independent.

I wanted to express myself in the way I like, doing what I love.

Back then, I was single and thought I could live life on my own terms.

But then I met my husband, Daniel, through a mutual friend, and we clicked.

We decided to get married smoothly and registered a year later.

Daniel’s company has branches all over the country, and he travels a lot for his job as a salesman.

Because he works long hours, he wanted me to be a housewife, so I temporarily paused my illustrator career.,

Sure, he works late and travels, so someone has to manage the home.

I thought we should support each other as a married couple.

Though I didn’t mind quitting my job, I figured I could resume my art career later while continuing my studies in the meantime.

I think, though, I loved him and he loved me.

We trusted each other, so there was nothing to complain about.

Chapter 2: The “Promotion” and the Move

But then life threw us a curveball.

Daniel got promoted to head a new sales office, meaning no more transfers for a while.

It was what is commonly known as a promotion.

Being in charge meant that I would not be transferred for a while, and we could settle down in that city.

Now we could finally settle in one place.

We had been moving a lot and were exhausted from adapting to new places every year or so.

But now we could finally settle down in one town, and we were both happy about it.

Before, I was so busy supporting my husband that I couldn’t think of anything else.

But I thought things would be different from now on.,

Going back to work seemed within reach, but it didn’t go as smoothly as I hoped.

My husband was still swamped with work, handling the transition and launching new branches.

Then another issue came up.

The cost of rent in our new city was higher than we expected.

We could get by on my husband’s salary, but just barely.

And his company didn’t offer housing assistance, so we had to cover it all ourselves.

We wanted to save for the future, but his salary was barely covering living expenses.

I considered dipping into our savings if needed, but it didn’t feel secure.

So I asked my husband,

“Would it be okay if I worked too? Provided I manage the house well.”

He looked hesitant and finally said,

“Fine, but make sure you take care of the home.”

His choice of words felt off, but I’ve always supported him as a housewife.

I thought he must also feel uneasy about the lifestyle changes.

I decided not to dwell on it.

I finally have a job I like.

Chapter 3: A Change in Attitude

I was excited to go back to work after all these years, but my husband started to change, and not for the better.

“What’s the deal with this dinner? It’s roast chicken, themed vegetables, chowder, and fruit. This food sucks. Why are you cutting corners when you’re home all day?”

He started to nitpick the meals I prepared, something he never did before.

“This food is like hospital meals. It’s not building up any strength.”

“That’s not true. I found some deals on ingredients, so I made a main dish and a side you like.”

Hearing that, he shouted,

“What are you saying? My salary is too low?”

I felt stunned by his sudden outburst.

Why was he twisting my words like that?

His anger left me speechless.

“Do you have any idea how hard I work to support you? Just when I get promoted and things are looking up, don’t mess it up by doing something unnecessary.”

I wanted to argue back to catch my breath and think before speaking, but I stopped myself.

My husband must be going through a hard time right now.,

He is swamped with the stress of being the one in charge and the responsibility to protect our family.

“I’m sorry. I apologize.”

He must just be tired.

I convinced myself.

Still, his domineering attitude continued.

“Hey, are you slacking? I’m cleaning the bathroom. Where’s the shirt I was going to wear today? At least shine my shoes.”

He never acted like this before we moved.

What happened to him?

It’s like he became a different person, constantly yelling and shouting day by day.

My distrust for him grew.

Balancing housework and my job was harder than I thought.

I wanted to sneak in work between house chores, but if I tried to make everything perfect to his standards, housework alone would consume my day.

If I tried to meet the deadlines set by my clients, the spare moments I had for chores were nowhere near enough.

“I’ve also started working, you know. Can’t you help a bit with the chores?”

I suggested, but he retorted,

“It’s because you’re busy with your worthless job that the housework is suffering. Just quit. Don’t get cocky just because you work from home. You’re not even making much, and you acting so high and mighty even though you’re just a housewife.”,

Being disparaged as “just a housewife” became his go-to insult.

According to him, I was still a housewife even if I was working.

What twisted logic.

I didn’t get it.

I wasn’t making much, that’s true, but that’s because he kept disrupting me, making it impossible to increase my workload.

Fed up, I minimized the chores I did for him and started prioritizing my work.

And then he started looking even more visibly displeased.

The rift between us continued to grow.