In the complex landscape of relationships, conflicts are bound to arise.
In this collection of stories, we explore moments where women found themselves at odds with their husbands. They’ve come here seeking answers: Were they in the wrong, or did they stand their ground justified?
Join us as we delve into these relatable and thought-provoking scenarios.
All content has been edited for clarity.
How Did He Think That Was Okay?
“I (26F) recently moved into my first home, and I’m also four months pregnant with our first child. However, this pregnancy has been exceptionally tough due to severe morning sickness. It reached a point where I fainted, hit my head, and my doctor had to admit me to the hospital for a week.
When I returned home from the hospital, I was in for a shock. My husband allowed his brother’s family to move into two of our three bedrooms, apparently because they had been evicted (though I don’t know why). My office, which was in one of those bedrooms, had been completely tossed into our room, leaving papers strewn everywhere. The house was in complete disarray, with trash, dirty clothes, and used diapers scattered around. Overwhelmed, I began to cry. It felt like something inside my husband had changed overnight.
When I confronted him about the mess, his response was that ‘it wasn’t that bad.’ I told him that if that was the case, he should have the house cleaned up by the time I woke up. Exhausted, I fell asleep for four hours. Upon waking up, I went to get a drink of water and found that I couldn’t—every glass we owned was scattered throughout the house. Not a single thing had been cleaned.
The next morning, I was trying to work, but their kids were crying incessantly, banging on the walls, and making it nearly impossible to concentrate. Their mom, my brother-in-law’s wife, was locked in her room for hours, ignoring their behavior.
When my husband returned home, he was upset with me for not making his brother’s wife feel welcome by helping with her kids when she was tired. He also complained about nothing being done around the house, despite him being at work all day—ironically, the same house he didn’t clean.
This led to a heated argument where I told him I was too sick to have company and that they needed to leave. His response was that they were his family, and he wouldn’t kick them out. Frustrated and drained, I began to cry once more. I physically couldn’t take it anymore. I called my mom and explained the entire situation in front of my husband, who seemed shocked and unsure of what to do.
My mom arrived with my brothers, all of them furious. She told my husband that since his family could stay, so could we. Taking charge, she sent me to bed while my brothers started cleaning and loudly expressing their disdain for the mess created by my brother-in-law’s family. They also criticized my husband for subjecting me to this while I was unwell.
During this chaos, I received a text message from my mother-in-law, in which she called me an a**hole for not helping my husband clean the house and for putting my brother-in-law in an uncomfortable position by having my mom boss him around.
Am I the a**hole in this situation?”
It’s Never Too Early For Divorce
“I’m a nurse, working around 50 hours a week in the pediatric ICU. The job is emotionally challenging, and I often find myself crying at least once a week because of how difficult it is. My salary covers all of our bills.
My husband is 25 years old, with a degree, but he’s not actively looking for a job. He works at a grocery store for only two days a week and spends most of his time playing League of Legends.
Today was supposed to be a special day for us. I had been asking my husband to switch his Saturday shift to any other day so that we could have some days off together. We haven’t had a weekend together since our wedding, which was 18 months ago. Today was supposed to be our first Saturday off together, and we had plans to visit an animal sanctuary.
However, the day started with my husband going out for breakfast with his best friend, leaving before I even woke up at 9. When I realized he wasn’t home, I called, and he said he was helping his friend set up some lights and that the weather was too rainy for the animal sanctuary.
He got back home around 1 PM, lounged around, played video games, and promised we’d cook dinner together. At 5 PM, he left again to help the same friend with something else.
In the meantime, I went grocery shopping. I don’t drive due to medical issues, so I walked there and back in the rain. When I got home, I realized I had left my keys inside. I called my husband, knowing he was only five minutes away, but he said he’d come in a minute. I ended up sitting in the rain and cold for 45 minutes. He eventually let me in the house and left again.
At 10 PM, I called to see where he was, and his friend answered, saying he was driving somewhere an hour away.
Now, at 10:30 PM, I’m going to bed. I’ve texted him that I’m upset and don’t want to talk to him tonight; I’d rather be left alone.
As far as I’m concerned, if he can’t prioritize spending our first day off together in over a year and a half, and if he values his best friend’s company over mine, he can sleep in his own bed tonight. (By the way, his friend doesn’t work, so they hang out all the time when I’m at work.)
I know he’s going to be upset, and he’ll probably tell his friend, who will likely take his side and call me a b*tch.
Have I done anything wrong in this situation?”
One Job Offer And He Wants You To Throw Away Your Career
“I (33F) am the primary earner in our household, with multiple highly specialized degrees in a niche industry that pays me over 200k, with the potential to reach 600k+. We’re held to strict standards at my company.
My husband (36M) has a diverse degree and work background. He quit his job in hopes of finding a better opportunity, a decision I fully supported. He spent a considerable amount of time applying for various jobs and eventually secured an interview with Organization X.
This job aligns perfectly with his career aspirations (I can’t provide details), but it offers a salary of around 65k, which, in our city, isn’t sufficient for our needs. What’s more concerning is that this job poses a direct threat to my job stability.
My employer and Organization X have a contentious relationship at best. My field is extremely confidential, and if clients were to discover that my spouse works for a direct competitor, it could permanently damage my reputation. In essence, it’s akin to me working in celebrity privacy protection and him working for TMZ. If he were to access my car, work devices, or any confidential information, he could use it to his advantage, jeopardizing my career. Even if I trust him not to do so, my clients and my company don’t share that trust. Furthermore, given my highly specialized background, this is the only industry in which I can work.
I asked him to withdraw from consideration for this job because accepting it would mean losing my income, which we cannot afford. Moreover, he has other career options due to his diverse background, whereas I’m limited to this one niche field.
He reacted angrily, accusing me of being ‘selfish and money-focused.’ I assured him that I would support him if he wanted to pursue further education or remain unemployed for a while, but accepting this job was not feasible.
However, he continued the application process without informing me and received an offer. He wants to accept it, arguing that his career should take priority and that I haven’t been supportive.
Feeling betrayed, I took matters into my own hands and informed all relevant superiors in my company as soon as he got the interview, as I believed it was better for them to hear it from me rather than discover it through a background check.
I presented him with two options: decline the offer with my supervision, or accept it and move out immediately. I offered to cover a two-week stay in a hotel, and we would initiate divorce proceedings. My company has agreed to cover my legal expenses.
This situation has been agonizing. I still love him, and making this decision was incredibly difficult. I acted swiftly because it seemed like the best way to minimize the damage, but it’s still painful. He accused me of being heartless and unfeeling, and to some extent, I was prioritizing my career over his. At the time, it felt like the only choice.”
Please Say You Never Went Back
“I lost my part-time job and I’ve essentially taken on the role of a homemaker. I’m okay with that, as it’s always been my role in our relationship, and it’s just less demanding now. I’m also currently in nursing school, but obviously, I’m attending classes from home.
My husband works full-time and puts in a lot of effort. His daily commute is quite long, over an hour each way. We make it a point to go running together every day, and to alleviate some of his stress, we meet at a location about 20 minutes away from our home so he doesn’t have to return home before our run. He usually calls me when he’s roughly 20 minutes away, and I leave at that point.
Today, I ended up being 7 minutes late because I had to turn off all the lights and get myself ready before leaving the house. When I arrived, he reacted with a major attitude for my tardiness. He refused to speak to me, all because I was 7 minutes late! I attempted to explain that I had to put on my shoes and turn off the lights, but he wouldn’t engage in conversation. Our run was incredibly awkward, and upon returning home, he claimed he had every right to be angry and went upstairs in a huff.
I’ve been harboring pent-up feelings about the fact that he seems to expect me to be at his beck and call. It’s as if he believes the entire world revolves around his schedule because I lost my job. Anytime he’s hungry or thirsty, he just yells my name. He doesn’t even prepare his own plates anymore. It’s like he thinks I’m just sitting in the dark, waiting for his calls. At this point, I knew he was being unreasonable, and I was extremely upset. That’s when I did something about it.
When he eventually came downstairs, I told him to make his own dinner and prepare his own lunch for work tomorrow. I looked him straight in the eye as I poured the pitcher of sweet tea I make him every week down the drain, and I said, ‘You can make your own sweet tea too, you ungrateful brat.’ Then, I walked out and drove to my mom’s house.
So, am I the a**hole for this overreaction? I was just so frustrated.”