When my husband proudly announced that he was going on vacation without me because I “don’t work,” I smiled sweetly and let him go. But behind that smile? A storm was brewing. He thought I was doing nothing all day. He was about to find out how wrong he was.
It had been three months since I’d slept a full night. Not since Lily arrived and turned our lives upside down with her tiny fists and powerful lungs.
A crying baby | Source: Pexels
Don’t get me wrong: I loved my daughter more than anything, but the exhaustion was real. Maternity leave was a lot more work than being in the office.
That afternoon, I bounced Lily in my arms, trying to calm her fussiness while folding laundry with my free hand.
My hair hadn’t been washed in four days, and I was wearing the same spit-stained T-shirt for the second day in a row.
An exhausted woman holding a baby | Source: Midjourney
Keith arrived home and walked into the living room, looking sharp and dapper in his button-down shirt and suit pants. Not a hair out of place.
“How was your day?” he asked.
I forced a smile. “Same old as usual. Lily’s been fussy most of the afternoon.”
Keith slumped down on the couch and stretched his legs.
A man stretching his legs | Source: Pexels
“Damn, work was brutal today.” He took off his shoes. “Three meetings in a row. I’m exhausted.”
I bit my tongue. “Dinner is in the oven. It should be ready in about twenty minutes.”
“Great,” Keith said, grabbing the remote. “I’m starving.”
Lily started crying again. I bounced her more vigorously, patting her back and making shushing noises.
A woman holding a crying baby | Source: Pexels
Keith leaned back and sighed. “It must be nice staying home all day with Lily. It’s like a permanent vacation.”
A laugh escaped my lips. “A vacation? You think this is a vacation?”
Keith shrugged. “You know what I mean. You’re not working right now, so you’re not tired like I am.”
A man on a sofa | Source: Midjourney
I stared at him, wondering if he’d always been this confused or if it was new. Before I could answer, the oven timer went off. Lily started moaning louder.
“Dinner’s ready,” I said flatly, handing him the baby. “Your turn.”
Keith picked Lily up awkwardly, holding her as if she were about to explode. “But I just got home. I need to relax.”
A man frowns slightly | Source: Midjourney
“And I need to put dinner on the table,” I replied, heading towards the kitchen. “Unless you’d rather do that instead?”
He frowned but didn’t argue. Small victories.
A week later, Keith came home with a smile so wide I thought his face was going to split in two.
“Guess what?” he said, placing his briefcase by the door.
A briefcase on the floor in an entrance hall | Source: Pexels
I was in the living room, bouncing a wayward Lily on my hip. “What?”
“Mom and Dad are going on vacation next week, and they invited me to come with them.” Her eyes shone with excitement. “I’m leaving next week.”
I froze mid-jump. “Wait… what?”
A woman staring in disbelief | Source: Midjourney
“Yes, it’s an amazing place in Cancun. All-inclusive. Five days of sun, sand, and relaxation.” He sighed happily. “I need a break.”
A strange sound erupted from my chest. It took me a moment to realize I was laughing—not out of humor, but out of pure disbelief.
“And me?” I finally managed to say.
A woman talking to someone | Source: Midjourney
Keith waved his hand dismissively. “Baby, you don’t work, so you don’t need a vacation. In fact, you already have one.”
I blinked slowly. The rage rising inside me was so intense I could feel it heating my blood.
But instead of throwing the bottle I was holding at his thick skull, I smiled kindly.
A woman holding a baby bottle | Source: Gemini
“Of course, darling. You’re the sole breadwinner. Go ahead, have fun.”
Keith didn’t notice the dangerous glint in my eyes. He just smiled, kissed me on the cheek, and skipped down the stairs, probably to get his swimsuit ready.
Big mistake.
A furious woman | Source: Midjourney
While Keith prepared for his “well-deserved” break, I made my own plans. Secret plans that involved teaching my husband a lesson he wouldn’t soon forget.
The morning of his departure, I kissed him with a smile so sincere that it surprised even me. But I was about to get my own satisfaction.
“Have fun,” I told him cheerfully. “Don’t worry about us.”
A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
“Okay,” Keith replied, completely off the mark. “See you in five days.”
As soon as his car disappeared down the street, I got to work.
First, I emptied the refrigerator. After all, he obviously thought the groceries would appear out of nowhere since I hadn’t done anything all day.
An open refrigerator | Source: Pexels
Then I gathered all the dirty laundry from the house and piled it in front of the washing machine.
I logged into our joint account and canceled all automatic payments: electricity, water, internet, and streaming services. Everything.
Next, I packed Lily’s entire room. The crib, changing table, diapers, wipes, clothes—everything was put in the car.
Close-up of a crib mobile | Source: Pexels
Finally, I wrote a note and left it on the kitchen counter:
“Lily and I are on vacation too. Don’t wait up for me.”
I turned off my phone, strapped Lily into her car seat, and drove to my mom’s house.
Freedom has never felt so good.
A car driving into the sunset | Source: Pexels
Keith had promised to call me every night, so I knew it wouldn’t take long for him to notice something was wrong, even though he was incredibly obtuse about the amount of work I was putting into our house.
Two days later, I turned my phone back on.
His frantic texts started pouring in almost immediately.
A cell phone on a table | Source: Pexels
“Sharon, why aren’t you answering your phone? I’m worried. I’m coming home early and will be home tonight.”
“Sharon, where are you? Where’s Lily? What do you mean, you’re on vacation?”
“The fridge is EMPTY. I had to eat takeout!”
“Why is the electricity bill late? They’re threatening to cut it off!”
“Where are my work clothes? I have a meeting tomorrow!”
A woman smiling weakly | Source: Midjourney
I let it simmer for another whole day before responding with a simple text:
“Relax, baby! Since I’m not working, I thought you wouldn’t mind taking care of things while I take a break, too.”
His response was immediate and desperate:
“I GOT IT, OKAY? I was wrong. Please come back!”
A woman using her cell phone | Source: Pexels
I smiled at my phone. Message received.
Two days later, I walked through our front door with Lily on my hip, surveying the damage.
There were dishes piled in the sink and takeout containers scattered across the counter. The laundry situation had gotten worse.
And in the middle of it all stood Keith, unshaven, wild-eyed, looking as if he hadn’t slept since he’d gotten back.
A disheveled man standing in a living room | Source: Midjourney
“You’re back,” he said, his voice cracking with relief.
“Looks like you had a relaxing break,” I replied, taking in his disheveled appearance.
Keith ran a hand through his hair. “Sharon, I’m so sorry. I was an idiot.”
“Go on,” I urged, adjusting Lily in my arms.
A woman smiles victoriously while holding a baby | Source: Midjourney
“I didn’t realize how much you did here. All day, every day.” He gestured helplessly at the chaos around us. “I couldn’t even keep things running for a week.”
“And ?”
“And I was selfish and wrong to suggest that staying home with Lily wasn’t work. It’s more work than what I do at the office. I should have realized that.” He stepped closer, his eyes pleading. “I’m sorry.”
A man looking sorry | Source: Midjourney
I nodded slowly, letting it simmer a little longer.
“I missed you both so much,” he continued. “The house felt empty without you.”
“The house is empty,” I remarked. “I took everything that was important.”
A small smile crept through his misery. “Yeah, I noticed that too.”
A smiling man in a living room | Source: Midjourney
I rummaged in my purse and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “Here.”
Keith took it and frowned. “What is it?”
“It’s a chore list,” I explained. “From now on, we’ll divide up all the chores.”
His face turned pale. “Everything…?”
A frowning man holding a sheet of paper | Source: Midjourney
“Yes,” I said, patting him on the shoulder. “Since I’m not ‘working’ and all, I guess you’ll have no problem doing half of it while I take some much-needed breaks myself.”
Keith glanced at the list, swallowed hard, and nodded. “That’s right.”
“I’m glad you think so,” I said, finally feeling a real smile form. “Because I booked a spa day for Saturday, and you have Lily to take care of.”
A woman smiling smugly | Source: Midjourney
Keith took our daughter into his arms. “Hey, princess,” he whispered, holding her close. “Daddy missed you.”
Lily chirped happily, completely unaware of the power shift that had just occurred in our household.
“I’ll do better,” Keith promised, looking at me over Lily’s head. “I swear.”
A man smiling at someone | Source: Midjourney
“You will,” I agreed. “Because if you suggest one more time that taking care of our daughter isn’t a real job, I’ll take more than just her diapers next time.”
He laughed nervously. “Message received.”
“Good,” I said, heading towards the bedroom. “Now I’m going to take a shower without a tiny human demanding my attention. Think you can handle dinner?”
A woman smiling at someone | Source: Midjourney
“I’ll manage,” Keith said, bouncing Lily gently.
As I walked away, I heard him whisper to our daughter, “Your mother is terribly smart, you know that? But don’t tell her I said so—I’m in enough trouble already.”
I smiled to myself. Lesson well learned.
A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
Have you ever been in Sharon’s shoes? Would you have reacted differently – or would you have gone even further?
Here’s another story : Lauren hesitates when her mother-in-law offers to babysit for free, but the exorbitant cost of daycare pushes her to accept. Everything seems to be going smoothly… until Kelly “accidentally” breaks the surveillance camera. Suspicious, Lauren reviews the audio and discovers a secret meeting—proof that Kelly has done nothing innocent.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the story. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims regarding the accuracy of events or character portrayals and are not responsible for any misinterpretations. This story is provided “as is,” and the opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
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