Sophia tightened the buttons on her son’s coat, her face clouded with frustration. The visit to her mother-in-law loomed ahead—an event she never looked forward to. From the very beginning, they had never gotten along.
Margaret Hayes had decided long ago that Sophia was not the right woman for her son, despite the fact that she was fifteen years younger than him.
“Again, Sophia? What is it this time?” grumbled Daniel, glancing at his wife. “You don’t want to go, do you?”
“Oh, come on, Daniel! You know exactly why! Why even ask?” she snapped, irritation flashing in her eyes. “She’s going to criticize me again, pick fights, find faults in everything I do! She’ll tell me I’m raising our son wrong! And she doesn’t care that I work, that I’m the one managing the household, cooking, cleaning, paying the bills—everything!”
“But you’re at home all day,” Daniel shrugged.
“That doesn’t mean I’m sitting around doing nothing!” Sophia shot back. “Or do you think we’re living off thin air?”
“I work too,” Daniel grumbled. “It’s not my fault they don’t pay me more.”
The truth was, Sophia’s salary was three times higher than his. She worked remotely as a designer and was the family’s primary breadwinner.
“Maybe you could just go alone?” she suggested, hope flickering in her eyes.
“It’s International Women’s Day! You can’t just ignore my mother!”
Sophia exhaled heavily and continued dressing their son. Two hours later, they arrived at Margaret’s house.
Daniel’s niece, Emily, was already there. Sophia had never been comfortable around her. It was obvious that Margaret favored the girl over her grandson. It made sense, though—Emily had lost both her parents five years ago, and Margaret had raised her as her own.
In the living room, Margaret’s sisters were already gathered, chatting and drinking tea.
“I’ve made up my mind,” Margaret announced suddenly. “I’m leaving my apartment to Emily. You already have a home, Daniel.”
Daniel only nodded in response.
And so it was done—within days, the paperwork was finalized, and the apartment legally belonged to Emily. However, there was one condition: she could only move in after Margaret passed away.
But fate had other plans. Margaret suffered a sudden stroke, leaving her completely dependent on others.
“We have to move in with my mother,” Daniel stated firmly. “She can’t manage on her own.”
Sophia clenched her jaw but said nothing. She already knew that all the responsibility would fall on her shoulders—feeding, dressing, cleaning, caregiving. On top of that, she still had her job.
After a few weeks, she couldn’t take it anymore.
“Daniel,” she said hesitantly, “your mother’s apartment will belong to Emily. Maybe she should take care of her grandmother?”
“She’s still in college, Sophia! She just started dating someone! She can’t bring him here to live with a bedridden woman.”
“Daniel, I can’t do this alone,” she pleaded.
Daniel’s expression darkened. “Oh, I see,” he sneered. “You’re already tired of it?”
“Tired? I can’t keep up! You, your mother, our son, my job—it’s too much!”
“But you work from home,” he countered.
“And what does that change?! Do you think I don’t spend time working?!” Sophia’s frustration boiled over. “Fine! Then YOU take care of your mother!”
“She’s my mother, but she’s your mother-in-law! It’s your duty! What, you want me to bathe her?”
“I don’t owe you anything, Daniel! And let’s be honest—you wouldn’t lift a finger if it were my mother who needed care! Hire a nurse!”
“And who’s going to pay for that?”
“You can use her pension. Or maybe… your own salary?” she challenged.
Daniel scoffed. “What’s the point of having a wife, then? Go check on her instead of arguing.”
It was in that moment that Sophia saw the truth—Daniel had been using her all along. He depended on her income, her effort, her sacrifices.
And Emily? She never even visited her grandmother once.
That night, Sophia lay awake, staring at the ceiling. By morning, she had made her decision.
Once Daniel left for work, she packed her things, took their son, and walked out the door. Back home. Back to her own life.
She sent Daniel a message: “I’m done carrying this burden alone.”
Then she blocked his number.
That evening, Daniel stormed into the house.
“Either you come back, or I’ll file for divorce!” he threatened.
“Do whatever you want,” Sophia replied coolly. She had already made up her mind—she was done sacrificing herself for people who didn’t care about her.
“Don’t come crawling back later,” Daniel warned.
“That’s not my problem,” she shot back. “I’ve made my choice. The only thing I’m grateful to you for is our son.”
And with that, she made her final decision.
In the end, Daniel never apologized, and Sophia never looked back.
A month later, they were officially divorced.
Six months after that, Sophia heard that Margaret had passed away.
And Emily?
She wasted no time throwing Daniel out of the apartment.
And only then did he realize—he had lost everything.
