Paula firmly believed that husbands and wives should contribute equally to the household income. To her, money outweighed the importance of family and kids. She saw me as a \u201cjobless housewife,\u201d like raising three kids under five was a vacation. That\u2019s when my nightmare began.<\/p>\n
It was a regular Tuesday morning, and I was in the kitchen preparing breakfast for my twins while my baby girl fussed in her high chair. The doorbell rang, and I felt a sense of dread in the pit of my stomach. I knew who it was.<\/p>\n
Paula stood at the door, wearing her usual look of disapproval. Without waiting for an invitation, she marched in, her eyes sweeping over the scattered toys in the living room.<\/p>\n
\u201cStill living like this, Macy?\u201d she snapped. \u201cHow long are you going to sit around, living off my son like a parasite?\u201d<\/p>\n
I bit my tongue, forcing a polite smile. \u201cGood morning, Paula. Would you like some coffee?\u201d<\/p>\n
She ignored me, heading straight to the kitchen. \u201cJobless, pretending to be a housewife. Pathetic!\u201d she muttered as she looked at the pile of dishes in the sink. Her words stung, but I had trained myself to let them roll off my back.<\/p>\n
That evening, as I lay in bed with my husband Jerry, I couldn\u2019t shake Paula\u2019s words from my mind.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
\u201cHoney, does it bother you that I don\u2019t work outside the home?\u201d I asked, turning to him.<\/p>\n
Jerry frowned. \u201cWhere\u2019s this coming from, Mace?\u201d<\/p>\n
I sighed, playing with the blanket. \u201cI just\u2026 feel like I\u2019m living off you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jerry\u2019s expression darkened. \u201cThat\u2019s ridiculous. We decided together that you would stay home with the kids, remember? Raising our children is the most important job there is.\u201d<\/p>\n
His reassurance helped, but Paula\u2019s words kept echoing in my head. I didn\u2019t tell Jerry it was his mother fueling these doubts\u2014I didn\u2019t want to start a war between them.<\/p>\n
Over the next few weeks, Paula\u2019s visits became more frequent and her remarks more cutting. One day, she arrived while I was finishing mopping the floors. She walked in without wiping her shoes, leaving muddy footprints behind.<\/p>\n
\u201cPaula, could you use the mat and slippers by the door?\u201d I asked politely.<\/p>\n
She glared at me. \u201cAre you saying I don\u2019t know how to enter a house properly?\u201d<\/p>\n
I bit my lip, gesturing at the floor. \u201cI just cleaned.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, you cleaned? Isn\u2019t that what you do all day while my son works? Or is even that too much effort for you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Her words felt like a slap. I stood there, gripping the mop, as she continued to insult me. \u201cStill in your pajamas at 2 p.m.?\u201d she asked, shaking her head. \u201cWhen I was your age, I worked a full-time job and kept my house spotless. You\u2019re just lazy!\u201d<\/p>\n
That was the final straw. Something snapped inside me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"