I decided to test my husband and told him, “Honey, you fired me!” even though I’d actually been promoted. He yelled at me and declared me useless. The next day, I overheard your conversation with my friend. What the hell!… I was horrified…
On my way home, an extraordinary feeling suddenly washed over me. Is Anton unhappy with my promotion? Does it irritate him, or worse, cause him pain? After all, I now earn more than he does. Could that be another reason for him to distance himself? I knew that for my husband, being the breadwinner, the protector, had always been important.
Although we both worked and contributed almost equally to the family budget, he felt the need to emphasize that he was the one supporting the family. He had a certain patriarchal pride in that regard, perhaps instilled by his mother, an old-fashioned woman. That’s when the idea came to me.
How can I gauge your reaction? And if I say they didn’t abandon me, does that mean they just let me go? Observe your reaction: will you support me in this difficult time? And now, seeing your genuine compassion and support, I admit it was a joke, and I actually have good news. It probably wasn’t the smartest decision on my part. Petty, even stupid.
But I wanted to make sure my husband would still be by my side, ready to support me in any situation, just as I promised him at the altar. For better or for worse, in sickness and in health. When you get home, you’ll find Anton with his laptop…
“I’m fired.” Your reaction was completely different from what you expected. Instead of compassion and support, his face contorted with anger.
He slammed his laptop shut and jumped up from the sofa.
“Fired. You’re fired.” And I’ve had to say so many times that I need to be more responsible at work. But no, you always know everything, you always do things your way.
I was so stunned by your reaction that I couldn’t say a word.
He continued, his voice growing louder, with a sneer of contempt I’d never heard before.
What is the purpose of all this?
Continued on the next page
