I honestly feel like laughing just typing this because of how absurd it is. Out of nowhere, my husband has decided that I either quit my job and become a housewife or he wants a divorce. We’ve been married 7 years, together for 9, and have a 6-year-old son. It’s always been a happy relationship, or so I thought. I work as a personal assistant, something I’ve been doing since I was 18. My dad first hired me as his secretary, and it turned out to be a perfect fit, I’m sociable, organised, and actually enjoy it. I’ve been with my current boss for 5 years, and I love the job.
My husband never had an issue with my work until recently. The problem started after a business trip in September. My boss, who’s Hongkonger, splits his time between the UK and Hong Kong. I joined him for what was meant to be a 2-week trip to Hong Kong, but something came up and we had to go to China as well, so it turned into a month away. I’ve done shorter trips before, but never that long. When I got back, my husband was suddenly distant. Then yesterday he tells me he feels “cheated on” and doesn’t want to live like this. He insists I quit and stay home. For context: I work because I love it, not for the money. And ironically, I’m the main breadwinner thanks to my family’s support. If I wanted to cheat, I wouldn’t need a month-long business trip, a quick supermarket run would do the trick. And if I wanted to be a housewife, I’d have married someone rich in the first place.
I told him no, and now he’s giving me the cold shoulder, saying we’ll “talk about it again.” What the hell am I supposed to do with that?