When my husband begged for a son, he swore he would be the one to stay home and raise him so I could keep my hard-earned career. But the moment our baby was born, he changed his mind and tried to force me to give up everything I had worked for.
Nick always said he wanted a son more than anything.
“I can’t wait to teach him baseball, fix up cars… it’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
I wasn’t against having kids, just focused on my career. I’m an attorney, and I worked hard to get where I am, with a salary that more than doubled Nick’s. He always promised that when we had a baby, nothing would change for me.
“When we have our boy, I’ll stay home. You’ve worked too hard.”
It sounded perfect. And when I finally got pregnant — with a boy — Nick was over the moon. He told everyone he was going to be a stay-at-home dad.
I believed him.
Until the baby came.
A month in, Nick started backing out.
“He cries too much.”
“He needs you more.”
And then one night, as I nursed our son while answering emails, he said:
“I want you to quit your job. Just stay home with him full-time.”
I laughed.
“Yeah, that’s not happening.”
Nick smirked.
“Oh, please. You didn’t think I was serious about that stay-at-home dad stuff, right? All moms stay home with their babies. I figured it would kick in, you know, your natural instinct or whatever.”
I stared at him, realizing every promise he made was fake.
And right then, I made my decision.
The next morning, over coffee, I smiled and said,
“You’re right. I’ll quit my career. But there’s ONE CONDITION. The day I quit is the same day we file for divorce.”
His smile faded instantly. “Wait… what?”
I took a slow sip of my coffee. “If I give up my career for you, I’ll never respect you again. So here’s how this is going to work—I’ll quit, but you’re paying child support based on what I should be making, and I’m taking full custody.”
That night, he packed a bag and left for his parents’ house. Fine by me.
The next afternoon, my phone rang. Nick’s mom.
“Sweetheart,” she said softly, “just so you know, we’re on your side. Nick told us everything, and… well, his father had a few choice words for him.”
“He made a promise,” his dad snapped in the background. “He doesn’t get to just throw it away because it got inconvenient. That woman worked hard to build her career, and now he wants to take that from her? Not a damn chance.”
Two days later, Nick came home.
He looked different. Less sure of himself. He sat down across from me, rubbing his hands together, his eyes darting away when I met his gaze.
“I was terrified,” he confessed. “I thought I could handle it, but when things got tough, I freaked out. I tried to shove the responsibility onto you because… I don’t know. I guess I thought it would make everything simpler.”
For the first time since our baby arrived, I saw a glimpse of the man I had fallen in love with. We sat together and set new boundaries.
As the months went by, Nick slowly became the father he had always promised to be.
Is it flawless? No. But it’s genuine.