My husband didn’t anticipate that I would defend our kids and myself when he offered me a terrifying ultimatum. I showed him that he was being unreasonable when we already had so much to be thankful for. He begged ME for pity as his ultimatum came to an end! I never imagined myself in this situation, but here I am, facing a decision. My spouse’s one demand put me in a tight spot and forced me to take extreme steps. But I had to take action because of that demand. Danny, my spouse, has consistently been a successful businessman and a loving father.
He works long hours at the workplace and has been a good provider for our family. I can now raise our five lovely girls while being a stay-at-home mother because of this. His aspirations to have a son “to carry on the family name” have, however, recently evolved into demands. And now those requests are transformed into threats!One evening after supper he stated, “Lisa, we NEED to have a sixth child.” He spoke in a somber, even icy tone. “We already have FIVE daughters, Danny. Do you want me to continue having children until we get a son? I answered, sensing the anxiety building. However, don’t kids bring you blessings? Is it really so difficult? His remarks hurt. Even though we’ve had this debate numerous times, something felt different this time. It had the air of an ultimatum. We kept going around in circles, neither of us ready to give up on our decisions. He threatened to consider DIVORCING me if I refused to have a son for him, that’s how bad our disagreement was! “Do you mean that if I didn’t give you a son, you would leave me?” My voice trembled as I asked. He murmured, “I didn’t say THAT,” and averted his gaze. However, the inference was evident.
If I didn’t do as HIS wishes dictated, he was open to the possibility of divorce. We said our goodbyes and headed our separate ways to get ready for bed after that. I lay awake that night thinking about our chat. How could he treat the life we’d created together with such contempt? All of our daughters are vibrant, individual, and extraordinary. I can’t think of our family in any other manner. I had to explain to him what he was requesting of me, of the two of us. Furthermore, what do you know? I thought of a clever method to SHOW him exactly what it means to raise five kids by yourself before I closed my eyes and went to sleep! I got up extra early the very next day, while everyone was still asleep. I drove to my late mother’s old country home after packing my bags.
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I ignored all of his calls and texts and turned off the ringer on my phone. “The Drama That Unfolds When You Leave Your Husband at Home Alone with Five Children” is my favorite show of the day, so I settled in to watch it after making myself breakfast and a steaming cup of coffee. With the security cameras we had put at our house, I was able to see everything in real time. A RUDE awakening was in store for Danny! As soon as he was awake, he got ready for work. But when he heard the kids making a commotion, he put an end to his plans. He questioned our rascals, “Where’s your mother and why aren’t y’all dressed and ready for breakfast?” When my babies disregarded him and carried on playing and jumping on beds, it made me proud. My spouse called my name and searched for me before realizing I wasn’t at home. Then he began phoning me, and I saw the call go through. He became irate and exclaimed, “What the hell, Lisa,” before hanging up after the sixth missed call. He was unable to leave our small kids alone, thus he was unable to go to work. The first morning was a total bust and hilarious! When he attempted to prepare breakfast, he burned the toast and ruined the orange juice all over the place! The children were playing and without bothering to put on clothes. I was having a blast, and he was utterly overwhelmed!”Stop running, Emma!” Please put on your shoes, Jessica. I heard him yelling, his voice strained. “Daddy, this cereal doesn’t appeal to me.” Emily pushed her bowl away and whimpered. “So, what do you WANT?” he questioned, getting agitated. “I insist on pancakes!” she exclaimed. Danny massaged his temples and moaned. Alright, let me prepare pancakes. Feeling left out, little Jessica added, “I want cake and scrambled eggs!” Never one to be left out, Emma insisted, “Please, waffles and fresh cream!” I was positive that if his temples were hurting previously, they were now throbbing! The situation became worse during the course of the day! He attempted to assist them with their online coursework, but they were constantly getting sidetracked and leaving! He begged, “Jessica, please concentrate on your math homework.” “Daddy, I don’t understand it,” the girl exclaimed. He sat next to her and gazed at the TV. “All right, let’s work it out together.” In the middle of tending to the kids, a call from work arrived. Based on the discussion and Danny’s sincere apologies, it appeared that he had neglected to mark himself as absent for the day! My spouse was unable to determine what our kids preferred to eat for lunch.
They ultimately had a picnic with inane munchies as a result. “May we please have jelly and peanut butter?” Emma asked. He said, “I’m not sure we have any,” as he looked in the pantry. “Maybe just some jelly?” she proposed. Although watching Danny suffer in this way was heartbreaking, it was well worth the laughs! He appeared to be about to lose it, and the house was a complete mess with toys all over the place! He moaned, “Why is Play-Doh on the carpet?” Ask Emily, I’m not sure,” Jessica answered. Emily began enumerating all the reasons why she wasn’t the offender as soon as she heard her name! “I exclusively use blue and purple Play-Doh to play. I just walked a little bit on the carpet in one place; I wasn’t sitting on it. I. My spouse jokingly interrupted her before she could say anything further. “All right, Emily! Alright, I understand! Would you kindly take it down for Daddy? The girls decided to dress up in the evening, and Danny HAD to join in! They made him pretend to be a princess while donning a feather boa and tiara!”Daddy, you’re so beautiful!” Emily chuckled. He mumbled, “This is ridiculous,” yet he grinned at their happiness. My spouse appeared disoriented and really worn out. The very last straw was bedtime! They continued slinking out of their rooms, insisted on stories, and DEMANDED to go to bed! I was so proud!Emma pleaded, “Just one more story, Daddy.””Okay, but THEN it’s really time for bed,” he said, growing impatient. Danny was clearly on the edge of collapse by the end of the second day! He began pleading with me in his desperate messages to return and assist. He texted, “My angel, please, I can’t do this alone.” He even submitted a video of himself pleading for mercy while on his knees. “My dear, I apologize. Please return home. You are necessary to me. The fact that he recorded the video in our closed bathroom while the children DEMANDED he come outside and play added to the humor of the footage! I made up my mind to head home. Danny was the first person to come to me when I went in; he looked more relieved than I had ever seen! “I really apologize,” he said. “I will no longer put pressure on you to have a son.” He squeezed me till I was almost out of breath! He pledged, “I promise to spend more time with the family. I realize now how much you do.” I felt moved. “We can talk about the POSSIBILITY of having a sixth child if you genuinely promise to spend more time with us and help out more,” I added. He gave a forceful nod. “I swear, I swear,” Just just don’t ever leave me with kids alone for so long again! He fulfilled his word from that day on, and we both chuckled. He showed greater interest in our family and an appreciation for the labor-intensive nature of raising our current children. Positive changes started to occur in our life. In an effort to be more present, Danny started arriving home from work early and occasionally worked from home. He took on nighttime responsibilities, attended school functions, and assisted with homework! To the awe of our girls, my once-misled spouse even learned how to braid hair! “Observe, mother! My father braided my hair. One morning, Jessica smiled. “Darling, you did a great job,” I said. Danny gave me a gentle smile as we sat around the breakfast table one Saturday morning. He said, “I’ve been thinking.” Perhaps having a son isn’t the main reason. Maybe it has to do with appreciating our family. I returned the smile, a wave of warmth coursing through my chest. “Danny, that is all I have ever wanted.” We carried on having breakfast while chatting and laughing, the stress of the previous few weeks dissipating. We discovered true satisfaction during those carefree times spent with our girls. My spouse never again broached the subject of having a sixth kid after months had passed.
He had undergone a transformation, showing greater involvement and closeness to our family than before. He was loved by the girls, and there was laughing and happiness in our house.”Will you please attend my dance recital, Daddy?” One day Emily asked. Of course, my love. He said, “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. And he fulfilled his word! Every school play, every soccer match, and every recital he attended. His renewed love and care allowed our daughters to grow and thrive. Danny held my hand one evening while we watched our daughters play in the backyard. “I’m grateful, Lisa,” he murmured. “For all the things.” Tears were starting to spring up in my eyes as I squeezed his fingers. “I appreciate your understanding,” I answered. Although our path wasn’t simple, it helped us get closer. My spouse gained an appreciation for his family. And I mustered the courage to defend our daughters as well as myself. We were more resilient than ever, equipped to handle any difficulties life presented. And I knew we had found our happily ever after as we sat there under the evening sun, watching our girls chase fireflies.
Mom of 3 Kids Crying of Hunger Learns She Can’t Pay for Burgers, ‘No Worries,’ Low Voice Assures — Story of the Day
A mom and her three children took the wrong bus and ended up lost. She realized she couldn’t buy her children food until a low voice startled her, offering much-needed assistance.
Julia had no choice but to raise her three growing children alone after her husband left her. He had been cheating on her with her best friend, and once she found out about their love triangle, he left her and stopped supporting their children.
At the time, Julia was devastated. She thought her life was ruined. She suffered from major trust issues after being betrayed not just by her husband but also her best friend.
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“You have to pull yourself together, Julia. You have three children you need to raise. You can’t be sulking at home because of what they did to you. Use it as motivation to do better,” her mom said after seeing Julia crying in the bathroom.
Julia looked at her children and knew that her mom was right. She had to look after her kids and make sure they lived comfortable lives, even if it meant working two jobs to earn enough money.
Julia’s mom, Lisa, happily volunteered to care for the three kids while she was at work. She had two jobs, working a total of 14 hours a day.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
Every day, she would start working at six in the evening, working as a waiter. Then from one in the morning until eight, she would work as a housekeeper at an inn.
By the time she got home, she had about three hours until her children woke up. She’d use this time to sleep before waking up alongside her kids to play with them and clean the house.
Julia’s work schedule exhausted her, especially because she didn’t get enough sleep every day. This lack of sleep often caused her to be scatter-brained, unable to remember the simplest things.
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One weekend morning, Julia had to take her kids to the hospital for their vaccinations. On their way home, Julia accidentally mixed up the bus routes, and they ended up in a place in town they’d never been.
Unfortunately, it would take another hour before another bus came around. She bought tickets at the bus stop and they quietly sat there until her kids began to cry, yelling that they were hungry.
Julia walked to a nearby burger stand, where she ordered four burgers. When she was about to pay, she frantically searched for her wallet inside her bag, only to look up at the sky, defeated.
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“My wallet was right here,” she cried. “I just purchased our bus tickets!” She looked through her bag again.
“I’m sorry to hear that, ma’am,” the man who took her order said. “This part of town is notorious for pick-pockets.”
Julia looked at her kids, ashamed that she couldn’t buy them food. She apologized to them and told them they’d have to wait an hour before they could eat, only for them to cry even louder. “Mom, I haven’t eaten the whole day!” her daughter whined. “I’m so hungry!”
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At that moment, Julia was at her breaking point. Her eyes started to fill with tears. Suddenly, she heard a low voice say, “No worries.”
She looked up and saw the man from the burger stand taking out his wallet. He paid for the burgers, packed a bag for Julia, and handed it to her.
“Please, take this. It’s on the house,” he told her.
Julia looked at the man in shock. Tears started to stream down her face, and she thanked the man numerous times. “Thank you so much; you have no idea how much this means to me,” she told him. “Can I please ask for your number? I want to pay you back once I can get some money.”
The man shook his head. “It’s no big deal, and it’s a simple act of kindness I’d like to do for you.”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
Ever since that day, Julia always made sure to help someone out whenever she had the chance. After working two jobs for a few more years, she earned enough money to start her own business. She created a mobile app that allowed users to book different services, from housekeepers to nail technicians, laundry shops, car cleaners, and more.
One day, while in a business meeting, Julia came across the man who helped her several years back.
“You’re the guy from the burger stand,” she said. He smiled, recognizing her as well.
“You’re the mom with three crying children,” he recalled. “How have you been?”
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That conversation ended up being life-changing for both of them. Julia insisted on treating the man, who introduced himself as Jacob, to dinner. It was her way of paying him back.
She discovered Jacob was looking for a job and she decided to hire him as her executive secretary. He went with her to all her meetings and helped her grow her business.
Eventually, after spending so much time together and getting to know each other more, they fell in love. They married, and Jacob adopted Julia’s three children, loving them as his own.
What can we learn from this story?
- If you’re in the position to help someone, do it. The man felt terrible that Julia couldn’t feed her children when they were hungry, so he stepped in to help her. When you’re capable of helping someone in need, do it without expecting anything in return, as it could save that person from reaching their breaking point.
- What goes around comes around. After receiving an act of kindness, Julia paid it forward. Eventually, she came across the man who helped her again, this time in the position to help. This led to a beautiful working and personal relationship between them.
Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a beggar who gave half of his pizza to a hungry rich man, only for the man to give half his business to the beggar later on.
This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life.
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