When my husband gave me a scary ultimatum, he didn’t expect me to stand up for myself and our children. The lesson I taught him showed him how unreasonable he was being when we already had so much to be grateful for. His ultimatum ended with him begging ME for mercy!
I never thought I’d be in this position, but here I am, standing at a crossroads. I was pushed to take drastic measures when my spouse pushed me into a corner with one demand. But that demand was enough to get me to act.
An unhappy-looking woman | Source: Pexels
My husband, Danny, has always been a devoted father and a successful businessman. He’s provided well for our family and spends lots of time at the office. This has given me the freedom to be a stay-at-home mother and raise the five beautiful daughters we already share.
But lately, his dreams of having a son “to carry on the family name” have turned into demands. And those demands have morphed into threats!
A woman’s daughter kissing her pregnant belly | Source: Pexels
“Lisa, we NEED to have a sixth child,” he said one night after dinner. His tone was serious, almost cold.
“Danny, we already have FIVE daughters. You want me to keep having babies until we get a son?” I replied, feeling the tension rise.
“But aren’t children a blessing to you? Is it really that hard?” His words stung. We’ve had this argument many times before, but this time it felt different. It felt like an ultimatum. We continued going round in circles with neither of us willing to relent on their choices.
A couple arguing | Source: Pexels
Our argument escalated to the point where he hinted that he might consider DIVORCING me if I refused to have a son for him! “Are you saying you’d leave me if I don’t give you a son?” I asked, my voice trembling.
“I didn’t say THAT,” he muttered, looking away. But the implication was clear. He was willing to consider divorce if I didn’t follow HIS wishes. That was the end of our argument as we went our separate ways in preparation for bed.
An upset and frustrated woman looking at a man | Source: Pexels
That night, I lay awake, thinking about our conversation. How could he be so dismissive of the life we’d built together? Our daughters are amazing, each one unique and full of life. I couldn’t imagine our family any other way.
I needed to make him understand what he was asking of me, of us. And you know what? Before closing my eyes and drifting off to sleep, I decided on a cunning way to SHOW him EXACTLY what it meant to raise five children ALONE!
A sad-looking woman sitting in bed while her partner sleeps | Source: Freepik
The very next day, I woke up extra early while everyone was still fast asleep. I packed a bag and drove to my late mother’s old country house. I turned off my phone’s ringer and ignored all his calls and texts.
After preparing myself breakfast and a hot cup of coffee, I settled in to watch my favorite show for the day: “The Drama That Unfolds When You Leave Your Husband at Home Alone with Five Children.” I watched everything in real-time through the surveillance cameras we had installed at home.
A woman packing her clothes while wearing headsets | Source: Pexels
Danny was in for a RUDE awakening! The minute he woke up, he started getting ready for work. But he stopped his preparations when he heard the children causing a ruckus. “Where’s your mother and why aren’t y’all dressed and ready for breakfast?” he asked our rascals.
My babies made me proud when they ignored him and continued jumping on beds and playing. My husband looked for me while calling my name before he realized I wasn’t home. He then started calling me and I watched the phone call come through.
A father talking on the phone while his girls play on their beds | Source: Midjourney
“What the hell, Lisa,” he said in frustration before giving up on the sixth missed call. He couldn’t leave for work because he couldn’t leave our young daughters alone. The first morning was HILARIOUS and a COMPLETE disaster!
He tried to make breakfast and ended up burning the toast and spilling orange juice EVERYWHERE! The kids were running around, refusing to get dressed. He was completely overwhelmed and I was enjoying every moment!
A man trying to remove burnt toast | Source: Pexels
“Emma, stop running! Jessica, put your shoes on!” I could hear him shouting, his voice frazzled.
“Daddy, I don’t like this cereal!” Emily whined, pushing her bowl away.
“Then WHAT do you WANT?” he asked, exasperated.
“I want pancakes!” she demanded. Danny sighed, rubbing his temples.
“Fine, I’ll make pancakes.”
Little Jessica, feeling left out, chipped in saying, “I want scrambled eggs and cake!”
Emma, not one to be left out, demanded, “Waffles and fresh cream, please!”
A father watching his two girls eat breakfast | Source: Pexels
If his temples were aching before, I was SURE they were now THROBBING! Throughout the day, the chaos only grew! He tried to help them with their online school, but they kept getting distracted and running off!
“Jessica, focus on your math homework,” he pleaded.
“But I don’t understand it, Daddy!” she cried. He sat beside her, staring at the screen.
“Okay, let’s figure it out together.” Between helping the children, a call from work came through.
A father carrying his daughter while his other one does homework | Source: Freepik
Judging from the conversation and Danny’s profuse apologies, he’d forgotten to report himself as absent for the day! When it came time for lunch, my husband couldn’t figure out what our children liked to eat. So they ended up having a picnic of random snacks.
“Can we have peanut butter and jelly?” Emma asked.
“I’m not sure we have any,” he replied, searching the pantry.
“How about just jelly?” she suggested. I must admit, it was sad seeing Danny suffer like this but it was absolutely funny and worth it!