‘You’re Nothing but a Parasite’: My Husband Demanded I Get a Job & Care for 3 Kids – Until I Turned the Tables on Him

I’m Ella, 32, a stay-at-home mom raising three young kids while running the house nonstop. For years, my husband Derek believed his paycheck made him superior, dismissing unpaid labor and calling me a “parasite” when the house wasn’t perfect.

So I got a job—and challenged him to handle childcare, housework, school runs, and meals alone. Within weeks, the reality of parenting burnout, mental load, and domestic labor crushed him. I didn’t quit. I got promoted and eventually earned more than he did.

That’s when the power shift happened. We renegotiated our marriage with shared responsibilities, respect, and real partnership. This isn’t a fairy tale—it’s a modern marriage story about emotional abuse, stay-at-home moms, gender roles, and learning the true value of invisible work.