When Abby loses her job, she seeks comfort in her husband, Gregor, to keep them afloat until she finds another. But while Abby assumes that Gregor will be supportive, she finds out how he really feels when they celebrate his birthday surrounded by their closest people\u2026<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not usually one to share my life online, but after what happened recently, I figured my story should be shared. Let me tell you all about the time my husband tried to humiliate me in front of his friends and how I turned the tables on him in the most satisfying way.<\/p>\n
I met Gregor when I was in my forties. I wasn\u2019t looking for anything serious, and the marriage dream had died a long time ago for me.<\/p>\n
\u201cCome on, Abby,\u201d my mother said. \u201cIt\u2019s never too late to find someone. Don\u2019t you just want to be married and settle down?\u201d<\/p>\n
I shook my head.<\/p>\n
In reality, I did want that, but after a toxic relationship in my thirties, I was done thinking about it all. I didn\u2019t want that anymore.<\/p>\n
But then, I met Gregor and we hit it off right away. He was charming, thoughtful, and genuinely seemed to care about me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve waited my entire life for you, Abby,\u201d Gregor said when he showed up at my house with a bouquet of roses and an engagement ring tucked away in his palm.<\/p>\n
Our first year of marriage felt like one long honeymoon. We traveled together, laughed together non-stop, and truly enjoyed each other\u2019s company.<\/p>\n
It seemed that we just belonged together.<\/p>\n
Gregor was successful in his career, working as an executive at a well-known firm, while I was also doing well in my own career. I worked for a marketing company and I really loved my job.<\/p>\n
Life was good, and I felt like I had it all.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told you, Abby,\u201d my mother said one day when I went to visit her with ingredients to make dumplings.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know,\u201d I chuckled. \u201cI should have listened. But I\u2019m happy now, and I think I finally got it right.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all going to be fine,\u201d my mother said. \u201cAs long as you\u2019re happy.\u201d<\/p>\n
But then life threw a curveball.<\/p>\n
The company I worked for went bankrupt, and just like that, I was out of a job.<\/p>\n
It was a blow, not just financially, but also to my confidence. I was good at my job, but there was just something about being unable to do it that made me feel like I wasn\u2019t good enough.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to be okay,\u201d I told myself as I sat at my desk for the last time. We had all been called in to pack up our belongings and just say goodbye.<\/p>\n
But deep down, I knew that although I prided myself on my independence and hated the idea of being reliant on anyone, Gregor was still there.<\/p>\n
When I broke the news to Gregor, he seemed supportive at first. But it didn\u2019t take long for his true feelings to surface.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat? Now, I\u2019m going to be the breadwinner at home? The only breadwinner?\u201d he asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just for now,\u201d I said. \u201cI\u2019m going to start the job hunt as soon as possible. But until I get back onto my feet, it\u2019s going to be you running the home. Okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, it\u2019s not like I have a choice, right?\u201d he said, rolling his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not for long,\u201d I promised. \u201cJust give me a few weeks and I\u2019ll have another job ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
I had to admit, I was taken aback by his reaction, but understood his concern. I quickly started job hunting, determined to find something else.<\/p>\n
I sat down at my laptop and stared at the screen until the words blurred.<\/p>\n
\u201cCome on, Abby,\u201d I told myself. \u201cYou need to find something. You just need the world to give you a break, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n
While I was searching, I took a temporary job as a cleaner in a nearby restaurant. It wasn\u2019t glamorous, but it was honest work, and it helped keep us afloat.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt least your boss is happy to give us food,\u201d Gregor said one evening as I unwrapped leftover steak and veggies from the restaurant.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, the manager would rather have food sent home for our families to enjoy rather than just throw it out,\u201d I said, cutting my steak.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s good food,\u201d Gregor said. \u201cBut at the same time, it\u2019s not a good job for you. Our family and friends are used to seeing you with your nails and hair done, wearing high heels and fancy outfits. Not black slacks and an apron, Abby.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know that,\u201d I said. \u201cBut it\u2019s not like I\u2019ve settled for the job. I\u2019m still actively looking for another job. This is to keep us going until then.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gregor grunted and continued to eat.<\/p>\n
For a moment, I had no idea who my husband was. But this man wasn\u2019t the one that I had married.<\/p>\n
Fast forward a few months to Gregor\u2019s 45th birthday.<\/p>\n
My husband decided to throw himself a big bash at an expensive restaurant and invited all his friends, family, and colleagues.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, he can complain about looking after his wife, but he\u2019s fine with spoiling everyone else for his birthday?\u201d my mother tutted on the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know what else to tell you, Mom,\u201d I said. \u201cIt\u2019s just how he is. But I\u2019m looking forward to this. It\u2019s my first weekend off in a while and I just want to unwind and have fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know, darling,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Admittedly, I was excited for the night, thinking it would be a chance for us to relax and just spend time together outside of our home.<\/p>\n
\u201cHappy birthday, my love,\u201d I said to Gregor when we got to the restaurant.<\/p>\n
I had called ahead and asked for them to set up black and silver balloons around the table Gregor had reserved.<\/p>\n
The night started off well, with good food, laughter, and drinks flowing freely. As the evening went on, tipsy people began to make toasts.<\/p>\n
First, was Gregor\u2019s sister, Natalia.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re lucky to have Abby in your life, brother,\u201d she said, holding two glasses of champagne. \u201cShe\u2019s the best thing that\u2019s ever happened to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt touched by her words and smiled, feeling appreciated.<\/p>\n
Gregor\u2019s friend, Tim, went next, talking about the joys of having Gregor in the office next door.<\/p>\n
Finally, it was Gregor\u2019s turn to speak.<\/p>\n
He stood up, his glass of champagne in hand, and began laughing before he even said a word.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, I know I\u2019m lucky, Nat,\u201d he said. \u201cBut let\u2019s be real, Abby is lucky too! She\u2019s basically my dependent now. I\u2019d have kicked her out a long time ago if she wasn\u2019t so obedient. It\u2019s just a pity I invested all that money in her over the years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gregor hiccupped and reached for a piece of shrimp from his plate.<\/p>\n
The table fell silent, and my insides twisted more than they ever had. Embarrassed wasn\u2019t enough to describe how I felt.<\/p>\n
He was laughing, expecting everyone else to join in. Some people chuckled awkwardly, not knowing what to do, but most people looked around uncomfortably.<\/p>\n
Gregor took another piece of shrimp before he dissolved into laughter for a while.<\/p>\n
\u201cCome on guys, that was a killer joke!\u201d he bellowed in between laughing.<\/p>\n
But then, as I sat there, something clicked inside me.<\/p>\n
I decided I wasn\u2019t going to let him get away with this behavior. This was toxic behavior.<\/p>\n
I wasn\u2019t going to allow that back into my life.<\/p>\n
Calmly, I stood up and took a deep breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, Gregor,\u201d I said. \u201cIt seems like you\u2019re forgetting a few things. But let me remind you and everyone else about some investments I\u2019ve made.\u201d<\/p>\n
All eyes were on me as I spoke, and Gregor\u2019s smug smile slowly faded away.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou see,\u201d I started. \u201cWhile you\u2019ve been investing in me, you\u2019ve also been busy investing. The money you used to fund this luxurious celebration didn\u2019t come from your account.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gasps erupted around the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw the notification,\u201d I said. \u201cYou took it from my savings fund. You don\u2019t believe me? I can pull up the statement on my phone right now\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo\u2026\u201d Gregor said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was willing to overlook this because we were a team, but it seems that we\u2019re not. I know that you only took out the money to reserve this place, and that the rest of the bill needs to be paid when we leave here. Correct?\u201d<\/p>\n
Gregor nodded slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cCorrect,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I have the money with me, right in my purse,\u201d I said. \u201cI wanted you to have a good birthday, and I didn\u2019t want you to pay for your own birthday dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked around the table, seeing the realization dawn on everyone\u2019s faces.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut do you know what? I think I\u2019ll just keep it, along with my dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n
With that, I calmly walked off the stage and out of the restaurant.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t know how Gregor paid for the dinner, but I didn\u2019t care. Instead, I went home and packed as much of my clothes as my car would allow, and I drove to my mother\u2019s place.<\/p>\n
I wasn\u2019t going to stay in a toxic relationship again.<\/p>\n
What would you have done?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When Abby loses her job, she seeks comfort in her husband, Gregor, to keep them afloat until she finds another. But while Abby assumes that Gregor will be supportive, she finds out how he really feels when they celebrate his birthday surrounded by their closest people\u2026 I\u2019m not usually one to share my life online, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":940,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-939","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifevibesever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/939","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifevibesever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifevibesever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifevibesever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifevibesever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=939"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lifevibesever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/939\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":941,"href":"https:\/\/lifevibesever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/939\/revisions\/941"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifevibesever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/940"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifevibesever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=939"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifevibesever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=939"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifevibesever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=939"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}