I always thought Jake and I were a team, making decisions together. That changed when I discovered he had been mocking me online.
When our autistic daughter, Lily, needed more care than kindergarten could provide, we decided I should quit my high-paying marketing job to stay home with her. Although I was scared of leaving my career, I knew Lily’s well-being was more important. At first, adjusting to my new role as a stay-at-home mom was hard, but I eventually found joy in homemaking.
Jake seemed thankful for the sacrifice I made for our family. However, one day while cleaning his office, I saw his Twitter feed open with the hashtag “#tradwife.” There were photos of me baking, cooking, and doing housework, with no mention of the real reason I stayed home – Lily’s needs. It hurt to see him portraying me as a woman who willingly gave up her career for a more traditional role.
I felt betrayed and confronted him. He brushed it off as harmless fun, saying he never meant to hurt me. But I couldn’t let it go. I posted screenshots of his posts on my Facebook to let everyone know how he had disrespected my sacrifice.
Jake deleted his Twitter account, but the damage was done. He begged for my forgiveness, but it took time for me to begin trusting him again.