The Counterattack of Stay-at-Home Moms

My dad suddenly collapsed and needed emergency treatment at the hospital, and they required a $100 payment. As a fulltime stayathome mom for years, I’ve had to rely on my husband, Albert, for living expenses each month. With only about $60 left in my phone balance, I asked Albert, “Can you lend me $100 for Dad’s treatment? I’ll pay you back as soon as he’s awake.”

To my shock, Albert snapped, “No way. He’s not my dad, so why should I give you the money?” Elaine, his wife, even barged into the hospital and yelled at me, “Your dad’s death isn’t my son’s problem. Stop trying to use his money.”

Later, Elaine was seriously injured and ended up in the ICU. I casually said, “She’s not my mom. Just take off the oxygen tube.”

——

The doctor kept pressing me for the payment, and I was frantically trying to unlock my dad’s phone, but it kept saying, “Phone is locked.”

Desperate, I turned to Albert, who was lounging in a chair playing a game and said, “Albert, I can’t unlock Dad’s phone. Can you give me $100 for the payment? The doctor’s waiting.”

Albert gave me a disdainful look and said, “Didn’t I just give you money a few days ago?”

I explained quietly, “That was over a month ago. The $400 you gave us covered our family’s expenses, and I only have about $10 left now.”

Albert raised an eyebrow and went back to his game, ignoring me.

The doctor kept urging me, so I grabbed Albert’s phone. “Stop playing. Give me the money now. Dad needs to be checked.”

Albert, looking annoyed, yanked his phone back and snapped, “No. He’s not my dad. Why should I give you the money?”

My anger flared up, and I wanted to slap him, but I couldn’t. I’ve depended on Albert for years, and Dad needed the payment.

I clenched my fists and pleaded softly, “Can you at least transfer the $400 for living expenses? If we don’t pay, Dad could die. All these years, Dad has treated you like a son. He’s working in this heat to help us. Please, just $100. Save him.”

Tears welled up as I spoke, and people around started to gather. Embarrassed, Albert threw his card on the floor and grumbled, “Here, you just keep spending my money. Marrying you has been nothing but trouble.”

Blushing with shame, I bent down to pick up the card. Just then, Elaine stormed in and charged toward me.

Elaine stormed up and shoved me hard.

I stumbled backward and slammed my head into the wall. Dazed, I crumpled to the floor.

Elaine snatched Albert’s credit card from the ground, placed her hands on her hips, and yelled, “What’s your game? Were you and your dad trying to scam Albert out of money?”

She turned to Albert and continued, “Let’s get out of here. Don’t let this woman take advantage of you.

“She’s part of our family but still only cares about her own. Who knows how much she’s already drained from you over the years?”

With that, she shoved Albert toward the door.

I scrambled to my feet and grabbed Albert’s sleeve, pleading, “Don’t leave. You still haven’t given me the money. If you don’t help my dad, I’ll divorce you.”

Albert hesitated, his steps faltering.

Elaine spun around and kicked me in the stomach, dragging Albert along. “What are you scared of? She still expects you to support her, and there’s a kid involved too.”

Without a second thought, Albert followed Elaine out of the hospital. People around us whispered and pointed, gossiping about the scene.

I was left on the floor, clutching my stomach, feeling utterly helpless. Without the money, I couldn’t pay the fee. How was I supposed to save my dad?

Just then, a nurse from the emergency room hurried over. She helped me up and said with sympathy in her eyes, “Your dad is awake. You should go see him.”

I grabbed her arm, panic rising, “Really? But I haven’t paid yet.”

The nurse reassured me, “We know about your situation. The hospital has prioritized your dad’s treatment. You can settle the bill later.”

Overwhelmed with relief, I could barely find the words to thank her. The nurse patted me on the shoulder and smiled, “Don’t worry about it. Go take care of your dad.”

I rushed into the ward to find my dad lying on the bed, looking pale. When he saw me, he managed a weak smile and said, “Why couldn’t you figure out my phone password? It’s your birthday.”

“Make sure to pay the examination fee as soon as you can. Don’t make things hard for the hospital.”

The drama with Albert had spread like wildfire, so my dad must have heard about it. I let all the tears I’d been holding back flow freely.

I collapsed next to him, sobbing uncontrollably, “I’m so sorry, Dad. I’m worthless. I almost caused you to die.”

Dad weakly patted me and said softly, “I understand your struggles. It’s not your fault. I’m not upset with you.” As he spoke, he drifted back to sleep.

Fortunately, the doctor said Dad was fine. He had fainted from heat exhaustion and would need a few days of IV fluids before he could be discharged.

Now, as I sat quietly by his bedside, my heart slowly started to calm. Reflecting on everything that happened today, I was still shaken.

My dad, in his sixties, was working in 40°C heat on a construction site. He did it all for me, knowing I was at home with the kids and Albert wasn’t providing any support.

Dad worked hard to help us, and thankfully, he was brought to the hospital in time. But what if something like this happens again?

Meanwhile, Albert’s family seemed to enjoy the benefits of my sacrifices without a second thought.

Thinking about Albert and Elaine’s actions made my blood boil.

After my maternity leave ended with my daughter Lily, Albert decided to bring Elaine from the countryside to help with the baby. He was also worried about Elaine and thought it would be good for her to live in the city.

One evening, when I got home from work, I found Lily’s face covered by a small towel. She was struggling, her little arms and legs flailing around.

Panicking, I yanked off the towel and saw her face was red from being smothered. I was terrified and sweating as I searched for Elaine.

I found her upstairs, deep in conversation with our neighbor Arthur. Furious, I demanded to know why she wasn’t watching Lily properly.

Elaine simply shrugged and said, “It wasn’t on purpose. It’s just one kid—how important can she be?”

I was so angry that I ended up arguing with Albert. Elaine, crying and sniffling, came over and said, “I didn’t mean to mess up. If you don’t want me around, I can leave.”

Feeling sorry for Elaine, Albert turned to me and said, “It’s just a small mistake. Mom knows she messed up and will be more careful from now on.”

Since I needed Elaine’s help with Lily while I worked, I had no choice but to put up with it.

With Albert backing her up, Elaine grew even more reckless. She started taking Lily to the plaza every day to dance with Arthur.

The neighbors got worried and stopped me one day, saying, “Elaine is dancing with a man, and Lily’s stroller is left way off by itself.

“What if someone takes her? And it’s so hot out—Lily is left in the shade with no protection.”

I soon realized that Elaine was dancing for hours, leaving Lily unattended without feeding or changing her.

Lily cried herself hoarse from hunger, and her bottom got a painful rash. In frustration, I quit my job to care for Lily myself and sent Elaine back to her village.

I had some savings at that point and planned to stretch them until Lily started preschool before finding a new job.

But a few months later, Elaine called with terrible news. Albert’s father, Hayden, had collapsed from drinking too much.

The doctors said he’d had a stroke from his longterm drinking.

Albert was in a panic and didn’t have enough money. He begged me to use my savings to help him through this crisis.

Seeing Albert so distressed and knowing this was his father, I couldn’t say no. I handed over all my savings—over $50,000.

Albert hugged me tightly, his eyes red, and promised, “Celia, don’t worry. I’ll give you my entire salary from now on, and I’ll make sure to treat you better.”

With the money, Hayden’s life was saved, but he was left paralyzed on one side, unable to move his left arm and leg, and his speech was affected.

Hayden had always been quicktempered, and his drinking had led to domestic abuse against Elaine.

After his stroke, his condition worsened, and Elaine cried to Albert every day, “Albert, please help Mom! She can’t keep going like this.”

Albert, feeling helpless, asked if his parents could move in with us. “I feel so sorry for Mom. I’ll take care of Dad, and he won’t be able to hurt her anymore.”

He promised to handle his father’s care while I only needed to look after Lily. I reluctantly agreed to let them move in. At first, Albert kept his promise, taking care of his dad while Elaine did some housework. I was only responsible for Lily.

Hayden’s recovery started off well; he could walk with a cane. But over time, Albert’s financial support dropped from $10,000 to $8,000, then $5,000, and eventually down to just $400 a month.

His patience wore thin with his father’s condition, leaving me to handle everything, including cleaning up after Hayden. Elaine went back to dancing.

With Albert neglecting his father again, Hayden returned to drinking. What had been manageable turned severe; he became bedridden, incontinent, and unable to move.

By the eighth year of being a fulltime caregiver, I was doing all the housework, taking care of Lily, and looking after Albert’s parents.

Albert, meanwhile, grudgingly gave me just $400 a month, which I had to beg for. Only my dad continued to support me, quietly slipping me extra money.

After spending three days in the hospital, my dad was adamant about being discharged to return to work. I knew he was anxious about the costs and couldn’t change his mind. All I could do was arrange for his discharge and remind him to take it easy.

As we were about to part ways, my dad pulled out $400 from his bag and handed it to me. “Take this for now. If you need more, just ask.”

Holding the money, I felt a wave of sadness. “Dad, I’m going to find a job and I’m planning to divorce Albert.”

He sighed, patted my shoulder, and said, “I support your decision to get divorced, but make sure you think it through.”

I was in a tough spot. The house was Albert’s before we married, and leaving him now could jeopardize my chances of getting custody of Lily. I had raised Lily on my own, and I couldn’t bear the thought of her living with Albert.

When I got home and opened the door, Elaine turned around and said, “Oh, you’re back.”

She smugly called out to Albert, who was busy tidying up, “See? I told you she’d come back.”

Lily rushed out and jumped into my arms. “Mom, you’re finally home! Dad’s been late dropping me off at school every day, and I’ve been getting punished.”

Albert came out without even glancing at me and snapped, “I’m running out of clean clothes. Make sure you wash the dirty ones today.”

Elaine added, “And Hayden had another accident on the bed. You’ll need to clean that up too.”

I looked around and saw the kitchen sink overflowing with dirty dishes, and the stovetop was covered in grease. Albert’s dirty clothes were tossed in the washing machine, but Hayden’s bed was a mess with stains and adult diapers scattered everywhere. Lily was still wearing the clothes from the day I left, and her hair was a tangled mess.

Elaine kept complaining, “What kind of daughterinlaw are you? I bet your dad’s illness is just a show. You’re only here to avoid your responsibilities.”

Seeing all this, I finally lost it. “I’m going to find a job. I’m done handling this housework.”

Albert stopped in his tracks, turned around, and looked at me like I was a joke. “Find a job? Who’s going to hire you? And remember to wash the clothes,” he said, then slammed the door behind him.

Elaine didn’t take me seriously either. “Oh, it’s getting late. Arthur must be waiting for me.” She followed Albert out.

Ignoring them, I took Lily to school and then started job hunting with my resume in hand. But days went by with no luck. Most companies wanted applicants under 35, and I had just turned 35. With years of caregiving on my resume, many places turned me down immediately.

Sitting on the curb, I wondered if I really had to humiliate myself by asking Albert for money again. Did I have to continue being their free caretaker?