Family Or Career
In her life, she had already received everything she could have dreamed of. So why would she ever risk it all?
Jake felt that she was keeping something from him, and it was important. She would arrive home increasingly late every day and had a change in behavior. He felt like he had to act then and there or he would lose her forever.
The Happy Couple
Jake and Sarah first met during their college days. They both happened to study business and eCommerce, that coincidence would only draw them closer.
The two quickly started dating but could never have thought that things would go so smoothly they couldn't wait to get married. After six months they were engaged and after a year Sarah had a baby on the way.
A Sense Of Void
Years later, the married couple is parents to two daughters - Kyle, 14, and Sam, 16. They had a wonderful house in a beautiful suburb. Life seemed nearly perfect.
Jake had his family which made him the happiest man alive, but this wasn't exactly the same for Sarah. She always felt like something small was missing, but she could never tell her husband.
Ambitious Wife
Sarah had a lot of ambition, even compared to her husband. She earned the biggest paycheck and had a very intense job. Jake looked after their children while she was busy with important meetings and business trips.
Jake on the other hand worked more flexible hours from home to take care of their kids. He would take them to and from school and do whatever they needed.
Jealousy
Jake enjoyed his job because it meant he could be close to his children. As they grew up he was their primary caretaker, this made Sarah a little envious.
Jake realized that Sarah was getting home later and later and that she was acting differently. He started to worry about it.
Always Tired
On top of that Sarah was very tired whenever she got home from work, she said it was all the business meetings. But she secretly felt that she was coming home to a household that took her for granted.
She felt like all she was doing was paying for everything. She needed to make a change.
A Bad Mood
Sarah got home while Jake was watching TV. He could tell she wasn't in a good mood, this was a frequent occurrence these days.
She told her husband that she was finding it difficult at work. She applied to a new job but there was a serious implication that came with it,
Suspicions
The new job would let her spend more time with her husband and her children. Jake supported her but wondered why she wanted to leave a job that paid far more.
Jake asked his wife if there was something that happened at her work that made her apply for a new one. She tried to dismiss his concern, but he could tell she wasn't being honest.
Vague Answers
The new job was a vague one, at least as far as Jake could tell, his wife wasn't giving him many details about it. She just said she could be home more and still earn good money.
Jake was concerned because the new job paid far less in his mind. Just as Sarah went to the interview Jake did something that he would regret.
Hidden Camera
He snuck a hidden camera into her handbag, hoping he could learn more about what the job offer was. She was being so secretive about it that he felt like he had no other choice.
When Jake watched the footage back later that evening, he was in complete shock. No wonder she didn’t tell him anything about this new position.
The Ultimatum
He couldn’t believe she would apply for something like this. Did everything they built over the last 16 years mean nothing to her?
After Jake saw the footage, he was livid. When Sarah came home, he gave her an ultimatum she wouldn’t soon forget. He told her to choose between her work or family. But why? What did he see?
Moving State
Sarah was so vague about what she was applying for because the job was located in another state. She was applying for a job that meant her whole family needed to uproot their lives and move.
The pay was less than her current job but it was still more than Jake’s. But that wasn’t the main issue.
Missing Out
Sarah wanted a job that would allow her to be at home more with her girls. She felt like she had missed out on so much of her daughter’s lives' because of her insane work schedule.
She came home exhausted all the time and was gone for 2 weeks to 1 month at a time every 2 or 3 weeks. It was becoming unbearable. But for Jake, she was being unreasonable.
Driven To Tears
Sarah broke down in tears. She thought it would be an easy decision for the family. Why wouldn’t they want her home more? When she learned that wasn’t the case, all hell broke loose.
Sarah stopped talking to Jake who is now confused about how to feel. He posted a thread on Reddit and explained the situation. He wanted to know what people thought, and here’s what they said.
Online Thoughts
One user told Jake that he was being completely unfair. All his wife wanted was to have a job that would allow her to be at home more.
Another user commented that his wife was indeed being unreasonable and couldn’t expect the whole family to uproot just for her career, especially her daughters who were in school. But that’s not all.