“My Son’s Wife is a Real Piece of Work: She Makes Him Do All the Chores”

  • Hey, Lisa. How’s it going? Anything new?

  • Hi, Sarah. Everything’s fine. The kids came over for Thanksgiving, the grandkids… They were so sweet, brought food, everyone gathered, cooked, set the table… and no one got tired, everyone had a great time.

  • You got lucky with your daughter-in-law. My son ended up with a real piece of work for a wife.

  • Why? I thought…

  • Hi, Sarah. Everything’s fine. The kids came over for Thanksgiving, the grandkids… They were so sweet, brought food, everyone gathered, cooked, set the table… and no one got tired, everyone had a great time.

  • You got lucky with your daughter-in-law. My son ended up with a real piece of work for a wife.

  • Why? I thought they were doing well.

Sarah sighed deeply and took a sip of her coffee. She looked around the cozy café where she and Lisa met every Wednesday morning. The place was bustling with people, but Sarah felt a heavy weight on her shoulders.

  • Well, it started out fine, you know? But lately, it’s been one thing after another. My son, Mike, he’s always been such a hard worker. But now, it seems like he’s doing everything at home too.

Lisa raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

  • What do you mean?

  • I mean, he’s the one cooking dinner every night, cleaning the house, doing the laundry… you name it. And his wife, Jessica? She just sits around watching TV or going out with her friends.

Lisa frowned.

  • That doesn’t sound fair at all. Have you talked to him about it?

  • Oh, I’ve tried. But he just brushes it off, saying it’s no big deal. He says he’s happy to help out and that Jessica is just tired from work. But I know my son. He’s exhausted.

Sarah’s eyes welled up with tears as she continued.

  • Last weekend, I went over to their place to drop off some groceries. Mike was in the kitchen, scrubbing the floor on his hands and knees. Jessica was in the living room, feet up on the coffee table, scrolling through her phone. I couldn’t believe it.

Lisa shook her head in disbelief.

  • That’s terrible. He deserves better than that.

  • I know he does. But what can I do? He’s an adult. He made his choice.

The two friends sat in silence for a moment, each lost in their thoughts. Finally, Lisa spoke up.

  • Maybe you could talk to Jessica? Let her know how you feel?

Sarah sighed again.

  • I’ve thought about it. But I’m afraid it will just make things worse. I don’t want to cause any more tension between them.

Lisa nodded understandingly.

  • It’s a tough situation. But you can’t just sit back and do nothing. Maybe there’s a way to gently bring it up without causing a fight.

Sarah wiped away a tear and forced a smile.

  • You’re right. I’ll think about it. Thanks for listening, Lisa.

As they finished their coffee and prepared to leave, Sarah couldn’t shake the feeling of helplessness. She loved her son dearly and wanted nothing more than for him to be happy. But seeing him so worn out and unappreciated was breaking her heart.

That evening, Sarah decided to call Mike and invite him over for dinner. She hoped that maybe, away from Jessica’s watchful eye, he might open up to her about what was really going on.

When Mike arrived, he looked more tired than ever. His eyes were heavy with fatigue, and his shoulders slumped under the weight of his responsibilities.

  • Hey Mom, thanks for having me over.

  • Of course, sweetheart. You look exhausted. Are you okay?

Mike forced a smile and shrugged.

  • Just busy with work and stuff at home.

Sarah took a deep breath and decided to take the plunge.

  • Mike, I’m worried about you. It seems like you’re doing everything at home while Jessica… well, she doesn’t seem to be helping much.

Mike’s face fell, and he looked away.

  • It’s not that simple, Mom. Jessica’s been going through a tough time at work. She’s stressed out and needs a break.

Sarah reached out and took his hand.

  • I understand that, but you can’t do everything on your own. It’s not fair to you.

Mike sighed heavily.

  • I know, Mom. But I love her. I want to support her.

Sarah’s heart ached for her son. She knew he was trying his best to be a good husband, but she also knew that he couldn’t keep going like this forever.

As they sat together in silence, Sarah realized that there were no easy answers. She could only hope that Mike would find the strength to stand up for himself and that Jessica would come to appreciate all that he did for her before it was too late.