I never thought working from home would turn me into my wife’s full-time servant. For three years, I juggled a career, childcare, and household chores until my mom stepped in — and everything changed in ways I never expected. “I never imagined working from home would turn me into Ruby’s full-time servant,” I muttered, scrubbing dishes while answering emails.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this. When we got married, everything seemed equally split between us. But now, with the twins and her job, things have changed.
Ruby gave birth to our twin boys three years ago. She spent two months at home before returning to work, eager to continue building her career. It made sense at first.
Ruby’s job was demanding, and I had the flexibility to work from home, so I took on childcare. “I can handle this,” I had told myself. “It’s temporary, and Ruby will help once things settle down.”
But nothing settled down.
In those first few months, I did more than just watch the kids. I fed them, changed diapers, and cleaned up messes. Ruby would come home exhausted, drop her bag by the door, and collapse on the couch.
“I’m beat,” she’d sigh. “Can you handle dinner?”
“Sure,” I’d say, juggling the boys and cooking. It wasn’t ideal, but I figured, why not?
She was tired from work, and I was already home. As time passed, though, I noticed Ruby wasn’t just tired. She seemed to expect that everything would be handled at home.
I wasn’t just a father anymore — I was the cook, the cleaner, and the one running errands. “Can you pick up my dry cleaning?” she’d ask, heading out the door. “Did you start the laundry?” she’d say over the phone while at work.
The boys eventually started kindergarten, and I thought, “Finally, I’ll get a break.” But Ruby still saw me as the person responsible for everything at home. It didn’t matter that I also worked full-time. One night, I brought it up.
“Ruby,” I said, sitting next to her after the kids had gone to bed. “I think we need to divide the chores a bit better. I’m working too, and I can’t do everything by myself.”
She looked up from her phone, frowning slightly.
…The story doesn’t end here, it continues on the next page 👇
