When my husband got promoted to assistant warehouse manager, I was genuinely happy for him — proud, even. But almost immediately, something shifted. It was like the title inflated his ego overnight. Even though we both work 50+ hours a week — I manage a behavioral disorders facility — he started acting as if his job was the only one that mattered. Suddenly, the house had to be silent on his days off, our 4-year-old was told to “stay in her room,” and I was expected to serve him lunch the moment our daughter finished eating.

He stopped eating meals unless they were exactly what he wanted and began treating me like his personal assistant. Day and night, he’d call out for things and expect me to rush to him. At first, I thought it was just stress from adjusting to his new role, but it only got worse. He began demanding nightly back rubs, acting like it was his right, not a favor. And then, the final switch flipped — he decided he should control all our money because he “earns more now.”

That night was my breaking point. I realized I was working just as hard — harder, even — juggling a demanding job and parenting while he treated me like a servant in my own home. Watching him lounge while I handled everything, including comforting our confused daughter, made something inside me snap. This wasn’t partnership — it was entitlement dressed in a promotion badge.

So I sat him down and told him things would change — either he remembered we are equals, or I’d walk away and take our daughter somewhere peaceful. I didn’t marry a manager; I married a partner. And if he couldn’t respect that, his promotion wouldn’t mean much when he came home to an empty house.