When Eric proposed, I was thrilled. We had a deep connection, shared laughs, and supported each other through everything. But during our engagement dinner, his mother stood up and declared I’d have to pass a “family wife test” to marry her son—cooking from scratch, deep cleaning, ironing, and hosting tea for the matriarchs, all while smiling. I thought she was joking. She wasn’t.

No one, not even Eric, stood up for me. Instead, he handed me a dust cloth and told me to go along with it. That’s when I realized I wasn’t marrying just a man — I was marrying into a backwards tradition, and a family that expected obedience instead of partnership. I ended the dinner, packed my things, and left the next day to stay with a friend.

Eric tried to apologize, and even his mother later called to explain the test was “symbolic.” But I told her that respect doesn’t need to be earned through chores, and love shouldn’t come with conditions. I wasn’t there to audition for anyone’s approval.

The wedding is on hold. I still love Eric, but unless he’s willing to break free from those toxic traditions and truly stand beside me, there will be no marriage. I’d rather walk away than marry a man who watched me be humiliated and said nothing.