Martin had always been a proud, demanding man, and he thought he had everything under control—until his arrogance came back to haunt him. For years, he mocked his wife Shannon for not being the perfect homemaker, but little did he know, karma was waiting to teach him a hard lesson.
When Shannon gave birth to their first daughter, Claire, she thought she could juggle work and taking care of the house with ease. At first, things went smoothly. Shannon managed both, working during the day and taking care of her home at night.
But then came the twins, Lucas and Justin. Things got much harder, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t keep up with everything.
She was exhausted, but she never stopped trying. Some mornings, the breakfast would burn, or she’d leave the iron on and burn the clothes. Simple tasks turned into huge challenges. But no one understood the strain Shannon was under—especially Martin.
As time passed, Martin grew frustrated. He couldn’t understand why his wife wasn’t managing things better. He started pushing her to quit her job so she could focus on the kids and the house full-time.
At first, Shannon hesitated, but eventually, she agreed. She quit her job, but nothing improved. In fact, Martin became even more critical.
Everything went wrong in the house, and Martin blamed Shannon. If there were dirty dishes, it was her fault. If the toys were scattered across the living room, it was her fault. If the food was too salty, it was her fault. He was always angry, always accusing her. And he never let her forget it.
“I can’t believe you’re the same woman I fought with my mom to marry, Shannon,” Martin would often taunt her. His words hurt, but Shannon never responded. She didn’t want to break up the family for the sake of their children. But one day, Martin crossed a line.
It was the twins’ first birthday, and Shannon had been busy all day organizing the party and trying to keep everything running smoothly. That night, while she was singing the twins to sleep, the babies started crying because of Martin’s loud yelling. Shannon rushed into the living room after placing them in their cradles.
“Martin, what the hell is wrong with you? Can’t you keep your mouth shut? Claire just fell asleep, and now the babies won’t go to sleep!” she shouted, frustrated.
“Having a hard time?” Martin laughed sarcastically. “Babe, I guess you’ve forgotten that’s what you’re supposed to do. After all, it’s not like you earn for us!”
Shannon snapped. “Really, Martin? Stop acting like you do a lot for us! I am the one who does everything around here—cooking, cleaning, laundry, and taking care of the kids!”
Martin rolled his eyes. “Look, Shannon! I’m not here to hear your so-called feminist speech. After you’ve put the kids to bed, make sure the dishes are done. I’m going to bed. The last thing I want to see in the morning is a stinky kitchen!”
Shannon couldn’t believe it. “You can’t be serious, Martin! How can you ask me to do everything alone? I cooked for everyone, and now I’m busy with the babies. Can’t you help me just once?”
“Do what? Help?” Martin laughed. “It’s your job, Shannon. Do it properly at least once. Okay?” And with that, he walked away, leaving her standing there.
Shannon had been pushed to the limit. She stood there, feeling dizzy and exhausted. “Martin… I haven’t had time to eat today… Can you—” But before she could finish, her vision blurred, and she collapsed.
The loud crash of a vase hitting the floor startled Martin. He turned around, his face filled with confusion and concern when he saw Shannon unconscious on the floor. “Shannon, get up! Can you hear me?” he called, but she didn’t respond.
Panic set in. Martin quickly called 911 and splashed water on Shannon’s face, but she didn’t wake up. He rushed next door and asked his neighbor, Mrs. Cameron, to watch the kids while he waited for the ambulance.
The next few minutes felt like an eternity, but finally, the paramedics arrived. They rushed Shannon to the hospital, where doctors explained she had collapsed from exhaustion. She would be under their care for a while.
Martin returned home late that night, his mind racing. He went into the kitchen to get a glass of water and stepped on pieces of broken vase. Kneeling down to clean up, he noticed a small note on the floor. It was Shannon’s to-do list, and it left him stunned.
Shannon’s To-Do List:
- 5:00 a.m. – Wake up!
- 5:30 a.m. – Shower and pack Claire’s school bag.
- 6:00 a.m. – Feed babies, wake up Claire.
- 7:00 a.m. – Make breakfast.
- 8:00 a.m. – Claire’s school bus.
- 8:15 a.m. – Iron Martin’s clothes and pack his lunch.
- 9:00 a.m. – Martin leaves. Free time for Shannon! (Ha, not really.)
- 10:00 a.m. – Feed babies, clean, organize Claire’s room.
- 12:00 p.m. – Lunch.
- 1:00 p.m. – Claire’s back from school.
- 2:00 p.m. – Claire’s tuition.
- 3:00 p.m. – Pick Claire up.
- 4:00 p.m. – Bake cookies for Claire.
- 5:00 p.m. – Dinner preparations.
- 6:00 p.m. – Martin returns. Babies should be asleep.
- 7:00 p.m. – Dinner.
- 8:00 p.m. – Spend time with Martin.
- 9:00 p.m. – Laundry, prep for tomorrow.
- 10:00 p.m. – Read (if I’m not dead from exhaustion).
Martin couldn’t believe his eyes. No wonder Shannon had been so tired. She never stopped. Not for a second. And here he was, constantly complaining, blaming her for everything. He felt terrible.
The next day, Martin called in sick and tried to follow Shannon’s list. But he quickly realized just how impossible it was. He overslept until 10 a.m. and missed half the list. He burned the toast and ended up making a bland, saltless soup for dinner.
It was clear to him now—he couldn’t even come close to managing all that Shannon did every day.
Determined to make things right, Martin visited Shannon at the hospital. This time, he brought flowers—her favorite kind. “I’m sorry, babe,” he said. “The doctors said you fainted from exhaustion. I shouldn’t have been so harsh on you.”
Shannon was shocked, but she appreciated his gesture. “Are you okay, Martin?”
He hugged her tightly. “Of course I am. Could we just stay like this for a moment?”
“Yes, babe. I love you,” Martin whispered.
“I love you too, honey,” Shannon replied softly, a little surprised but grateful for his sudden change in attitude.
From that day on, Martin became a different person. He hired a nanny to help Shannon at home and, when the nanny wasn’t around, he did his best to help with the housework. He finally understood that being a homemaker was no easy task, and that Shannon had been doing the work of a thousand people.
The lesson Martin learned wasn’t just about family. It was about respect. It’s easy to judge someone without truly understanding their struggles. But when you step into their shoes, everything changes. What do you think of this story? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
