In our house, Dad was the king, and Mom was his servant. My brother Josh and I were practically invisible. Dad worked, ate, played video games, and slept. Mom did everything else. One evening, things finally boiled over.

Dad came home from work, barely acknowledging us, and demanded dinner from Mom, who was busy with laundry. He plopped down on the couch to play video games, with no “How was your day?” or any conversation. Mom rushed around while Josh and I exchanged a look. This couldn’t go on. Dad treated Mom like a servant, and we were ignored.

We decided to take action.

The next day, we convinced Mom to take a spa day while Josh and I raided Dad’s closet. We put on his shirts and ties, and waited. When Dad came home, he stopped at the sight of us dressed like him.

“What’s going on here?” he asked.

I mimicked his usual tone. “I need my dinner.”

Josh didn’t even look up. “And don’t forget to clean up the PlayStation when you’re done.”

Dad’s confusion deepened. “What are you two doing?”

I waved him off. “I’m busy. Don’t bother me with questions.”

Dad stared, then asked softly, “Is this… how you see me?”

I nodded. “Yes, Dad. You treat Mom like a servant and ignore us. We’ve had enough.”

Josh added, “Mom works as hard as you but also handles everything at home. You just complain and demand things.”

Dad’s face fell. Then Mom walked in. She stopped, surprised by the scene.

Dad turned to her. “I’ve been a terrible husband and father. I’m sorry.”

He went into the kitchen and began cooking dinner — something he’d never done before. When he returned, he served us each a portion. “I’ll do better,” he promised.

For the first time in years, Dad asked about our day and seemed genuinely interested. We ate together, and he even offered to help me study for a test. It felt surreal.

As we cleaned up, Dad smiled. “Thank you for showing me how I’ve been acting.”

Josh grinned. “Maybe now you’ll play games with us?”

Dad laughed. “Deal. But first, let’s clean up together.”