Steve, a thrice-divorced man, was notorious for his harsh treatment of his fourth wife, Margaret, who was on maternity leave. Despite it being a crucial period for both recovery and bonding with their newborn, Steve and his mother Alice saw Margaret’s leave as an opportunity to impose additional responsibilities on her.

Steve often ridiculed Margaret for her perceived laziness, shouting at her for not performing household chores like ironing his suit or fetching groceries. His taunts were relentless. “Even robots do more work than you!” he would mock, while Alice added her criticisms, calling Margaret a “lazy sloth” and commenting on her weight gain post-pregnancy.

Margaret was struggling to balance the demands of caring for their newborn, Cody, with the household tasks expected of her. Her attempts to prioritize the baby’s needs were met with disdain. Alice insisted that Margaret go shopping for groceries despite the baby’s cries, and Steve’s scathing remarks only added to her distress.

Steve & his mom often poked fun at Margaret. | Source: Pexels

The situation reached a breaking point when Alice hosted a tea party and expected Margaret to prepare everything despite her exhaustion. When Margaret expressed her inability to help due to a headache and lack of sleep, Alice’s berating intensified, labeling her as a “lazy donkey” in front of her friends. Margaret, already overwhelmed, felt deeply hurt by these public insults and retreated to her room, where she overheard Alice and her guests mocking her further.

Despite her efforts to endure the situation, Margaret’s frustration grew. During a family outing to the park, Steve’s ex-wives—whom he had divorced under similar circumstances—recognized him and approached them. They handed Margaret their contact details and shared their experiences with Steve’s mistreatment during their own maternity leaves.

Curious and distressed, Margaret reached out to Steve’s ex-wives, learning that they had faced similar disrespect. They advised her to take a stand and not tolerate such behavior. With their encouragement, Margaret decided to give Steve one final chance to change his ways before she filed for divorce.

That evening, as Steve and Alice continued their mockery, Margaret, fueled by her new resolve, confronted Steve. “You don’t get to call me that again!” she declared, revealing her plan to divorce him if his behavior did not improve. The confrontation shocked both Steve and Alice, and soon after, Margaret moved out with her son.

Margaret’s decision to leave was a significant step towards reclaiming her self-worth and independence. She found support and camaraderie with Steve’s ex-wives, who had also faced similar challenges. Meanwhile, Steve, now without a family, struggled to find a new partner and could only watch his children grow from afar. The damage done was irreversible, and Steve’s realization of his mistakes came too late to repair the relationships he had lost.