My Husband Made Me Choose Between Him and My Paralyzed Mother – Story of the Day

One day, my husband asked me to choose between him and my paralyzed mother because he was tired of me devoting my time to her and not to him. It was really hard for me, but I did make a decision.

Ever since my younger brother Kevin and I were small, my mom used to work several jobs at a time so that we didn’t miss out on anything. Moreover, no matter how tired she was after work, she always found time for us.

Even after Kevin and I grew up and moved out, she continued working because she didn’t want to be a burden on her children. I asked her several times to stay with me and my husband, Josh, but she always refused, saying she was happy with her job and didn’t want to leave it.

But unfortunately, one day, I received a call that my mom had been admitted to the hospital. I rushed to the hospital only to find her covered with plasters and bandages.

My mom was on her way home from work when she met an accident. What’s worse, the doctor informed me that she had lost sensation in her arms and legs due to the injury.

But even after going through so much, my mom kept insisting on staying alone at the hospital. She said she'd be a burden on Josh and me if she stayed with us. But this time, I didn’t listen to her. I was adamant about my decision and brought her home.

A few days later, I called Kevin and asked him to come and see mom. But Kevin flatly refused, saying he was too busy with work to make time for her. I could hear music in the background when I was talking to him, and I could tell Kevin was lying to me, but I knew there was no point in talking to that reckless guy.

Yes, I was furious at him for some time, but it didn’t take long for me to cool down. I knew I would take care of my mom even if nobody helped me. Moreover, I had also thought that Josh would always be there for us and would assist me. But unfortunately, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

After mom started living at our house, I noticed that Josh was often irritable. He would hardly assist me with the household chores, and when mom asked him something, he would just pretend like he didn’t hear and walk away. Whenever I asked him for any help, he’d just lash out at me.

I was getting tired of Josh’s behavior. So one day, I decided to confront him. I went straight to him and asked, “What’s wrong, Josh? I noticed you've been acting too arrogant these days! See, if you’re swamped with work at the office, I can understand, but if that’s not the reason, you need to tell me what’s bothering you!”

Josh glared at me. “Oh really, Claire? Do you have the guts to hear the truth?”

“Yes, I need to know the reason behind your arrogant behavior!” I said sternly. “Besides, I’ve noticed that whenever mom asks for something, you ignore her, and that irritates me!”

“Fine then! If you're really desperate to know the reason, let's just get done with it,” Josh said after pausing for a while. “The reason why I’m often irritated these days is you and your mom. I mean, how long is she going to stay here?! It’s always just her who gets all the attention. When was the last time we spent some quality time together, Claire?”

I was bewildered. “But Josh, she’s sick, and she needs our help,” I told him.

“Help? Really? That’s all you care about?” Josh said sternly. “What about me? What about my wishes? Look at my friends. They frequently take vacations and spend quality time with their wives, but I’m just stuck with your old and sick mom!”

I was stunned. “I can’t believe you’re saying this, Josh!. If I knew you were so mean and self-centered, I would have never married you. Anyway, I don’t give a damn what you think. I’m not going to stop supporting my mother! I’ll take care of her no matter what!”

“All right, then. If you’re so adamant about staying with that old hag, I will make it that way for you!” Josh screamed at me. “Make a choice right now! Me or your mom?”

“Are you out of your mind, Josh?!” I looked at him fiercely. “Don’t tell me...”

“Yes, Claire, you’re right! If you choose your mom, I’ll divorce you!” Josh told me.

I’ll be honest with you. That was the first time in my life when I resented marrying Josh. I couldn’t believe he asked me to make such a choice! Anyway, I chose my mom over Josh. He didn’t expect me to do so, and as I was leaving, he kept yelling that I would regret it, but I didn’t turn back to look at him even once.

Mom and I moved into her house. Initially, we had problems with the money because mom could not work, and I couldn’t get any good-paying jobs due to lack of work experience.

Everyone thought I was crazy for leaving Josh for my mother and enduring such hardships and suggested I send mom off to a nursing home. But I didn’t listen to them. My mom never gave up and did everything for me. So now, it was my turn to help her.

Thankfully, as time went on, I was able to find a better job and earn enough money to take my mother to one of the top doctors in town. Eventually, mom got better and started walking again.

Josh’s life, on the other hand, just got more miserable. One day, he showed up at my doorstep asking for help.

He told me he lost his job because he wasn’t used to managing both home and office work. He also said that even after acquiring another job, he continued to make mistakes because he couldn’t focus on his work and was fired again. Finally, he was so drowned in loans and installments that he ended up losing the house and was on the streets now.

He begged me to accept him and allow him to live with my mother. But I slammed the door in his face and warned him not to show his face again.

I’m glad he got what he deserved.

What can we learn from this story?

• If you do wrong to others, krama will reach out to you sooner or later.
• Never leave your parents for anyone because they were there for you when you needed them.
• Life’s a circle. What goes around comes around.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about two sisters whose relationship was shattered after they discovered a hidden door in their mom’s house.

This account is inspired by our reader's story but written by a professional writer. All names have been changed to protect identities and ensure privacy. Share your story with us, maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.