Husband Comes Home from Trip, Hears Male Voice from Bedroom 'Lie down and Relax!' — Story of the Day

Rob is a conservative man who demands perfection from his stay-at-home wife. He returns home from a business trip to a nasty surprise—a man’s voice from his bedroom, and a more disturbing scene awaiting him inside.

"How long does it take to make eggs and toast? I swear I could've saved myself a lot of trouble if I'd simply met the right woman!" mumbled Rob as he drained the rest of his black coffee. He was running late for a meeting and needed to drop his daughter off at playschool first. Sarah, his wife, struggled to prepare breakfast because she wasn't feeling her best.

"I'm sorry, Rob," she said, bringing out the scrambled eggs, "but if you can't help me, at least stop berating me for a change! I'm trying, OK? Trying my best!"

"Are you sure, Sarah? Look at my goddamn shirt! The wrinkles here tell a different story!"

Sarah sighed as she sat down at the table with them. "Look, Rob, I forgot to iron your shirt today, OK? Why can't you do it on your own, anyway? I have thousands of things on my mind all day. The kids, all the chores... All I ask is that you be a little patient with me!"

"Stop whining all the time, Sarah!" he exclaimed, rising to his feet and gathering his and their daughter's belongings. "As a housewife, you don't have to do much! You're not managing employees or attending meetings all day! Do you even know what I'm up against at work? You most emphatically do not. Let's go, Bella."

Sarah sorrowfully glanced at her husband and daughter as they walked out the front door. I manage the entire house, Rob! she thought. And you have no idea what I go through all day!

That was just another day when Rob dismissed Sarah's concerns as trivial, even dumb. Things were drastically different when she married him years ago. He'd promised she'd never have to raise a finger for anything because he'd handle everything.

Rob had completely changed after a few years of marriage and two children. The loving and caring him was long gone, and Sarah could sense his father's personality taking over him.

Rob's father was a traditionalist who had taught his son that women could never be self-sufficient. He believed women were created for men, to serve them, to fulfill their demands, and to raise children. To run households, not corporations.

He had no idea it would be his last time bossing his wife around...

But Sarah wanted something different from life. She was not lazy, as Rob considered her to be, and managing the house and kids was just a small part of her identity.

Sarah had always dreamed of becoming a designer and starting her own clothing line. She'd only given up her dreams and started a family because she hoped Rob would support her someday. But over time, he'd become cold to her ambitions and considered her as nothing more than the mother of their children.

In the evening, Rob had invited his friends over for dinner. Sarah had asked him to push it because she was too tired to host anyone after working throughout the week like cattle without a break. But Rob didn't agree, telling her that he was inviting some 'important' colleagues and that it could be an opportunity to accelerate his promotion.

"I'm doing everything for you guys, Sarah!" he'd told her. "Getting a promotion would mean a bigger house, better holidays, and, you know, higher social standing."

Sarah knew her self-centered husband was only doing it more for his own benefit, but then he was the one paying their bills and bringing food to the table. She couldn't just pretend he wasn't there. Sarah wasn't like Rob. She was not dismissive of others' efforts.

So, after cleaning the breakfast table and putting their one-year-old son for a nap, Sarah began making plans for the evening dinner.

When Rob's friends arrived, everything was ready and perfect, just like he had wanted. The champagne was chilling in the freezer, appetizers were set on nice trays on the kitchen counter, and dinner was being prepared. Rob got busy with his friends, bragging about how he had told his wife to make the best arrangements for his guests.

He didn't even notice Sarah cooking dinner alone in the kitchen. She had hurriedly thrown on a dress and applied a dash of lipstick to avoid looking like the odd one out, but she was just tired, tired of it all.

She didn't even have time to greet the guests because she had to keep an eye on her children while making sure the dinner wasn't burnt. Of course, Rob would never take the initiative to introduce her to his colleagues or friends.

"You're a lucky man, Rob," one of his friends said, looking at Sarah. "I mean, she's gorgeous."

"Ha!" Rob laughed and nudged his friend. "I bet you I'm not. She's the lucky one to have a successful man like me in her life. I mean, just consider the recession and the global economy; even in such times, I've never asked her to go out and work. She gets to spend the day at home, relaxing!"

Rob's male ego never let him realize that managing the house while looking after two young children were no child's play. That night, Sarah was so tired that she woke up feeling sick and nauseous the following morning.

"Rob, could you please watch the kids today? It's your day off, after all," she requested.

But he refused. "No way, Sarah. I've made plans with my friends. We're going golfing!"

"Well, Rob, you can do it another time. I'm not, you know, I'm not feeling great. I just want to stay in bed for the rest of the day. Please?"

"Oh, c'mon, Sarah. You stay in bed every day! Besides, I can't cancel my plans. Sorry. Take some meds if you want."

Rob had become heartless when it came to her problems. If he'd caught a fever, he'd have called in sick, made her run around for meds, called a doctor home, and God knows what else!

Sometimes, only sometimes, Sarah wished for a better man. Her life would've been different if she had divorced her egocentric spouse and found a new, more affectionate partner.

That evening, after returning home 'tired' from a day out with friends, Rob told Sarah that he would be away on a business trip the following week. As usual, he bombarded her with a long list of things he needed for his work trip.

Sarah had no choice but to oblige. She was on a mission from the next day to make sure Rob had everything he needed for the trip so that he didn't grumble and taunt her for being lazy.

The following week, Rob was gone, leaving her alone with their young children in a big house she was supposed to still clean and care for. He had no idea it would be his last time bossing his wife around...

***

Two weeks later…

Rob noticed something strange. Standing on the front porch of his house, he saw the front door was left unlocked. "How foolish is she?" he snarled. "Did she just leave the door open?"

He was exhausted from his work trip and enraged by Sarah's recklessness.

As Rob stepped inside, the whole house seemed eerily quiet. "Sarah? Bella? Tim?" he called out. There were no replies.

Suddenly, he heard some strange noises coming from upstairs. As Rob climbed the stairs to his bedroom, he overheard his wife's voice. "Oh, please, please! Please be gentle!" she cried.

"It's all OK! Lie down and relax!" a male voice followed up.

What the hell! Rob thought. Furious that his wife was cheating on him while he was away for work, he burst into their bedroom and saw Sarah with his friend, who was all praises for her at the party weeks ago.

"What's going on?" Rob gasped. "Alvin, what the hell are you doing here?!" he asked, confused to see his friend in his bedroom.

"You didn't tell me you'd be back today, Rob!" Sarah said flatly. "Well, weren't you just too busy to take my calls? So I called Alvin to keep me company!"

"Wha—what the hell is all this?"

"Well, we met at the party last time and exchanged numbers for work, Rob! Alvin's wife runs a clothing company."

"No… I mean, what happened to you? Why is a doctor here? What's going on?" he asked, looking at the doctor collecting her blood samples.

"Rob, Sarah called me and said you weren't returning her calls," Alvin explained. "She asked me to help her with the kids because she didn't know who else to call. It's a Saturday, and I had the day off, so I thought I'd stop by. And Sarah…she's sick. She told me everything when I was here. She requested that I stay longer...until the doctor finished evaluating her."

Alvin was holding Tim in his arms and talking to him when he said, "Lie down and relax." He had lulled the baby boy to sleep and gently laid him beside Sarah on the bed.

"Your wife has pneumonia, sir," the doctor said as he rose to his feet. "I've taken her samples for a routine checkup. We'll need to hospitalize her. She's very weak," he said, handing Rob his business card. "I also run a hospital. I've been Sarah's father's doctor for many years. I'll get the reports to her by the evening. Thank you very much."

Alvin walked out to take the doctor to his car. Moments later, Rob joined him.

"Is it dangerous?" he asked his friend.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"The pneumonia thing? I mean, I don't know anything about it."

"It is. But Sarah will get better. With the right treatment, she'll be fine soon. Didn't you hear what the doc just said?"

"Oh god," Rob sighed, burying his face in his palms. "I was so harsh on her. She kept telling me she was tired, and I just ignored her."

"Hey, hey, don't be too hard on yourself."

"I was awful, Alvin. Wasn't I? I mean, even at the party that day…She didn't want the party in the first place. She wanted to postpone it until next week, and she wasn't feeling well when I got home the following Sunday... Oh, God. I wish I had paid attention to her!"

You don't realize a person's plight unless you walk a mile in their shoes.

"She'll be just fine, mate. Don't beat yourself up about it."

"Thanks for coming in, Alvin."

"Hey, don't mention it. Take care. I better leave now."

Rob didn't have the guts to face Sarah alone. He couldn't help but think about how he had treated her coldly and told her off. He had been awful to her, but she had never stepped back from making things perfect for him and their babies.

For the first time in his life, Rob realized he needed Sarah. Without her, he couldn't even start his day.

Sarah's reports arrived later that evening, and she was diagnosed with severe pneumonia. She was taken to the hospital. Rob realized how difficult a housewife's work was while she was away.

So when Sarah was discharged from the hospital, Rob surprised her with a trip with her friends to make it up to her. He promised to look after the kids so she could enjoy herself without worrying about anything.

When Sarah returned from the vacation, there was another surprise awaiting her—Rob announced he wanted to launch an apparel startup with her. "You always wanted to do this, right?" he asked. "I've prepared everything, Sarah. I've spoken to a babysitter, so you can give this business your time. I promise to support you in whatever you decide. I'm sorry I wasn't a great husband, but I'm trying. Trying my best! Like you were."

Sarah's eyes welled up to see a different, loving Rob standing before her. "Come here," she said, throwing open her arms. "I'm so proud of you, Rob," she added, holding him close.

"That's what I wanted from day one. Not just to run a company. But for us to be stronger, together, and happier. Thank you for making that dream of mine a reality, too."

"Boy, I really was a sexist, wasn't I?" he laughed, pulling away from her. "Well, the old Rob is gone for good. And our children will only know their father as a man who respects women and loves his wife more than anything!" he promised her.

What can we learn from this story?

• You don't realize a person's plight unless you walk a mile in their shoes. Only when Sarah was hospitalized did Rob realize how much he needed her in his life. He learned to respect and love Sarah and her ambitions.
• Homemakers deserve to be noticed and respected. Like Sarah, so many homemakers make our house a home—the perfect place to live in. Shoutout to Sarah and all homemakers like her!

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a woman who comes home one day only to realize her son doesn't recognize her anymore.

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