You know, before I got married, Id always hear from my friendsthose whod already tied the knotthat when a bloke gets married, he suddenly thinks his wife belongs to him and starts showing his true colours.
But, like any hopelessly romantic young woman, I was certain my Tom wasnt that sort. Before our wedding, honestly, he was always so caring, never uttered a harsh word, and seemed terrified at the thought of upsetting me. He just wanted me by his side, always. Turns out, I was wrong, just like so many women before me. It’s true; once a man wins a girls heart, he thinks he ought to do everything for her.
Still, a few months after we got married, Tom started making snide remarks about my mum.
Hed ask, whys she calling you so often, or why does she pop over every week? Trying to keep the peace in my marriage, I just agreed with him, and ended up telling Mum not to get in touch so much, and only rang her when Tom wasn’t around. But, of course, that wasnt the end of it. When I got pregnant and needed to stay home because it was a rough pregnancy, Tom started nit-picking, saying, Youre at home all day, yet nothing gets done. I stayed quiet, scared hed leave me on my own while I was expecting.
A year and a half after our daughter was born, Tom demanded to be treated like a king. When he got home from work, I had to be at the door, get his slippers ready, and have a hot meal waiting for him straightaway.
He never bothered himself with our daughterchildcare was womans business in his mind. I was absolutely exhausted. So, I packed my bags, took our daughter, and moved in with Mum.
Tom and I didnt speak for two months, and honestly, I started to lookand feelbetter by the day. I was calmer, didnt feel like I was walking on eggshells. Then, out of the blue, Tom turned up at the door. He looked a mess, thinner and in dirty clothes, and he begged me on his knees to forgive him.
I told him, if he wanted me back, hed have to sign up for a cooking course. And if I came back, hed be doing his fair share, cooking, cleaning, the lot. He agreed, but lets see if he actually sticks to it. Only time will tell, right?
