For as long as Lisa Thompson could remember, she’d always managed to juggle work and housework like a pro. She worked as an accountant in one of Santa Clara, California’s most renowned firms, and despite her hectic 9 to 5 schedule, no one could tell Lisa’s house had suffered as a result.

She’d get up at 5 a.m. promptly, cook breakfast for both her husband Chad and herself, get to work on time, and return home in time to begin dinner preparations.

Chad had been equally supportive and had frequently lent a helping hand with housework. However, things started to change once Lisa gave birth

Chad and Lisa were happily married for 3 years, and after several years of trying for a baby, one day, Lisa’s pregnancy test finally showed two lines. Needless to say, the couple was over the moon!

After the delivery, Lisa chose to take a break from work and spend time with her babies, so she embraced the role of a housewife. But while she saw it as time to spend with her children, Chad labeled it “laziness.”

Don’t be too quick to judge someone.

“All you do is sit on that couch and chill, Lisa. At least start working out! Just look at how much weight you’ve gained after pregnancy! Losing a few pounds isn’t going to harm you!” he’d often mock her.

Lisa was often upset and depressed by the way her stay-at-home mom role wasn’t appreciated by Chad, but she let it slide because she thought he must be too frustrated with all the issues at work.

Unfortunately, she began to feel that Chad was actually losing interest in both her and their marriage. She noticed he didn’t seem to appreciate or help her with anything, and if she suggested spending time together, he just avoided the question and headed to bed. Lisa decided that she’d have to talk to him before it was too late and confronted him one day.

“Honey, I understand you’ve been preoccupied with work lately, but we agreed not to keep anything from each other,” she remarked gently. “I’ve noticed that something’s bothering you recently.”

Chad shrugged. “Uh, nothing like that, Lisa. It’s all good,” he replied, unfazed, his gaze fixed on his laptop.

“Are you sure, Chad? I mean, I’ve noticed….”

“Noticed what, Lisa?” Chad screamed at her. “Can you please let me work peacefully? Why do you have to put your nose in everything? Use all of your energy to spend some time grooming yourself. When was the last time you looked at yourself in the mirror?”

Lisa’s eyes nearly welled up. “Chad!”

“What? Are you going to cry right now and make me look like the bad person here? Sure, go for it! Anyway, I don’t see sense in going on like this! Look at your friends, and then take a look at yourself. Why can’t you just lose some weight? Tell me one thing,” he said as he stood up. “Are you doing all of this on purpose so I would leave you? Are you seeing someone else behind my back? Where do you often disappear early in the morning, uh? And you don’t come back until I wake up.”

“Are you serious, Chad? Do you think I’m cheating on you?”

“How would I know, Lisa? Maybe you’ve realized that we’re not going to last. You don’t want to work anymore, so you just sit around the house. You say you want to look after our children, but I believe that’s simply an excuse for you to stay at home and enjoy your life. We could easily afford a babysitter, but no! YOU JUST WANT TO STAY AT HOME AND HOG ON FOOD TO PUT ON WEIGHT! FINE, DO THAT!” He snapped as he left.

Lisa couldn’t utter a word. She burst into tears as Chad walked away without even listening to her. It wasn’t until late that he rushed out of the room. He was working on his laptop when he was distracted by a loud thumping sound.

He raced out, thinking it was coming from their twins’ room, only to find Lisa unconscious on the floor. “Lisa! What’s wrong?” he asked, trying to stir her up. When she didn’t wake up, he dialed 911 and rushed her to the hospital.

He asked their neighbor, Mrs. Clemments, to look after the twins while he was away and returned home late in the night after admitting her. The doctors informed him Lisa was stressed and weak, which is why she collapsed.

Chad sank on the bed, his hands buried in his face as he pondered how he’d lashed out at Lisa. Maybe I was a little too harsh this time! Ugh, I wonder why things are getting so out of hand. And how can the doctors say she was weak? Hasn’t she been resting at home all this while?! Chad grumbled as he stood up and began cleaning the bed.

As he took off the blanket, a diary suddenly dropped open on the floor. A few lines in there grabbed his attention. He picked it up and realized it was Lisa’s personal diary. Reading someone else’s stuff isn’t right, Chad! he thought initially, but then curiosity got the better of him. He opened the first page, which spoke about their twins Lucas and Charlie’s birth.

Hiii there, PD!

It’s your one and only owner! What better day to start a friendship with you than today? I can’t tell you how happy I am right now! I AM FINALLY A MOM! THANK YOU SO MUCH, GOD! I really can’t express how amazing it felt when I held my babies. I just hope I become a good mom. Oh, and I saw how emotional Chad got after looking at the babies. I know he’d beat me by becoming a better parent, but I’ll love my kids so much that they’ll take their mumma’s side, haha!!!

For a while, Chad forgot about everything that had been bothering him as he flipped page after page, his lips trembling as he smiled. Lisa had jotted down practically everything she’d done for their twins and how happy she’d felt after that. But one page, in particular, drew his attention, and the smile on his face vanished.

Hi PD!

I am really sad today. I don’t know if I did something wrong, but Chad seems very disconnected these days. I mean… he’s still playing with the babies like he used to, but I feel we are growing very distant. Should I talk to Chad? Maybe it’s just his work. He works for the whole family, and maybe it’s just the stress. I hope things improve soon.

Chad flipped to the next page out of curiosity, and a wave of guilt washed over him.

Hi PD…

I…I don’t know what to do! Does Chad want to leave me? He said something I could have never expected he would! He mocked me that I look fat, and he didn’t even give me a chance to explain myself! I feel very self-conscious. Is Chad really falling out of love? I need to talk to him, but I don’t know…Will that be a good idea?

Chad flipped to the next page and the next, and this time, what he read further made him regret even more how he’d been treating Lisa for so long.

Hi PD!

I got this fantastic idea to lose weight! I was trying yoga and mediation before, but Chad thought I didn’t want to lose weight! That’s because he’s too busy to notice my efforts. You wait and see; I will lose weight and surprise Chad on our wedding anniversary. My friend Tina just told me there’s a gym that can help you lose weight in a week! OMG! I’m so excited!

He wiped his tears as he turned to the next page.

Hi there, PD!

Sorry for not writing for a time. I’m terribly exhausted these days! Those gym people call me early in the morning. They gave me supplements, and their diet is just insane! I feel nauseous after eating the raw stuff they prescribed me, and then Chad…ugh…he just doesn’t stop mocking me. I’m seriously tired of all this. I don’t know if I can take all of this any longer….

Chad couldn’t help but feel guilty at this point. Was I so blinded that I didn’t even notice she was trying? And why the hell did you have to mock her, Chad? She’s your wife, the Lisa you loved with all your heart! You need to make it up to her, Chad. You will have to!

And Chad did as he resolved. When he went to see Lisa in the hospital the next day, he surprised her with a bouquet of her favorite flowers and a card that read, “Get well soon, honey! The kids and I miss you! Home doesn’t feel like home with you….”

After receiving the flowers and card, Lisa got a bit emotional as Chad had not done anything special for her in a while. “Thank you, Chad,” she whispered, her eyes welling up. “I – I…”

“You don’t need to say anything, Lisa. I was mean to you and said things I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry! You are beautiful the way you are, and whatever I said about your looks was just nonsense! I am a jerk for saying all of that!” he added, hugging her.

“I’ll try to be a better person, Lisa. I promise,” he told her.

When Lisa got discharged and returned home, Chad surprised her with a candlelight dinner date. The whole room was beautifully decorated, and a romantic song was slowly playing in the background. He slid open a chair for her and poured her wine.

Later, he got down on his knees and asked, “So, Mrs. Lisa Thompson, would you like to dance with me?” Lisa nodded, and they kissed passionately as they held each other tightly.

From that day on, Chad had become a different man altogether, and Lisa couldn’t believe how one night changed everything. He helped her in everything, took her out to movies on weekends, and most importantly, he always told her, “I love you for who you are, honey.”

Lisa still goes to the gym, but she is no longer on fad diets to reduce weight quickly. Instead, she is concentrating on getting healthier.

What can we learn from this story?

• Accept people for who they are and not for how they look. Chad started mocking Lisa for gaining weight after birth, forgetting why he fell in love with her in the first place.
• True beauty lies at heart. Lisa was a wonderful mother and wife, but Chad didn’t understand it until he read her personal diary.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about an older woman who gets concerned about a set of lonely and unattended triplets on the beach and decides to follow them.

This account is inspired by our reader’s story and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to our page.