When James’s salary doubled, he shocked me by demanding we split all expenses 50/50. I was working part-time at his insistence, but I agreed under one condition: we formalize it in writing. Little does he know, my agreement isn’t surrender — it’s stage one of a plan.
I never thought I’d be the kind of woman who’d give up her career for a man. Yet there I was, sitting across from James at our kitchen table as he explained why it made perfect sense for me to scale back my hours at work.

A couple speaking at a kitchen table | Source: Midjourney
Our daughter Emily was only three months old, and he painted such a compelling picture of our future together.