It’s Not Just a Phase
I always felt like I worked more for us, for a healthy relationship, food on the table, a nice place including cleaning it, laundry, taking care of the cat, getting groceries, insurance etc. than he did. While doing that, I was studying full time and working part-time. My grades weren’t the best because of that. I was jobless for a month once in seven years, and in that month I worked two days during exam time to have some extra money for groceries—example for how much I cared about getting the ends to meet.
He was also studying and working, most of the time, but was always late for classes and work, and had issues with assignments and colleagues. I constantly worried if he was there on time. For seven and a half years, we had our ups and downs, and every year there would be a crisis and I would think, “It’s gonna get better again, it’s just a phase.”
After seven and a half years, he manages to finish his formation and has three months free until he starts studying again. I am already paying all our common bills at the time—rent, groceries for two. He’s at home, playing videogames. I am working almost full-time now. I actually have to tell him to take care of the place, as he has no obligations right now.
We therefore get in a fight where I tell him that I’m tired of paying for everything and getting nothing in return. I ask him if he could at least work part-time for these three months as a cashier or something. He didn’t want to because he would be selling himself under his true value. That was it for me. I had no feelings left for him and didn’t have the strength to continue sacrificing myself for us and get absolutely nothing in return. He also didn’t see the breakup coming and it hit him very hard. I felt relieved and so much lighter directly afterward.
Story credit: Reddit / Mulahontas