Jack had spent more than two decades grinding at the same company, yet at forty-three he still felt like a failure. His wife, Laura, saw him as steady and hardworking, but none of that mattered to Jack. What he couldn’t ignore was that Laura had built a thriving business while he chased a promotion that never seemed to come. Every bit of her success fed the insecurity he tried so hard to hide.
They’d met when they were both young employees dreaming big. She eventually left to start her own marketing agency, and her talent drew clients instantly. Jack buried himself in overtime, convinced that her wealthy parents quietly disapproved of him—even though she repeatedly told him they didn’t care about money.
Then everything changed in a single phone call: Laura’s father had passed away.
Jack rushed home, supported her through the funeral, and tried to be present. But after the shock settled, Laura asked him something that immediately hit his rawest nerve—she wanted her grieving mother, Melissa, to move in.
Jack snapped. Insecurity twisted into anger. He didn’t want his mother-in-law in the house, didn’t want her watching him fail, didn’t want one more reminder of everything he wasn’t. Laura pleaded—she was Melissa’s only child—but Jack wouldn’t hear it. The argument crashed fast and loudly.
Continue reading on next page…