In the past, my husband Danny thought it was important to have a sixth child, a son to carry on our family name. But his requests turned into threats, which shocked me.
I was happy being a stay-at-home mum to our five lively girls. Danny took care of our family because he was a wealthy businessman. His desire for a son turned into a demand, though: “We NEED a sixth child.” I got chills from the cold tone in his voice.
I said, “Do you want me to keep bearing children until we get a son?” His answer hurt a lot. The fight got worse, and Danny threatened to divorce me if I didn’t give in.
That night, I stayed awake and thought about what we had talked about. How could he not care about our lovely family? I came up with a way to show Danny what it’s really like to raise five kids by yourself.
I got ready in the morning and drove to the country home of my late mother. I stood far away and watched as Danny had a hard time keeping our wild girls in line. There was chaos, with orange juice spilling and toast getting burned.
Danny’s need for help grew. He sent me sorry texts and videos of himself on his knees begging me to come back. “Please come home, my angel.” I promise to help out and spend more time with my family.
Because he seemed sincere, I went back home. Danny promised to take part more and be thankful. He kept his word and started going to school events, helping with homework, and even tying hair.
Our family did well. People laughed and were happy when Danny changed. He never talked about having another child for months. He loved our girls instead.
Danny squeezed my hand one night while we watched our girls play. “Thank you, Lisa, for everything.” I got tears in my eyes. “Thank you for understanding,” I responded.
Our trip wasn’t easy, but it made us closer. Danny learned to value our family more, and I found the strength to stand up for our girls and myself. We found our happily ever after together.