Husband Tells Wife He'd Rather She Become A Stripper Than Take 'Embarrassing’ Executive Assistant Job
He was being extremely unsupportive.
John Paul Duhan / Pexels A woman is being told she needs to rethink her marriage after her husband's inappropriate and demeaning reaction to the news that she has gotten a new job.
Posting to the subreddit "r/AmItheA--hole" (AITA) — a forum where users try to figure out if they were wrong or not in an argument that has been bothering them — she explained that her husband she's been married to for two years disapproved of her interest in a new field of work.
Her husband told her he'd rather her become a stripper than take an 'embarrassing' job as an executive assistant.
In her Reddit post, the woman, 25, wrote that when she and her husband, 27, moved to a different city for his job as a software engineer, she was hired to work at a publishing company.
While the field had been something she thought she wanted to work in, she quickly realized how much she didn't like her job.
"I hated the office politics, long hours with relatively low pay, and found the work monotonous. I stuck it out for a year and a half to avoid being a job-hopper and to see if I could make it work but then started applying to a variety of other jobs after nothing improved."
After a long process of searching for jobs and not being able to find anything, she was finally able to land an interview for an executive assistant position.
Immediately after being interviewed for it, she "really clicked" with the position and liked everything about the opportunity.
She pointed out that she would be paid more than her previous job, with better benefits and a "more robust insurance with lower cost."
"The new job would also be strictly 40 hours a week (with occasional paid overtime) as opposed to my current publishing job which often requires 10+ hour days and doesn't pay overtime," she explained.
However, when she went to discuss the position she'd interviewed for with her husband, hoping to share her excitement, he wasn't supportive.
He disapproved of her wanting to be an executive assistant, telling her that she will become "permanently stuck in the 'secretarial pool,' and that it isn't a "professional job" that's "appropriate" for their life goals.
"[He said] that he's going to be embarrassed by me and will think less of me."
She tried to explain to him that she was extremely interested in the job and there is even an opportunity for her to become promoted to different management roles if she stays with the company for up to two years.
He rebutted, telling his wife that "it would be better" if she just accepted a job offer as a stripper "because it would be equally embarrassing" but she'd "make more money."
"I told him I was sorry to disappoint him, but I'm really miserable in my current job and need to make a change and this is the best offer I have."
Since their argument, her husband accused her of being an "a-hole" and has refused to speak to her.
Most people who commented on the woman's Reddit post agreed that she was NTA (Not The A-hole).
"Your career, your choice. More money, potential career progression, and something you'll enjoy? Sounds great!" one user wrote.
"It's important to discuss big life decisions together, but your husband sounds like he's really belittling you. Be vocal [about] how you feel, stick to your decision and if he isn't supportive - bin him!"
Another user added, "There's nothing unprofessional or embarrassing about [being an] assistant to the CEO."
"Worst case, if you want to change positions to something else, you already have direct access to the CEO to help make that happen too."
A third user chimed in, "I would seriously reconsider a relationship with someone who would be embarrassed by you and think less of you over an admin job, and someone who looks down on workers like that."
"Is that really someone you want to be with for the rest of your life?"
Nia Tipton is a writer living in Brooklyn. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. Keep up with her on Instagram and Twitter.