Being a single parent with two children is difficult. Although my ex-husband supported us financially, he did not provide for us completely. I had to overcome the difficulties of raising a teenage daughter and a younger son. The burden of responsibility fell heavily on my shoulders, and I found myself juggling between work, parenting, and household chores. My daughter, at fifteen, seemed to be testing the limits of her newfound independence. She flatly refused to contribute to the household chores — no cleaning, no cooking, and little interest in helping with her brother.

Feeling the weight of my responsibilities increasing each day, I decided it was time for a lesson in responsibility for my daughter. I sat her down and explained that being part of a family meant sharing the load, especially in difficult times. I conveyed to her that if she refused to help, she would need to pay for living, like rent. It was a bold move, a gamble to make her realize the importance of her role within the family.

The next day my daughter walked in with a smug expression, accompanied by none other than her father, Carl. “How dare you, she’s a child,” he said rudely. I detected a smirk on my daughter’s face, and I realized my plan had worked. She believed this was a confrontation between her parents, unaware that it was a strategic move to teach her a valuable lesson.

Anticipating her complaint to her father, I had taken the initiative to call Carl beforehand, laying out the entire situation and my plan. I asked him to play along, and surprisingly, he agreed. It was a relief to find common ground with him, at least when it came to the well-being and upbringing of our children. As he berated me for my supposed mistreatment of our daughter, I engaged in a heated argument until I suddenly pretended to pass out.