Earlier today, I was carrying something heavy up a flight of stairs. I was at the bottom, using my weight to slowly maneuver it one step at a time, leaning backward to control the load.
My wife, who was at the top of the stairs, decided to help by pulling from her side. However, every time she pulled, it shifted more weight onto me, throwing me off balance and making the process more difficult. I told her to stop and move out of the way, but she didn’t listen.
I asked her again to stop, but she ignored me. Instead, she turned it into a “I’m not just a weak woman” situation. While I respect her point of view, at that moment, I was out of breath and focused on not dropping this heavy object. I didn’t have the time or energy to explain how her “helping” was actually making things worse.
After two ignored requests, I lost my patience and yelled, “F***ing move out of the way!”
This is the first time I’ve ever yelled at her in our 25 years together. She moved out of the way and then left for another room, clearly upset and giving me the cold shoulder. Once I finished getting the item up the stairs, I apologized to her.
I know yelling wasn’t ideal, but I only resorted to it after she repeatedly ignored my earlier requests and I needed her to move for safety’s sake.
Edit: My wife often frames disagreements through the lens of gender issues, which I’ve come to accept as part of her worldview. However, this wasn’t the time or place to have that kind of discussion. I just needed her to stop and let me handle the situation safely.
So, AITAH?
