I Said ’No’ to Cooking Every Night for My Stepkids

I’m a full-time chef with two stepkids, ages 12 and 14. I spend more than ten hours a day on my feet — chopping, sautéing, plating, and running between ovens. By the time I get home, all I want is peace and a moment to breathe, not to start another shift in my own kitchen.

For illustrative purposes only

When I first moved in, I didn’t mind helping out with meals when the kids visited. I actually enjoyed cooking something special for them — lasagna, homemade burgers, little desserts. But over time, it stopped being a choice and became an expectation. No one asked anymore; they just assumed I’d cook every meal.

Then my husband’s ex-wife started getting involved. She demanded that I cook for the kids every single day, saying, “You’re a chef. It’s your job.” That was the moment I realized they saw me as free labor, not family.

One evening, she cornered me outside the house, criticizing me for not making dinner. I was drained and finally snapped: “I’m not your maid. I’m exhausted.”

She looked at me coldly and said, “Then you’re not a real stepmom.”

And my husband? He just stood there, silent. That silence said more than words ever could.

For illustrative purposes only

Later, I found out he’d been secretly giving the kids the meals I made for myself — my leftovers, even the dishes I’d set aside for lunch. When I confronted him, he shrugged and said, “I didn’t want any conflict.”

Now his ex is telling everyone I “refused to feed her kids,” and my in-laws have turned frosty. My husband still won’t speak up for me.

So I keep asking myself — am I a bad stepmom for refusing to cook every day, or just someone tired of being taken for granted?

Source: nowiveseeneverything.club

Related Posts

My 13-Year-Old Daughter Kept Sleeping Over at Her Best Friends – Then the Friends Mom Texted Me, Jordan Has Not Been Here in Weeks!

Trust is the invisible architecture of a family—a complex system of beams and supports that we often take for granted until a single, sharp crack threatens to…

With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of this beloved actress!!

The global entertainment community and fans of Australian television are mourning the profound loss of Rachael Carpani, the luminous star of the iconic series McLeod’s Daughters, who passed…

Black teenager convicted and executed for white womans murder is exonerated decades later!

The pursuit of justice is often described as a marathon, but in the case of Tommy Lee Walker, it was a relay race spanning seven decades, passed…

The Doctor Who Held My Hand! A Story of Loss, Healing, and Hope!

A human life can feel sturdy right up until the moment it isn’t. It can collapse under the smallest misstep, the briefest slip, the kind of accident…

This is Eagle One Code Red Send the extraction team And bring the military police, I have a prisoner

They mistook my silence for submission. They didn’t know that in my world, silence isn’t surrender—it’s target acquisition. And I just locked on. The garage was a…

Please raise your glasses to the man who paid for this wedding, Major General Davis

The Grand Ballroom of the Pierre Hotel was a masterclass in performative wealth. It smelled of imported white lilies, roasted duck, and the sharp, metallic tang of…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *