Woman With Cancer Tells Husband She Can’t Do It All Anymore, He Disagrees Completely

When couples get married, they often make deep promises during their wedding vows — pledges of love, loyalty, and lifetime support. These words usually include, “for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health.”

But what happens when one partner forgets what these vows truly mean?

In this painful true story, a woman is facing more than just a serious health crisis. She has been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, and yet, her husband still expects her to do most of the household chores — even the ones he promised to handle.

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He refuses to help around the house, showing no real emotional or physical support. This kind of neglect raises a big question about what real marriage support should look like — especially during tough times.

Now, this brave woman is scared that she will still be forced to do extra housework, even though her body is weak and her energy is low due to her condition.

Read the full story below to understand how emotional neglect in marriage, lack of spousal support, and unfair division of responsibilities can destroy the meaning behind the vows we make.

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The division of chores is one of the most common issues among married couples

Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)

This woman has ended up doing most of the work because her husband refuses to help

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Image credits: Ales Krivec (not the actual photo)

Men tend to choose household tasks that they can do on their own time

Today, many couples aim for equal partnerships at home. But even though household responsibilities seem more balanced than before, most women still carry the heavy load.

Eve Rodsky, author of the bestselling book Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live), explains a common problem. According to her, many men choose only the tasks they can do when it suits them — like fixing the car, mowing the lawn, or assembling furniture. Meanwhile, women are left with the daily, time-sensitive chores like cooking meals, washing dishes, and school drop-offs.

These tasks can’t wait. You can’t delay making dinner the way you might delay cutting the grass.

This unfair routine takes a toll. Laura Danger, a well-known domestic labor educator, shared with HuffPost that women often lose control over their time, while their husbands keep theirs. As she puts it, “If you forget to trim the lawn, you can do it next weekend. But the dishes and dinner? They can’t wait.”

This imbalance becomes even more serious when one partner falls ill. In the story we shared, a woman diagnosed with a serious illness is still expected to handle most chores — while her husband refuses to help. This is not just disappointing — it’s a relationship red flag.

Laura Danger advises women to set healthy boundaries. “Don’t always step in to save the day,” she says. It’s not just about housework — it’s about respect, partnership, and mental load.

Darby Saxbe, a psychology professor from the University of Southern California, adds that communication is key. She suggests starting a respectful conversation like:
“I’m doing more of the things that are urgent and fixed in time. Can we divide them more fairly?”

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In any marriage, especially when facing health issues, spousal support must be real and consistent. If a husband fails to help a sick wife, the wife needs to speak up, set limits, and consider what’s truly best for her well-being.

If she wants to keep the relationship, it will take change — not just endurance. Otherwise, continuing like this could make the marriage even more stressful over time.