When Tess joins her husband’s family vacation, she expects relaxation. Instead, she’s handed a laminated chore chart—with her name on most of the duties. While the rest of the family lounges, Tess is stuck cooking, cleaning, and babysitting. Her husband calls it “fair.” She calls it a wake-up call.
Quietly, Tess slips away and checks into a private suite at the same resort—funded by the money she’d saved for his anniversary gift. She rewrites the chore chart for the others and leaves a note: “I’ll be back Thursday—for mini golf. As equals.”
While the beach house unravels without her, Tess sips mimosas poolside and rediscovers her peace. Three days later, her husband shows up—sunburned, humbled, and finally listening.
He asks to stay. She asks if he’s ready to be on her team. When he says yes, she hands him a key.
They spend the rest of the vacation reconnecting—not the way they planned, but in a way that finally felt real.
And Diane? Well, Tess told her she didn’t need space. She needed respect.
A year later, there are no more chore charts. Just boundaries—and one woman who now knows her worth, one mimosa at a time.