Man Asks Pregnant Wife To Quit Job, She Demands Half His Company

It is often said that business should not be brought up in personal relationships. However, sometimes one has to initiate money-related conversations with their close ones for the sake of their financial security. A Reddit post gaining traction shares one such conversation between a couple. A 35-year-old woman revealed that her husband suggested she quit her job to focus on their children, as they are expecting their third child. In response, she proposed that her husband give her half of his company. Her reasoning was that if they were to divorce, she would lack financial security, having dedicated years as a homemaker, while her husband would retain his career and accumulated wealth.

She also added, “It would be the price of me staying home and raising our children so he could be less worried and stressed out (his words, that he would be less anxious and stressed out if he knew they were with me rather than with strangers in daycare or nannies).” The woman mentioned that her husband was “surprised” by her demand and her friends outrightly rebuked her. In the Reddit post, the woman wondered if what she did was wrong.

So far, this post has over 12,000 comments with people sharing their opinions. Someone mentioned that such demands are commonly added in prenuptial agreements so her ask is not unreasonable. The Reddit user wrote, “This isn’t even uncommon and I’ve seen it many times in my line of work. Often the spouse holds 49% but there are built in buy out conditions so that in the event of a divorce the partner running the business can buy out their partner over time for market value (determined by a mutually agreed expert to prevent someone being disadvantaged). It’s not that radical of a suggestion.”

A Reddit user commented, “To me, this sounds reasonable for exactly the reasons you’ve given. You don’t want to be the bitter woman finding out in her 50s that waiting tables are her only option because her professional career skills have passed their due date, and your husband has moved on. You don’t want to be trapped in a loveless or even abusive marriage because you’re financially dependent. And you don’t want to be a stay-at-home mom begging her husband for an allowance.”

Expressing a similar sentiment, another Reddit user remarked, “Your friends sound awful. I mean let me write as I interpret your one friend who called you disgusting.. they basically said you don’t deserve it. Honestly don’t budge on this. You deserve just as much security as he does. Be cautious. Seek outside counsel. That’s a crazy sacrifice & you need new friends.”