I’ve been in a relationship with my wife for over 15 years, and we’ve been married for 8. Recently, I went to the gym and then had some drinks with my friends afterward. Coincidentally, my wife and her own friends ended up at the same place, and we all went home together.
The next morning, I woke up feeling extremely hungover and unable to function properly. My wife had gone to pick up our kids from a sleepover and brought them home. It was then that I noticed my 4-year-old son playing with one of my rare magic cards. I usually keep them on a higher shelf, so I was puzzled as to how he got a hold of it.
My wife explained to me that our 2-year-old daughter had managed to reach a box of cards, which happened to be my collection of rare ones. Some of those cards hold significant value. She told me she had picked up all the cards and put them back in the box, although not neatly organized—just jammed in rather than closed as they were before.
As I stood in my closet, where I store the cards, holding one part of the box, my wife came over and got very close, practically poking me in the eye, attempting to show me where she had put the other part of the box. Feeling overwhelmed, I shrugged my shoulder, pushing her arm away unintentionally. This action triggered her to start yelling and using profanities against me. She called me awful names, accusing me of being lazy for spending the entire day in bed. However, I had been taking care of the kids, watching movies together while we were in bed.
Today, she informed me that she expects an apology for my reaction of pushing her arm away. It was merely a shoulder shrug, not a forceful push. I tried explaining to her that it may have hurt her pride, but I didn’t pose a threat to her. She expressed feeling unsafe and claimed that the shoulder shrug could have escalated into something worse.
I want to clarify that I would never harm her. I admit I was feeling terrible from the hangover, sore from the gym, and frustrated by the kids getting into my belongings, which is why I shrugged her away. However, she was invading my personal space by being so close to my face.
She even mentioned that she contemplated leaving with the kids. I find this notion ridiculous. I am not an abusive person. It was simply a shoulder shrug, and she doesn’t have any physical marks or bruises. I did not forcefully push her away. She is blowing this situation out of proportion, making me out to be the bad guy. She claims to be concerned that a shrug could lead to a shove or worse in the future. I believe she is being overly dramatic. I would never intentionally harm her.
