Fireman Faces Possible Divorce For Abandoning Wife During Traumatic Childbirth To Handle Work Emergency
“My wife decided to stay with her sister until she knows what to do about our relationship or what's left of it.”
Our narrator (Original Poster) and his wife’s journey to parenthood was a heartbreaking one—two miscarriages and a devastating stillbirth, all within a few years. So, when his wife was hit with another positive pregnancy test, she was absolutely terrified.
As a devoted husband, OP stayed firmly by her side and guess what? They made it to the delivery date—but fate had a way of testing OP’s resolve.
On the day of his wife’s labor, OP was on fireman duty. Since the doctor affirmed she’d be a while, he decided to hang back a little longer and help out—if only he knew the chaos the night had in store.
They soon received news that a colleague's grandfather had a critical heart attack and was currently teetering on the brink of life and death. Before OP could fully digest this, the alarm bells signaled a fire that needed tending to.
The captain made it clear only one person could leave for urgent family matters, but definitely not two. In that crucial moment, OP’s empathy clashed with professional responsibility, and he selflessly chose to let his colleague go, knowing it could be her last chance to say goodbye.
The result? A tragic arrival two hours after the birth of his daughter. OP’s wife was furious. How could he abandon her the one time she needed him most? Three days later, the tension hung heavy in the air.
She announced she was going to her sister’s house from the hospital till she could figure out what to do with what was left of their relationship.
Was OP’s selfless act really going to cost him his marriage?!
Let’s dig into the details
Reddit.comOP’s wife was in labor, but he decided to stay back at work
Reddit.comHe ended up missing the birth of his child, which his wife wasn’t willing to forgive
Reddit.comOP argued that his reason for missing the birth of his child was justified
Reddit.comWe gathered some reactions from the Reddit community:
“YTB. Your colleague’s circumstance with the grandfather doesn’t even matter - you shouldn’t have been there anyway.”
Reddit.com“YTB. You let her go through the scariest most painful thing she's ever done.”
Reddit.com“YTB for abandoning your wife during a terrifying process.”
Reddit.com“I don't think this is worth your wife leaving you over, but she has every right to be extremely sad.”
Reddit.com“YTB. Something could have gone absolutely wrong, again, and your wife would have been totally alone.“
Reddit.com“She deserves so much better. You let her down. You took what was supposed to be a great day and ruined it.”
Reddit.com“YTB. She literally could have died along with your baby and you would've missed it.“
Reddit.comRedditors raised their pitchforks head-high while slamming OP with a ruthless a**hole verdict. What really got to them was the fact that he had the opportunity to leave work early but chose not to.
The second decision was a little trickier, but ultimately, OP’s loyalty lies with his wife. He picked his colleague over her and left her feeling abandoned and terrified during such a crucial moment.
The consensus was clear: the blame was 100% his to bear.
Do you agree with this verdict? Let us know in the comments.