This lazy woman is hanging on my neck, I’d kick her out, but I feel sorry, she’ll perish without me..

It’s commonly believed that women brag much more often than men. For example, telling their friends about their generous boyfriend, smart kids, and well-arranged life. However, Olivia had personally experienced that men also love to show off in front of others, sometimes exaggerating their achievements several times over.

Her husband Nicholas was a prime example. His boasting was noticeable even during the courtship phase. Well, Olivia took it as a character trait she was willing to tolerate.

After getting married, she realized that his boasting sometimes crossed all boundaries. Nicholas could tell friends and acquaintances such tall tales about himself that his wife didn’t know how to react. Like how he was the only one in the team to get a bonus five times his salary.

Or how he spent two weeks vacationing in a luxury hotel in the Maldives. Or inherited a mansion by the ocean. Olivia, listening to her husband’s stories, quietly laughed to herself.

She knew that the Maldives were actually 25 miles from their city, at his mother’s cabin. That’s where, on a small plot with a one-story house and outhouse facilities, they spent their summer vacation. The wife usually didn’t interrupt Nicholas when he started boasting in front of relatives or friends.

Only if he really went overboard and spouted complete nonsense would Olivia discreetly signal him to stop. Overall, she considered this flaw in her spouse fairly harmless. Well, the guy is entertaining himself, what can you do.

Olivia and Nicholas’s wedding happened four years ago. By then, both had already been married and divorced. As they say, life begins after forty.

Olivia and Nicholas found each other in their forties. They had such warm and trusting relationships that young couples could envy them. Their romance developed rapidly.

Just six months after meeting, Nicholas proposed to Olivia in a solemn setting. And two months later, they tied the knot. The first year of married life was like an endless honeymoon.

Olivia and Nicholas spent a lot of time together. They got along so well that they hardly argued, except over trifles. However, the first serious test didn’t take long to arrive…

It so happened that Olivia lost her job. The company she worked for declared bankruptcy. Upon learning that his wife was unemployed, Nicholas got a bit down.

— What, now I’m the only breadwinner in the house? — he asked Olivia in a dissatisfied tone. — We can’t live large on my salary alone.

And what are we supposed to do? I doubt I can work for two. — I’ll definitely find a job, — his wife assured him passionately.

— In Chicago, there are all kinds of vacancies now, and tech is always needed everywhere. — Yeah, keep listening to those stories. Anyone can work.

Yeah, right. The reality now is that employers, upon seeing a candidate over forty-five, do everything possible and impossible to reject them. You’re turning forty-five soon, Olivia, and your chances for a good position are fading fast.

— Nicholas, you’re dramatizing too much. Yes, I lost my job, but I’m determined to find a new one. Maybe not on the first day of searching, but the odds are good.

Her husband just shrugged. Soon Olivia realized there was some truth in Nicholas’s words. The employers she was interested in didn’t directly state in the ads that they weren’t considering candidates over forty-five.

However, after what seemed like successful interviews, no one called Olivia back, and she had to start the whole marathon over again. From morning to evening, she ran to job fairs and various interviews, studied websites, and sent resumes to new companies. Of course, there were employers ready to hire her tomorrow, but their demands were so high and salaries so low that such employment was out of the question.

Since Olivia spent her days job hunting, she couldn’t keep up with the house as before. If she used to vacuum the carpets and mop the floors at least three times a week, now she limited herself to light cleaning on weekends. She also couldn’t cook fresh meals and delicacies for Nicholas every day, which upset him greatly…