Workaholics rarely switch off, even when the stakes climb higher than any deadline. A couple with solid careers hit a rough patch when the wife, eight months pregnant with twins, ignored her doctor’s orders to ease up after stress-triggered health warnings.
Her husband watched her skip meals and nod off at the laptop day after day, promising each session would wrap soon. One evening, after another broken pledge, he yanked the Wi-Fi cable to force a break. Read on to see the blowup that followed and the update that changed everything.
A concerned husband disconnects the internet to stop his pregnant wife from overworking against doctor’s orders
When someone you love is pushing themselves to the brink, fear doesn’t show up quietly. It comes disguised as frustration, urgency, even anger, not because you want to control them, but because watching someone self-destruct feels unbearable.
In this story, both partners are navigating a tender moment: a soon-to-be father terrified for his pregnant wife’s health, and a dedicated professional struggling to let go of her identity and responsibilities. Their hearts were in the right place, even if their communication missed the mark.
Here, OP pulled the Wi-Fi to react to powerlessness after seeing his wife exhausted, forgetting to eat, and ignoring medical advice. His panic turned into control, hoping a forced pause might protect her and their unborn twins.
Meanwhile, his wife wasn’t simply “overworking.” Her career appears woven tightly into her sense of self and competence. Stepping back, especially when pregnant, may feel like losing autonomy, credibility, or even independence. This wasn’t defiance; it was fear on her side, too.
Interestingly, many men react to helplessness with action, even drastic action, while women in similar situations may lean toward emotional communication first. OP’s instinct to “fix” the problem collided with his wife’s need to feel respected and in control of her own choices. Two types of fear met in one moment, and they clashed.
Psychologist Dr. Sue Johnson, known for Emotionally Focused Therapy, explains that control often masks anxiety: when we fear losing someone or losing safety, we may protest through anger or force rather than vulnerability. She writes that when partners feel disconnected or afraid, they don’t shut down; they fight for emotional safety, sometimes in the least helpful ways.
In this light, OP’s reaction wasn’t malicious; it was a misguided attempt to protect his family. And his wife’s anger wasn’t ingratitude; it was a response to feeling controlled at a moment when she already felt pressures beyond her body and career.
The husband’s concern is rooted in love; he cares deeply for his wife, and his actions come from a place of wanting her to rest and prioritize her health, especially for the sake of the twins.
However, his method of cutting off her access to work feels like a breach of trust, and it strikes at a core part of who she is: a workaholic perfectionist. For her, work isn’t just a job; it’s a way to prove her value and cope with stress. Her reaction is not just about the Wi-Fi being unplugged, but about feeling misunderstood and infantilized by someone she loves.
Their later conversation and decision to seek therapy mirrors what experts recommend: not trying to “win,” but learning to understand each other’s fears and soften responses before they escalate.
In relationships, love isn’t the absence of conflict; it’s the ability to repair. How many of us, faced with fear for someone we love, might also act before we speak?
Here’s the feedback from the Reddit community:
These Redditors slammed the husband, saying he acted controlling and childish instead of communicating
These users backed the husband’s concern, prioritizing the pregnant wife’s and babies’ health
These commenters called it an ESH situation, urging better balance, teamwork, and communication
These Redditors saw no clear villain, suggesting therapy and mutual understanding moving forward
This WiFi blackout flipped a health scare into a relationship reset, proving good intentions need words, not wires, to land right. Folks split on the extremism, but the therapy-and-burgers truce won hearts.
Ever pulled a “for your own good” move that bombed spectacularly? Would you hotspot or hash it out first? Spill your partner power struggles below!
