Husband Tells Wife He's "Taking A Break From Work" Then Proceeds To Sit On The Couch Doing Absolutely Nothing For The Next TWENTY YEARS

Source - DEAR ABBY: I have been married for 40 years. When I married “Hugh,” I thought he was the nicest man I had ever met. We have two grown children of whom we are both very proud. Hugh was laid off 19 years ago and said he was going to take “a little time off.”

Abby, he has never gone back to work. I retired four years ago and got a little part-time job in a local shop in town. I do the housework, and our neighbor does our yard. Hugh goes to the grocery store, and that’s the only time he leaves the house. We haven’t been out to dinner in five years. He doesn’t go to family gatherings, hasn’t seen a friend in years, and is always angry.

My husband has suffered hearing loss, which I am sure is frustrating, but he refuses to get a hearing aid and is always mad because he can’t hear me or any conversation.

Let me start by saying this...there is obviously something wrong here, so I don't want to pry too hard. Taking twenty-years off from work when you seemingly need the money is strange to say the lease. However, it may also be the greatest marital bamboozling of all time. He essentially went out to grab a pack of smokes and never came back, only he did come back and now he has no responsibilities whatsoever. Food gets delivered to him, neighbors do the yards work, doesn't have to go to any shitty family gathers. He's got it made in the shade. 

The replies on twitter seemed to agree...

Which begs the question...why doesn't the wife just leave him?? Divorce his ass after a year. She said they're too tied up financially? HOW?!? YOU HAVE THE JOB. I also understand that I know nothing about the legal side of finances when it comes to marriage but it seems like a pretty simple solution. 

Still though, twenty years is a preposterous amount of time to put up with anything. Baby boy stopped working when I was twelve years old and never looked back. Good for him. Hopefully the gravy train keeps on rolling, but something tells me it won't. All good things must come to an end and this guy's clock it tickin'. That's all I have for this one. Thanks for reading.