I’m 52 and married 27 years, and I’m going through menopause. I didn’t expect special treatment—but I didn’t expect my husband to turn it into a joke. He constantly mocked me with comments about hot flashes, hormones, and “menopause brain,” first at home, then in front of friends. I smiled through it, hoping he’d stop. He didn’t—it got worse.
When he invited his boss to dinner to secure a long-awaited promotion, he warned me to “behave” and “not get emotional.” During dinner, he talked over me and humiliated me, even announcing to his boss that I was adjusting the thermostat because of menopause. I was mortified. Afterward, he bragged that he’d nailed the night.
The next morning, his boss called me privately. He said my husband’s behavior was unacceptable, that he’d been fired for creating a hostile work environment—and then asked me out on a date.