The house used to be my peaceful sanctuary, until my husband, Jake, invited his best friend, Alex, to move in while his house was being renovated. Without consulting me, Jake offered Alex a place to stay, and what was meant to be a short visit turned into months of chaos,Alex arrived with a duffel bag, video games, and zero regard for cleanliness.

Our home transformed into a bachelor pad overnight. I tried to be patient, but as the weeks went by, their late-night gaming sessions, empty beer cans, and dirty laundry became too much. Jake promised it wouldn’t affect me, but it did. They were always loud and messy, and I found myself cleaning up after them, exhausted.