The Housewife Delusion
Scene: A late-night conversation in an upscale Madrid apartment. The dim glow of streetlights filters through the window. Sofia sits across from Alejandro, a man raised in Spain but deeply American at his core—at least, when it suited him. His face is smug, confident, convinced that his words carry weight.
Alejandro:
“You know, my mother used to think like you. All independent, all strong. But look at her now. She’s finally happy. Married, stable, secure. You just have to learn how to—”
Sofia:
[Raises an eyebrow] “How to what? Lower myself? Pretend to be small so a man can feel big?”
Alejandro:
[Leaning back, smirking] “It’s not pretending. It’s just… knowing how to work the system. Women in our culture, they understand this. My mother says you just have to stroke a man’s ego, make him feel like he’s in control. That’s how you build something real.”
Sofia:
[Laughs, but it’s sharp, knowing] “Your mother says that now. At what—60? After a lifetime of jumping from one man to another, claiming she was ‘independent’ while secretly hunting for financial security? Now, after decades of instability, she finally latches onto a man with a million-dollar bank account, and suddenly—suddenly—she’s found ‘happiness’? Of course, she says that now. She has no other option.”
Alejandro:
[Shifts uncomfortably] “That’s not fair. She finally found a good man.”
Sofia:
“Did she? Or did she just run out of time? Let’s be real, Alejandro. Your mother didn’t ‘learn the secret to a happy relationship.’ She settled for survival. Because at this age, the game is different. The options are fewer. So now she preaches about ‘stroking a man’s ego’—not because it’s wisdom, but because it’s a survival tactic. And you want to use her as an example for someone like me?”
Alejandro:
[Defensive] “You make it sound so… calculated.”
Sofia:
“It is calculated. And that’s exactly the problem. You think women should play along with some Spanish housewife role, manipulating a man into thinking he’s in control so they can ‘win’? Please. Some of us were born to lead, not to grovel. And the fact that you love strong women but want to break them? That’s your problem. Not ours.”
Alejandro:
[Silent. Because deep down, he knows she’s right.]
Sofia stands, picks up her bag, and walks out the door.
She doesn’t need to pretend to be small.
She doesn’t even look back.
