This person standing in front of me seemed to think marriage was some kind of financial insurance policy. The realization chilled me more than her words.
“No. That’s not how this works,” I said calmly.
“I can’t believe you’d even suggest something like this. If you really loved me, you’d support me no matter what. You’re acting like I’m some burden!” Emily cried. Her voice rose until it echoed through the apartment.
She stormed off toward our bedroom, but then whipped around at the hallway entrance, her hair wild and her eyes blazing. In that instant, I barely recognized the woman I thought I knew so well.
“Do you know what this feels like, Daniel? It feels like you’re trying to divorce me financially while we’re still married. Like you want all the benefits of having a wife but none of the responsibilities of being a husband.”
“That’s not fair, Em. I’ve supported you through four years of law school. I’ve taken on extra work to help cover our living expenses while you studied. I’ve been patient through every breakdown, every late night, and every moment you doubted yourself. But I won’t bankrupt our future because you decided your expensive degree was a mistake.”
“Bankrupt our future?” she laughed bitterly. “What future? You’re already planning our divorce with your precious legal agreements!”
She slammed the bedroom door so hard that a picture frame fell off the hallway wall and shattered on the hardwood floor. I stared at the broken glass, feeling like it was a pretty good metaphor for where we were headed. The shards glittered under the light, a reflection of everything fractured between us.
What followed was dreadful silence. I didn’t speak to her for the rest of the night, and she didn’t come out of the bedroom until I’d already left for work the next morning. That silence felt louder than any argument we’d ever had.
Now, I’m sitting here three days later, wondering if I’m the bad guy. She says I’m prioritizing money over her happiness, but from where I’m standing, I feel like she’s prioritizing her happiness over our survival.
I haven’t said it out loud yet, but it’s growing stronger in my mind. If she refuses to take responsibility for her debt and expects me to shoulder it while she quits working in a few years, I might need to rethink this marriage entirely. The thought of divorce creeps closer every time I replay our fight.
The woman I married wouldn’t have put me in this position. And I’m starting to wonder if I ever really knew her at all. That question haunts me more than the debt itself.
What do you think about our situation? Am I wrong? Or is this the kind of truth that ends marriages for good?
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
