Husband Went to Friend’s Wedding for 3 Days, Leaving Me and Kids $20 — He Fell to His Knees after What He Saw upon Returning

Hey, it’s Iris! My life may seem perfect from the outside, but it’s far from it. I’m a stay-at-home mom, managing my energetic 8-year-old Ollie and sassy 6-year-old Sophie.

My husband, Paul, works hard and supports us, but after our second child, things started to change. He became more focused on work, and our fun, spontaneous moments faded away. Now, when I suggest something, it’s always “work stress” or “me time.” At first, I ignored it, but lately, it’s been bothering me.

Then last week, Paul came home early, excited about a friend’s wedding. He was leaving for three days, and I thought it could be our break. But I was crushed to learn he was going alone.

“Why not me?” I asked, disappointed.

Paul explained that his friend Alex wanted a small, partner-free gathering, which felt odd to me. I jokingly asked if any single women would be there, and that set Paul off. He accused me of being suspicious and controlling, and our argument escalated. I reminded him how he often left me alone with the kids while he had “me time.”

The fight got worse when Paul handed me $20, sarcastically telling me to run the house on that while he was gone. Furious, I looked in the fridge and saw it was almost empty. With only $20, I was stuck.

In a mix of anger and desperation, I turned to Paul’s prized coin collection, hoping to teach him a lesson. I sold them for $700 and used the money to buy groceries. Although I felt guilty, my children’s needs came first.

When Paul returned, he was shockingly cheerful, but his mood shifted when he noticed the coins were gone. He collapsed in tears, devastated. I felt terrible and raced to buy the coins back with money from my grandmother’s ring.

When I returned, I carefully placed the coins back. Paul came home, saw them, and tears filled his eyes. We talked for hours, confronting the issues in our relationship. It wasn’t easy, but we realized that communication, not revenge, is key to a strong marriage. We learned that trust is essential and that both partners need happiness, not just one.