Money concerns sometimes cause strain in relationships, especially when there is a considerable income discrepancy between the spouses. This was the situation with Darren shortly after his marriage. As a young guy with far less income than his wife’s family, he found himself in a difficult and, to him, profoundly uncomfortable circumstance, prompting an intense emotional response.
My wife’s family is very wealthy while I’m a regular employee who lives from paycheck to paycheck, so for our wedding, it was natural that her dad covered everything. When we got on the plane for our honeymoon, she sat first class, and I realized my ticket was economy.
She shrugged and said, “This sucks baby, but Dad says he’s not your money machine.” Furious, I left her on the plane. Hours later, I get the most horrific call from her dad.
I couldn’t believe it when he said, “I gave you a dream wedding and a dream honeymoon and didn’t ask you for a dime. Is this how you treat my daughter?
He added, “My daughter is used to a certain lifestyle, and I’m going to keep giving her that, but you need to understand that I will not provide for you too!”
His words only made me more furious. I told him that I cannot accept being humiliated just because I am not rich like them and hung up on him.
My wife tried to convince me to go on the honeymoon on the next flight, but when I refused, she decided to come back home so we can talk. Am I wrong to react this way?
