We may think we understand our partner well, only to have our entire reality demolished by a single revelation. Jim uncovered a secret bank account belonging to his wife. Following an encounter, a heated dispute erupted, and things escalated. Jim shared his tale with us in the hopes of receiving guidance.

Here’s the full story:

My wife has never worked; she was a stay-at-home mom, raising our four kids.

Her parents didn’t leave her any money either. A few days ago, I found out she had $57,000 in the bank. It turned out she had secretly started and had been running a successful business from home.

But it wasn’t the kind of business you’d expect. She had been quietly crafting artisanal pet toys and accessories in our garage during her free time.

What had started as a hobby to keep herself busy soon turned into a thriving online business through word-of-mouth recommendations and social media.

I felt betrayed when she kept it a secret from me. However, when I confronted her, she explained, “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t trust you with my money because I know you’d end up helping your sister’s family, and I feel you’ve already done enough for them.”

I’ve always regarded myself as responsible for my sister and her 3 young kids, especially since she’s a widow and I’m her sole support. However, my wife has consistently opposed this.

Feeling furious, I told her that I was entitled to half of that sum.

After all, she had started the business with my money and didn’t have a dime to herself. She refused, arguing that I had no right to her hard-earned money and threatened to leave the house, taking our kids with her.