We all fantasise about hitting the jackpot, but one woman’s story serves as a stark reminder that wealth isn’t everything.
Imagine suddenly having a large sum of money – wouldn’t it be wonderful to move into your ideal house, clear all debts, and never worry about the price of a food shop again?
It might sound like the dream, but one woman discovered the hard way that sudden wealth can also bring unexpected problems. She revealed how her husband’s multi-million dollar payout from a workplace accident lawsuit led to the collapse of their marriage.
The American woman explained that although the windfall initially improved their lives, allowing them to afford “get nicer things”, it transformed her husband into the “most smug” man she had ever met.
In a Reddit post, the 32-year-old shared: “In the last year since the settlement, my husband has become the most smug, stuck up, pretentious man I’ve ever known, and I’m sick of it. Our friends and family aren’t good enough for us anymore because now we have money. Our home and cars and clothes weren’t good enough for us, and anyone with a small house, paid-off car, or mall clothes was ‘sad and depressing’. He judges people HARD, and he’s not quiet about it. He’s mean and rude to the people we interact with.”
The woman added her husband has been showering her with expensive gifts such as clothes, jewellery, and even a new car. However, she “doesn’t like” any of it because none of it suits her style, and he only buys it because it is costly. He also constantly pressures her to quit her job, accusing her of making them “look bad” by continuing to work as it “makes us still look poor”.
She added: “We’ve gone to couples’ therapy, his attitude isn’t improving, it’s even gotten worse, and I’m miserable. This is not the man I married. I don’t want to have kids and raise a family with him. But I’m afraid that if I leave, everyone will cry gold digger. We married when we were young and broke and didn’t consider a prenup because we had nothing.”
Commenters on the post urged the woman to leave her husband, with many suggesting his spending seems “out of control” and if she stays with him, she runs the risk of him squandering his money and plunging them back into financial difficulties.
One person commented: “His spending seems out of control. Before long, he’ll be back to being a pauper again. Yes, do leave him now before a kid forces you to stay in for a long time.” Another added: “Your husband’s personality changed drastically after the settlement. His behaviour is emotionally abusive, and you deserve to be happy.”