I’d been a software engineer at a tech company that promised big returns, but some shady things happened, and it went bankrupt before we knew it. I went from a six-figure salary to unemployment checks overnight.
The day I told Anna the news, I saw the disappointment in her eyes. She was a marketing executive and one of the most put-together women I’d ever seen.
Even after getting married, I never saw her hair out of place or even a wrinkle on her clothes.
She even looked polished while giving birth to our children, like a real-life princess, and that’s what I used to love about her. But I never thought she’d leave during tough times.
That first year was pure hell. Between the crushing loneliness, the constant worry about money, and the exhaustion of juggling work and childcare, I felt like I was drowning.
I drove for ride-share companies at night and delivered groceries during the day.
All the while, I was juggling childcare. Max and Lily were heartbroken and asked about their mother constantly.
