I’m Betty, a 38-year-old housewife, and I’ve been married to Evan for eight years. He has a 12-year-old son from his previous marriage.Recently, Evan lost his well-paying job. His son attends a private school, but with our current financial situation, we can no longer afford the tuition. Evan told me he wants to sell our large house and move into a smaller one so that his son can continue at the same school.
He said, “My son’s education comes first. I don’t want him to miss out on a great future because of me.” I didn’t say anything—I just smiled.The next day, his son came home in tears, shivering. That’s because I had secretly withdrawn him from the expensive school.Although it’s summer now, he’s set to start at a public school when the new academic year begins. He apparently found out from another student whose parent works at the school. When Evan learned what I had done, he just looked at me without saying a word.The following day, I froze when I discovered that all my belongings were packed in boxes. Evan told me we were moving to a much cheaper place, and that I had no say in the matter. As for his son, Evan has already enrolled him in a different private school—one that’s also quite expensive.I’m furious. Leaving behind my beautiful home and the community I’ve grown to love for a cramped apartment isn’t what I signed up for when I got married. I feel totally betrayed and powerless.Am I the bad person for feeling this way?