Financial matters can often be a source of tension in relationships, especially when there is a significant gap between the financial situations of both partners. This is what happened to Darren as soon as he got married. As a young man who is much less well-off than his wife’s family, he faced a delicate situation that he deemed humiliating, and his reaction was intense. Darren wrote to us for advice. This is Darren’s letter:My wife comes from money while Im 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 said, “This sucks baby, but Dad says he’s not your ATM.” Furious, I left her on the plane. An hour later, her dad called. I was shocked and 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? Yours, Darren