Money issues frequently create strain in relationships, particularly when there’s a significant disparity in the financial standing of the partners. This was the case for Darren shortly after his marriage. As a young man with considerably less wealth than his wife’s family, he found himself in a challenging and, to him, deeply embarrassing situation, leading to a strong emotional response. Darren reached out to us seeking guidance.My wife’s family is very wealthy while I’m 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 shrugged and said, “This sucks baby, but Dad says he’s not your money machine.” Furious, I left her on the plane. Hours later, I get the most horrific call from her dad. I 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?