My wife left the night I lost my job, telling me, "I married a provider, not a problem" — three days later, she was pounding on my door, demanding, "How long were you planning to keep this from me?"

My wife left the night I lost my job, telling me, "I married a provider, not a problem" — three days later, she was pounding on my door, demanding, "How long were you planning to keep this from me?"

My wife, Delphine, and I had been married for six years, and during all that time, I was the sole provider.

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I had a well-paying management job at Halbrook Industries and earned enough for us to live comfortably. Delphine had never worked during our marriage, and neither of us had ever seen a problem with that. She loved nice restaurants, expensive clothes, and vacations, and I liked being able to give her that life.

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Then my company announced it was shutting down our entire local office.

Nearly eighty people lost their jobs that afternoon, including me.

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I drove home terrified about what would come next, but I kept telling myself we'd figure it out together. We had savings, I had experience, and this was exactly when a marriage was supposed to mean something.