2 Years after Baby’s Birth, Man Asks Wife for Divorce, Withdraws All Their Money, and Disappears

After returning home from work, the man told his wife that he would divorce her. He left without a trace, and she kept looking for him. Several months later, she discovered the incredible things he’d done behind her back. 

What would you do if your spouse came to you out of the blue and said they wanted a divorce? One mom on Reddit was at a loss when her husband told her this. The reason, which she revealed later, left readers furious on the “Legal Advice” subreddit. 

Wisconsin-based Redditor lonsigling2020 was torn apart, and before she could process the truth, her husband cleaned their bank accounts and shut down her credit cards. The penniless mom of a baby girl thought the internet would be her last resort and shared her story online.

After returning home from work one night, OP’s husband told her he would divorce her. | Source: Pexels

The Original Poster (OP) said she wasn’t too surprised when her husband told her about the divorce. But what piqued her was that it happened without notice. OP revealed that their marriage had already landed on the rocks after their daughter was born. 

She kept her focus high on tracking her husband and discovered some surprising details about him. 

Ever since OP welcomed her daughter a couple of years ago, she’d been a stay-at-home mom. During this time, she barely saw her husband connect with the baby. He was furious and disappointed right from the day it was revealed they were having a girl and not a boy like he wished. 

So after OP welcomed their baby, her husband grew distant, and the final straw happened when he returned from work and cried divorce. Even worse, the guy’s parting words unimaginably crushed OP.

OP tried talking to her husband, and as he finished packing his stuff, he said: “Good luck with the mortgage and bills. I’ve taken MY money out of our bank account and turned off your card on MY credit.”

OP checked her bank balance online & found her husband had wiped it clean, leaving her just $5. | Source: Unsplash

The mom was stunned though she expected something like this would happen. But he ripping her off financially took her by surprise. 

She decided to seek legal help and immediately logged into their bank account online. But just as she signed in, OP was shocked to see he’d already cleaned the account, leaving nothing more than $5. 

The woman realized she couldn’t afford a lawyer, so she sought the internet’s help to find resources for a free attorney. She wanted to try her luck getting her husband to pay for the necessities like bills and food until she could find childcare and a job. 

“I understand it’s all “his” money, but we are married with a child. I don’t see how he can just leave us with nothing all of a sudden,” she asserted.

The post’s top-voted commenter, mmmmpisghetti, encouraged OP to keep fighting and assured her she would get through this as long as she took the legal route. 

“Going forward, keep all your communication with him via text or email…Imagine the text being read in court. Imagine the recording being played in front of a judge,” the person proclaimed.

OP turned to the internet for guidance to find an attorney. | Source: Pexels

Meanwhile, OP’s situation worsened with time. She struggled for even the bare essentials for her and the baby. That’s when she decided to take the next big step to feed her child.

OP sold her wedding ring and used the money for food and diapers. She kept her search for legal assistance on top priority to get financial aid from her husband. She badly needed this until she was approved for childcare through state benefits and got a job. 

OP also decided to file for divorce before her husband could so she could get an order passed for him to pay her bills, child support, and other necessities.

Eventually, she managed to find a lawyer. She provided her bank statements with other paperwork and proceeded with her filing.

But OP’s dilemma took a different turn after two people from Child Protection Services (CPS) landed on her doorstep. 

OP sold her wedding ring to buy baby essentials & food. | Source: Unsplash

The officers informed OP about allegations made against her, such as her inability to provide childcare and afford essentials like food and diapers.

OP suspected her husband had reported her and showed them the legal paperwork from her lawyer. This prompted CPS personnel to let the allegations slide and walk away.

But OP had her doubts and knew they would be back to check and verify the truth. She focused on tracking her husband and discovered some surprising details about him. 

It turned out that the man quit his job and unlinked his card from the bills. He also tried to convert his paperless bills to paper bills, but when he wasn’t allowed to convert all his paperless bills, he decided to cancel his credit cards as well as OP’s.

People online encouraged OP to keep fighting. | Source: Pexels

Although OP came this far with her legal proceedings, her attempts turned futile since her husband’s whereabouts were unknown. The court date for the divorce was scheduled shortly, but she surmised things would only get worse if her husband didn’t show up. 

After reading her story, people pitied OP and encouraged her to keep fighting. Some also shared their honest opinions to help OP push forward.

“The only bright spot in this will be if/when they DO find him…This behavior is indefensible morally, but even less defensible in family court,” Redditor Retro_Dad assured.

As the discussion heated up, some, like user catdaddy230 predicted OP’s husband would not get away from facing the consequences of abandoning his family. “He obviously doesn’t want custody, but they’re going to give her child support and likely spousal support, and he can’t hide forever,” the Redditor said, adding:

“Unless he’s willing to change his name and SSN (Social Security Number), they’ll find him, and they might find him even if he changes everything.”

Some online felt OP’s husband didn’t want their child’s custody. | Source: Unsplash

After a rough couple of months, OP returned with an update, but it was partly pleasant and partly upsetting. 

Her husband’s whereabouts remained a mystery, but it was found that he claimed their child on his taxes to get a tax credit. With mortgage and bills over her head, OP finally managed to get on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). She got a job that moderately worked for her childcare hours. 

Amidst her fight for justice and child support, OP planned a better future with her baby. She expressed: “Trying to avoid paying all the bills attached to the house…so I can save up enough to hopefully get us the smallest cheapest apartment around and keep working.”

However, only time will tell how this mother has sorted out her issues and if she found her husband before the court date. 

OP continued to put a brave fight to build a better future for her baby. | Source: Unsplash

Questions to Ponder:

What would you do if your spouse distanced from your child due to the kid’s gender?

OP claimed her husband started distancing himself from their baby ever since it was declared they were about to have a girl and not a boy. Although OP was prepared for turmoil in her marriage, do you think she could’ve taken a stand and made her husband realize that relationships aren’t built on gender? If you were OP, how would you handle this situation?

How would you handle your husband divorcing you unexpectedly if you were OP? Would you fight for justice, or would you move on?

In OP’s story, she said she was aware of the complications in her marriage, especially after her husband was unwelcoming toward their daughter. Although OP was prepared for a turbulent split from her husband, what would you do if you were OP? Would you fight your husband in court, or would you try to build bridges with him considering your child’s future?

If you liked reading this story, here’s one about how a man observed his girlfriend’s strange behavior after giving birth and took a paternity test on their newborn. 

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