Trust Issues

Anonymous Message:

I am a married man with two children. In 2005, my wife and I were struggling financially. My wife, who comes from a financially stable family, is the last-born and only daughter in her family of five. I've always wanted to make money legitimately but lacked the capital to start a business.

One evening, my wife came home with half a million naira and gave it to me so I could start the business I had always wanted. When I asked where she got the money, she told me her aunt, who lives abroad, sent it after hearing about our struggles. A few months later, I discovered from her friend that she had actually stolen the money from her mother. Her mother, a successful businesswoman, had given her the money to deposit in the bank, but she lied, saying she was robbed on her way there. Her mother believed her and was just thankful that she wasn’t hurt.

I was devastated when I found out because I didn’t want to start my business with stolen money. But by then, it was too late—I had already invested the money, and the business was thriving. After a year, I fully repaid the money to my wife, who returned it to her mother. However, I never told her that I knew the truth.

It's been over 10 months now, but I’ve lost all trust and love for my wife. If she could steal from her own mother, how can I trust her with my property? Yes, the stolen money helped me start a successful business, but I didn’t know it was stolen at the time. Now, I want her out of my life before she steals from me too. How do I end this relationship without hurting her? I want it to end amicably.