His six-figure income, which seemed boundless and untouchable, was hemorrhaging into the coffers of casinos and online betting sites. The ten-dollar daily allowance was not a punishment or an indication of infidelity; it was a desperate strategy to save their family from financial ruin.

Daniel’s letters were addressed to Rachel, full of apologies and a raw honesty she had never witnessed in him before. “I’m sorry,” one letter began. “I never wanted to hurt you, and I hate myself for the lies and the facade. I’m trapped in this spiral, fearing the shame of admitting my failures, fearing that you’d leave me if you knew the truth.”