DEAR ABBY: My niece, “Elle,” and her husband, “Liam,” have been self-employed for 20 years, but due to the economy, Liam decided to go into the workforce. He is now employed at a state job with great pay and benefits for them and their four children.
Our family is elated for him and his family, except Elle. It’s unbelievable how determined she is to get her husband fired. She can’t stand for Liam to be away from her. She fights daily with him, telling him he has “chosen a job over his family.” They were always a nice family unit, but now Elle is destroying it because of the insecure, overbearing control she needs to have. It’s heartbreaking to see, especially since their teenage kids are looking for other places to sleep due to the constant arguments.
I wish I could make Elle understand that this job means they will no longer be struggling financially, but she doesn’t care. She wants to be near Liam at all times. The situation is awful. I can’t believe they may end up in divorce court because her husband got a great state job. Your thoughts on this, please? -- HELPLESS IN PENNSYLVANIA
DEAR HELPLESS: I think your niece’s insecurity and insistence on having her husband on a short leash at all times is unhealthy, to say the least. She needs professional help, and Liam should insist upon it. If she refuses, he will then have to decide whether the current status of their marriage is something he wants to tolerate for the foreseeable future and plan his next steps accordingly.
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Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
