I did not want to buy quiet by agreeing to someone else’s account of my life.

The negotiation had also forced me to confront my own imperfect financial habits.

I had treated our joint household account casually because I assumed we shared the same goals.

I occasionally moved money without labeling it carefully, and I had allowed personal and business expenses to sit too close together in my records.

None of that justified Spencer’s conduct, but I wanted my future to run on stronger systems.

I met with my bookkeeper and established a clear reimbursement policy, a separate reserve account, and monthly reviews that couldn’t be skipped when work became busy.