My wife abandoned us and took all my money
Question:
Good Afternoon, Brother Hamilton,
My wife and I were baptized into Christ and added to the Body.
Last fall, my wife rushed to get dressed for a meeting. I asked her when the dementia medication for my Dad would arrive. It had already been several weeks. This led to an argument where we both spoke inappropriately. My wife stormed out and never returned home, leaving the kids and me after stealing all of my life savings out of my private bank account.
We filed a missing person report, but weeks later, she tells us by text that she is in a woman's home for emotional distress and depression. I started investigating, not believing it was her because she never called; she only texted. I went into our phone account and realized there were numerous unknown numbers on the account. I started to call them, reporting her missing. One of her clients asked me if I knew a particular gentleman. I told him no. After conducting further research, I tracked him down and discovered his phone number on our bill. I called him. There was no answer, but he texted that he hadn't heard from her.
My son, later that week, noticed her laptop logging in from a town in another state. I hired a private investigator to investigate this client of hers and found out he was a convicted con artist and scammer. This same man was a native of the same town where my wife's laptop was being used! I contacted the authorities, who looked for my wife's missing car, but to no avail. I drove to the town and met with a deputy that night. He told me to drive around the area to see if her car was there and to call him if I needed him.
I found her car at a home. I pressed the doorbell, but there was no answer. I walked to my truck and waited because there was a car running in the driveway. An elderly woman came out of the house, cursing me. She was followed by a short young man who raised his shirt up, brandishing a firearm. I left, called the police, and waited for them. During this time, the elderly woman, who was the guy's mom, stopped next to me in the little car I had seen running earlier. She said, "Baby, there has to be a better way to resolve this." She asks me if she really is my wife. I said, "Yes ma'am, we have been married for many years and have children." The lady was surprised. She said my wife told her she had never been married and had no kids.
Before we could finish, the police arrived. I forgot to mention earlier that my wife started texting me to send my location so she could meet me. She repeatedly claimed she wasn't in this town, and that the guy I had located was a business associate. The cops came. They surrounded me and searched my truck, where I keep my licensed handgun in the armrest. They told me to leave and not come back to this town. They stated that my wife told them I was beating her, which is why she left. That was all lies. She didn't set foot outside until I was leaving.
Another thing I wanted to add, she had been doing credit repair online with unsavory individuals who told her to go to the doctor and tell him she can't concentrate, so she can get an ADHD diagnosis for Adderall, which I believe she became addicted to. She never had ADHD. My daughter overheard her being coached on how to get Adderall. Before this prescription, she would never have done the things she has done.
Last fall, after she left, I went to the bank to withdraw money and found out that all my funds had been wired out by her. I reported it, and the bank declined to refund the money. She also allowed the taxes to back up and sued the HOA, resulting in the fees for all taxes rising to over $30,000. She made numerous false allegations against me, bringing me to court in that other town. I was told the guy blackmailed her and held her against her will after picking her up in a large city. He called his cousin, who owned a tow truck, and had her vehicle towed to a dealership, taking her to his grandma's home. All the charges she made against me were eventually dismissed, costing me over $5,000. She walked into the courtroom, not knowing I would be there, with her boyfriend in front of me and my dad, her brother. The court ruled that we were not to contact each other.
She tried to stop me from divorcing her. She then moves back to my state with the guy who left threatening voice messages on my phone. All of this was reported to the police-- the thefts, identity theft, forgery, wires, and the abandonment of her children. She isn't a US citizen. I figure she made the false abuse allegations so she could stay in the United States under the VAWA Act. I don't know what happened to her mentally or spiritually. I spent 14k on a divorce, but the divorce didn't happen because she didn't do mediation like the judge insisted, even though I complied with the judge.
My estranged spouse has become a stumbling block for me and my children. She has manipulated my daughter, who now lives with her, and was making up lies for her Mom in court. I'm disabled and penniless. Law enforcement isn't doing anything. She claims she has repented, yet she is still in adultery. She was grounded in the truth. We used to be on fire for the Lord. She had been dealing with this guy for over three years. She stole from me and even bought him a luxury car. She attempted to place our home in a trust fund, leaving herself as the sole grantor, even though I purchased the home outright from an injury settlement.
I wonder if God stopped the divorce from being finalized. I don't know what to do. I need sound advice from a biblical stance. I'm not Job or Hosea. It would be a lie to say I don't love her still, because before this, she was a good woman. I know I have grounds for divorce. She may face prosecution and deportation. Help please
Answer:
When reading notes like yours, I have to remind myself repeatedly that I'm only hearing one side of the story. "The first to plead his case seems right, until another comes and examines him" (Proverbs 18:17).
Your state has no-fault divorces, so I don't see a logical reason why your divorce wasn't granted. It sounds like you have sufficient evidence that she abandoned you and the children. What you need is a decent lawyer to complete all the necessary legal paperwork and to have her name removed from your accounts and home. You also need to press for sole custody of your children.
I can't begin to guess her motivations. Jesus said we are to examine what people do and the results of their actions. "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit" (Matthew 7:16-18). Your wife has abandoned her faith. Right now, you need to protect your family.
Perhaps she will change in the future, but you can address that when the day comes. Currently, you need to establish clear boundaries.
Question:
She has left my credit damaged, bank account empty, and the money I spent on a lawyer is gone. I need to get my taxes in order for my home. I need a Sole Conservatorship for my kids, which I previously filed. I will take your advice. I agree that there are two sides to a story. But as God knows all, she has gone with her flesh. I will continue to strive to grow spiritually, alongside my kids.
Do you have any advice on how to overcome this feeling of loneliness? According to the truth, I'm still under a covenant, but I miss the company of a woman, especially my once-righteous wife. This is extremely difficult!
Thanks to God and you, Brother Hamilton.
Answer:
Until your divorce is finalized, you are still married to your wife. As such, you can use the time to work on yourself and help your family. Yes, it is hard. Life can be really hard at times. But we get through it all with God's help, and in the process, we grow to become better people.
Response:
Amen.Thanks.