Destructive Deceit

One engaged couple went for marriage counseling. They had been engaged for a year but the guy had never told his fiancee about the $32,000.00 worth of debt he had racked up on credit cards. Finally coming clean he told her of the debt and then explained that the reason he had kept that from her was because he was afraid he’d lose her. Guess what? He did lose her. When she heard that, she felt completely betrayed. He was a good guy. He had not meant to hurt her. In fact, he probably justified his lack of disclosure precisely because he didn’t want to upset her, but by keeping that secret, he’d shown her that he could not be trusted. He didn’t believe she could be his partner and help him figure out a way to deal with that debt. His deceit ruined their relationship.