My wife left me and the kids over a sump pump.

By @tatekindof · Family

She wanted a new kitchen. I knew our basement would flood if I didn't replace the 20-year-old sump pump first. It finally happened last week, and now she says I chose a machine over our family and she's staying with her sister.

The full story

We had about $8,000 saved up. Not a ton of money for us. It was for a house project. She had her heart set on a kitchen renovation. New countertops, new cabinets, the whole deal. I get it, ours is dated. But I went down to the basement in the spring and noticed the sump pump was making a noise. It was the original from when the house was built 20 years ago. I've been a plumber for 25 years. I know what a failing pump sounds like. I told her, we have to replace this, or we're gonna have a serious problem. It was gonna cost about $3,000 for a proper system with a battery backup. She lost it. Said I was always prioritizing boring house stuff over things that would make our lives nicer. That I was being selfish. We fought about it for a week straight. I told her a nice kitchen doesn't mean much when your basement is full of sewage. I finally just went and did it. I ordered the parts and put it in myself one weekend. She barely spoke to me for a month. Then last week, we got one of those huge summer thunderstorms. Half the town flooded. Our basement was bone dry. All our neighbors had 2-3 feet of water. They're all tearing out drywall, dealing with mold, thousands in damage. I thought she'd see I was right. I said something like, "Aren't you glad I fixed that pump?" It was the wrong thing to say. She packed a bag and took the kids to her sister's place. they said I cared more about being right than her feelings, and that I chose a piece of equipment over our marriage. Now she won't answer my calls. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. I saved our house.

How people voted

OP Is Right — 32% (6 votes)
Both Messy — 53% (10 votes)
OP Is Wrong — 16% (3 votes)

Readers say “Both Messy” (53%) — 19 votes and 5 comments so far.

What people are saying

@danikindof — The sump pump isn't the issue, it's the complete lack of respect she has for you.
@wesish — Does she not understand how much a flooded basement costs to fix?
@maeactually — My parents got divorced over my dad buying a riding lawnmower instead of paying for a trip to Disney World lol.
@niayy — I feel like gloating about being right was probably the real final straw here.
@samesame — A man's job is to protect his house and his family, and that's exactly what you did.

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