My Husband Is After My Life 

Imagine a bubbly lady in her mid-thirties, seated at the back of a tinted SUV, legs crossed, AC on full blast. The driver is driving between 80 – 100mph, Tyla’s Chanel playing loudly through the speakers, and she lip syncs to it while making snaps and vibing like a full-time influencer with no brand deals but plenty of enjoyment. That was me

Where were we going? Ikoyi. Spa appointment.

I had been looking forward to it all week, even though my last one was just three days ago at the Himalayas. But please, glowing skin is a responsibility.

Life was… grand. I was a stay-at-home mum married to a man whom people used to describe as “wealthy.” But me, I called him God-sent. My weekends were spent hopping from Lagos to Dubai, Paris, or Canada on his private jet. Breakfast in a boutique café overlooking the Seine, lunch at a rooftop restaurant in Dubai with gold-plated cutlery, dinner in New York with a view of the skyline and champagne.

And my wardrobe? Let’s not even start. I had wigs in every style, colour, and length; straight, curly, platinum blonde, jet black, 20-inch, 30-inch, you name it, I had it. Shoes stacked like small skyscrapers in my closet, handbags that could double as a car boot, and designer clothes that barely survived two wears before a new obsession came along. My nails were never anything less than freshly sculpted, my brows always on point, and my skincare routine looked like a chemistry experiment.

I shopped like I was starring in a lifestyle magazine, no calculators, no worries about bills, all I had to do was swipe my black card. If I fancied a bag today, I just had to reach out to the brand, and it was delivered the same day. If I saw a limited-edition wig online, I’d get it on credit, and of course, my reputation precedes me, so the vendors are always willing to sell to me. I didn’t budget at all. I just… desired.

Nothing prepared me for the life I was about to experience…

First, it was a limit on the card, I laughed it off. Maybe it was just a temporary hold, and my husband was barely even around for me to have that conversation with. Then the “trip gifts” stopped; he would come back from whichever country he went to without getting me anything. Then it dawned on me that the flow of money I had always counted on wasn’t endless.

I couldn’t remember when I last saw the private jets, the trips were rarer, and the surprises almost nonexistent. I didn’t know why. Our marriage seemed fine, but the generosity was evaporating. And later, when I found out he had “someone else”, everything clicked. The man who had treated me like a queen, who never let a whim of mine go unfulfilled, had started prioritising someone else.

Suddenly, my luxury was gone, I didn’t have any money of my own, I was scared. I started calculating how to keep my hair, nails, and outfits going without raising alarms. My spa trips reduced, shopping became “window shopping,” and I started checking prices… me! I was broke in a way I never imagined, and I had no backup plan.

That was when the sentence formed in my head: My husband is after my life.

Not my physical life, but the life I was used to, the soft life, the “I don’t check prices” life, the “baby-girl” life. That life was dying slowly and painfully, and I had nothing of my own to hold onto. I had built my entire lifestyle on just spending money, until reality slapped me harder than any argument ever could: Money will always go; it will disappear, and you will keep wondering where the money went.

Moral of the Story

There are a few people who fall into this category of luxury, but whatever phase or level you are in life, if you are a 9-5er, your office may suddenly decide to downsize, if you are an “Odogwu’s wife”, your odogwu may not always be there, or if you are a freelancer, your clients might not renew your contract.

Bottom line is, everyone should prepare and save for emergencies. It is not about how much you have now, it is about preparing for tomorrow, for the unexpected twists life may throw at you.

With platforms like Open Space, you don’t even have to think too hard. The Spend & Save feature automatically saves a percentage of every naira you spend, so every time you buy a wig, a dress, or even grab lunch, a little bit goes straight into your savings account.

Beyond that, the AI-powered insights are a game-changer. It watches your spending patterns quietly, like a personal adviser, and gives gentle nudges when you’re overdoing it in one area. It can even forecast what happens if income slows down and suggest adjustments so you are never caught off guard.

No matter how wealthy or secure life feels, always have a plan for the unexpected.