DEAR ABBY: I am in my early 30s and happy in certain aspects of my life: I recently moved to a house and married a man I love very much. I have friends, hobbies and dreams. One of these dreams is to be a novelist, although I do marketing for a tech company right now.

This brings me to my problem: I have been feeling depressed by my job. Working in tech marketing is not something I enjoy; it's something I have done in recent years to pay the bills. My job is high-stress and fast-moving, and people can be impatient.

Typically, I keep any work-induced depression at bay by running, writing and spending time with loved ones. But lately, these things haven't lessened the negative feelings I have from work as much. In fact, I have begun feeling less joy in the things I typically do with my free time.

I feel like a failure for trying to write a novel in the midst of so much work. I am afraid if I quit my job, I won't be able to make mortgage payments and will burden my husband with an unfair amount of stress. He is also unhappy at his tech job but doing it to help support us.

Getting a new job won't fix this, because I've felt down at other tech marketing jobs that pay me enough to afford our house and save up for having a child (another dream). How can I get out from under this rain cloud? Do I want too much out of life? -- STYMIED IN CALIFORNIA

DEAR STYMIED: A solution that might work for you would be a part-time job in tech that would help you to pay the mortgage, while affording you free time to pursue your writing. Give yourself a one-year deadline, see if there is any interest in what you have produced and proceed from there. I wish you luck.

DEAR ABBY: Should I change my financial arrangement with my husband? We have been married 18 years and have a joint checking account. He has a separate account for his side business that's just for him. I have a separate account I use for my job to renew licenses and finance my continuing education. During the last few years, he has insisted I pay my own medical bills (which had always come out of our joint account before).

I have a history of thyroid cancer, and my family has a history of more serious cancers. He tells me I go to the doctor too often. I typically go for an annual physical, annual thyroid exam and to the gynecologist. We have medical insurance.

I'm starting to wonder if I should just ask for my paycheck to be deposited into my own account and then transfer money over to the joint account to cover our household bills, which he also pays. I don't want to start a fight about it as he and I are quite traditional in most ways. Help! I feel like I have no money even though we both work full time. -- DIVIDING IT UP IN INDIANA

DEAR DIVIDING: You have a valid point. It's time for you and your husband to sit down with a financial adviser and work something out that is fair to both of you. Your CPA may be able to help you or recommend someone.

DEAR ABBY: My ex-husband and I were best friends. We shared everything -- dreams, laughs and struggles. I was convinced we'd grow old together. When he proposed, I said yes without hesitation. We had plans to start a family, but he asked me to wait until we purchased a home. I waited five years, trusting that the dream we had built together was still alive.

In time, we bought our house, but when I asked about having children, something had shifted. He told me he no longer wanted kids. I was heartbroken. The life we had talked about for years suddenly dissolved. Soon after, he invited his mother, sister, brother-in-law and their daughter to move in with us. I tried to be understanding, but I began feeling like a guest in my own home -- like he loved me, but prioritized them. Eventually, he told me he was moving out. He bought a condo and moved with his entire family, and I was left alone -- emotionally and physically.

I have tried to convince myself that this was never really about the kids, but I can't shake the guilt. Part of me keeps thinking if I had said no to children, would he have stayed? Even now, years later, I still care for him and cannot seem to let go. I don't know how to move forward when someone who was once my everything still occupies so much of my heart, even if he's no longer in my life. How do I let go of someone who let go of me so easily? -- DREAM DESTROYED IN VIRGINIA

DEAR 'DREAM': You feel guilty for having wanted children, after your husband led you on for years pretending that he did? You were grossly misled and then deserted. If that reality hasn't been enough to help you "let go," then what you need is professional help from someone who is licensed to give it. You are clinging to the fantasy of this person, not the reality.

DEAR ABBY: My retired husband of 15 years, "Seth," is pushing me to the edge of divorce. He's extremely negative, verbally abusive and estranged from many friends, which has harmed my relationships with friends and family. He drinks almost all day (I drink as well), calls me horrible names I won't repeat and refuses to respect my sleep needs (I'm still working). He thinks he's being "funny" when he acts this way. Seth doesn't hear well, so he talks softly, and this also leads to unnecessary arguments.

I love Seth, but I feel like he is destroying my spirit and who I am. I used to be an independent, capable person. Now I feel like I am always walking on eggshells. I dread coming home from work some days. I just want to run away. Your thoughts? -- END OF MY ROPE IN IDAHO

DEAR 'END': Go online to Al-Anon (al-anon.org/info), find a location near you and attend some of the meetings. Then, if you are really at the end of your rope, draw the line with your disrespectful, alcoholic verbal abuser. Tell him loudly, when he's a little more sober than usual, that you have had it and that if he doesn't stop drinking, his marriage is over. Then save yourself and follow through.

DEAR ABBY: Two years ago, my husband was told that our adult child's partner had tested positive for COVID two days before we were scheduled to visit them. My husband -- a forever Good Time Charlie -- decided not to inform me. Neither of us at that point had contracted COVID. We had taken every precaution we could to avoid it.

I have MS, which can react in unpredictable ways to viral exposures. My husband knows this very well, which is why I'm perplexed and furious that he thought it better to "stay on the good side" of our son by not allowing me to decide for myself whether I wanted to walk into a potentially deadly situation.

I only realized the danger I was facing when our son, while driving us to his apartment, suddenly apologized to my husband, stating he "couldn't do it," and said his partner was in the throes of COVID! I was shocked speechless, but I held my tongue until we were alone.

My husband said he didn't think it was a "big deal" because we wouldn't have stayed long, and he knew I'd back out of the visit and "ruin it for everyone." He doesn't understand the issue, and I'm considering a divorce because he withheld information which could have led to a serious health outcome for me.

Is his behavior as major an issue as I think it is, or am I overreacting? We've been married 40 years, in a generally fair relationship, but we married very young. His blatant disregard for my health, let alone his own, not caring how either of us would react if we had become exposed to COVID, may be unforgivable. Do you agree? -- GOOD TIME CHARLIE'S WIFE

DEAR WIFE: Was your husband's selfish lapse in judgment a one-time thing or has he always been this way? "Ruin the visit for everyone"? Your son's partner was in no condition to entertain. You are fortunate the visit didn't turn into a tragedy. I think you should discuss this not only with your physician but also an attorney and take your cues from them.

DEAR ABBY: I have been with my boyfriend, "Matt," for three years. Everything was great in the beginning, and I was happy I had found someone with the same interests as me.

I have a son, and we are very close because it has been pretty much just me and him for a long time. Matt hates it! He constantly says extremely mean things about my job as a mother. My son hides out in his room all the time, and it has become awkward here. Matt and I have a house together. I am miserable and want out. I have seen what a mean and angry person Matt can be, and I'm done. How do I start that conversation and move on with my life with my son? -- FED UP IN ARIZONA

DEAR FED UP: Your boyfriend isn't likely to overcome his jealousy of your son. If you and Matt own the house jointly, you may need a lawyer to ensure you get your money out. Contact one and ask what the process involves. Once you have that information, let your lawyer tell you how to proceed with separating yourself from Matt.