By mid-2022, Mary knew she needed to leave her husband of almost 20 years.
While she and her soon-to-be-ex-husband still have a cordial relationship, Mary—who asked that her last name be withheld to talk freely about her divorce in the midst of the proceedings—says they began to have increasingly polarized political views over the past few years, and she didn't feel at home anymore with him or among their community. She took about a year to think through the decision and shore up her finances, and last November, the couple separated.
