I agree with you @sarahsweets as I too felt two ways about this scenario. Sometimes that gets blowback in that some don't look at a woman being a homemaker as a career. Instead many respond with criticism and how SHE should have made it a point to have a career for herself and be more independent. What needs to be considered is the culture the two of them grew up with. There are places even here in the US where the tradition is STILL that of where the woman's career is to be the "home maker". Rural can be very different than Metropolitan. Also, rural tends to be more religious and traditional than Metropolitan. Yes, there can be a mix in both, however it's not unusual to find more traditional in the more rural. There are some families where it's a tradition the woman seek out independence while there are still traditions that a woman can choose to be a homemaker and function on a one income lifestyle or the male being the main breadwinner.

Given that the children are grown and leaving the so called nest, his wife is probably going through empty nest syndrome and now that it's going to be just the two of them she isn't content with just that and wants to seek out something different.

He has been taken back by this change and had just assumed his wife would continue even though the children are exiting and are more on their own now. Well, while he filled his role, and was honest and responsible his wife wants to try other things in her life now and decided she wants freedom to do just that.