Sadly threatening suicide or self harm is a very very common way for spouses for keeping the other one from leaving. I know number of people who have to deal with it. My coworker is dealing with it now, I have friends who dealt with it etc it often does make people stay out of fear, so disturbing. People do crazy things keeping their partners from leaving: lie, manipulate, threaten. Why would they want someone to stay on this kind of premise?