‘I learned a hard lesson’: My ex-husband gambled away our $900,000 life savings. Do I use my 401(k) to buy a home?

Dear Quentin,

I greatly enjoy reading

The Moneyist. I need some advice and I hope you can provide a little enlightenment.

Short backstory: My second husband had a gambling addiction and unbeknownst to me, cleaned out our savings and joint investment account over the course of six years for a total of almost $900,000. He managed these accounts and assured me we were in the $1 million territory. However, he never showed me documents to prove it and I didn’t ask because I loved and trusted him utterly; he also handled filing taxes.