My fiancee (I'll call him B) and I were together 3 years. We moved in together after 6 months of dating, largely because he had a lot of debt from previous relationships and sharing my room in a house share was a much cheaper option. In the last 18 months, he managed to rid himself of debt, but we had numerous problems relating to his MH and anger management issues, and me being out a lot - during this time my step-mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer and I spent a lot of time with her and caring for her.

&amp;#x200B;

Toward the end of last year, B finally got out of debt, and in October we moved out of our single room in a shared house into a 1 bed apartment together. Unfortunately, in November, I took on a huge new project (a book deal for my first novel), my grandmother and step-mom died, plus my family dog which I'd owned for 18 years. I tried to put this aside, as I had tight deadlines on the book. A couple of weeks ago, I handed in the first draft, promptly get very ill, and felt suddenly overwhelmed with grief. My MH has been so poor - crying all the time, feeling physically ill, retreating from any and all social situations and just staying indoors.

&amp;#x200B;

B was away for a week with work and after a few days of being alone, I started to feel much better and to remember what life was like prior to all the intensity of the last few months/year and a half. I felt a sense of peace and safety by myself. When it got near to the date of him coming home I became an emotional wreck at the idea of him returning.  I told him I thought I needed time apart, just to hibernate and process alone, and that maybe in the future we could be together but that right now, I wasn't coping trying to be in a relationship whilst also grieving and working on my book.

&amp;#x200B;

His response was about how upset he is about trying to find a new place, how he's just rid himself of debt and will need to find enough money for a deposit. I earn more so we figured I would stay here in the 1 bed apartment alone and take on the full rent and he will move out and go elsewhere. He's really upset about this new and unexpected financial situation and I feel so guilty for requesting that we live apart especially when I know how long it took him to rid himself of debt but before. He's done nothing wrong - it's all stuff going with me, so I feel so sad at asking him to go. But I just desperately feel like I need time and space and solitude. Am I the asshole?