Just to echo a few sentiments...
It’s your hobby, your money, your time, your image, your enjoyment
Some folk like the competition, the thrill of the chase, whatever it is, get in touch with your goals and reach for the stars
Sorry, a bit philosophical for this time of the morning
Another analogy is, especially for the Mrs, is that telescopes are like shoes...you don’t wear hiking boots the ballet nor do you wear stilletos to hike a mountain
An SCT, a mid-size newt and a small(ish) refractor cover a lot of bases and should keep you busy for a while. Each has their own strengths, and weaknesses.
Just remember that the scope is just one side of the equation. The photon receiver is the other side. Visual or camera. This camera or that camera. Cameras have different characteristics, sensor size, pixel size, QE, noise, cooling or not...similarly, all have their uses. A combinatorial approach gives you more options...and cameras are more invisible than telescopes