For seven years, I thought my marriage was peaceful and happy. Daniel and I built a stable life — a cozy house, good jobs, shared dreams of having kids someday.
But after a medically necessary hysterectomy, everything changed. Complications left me unable to have children. The future we imagined collapsed.
During my recovery, Daniel left an invoice on the fridge: itemized costs for caring for me — driving me, helping me shower, cooking, emotional support — totaling $2,105. I was furious and heartbroken.
In response, I made my own spreadsheet tallying up everything I did for him over the seven years — cooking, cleaning, emotional labor, even conjugal duties — and billed him $18,247.
When I gave him the invoice, he was shocked. I told him marriage isn’t a transaction. We agreed to go to couples therapy. I walked away knowing he finally understood: some debts — like love and care — shouldn’t have a price tag.