Jake’s confidence vanished as he realized the weight of his actions. “I… I didn’t mean…” he stammered, eyes wide. “Lisa, I didn’t want it to turn out like this. I just thought—”

“What? That you could ‘upgrade’ me like a project?” I said, pain simmering beneath my calm tone. “Marriage isn’t a checklist, Jake. It’s built on respect. Try to ‘fix’ me again, and it’ll cost you more than that list.”

Silence thickened the air. Jake sighed. “I’m sorry. It was foolish. Steve made it sound logical, but now I see—it’s toxic.”

“Have you even looked at Steve’s life?” I asked. “Why take advice from someone who knows nothing about real relationships?”

Jake’s face fell. “You’re right. He’s clueless.” He crumpled the list. “I’ve been such a fool.”

“Yes, but we can fix this. Let’s get rid of it and be partners again.”

Jake managed a small smile as we shredded the list, feeling like a team for the first time in weeks. Marriage, after all, is about growing together, not ‘fixing’ one another.