My Husband Developed A New Routine For Me To ‘Improve As A Partner’ — I Responded With A Valuable Lesson

Jake chuckled, thinking Lisa was in on the joke. But as he read on, his smile faded. “Wait… what’s all this?” He squinted at the figures, disbelief washing over him. “$1,200 for a personal trainer? $700 a month for groceries? Seriously, Lisa?”

Lisa leaned against the kitchen island, arms crossed. “You expect me to wake up at 5 a.m., hit the gym, whip up gourmet breakfasts, clean, cook, and entertain your friends. Shouldn’t we budget for that?”

Jake stared at the total. “$75,000 a year? You’re quitting your job?!”

She shrugged. “How else am I supposed to follow your plan? I can’t be the ‘perfect wife’ and work, right?”

He looked at the papers, his confidence slipping away. “I… I didn’t mean…” He stammered, eyes wide. “Lisa, I didn’t intend for it to come to this. I just thought…”

She met his gaze, her tone steady but firm. “You thought what? That I could just be ‘fixed’ like a project?” The hurt in her eyes was evident. “Marriage isn’t about checklists or schedules. It’s about respect. If you ever try to change me like this again, you’ll be facing consequences far greater than what’s on that paper.”

He stood there, speechless, finally recognizing the absurdity of his own expectations.