Andrea and Thomas started their marriage with a balanced financial plan: separate accounts for personal spending, a joint account for shared bills. Thomas’s careful money management once inspired Andrea, symbolizing responsibility and trust.

But over time, Thomas’s scrutiny deepened into obsession. Every expense — from almond milk to Andrea’s bathwater — became a line item to divide exactly. Cooking meals? A bill. Doing laundry? A charge. Even their shared Wi-Fi became a contested commodity, with Thomas sending a Venmo request for “$20 Wi-Fi usage fee” while Andrea prepared for a crucial work presentation.

Fed up, Andrea did the unthinkable: she tallied every household chore she’d done over two years, assigning market rates, and presented Thomas with a $20,254 invoice — her emotional labor made painfully visible.

When Thomas reacted with shock and denial, Andrea declared she was leaving, not over money, but because he had reduced their marriage to a cold business transaction. Her departure forced both to confront a heartbreaking truth: partnership cannot survive when love is measured in cents.