Marriage, I learned, is not about love alone.
It is about survival.
That night started like any normal, peaceful night. My wife was standing in front of me, slowly opening the buttons of my shirt with a shy smile on her face. Everything felt romantic, safe, and under control.
Then suddenly she paused.
"Can I tell you something?" she asked softly.
Whenever a wife says that, a husband's heart skips a beat. Still, pretending to be brave, I smiled and said,
"Sure. Tell me."
She looked a little nervous.
"You know I can't hide things for long. We've been married for three months now. And before marriage, we were in a relationship for two years."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm… so?"
She took a deep breath.
"Before marriage, I used to lie to you."
At that moment, my brain stopped working.
Lie?
What kind of lie could appear after marriage like a surprise guest?
Sweat formed on my forehead. My mind started running faster than a broken fan. Trying to look calm, I asked,
"What lie?"
She smiled weakly and said,
"I loved you before marriage, yes. But not that much. Yet every time before hanging up the phone, I said, 'I love you more than my life.'"
For a second, my soul returned to my body.
Oh! That's it?
Relieved, I laughed and said,
"Those are just formalities. Everyone says that."
But the danger hadn't ended yet.
She looked at me with curious eyes.
"Oh… so you also loved me just normally? Not that much?"
Without thinking, like a foolish hero walking into fire, I replied,
"No."
The room went silent.
Romance quietly escaped through the window, and disaster entered through the door.
I realized something very important that night:
In marriage, honesty is good…
but timing is better.