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"We Let Ourselves and Each Other Go." How Did Your Relationship Change After Marriage?

Angela Price3 min read
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"We Let Ourselves and Each Other Go." How Did Your Relationship Change After Marriage? — Mind & soul
In this article

Some couples find their relationship fundamentally changed by that little piece of paper...

Feeling Fooled

I’ve had three wives, and I can say that as soon as we said "I do," the sex became as rare as a bear’s growl in a cheese shop. Women only put in the effort until that ring’s on their finger—that’s the sad truth.

Behind Bars

My ex-husband was loaded and thought that by marrying me, I’d cease to exist as a person and become his possession, locked in a golden cage. The marriage lasted eight months before I escaped.

No Change

Marriage didn’t change a thing; it was having kids that turned everything upside down—in both good and challenging ways...

Couple in love holding hands

Getting Comfy

We lived together for ten years before the wedding and didn’t expect any surprises after the big day—but there were. We were sporty, active people, but a year after the wedding, we’d become boring homebodies. At first, we thought the wedding and honeymoon hustle deserved a break. But one lazy year turned into two, then three, and we each gained about 44 lbs (20 kg). We stopped going out because we were ashamed of how we looked and barely had sex because we disliked our bodies. After the fourth year of this slump, we let ourselves and each other go. I’ve lost the weight since, but my ex got even heavier and still hasn’t found anyone.

A New Dimension

I feel even closer since we officially became a couple. We appreciate each other more because we promised lifelong loyalty. It’s just us against the world until the end, and we protect what we have fiercely.

The Title

Finally, I can say she’s "my wife." It feels amazing to say because I’m still proud she chose me to share the rest of her life with.

A 180-Degree Turn

For four years, she played the perfect dream woman, then after the wedding, Dr. Jekyll turned into Mrs. Hyde. She stopped being affectionate and barely lets me touch her. The woman who used to wait for me in sexy lingerie now lounges on the couch in stretched-out sweatpants, munching chips. I say hello, and she doesn’t even look up, glued to some trashy reality show. My friends say I could take this to court because it feels like fraud.

Woman wearing engagement ring holding fiancé’s hand

Nothing

Nothing changed except my signature—I took my husband’s last name. I believe relationships that fall apart after marriage were doomed from the start.

Money, Money, Money

After getting married, my wife and I opened a joint bank account—and that was our downfall, or rather, mine. Before, we split bills and groceries, each with our own money. But once we joined lives, it seemed right to pool our income, right? Nope! I earn way more, and she spends money like there’s no tomorrow! She buys all kinds of nonsense, and I nearly fainted when she said she wants to quit her job. I’m sure if she quits, she’ll never work again. I don’t mind supporting her—she’s my wife—but at this rate, we’ll be broke soon.

The Outside World

For us, nothing else changed, but relatives, friends, officials, and everyone else treat us differently. It’s strange, but they seem to take us more seriously now, seeing us as one unit rather than two separate people.

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