It started as a lighthearted game of Scrabble, but it ended with a splash that changed everything. My husband, a successful surgeon with a quick temper at home, lost his patience after I beat him and impulsively threw my phone straight into the pool. In the past, I would have shouted back, starting another endless argument that went nowhere. But this time, I surprised even myself — I didn’t fight. Instead, I reached quietly for my journal, the one place where I had been recording the truth of our marriage piece by piece.
Inside that notebook were pages filled not only with moments of joy but also with a painful record of his outbursts and dismissive behavior. Keeping notes had become my way of staying grounded, especially when he later tried to downplay his actions. As I sat flipping through its pages that evening, I saw the full picture of our life together: the anniversaries, the laughter, the times he had supported me — but also the sharp words, the slammed doors, and now, the phone sinking beneath the pool’s surface.
The realization hit me that the problem wasn’t just about a game or even the phone. It was about something far deeper — respect, communication, and whether we were still partners building each other up or slowly breaking each other down. Our marriage wasn’t all bad, but it was undeniably fragile, and I couldn’t ignore that truth anymore.
When he finally returned from his call, still looking uneasy, I didn’t yell or accuse. Instead, I handed him the journal and said softly, “This is how I’ve been feeling. Read it, and then let’s decide what comes next.” For the first time in a long while, he didn’t brush me off or make excuses. He sat down, opened the journal, and listened. That simple moment didn’t solve everything, but it shifted the ground beneath us. It wasn’t just about a phone in the pool — it was the beginning of an honest conversation that might be the key to saving our marriage.