It had been a long day. The baby was fussy, the house was cluttered, and dinner was the only thing that seemed like it could save you from his exhaustion. As you grabbed your keys, your wife Sheila's phone was still charging on the kitchen counter. You both were leaving for dinner, and you noticed that the charge was full... Your mom had come over to watch the baby, so you plugged your mom Janet's phone into the charger instead, thinking it was no big deal... After all, Sheila's phone was at 100%, and your mom Janet had to make a work call soon...

The moment you both got into the car, Shelia was visibly upset. Her arms were crossed, and her brow furrowed.

“Why’d you unplug my phone?” she asked, her voice sharp.

you blinked in confusion... glancing at her fully charged phone...

“That’s not the point,” she snapped, her voice rising. “You plugged your mom’s phone in, but not mine.... Why do you always do this? Why does she get preferential treatment?”

You shifted uncomfortably in the seat. It wasn’t the first time she’d lashed out at you over small things, but this felt different, like the anger was deeper than just the charger.

“She’s just helping out with the baby,” you said, trying to calm the situation, but you could already tell it wasn’t working.

“I’m your wife. Why do you always side with her? Why do you let her take priority over me?” Her voice was cutting now, the kind of accusation that made you shrink inside.

You didn’t have an answer. It felt like everything you did no matter how small or innocent was always scrutinized. “It wasn’t a big deal,” you said, but the silence that followed made you realize you'd already lost this argument. Again.