I Graded Our Marriage 0/100

Jenson Clarke lives his life like a report card. When we were dating, he used to say that anyone or anything scoring under 90 wasn't worth his time. After we get married, he grades everything I do. On our wedding anniversary, I cook a whole table of his favorite dishes. He takes a single bite and says, "89." Then he sets down his cutlery and leaves to have dinner with Aleena Walton because she has a poor appetite. For his company's anniversary gala, I try on 27 different dresses. He glances at me. "88. Not good enough to take you out." That night, he attends the gala with Aleena on his arm instead, who wears nothing more than a plain white dress. To earn a perfect score, I quit my job, earn seven certifications, and learn four foreign languages. Yet no matter how hard I try, my grade stays stuck at 89. Aleena does nothing at all, yet simply standing there makes her a hundred. "What does a 90 even look like to you?" I ask Jenson. He looks over at Aleena and says nothing. At that moment, I suddenly smile. His grading system only ever has one metric, and it isn't me. I take off my wedding ring and drop it into his wine glass. "My turn to grade you, Jenson Clarke. Your loyalty? Zero. As a husband? Zero. And as a human being? You fail."