10 Signs Your Marriage Is Running on Secrets

Secrecy rarely arrives as scandal. It shows up as silence, half-answers, and “I’m fine.” Here are ten signs to address now—not later.

The Signs

1. Updates instead of honesty: You report the day, not what you feel.
2. Money fog: Vague accounts, private purchases, defensive receipts.
3. Calendar games: Edits and omissions around where you’ll be.
4. Two stories: The past shifts depending on who’s listening.
5. Phone anxiety: Face-down, never shared, “don’t touch that.”
6. Apologies with invoices: Every “sorry” demands a return favor.
7. Topic traps: You avoid certain names, places, or dates.
8. Logistics over intimacy: Roommates with rings.
9. Private exit plan: “Just in case” becomes a habit.
10. Waiting for proof: The pattern’s clear—but you’re hoping it isn’t.

What to Do Next

• Say one true thing you’ve been avoiding. Out loud. Today.
• Schedule a weekly check-in: 30 minutes, eye contact, no phones.
• Bring a counselor in before the emergency.

Want stories that tell the truth about marriage?

Read my Southern family drama about secrets and second chances:

👉 The Grass Is Always Greener — Amazon

For a small-town YA thriller about loyalty and justice:

👉 They Never Came Home — Amazon

Explore more on the Books page.