Genesis 2:24 states, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." As in another article, the use of wife, in this case, cheapens, downgrades, makes insignificant the true meaning. Likewise, a "work husband" would do the same thing. Only the one that actually becomes the wife through marriage is the spouse. To do anything more is to break down the barriers set in place, lessons the importance of the title, etc.